Hailey munched on her carrot. “Sounds like a plan.”
“And don’t forget Maxi and I can help,” Jane said.
“And me,” Hailey added.
“Thanks. I think Ashton and Sarah will be enough for the baking. That’s fairly easy, and I’ll be there to make sure the batter is mixed properly. Then it’s just watching the timer to make sure they don’t burn. We only have the one oven, so I couldn’t really utilize more than two other people, anyway,” Claire said. “What I could really use you guys for is frosting them.”
Hailey nodded. “Frosting takes patience and a bit of skill. Patience isn’t something that Ashton and Sarah are known for.”
Claire laughed. “Yeah. They’re good kids but tend to rush.”
“Weren’t we all that way in high school?” Maxi asked.
“You can say that again,” Claire sliced a small piece of cheesecake and bit in. It was the perfectly creamy blend of sweet raspberry and dark chocolate. Maybe she should consider hiring Maxi to supply some cheesecakes for Sandcastles.IfJames would approve. “I think I have the marketing covered. I have a sign now out front and flyers on order.”
“I heard about the sign,” Jane said. She didn’t quite meet Claire’s gaze, her brow furrowing as she scooped out some of the dip with her cracker. It was loaded with pink chunks of succulent lobster. Urchin, still in Maxi’s lap, lifted his head enough to eye the dip.
Claire smiled. “You did? That’s great! It’s already working.”
The cracker hovered midway to Jane’s mouth. Her eyes met Claire’s. “Actually, I heard about it from the owner of Bradford Breads.”
“Really? When did you talk to him?” Odd that Jane hadn’t even mentioned knowing the guy. Well, there was probably nothing to it.
“Today. He came to Tides to see if we wanted to put in a standing order for fresh bread.” Jane tucked her hair behind her ear and added, “He seems nice. He was very sweet to Mom.”
Claire just bet he was. Probably trying to find out how easy it would be to take all of Claire’s business through Jane somehow. But how would he even know they were friends? Claire thought about the man she’d seen going into Bradford Breads. “Was he tall? Fit? Graying around the temples?”
Jane brightened. “You’ve met already?”
“Not exactly. I saw him go into Bradford Breads earlier today, but he’s not the owner. Probably a go-between or manager.”
“No. The man I met is the owner. He said so. It’s in his name too. Rob Bradford.”
Could the man she had seen on the street be the owner of the rival bakery? No, the owner couldn’t be that good-looking, or that down-to-earth, if his clothes and car had been any indication. Jane must have met someone else.
And sweet?
“Well, just because he was nice to Adelaide doesn’t mean he’s a good person. Who wouldn’t be nice to an old lady?”
A shadow crossed in front of her friend’s eyes. “You’d be surprised.”
Uncomfortable, Claire shifted in her spot. She took a sip of wine. “Of course Bradford wants you to think he’s nice. They always seem that wayright before they put you out of business.”
“He isn’t going to put you out of business.”
Claire snorted. Did Jane want to buy bread from the guy? She often got baked goods from Claire, and Claire knew that Jane was worried about Tides. Maybe she thought having fresh bread would help business. Claire didn’t want to stand in the way of that.
“Do you think fresh bread would be good for the inn? You should try it.” Claire tried not to sound stiff and frosty.
“I don’t think I will just yet,” Jane said immediately.
“But if it makes sense for the inn…”
“The inn has survived without fresh bread this long.” Claire felt like Jane was passing on the proposition to be loyal to Claire because she saw Bradford Breads as a rival. The warmth of her friendship bloomed inside Claire’s chest, at least until Jane added, “But you should give him a chance.”
“Ummm, I don’t think so.”
Jane looked conflicted. “Honestly, he’s not out to ruin your business.”
