We all talked forwaytoo long about Hugh.
And despite that, it was one of the best evenings I’d ever had.
26
THEO
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Hu Gh:Anyone got a recipe for one of them seizure salads?
Comments:
Tammy Jane:A WHAT salad?
Hu Gh:You never heard of a seizure?
Nicole Rudder:Do you mean a Caesar salad?
Hu Gh:Now why would I mean that old guy that got stabbed a bunch of times?
Freya’s bakerywas the only newly painted building on the Rainwood downtown strip. Rainwood hadn’t had as much luck as Strawberry Springs, and it reminded me of the town I had moved into many years ago.
Getting out of my car, I grabbed my coffee and took a deep breath. I’d never come to see Freya in person, and all I could hope for was that she wouldn’t take this the wrong way.
But once I’d had the idea yesterday, it was all I could think about.
It still felt weird not to be at the coffee shop. I was so used to being the one to open it up day after day that waking up with nothing to do felt odd.
I had checked in with Kelsey far too many times in one day. She kept reassuring me that things were fine, which meant I could move forward with my plan.
Freya’s bakery was tiny. When I walked in, there were only a few tables. She was manning the counter, eyes wide, when she saw me.
“Theo?” she asked. “What are you doing in Rainwood?”
“I came to talk to you about something. A business conversation.” I needed to quickly clarify.
“Oh, yes, of course. I can have my sister watch the front while we talk.”
I nodded, trying and failing to stay still. This was outside of the norm, and it felt like the day that I had found Riley and asked her about franchising her business. I was terrified.
It didn’t take long for Freya to be ready to talk. She came around the corner and gestured to one of the small tables in the corner. I joined her.
“What can I do for you?”
“The coffee shop’s doing well, but I’ve been considering adding some baked goods to the menu.”
“Really? That’s a great idea. I know a few wholesalers that you could work with if you wanted to go the cheapest route.”
I immediately shook my head. “I don’t want to work with wholesalers. I was curious if you had the capacity to make them. It would be year-round branding for your shop in Strawberry Springs, and I would give you a cut of all the profits.”
Her eyes went wide. “Really? I mean, I don’t know if I’ll bethe most efficient or the cheapest, but I would love to work with you.”
“It’s not about efficiency. You’re a good baker, and I want people who don’t get to see the farmers market to know about you.”
She blinked, jaw slightly agape. I bet I’d looked the same when Riley had given me the same offer. “That’s ... that would be great. How soon are you wanting to start this?”
“How soon can you have things ready?”
