Chapter 15
Amidst a leaking roof, a dead and now new oven, cake testing, and a trip to Paris in the works—they all suddenly took a back seat to the town council meeting.
Tonight was the night. Haven’s versus Donut Heaven.
The chain donut factory had peppered their social media with discounts and deals, pictures of a clean kitchen and front counter with the employees beaming their happiness to work for “the Heaven.” But Chloe had been inside a Donut Heaven years ago and well, she’d just say the other H word was more like it. It was a hot mess.
Robin had been posting all sorts of fun things on Haven’s social media feeds.
Their own discounts and deals, pictures of Sam behind the counter, and pictures of the various savory and sweet treats they had to offer.
Little by little, she posted images from Haven’s early beginnings to now.
She’d raided the old leather scrapbook for the early images.
Chloe loved the black and white pictures of families sitting at the counter and in the booths on Saturday mornings, the kids eating donuts and drinking chocolate milk while their parents sloshed down coffee, read the paper, and caught up on the small town’s goings on.
Then Robin posted a video of Laura Kate with blue frosting everywhere, and the thing went viral with over a million likes.
For once, Chloe appreciated her assistant’s messiness.
They’d been so fixed on the town council meeting, she had yet to tell Sam about Paris. But what was there to tell?
“My mother-in-law called, and she wants to see me. I know I need to go. It will be closure for all of us.”
She’d booked her ticket for early next week and worked on a schedule for the staff.
Laura Kate would be in charge of all the baking.
This would test her skills, but Chloe had no choice.
Unless Sam-her-boss forbade her to go. Then she’d appeal to Sam-her-boyfriend.
She’d told Mom about everything over pie at Ella’s.
“You must go. I’ll be fine. I don’t have any appointments while you’re gone.” Mom told her it was the right thing to do, to at least see Jean-Marc’s final gift. Chloe just had to tell her boss and boyfriend.
In the kitchen, Sam was putting on his apron.
“It’s not time for your shift.” She started to kiss him, then paused when she saw a shadow behind his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Our social media posts are paying off. We need the business and the support for the meeting. I came in early to help.” He tied the apron belt around his narrow waist. “The Haven’s merchandise my assistant ordered is in the office.
We’ll hand out the hats and T-shirts to our supporters at the town council meeting.
The mugs and tumblers are for sale here. ”
“Don’t know why Bob and Donna didn’t think of merchandise long ago.” Tell him about Paris. “Do, um, you think we’re ready for tonight?”
“We have the town and history on our side. Haven’s is the anchor to First Avenue. What would the town, the street be without us?”
“Exactly.” She reached for a cloth to wipe down the table.
“Chloe,” he said softly, peering too close. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, sure.” Smile. “Why? Are you? Weren’t you talking to your agent soon?”
“Yeah, but…” Sam shrugged off his answer. “We’re still waiting.”
So, they both had secrets. She’d leave it for now. No use going into the council meeting distracted by relationship issues. If indeed there were issues. Yet, what surprise did Jean-Marc have for her in Paris? Should she invite Sam along? Or was this between her and her in-laws?
A little before seven p.m., Chloe and Sam tugged on their Haven’s T-shirts and hats, gathered the boxes of donuts to share at the meeting, and headed out with Ruby. Apparently all the tweeting and posting had worked. City hall was so jammed they could barely get in the door.
“Pardon me, coming through, Haven’s proprietor here,” Sam said.
Chloe followed closely, only to run smack into him when he stopped short. She looked around him to see Sam’s dad, Frank Hardy, huddled with a group of executive-looking folks wearing Donut Heaven pullovers.
“Frank? Dad,” Sam said.
“Son, hello.” Frank walked toward his son. “I hate that you’re finding out this way, but you never called me back.”
“Find out what?”
“I’m buying the Donut Heaven franchise. I’m the one bringing them in.”
Chloe shrank back, just in case pieces of Sam’s exploding head landed on her donut box. No use wasting perfectly good pastries.
Dad. Frank. Behind Donut Heaven. It had never occurred to him Frank’s need to talk had to do with this.
“You do know Rick and I own Haven’s,” Sam said in a low whisper, the heat of the crowded room stinging his skin.
“I found out about a month ago, but not because you told me. If you had, I’d have warned you I started the Donut Heaven deal over a year ago.”
“So, what do we do?”
“We let the process do its job. You present your case, we will present ours.”
“Do you really want to put Haven’s out of business? You and Bob have been friends for decades.”
“I didn’t start this venture until I knew he was retiring.”
“He sold to me, knowing you were bringing in competition?”
“He knew it was a possibility, yes.”
Sam glared at his dad for a moment, angry, yet knowing he, himself, was partly to blame. He never communicated with his father, actually went out of his way to hide Haven’s ownership from him. What did he expect?
Art Loamier gaveled the meeting to order and the council members took their seats. Frank went to his corner and Sam to his.
“What’s going on?” Chloe whispered.
“You know that old headline about Donut Heaven coming here? Frank’s been behind it the entire time. He knew Bob and Donna were going to retire.”
Chloe gasped. “Why that stinking, sneaky Bob.”
“We have history and tradition on our side. Let’s focus on our past and the present, what you and I bring to the table.”
Suddenly, he and Chloe were a team, and he liked it.
He’d always been a team man and there was no better teammate than a beautiful, smart, kind, and sexy woman.
Her being a world-class patissière was just a bonus.
While Art passed out agendas to his council members and whispered things behind a covered microphone, Frank went into schmooze mode.
“Drummond, congrats on shooting par last week. You were looking good.”
“Amanda, I heard your boy was the high scorer in the basketball tourney last week. Is he set for college? We’ve got a few dollars left in the Hardy scholarship fund.”
Well, two could play that game. Sam had more than a few dollars left in his fund. He was about to chat up the council himself when Art called the meeting to order.
“Let’s just get to the agenda item you all want to discuss.
” Art scanned the room. “We’ve not had this many at a meeting since the Wedding Shop was threatened.
All right, it’s Donut Heaven versus Haven’s Bakery.
Donut Heaven has entered an application, sponsored by our own Frank Hardy, to open a franchise here in Hearts Bend. ”
The room erupted with boos, cheers, and jeers.
“Enough of that,” Art said, slamming his gavel down. “Mr. Elliot from Donut Heaven will speak first.”
One of the pullover-clad men strode to the podium facing the committee.
He opened a file and cleared his throat.
“Thank you, Mr. Loamier. On behalf of Donut Heaven, we look forward to serving hot, fresh donuts to the good people of Hearts Bend. Donut Heaven will also employ at least two dozen people, bringing jobs and economic prosperity to the community.”
Someone scoffed. Art scowled.
Mr. Elliot continued, espousing the virtues of a cold, impersonal chain restaurant.
He talked about Hearts Bend’s need for business competition that would allow everyone in town more choices.
He claimed he’d use local tradesmen for the building and maintenance, which would provide even more income to the area.
“Tourists like having a familiar brand with a consistent product available,” he said, finally closing his folder and thanking the council.
Art sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. “We’re allowing ten minutes for rebuttals.”
Ruby made her way to the podium. “I have a petition here signed by three hundred Hearts Bend citizens agreeing that they don’t see a need for Donut Heaven to open here.
They’re happy with Haven’s being the sole purveyor of donuts in town.
” She approached the committee and handed a sheaf of papers to each one.
A few others gave testimony to their love of Haven’s and a teacher from the high school detailed the trashy and unclean Donut Heaven she’d visited in Middleborough.
“Most disgusting place ever. The thought of Donut Heaven makes me gag.”
Art ended the rebuttal session and turned the floor over to Sam.
“Thanks for this opportunity, Art, and council members. My partner and I have done some research. First of all, Mrs. King’s testimony of Donut Heaven’s unclean establishments is substantiated by others.
” Sam passed around health violations from large and small cities across the country.
“Second, they do not use local tradesmen to build a new franchise. They have their own construction division. It’s really how they make money.
Donut Heaven is not in the bakery business so much as the real estate business.
As for local jobs, these minimum-wage positions will mostly be for our local teens, which is honorable, but management and salaried positions will go to current employees who will transfer in.
Above all, Donut Heaven is known to cut their prices so low, the local competition cannot compete.
They shut them down and then they will double the prices—and in many instances, they have tripled their prices.
You want to pay three dollars for a glazed donut?
Be my guest, but Haven’s prices will always be affordable.
We source locally as much as possible. Almost all of our inventory comes from companies within Middle Tennessee.
Not so with Donut Heaven. In fact, I’m not sure their flour is even milled in this country. ”
The room gasped.
“Is that true?” Art said.
“Donut Heaven is a global company. We source our inventory from the best around the world.” Mr. Elliot stared steadily at Art Loamier up front.
“Ask to see his sources.” Sam watched as the folks in the room shifted with unease. He was winning. It was a feeling he knew well. A feeling he needed right now. He glanced toward Chloe. Her smile hooked his heart and he decided right then and there to propose. Why not? He loved her.
Art gave the floor to rebuttal, but no one moved. Then Frank rose and approached the podium.
“Well, I didn’t expect to be at further odds with my son tonight.
I believe in Haven’s, but I also believe in Donut Heaven.
I believe in choice. In opportunity. My son’s right, Donut Heaven does source from around the world, and they do have their own construction company.
” He gazed toward the slimy Mr. Elliot. “My colleague was remiss on that detail. But choice is the heart of the American dream. Freedom. Opportunity.” Oh brother.
Sam glanced toward the door, half expecting Uncle Sam to enter waving an American flag.
“We love our traditions here, but we also must grow with the times. We can’t live in the past.” His gaze landed on Sam.
“We have to recognize things are not always as they seem. Most of the downtown buildings are in disrepair, including Haven’s.
I happen to know the leaking roof only recently got repaired.
Still, we can keep up our quaint, small-town look while still modernizing.
Donut Heaven will bring in highway traffic.
The more we let the town businesses grow, the more we all grow.
“I’m sure the esteemed committee members are aware of the term ‘brain drain.’ That refers to a community losing its younger generation to other towns that can offer more employment, higher salaries, and a better quality of life.
Hearts Bend must remain competitive with Ashland City, with Huntsville, with Nashville, to keep our younger people living and working here.
And the best way to do that is to bring new businesses and new jobs to town.
” A light applause erupted when Frank returned to his seat. He’d been eloquent and stately.
When no one else rose to speak, Art huddled with his council to take a vote, their voices rising and falling in what appeared to be good-natured debate. This was it, right here and now. Sam felt jittery, as if he should’ve done something more.
After a few minutes, Art hammered the gavel. “The council wants more time to investigate and review documents.” The room erupted in chatter, and he banged again. “Until next week. Meeting adjourned.”