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‘Oh, Tammy, while you’re there, can you grab us some more rolls, please?’ Diane called across the counter towards her.
‘Okay.’ Nodding, she made her way back to the kitchen and pushed open the door. Pausing, she looked around. Elsie was kneading dough as Ian perched on a stool, chatting to her. There was no sign of Josh. He and Elsie must have already finished their chat. She’d likely made a complete fool of herself for nothing then.
‘Are you all right, love?’ Elsie looked up from the dough.
‘Yes, we just need some more rolls if you’ve got any ready, please?’
‘Oh yes, love. There’s some over on the rack cooling.’ Elsie nodded to the work surface running under the window.
‘Thanks.’
‘Here, I’ll take those out, Tammy.’ Ian stood up and made his way towards the rolls. ‘I’ll go behind the counter and help Diane out now.’
‘Okay.’ Tammy pulled a ceramic bowl from the cupboard. ‘Shall I make some more cookies? We seem to have sold loads already today so far.’
‘Yes, that would be great, thanks.’ Elsie nodded as the kitchen door closed behind him before turning to Tammy. ‘Thank you for the warning, we...’
The kitchen door swung open again as Ian made his way back through. ‘Oh, I just forgot. I needed to let you know who I saw on my way back from Brooke’s.’
‘Oh, who was that then, love?’ Elsie turned her attention to Ian.
‘The couple who used to come in each day for their hot chocolates. Do you remember them?’
‘Oh yes, the man with the baseball cap?’
‘That’s them.’
Elsie looked towards the kitchen door. ‘Tammy, would you mind going back out to the counter please to help Diane for a few moments?’
‘Oh no, she’s fine for now. There’s a bit of a lull. I’ve given her the rolls, but I would have stayed out there if she’d needed my help.’ Ian grinned.
‘Oh, right? Okay.’ Elsie nodded.
‘I’ll just go and grab some more flour. We’ve run out.’ Picking up the plastic container, Tammy made her way towards the larder at the back of the bakery.
‘Thank you.’
Pushing the door open, Tammy stepped inside, the light from the kitchen illuminating the shelves of ingredients. Looking along the shelves, she walked in further, searching for the flour. She knew it would be in here. Elsie kept everything in the dimly lit larder. There it was. Reaching up, she screamed as she caught sight of something moving in the shadows and turning quickly she knocked a tub of chocolate drops to the floor with her elbow.
‘Everything okay, love?’ Ian called out.
‘Shh, it’s just me,’ Josh whispered and stepped out from the corner of the larder, his forefinger against his lips.
Trying to stifle a laugh, Tammy called over her shoulder to Ian, ‘Yes, all good. Sorry, I’ve just knocked a tub of chocolate drops to the floor.’
‘Good, good.’
Tilting her head, she listened to Ian’s footsteps as he returned to Elsie and began speaking again. Looking at Josh, she shook her head and whispered. ‘I thought you were a mouse or something.’
‘No wonder you screamed. It’s not every day that you find a mouse as big as me in the bakery larder.’ He grinned, the skin around his eyes creasing with suppressed laughter.
‘Haha, very funny.’ Keeping her voice low, she knelt to the floor. The chocolate drops had gone everywhere.
‘Here, let me help.’ Lowering himself next to her, Josh began scooping the small drops into the palm of his hand. ‘Thanks for the heads up, by the way. I just wish I’d thought and legged it out of the back door into the courtyard instead of heading for the larder.’
‘Glad you heard. Yes, why didn’t you do that?’ She put a handful of drops back into the container. They’d have to be binned, and the container washed, anyway.
Josh shrugged. ‘No time to think.’
