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Cinnamon stopped in her tracks. "Finally."
Scarlet's breath came in waves. "What do you mean?"
"I've been waiting all day for you to spill the beans." Cinnamon looped her arm through Scarlet's. "I figured you'd tell me sooner or later, but truth be told, I'm glad it's sooner."
Scarlet huffed and pulled her sunglasses off the top of her head and over her eyes. "And here I thought I'd done a good job at hiding my excitement."
"Excitement huh?" Cinnamon arched a brow. "Why do I feel the sudden urge to run in the opposite direction?"
"You've always been one to overreact."
Cinnamon snorted. "Hello, Pot. I'm Kettle."
Scarlet's laugh mixed with the water lapping against the shore. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She inhaled and stopped, facing Cinnamon. "I need to talk to you about a business arrangement."
"Okay," Cinnamon drew out the word. "What do you need?"
"Our cook for the summer had to leave to take care of her ailing mom." Scarlet flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder. "We need someone to cook for the visitors and tourists we have booked June through August."
"Uh, you do know it's June already, right?"
"It's only the beginning of the month. We've got enough meals to last for three days, but that's it." Scarlet pushed the glasses back up on her head. "Listen, I know it's awkward with you and Kaleb."
"It's not awkward at all. We've spoken over the last ten years," Cinnamon argued. "We just aren't best friends."
Scarlet's look said she didn't believe Cinnamon. "Anyway, I was hoping you'd be willing to help us out for the remainder of the summer."
Cinnamon pulled her bottom lip with her teeth. "I don't know. That's awfully short notice for Harper and Noel. That'd leave them in a bind, I think."
"I've spoken to them already." Scarlet offered her a sheepish grin. "I didn't want to ask you if they couldn't cover your duties."
Cinnamon frowned. She didn't like people discussing her behind her back or making decisions for her. "I don't appreciate that, Scar."
"I know." Her friend dropped her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overstep. I truly wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed before proceeding."
Cinnamon studied Scarlet. While it wasn't optimal the way Scarlet spoke without Cinnamon's knowledge, she understood her reasoning. "And what did my fearless leader and her husband say on the matter?"
"They said they'd let you make the decision." Scarlet wound her arm through Cinnamon's once more. "We would pay you more than the Inn since we're in a bind and desperate."
"That doesn't make me sound too good. You're only asking me because you're in dire need?" Cinnamon held back her grin, enjoying watching Scarlet squirm.
"No, no. That's not what I mean at all."
Cinnamon snickered. "I'm teasing you. I know I'm a good chef." If there was one thing she knew for certain, it was her abilities to create amazing dishes and baked goods. Not only was she good at it, but she also loved doing it.
Scarlet smacked her arm. "I actually felt bad for a second."
"Serves you right." Cinnamon gave her arm a light squeeze. "You know I hate it when people make decisions for me."
Scarlet sighed. "I know. Stupid brother."
Cinnamon bit back a grin. Yes, Kaleb was a part of the reason she despised it, but he was only the tip of the iceberg. "Fill me in on the details."
Pulling her down to the sand, Scarlet stretched her legs out, allowing the water to wash over her feet. "We'd need you right away, if at all possible. You'd stay at the house, of course, since we have a large kitchen. You'd prepare breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and then dinner. If you want to toss in a dessert, you'd be more than welcome."
"Days off?"
"Of course. You'd get two days off, depending on what we have planned with the tourists." Scarlet made designs in the sand with her finger. "We'd need you to begin by the end of the week. Next week, we have guests coming in on Tuesday and they leave on Saturday. You'd get Sunday and Monday off the following week."
