Rob glanced at Sally. Sally winked and reached for another cookie.
“I should get back to my shop. I have a lot of prep to do before Saturday.” Rob turned to leave through the back door.
“Thanks again for the flour,” Claire said.
He turned to catch her eye one last time, but she was already pulling bowls out of a cupboard, her back to him. “It’s my pleasure,” Rob said. “If you ever need anything, I’m right across the street.”
As Rob walked back over to his shop, he couldn’t keep from smiling. Even though Claire still didn’t want to work with him, he could tell he’d made some progress. It was going to be a challenge to break through Claire Turner’s tough shell, but he had a feeling it would be worth it.
Chapter Seventeen
Despite the late-summer sunset, darkness had fallen by the time Claire squeezed the last of the cupcakes into her fridge and shut the door. She waved wearily to Sarah, tugging the side door shut behind her so it would latch. Ashton would be leaving, too, after he cleaned up in the bathroom, but it was a habit to keep that door closed. She really should have Sally fix it soon.
Her feet aching, she lowered herself onto a stool and leaned her elbows onto the table. Sarah had wiped it down before leaving, and all three of them had done the dishes while the last batch of cupcakes was in the oven. Claire was eager to get home. Poor Urchin would be frantic for his dinner.
The toilet flushed, and water gurgled through the pipes. Claire made a face. The pipes had been groaning all night, as if they were haunted. She didn’t need that nightmare—or the reminder of replacing them. She’d contacted the bank about a small loan, but there was so much paperwork. She had no time to look at it.
The pipes hissed alarmingly, followed by a thunk and a muffled curse. A second later, Ashton stepped into the kitchen. His shoes squeaked on the floor, leaving a wet trail. He looked apologetic, wringing his hands. “I swear I didn’t do anything, Ms. Turner. It just started leaking on its own.”
“A leak?”Crap!
“It’s coming from under the sink in the bathroom. I don’t know how to fix it.”
“It’s fine,” she assured him. She must have a good poker face because he relaxed. If only she really did feel it was fine. “I’ll give Sally a call. She can fix it.” Or so Claire hoped. Was it the same place she’d already fixed, and if so, could someone even fix something like that twice?
Claire took a deep breath. It was still two days until the sale. Hopefully that was enough time to fix it, even if it needed something more than a patch. But still, she couldn’t have the bathroom out of commission at all because then the store would be shut down, and who would want to come to a cupcake sale at a place that had been shut down for two days?
Ashton was staring at her. “So I can go home?”
“Yes. Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He didn’t wait to hear her say it again. He was out the door before she pulled her phone out of her apron pocket.
She dialed Sally, holding her breath as she approached the bathroom. Hopefully, she could convince Sally to work on it tonight. Timidly, Claire pushed open the door. The hiss was louder in there, the water pooling out from beneath the sink at an alarming rate.Oh no!
She bent down to look underneath. How in the world did one make this thing stop running?
Come on, Sally. Pick up!
“Hello?”
Claire blew out a breath of relief upon hearing Sally’s voice. “Sally, I have a problem at the shop.” Her voice was high and shakier than she’d hoped. She swallowed hard.
“A problem?” A garble in the background pulled Sally’s attention from the phone. “Hush, honey. I’ll be done in a minute.” Then closer again. “What’s the problem?”
“A leak. In the bathroom.”
“Where is it coming from?”
“Under the sink.”
“Same spot as before?”
“I think so.”
“Youthink?”
Claire crouched down to take another look. “It’s kind of hard to tell with water spraying everywhere.” Just then, even more water gushed out. She pulled away, leaving the door wide open. The water spewed from the cabinet to the growing puddle on the floor.
