Thirty-Seven
A rgh!” Lauren tipped her head back and went full-on Charlie Brown when Lucy pulled the football away.
Screaming didn’t help the almost burned cookies, but it made her feel better.
A little.
Ten minutes earlier the espresso machine had released a similar sound and stopped making shots of espresso. Melody had the tools out and promised she could fix it, but the machine’s fate didn’t look any more promising than the bottoms of the cookies.
Lauren was seconds away from turning off the lights and closing for the day. If they weren’t open, then nothing else could go wrong. Right?
“The little gift shop on the corner is closing.” Olivia announced as she stormed into the bakery. She stopped in the middle of the front room and peered through the window into the kitchen. “Lauren?”
“Don’t ask. Just. Don’t. Say. Anything.”
Lauren dropped her head to the marble surface of the baker’s table and wondered how many times she’d have to bang her head on it to knock herself out.
Between Melody’s loud cursing, the two women out in the shop held a muffled conversation and by the time Olivia walked into the kitchen, Lauren knew that Olivia knew everything.
At least she wouldn’t have to repeat the story. To Olivia of all people. She’d never behaved as though she was jealous of Lauren since Scott came home, but there was something weird about telling his ex-girlfriend that Lauren had ruined everything and didn’t know how to fix it.