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Once she was satisfied that she was protected from the chill, she set off on a brisk walk toward her destination. Despite the biting cold, something that she most definitely wasn’t used to after living in California for so long, there were still plenty of people milling around the town. The town’s residents were just as buttoned up as she was flitted from store to store, many of them weighed down with shopping bags. Had it been a little bit warmer, or if she’d been more accustomed to the chill like everyone else seemed to be, she would have stopped to admire some of the shops.
The town was truly idyllic, the kind of charming that would easily be featured in one of the holiday romances that was her favorite to film. The storefronts varied from beautiful, red brick with giant bay windows, to wood or stone that had been painted varying shades of pastels. Almost every single shop had a hand painted, completely customized sign that announced the business name, and she couldn’t help but admire the extreme attention to detail, just as she had at the hotel.
But as it was, her cheeks were already becoming chapped, and so she didn’t want to dawdle. Valerie was in awe of the people that she passed that all seemed to not mind the cold one bit, and she made a mental note to pick up a more heavy-duty moisturizer at some point. Because it appeared that the light stuff she used when out in sunny California wouldn’t cut it in Snowy Pine Ridge.
She spotted the pink outside of Sweet Thing Bakery, the building that she had immediately taken notice of the day before on her way toward the hardware store. It was only about a half a block away, and as Valerie reached it and pulled open the door, she realized that she could even glimpse the hardware store from there.
Unbidden, an image of the man who owned it flashed into her mind. Clark, she thought his name was. Or something like that, a name with a rugged, small-town feel to it. She had liked the name, and likedhim, if she was being entirely honest. He had been handsome in a way she hadn’t expected to find in a sleepy little town like this. All dark curly hair and equally dark brown eyes. His beard had been close cropped, exactly how she preferred it, and a flutter erupted in her stomach at the memory.
“No,” she whispered to herself as she stepped into the warmth of the bakery. The scent of apples, blueberries, and pastries all floated up to greet her. “Don’t even think about the fact that he’s handsome. You can’t go down that path.”
Valerie forced her mind away from Clark and all of his handsomeness as she unwrapped her scarf, finding it stifling now that she was in the warmer air of the bakery. She looked around, taking it all in and found herself smiling. Customers milled about at small, wrought iron tables, talking to one another eagerly. There was a beautiful glass counter and display case, filled to the brim with pastries that all looked and smelled mouthwateringly delicious. A chalkboard with gorgeous, scrawling script outlining the baked goods, as well as a variety of coffee and espresso baked drinks and their prices was affixed high on the wall behind the counter.
Just as Valerie stepped toward it, ready to feast her eyes on every single item before placing an order so big she could hardly carry it, a flurry of activity directly to her right caught her attention.
“Ohmygosh,” someone uttered next to her, the words coming out fast so that they all got jumbled together. “You’re Valerie Bernard.”
Valerie turned, spotting a pretty woman with strawberry blonde hair and big, light brown eyes that shone with excitement. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, seemingly not able to contain herself before rushing forward to stand only about a foot away from Valerie.
“I’m Colette Hillis,” the woman gushed, extending a hand for Valerie to shake, which she did gladly.
“Seems like I don’t need to tell you who I am,” Valerie joked.
“You really don’t,” Colette said with a grin. “I’m really glad you came in. I was hoping that you would, honestly.”
Valerie blinked, her eyebrows lifting. “How did you know I was here?”
“Oh, my cousin Derek said he met you in the hardware store yesterday.”
“The guy with the dogs?”
Colette nodded eagerly, her hair swishing back and forth as she did so. “Yup. That’s the one. His wife, Lacy, and I are both big romance movie fans. So we knew exactly who you were the moment he mentioned your name.”
“He did mention that his wife was a fan as well,” Valerie mused, surprised that she wasn’t feeling the slightest bit nervous.
“I guess you want to order, then?” Colette asked, pointing toward the counter and display cases.
“I do,” she answered with a nod. Then, struck with an idea she grinned at Colette. “Would you mind going up with me and giving me some recommendations?”
“Yeah, absolutely,” the other woman beamed.
Now that the initial meeting had occurred, some of the woman’s vibrant enthusiasm seemed to have worn off a bit. And as they chatted while looking into the display case, it began to feel a little bit more like talking to a friend than someone who knew her from watching her movies on the big screen.
“The blueberry crumble muffins are really, really good,” Colette said, pointing to one of the items on the first row. “And so is the apple streusel. If you’re looking for something a little more savory, she has caramelized onion egg tarts.”
“I’m sorry, what did you just say because that sounds heavenly?” Valerie asked, looking for the item that Colette had mentioned in the case.
The other woman pointed to it, laughing slightly. “It’s right there.”
They were interrupted by the saloon style doors behind the counter being pushed open, and someone bustling through them carrying a tray in each hand. The woman was tall, with blonde hair pulled back in a thick ponytail that cascaded down her back. She was wearing an apron that was dusted with flour and was humming slightly to herself before she noticed the two women standing at the counter.
She noticed Colette first, her lips tugging up into a friendly smile as she walked toward the display case to put the goods she was carrying into it.
“Hi, Colette, what can I…” Her words died out as her eyes flicked to Valerie before widening in recognition. “Oh!” The woman’s voice was slightly too high as she continued speaking. “Hi there. I didn’t notice you there.”
“This is Sarah,” Colette announced with a grin. “And, Sarah, you don’t need to pretend. I’ve already told Valerie that I’m a fan, and that you are too. You can admit that you know who she is.”
Sarah’s round cheeks blushed slightly as she finished stowing away the pastries. “Well, I don’t want her to feel like I’m ogling at her.”
