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Removing the mitts, she hurried into the bathroom and checked her reflection in the mirror.
Holy hell!
A large red smear of icing sugar covered part of her left cheek. She grabbed a cloth, wet it, and quickly scrubbed at the stain, but the stubborn dye simply faded to a pale pink.
Her hair was falling loose from her bun and she’d long ago licked her new mango-flavored tinted gloss from her lips, but hearing the bell chime again, there was little she could do about it. Even if there was time to reapply her makeup and fix her hair, she couldn’t waltz back out there looking better without him knowing she’d gone through the effort.
Besides, it was Mitch Jameson. The guy was a world-traveling doctor, who was ten years her senior. Impressing him would be futile energy she didn’t have.
With no other choice, she went back into the front to start packaging his family’s order and send him on his way before he could distract her further…and found her shop neighbor, Mrs. Barnett, standing there.
This day could end anytime now.
She forced a polite smile. “Hi, Mrs. Barnett. How are you?”
Pissed, if the woman’s body language could be trusted.
Jessica thought fast. The smoke detector hadn’t gone off in weeks and she hadn’t made any more of the spiced apple muffins that Mrs. Barnett said competed with the scent of her therapeutic oils she burned in her apothecary shop next door.
Something new must be annoying Mrs. Barnett.
All four feet eleven inches of her. So much fiery passion was bundled inside such a tiny person. She was nearly always on a rampage about something and Jessica tried hard to steer clear of her path. Odd that a woman who made her living from selling the idea of a calm and balanced existence was always so wound up.
Had she ever tried her own products?
“Can you explain this to me?” the older woman said, placing a letter on the counter.
Jessica picked it up and, seeing the logo for Not Just Desserts on the letterhead, her heart raced.
Uh-oh.
Her offer from Not Just Desserts, a big dessert chain in California to buy Delicious Delicacies, to buy her bakery was weighing heavy on her. They’d approached her earlier that year and she had three months left to decide if she wanted to sell her business. She was keeping it to herself for now, and not being able to discuss it with her best friends was torture, but she didn’t want to freak anyone out just yet. Especially now that she’d promised Sarah she’d be here supporting her new venture of running the newly renovated B&B Sarah had inherited from her grandmother.
The thought of moving away made her nauseous, but the idea that she could die alone surrounded by half-eaten baked goods was becoming a reality with each ex getting married.
Unfortunately, she didn’t know what to do. Eventually, she’d have to talk to her friends about it. She never made any big decisions without asking for their opinions and advice. She, Sarah, and Whitney had been best friends since grade school.
Thoughtheywere both recently engaged, and Jessica would be lying if she said she didn’t fear being left behind as her two friends got married and started families. Being “awesome Aunt Jess with the yummy treats” only appealed to her so much.
“I’m not selling my shop or the space it’s in,” Mrs. Barnett said, taking the letter back before Jessica could read beyond the first line.
She’d read enough to understand Mrs. Barnett’s irritation. “You don’t have to.”
Mrs. Barnett shook the paper. “According to this, I might. Says here, you’re selling this space to them and they need my shop and Frankie’s Fabrics to sell, too, so they can expand to put in a full seating area.”
They’d really assumed a lot. Jessica hadn’t given them an answer yet. She still had months until the deadline to respond. And besides, her bakery had nothing to do with the other two businesses in this building. If they wanted space for customers to sit and eat, they could expand outward with a deck or build a rooftop terrace.
Mrs. Barnett turned, as though noticing Mitch there for the first time. Her neighbor’s expression changed and suddenly she was eyeing Mitch as though the fact he was thirty years her junior didn’t matter one little bit. And his movie-star smile back at the woman wasn’t doing him any favors. Had he forgotten Mrs. Barnett’s reputation for being a man-eater in her earlier widowed days?
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Barnett,” Jessica said. “Unfortunately, now’s not a great time.” A quick look at the clock revealed that two customers were due in thirty-six minutes to pick up holiday cakes. Thank God, one was a basic chocolate icing, but the other one was a red, green, and white poinsettias design. Even on her best day, that would take longer than thirty-six…make that thirty-fiveminutes.
“You’re telling me. I have an essential oils bachelorette party starting in an hour, but these bastards keep sending these letters. They even sent someone to my shop yesterday. I was out. They left a business card under the door.” She removed her glasses and slid them to the top of her head, fluffing her red curls around her shoulders.
The company was sending reps now? Jessica’s stress bubble exploded over her head, drowning her as though she’d stepped outside into the downpour. They were really starting to put the pressure on. They’d called that morning, too, and she’d pretended to be an employee and said she wasn’t in. Maybe her ancient landline needed to be at least upgraded to include caller ID.
“Look, I’m really sorry. I haven’t given them an answer yet. And it’s really up to you if you sell your space.”
“You need to tell them no, and I have a few other choice words you can add…”
