“Nuh uhh!” Lily declared. She dripped her way to the bathroom to dry off and put on clothes, narrating her plans for the evening to no one.
Reno set the water wings on the porch to dry and came to stand behind Grace at the counter, close enough that she could smell the soap from the outdoor shower on his skin. He looked at the three pies the way a man looks at evidence.
“Who’s the third pie for?”
“Hank eats half a pie before he even takes a breath.”
He laughed and set his chin lightly on top of her head, and they stood like that looking out at the lake. She leaned back into the solid, warm wall of his chest and let herself, the way she was getting better at, simply be held up.
Reno’s razor lived by the bathroom sink now. His good boots stood by the back door beside her gardening clogs. He cut Lily’s eggs into hearts and helped with the chores, and had finished most of the small repairs the house needed. Yesterday, Grace had caught herself buying his favorite brand of coffee at the market, the way she’d once bought Liam’s.
She’d stood in the aisle holding the can and waited to feel as if she was doing something wrong. The feeling never came.
“Babe,” Reno said into her hair.
“Mm.”
“You’re going to want to rescue the third pie before it goes past done to Steele-family kindling.”
She jumped away from the counter fast enough to make him grab the edge of it for balance and got the pie out at the last instant before disaster.
Reno’s phone rang on the kitchen counter where he’d left it before he and Lily went swimming. He picked it up and scowled. “Hello. What now?”
He listened for a long time in silence. His frown eased, and then very slowly he began to smile. Finally he said, “I’ll run that past my client and let you know.”
He put the phone back down.
“Tara Marchand’s lawyer again?” she asked.
“Yep.”
Grace sighed. “What’s she offering now for me to drop my lawsuits against her?”
Reno paused long enough that she turned around to face him. He looked strange.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Tara’s going to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit arson, criminal mischief, stalking, and harassment. Her lawyer’s struck a deal with the court that she has to do a thousand hours of community service and pay the maximum fines allowed by law in return for not going to jail. That means you’re going to get about a hundred thousand dollars in penalties from her.”
Her mouth fell open.
“There’s more,” he said.
“Do tell,” she managed to choke out.
“In return for you dropping the libel and slander charges, Tara would like to give you her bakery in Apple Pie Creek. She wants out of the pastry business and is willing to sign over the deed to the building and everything in it to you. You’d own an entire second bakery. Tara’s lawyer has spoken to the head baker and Mary’s sister, and they’re both willing to stay on and continue to work for you if you become the new owner.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “That’s got to be worth over a million dollars.”
“Speaking as your lawyer, we could probably hold out for cash instead of property.”
“I’ll take the bakery,” she blurted.
“Before you just say yes, I’m going to ask for the bakery and a letter of apology from Tara Marchand with a written promise never to say anything negative about you again in public or private. I’m also going to ask for a permanent restraining order that prohibits her from speaking to you or approaching you or either of your bakeries in person.”
“Will she agree to do all that?” Grace asked doubtfully.
Reno grinned his shark-like lawyer grin. “She wants out of this whole mess bad enough to give you well over a million dollars’ worth of real estate, equipment, and a growing business. She’ll take the deal.”
