Brooke
Chapter
Six
I spent my entire night last night crying over the position my mother put me in, and if I wasn’t crying, I was spending entirely way too much time thinking about Dutton's little visit to the bakery.
Was there anything I wanted more than anything else in this world?
My first thought had been to own the storefront so that all parts of the bakery were officially mine.
But then I thought, is that really it? It was weird.
I think what I want most is for people to never compare me to my mother.
A woman who tried so hard to make something of her life and when it didn’t work, she just left.
And for some reason, I've connected that to the bakery. And my need to own it outright. And be successful with it. And then my brain said, in order to do this, you need money so that you can expand it and get the shop and the store. If I can’t make it happen, then what?
Would I leave because I don’t want this town to see my failure?
I would do just about anything right now to ensure that doesn’t happen.
But fake being friends with Dutton Richford?
Could I do that?
Would it honestly be possible?
Not once in my entire life have I thought about being friends with him. And now he wants me to fake it. The worst part is, I could never fake it. If—that's a huge if, because this is just crazy to even be considering— I were to do this for him, he would have to become my actual real friend.
Could I do that? Faking it seemed like a far-fetched idea as it was, but actually becoming friends with Dutton Richford … am I really considering it?
I can't believe I'm actually considering this.
The door to the bakery opens, and none other than Dutton's sister, also known as one of my best friends whom I would normally run an idea like this over with but can’t, Grace, walks through the door, a smile beaming on her face as she spots me behind the counter.
“Well, well, well, it's not every day that I get to see my best friend first thing in the morning. Did you decide to actually teach someone else to do the baking so that you could work in the front of the shop more?”
“You know the kitchen is my favorite place to be. Daisy is using the bathroom. As soon as she comes back, I will be right back into the kitchen baking more goods, to which I assume you are here for.”
I have three employees here besides me. Daisy, Sammie, and Walter. They rotate between the kitchen and the front of the bakery, but it’s safe to say that Daisy loves the front and Sammie and Walter prefer the kitchen.
“Oh, I also came to see your beautiful face. I haven't seen you in so long. Missing girls’ nights is the worst.”
It really is. We have busy schedules these days and it’s been too long since we all could make the same night work, but it does seem that Grace misses more than the rest of us.
“Yeah, why have you been missing so many?”
She lets out a sigh and crosses her arms.
“Work, my dad, you know how it is. He's trying to make some changes, and he wants to pick between Dutton and me to take over the lodge. And it's just, you know, boring business stuff.”
She waves the topic off as if it isn’t worth talking about.
But she loves business stuff, right?
The thought makes me curious about what Dutton said yesterday. I focus on wiping down the counters and moving things around to act busy as I ask, “Do you want to take over the lodge?”
I know she’s mentioned it before, but now that it could actually be happening, maybe she’s changed her mind.
It would make the offer Dutton gave me easier to accept if she’s changed her mind.
Wait? Does that mean I want to help him in exchange for something?
“Of course I do. It's all I've ever wanted. Dutton has always been our father’s first pick, because he's the firstborn. But as we all know, Dutton has made a name for himself in this town, and being as small as it is, it’s easy for them to hold a grudge. I'm not so sure if the people would support the lodge the way they do now if Dutton were in charge. Plus, something weird is going on between my dad and Dutton. They both pretend like it’s the normal, everyday tension of owning a family business, but it just keeps getting worse and worse.”
Interesting.
I did notice that when Dutton kept saying he was the better fit for the lodge, he didn’t say it in a cocky guy way. I can’t quite place the tone he used, but now my brain is spinning. Not to mention, I’ve noticed how he only refers to his father by name and never Dad or Father.
“Would it be so bad if he did own it?” I make Grace her usual latte and hand it over the counter.
Daisy appears, takes Grace’s money, and shoos me away from the register.
I nod to an empty table near the front window, and Grace and I take a seat.
“No, it wouldn't, and I’m sure he’d treat me like an equal and everything would be just fine, but I have so many ideas for that place. Ways to make it bigger in the wedding industry, even the top romantic destination in the country.”
Her face lights up.
“I mean, how insane would it be to reach that and then expand into another country?”
“That would be incredible, Grace.”
She nods.
“Dad says he wants us to both create a ten-year business plan to present to him, and that will be a part of mine.”
Wow. She knows where she wants to be ten years from now with the lodge.
I can't even get to tomorrow without a hurdle jumping in my way.
Unless …
Grace’s phone begins to ring. She pulls it out and stands quickly.
“I need to take this. Will you send out a text for a girls’ night on Thursday? I can do that night if everyone else can.”
“Yep,” I say, giving her a quick hug.
I don’t have much time to dwell on her successful career before Sadie walks in. She’s holding her laptop to her chest, her sister-in-law and one of my new friends, Ruby, right behind her.
“Hi.” I hug them both. “Are you here to get some work done?”
“I’m just grabbing a coffee before I go next door to the bookstore. I need to get my calendar squared away since I’ve got multiple signings booked for the next year and a half.”
Her eyes go wide, as if she can’t believe those words just fell from her mouth.
“And I’m going to use the silence of the bookstore to get ahead on some graphic work,” Ruby says with a big smile.
My smile isn’t forced, but my jealousy of more friends reaching their career goals is heavy.
“That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for both of you.”
Daisy appears, handing a coffee to Sadie and another to Ruby.
Sadie gives her some cash, and both women turn for the door. Ruby walks out, but Sadie suddenly stops to face me.
“You know, if you hadn’t taken this place over, I’m not sure this would be happening for me.”
“Oh”—I wave a hand—“you would have made it work somehow. That bookstore has always been your dream.”
“Yes, but having someone like you to step in to help make it happen changed everything for me. When you’re ready to buy this place, let me know and it’s yours.”
I simply smile. I’m not about to reveal my predicament and bring the mood down.
“I’m serious, Brooke. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I wave as she leaves.
As I head to the office in the back, I notice the filled tables throughout the bakery and the way Daisy easily interacts with them all. It’s not surprising, since she’s been here since Sadie ran the place, but what hits me the most is how regulars keep coming back.
How I’ve managed to keep this place as somewhere people feel at home and want to return to.
And if I didn't know it before, I sure know it now.
I want this place to be mine.
The right thing to do would be to stop at the front desk and let someone know that I'm here to see Dutton.
But having Grace as a best friend means I know my way around this place like the back of my hand.
It also means I know exactly where Dutton's office is.
I walk through the main lobby, giving a polite wave, and continue down the hallway that leads to most of the offices.
As soon as I spot Dutton's door, I pause.
I'm doing this.
I'm going to do this.
I can do this.
Dutton and I can be friends.
We're both getting something out of it. He’s going to use me as much as I'm going to use him, so I'm going in there with confidence. By the time I leave, he'll say yes and agree to give me the money I need for a down payment on the bakery.
Oh my god, I’m going to ask someone for money.
Not a little bit either.
A large amount of money.
And I'm going to ask Dutton for it.
I turn my back to the door and put a hand on my chest.
Okay, no. Don't panic. We want this. We need this.
I take a deep breath, and with my head held high, I turn the knob, pushing my way inside his office only to come to a stuttering stop. Dutton is sitting in front of his computer with no shirt on. His body is shining with a glisten, but it's not the said glisten that makes me pause.
Dutton Richford is ripped.
Holy shit.
This isn’t news to me, but this is different from seeing him at a distance on the beach. This is him half naked with me behind closed doors.
He turns in his seat slowly, as if he isn’t at all surprised by the way I burst through his door.
“Brooke, is there something I can help you with?”
Jumping right to it.
I can do that.
“Yes. I thought about what you said yesterday at the bakery.”
“Okay. So, you want to fake a friendship?”
I shake my head and walk closer to him, failing to keep my eyes on his face, because who even is this person?
Is his body real?
“I have a list of demands.”
He leans back, crossing his arms, which only leads to his biceps bulging even more.
Dear God, has this man always looked this tempting without his clothes on?
He clears his throat.
“You have a list of demands? Are you going to tell them to me?”
I nod.
“One. I don't fake anything. If we're going to do this, it's going to be a real friendship.”
He smirks.
“Two, I want to buy the bakery. I have currently run into a few hiccups financially that are keeping me from doing this. So, if I help you, I … need … money.”
“Money?” His brows rise. “That was the last thing I expected to come out of your mouth.”
“Yes, well, you walking into my bakery to ask me to be your friend was not what I expected to come out of your mouth yesterday.”
“I didn't walk in there to ask you to be my friend. I asked you to pretend to be my friend.”
“And as I just said, I don't fake anything.”
The room falls silent as we both stare at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. It isn't going to be me, no matter how badly I want him to agree just so I can reach my goals.
“All right, fine. But tell me why you need money, outside of the fact that you want to expand the bakery.”
“If you want answers to your questions, I want more answers to mine.”
“I already told you everything.”
“So, you and your father have an outstanding relationship, and this has nothing to do with whatever feud is going on between the two of you.”
“Who said there was a feud?”
I pause to think over my answer. I don't want him to know that Grace vented to me, because that could be considered gossip, and I don't want to get between family members.
“Just a hunch.”
“Well, I guess we can agree that we are both going to get what we want without telling the other all of the answers they wish to know. As long as Henry picks me, the money is yours.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
“So, you'll come over as soon as you get off work?”
“What? When did we make that agreement?” His left brow rises as he waits for my response.
“I made it just now. If we're going to do this, our friendship needs to start now. Me walking in here as if I have done it hundreds of times will already be gossip for the town, so we may as well get started.”
His gaze bores into mine, and he studies me as if he's trying to read more into what I'm saying.
“All right, I'll come to your house.”
“Perfect, but don’t you want to know how much money I need?”
“Nope.”
I make a gagging noise, but then his gaze snaps to mine. I smile.
He’s doing me a favor, so it’s probably best if I don’t start a fight right from the start.
“See you tonight, and shirts are required.”
I spin without letting him have another word, and I walk right out the door the same way I went in. As soon as it's closed, I let out the breath I've been holding. I'm about to become friends with Dutton Richford. How am I going to keep this from my father?