Chapter Twenty-Four
“Oh my God,” Stephanie Delany, blogger from Guilty Pleasures: A Cross-Country Food Journey, mumbled through a mouth full of cupcake. “It’s times like this when I love my job, sooooo much.”
Maggie twisted her hands, watching the woman eat. Stephanie had arrived at the shop an hour ago. The woman appeared to be in her mid-thirties, with short, curly brown hair and a pleasant demeanor; Maggie liked her immediately. Ms. Delany had leapt right in, asking a series of questions about the store and Maggie’s history in baking. When she told the blogger about inheriting the store from her grandmother, learning the craft of cooking all those summers ago, Stephanie brightened with interest. When she handed over a plate of carefully crafted cupcakes, the woman’s eyes lit with hunger.
The pleasant moan after the first bite set her nerves at ease.
“I’m glad you enjoy them.”
“Enjoy them? Maggie, honey, if I enjoyed them any more I’d gain fifty pounds! These cupcakes are delectable.”
Things were going better than she could have hoped. Quite a turnaround from this morning. There was her roller coaster luck again. She was just glad her car was at the top of the coaster for the blogger’s visit.
“I usually don’t tell people how the review is going to go before I write it, but let me just say, you might want to hire more help for the summer. I have a feeling you’ll be getting a lot of new business.”
Hallelujah!
The blogger loved her cupcakes. She was going to get a great review. Tourists would soon be flocking to her store, spending money. Her till would be full, and Gran’s legacy secure. Everything was perfect!
Well, okay, not everything.
She still had a crazy person attacking her. Those crude words flashed in her mind again. She pushed them away. Now was not the time. It was time to celebrate and rejoice in all her hard work. She’d worry about her shattered home later.
“Let me just take a few more pictures for the blog and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“I’ll wrap up the rest of these for you to take with you.” She grabbed the plate of cupcakes.
Stephanie’s smile widened revealing twin dimples in the woman’s cheeks. “Thank you. I always try to bring a sample of food home to my husband, but I doubt they’ll last until my plane ride tomorrow.”
“If you leave your address, I can ship a box to your home. I have a great Strawberry filled Chocolate Gnocchi cupcake that’s perfect for a romantic date night.”
“You are an angel.” The other woman eagerly wrote down her address, took a few more photos of the shop and cupcakes, then, with a wave, left.
Maggie turned to the counter where Jamie and Colton—who had refused to leave her side after this morning—were anxiously waiting. The bakery was small enough that, even though she and Stephanie had been at the far corner table, she was sure they heard every word. Still, they waited for her to speak.
“I think she loved them!”
Jumping up and down in excitement, Jamie let out an ear-piercing squeal. Colton jumped over the counter. Picking her up in a bear hug, he swung her around, kissing her soundly on the lips before setting her down.
“I knew she’d love them. You are amazing, Magpie.”
“Do you really think we’ll be as busy as she said?” Jamie asked. “I can work full-time this summer if you need.”
If the review was as good as Stephanie hinted at, they might be. It was one of the highest followed food blogs on the Internet. People showed up in droves to the high-rated eateries on Guilty Pleasures. Hiring extra help might become necessary.
A name popped into her head: Tony. He showed a great talent for cooking. He could work part-time in the summer for her, and if he enjoyed it, he could continue in the fall. Much to her dismay, she had to think of a replacement for Jamie when the young woman went off to college.
She’d bring it up with Colton later. If the young man wanted to, he could split his time between the ranch and her shop. If he found he enjoyed baking, maybe he’d let her help him apply to culinary schools. He had such talent. She’d hate to see it go to waste.
“We need to celebrate,” Colton said.
“I still have some champagne in back from the frosting.” She glanced at Jamie. “Oh, but—”
The teenager rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry boss, I’ve got a soda in my bag. It’s got all the bubbles with none of the booze.”
He retrieved the bottle of champagne and they toasted—the underage girl toasting with her soda—to a successful review. After they closed up. Her young employee gave her a giant hug goodbye, squealing with delight once again. She really was going to miss that girl.
“Ready to go home?” Colton’s deep voice whispered in her ear.
Home.
He said it as if she belonged there. As if it was their home and not just a place she was staying because hers was in shambles. It was lovely to imagine it being true, but she knew she couldn’t. As wonderful and caring as Colton was, she couldn’t let herself fall so far for him. It would just destroy her when he left. And he would leave—
No. She couldn’t think like that now. For now, she would enjoy her success, enjoy Colton. She deserved a little happiness before the inevitable happened, and she planned to take it.