5. Chapter 5
After Liam stormed out of the brewery last night, I stayed with Roman to talk about some of my ideas for the Valentine’s Day dance. I’m so excited for some of the things we came up with.
The contrast of the sense of community that I already have here compared to New York is refreshing. I’m brimming with ideas to bring everyone together for a night of celebrating love.
This morning I’m at the bakery helping Hunter with some of the clean up to get things moving faster with the repairs.
I get lost in thought while I sweep up some of the debris in the kitchen. Gran and I need to find somewhere to bake. She supplies the baked goods for the coffee shop and the inn. That’s a big part of her business. If we can’t have a storefront, it would be great if we can find a place to prepare the pastries for at least these contracts to keep the money flowing a little bit.
Hunter sneaks up on me, scaring me when he says my name. I jump in the air and throw my broom in his direction.
“You scared me!”
“Kind of the point!” He gets out in between spurts of laughter.
He bends over to pick up the broom and hands it back to me while he drags over the industrial size trash can for all the debris I have in a pile.
“What has you so lost in thought you didn’t hear my boots clunking across the floor?”
“Ugh,” I groan. “Just trying to figure out where I can go to get all these pastries made for the inn and Emerald Roasters. Esther and Franklin offered for us to use their kitchen but honestly, it’s not that big and I’d never be able to get anything done in there. Gran already missed delivering the welcome boxes for this weekend at the inn.”
“Oh it’s not a huge deal. Mom made a couple batches of cookies for everyone. It’s not Margaret’s caliber of work, but still tasty.” He scoops the last pile I made into the trash can, “Oh! What about the kitchen at the inn? It’s huge since we used to cook and serve food for the guests way back in the day.”
I bet Liam would be thrilled with that. He didn’t even say goodbye to me last night. He’s always been a little socially awkward, but now he’s taking that lone wolf thing to a new extreme, more on the big bad wolf spectrum .
“Yeah, I bet Liam would just love having me take over his space.” He grins at my epic eye roll.
“I know he’s a little grouchier than usual, but he’s under a lot of stress lately. Pops recently had surgery, and Mom’s arthritis is so bad that neither of them are really helpful with the inn. He’s running the whole show on his own. I bet if you showed up with some cranberry white chocolate chunk cookies in a little purple box, he’d be a little more amenable to your requests.” Hunter flashes a megawatt smile in my direction.
“Hmm. Not a bad idea. And I can make those at Gran’s!” I place the broom against the wall and run out to the front of the store before pausing at the door, “Oh, sorry! Do you mind? Is it okay if I leave?”
“I don’t sign your paycheck, girly pop.” I scrunch my face at his use of a new nickname. “Yeah, no. I heard it. That was weird.”
Laughing, I practically skip out of the bakery after bundling up and head back to Gran’s a few streets over.
The house is so warm and cozy with the wood stove burning. Gran is sitting on the couch, reading a book by the fire when I come in. There’s never been anything more inviting except for the large stone fireplace at the inn. I always wished I could come in the winter to snuggle up by the fire and read my books.
I shed my winter gear in the mudroom by the door. “Hey Gran, you up for some baking with me?”
“What for, dear?” She closes her book and lays it on her lap.
“Liam.”
A sly grin spreads across her face, “And just why are we baking for him? ”
“Because. Hunter told me to. He said that we should talk to Liam about using the kitchen at the inn. They have a full commercial kitchen because they used to cook for the guests. But now, no one uses it. Then at least we could keep the contracts fulfilled with Liam and Esther.”
“What a clever girl you are. But how does baking come in?”
“Hunter thinks it’ll soften him up when I ask for a favor. I am sure you’ve noticed how touchy Liam can be.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“I have noticed. It started the summer you didn’t come back. He lost his other half.”
I will not dwell on that statement from Gran, “I’m sure I’m not the reason for his less than stellar attitude.”
I turn my back to her and head into the kitchen to begin pulling out all the ingredients I need for cookies. Luckily we brought home some of the supplies we could salvage from the metal cabinets and refrigerators. And of course, Gran always keeps her kitchen fully stocked for middle of the night ideas.
Pulling the last batch out of the oven, I place the scalding pan on top of the stove. Gran and I both take in a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the cranberry cookie.
“They smell perfect,” Gran says to me.
Ever since I was little she taught me that the scent of a baked good was as important, if not more important than the look of an item. I’ve used that knowledge in everything that I cook.
If you need a measurement from me, I don’t have one. It just needs to smell right. Unfortunately, culinary arts teachers don’t agree with that philosophy.
Once the last batch is placed on the cooling rack, I take care to package up a dozen from the first batch into one of the signature Sweet Violets boxes. The boxes are a lavender color with a plum logo, all wrapped up with a satin violet ribbon.
There’s something so special about being able to prepare items from the bakery this way, to know that people get excited just from seeing the packaging that Gran and I designed when I was eight.
I just hope Liam feels the same as I do, I really need him to say yes to me using the kitchen for Gran. Plus it benefits his business as much as ours.
“Okay Gran, I’m going to head out to the inn. Cross your fingers for us!” I pick up the bag with the cookies in it and drape it over my arm as I put on my gloves.
“Good luck, dear. Make sure you smile and flirting might help you too.” She tosses a wink at me.
I chuckle at her as I grab the car keys and head out the door. She must have been a force back when she was young.
When I pull up to the inn I realize I have no idea where to find Liam. Or how to get a hold of him. I assume Gran must have his number, but I forgot to get it from her before leaving. I was too excited about the prospect of having a kitchen to bake in with Gran.
I get the box of cookies out of the backseat and head off on my search. Starting with the inn, I walk up the front porch, memories of Liam and I sitting in these rockers bring a smile to my face. I’d sit and read while he worked on his wood carvings. I wonder idly if he still works on them. He’d probably make a killing on them today.
I don’t find him at the inn but I hear noises coming from outside so I wander back out and around the home. My gaze follows the noise over by the barn, it sounds like he might be chopping wood so I walk over in that direction.
The sight in front of me makes my mouth water. Liam in a tight tee under a flannel, swinging the ax makes each and every muscle in his arms bulge. When he lifts his arms the tee goes up just enough to verify that he indeed has a magic V leading to…well…places I might like to explore. Or lick.
“It’s not polite to stare you know,” he says without missing a beat in his chopping.
“I was not —” I stop myself, maybe it isn’t wise to argue before asking a favor. “I brought your favorite cookies.”
I hold out the box of a dozen cranberry cookies. That act makes him stop what he’s doing.
He leans over the box to peer inside the clear top.
“Are those cranberry white chocolate chunk from Margaret?” He licks his lips.
“Kind of?”
“How are cookies kind of from Margaret? They either are or they aren’t.” He raises a brow in my direction.
“Well, she helped me make them. We did it together, but I added a few special ingredients.”
He eyes me suspiciously but unwraps the ribbon and gently opens the box, grabbing a cookie. He takes one bite and his eyes flutter closed.
“I don’t know how you did it, but somehow these are better than Margaret’s,” his eyes open wide, cookie frozen in mid-air, “Oh shit, please don’t tell her I said that. When you leave, she’ll never make them for me again.” He takes two more from the box, like I’m going to suddenly revoke all his cookie rights .
“I’m not leaving.” I place the cookies down on the four wheeler.
“Well. I know you said you weren’t but, really, how many job prospects do you have out here? Clark will never retire if that’s what you’re banking on.”
I cross my arms in front of my chest and purse my lips in a thin line. Is that really what he thinks of me? That I’m only here for an easy job prospect?
“My job prospects are just fine, thank you. I’m here to help Gran reopen and then we’ll work together in the bakery like I’ve always wanted.”
“Then why didn’t you come back sooner?” He’s inching closer to me, so subtly that I might not notice if I wasn’t so acutely aware of his body.
“I—I don’t know,” I admit.
It’s a question I’ve asked myself year after year. I’m a grown adult now. But still I listened to my mother, not wanting to piss her off.
Before he can make me think more on that, I remember why I’m really here. God, his closeness is really scrambling my brain.
“I actually came here to ask you a favor.”
“So the cookies were a bribe?” He snatches another cookie from the box, eating it in only two bites, still inches from me.
“Not a bribe, per se. But I was told that it might soften you a little to my idea.” I bite my bottom lip as he stares at me.
“Well? What is the favor then?”
“Oh, um… I was wondering if maybe I could use the kitchen at the inn. Gran has contracts with Esther and you, as you know, and right now we can’t fulfill those. If I could use your commercial kitchen I could fulfill the contracts and we wouldn’t lose so much money without having a storefront. We could pay rent for the kitchen obviously, and it’s beneficial to you because you’d get your welcome boxes, and afternoon spread.” I get out in one breath.
He sits on the stump that he was using to chop wood, and takes another cookie. He stares at me still without saying a word.
I fidget under his silent gaze.
“I suppose I have to say yes if I want the inn to get their treats, huh?” He places his finger on his lips like he’s thinking really hard to make this decision. “I will say yes, but only under one condition.”
Of course this man has conditions.
“What is it?”
“You need to help me get the kitchen back in working order. It hasn’t been used in years except to make coffee. Everything should still work, it just needs to be cleaned.” He stands, gathering his supplies and placing them on his four wheeler.
“Yes! Absolutely!” I jump up and down.
“Hold on there, let’s go see the kitchen first before you agree.” He grimaces.
“Oooookay, how bad can it be?” I ask hesitantly.
“Hop on and let’s go find out.” He pats the back of his four wheeler and I climb on, wrapping my arms around his waist. I don’t miss how he sucks in a breath under my touch.
I rest my cheek against his back, trying to ward off the whipping wind against my face.
I am too focused on the feel of his rock hard abs, that I don’t even worry about what I just got myself into.