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Only time will tell.
I’m driving back to the house after dropping Cami off at her dance class when I get distracted by the bright yellow Lamborghini SUV outside of the shop I’ve spent the last month ignoring.
Is that Cal?
My suspicions are confirmed as I catch him standing outside the shop, staring up at the building. I pull over and put my car hazards on. With shaky legs, I walk over to the man standing outside the store I always dreamed of opening my bakery in.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
He looks over at me with eyes concealed by sunglasses. “Checking out the building.”
I turn to look at the shop. The redComing Soonsign from before is no longer displayed across the windows.
“They left?” I walk up to the window and peek inside. The space is completely empty besides a few abandoned paint cans and a plastic sheet protecting the floor.
“I guess so,” Cal says from behind me.
I peek over my shoulder at him. “Why?”
“I overheard someone at the bookshop mentioning that the new landlord hiked up the rental prices.”
Shit! How will I ever afford this place now?
“What happened to Vinny?” Vinny’s family made a small fortune off renting out their tiny strip of Main Street for generations, so I’m surprised they parted with it.
“I heard he got bought out.”
My shoulders slump. “I wonder how much the new landlord is charging now if it ran them out of business before ever opening.”
“You could call their office and ask for a price.” He slides his sunglasses over his head.
I bite down on the inside of my cheek. Truth is, I’m tempted to give them a call. With all the money I’m getting from the deal I made with Rowan, I could probably afford the rent.
But still, something stops me—good old self-doubt, always popping up when I least expect it.
How many shops have tried to be successful here only to fizzle out? What makes my idea so different from the last bakery that opened here? Or the store before that?
“I’ll give them a call tomorrow,” I say.
Tomorrow sounds good.Safe.
He points at the sign taped to the door. “I dare you to give them a call now and ask.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“You heard me.” His smile expands.
I shake my head hard enough to make my ponytail slap me in the face. “No.”
“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” he taunts.
“I’m not scared. I’m just…”
Damn it. Iamscared.
Screw him for calling me out on it though.
His cocky smirk has me whipping my phone out of my pocket and dialing the number.
