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Noah nodded. “Of course. I should go say hi to my brother. See you in a bit?”
Will tipped him a wave, then made his way back to the pen where one of Will’s boyfriends, Liam, was kneeling down, talking a small girl into extending a handful of corn for one of the silkie chickens to eat. It was sweet, and it stirred a longing in him he hadn’t acknowledged in years. Not necessarily kids but the idea of family beyond two strained brothers who had been orphaned.
He pushed those thoughts away, then headed to the truck and waited off to the side until the line cleared. He was deep in his thoughts when he heard someone clear their throat, and he looked up to see Talia leaning out the window with a croissant on a plate.
“Here,” Talia said.
Noah gave her a dubious look. It wasn’t like Talia to share free food with him. It wasn’t really like Talia to acknowledge him at all unless it was to say what a shitty brother he was to Adam. “What is it?”
“It’s a delicious baked good that your brother worked his ass off to create. Eat it and appreciate him.”
“It’s kosher, I swear,” Adam said.
Noah chanced a small smile. “Thanks. What’s in it?”
“Mascarpone and raspberry.”
Noah didn’t hesitate this time. He only felt a small pop of envy because he couldn’t bring himself to care enough about creating new food that he knew his customers were getting desperate for. He sighed, then bit into the pastry and groaned at the explosion of flavor on his tongue.
His own bakes were fine. But that’s all they were, just fine. Adam’s were an entire universe contained in such a small thing. They were warm, and comfortable, and homey in a way only his bubbe’s food had ever been. He peered at Adam’s face and saw a mixture of smug satisfaction and beneath that, pride.
“It’s amazing,” Noah told him. He was trying his best not to withhold praise, which was a difficult habit to break. “Is everyone else enjoying them?”
“I think it helps having Enzo’s truck here,” Adam admitted. “I thought we’d end up competing, but people are buying from us both. Plus, his shit is so good.”
Noah didn’t know most of the townsfolk well. He knew of Enzo’s five-star restaurant, Mangia E Zitto. He’d taken Adam there for his graduation dinner and scraped his savings account to pay the tab. It had been a better memory of Adam’s younger years, and he had no regrets. But that was it. Enzo had lived in Savannah for just about forever, and Noah had never tried his food apart from that one night.
“Are you hungry for actual food?” Adam asked.
Noah felt his lips pull into a gentle smile. “No, I ate while I was finishing up the challah dough. Thank you, though.”
Adam sighed, nodding once. “You look tired, Noah.”
“I know what that’s code for.”
Adam snorted a laugh. “Well, youdolook like shit. Why don’t you just fire Paxton, and I’ll come back to—”
“No.” Noah didn’t mean to sound so angry, so final. But there would be no point. He tempered his voice and shook his head. “I didn’t mean to…I just…It’s fine, Adam. This is amazing, and you look happy. Besides, it’s only for a few weeks until you get the truck off the ground.”
A faint blush rose on Adam’s cheeks, and he glanced away like he couldn’t take Noah’s attempts to actually show Adam how he felt. “Well, I have time now if you need me. And I miss working there. With you,” he added like it was a little difficult, but their relationship had always been tense since the day Noah had gone off to school.
“I know, and I miss you too.” Noah swiped his hands on his jeans, then walked a few steps to the recycling bin and dropped the paper plate inside. “Right now, I’m tired, but I’m doing okay. I promise I’ll let you know if I’m in over my head with work.”
And it wasn’t likely. Adam was official competition for him now, and he knew he’d be feeling it soon. But it was better that way.
After a beat of awkward silence, Adam shrugged, and the same old ghost of frustration and resentment flickered across his face. Before it got too deep, Noah reached for him, grabbing his brother by the elbow. “Come over Saturday for dinner.”
“Can I cook?” Adam asked.
At that, Noah laughed. “Yes, and bring Talia.”
Adam looked mildly surprised but also happy, which was Noah’s own fault. He’d spent the last few years after Bubbe’s death trying to keep the bakery together and had neglected to notice that Adam had grown up. Then he’d brought home a girlfriend, and Noah had just…panicked. And he’d shut down. Talia deserved better, and he promised himself he would try.
“I’ll be there,” Adam said after a beat. “I’d better get back to work, though.”
Noah nodded, and just before Adam reached the doors, Noah called out to him. “It looks amazing, Adam. It’s going to do well.”
Adam hesitated, then nodded one last time before disappearing behind the metal door. It shut with a hard clang, and Noah didn’t feel entirely better, but he felt like there were small changes happening. And really, that was the most he could ask for.
