Epilogue
EPILOGUE
LEVI BARRETT
EIGHT WEEKS LATER
I stand back and look at the large sign that says, “Crumb and Get It,” in a flirty font. The colors are aqua and white, with sandy accents. It’s all lit up and stands out even more at this pre-dawn hour. The sign used to read Willow Shade Bakery, before I bought it and rebranded. Loretta was going to retire anyway, I just convinced her to do it early and gave her a nice nest egg.
I rub my hands together, thrilled with how everything came together so quickly. It’s amazing what you can do if you tell people that money is no object. Getting that money was a little harder. I had to practically weasel my brother out of my inheritance. The stinker. Like I’m not an adult now. Sheesh. I turn twenty-three next week. I also had to promise not to say anything to Micah about our inheritance, which I feel is totally unfair. He deserves to know.
I pull my keys out of my pocket and unlock the front door. A chime sounds as I walk in, and it warms my heart. This is my bakery. I get to spend my whole day doing what I love. Excitement thrums through me as I take in the aqua chairs and the cute little tables scattered around the space. I don’t even care that I have to get up at stupid o’clock every morning. I get to bake for a living.
I walk to the counter and run my hand along the smooth glass. The metal on the display case still has the plastic covering on it, and I pick at one of the corners. I get enough up that I can peel off the plastic, uncovering the shine underneath. It’s satisfying. It looks much better now.
I walk around the counter and pretend that I’ve got a long line of customers here to buy my goods. A slow smile spreads across my face. This is going to be fun.
I go survey my kitchen. Sleek new appliances line the walls. My double ovens sit next to each other, and I can’t wait to try them out. A tall shelving unit which holds all of my baking pans, measuring cups, and ingredients sits next to a counter that’s large enough for me to make all of the fun new creations I’ve been thinking up.
I pull down some items and get started. I don’t officially open until tomorrow, but my family is coming in today for a small party, and I want to bake them a few of my new creations.
By the time I hear the front door ding, I have a dozen cheesecake filled muffins, a pan of churro croissants, and a batch of s’mores cinnamon rolls.
“What is that delicious smell?” Kiki says from the other room.
“Yum!” Skyler shouts.
I grin and run out to the front. My whole family is out there standing around looking at the walls and decorations. “Hey.”
Savannah comes around the counter and gives me a hug. “Levi. This is amazing. I can’t believe you’re opening tomorrow.”
“Me too. Here, let me go get some treats.” I go back into the kitchen and finish getting my desserts on the tray.
I bring it back out, and Skyler claps her hands. “Goodie!”
Noah slides his arm around Savannah. It’s wonderful to see the two of them so happy together. I wasn’t sure it would ever happen. But Savannah is Noah’s other half, and I love that they found each other again. Noah grins at me. “Looking good, bro.”
I set the tray down and my front door dings. I look up to see Amelia, the human ice machine I hired to do my books. Actually, she’s been quite helpful over the last eight weeks as I’ve been getting everything together. She’s answered a ton of my questions. I take in her navy-blue suit jacket and pencil skirt, and I can’t tell if it’s the same one I saw her in a few weeks ago, or if her whole closet is full of the same outfit.
Kiki rushes over and puts her arm around Amelia. “I invited her since she’ll be working here with you.”
“Welcome,” Noah says, nodding.
Savannah grins. “I’m so glad Levi ended up hiring you.”
Amelia nods and tucks an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. I’m not sure who she’s trying to fool. All her hair is pulled back so tightly I’m shocked her eyebrows aren’t on the top of her head.
“Hey,” I say, to be polite. “Would you like to try some of my new creations?” I push the tray toward her.
Amelia eyes them but doesn’t move to take one. Cricket, who seems to be everywhere Micah is lately, comes close and peers down at them. “What are they?”
I point to the muffins. “These are called Muffin to See Here. They’re filled with cheesecake.” Everyone gives me a polite chuckle.
I move on to the croissants. “These are called The Flake Over. They’re churro flavored.” All I get from that one are a few groans.
I point to the cinnamon rolls. “These are Sticky Situations. They taste like s’mores.”
Kiki claps her hands. “Let’s try them. Do you have plates?”
“In the kitchen.” I turn around, but Amelia steps around the counter and beats me to the door.
“I can get them,” she says, entering the kitchen like she owns the place.
A gasp comes from behind the swinging door, and I race in. “What?”
Amelia looks around at my kitchen. “What happened? Did your pastries explode? Did cupcake robbers come in?”
I roll my eyes at her. “I’ve been working all morning. I haven’t had time to clean.”
She walks to where I accidentally spilled some flour on the floor. Yeah, I stepped in it a few times, so it got dragged around a bit, but it’s not that bad. She gives me a flat look. “Does the phrase, ‘There appears to have been a struggle,’ ring a bell?”
I bite my lips so I don’t laugh out loud. Dang, this librarian is funny. “If you don’t like the mess, feel free to clean it.”
She grabs the dessert plates. “I’m not your maid.” She grabs the poly disposable glove box on her way out.
I follow her back into the bakery. Amelia dons a pair of gloves, then starts putting one of each pastry on the dessert plates. My family clamors over to get the treats. Amelia hands the first plate to Skyler. “Here you go, sweetie.”
“Oh, boy!” Skyler shouts out, and everyone laughs. I can’t help but feel pride as they all taste my creations and start gushing over them.
“These are your best desserts yet,” Cricket says, which really warms me because she’s the kind of person who only hands out compliments when she really means it. Plus, she’s not even family, so I know she’s not just saying that.
“Thanks.”
“The cheesecake filling is divine,” Savannah says. “You’ve been holding out on us.”
I shake my head. “No, I’ve just spent the last three weeks coming up with all kinds of new things. I’ve had to push myself, because I didn’t want to open with just the regular stuff you see everywhere.”
Violet walks over to me and pats my arm. “You’ve done a good job, honey.”
I pull her into a hug. She’s worked for us for so long, I feel like she’s part of the family. She was there for me when I was going through some hard times. “Thanks, Violet.”
As everyone eats their food, I notice Amelia re-arranging the rest of the treats on the tray. I walk over to her and nudge her elbow. “I’m pretty sure these pastries don’t come with place settings.”
She huffs, but I think I hear a laugh in there too. “I’m just making them look nice. You’re not serving street food. Presentation is part of marketing.”
I stare at her, unable to admit I know nothing about marketing. In fact, that’s the part of this that scares me the most, beyond doing the books. “You know stuff about marketing?”
She nods. “Sure. My family—I mean, I took a marketing classes in college.”
I swallow, feeling intimidated. She makes it sound like it’s no big deal, but school was super difficult for me, and the thought of having to take marketing classes makes my chest constrict. “If I increase your salary, would you help me with that as well?”
She looks up at me, her brown eyes penetrating through me. “How much?”
“I’ll need a lot of help.”
She laughs. “No, how much will you increase my salary?”
My face heats and I feel dumb. Of course that’s what she was asking. I lean down close to her and catch a whiff of something. It smells like cinnamon or something. I wonder if it’s her shampoo. Whatever it is, it smells nice on her. “Depends on what you will do for me.”
She turns to me and busts out laughing. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”
I shake my head and step back from her, even more embarrassed. Yes, I was flirting. And no, no girl has ever laughed in my face before. Not after one of my great lines. Girls love my lines. At least, girls that don’t have their five-year financial plans framed on their bedroom walls.
Luckily, my family members are all chatting with each other and no one is paying attention to Amelia. “Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. Why would I flirt with a human tax audit?”
She snorts, and I strut away from her, coming around the counter so I can be with my family. Truth be told, I’m hurt by her callousness. Even girls who don’t want to date me usually play along with my flirting. Making girls laugh is my super-power. And I don’t mean laughing in my face. That stung.
Amelia gets a phone call and disappears into the kitchen. I turn to Tobias and Kiki. “How are wedding plans coming along?”
Kiki flushes. “I can’t believe it’s only three weeks away. There’s still so much to do, but I’m trying not to stress about it. The important things are done. I have a dress, and invitations are out. I know my family will all be there, and that’s what’s important to me.”
I smile at her. “I’m glad your family will be there. I can’t wait to meet your parents.”
Kiki looks to the floor, and Tobias shakes his head. “She means all of us. We’re her family now.”
I don’t know Kiki’s family situation, so I feel bad for bringing up something painful. “Right. That makes sense.”
Kiki grabs my arm. “I totally forgot. I was going to ask you if you’d do our wedding cake.”
I grin at her, flattered she’d ask me to do something so important. “Of course. In fact, I have a book of wedding cakes in the back. If you can pick out what style you’re going for, that would help me.”
Kiki practically glows. “Thanks so much, Levi.”
I walk through the door to the kitchen. As I approach the shelving unit where I stashed the book, I hear Amelia talking. My steps slow as I hear what she’s saying.
“Yes, I’m safe.”
I look around for her, but I don’t see her. The office door is open, though, so I assume she went in there. Why she didn’t turn on the light is a mystery to me. Who takes a phone call in a dark room?
Amelia continues talking. “The Barrett family.”
I scan the shelf looking for my book, but I can’t concentrate on wedding cakes. Who is Amelia talking to? As I look on the bottom shelf, I spy the book and grab it. But before I can leave the kitchen, I hear Amelia say something that makes me stop cold.
“No, they don’t suspect a thing.”