Chapter 12
Savannah
I frown at the register, frustration worming its way to the surface.
“What if we hit this button?” Melissa suggests, leaning in beside me. We’ve been staring at this thing for thirty minutes, both pretending we’re not technologically cursed. She presses the button. The machine whirls, lights blink, and my shoulders drop in relief.
“Oh! I think it worked!” My grin is instant.
Melissa’s been with me all morning. We’ve gone through the bakery process, kitchen guidelines, food handling, and hygiene. She’s absorbed everything like a sponge, and somehow, we already click like we’ve known each other for years, not mere hours.
“I haven’t used these newer systems much”—she taps a few more buttons—“but it’s pretty straightforward.”
And just like that, the screen settles into the home menu. Ready for opening day.
“Thank you,” I breathe out. One less thing on my list. Opening is only days away, and my nerves are a tangled mess. Having Melissa here now makes everything feel a little less impossible, though.
“Of course! I’m so excited. And the smells in here…” She fans herself dramatically. “I’m going to gain ten pounds just by working near your pastries.”
I laugh. It feels good. Light. I haven’t had many real friends. Sure, there were girls at school, women at church, coworkers, but in Whispers, it’s different. I get to start over. Like people here won’t judge me before they know me.
Like Griffin.
He’s been away all week, and every night, I’ve found myself rolling his business card between my fingers like a worry stone. Two mornings ago, I woke with it still in my hand. The urge to call him is stronger than it should be.
“Do you think you’ll stay open every day once the baby comes?”
I nod without hesitation. “I want to. But I’m trying to be realistic. I could be recovering for weeks… or maybe I’ll bounce back in a few days. I honestly don’t know.”
That’s the part keeping me up at night. I need the bakery running before the baby arrives. I need income. I need to prove to my family, and to myself, that I can do this. That I can raise a beautiful human and still chase my dreams.
“I noticed the freezer is stocked.” Melissa gestures in that direction, seemingly impressed.
“I’m baking extra every day. Freezing what I can. Just in case.”
“That’s a great idea. And once you give birth, I’m happy to come in and serve. I can’t bake like you, but if you’ve got the supply, I can sell it.”
Warmth spreads through me. “I’d love that.”
I shift to stand, but wince, rubbing my belly.
Melissa’s face softens. “Sit. Please. I’ll finish wiping down the windows.”
I hate feeling useless, but I lower myself onto the stool and watch her grab the cleaning spray as the front door chimes.
“Hello?” Tanner’s wife, Victoria’s, voice carries through the shop. I look up, smiling immediately as she walks in with Annabelle and Daisy, the new friends I made at the birthday party last week.
“Oh, hi!” I push off the stool and meet them at the counter.
“Wow.” Daisy spins slowly. “This looks incredible.” Daisy owns the yoga studio down the street and is the longtime girlfriend to Connor Whiteman. Co-owner of Whiteman’s Distillery and Tanner’s son.
“It’s changed a bit since I took it over,” I say with a laugh. “There were cobwebs older than me in here.”
“It’s beautiful,” Annabelle adds. “You’ve done an amazing job.
” Annabelle’s an amazing woman who owns an organic soap business here in town, and with a few kids of her own, she knows all about the juggling of tasks it takes to open a business with kids.
She’s also married to Sawyer, the local lawyer, so their business is not only super successful but also managed really well.
I smile at their reactions. “Thank you. We’re almost ready.”
Victoria waves at Melissa, who waves back before slipping into the kitchen to give us space.
“Griffin did a great job with the carpentry,” Victoria says. “I’m not surprised. He’s the best in the country.”
I hum, my stomach fluttering at the thought of him and how much work he’s put into this place for me. “I was lucky Tanner arranged for him to help. I still don’t know how to repay you all.”
“Oh stop,” Victoria says, brushing it off. “My husband eats a loaf of bread a day. Supporting you is basically self-preservation.”
“You and me both; I walk past a bakery and I gain weight.” Daisy rolls her eyes at herself, and we all laugh, the sound warm and easy. Something I’ve missed in my life before and something I hope continues to grow.
“We won’t keep you long,” Annabelle says, her eyes soft with concern. “We wanted to check on you. See how you and the baby are doing this week.”
“I’m okay. My due date is closing in on me now, though, so I’m getting nervous.”
“You’re still carrying high,” Victoria says. “I think you’ve got a little time.”
“Just remember to rest,” Annabelle adds.
I nod, even though resting feels like a luxury I can’t afford.
“I brought you some soaps. They’re lavender, so they’re relaxing…” Annabelle offers me a small box, the fragrance hitting my nose immediately. It smells divine.
“And chamomile and lemon, straight from the distillery garden and made into a tea in case you want a warm cup before bed.” Daisy passes over a few boxes, and my eyes sting for a moment at their generosity.
“Thank you all so much…” I’m almost overwhelmed with gratitude. “You’ve been so kind.”
“Of course. Please call us if you need anything. We can’t wait to see you opening day.” Daisy smiles, leaning in to give me a hug.
“We’ll be the ones buying all the cinnamon rolls… Unless Griffin eats them all first.” Victoria laughs, and as we say goodbye and they step out into the afternoon sun, the shop falls quiet again.
Too quiet.
I stand there for a moment, their gifts still warm in my hands, and all I can think about is him. Griffin.
I shouldn’t be thinking about him this much.
I’m about to give birth, and I’m opening a business, trying to rebuild my life from the ground up.
I don’t have space for… whatever these feelings are.
But my fingers are already drifting toward my apron pocket, brushing over the edge of his business card like it’s a secret I’m not supposed to touch.
Maybe I should message him. To check in. Just to say thank you again. Just to… hear from him.
My heart gives a ridiculous little kick, stronger than the baby’s, and before I can talk myself out of it, I pull out my phone. Once I add his number to my contacts, my thumb hovers over his name.
Don’t do it, the sensible part of me whispers.
But the part of me that remembers the way he looked at me—steady, warm, like he saw more than I meant to show—wins out.
If I want to be the woman I know I can be, then I need to leave the girl I was behind.
That starts with confidence. Doing the hard things.
Like moving to a new town, opening a new business, using a new name and maybe, just maybe, texting a guy first.
I type a message, then delete it. Then type another.
“It’s a message, Savannah. Nothing more,” I mutter to myself before my fingers start typing.
Hey. Just wanted to say thank you again for all your help with the shop. It’s really coming together, and I couldn’t have done it so fast or so well without you.
I stare at it for a second, then hit send before I chicken out. The reply comes faster than I expect.
You don’t have to thank me. But I’m glad it’s looking good. How are you holding up?
Another flutter moves through my chest this time.
I’m okay. Tired. Nervous. Excited. All of it, I guess.
Three dots appear. Disappear. Reappear.
You don’t have to do everything alone, you know.
My breath catches. I shouldn’t read into that. I shouldn’t.
I’m trying not to.
The dots appear again, then vanish. Then my phone starts ringing. His name lights up the screen, and my heart thumps once, hard. I hesitate, just long enough to feel ridiculous, then answer.
“Hey,” I say softly.
“Hey.” His voice is warm, low, and moves through my body like honey. “You sound tired.”
“I am,” I admit. “But the shop’s almost ready. And the baby’s… Well, the baby’s on its own schedule.”
He chuckles, and the sound slides right under my skin. “I figured. You need anything?”
“No,” I say automatically. Then quieter, “I mean… I don’t think so.”
“Savannah.” His voice drops enough to make me shiver in the best way. “You can call me. For anything. Even if it’s because you’re overwhelmed… or bored… or you want to hear something that isn’t a bakery appliance.”
A laugh slips out of me before I can stop it. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You couldn’t be if you tried.” The low certainty in his tone sends heat straight to my cheeks.
“I, um… I didn’t expect you to call,” I admit.
“I didn’t expect you to message,” he counters, and I can hear him smiling. “But I’m not complaining. You made my day a hell of a lot better.”
My breath catches. God, he shouldn’t say things like that. The baby shifts under my ribs, and I wince.
“You okay?” Concern filters into the question. Protective. Alert. “Savannah?”
“Yeah,” I breathe. “Just my insides are running out of room, and the baby is pushing around, ensuring they’re comfortable.”
He chuckles. “I can imagine. Well… not really. But I’m trying.”
The sound of his laugh does something to me, something I’m not ready to name.
“I’ll be back in Whispers in a few days.”
“Oh.” I try to sound neutral, but longing creeps into my words anyway. “So… I guess I’ll probably see you around then.”
“You probably will.”
I bite my bottom lip so my smile doesn’t split my face. “See you then, Griffin.”
“See you then, Savannah.”
I end the call, but I keep the phone pressed to my chest, letting the warmth of his voice settle into the quiet shop.
I shouldn’t be falling for him.
But he makes it far too easy.