Chapter 3
Chapter Three
MOLLY
“What’s up with the Jolly Giant?” Mia asks.
“What?” I’m arms deep in the display case, refilling the trays because we keep getting cleared out. It’s getting harder and harder to keep items stocked. This should be exciting, but it’s getting exhausting.
“She’s talking about Mr. Cloud Kidnapper,” Lucy responds, making Mia laugh.
I close the display case, having no clue what they are talking about. But they're both highly amused with themselves.
“You mean Mount Everest," Mia fires back.
Mount Everest? Has Mia landed on that side of TikTok too? I don't know how I got there, but I can't look away from it. All those people paying a crap ton of money to climb a mountain, only to possibly die while doing it. That is not how I’d like to spend my hard-earned money.
“Stilts!” Lucy half shouts.
“Okay, what’s all the commotion?” Tilly asks when she comes in from the back of the bakery. The hardware store is right next door, so she uses the back alley to come over. As my best friend, she has free rein to do so.
“We’re talking about the not-so-Jolly Giant,” Mia snickers.
“Oh.” Tilly puts it all together at the same time I do. “You’re talking about Lankenstein.”
“Lankenstein,” Lucy repeats through laughter. “That’s a good one.”
"His name is Noah," I tell them all, but I don't think they care. They're having too much fun coming up with names on their own.
"Wait a second," Tilly says, and hearing his name gets her full attention. "The Noah with the cake? Asshole Noah?" Her eyes narrow. Shit, I shouldn't have said his name. Tilly knows all about the cake incident last night. "That was him?"
"Ahh, no?" I don't need her chasing after him, so I hope his grumpy ass is halfway back up to his cabin at this point. He didn’t appear to be happy being down here.
"Are you done with his new cake?" Tilly asks, her tone sugary sweet. "I'd love to deliver it for you." Hell, I too would love nothing more than to take her up on that offer, but I don’t have time for another cake to be destroyed.
"Not happening," I tell her, making her lips press together in a firm line. "Tilly, seriously."
No one is better at being petty and getting revenge than my best friend. We really balance each other out. I keep her out of jail, and she keeps people from walking all over me.
"What's going on? I'm missing something here," Mia asks. I didn’t tell them about the cake incident. I’ve embarrassed myself enough.
"It's nothing." I wave them both off. "I need a count of each item sold." I give them a task to get their focus elsewhere. "Tilly." I nod for her to come to the back with me.
"Wait, are you guys going to go talk about the giant hottie?" Lucy isn't ready to let this go.
"The count," I repeat, annoyed about the "hottie" comment. The other nicknames were kind of amusing.
"Come on." Now it's Tilly pulling me toward my kitchen in the back so we're alone. "You look like shit."
"What the hell?" I can only let out a ridiculous laugh at her comment.
"I mean it in the way of you needing sleep."
"I'm fine." I make my way over to Noah's cake.
"You're not fine. I can tell you're exhausted. It's even in your voice,” she points out. "Not to mention I've only gotten one laugh from you and no smiles. You're off."
“I'm not off, but I do need a good night's sleep. It's getting harder to keep up."
"Then why are you?" Tilly rests her hips against the counter next to me.
"What do you mean? I keep selling out, so I need more product." I also need more space in my kitchen if I want to start producing more treats each day. My ovens are already in full use every second that I’m here.
"Why?" she asks again, and I stop what I'm doing to stare at her.
"I just told you why."
"If you sell out, you sell out.” She shrugs. “Flip the sign to closed. Is it worth running yourself ragged to try and keep up?"
Holy Christmas balls. That’s not something I’ve considered because it’s never been an option in my mind. I’m not sure why, but I suppose I just keep pushing forward.
"I don't know." I take in a deep breath and let it back out.
"I think you should really think it over. Also, you don't have to be open seven days a week, and if you are, it doesn't mean you need to be here. Mia and Lucy will have your back. You need to learn to delegate." I know she's right, but that's easier said than done.
“Okay, I’ll think on it,” I tell her, hoping she’ll back off the subject.
“Molly, I know you. You’re going to push this conversation to the back of your mind, and the next time I show up over here, you’re going to put pep in your step and hit me with a bullshit smile.”
“Hey, my smiles aren’t bullshit,” I huff. Okay, they might be. Also, once again she’s right.
“Not all of them. I mean, we can talk about it if you want.”
“Talk about what?” I’m not sure what she is getting at.
“How you stay extra busy and never slow down because if you do, you might have to process how you’re really feeling. All those built-up emotions.”
I stare at her, unblinking. “When did you become a therapist?”
“I think I could be a life coach.” She nods her head adamantly.
“That’s a scary thought.”
“Is this his?” Tilly nods down to the cake.
“Yep,” I say, and Tilly scoots closer. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m not.” She holds her hands up. “You’d just kill yourself making another one after I left.” She’s not wrong. I’ve never not completed an order before, and I’m not going to start today. Even if the guy is a jackass.
Wait, not a jackass. Cheerful already has one of those with Dominick. He’s adorable and sweet, so it’s an insult to him if I call Noah one. I’ll stick with asshole.
I start decorating the cake, and Tilly keeps on watching me. After a moment, I look at her out of the corner of my eye. "Are you done?"
"Done? I don't think I've ever been done in my life,” she says, and I snort a laugh. "But I'll leave you to it. I’ve got a man to get back to."
That does make me smile for real. Tilly and Paxton are so cute together.
"All right," I say and lift my head so she can kiss my cheek.
"You know, Lankenstein isn't hard on the eyes." I’m shocked by Tilly’s comment. I thought we hated him.
"He's a jerk."
"I'm just saying…" She trails off.
"He's not a local," I remind her.
"You're not going to hook up with a local,” she tells me, and yeah, she’s right. That would be gross.
"I'm not hooking up with anyone. I've got my hands full as it is."
"It was only a thought. You could be the sunshine to his grumpiness. I mean, look at us."
"We're friends," I point out. "And this isn't a romance novel. Besides, that man dislikes me as much as I dislike him."
"Once upon a time I was an asshole to Paxton. Nothing pissed me off more than my attraction to him."
Oh, I remember, and Paxton is a sweetheart. I mean, the man is a vet. He can be rough when needed, but no one crosses Tilly, and now that she's claimed Paxton, no one is going to mess with him either. The last person that did is living to regret it.
"Yeah, but you're not really an asshole."
"You take that back right now,” she demands, and I roll my eyes. Tilly pretends to be hard, but she’s a big softy inside.
"You're only an asshole when you're being protective. There is a reason for it." Noah is that way all the time. Not that I have spent much time with him, but so far he’s one hundred percent asshole.
"We'll have to agree to disagree." Tilly heads out of the back door, and I spend the next couple of hours decorating the cake. I spend way too much time trying to get it right. For some reason, I don’t want to consider why.
My feet start to ache along with my hands, and the exhaustion is catching up with me. It would help if I ate something. That might give me some energy. I actually feel a bit lightheaded. I’ll have dinner after I drop the cake off, then I can crash for the night.
I ask the girls to close up for me so I can get this delivery over with. Maybe I’ll sit the cake on his doorstep, then knock and run? I’ll be back in my SUV by the time he’s opening his door. Although with my luck, he’ll step on it, and there’s no way I’m leaving that to chance.
I’ll deliver the cake and then be done with it. I’ll never have to see the man again.
But I should know better than anyone that things never go as planned. The moment I do, the universe laughs. Well, at least someone is.