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Grace was impressed with the subtle way she’d shut her daughter up. She only noticed because, in her family, her mom would’ve tossed a banana at her and said,Shut your cakehole.
“He’s Ian Adler’s friend.”
Kate’s gaze snapped up from the dress. “Ian?”
She didn’t see any reason to keep the truth from this family that lived two thousand miles away from her ex’s business. Unless… “You don’t let him invest your money, do you?”
“No,” Kate said. “Not that he hasn’t asked, but we’re more conservative than most. When you’ve had as many lean years as we’ve had, you don’t take the good times for granted.”
“Okay, then, I can tell you the truth. I was the bride, but I didn’t marry him. Ten minutes before I was supposed to walk down the aisle, I found out he’d gambled away my savings. I left, and that’s why I’m here.”
Abby yanked her hand back. “Ian?Are you serious?”
“And before you think I bailed instead of helping him, you need to understand he stole my parents’ money, too.”
“I cannot believe this.” Abby set the makeup brush down. “He was my first crush. I used to follow him and Jaime around like a puppy. But you know what he said to me once? I’ll never forget it. He said, Abby, you’re a great girl, but I’ve got a girlfriend, and she means the world to me.”
“That’s very sweet.” A couple of days ago, she might’ve liked hearing that. “Unfortunately, I don’t mean more to him than money.”
“Sweetheart.” Her mom got up and squeezed Grace’s shoulder. “I’m real sorry this happened to you. We always loved having the Adlers out to the ranch. They’re good people. This must be hard for them, too.”
“This is awful.” Abby dropped onto the barstool next to her. “You must be devastated.”
“I’m hurt. I’m angry. I’m…God, my entire life savings isgone.But to be honest, something’s been missing between us for a very long time, and I only noticed when I came out here. I think I just accepted my relationship. But now, it’s…how do I explain it? I guess it’s hard to think outside of what I’ve always known, and coming here, the scenery’s changed so dramatically, it’s like it’s opened my mind to a world full of possibilities. This whole experience, the mountains, baking to my heart’s content in my cabin…having two fairy godmothers getting me ready for the ball…it’s all so good and so much fun. And I guess I just feel…free.”
“Well, I’m even happier to do it than I was before.” Kate went back to the table.
Abby got back to work, too. “You want false eyelashes?”
“No, thanks. Just mascara, please. If you’ve got a mirror, I can do it myself.” She hopped off the stool and grabbed her make up bag from the counter. “I’m the coastal version of you. I’ve got four brothers, and we grew up in a small house, too. My whole family works at our bakery, just like yours does on the ranch. I’ve always loved my life…”
“You just needed to shake it up.” Abby reached for the platter Grace had brought over to thank them for their help. “These are the prettiest pastries I’ve ever seen. No wonder you’re so happy. You get to make these beauties for a living.”
“Actually, I don’t. Renzo’s sells croissants, turnovers, and muffins. That’s it.”
“Oh.” Abby seemed confused.
“The sailors who dock in our harbor want something fast and hearty, and the tourists in town want ice cream. Fancy pastries are for the fine dining restaurants.”
Abby bit into a slice of marjolaine cake. “Oh, my God. I don’t know what this is, but I know you should be making it. This is your calling.”
“I wish.” Wouldn’t that be nice? “But I work for the family business just like you do. Maybe one day I can have a side business or something.”
“So, ours isn’t really a family business,” Abby said. “Jaime’s just found a way for all of us to do the thing we love most here.”
Grace didn’t understand.
“He knew how easy it would be for the six of us to go off on our own, and our parents really wanted to keep us all together. Like, after art school, I could’ve stayed in New York and gotten a job there, but Jaime found a way for me to do what I love here. He gave me free rein to design the merchandise and the website any way I wanted. He’s done that for all of us. When Huck graduates, he’ll be a large animal vet for the ranch.”
Wow. “Your brother’s pretty amazing.”
“Oh, he’s okay.” Abby grinned.
“If any of the kids could bake like you, he’d open a bakery right here on the ranch,” Kate said. “Just out of curiosity, couldn’t your family hire someone to make muffins and turnovers?”
“Well, I mean, everyone in the family works there. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Everyone has a role, and that’s mine.”
“But you have a passion for something else,” Kate said. “And it’s special. Look at those pretty designs. Even the cakes have tiny flowers on them. I’ve never seen pastries as fancy as these, and we have some very upscale stores in Calamity. Would it be so crazy to open your own bakery? I think you’d be very successful with a product like this.”
