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"Are you always like this?" I ask.

"Charming?"

"That wasn't the word."

"It usually is."

I tilt my gaze and remove the documents from my folder. The smile disappears immediately — she notices the shift in my expression.

"What happened?"

I place the papers on the counter. "Look at the names."

She leans forward. A few moments pass, then she frowns. "I know these companies."

"All of them?"

She nods. "They buy wholesale." She points at one name. "This one ordered pastries for corporate events." Another. "This one purchased seasonal products." Then another. "I haven't worked with them recently."

"Do they have anything in common?" I ask.

Juniper studies the pages, her brow furrowing. Several moments pass before she slowly shakes her head. "No. If there's a connection, I'm missing it."

I believe her, which surprises me less than it should. I tap one of the documents. "The complaints connect back to them."

Her head snaps up. "What?"

"The complaints." I slide another page toward her. "The canceled contracts." Another. "Several questionable deliveries." She stares at the information, and I watch shock gradually give way to anger — the tightening jaw, the narrowed eyes, the rigid shoulders. Juniper Bell is many things. Subtle is not one of them.

"You're telling me this isn't random."

"No," I say immediately. "Someone is targeting the bakery."

The words sit heavily between us. Not suspicion, not theory — something closer to certainty. Juniper looks down at the documents, then exhales sharply.

"I want in."

I already know where this conversation is going. "No."

Her eyes narrow. "No?"

"No."

She plants both hands on the counter. "This is my life."

"It's an investigation."

"It's my bakery." she retorts.

"It's still an investigation."

Her gaze hardens. "So your plan is to solve everything while I sit quietly and wait?"

"Yes." The answer arrives before I can soften it. Juniper blinks, then laughs — not because she finds it funny, but because she can't believe I said it.

"You are unbelievable." she grunts.

"I've been called worse."