Chapter 17
Reina
I thought everything would be different after the fire raged through my building. It had changed, but it wasn't what I expected. I had a new temporary kitchen and maybe even a boyfriend. We hadn't discussed labels, but we'd spent every night together since we watched the movie in the fort.
I was worried he'd distance himself from the situation and say he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Tom. But instead, he'd come through his front door the next night determined to prove that what we had was real and he wasn't walking away.
Every time I thought about that night, I got butterflies in my stomach. He'd claimed me that night. There was no other way to describe it.
I'd floated through my days, looking forward to seeing him in the evenings. My customers were thrilled that they could still get their Sweet Dreams fix every morning, and I'd procured more catering orders.
But today, I was meeting with Eve and the other shop owners in the town hall meeting room to discuss upcoming events.
The door to the kitchen swung open as Clara popped in. "We're starting."
I paused what I was doing to wash my hands. "Be right there."
Clara inclined her head toward the tray of pastries on the counter. "You need any help carrying in the pastries?"
"That would be great. Thanks."
By the time I'd dried my hands, Clara had gotten a few more people to help, so I only had to grab one more tray and carry it out. There was a carafe of Meg's coffee on the table, so I poured myself a to-go cup while Eve tapped the microphone.
"Thank you for coming out today. I know everyone is busy, and I didn't want to take up your afternoon."
I think everyone was still upset about the last town hall when Bill shared a personal picture of Angela and Hudson, hoping to get her shop closed down. I hoped this meeting wouldn't be as dramatic.
I sipped my coffee, scanning the room for Bill. I wondered if he was banned from meetings for a while. I couldn't be upset about that.
Clara turned around, and when she saw me, gestured at the open seat next to her.
I smiled and headed her way.
"I wanted to talk about our upcoming Christmas in July festivities. They will last all month long with a street fair every Saturday morning. Since we're hosting the farmer's market this summer, that'll be a part of the event."
The market was a new thing for the town and drew in a lot of people who wouldn't visit otherwise.
"Each shop is invited to have a table or two on the street, and we'll shut it down to all vehicle traffic. But don't worry; we'll have plenty of parking. There will also be food trucks serving drinks, desserts, and other food items."
I was excited for this event because I could set up a table in front of the bakery. My mind was already racing with possible ideas for themed baked goods. A lemon cupcake paired with Meg's famous lemonade, and a hot chocolate one to match the holiday theme.
"Does anyone else have any other ideas?" Eve asked, and a few hands shot up.
I tuned it out because I was more focused on what I could offer and how I could make this event work for me. It was an opportunity for me to sell to new people who may not have heard of my bakery. I'd need to bring cards for catering with me so that people would know how to order in the future.
"We don't want to forget that this is a Christmas-themed event, even if it's in July. So pull out your best holiday-themed ideas and products to share. People will expect hot chocolate—"
Meg's hand shot up. "What if we did the standard hot version and then an iced hot chocolate to capture the crowd that prefers iced options in warmer weather?"
Eve smiled. "I love that idea."
Meg smiled and lowered her hand.
"We want this event to be big, one that people look forward to each year on the same level as the regular holiday season."
A few people chuckled, but I knew she wasn't joking. Eve wanted to go big and make a difference in this town, and I couldn't wait to see how many people turned out for this event.
"There's a nationwide contest for the coolest small town in America, and I entered Christmas Town.
This means that we'll need to showcase what makes our town unique over the next few months.
If we win, there's a cash award that we'll use for upgrades.
It's really important that we take this seriously. "
What would that designation mean for my business? Would it bring national attention to what had to be one of the few holiday-themed towns in America?
After a few more questions about the festival, Eve ended the meeting, and we turned to talk to each other. Several people went to the back tables to grab food and drink.
"Do you think this will bring in more people, or will it just be a headache for parking?" Clara asked.
I raised a brow at her comment because she was usually fairly upbeat and positive about things. "You're worried about it?"
She sighed. "Who's buying holiday ornaments in the summer?"
"Everyone who visits here for vacation," Angela pointed out. "We get a ton of tourists this time of year. And everyone wants a souvenir for their trip. A treasured holiday ornament that says where they visited is the perfect souvenir or gift."
"I'm just not up for it this year. I kind of want to hibernate," Clara said, and I wondered if we should be spending more time with her to see what was going on.
Why wasn't she feeling good about this new event? New visitors meant more money.
Eve wandered over to our group. "I completely forgot to mention that I managed to get our town listed on Telluride's website as something to do when you're visiting."
"Are you serious?" Clara asked.
"How did you get Telluride to list Christmas Town?" Meg asked.
Everyone knew that we were direct competition for Telluride, but it had the advantage of a local ski resort. Now that we'd added the bakery, coffee shop, and bookstore, maybe we could finally keep up with them.
"I mentioned how people want to have places to visit when they come.
A reason to be in Telluride, and a nearby holiday attraction was the perfect draw for visitors.
It wasn't easy, and I've been working on the mayor for a while now, and I finally got them to agree.
It's a temporary thing to see if it gets any clicks.
So fingers crossed. We'll need to work hard over the next few months to stay on the tourist page and to win that contest."
"I think it's great." I was excited about all of it. Everything Eve planned would add to our customer base, not detract from it.
I was hopeful that everything was working out for me. I was very aware that it could have gone in a different direction. But right now, I wouldn't worry about the negative possibilities.
Eve smiled. "I hope you're right. This is a huge opportunity for us."
"And I love the Christmas in July idea. I think this is going to be an event to rival our primary season. Except this one will be for the summer visitors," I said, and Eve smiled.
There was a general consensus that summer tourists were different than winter. Both loved outdoor sports, but one preferred hiking and the other snow adventures.
"We're tapping into both winter and summer seasons now, and I'm happy we could include it this year. If you have any other ideas for fall events, let me know. I'm open to everything," Eve said as she walked away.
"She's kind of amazing. I don't know how she gets everything done," Belle said.
"And she does everything with a smile. She even handled Bill when no one else wanted to," Angela added.
"She's amazing," I agreed.
Clara sighed. "Am I the only one not happy about this new stuff?"
I frowned. "You don't think that this will bring in more customers for your shop?"
"A few of my customers mentioned that they don't come into town when there's events because there's too many people, and parking's a hassle."
"Maybe you should take a vacation or hire more employees," Meg suggested. "Are you feeling burned out?"
Clara's shoulders lowered. "I think that might be it. I just need a break from everything."
"That's a great idea. I'd love to go somewhere when the renovations are done on the bakery, but I have a feeling I'll be busier than ever and won't be able to get away."
"We all need to hire more help," Meg said. "We can't be working the entire time our shops are open. Let's get together soon and discuss delegating."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and we split up to go back to work.
The temporary bakery was closed for the afternoon, and I wanted to see the progress on the bakery itself.
I walked outside with everyone and headed toward my bakery.
The windows had been uncovered now that the damaged items had been removed.
I stood outside, wondering if I could go in without freaking out.
Morgan stepped out. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see how things were going," I said, my voice a little shaky. Was it a bad idea to come here?
His brow furrowed. "Are you sure you're ready to go inside?"
I straightened my shoulders. "I want to see it."
He nodded. "Okay."
I appreciated that he didn't try to talk me out of it or remind me of how I'd reacted last time. He was giving me another chance to prove that I could handle being in this building after the fire. I wanted the bakery to be my happy place again.
I followed him inside.
"The cleaning company did a great job cleaning off the soot and getting rid of the smell. You wouldn't even know there was a fire."
I relaxed slightly at his words. The drywall had been removed, and the studs exposed. That made it easier to update the electrical and helped with getting rid of the smell.
"We're working on the electrical, so you won't see much in the way of progress yet. This part is slow going, but as soon as it's done, everything moves quickly. We'll put up new drywall, paint, and install the floor."
"I can't believe that everything's gone."
"The insurance company was great about paying for everything to be replaced. It's really the only way to get rid of the smell. Since you're operating a kitchen, it was a necessity."
I moved around the room. "It's a clean slate."
Morgan grinned. "That's why I said it's the best time to change things up, do a new layout or even style. You can choose a different floor, paint color, and setup for the front counter and customer seating area."
"I like the way the front counter area was set up, but I'd like to have more comfortable seating in the customer area. A few tables and chairs and maybe some cushioned seats, encouraging people to stay a while."
"You can start thinking about the paint color, floors, and which appliances you'd like. Cooper can help you get that ordered if you have time to meet with him."
"That would be great." I was excited to pick everything out and see it put together. It was nice to pretend that this was a normal renovation, and not the result of a fire.
He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "You're doing great."
I wrinkled my nose. "I think you were right about the smell. It conjured up bad memories.”
He nodded. "I'm glad that it's gone then."
I still wasn't sure that I was going to be able to live upstairs, even without the smell. Only time would tell.
"We're doing the electrical in the entire building, and then we'll focus solely on the renovation downstairs. The apartment will be last. Did you want to go upstairs and see what it looks like?"
I smiled, but it felt more like a grimace. "Not today. I'm more interested in the bakery for now."
"Updating the electrical is the most important part of the renovation."
"I agree with you there."
"You won't have to worry once it's updated, and I'll make frequent inspections to ensure everything is running smoothly."
"Do you normally perform inspections after a renovation is completed?" I asked him, curious if he was treating me differently from his other customers.
He looked away. "No."
I frowned. "Then why would you need to do it here?"
"You said one time it was your happy place, and I want it to be that again."
I let out a breath, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I don't want you to go out of your way, but I'm not going to tell you not to either. I know that sounds a little crazy."
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his side for a hug. "That doesn't sound crazy at all."
I pressed a palm over his heart, feeling the steady beat. I drew strength from him. I was going to be just fine. Even if I couldn't live upstairs, I could be in this space. I'd make it mine, and there wouldn't be any memories to tarnish my love for baking or this place. "Thank you."
"No need to thank me. It's your insurance company that's making this possible."
I smiled against his chest at his joke because we both knew that he was the one who was making this easier on me. I knew he wouldn't cut any corners. He'd go above and beyond so that everything was safe, and I appreciated that. I suspected it didn't have anything to do with his promise to Tom.
He let go of me. "I have to get back to work. What are you going to do?"
Even without his body pressed against mine, I was going to be fine.
I wasn't replaying bad memories or feeling queasy from the smell of smoke.
Instead, I felt excited about the renovation and the future.
I had a feeling that it had a lot to do with Morgan and how he was handling my feelings with the renovation.
"I have some deliveries to make. Then I'll probably take a nap."
He winked at me. "Don't sleep too long. I want to make dinner with you tonight."
The butterflies were in my stomach again. I couldn't wait to spend the evening with him. I tried not to think about what it would be like when I had to move out. Would I be able to sleep alone in my old apartment with the bad memories?
Fortunately, I didn't have to think about that yet. I was fine with my current living arrangement and had no desire to change it.