Chapter 12
LILA
Lila tied her apron, slipped a tray of fresh cupcakes into the front display, and glanced at the clock above the doorway. Just past two. The afternoon lull had settled over Reilly’s Bakery, the way it always did between the lunch crowd and the after-school families.
Tom had left an hour earlier with Linda and the children.
They had stopped by the bakery first for fresh sourdough rolls before heading to the hospital to visit George.
Lila was so relieved that George would be okay.
She could see that Tom was more relaxed now, too. He’d really been worried about the man.
The bell above the front door chimed, drawing Lila’s attention and pulling her from her thoughts of Tom.
Since last night, she’d found herself thinking about a lot more than usual.
That was not good. The man was her boss, and Lila had to get her wayward emotions under control.
She was also far too old for crushes, fluttery feelings in her stomach, and fantasies about falling in love.
Lila had had her big love, and as far as she knew, only very few ever got a second one.
She plastered a smile on her face and looked at the people walking in.
A tall, beautiful woman stepped inside. She had sharp eyes, wore a tailored cream linen sundress, expensive sandals, and carried herself with a casual, elegant grace. The woman held the door open for a young girl who came in behind her, a pretty preteen with long dark hair and a wide curious smile.
“Welcome to Reilly’s,” Lila said with a smile. “I’m Lila. What can I get for you?”
“Hello,” the woman said warmly. “I’m Penny. This is Emma. We were told this is the best place in town to get sourdough.”
“You were told correctly,” Lila answered. “We make it fresh every morning. How many loaves would you like? Just one loaf?”
“Just one should do for tonight, thank you.” Penny glanced around the shop. “This place smells heavenly.”
“It’s a baker’s trick,” Lila admitted. “Let the aromas of fresh-baked bread and confectionery swirl around the bakery. It makes the customers feel warm and welcome.”
Penny gave a soft laugh. “And makes them want to buy a lot more than what they came for.”
“Exactly,” Lila agreed.
Emma had already drifted across to the cupcake display and was leaning on the glass, both palms flat against it.
“Penny, look at these,” Emma called. “Can we get some? Please?”
Penny laughed softly. “Emma, we came in for bread.”
“I know, but look at them.” Emma turned to Lila with bright, hopeful eyes. “Do they have buttercream or fondant? Buttercream is so much better.”
“Buttercream,” Lila told her. “Always buttercream at Reilly’s. Tom, my boss and the owner, is very firm about that.”
“Yes, then please can we get some?” Emma turned back to Penny. “For everyone? Gran will love them, and Uncle Darius will too. We can have them for after dinner.”
“If they last that long.” Penny smiled, and Lila knew the woman had caved. “All right. What do you think? Six?”
“Yes, I think six will do,” Emma agreed.
“Six cupcakes coming up,” Lila said. “Would you like a mix of different flavors or all the same?”
“A mix,” Emma said immediately. “Two pink. Two chocolates. Two of those vanilla ones with the little raspberry on top, please.”
“Great choice.” Lila pulled a clean, white box from the shelf below the counter and began carefully arranging the cupcakes inside.
Emma watched her with the focused attention of a child who took cupcakes seriously.
“Are you on holiday here? I haven’t seen you around town before,” Lila asked, glancing up between selections.
“Yes,” Emma answered before Penny could speak. “We came here yesterday from Miami.” Her eyes never left the cupcakes Lila was choosing. “We’re here for the whole summer and staying at Bay View Beach House, the one right at the end of Bay View Drive.”
Penny gave Emma a small look that said you might want to dial that back, sweetheart, but Emma was clearly past dialing back.
“Bay View Beach House,” Lila said. “Oh, that’s a beautiful house.”
“It is,” Emma agreed.
“My boss’s daughter, Linda, and her grandchildren are staying just down the road from there,” Lila informed them. “They’re also here for the summer.”
Emma’s whole face lit up. “Are you talking about Sophia and Jake with their friend Toby?”
“You know them?” Lila’s brows rose in surprise.
“We met them this morning on the beach,” Emma explained. “We’re going to the first day of the festival with them tomorrow.”
“Well, that’s amazing,” Lila said, her smile widening. “You’ll have a great time at the festival. Especially if you’re going with Linda, Sophia, Jake, and Toby,”
“Wow,” Penny said with a sigh. “It’s really true what they say about small towns. We have been here just over a day, and we have already crossed paths with the same family twice in completely different places. That doesn’t happen in Miami.”
“It can take a little getting used to at first,” Lila said.
“When I first moved here, I felt like the whole town knew my coffee order by the end of the first week. It was a bit much for me. But after a few months, I realized it wasn’t nosiness.
It was care. People here look out for one another. You don’t get that in a big city.”
“No,” Penny said quietly. “No, you don’t.”
Something passed across her face. Lila had seen that look before on women who had been hurt and had landed somewhere new and were noticing the difference. Lila did not press. She finished arranging the last cupcake, tied a neat string of pale pink ribbon around the box, and set it on the counter.
“There you go. Six cupcakes and one sourdough.” Lila moved to the cash register. “Is that all?”
Before Penny could respond, the bell above the door chimed again.
This time, Tom walked in with Sophia, Jake, and Toby tumbling in behind him. Buddy was not with them, which meant they had come straight from the hospital after visiting George. Linda came through the door last, after being delayed by a passerby who asked about George.
“Emma!” Sophia squealed.
“Sophia!” Emma’s face lit up.
The two girls met in the middle of the bakery floor.
“What are you doing here?” Sophia asked.
“Getting cupcakes and sourdough bread,” Emma said, then turned to the woman who was at the counter. “Penny, this is Sophia. We were just talking about her and her grandmother.”
“That would be me,” Linda said, stepping up to her granddaughter. “Hi, I’m Linda.” She held out her hand to Penny, who took it and smiled.
“I’m Penny,” Penny greeted her, shaking her hand.
“Penny’s my Uncle Darius’s partner,” Emma told them.
Lila glanced at Linda when she noticed her stiffening slightly. Something flickered behind Linda’s eyes. The smile on her face stayed exactly where it was, but the warmth behind it had cooled by half a degree, and Lila saw it.
“Hello, Penny,” Linda said evenly. “It’s lovely to meet you. This is Sophia’s brother, Jake, and his friend Toby.” She turned and put a hand on Tom’s arm. “And this is my father, Tom.”
“Pleasure to meet you, all,” Penny said warmly.
“How are you finding Sweet Blossom Bay?” Tom asked her.
“Beautiful. We’re settling in nicely,” Penny answered Tom. “And trying to get used to how friendly everyone is here.”
Linda nodded, and her smile held, but Lila could feel something underneath it that did not match. She wondered, watching Linda carefully, what it was about Penny’s introduction that had landed in Linda’s chest the way it had.
“Emma, we should go,” Penny said. “Your grandmother and great-uncle will be wondering where we are and if I crashed his car.”
“Really?” Emma said, looking disappointed, and she turned toward Sophia. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
“Me too,” Sophia told her.
“Lila, thank you.” Penny paid for the order, picked up the box, and the bread bag. “I’m sure we’ll be back soon.”
“Good, we look forward to seeing you again,” Lila told her.
“Linda, Tom, it was lovely to meet you, and I hope we run into each other again soon.” Penny turned to Tom and Linda, whose smiles seemed a little more frozen.
“I’m sure we will,” Linda said.
Penny and Emma left with the bell jingling behind them. Linda watched them go all the way out the door, and her smile only fully turned normal once the door had closed. When she turned back, the warmth was firmly back in place.
“Lila,” Linda said, crossing to the counter. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me, I didn’t even say a proper hello. How are you?” She slipped around the corner and hugged her.
“Don’t apologize, Linda,” Lila answered. “I’m well, thank you. You look like you’ve had quite a morning.”
“I have. Tom thought a sugar break might do us all some good.” Linda laughed. “Right now, I think I could use a good sugar rush from one of your delicious cupcakes.”
“Good choice,” Lila said, glancing atTom. “Are you going to be joining them?”
Tom nodded. “Yes, I promised them cupcakes and some hot chocolate.”
Lila felt her cheeks warm as their eyes met and held for a few moments before Jake’s voice broke the spell.
“I’d like a chocolate cupcake, please, Lila,” Jake told her.
The others placed their order while Tom pushed two tables together, and the family took their seats.
“Cupcakes and hot chocolate for the kids?” Lila asked. “And tea for you, Tom, and Linda?”
“I think I’m going to have some hot chocolate,” Linda told her, and Lila could see that Penny was still bothering her. But she didn’t say anything. She glanced at Tom, waiting for his order.
“I’ll have some tea,” Tom told her. “But I’ll get this for everyone.”
“No, no,” Lila shook her head. “You sit, and I’ll get this.”