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Claire took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding. "After my husband, David, passed away recently, I needed a change," Claire began, speaking softly. "I needed a fresh start somewhere new."
Eva's expression changed, sympathy evident in her eyes. "I'm sorry. You've been through a lot. I'm glad you chose our town. It's a great place."
"Thank you, Eva."
"I hope you don't mind me asking, and I'm truly not trying to be nosy," Eva said, a hint of pink spreading across her cheeks, "but we don't usually get many newcomers unless they're just passing through. So I was wondering, what do you do?"
She met Eva's kind gaze and said softly, "I'm an artist." Claire's voice carried a hint of wistfulness as she continued, "Though it's been a while since I've felt inspired enough to paint. Maybe this fresh start and new surroundings will help reignite that spark. It would be nice to find my muse again."
"I hope you do," Eva replied warmly. "I'd love to see some of your work sometime."
Claire felt her cheeks grow warm at Eva's genuine interest. She replied shyly, "When I start painting again, I'll have to take some pictures to show you."
Eva's friendly smile grew wider as she said, "I'd like that."
Claire savored the last bites of her pastries and took a final sip of the luxuriously rich cappuccino Michael had crafted for her. She sighed contentedly. Standing up, Claire turned to Eva and Michael with a smile. "Thank you both so much for the delicious treats and for your kind welcome," she said warmly. "I know I'll be back again soon."
Eva beamed at her. "Please do come again, Claire. And let me know if there's ever anything at all I can do for you."
Michael echoed Eva's sentiments. "It was lovely meeting you, Claire. I hope you'll consider Sweet Delights your new home away from home!"
With a final wave goodbye, Claire stepped back out onto the cobblestone street, already looking forward to her next visit.
Chapter Four
The bakery door chimed as the last morning customer left with a bag of pastries. Eva waved goodbye before moving to start clearing empty mugs and plates from the tables. They'd been packed with customers and she was definitely feeling how busy they'd been. Not that she didn't love the support, but she was looking forward to the chance to sit and take a break for a moment.
As she wiped crumbs into her hand, her thoughts kept straying back to Claire. "It's just because she's new in town and you don't meet that many new people." Eva gave herself a little shake as she continued cleaning. She was being ridiculous. Claire was just another friendly new customer.
Eva finished cleaning the last table and sat down behind the counter with a soft sigh.
Michael came up beside her, handing her an iced coffee. He had one for himself as well. "So...Claire was pretty."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't you start. Just because a pretty new woman comes into our cafe..."
"Eva, we haven't had anyone new move here in nearly a year. I'm not saying marry her. I'm just saying it's nice that you have someone new to look at. Maybe she has a cute brother."
"You're ridiculous," Eva said, rolling her eyes even as she smiled. "She was really pretty though, right?"
Michael nodded. "And she's an artist. Maybe she's bi. Maybe you can just check her out when she comes back for breakfast soon." He gave her a playful nudge.
"Maybe. Now, can we talk about something besides my nonexistent love life?"
"What do you want to talk about then?"
Eva took a sip of her iced coffee. "We could talk about yours."
"Mine is in even more trouble than yours," Michael said with a laugh. His expression turned thoughtful. "In all seriousness though, it's nice to see you noticing women again after what Liz put you through."
At the mention of her ex, Eva's mood soured. Liz's betrayal still stung, even after all these months. Eva had truly believed they were soulmates. She looked down at her hands. "I can't just sit around and mope forever. But I'm still not sure I'm ready for a relationship yet. And besides, I only just met Claire. I'm sure I'm imagining whatever spark I think I felt." Even as she said it though, Eva found herself hoping she would see Claire again soon. There was just something about her.
Michael held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, no judgments here! I just think it'd be nice if you put yourself out there again, even if it's just as being friends with a beautiful woman. You deserve to be happy and outside of our friendship, you've closed yourself off to pretty much everyone else. I know most of your friends were also her friends and they left in the break up, so maybe being friends with Claire wouldn't be a bad thing."
Eva sighed, turning to glance out the bakery window at the passersby on the sidewalk. "After what Liz did...it's hard to trust anyone new," Eva admitted quietly. "We were together for years. I thought she was my soulmate until..."
Her voice trailed off, but Michael knew the painful story well. He came over and gave Eva's shoulder a supportive squeeze.
"Liz made her choice, and it wasn't you. I know that hurts, but don't let it close you off forever," he said gently. "Take a chance if it feels right."
