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Sarah blushed as she recalled what William was talking about, the feeling of pride that it had evoked in her then rushing up to wash over her all over again.
“See.” He gave her a soft smile. “That isn’t the only story like that either. So sure. Baking Fiend might be new and exciting. But there is one thing that it can never, ever have.”
Sarah cocked her head at him. “What?”
“You.”
He leaned forward and pressed a quick, sweet kiss on her nose, making her blush. She gave him a rewarding smile before stepping back and looking at the destruction around the kitchen.
“We can always come in early and clean before we open,” William said as he glanced at the clock. “That way, you can actually get a little sleep.”
Sarah sagged with relief, her exhaustion finally well and truly catching up with her.
“I think that sounds great,” she admitted with a nod.
She reached up and began untying the strings of her apron and hung it up on one of the hooks. William reached out a hand to her and she laced their fingers together as they turned and walked out the door, locking up as they went. In the stairway that led to their apartment, William tugged on her hand to stop her.
He pointed up toward the ceiling with a sly grin tugging up the corners of his lips. Sarah followed his finger to where it was pointing. Above them was a green, spiky plant with small red berries, and Sarah’s own smile lit up her face.
“Mistletoe,” she cooed as she turned back to William.
He nodded and then brought his lips to hers, and she gave herself over to his kiss. Maybe he was right, and maybe there was more to the bake-off than just winning. Because at the end of the day, there were more important things, like friendship, being a good neighbor, and love.
When their kiss ended, Sarah didn’t step out of his embrace. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his weight even more tightly, giving him a grateful squeeze, which William gladly returned.
“What was that for?” he asked with a smile as they walked the rest of the way to their apartment.
“Just being you,” Sarah said.
And as they stepped into the apartment, the door shutting behind them and the warmth of her home wrapping around her, she accepted that maybe she didn’t need to pour so much into the competition. Because if William was able to turn her entire day around by just being himself for a few minutes, surely her just being herself and doing what she does best would be enough for the competition. And Sarah knew that she had to have faith in that, just like William and her friends had faith in her.
* * *
“I get it,” Zach admitted, speaking into the cell phone that was pressed to his ear. “I mean, don’t get me wrong—when I first came here, I knew the place was beautiful and could see the appeal. But all the stuff you said about this place being healing and being a fountain of inspiration, I get it now. I didn’t then.”
Dennis chuckled on the other end of the line. “I’m glad you finally saw the light, man. But what brought it about?”
Zach paused as he considered just how much to tell his friend, but apparently that wasn’t necessary.
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain kind, nice, blonde that we both know. Would it?” Dennis’s grin was almost palpable through the phone, and Zach couldn’t help but huff out a laugh.
“A little bit,” he was forced to admit. “But it’s also this place in general.”
“Have you seen Colette recently?”
“Well…” Again, Zach paused, wondering how much he should say. But Dennis would likely figure it all out anyway. His friend was one of the most perceptive people that Zach had ever met, and it usually was no use evading the truth with him. “I went on a date with her last night.”
“Ohhhhh, you sly dog.” Dennis made a noise of excitement. “How did that go?”
“Good.” Zach ran a hand through his hair. “Great, actually. One of the best dates I’ve ever been on.”
“What all did you talk about?”
“This place, mostly. It’s different, seeing it all through the eyes of someone like her. She sees things so differently, and it’s fascinating. And she believes in me, Dennis.Reallybelieves in me.”
“She’d be a fool not to.”
Zach laughed. “Any time she’s seen any semblance of my art, she’s seemed really impressed by it, even when it’s all stuff that would never sell. I don’t know. It just feels good.”
