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“Oh, this is Vanessa,” Frankie said, gesturing to the tall woman. “She handles the café and deli. Her baking skills are untouchable.”
Vanessa smiled widely at me, leaning past Frankie to shake my hand. Her grip was firm, a warning almost, but she held my gaze.
“Pleasure to meet you,” she said, drawing back and folding her arms across her chest.
“Likewise,” I said, studying the set of her jaw and the square of her shoulders. The power behind management, I guessed. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’d been working there longer than Frankie had.
Perhaps from the beginning, helping to mold Frankie into the manager she needed to be.
“My name is Hayden Jones,” I announced, sensing that I was being held up on a pedestal for them to inspect.
Judgment sat hot on my tongue, and I turned my gaze back to Frankie.
“This is Joe,” Frankie said, gesturing to the aging man standing beside her. “He’s the caretaker and ensures that the store runs logistically.”
Joe lifted a hand in acknowledgment and I nodded, looking toward the last two employees.
“The twins,” Frankie said. “Blanca and Dean. They specialize in food allergies and nutrition, to help customers who aren’t sure what to eat.”
The gears in my head spun with possibilities at that. “Do you offer nutrition guides or eating plans using their specialties?” I asked, my focus zeroing in on the tiny dent between Frankie’s brows. Definitelynotat the way her teeth tugged on her bottom lip.
Focus, Hayden.
“It was something we wanted to venture into,” she explained, fidgeting with the beaded bracelet at her left wrist. “But we didn’t have the resources to expand into it.”
“Hmm.” I frowned, brows furrowed in thought. “Something to look into.”
Frankie pursed her lips and looked like she wanted to press the matter, but Vanessa tapped her on the shoulder.
“Why don’t you give Hayden a tour?” she suggested, her colorful beads clicking together melodically as she leaned forward.
Frankie’s eyes widened a little but she quickly composed herself, turning back to me with a bland smile. “Sure,” she said, holding out an arm toward the rest of the store. “Shall we?”
I forced my lips into a grin that matched hers and followed after her, watching her copper curls bounce, so at odds with the war raging inside me.
On one hand, there was the Hayden who had crashed her date, hopefully giving her a better night than the one she was heading toward. The confident, bubbly Hayden, comfortable with throwing around her smiles and compliments.
On the other hand, there was the business mogul with billion-dollar companies riding on her shoulders.
And the underlying, simmering warmth in my lower gut.
Because Frankie was somehow even more beautiful in the light of day.
“I’m honestly surprised that you were the one who bought my parents’ store,” Frankie admitted, her voice softer than it had been.
“I can’t say I’m not surprised to see you here,” I confessed, keeping my eyes on the store around us. “Of all the things I expected, seeing your face didn’t even make the list.”
The store was quaint, overflowing with leafy potted plants hanging from the ceiling, little handwritten signs navigating the aisles and products throughout the store. It had a distinctly homey sense to it, something loved and practically lived in.
I couldn’t deny the scent of fresh coffee and bread had me wishing I’d eaten breakfast before leaving.
Plus, there was Frankie, in her cute, comfy dungarees and tee, her ratty sneakers, and freckles that splashed across her cheeks and nose.
“You’ve had your eye on the store for a long time,” Frankie noted, slipping her hands into her pockets again.
My brow quirked in interest. “I have,” I answered. “I knew it was a family-run business that specializes in food for people with food allergies. I was intrigued that a small business put so much into one basket instead of doing the whole seven-eleven convenience store route. And I know that your customer base is large and very loyal. I want to grow that.”
“Grow that?” She frowned. “How so?”
