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A man walked from the back, dressed in a sharp black chef coat, his equally black hair combed back to perfection. He had a well trimmed goatee and a slender frame, but his green eyes were shrewd as he studied me. Everything about the man screamed professionalism, curt and genuine, yet not unkind. Simply detached.Nope. Not intimidating at all…
“Hi there,” I replied. “I don’t think we’ve had a chance to meet yet, I’m Autumn Cedarwick. I own the orchard in town.”
“Bienvenue, Autumn,” he said, nodding his head, as his accent fell into place for me. “What can I get for you today?
“Whatever you recommend,” I said, knowing there was no way I could choose. “I was actually wondering if you had a few minutes to talk…”
“Adrien.” He said, his mouth closing in a firm line seeming to weigh his decision. “I have a batch of Pain Au Chocolat in the oven.”
“I swear I won’t keep you long,” I promised. “Whenever you need to grab them, feel free. I just got back to town and I’m trying to get settled in with the orchard and how things are running.”
“Sit,” he said, gesturing his head to one of the bistro tables in the space as he grabbed a plate and bent into the display case. “Allergies?”
“Nope,” I said, my eyes going big as he brought the small plate to the table. I could recognize the Madeline and macaroon easily enough, although the flavors I wasn’t certain of, but the shiny shelled chocolate with flecks of red and orange on top really caught my eye. “May I?”
Adrien nodded again, not saying a word as I took the chocolate and plopped it into my mouth. His body radiated tension, his spine stiff as he took the seat farthest away from me. It wasn’t until I let out an embarrassing groan once the chocolate started dissolving in my mouth that his lips even twitched.
“Good, no?”
“Better than good,” I gushed, knowing that I had just found my new vice. “Gosh, if you were here when I was growing up I probably would have ate you out of business. How long have you been here?”
“Two years.”
“How are you liking it so far?” I asked. “Holiday Hollow is a special kind of place.”
“That it is,” he agreed, his brow furrowing slightly. “It’s taken some time to get accustomed to, but people seem genuinely welcoming.”
His statement was cordial, but something told me he wasn’t sure if he believed the words he was saying. Small town life was hard to adjust to for those of us who’ve lived in the city. I had a feeling he was facing something similar. It made me wonder what brought him here in the first place.
Glancing at his watch, he looked back towards the kitchen. I knew I needed to say my piece before he took off.
“I know you have delicious masterpieces to create so I’m going to cut to the chase, Adrien, businessman to businesswoman. I’m exploring the idea of expanding our products into the retail space and was wondering if The Confectionary would benefit from such an arrangement.”
His gaze sharpened on me before nodding his head. “Apples have too high of a water content to be used in the majority of the products I make. I could offer them in galettes, but only during the season and even then the quantity wouldn’t be substantial.”
Disappointment washed over me briefly, but I knew that this place would be a long shot. I gave him a reassuring smile, knowing that the hard sell wasn’t the way to go on with this one.
“No worries, just thought I’d ask. If you ever end up having a hankering for apples, you're welcome at the orchard anytime.”
Surprise flashed in his eyes before he glanced at his watch again. “That’s very kind of you, Ms. Cedarwick. I need to grab the Pain now. Enjoy your treats.”
While Adrien was perfectly hospitable, the man was in desperate need of a hug or a few dozen pieces of his own chocolate. From his stature I would have guessed he was an alpha, but he literally had zero scent and wore a ring on his left hand, a mystery indeed.
I devoured the Madeline before reaching inside my pocketbook and dropping a bill on the table. I didn’t want to assume he’d given me the treats for free and frankly, he probably deserved much more for the masterpieces he created.
Just as I was striding towards the door, a lovely pistachio macaron in my hand, Adrien peaked his head out.
“Ms. Cedarwick?” I paused, turning to give him my attention. “Try the coffee shop. Their products and retail space might fit what you’re looking for.”
Raising my cookie in thanks I stepped out into the street. With half of the stores and shops already visited, I was feeling pretty good about the progress I’d made for the day.
I’d taken a deeper look at the maintenance fund this morning too, after Carl had dropped the news that almost none of the house would be sustainable long term.
Of course later that night, despite the guys’ reassurances that we would figure everything out, I may have had a bit of a pity party in my bedroom. Even though I tried to keep it quiet it wasn’t too long before Boone showed up at my door, Jack right at his heels, the two of them cuddling me in-between them as they offered their support.
Hunter had lingered by the door frame, watching over us for a moment.
Part of me couldn’t get over how hospitable the guys had been. I’d only been staying with them a couple days now, but they’d gone out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and that I had everything I needed.
