She wouldn’t let him get to her.
At least Summit Ridge hadn’t won. No one had mentioned the similarities between the trees of the two booths. Though Raine had said the Midsummer Night’s theme looked more like something she would make.
Ironic.
Was that the word?
All she knew was the joy of finishing the booth, spending time with Garrett, and kissing him again made not being able to speak up about her design being stolen worth it. And though a part of her wanted to say something, she wouldn’t drag Lawson’s into a bakery battle of he-said, she-said. No one would win without losing customers—something they couldn’t afford during a business slump.
One bright side: Nick hadn’t shown up to gloat. Taryn would take that as a part of her honorable mention prize.
“So what happens now?” he asked.
“When they announce the fair is closed for the night, that’s our cue to clean up. Then we can eat.”
“Hungry?”
She nodded, hoping her stomach didn’t grumble. “I hope there’s not too long a wait for the pizza.”
“There won’t be.”
“You sound certain.”
“I am because Brandt ordered ahead of time. Dinner will be delivered to Margot’s house.”
“Callie found a good guy.”
“She did. I wasn’t sure about him at first, but they fit together. And he treats her well.”
“Of course, he does. Brandt adores her. Your sister is crazy about him.” Someday, Taryn would like to fall in love as Callie and Brandt had. “Relationship goals.”
“If you wanted one.”
Which he didn’t. And neither did Taryn. At least that was what she kept telling herself.
But as Taryn stared at Garrett, she wasn’t sure if that was one hundred percent true any longer.
Chapter Fourteen
On Saturday morning, Garrett carried Margot’s quilt to her booth. Not a cloud was in the sky, and the temperature was warming already. A perfect summer day for a fair to celebrate the season, but it would be hot later. Tall trees in the park provided some shade, as would the tents covering the booths, but it was sunglasses, hat, and water bottle kind of weather.
“Can you and Brandt hang the quilt for me?” Margot asked. “I’ll grab us coffees from Raine’s booth.”
“Sure.” Garrett was happy to help.
“We’ve got it.” Brandt watched his aunt walk away. “Thanks for helping. My aunt would do this herself if we weren’t here. She’s not old, but she shouldn’t be climbing a stepladder by herself. And she’s not a person to wait for her people to arrive.”
“Not a problem.”
Garrett shook the display rack to make sure it was steady. “This thing is solid.”
“Aunt Margot had it made for this fair. It also fits in her front window for the Christmas contest.”
Together, they hung the quilt.
He adjusted his side. “People here take their competitions seriously.”
Brandt rolled his eyes. “When I was growing up, my mom was involved in the Silver Falls Christmas Home Tour. They stopped that after two homeowners got into a fight over who won.”
Garrett shook his head. “Life in a small town.”
“Yep.”
He stepped in front of the booth to see if the quilt hung straight. “Looks good.”
Brandt nodded. “So, you and Taryn?”
“Huh?”
“You’re together.”
Garrett flinched. Brandt spoke as if it were a done deal, too. “We’re…friends.”
Brandt grinned wryly. “Very friendly, based on how close you sat at dinner last night.”
“It was crowded,” Garrett blurted. He wasn’t trying to hide anything. Other than a few kisses, nothing had happened. “I mean…Margot’s house was packed.”
He was reaching, and he didn’t know why. Maybe because this time with Taryn was no different from in December. And he didn’t want anyone to think the two of them might turn into a couple.
“Hey, it’s not a big deal. Callie mentioned it to me this morning. She’s happy because she likes Taryn and she loves you. The only thing better would be if you were interested in Anna.”
Anna Kent was the dog groomer who worked with Callie and would be his sister’s maid of honor next weekend. “Both are nice. Taryn and I had fun working on her booth, but…”
It would never work.
“…nothing’s changed since December.” There. He’d said it. “She lives here. I don’t.”
“True, but Taryn seems…I don’t know…happier this week, even with all the stress.”
Garrett didn’t want to take credit, but he stood taller, hoping he’d improved her mood. “The patio’s open, and she finished the booth. Both must be a relief to her.”
“If you and Taryn are just friends, let’s see if she and Keaton hit it off. He’s more on the quiet side and will be in town for a month, watching Rex while we’re on our honeymoon.”
Garrett’s muscles tensed. His hands balled into fists. “You sound like your aunt.”
Brandt’s face reddened. “Well, I have a reason.”
Better be a good one. “What?”
“A baker in the family, even as someone’s girlfriend, would be awesome.”
He had a point. Only if that baker wasn’t Taryn. “Hate to tell you, but Margot has a woman in mind for my little brother.”
Someone who better not be Taryn.
Garrett would have to make sure Margot didn’t wave her matchmaking wand or shoot cupid’s arrow or whatever she used to pair couples in Taryn’s direction. She didn’t need a relationship to distract her from the bakery. After she figured things out with Lawson’s Bakery though…
His stomach churned.
Stop. Turning around the bakery and dealing with her father would take time. Besides, what Taryn did in the future wasn’t Garrett’s business. Still, that realization didn’t make him feel any better.
Brandt sighed. “I told my aunt to stop matchmaking. Otherwise, someone will get hurt. I should have known she wouldn’t listen.”
“She gave me a reprieve during this visit, but I have a feeling Margot will be up to her old tricks during my next trip.”
Brandt laughed. “My aunt’s a force of nature. When she sets her mind on something, she’s unstoppable, but I’ll talk to her again. The heart is nothing to toy with, especially when it’s someone else’s.”
“Good luck. And please convince your aunt to retire from matchmaking.” If Brandt succeeded, Margot wouldn’t set up Taryn with some random guy after Garrett left Silver Falls.
“I’ll do my best.” Brandt glanced at the Wags and Tails booth. “I want to check on Callie.”
Margot stood across the aisle at the Tea Leaves and Coffee Bean’s booth.
“I’ll see if your aunt needs anything else.” After that, Garrett would go to Taryn’s booth. “Let me know if Callie needs anything.”
As he walked toward the Summer-Cuppa-themed stall, Margot met him halfway. She handed him a small cup. “Courtesy of Raine and her baristas.”
“Thanks.” He took a sip. The hot liquid went down smoothly and the hint of vanilla appealed to his tastebuds. “How does the quilt look?”
“As good as yesterday.” She beamed. “I appreciate you and Brandt hanging it.”
“I’m meeting my brothers at your house. Text me if you need anything.”
“Are you bringing them to the fair today?”
Garrett nodded. “They’ll want to see Callie and see if she has a to-do list for them.”
He hoped to spend time with Taryn. He glanced at her booth where she and two of her employees filled the table with desserts. Garrett couldn’t wait.
*
Taryn placed small plates with slices of pie and cake on a tiered server. The picnic cookies aka watermelon frosted sugar cookies had been such a hit she kept them as a sample today. She would use up the lemon bars before bringing out the brownies.
“Anything else, Boss?” Brecken asked.
“Keep Jayden in line at the bakery.”
Brecken chuckled. “Always.”
He lumbered off, all arms and legs.
Finley wouldn’t arrive until today’s festivities opened, but she didn’t need help yet. Carl was on the schedule to take his place later and work until the fair closed. It would have been easier if she hadn’t lost three employees to the other bakery, but she couldn’t change the past. If that trio had worked at the Summit Ridge booth yesterday, none had stopped by to say hello.
Don’t think about it.
Taryn refilled her apron pocket with coupons before checking everything again. Samples, napkins, forks—everything was where it should be.
She blew out a breath.
Now all she had to do was wow every person who visited, so they would go to the bakery after the fair. Easy-peasy.
She gulped.
“Looks even better than yesterday.” Garrett sauntered to the table in a brown T-shirt and tan shorts. The casual style suited him, but she wanted to see him in a tuxedo. He wasn’t the best man. That honor belonged to Sam Merrill, who worked at Wags and Tails. But Callie mentioned her three brothers being ushers.
She couldn’t believe the wedding was only a week away. And Garrett would leave Silver Falls two days after that.
Taryn’s throat tightened.
Don’t think about it. Especially with him right here.
She pressed her shoulders back. “Thanks.”
Garrett peered at the desserts. “No brownies?”
“Not until later.”
“That will disappoint Brandt.”
“He’ll be here tomorrow. In fact, I’ll tell people to return if they want one.”
“Might work.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “You’ve had my brownies. Of course, it’ll work.”
He grinned. “Did you make them?”
Taryn raised her chin. “It’s my recipe.”
“Do you think anyone using it would be able to replicate yours?”
She bit her lip. The question was harder to answer than she thought it would be.
“Not a simple answer,” he said.
“No, because if someone followed the directions, they should come out the same. But that doesn’t always happen.”
“I’ve messed up many recipes. It doesn’t matter how careful I am.”
“Everyone has, including me,” she admitted. “Sometimes it’s the recipe’s fault, but more often than not a person skips a step or changes something, not realizing it’ll make a difference.”
“That would probably be me.”
“My grandmother showed me how to cook, and my grandpa taught me how to bake. They paid for my baking and pastry arts degree so I could take things to the next level, especially with cakes.”
“A forward-thinking couple.”
“They were.” She missed them, but working in the bakery kept them close to her heart. “My dad wasn’t happy I spent two years there and did an internship elsewhere, but he knew I’d return to Silver Falls, and I did.”
A top restaurant had offered her a full-time job following her internship, but she’d turned it down without a second thought. Her grandparents had invested in her to bring new skills to Lawson’s. She’d never once considered not returning.
“And I’m still here.”
For how much longer remained to be seen.
Nope. Not going there today.
She forced a smile. “What are you up to?”
“Seeing if you need anything.”
Taryn touched her chest. No heart melting. Except it might be a little too late. “You really are sweet.”
He leaned closer.
As his warm breath caressed her neck, tingles trailed down her shoulder to her arm.
“I am,” he whispered. “But people need to think I’m the egotistical attorney, not a nice guy.”
She raised a brow. “So the shark in the courtroom is all an act?”
“An award-winning performance.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.” She tried not to laugh and kept her voice low. “Promise.”
All Taryn had to do was turn her head slightly, and she could kiss him. She wanted to, but did she dare with everyone she knew nearby, not to mention his sister and Margot at their booths or somewhere around here?
“Be sure to save me a portion of marionberry pie.” Once again, his breath might as well be his hand. It caressed like a touch.
She swallowed a sigh. “I will.”
Taryn would put a slice in the cooler for him.
“I hope I’m not late.” The familiar voice meant an end to her time with Garrett. She drew away from him.
“You’re not.”
“Cool.” Finley bounced into the booth like he was riding a pogo stick. Not unexpected. He was twenty and wore his long, blond hair in a man bun. He took classes at Summit Ridge University and worked at Lawson’s as his schedule allowed. Right now, that meant full-time or split shifts because it was summer break. He put on an apron.
“I’m going to meet my brothers at Margot’s and then come over here.”
She’d glimpsed the other two Andrews brothers in December when they came into the bakery, but Garrett hadn’t been with her then and they hadn’t been introduced. Would he want her to meet them this time?
He studied Finley as if he were a specimen under a microscope before turning his attention on her. “Text if you need me to bring you lunch or anything.”
Garrett was definitely a kindhearted lawyer. “Thanks, but I packed a lunch.”
“See you soon.”
He took two steps before glancing over his shoulder.
“Have fun with your family,” she called out.
Garrett nodded, turned, and headed to Callie’s booth.
Such a good big brother. Callie had mentioned her three siblings were overprotective. Still, knowing someone cared that much must be nice. Maybe someday Taryn would have in-laws, so she’d know what having a sibling was like.
“Welcome to the second day of the Silver Falls Summer Fair,” a man announced over the speakers. “Be sure to check out the themed booths featuring our First Avenue businesses. Silver Falls Flowers’s Summer Blooms won first place last night, so be sure to congratulate them. The entertainment begins at eleven, and the carnival rides will open shortly. Have fun and don’t forget to hydrate and wear sunscreen.”
Finley smoothed his apron. “It’s showtime.”
“Put these in the front pocket.” She handed him coupons. “Make sure every person gets one.”
“Even the kids?”
“Not today, but tomorrow—they all need to go.”
“Got it.” Finley filled the pocket. “So, you and that lawyer guy are together again?”
“Again?”
“He always hung out at the bakery in December. And he’d wait for you to close up.”
So much for no one noticing what she did. “He’s helping me with the booth.”
An edge of Finley’s mouth slanted upward. “It’s finished, yet he’s still here.”
How long would that last? He had no reason to spend time with her. Curl-her-toes kisses, aside. With his brothers in town, and the wedding next Saturday, he would be busy.
She shook her head. “Be sure to smile and hydrate. There’s a cooler of water bottles and another with food if you get hungry.”
Finley laughed. “Your non-answer is answer enough, Boss.”
Taryn side-eyed him. “I am your boss, so you’d better watch it, or I’ll give your goodie bag to Brecken.”
*
The day passed by in a blur of telling people about the booth, handing out samples and coupons, and inviting them to visit the bakery. The temperature had to be in the nineties. A shower would refresh her and sitting down for a few hours would help her feet. They hurt from standing on the grass. Funny how she was more used to the tile floor at Lawson’s. But it was wo
rth a little discomfort to connect with so many potential customers.
A cute boy around four or five ran up to the booth. “Cookie, puh-lease.”
A harried mom chasing after a toddler with sticky hands and face, glanced over her shoulder. “It’s fine. He doesn’t have any food allergies or intolerances.”
Taryn handed him one. “Here you go.”
He beamed. “Thanks.” And he hurried to join his mom.
Nick came up to the table with a smug expression. At least he wore a button-down short-sleeve shirt with navy shorts and not a suit.
“Honorable mention.” Nick reached up and flicked the ribbon tail. “Doubt that will bring you much exposure. Especially after we placed second.”
“With my design.”
“Summit Ridge Bakery did the work all themselves.”
“Using my plans.”
He clicked his tongue. “Don’t be such a sore loser. It doesn’t suit you, Taryn. You were never this whiney before, but I’ll mention that when I meet with your father.”
Her mouth dropped open. She closed it. “What did you say?”
Nick sneered. “Before your father’s cruise, he set up an appointment with the owners of Summit Ridge Bakery to discuss the future of Lawson’s Bakery. I owe you a big thank you for driving the value down these past months with your mismanagement of the place.”
Her blood boiled. Her heart split open. She didn’t want to believe her dad had done that without telling her. But that was another sign of how he saw her. And if Nick was being truthful, she would only hurt herself—and possibly Lawson’s—if she spoke up.
Taryn motioned to the desserts on the table. “Would you like a slice?”
“No, thanks. I prefer the ones from Summit Ridge.”
A man cleared his throat.
Nick glanced over his shoulder.
That gave her an unobstructed view of Garrett, flanked by two other men who resembled him. Must be his brothers.
“If you aren’t interested in tasting Lawson’s samples, move along.” Garrett crossed his arms over his chest. His brothers did the same. “You’re in the way.”
Nick stiffened. “Uh…”
A Slice of Summer Page 13
