Chapter 4
4
T wo days after their initial spat at the hardware store, Emily found herself heading back to Cedar Ridge. Armed with coffee and croissants, she felt a strange mix of anticipation and dread as she pulled into the construction site.
The place was buzzing with activity—workers moving back and forth, tools humming, and a light layer of sawdust hanging in the air. Emily spotted Noah leaning over a set of blueprints, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way over to him. “Hey, Mr. Winslow!”
Noah looked up, surprise flickering across his face before his expression settled into something unreadable. “Just call me Noah,” he said, his tone neutral. “What brings you here?”
Emily held up the coffee and croissants, feeling a little sheepish. “I never really introduced myself properly. I’m Emily Bradford. And I come bearing gifts… and maybe an apology.”
Noah blinked, clearly taken aback. “An apology?”
She nodded, extending one of the cups toward him. “I might have been a little sharp with you the other day. I figured coffee might smooth things over. Or at least soften the blow.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he accepted the coffee. “It’s not often someone apologizes with baked goods. I can’t say no to that.”
They sat on a nearby stack of lumber, the awkwardness between them slowly dissolving as the warm coffee and conversation worked their magic.
“So, about the other day… I might have jumped to conclusions. And maybe I was a little defensive,” Emily admitted.
Noah took a bite of the croissant, chewing thoughtfully. “I wasn’t exactly polite either,” he said. “I tend to get tunnel vision when I’m on a project. I didn’t mean to take it out on you—or your store.”
Emily smiled. “Apology accepted. But for the record, if you insult the hardware store again, Doug might show up with a wrench.”
Noah chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Noted.”
The conversation lulled as they sipped their coffee, the noise of the construction site filling the air.
“So,” Emily said, breaking the silence, “how’s the Cedar Ridge project going? Besides the supply issues, obviously.”
Noah sighed, his shoulders relaxing a fraction. “It’s… a lot. Big deadlines, demanding clients. The usual.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And yet you’re out here, managing every detail yourself. Ever thought about delegating?”
His lips twitched. “You sound like my sister.”
“You have a sister?”
“Yeah,” Noah said, his tone softening. “Maggie. She’s always telling me to ‘work smarter, not harder.’”
Emily shrugged. “I’m just saying, life’s too short to spend all your time worrying about things that could go wrong. Sometimes you’ve got to let people help you.”
Noah tilted his head slightly, studying her. “And what about you? Are you good at taking your own advice?”
She froze for a beat, caught off guard by the question. “Touché,” she said with a wry smile. “But this isn’t about me.”
“Convenient,” he replied, his tone teasing but not unkind.
Later that day Emily was unpacking garden tools when Mrs. Parker arrived, clutching her purse and wearing an air of urgency.
“Emily, dear,” Mrs. Parker began, “do you have a moment? I need some advice.”
Emily set down the shears she’d been organizing. “Of course, Mrs. Parker. What’s going on?”
“It’s about the community garden,” Mrs. Parker said. “We’re trying to host a fundraiser, but the town council won’t approve the location. Something about zoning regulations. And we need the money to replace the fencing before the deer eat everything.”
Emily frowned. “What kind of fundraiser are you planning?”
“A harvest market,” Mrs. Parker said, her eyes lighting up. “Homemade jams, baked goods, crafts… you know, the works. But they’re saying we can’t set up on the town square without a special permit, and that could take weeks!”
Emily sighed. “Bureaucracy strikes again. Have you talked to Doug? He might know a way to cut through the red tape.”
“I have,” Mrs. Parker said, wringing her hands. “But he’s tied up with inventory audits this week, and we’re running out of time.” She looked at Emily hopefully. “Do you think you could help?”
Emily hesitated, glancing at the stack of boxes still waiting to be unpacked. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Oh, bless you, dear,” Mrs. Parker said, squeezing Emily’s hand.
After saying goodbye to Mrs. Parker, Noah walked in with another list of supplies. Inspiration struck and Emily blurted out, “Hey, do you have a minute? I know you must have lots of permits and zoning issues to be cleared for your project. Do you have someone on the town council that you are working with?”
Noah looked up in surprise, a genuine smile crossing is handsome face. “I sure do. What can I help you with?”
True to his word, Noah called back the following afternoon.
“I talked to the person I’ve been working with on the council,” he said. “They can’t waive the permit, but there’s a vacant lot behind the library you can use. No red tape, no delays.”
“That’s amazing,” Emily said. “How did you even manage that?”
“I asked,” Noah replied simply. “Turns out, people are more cooperative when you offer to buy them coffee. And it helps that the project is set to bring in a large amount of revenue for the city.”
Emily laughed. “Thank you, Noah. Seriously.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said. “Just let me know if you need anything else.”
Hours later as Emily was relating the events of the day she laughed at Grace’s expression.
“Let me get this straight,” Grace said, perched on the counter. “Not only did Noah Winslow help you fix the fundraiser problem, but he also managed to do it without making you want to scream?”
Emily rolled her eyes, setting down the list of tasks for the harvest market. “He’s not as bad as I thought.”
Grace smirked. “Not as bad? That’s practically a love letter coming from you.”
“Don’t start,” Emily warned, though she couldn’t entirely suppress her smile.
“So, are you going to invite him to the market?” Grace asked.
Emily paused. “Maybe. If he’s not too busy barking orders at his crew.”
Grace wiggled her eyebrows. “I think he’d show up if you asked. Just saying.”
Emily laughed. “Let’s focus on pulling this thing off first.”