by Lisa Scott
“Oh, yes. She’s crazy about you.” She sighed. “If you’re willing I could use the help. Come back to the kitchen.”
Rose mixed up batter for carrot raisin muffins and apple bread, and directed Jack on how to fill the muffin cups while she dashed out to man the register. She sold another three loaves of passion bread, took the muffins from Jack and slid them into the oven, then answered the phone.
When she finally hung up she stared at Jack. “That was the YMCA. They want me to start making them five-dozen kid friendly muffins for their preschool program. Every day.” Rose did the mental math. “That’s an extra thousand dollars a week.”
Jack crossed his arms, quite satisfied. “Fantastic. But is that all?”
She blushed, knowing she owed this all to him. “Ten dozen cupcakes for a reception this weekend. Where did they get the idea I make cupcakes?”
“When I gave them your card, they just assumed a bakery had sweet treats as well. What would be the harm in offering some ooey-gooey desserts? ”
“Hey, that’s why your clients have to come to you in the first place.”
“Good. It’ll keep me in business.” He winked at her. “Hey, everything’s fine in moderation. Why don’t you let yourself have any fun at all?”
She started measuring out ingredients for another batch of passion bread. “I spent a long time having nothing but fun. And people got hurt.”
He raised an eyebrow, like he was waiting for more of the story.
She shook her head no. “I’m different now. There’s no time for fun. I’ve been busy building my business.”
He rested his hand on hers as she stirred the batter; she froze. “If your budget ends up in the black this month, will you allow yourself to have a good time? At least for an hour or so?”
She sighed. “What constitutes a good time?”
“A date. With me.”
She swallowed back a nervous squeal. “I thought you weren’t interested in me.”
“I certainly could be,” he said, giving her the once over. “Once you lighten up.”
Clearly, the man’s eaten a piece of the passion bread, she thought to herself.
“I don’t need to lighten up,” she said, then silently chastised herself. There were two weeks left in the month; she’d need to sell a lot to come out on top for the month. There was very little chance she’d be going on a date with Jack. “Fine. Help me make some cupcakes and we’ll go out if I actually make money this month.”
He rubbed his hands together. “I’ll start planning it now. I’m no slouch in the kitchen. I used to help Great Aunt Tildy bake Christmas cookies.”
“Oh, good,” she said, more than a little bit nervous.
Rose scrounged through her supply shelves and realized she didn’t even have the right ingredients to make adequate cupcakes for an event. “The cupcakes are going to have to wait until I close,” she said, emerging from her storeroom.
“Then I’ll be back. For now, I’ll take some passion bread for my client tonight.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would you need passion bread for your fitness client?”
He looked offended. “She has a gentlemen friend and she’s hoping to move things to the next level.”
She wrapped up a few slices and placed them in a bakery bag. “On the house. Thanks for everything.”
“Now, how am I going to get a date with you if you’re giving away the store?” He laid some money on the counter and walked out the door, like a hunky hurricane that had upturned everything in her life.
***
She was so distracted, she burned two batches of blueberry bread, set off the smoke alarm and decided to call it a day at five. Remembering very little about making cupcakes and cookies and other sweet treats, she did a few google searches for recipes, dashed to the store for ingredients and started experimenting back at her shop.
She was putting the icing on her first batch of cupcakes when Jack showed up at her door.
“Don’t have you a client?” she asked, as she let him in.
“Just finished up with her. Alright, boss, put me to work.”
“Taste this. Is it any good?”
He reached for the cupcake and his big fingers brushed hers. It was no wonder dozens of his clients had shown up in her shop today; he could get an Eskimo to buy a sno-cone. He took a bite and nodded while considering the treat. “Not bad.”
“But not great. I just don’t know how to stand out from all the other cupcake makers out there. The healthy ingredients set me apart. But these…” She gestured to the plate of cupcakes. “There’s nothing special about these.”
“Try one. See what you think.”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“One cupcake isn’t going to kill you.” He picked one up, peeled off the wrapper and held it in front of her mouth. He twisted it back and forth between his thick fingers. “You know you want it,” he said, in a thick, taunting voice.
Her eyes widened and her throat felt thick. “This doesn’t seem right for a fitness instructor to be doing.”
“We can find a way for you to work it off.” A dimple grooved his left cheek.
Her knees wobbled a bit at that—she had a thing for one-dimpled men—but she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her with his charm. She reached for the cupcake, but he wouldn’t let her take it.
Twisting her lips, she sized up how to take a bite without grazing his skin with her teeth. “What big fingers you have.”
He chuckled. “The better to feed you with.”
Closing her eyes, she sunk her teeth into the sweet, creamy frosty, then into the spongy, moist cake. Her eyes opened in surprise; it was good. Very good.
Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed. “Not bad, huh?” He brushed a crumb off her cheek with his thumb.
And that was enough to give her goose bumps. Sweet date bread, I’m in trouble. She took another bite. “Mmm. I feel naughty eating this.” She licked her lips. “It’s good. But still, it’s not special.” She tapped her finger on the counter, thinking. How could she make these stand out? She snapped her fingers. “I’m going to use natural ingredients like beet juice and cabbage leaves for food coloring. Herbs like chamomile and valerian for their healing properties.”
Rolling his eyes, Jack made a time-out sign with his hands. “Red, they’re special for what they are. I promise you, nobody is going to want a cabbage cupcake.”
She slumped on a stool in front of her counter.
“Just put some of these out tomorrow and see what happens? And Red? Change your name.”
“Fine, I’ll admit, it’s growing on me when you say it, but I’m not changing my name to Red.”
He rolled his eyes. “Your shop’s name, not yours. No one else gets to call you Red but me. But Yum Yum Good For You?” He wrinkled his nose. “Sometimes people want to be good. But usually, they don’t.”
“Oh yeah? And what about you? With a body like that, you look like you’re good more often than not.”
His laugh sounded like a low, rumbling growl. “I have my bad moments, believe me.”
She gulped. Bad boys had been her downfall back in the day. “Not too bad, I hope?”
He grinned at her. “I’ll let you find out for yourself.”
She backed away from him, like he might devour her just like she’d done to the cupcake. The idea made her shiver. “First I have to make a profit this month.”
He took a step closer, so close he could have kissed her. “You will. Call me when those cupcakes sell out tomorrow.” Then he backed away and left, flashing a smile on his way out the door.
***
Gluten-free bran bread, he’d been right. She’d sold out of cupcakes before noon. She didn’t have to wait to call Jack; he showed up after lunch.
“Congratulations! So, sushi or Italian for our first date?”
She ignored him. “How am I going to serve cupcakes along seaweed muffins?”
“Like I said, ev
eryone’s a little naughty and a little nice sometimes. I think people will like the diversity.”
***
She delivered the cupcakes to an appreciative audience Friday night.
“The kids have loved your muffins for morning snack. And we love the nutritional value,” said the YMCA director. “But these are good too,” she said, holding up a cupcake. “Really good.”
Rose grabbed a cab to stop at Grandma’s. She’d been so busy, she hadn’t stopped there in a while—now that she knew Grandma wasn’t prey. For the first time, she was hopeful the bakery might be able to stay open a while longer. If the YMCA director liked her muffins and her cupcakes, maybe other customers would accept her mixed offerings, too. But Jack had been right. She couldn’t attract cupcake lovers with a name like Yum Yum Good For You.
Grandma gave her a big hug when she walked in. “So, Jack says he’s been helping you in the bakery. He’s such a nice guy. Really. I know we had some fun at your expense, but give him a chance.”
“I don’t think I’m his type. I’m vanilla and he wants pina colada.”
“You weren’t always vanilla, dear. You used to be cayenne pepper.” Grandma reached for Rose’s hand. “I know your mother’s death still weighs heavy on your heart. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of her. But you’ve got to move on with your life. What good is it doing depriving yourself of fun?”
“If I hadn’t been so wild, Mom would probably still be alive.” Her voice came out in a whisper.
Grandma set her other hand on Rose’s shoulder. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I stressed her out. The partying, the slacker boyfriends. She started smoking again when I dropped out of college. She drank more. She put on weight. And then she died. None of that would have happened if I hadn’t been having fun.” She made quote marks in the air. “She told me that all the time. ‘You’ll be the death of me, Rose.’ I was making her sick.” Rose closed her eyes and sighed, the tears seeping out of the corners of her eyes. “I owe her something now. I have to be good for her.”
Grandma narrowed her brows. “Now you stop right there. She never should have said that to you. Your mother made those decisions, not you. You didn’t make her do anything. She had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and did nothing to fix it! She didn’t take her medication like she was supposed to. And you know, she caused me a fair amount of grief when she was younger, but I didn’t start smoking and drinking to cope with it.”
“She did?”
Grandma nodded. “She started running with the wrong crowd. Her grades dropped. She got suspended for smoking in school. She dropped out senior year. I packed up her clothes for her and told her to get out, get a job, or get back to school.”
Rose was stunned. She dropped into a chair. “What happened?”
“She went back to school in a week. Living with her best friend’s cousin in a trailer didn’t work out so well.”
Rose blinked and said nothing for a while. “She never told me that.”
“That might explain why she reacted like she did to your rebellious time. I told her it would all work out.” Grandma sighed. “Your mother was unhappy, Rose. Once your father left, she was never the same. You were only two years old, so you don’t remember her before that.”
Rose nodded. She knew the pain her mother still felt all those years later. Well, Rose had felt it, too, not having a father around.
“Start living your life again. I thought my little prank might remind you how to have fun again, kiddo. I didn’t mean to send you into a funk.” Grandma’s eyes were moist with tears.
“It’s okay, Grandma.” She rubbed her back. “I was just worried. I can’t let anything happen to you.”
“I’d be lucky if something like Jack happened to me. And so would you.”
Rose felt herself blushing. Grandma noticed. “I think it’s time for you to stop being so nice. Try naughty for a change.”
Grandma’s word clicked something in her brain; something Jack had said, too. Rose hugged her Grandma. “You’re a genius. Thank you!” She’d be making a call to the company that created her sign first thing in the morning.
***
Jack had been right; there was a way for her to balance both worlds in her bakery—and in her personal life, too. She called him right when she got to the shop. “When you’re done working over your ladies, can you come help with some baking? I’m going to have an open house this weekend introducing my bakery’s new name.”
“Of course, if it’ll get me closer to a date with you. What’s the new name?”
“You’re going to have to wait to find out.”
Jack stopped by first thing in the morning, pestering her the entire time, trying to learn the new name. He’d brush his nose along her cheek and whisper, “Go on Red, tell me your secret.”
It just about killed her to keep her mouth closed; she wanted to kiss him and spill the beans. But she liked this game. “I’m going to make you wait.”
He groaned. “You are, aren’t you?”
She stared at him. “It’ll be worth it. Let me get things under control here, first.”
He nodded. “Fine. Back to business, slave driver.” His grin had her leaning against the wall for support.
Jack distributed fliers to his clients, who promised to pass them out in their apartment buildings, and the director of the Y set fliers out on their reception desk. Rose posted it on Facebook and tweeted it so many times she felt like a chickadee. The sign installer had covered the new sign with a tarp, which could be released by yanking a beautiful gold cord at the open house.
Jack arrived the Saturday morning of the open house in a dark suit and silver tie. Rose reminded herself to breathe. “You clean up nicely, Wolff.”
Her took her hand and spun her around, twirling her dress. “And I like you out from under that cape.”
The day was unusually warm for February, with a sunny, blue sky. A good sign, Rose thought. She hoped her mother was watching. Please be proud, Mom.
“So, I’ve been trying to guess the new name. Is it, “Red’s Place?”
“Not even close.”
“Jack’s Girls?”
She whacked his arm. “You’ll find out in fifteen minutes.”
Dozens of people showed up for the open house, some having to stand out on the street, waiting for their turn to get in. She heard people complimenting her cupcakes, and two ladies were gushing over the passion bread. A few older women in the corner were having their way with her Sea Goddess Muffins, while proudly feeling each other’s biceps.
Everyone followed her outside as she prepared for the unveiling. It had cost some big bucks, but Grandma had told her someone in the building who loved the muffins wanted to be a silent partner and ponied up twenty-five thousand dollars to keep things running. Grandma was handling the details. Rose knew this was the right move that would save her shop. Smiling, she looked at Jack and thought, “And my heart.”
She stepped in front of the crowd and called for their attention. “Thank you so much for coming out today. I’m excited to announce a new mission for the former Yum Yum Good for You Bakery. A new friend made me realize that you can’t always be good. You do need to indulge once in a while. So I’m going to offer you the healthy treats so many of you have come to love, and some decadent desserts as well.” She tugged on the golden cord and announced, “At the new Naughty And Nice bakery.”
The crowd cheered, and Jack wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. “I love it! I hope that’s the new plan for you, too.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I’ve decided I need an attitude adjustment, too.”
“Well let’s get inside and sell some cupcakes so I can start making plans to help you out with that.”
Jack was a good salesman, directing his clients to new goodies, and charming the rest of her customers. When they finally closed up shop at seven, they slumped in a pair of bistro chairs at a table covered in crumbs.
> Rose swept them away. “That was unbelievable. I can’t thank you enough! I’ve got several new standing orders, three events to provide desserts for—and one of them the healthy options!” She reached across and squeezed his hands. “You were such a big help.”
“Hey, it was good for me, too. I picked up five new clients.”
“I’ll probably make a profit this month for sure.”
He stood up and her heart dropped. She wasn’t ready for him to leave. “Are you going?”
“Yeah. I’m going to add up your receipts and see how much you sold today.”
She followed him to the register and read out the totals on each order, while he punched the number into the calculator on his phone. “Two thousand, three hundred fifty six dollars and eighteen cents.”
Her jaw dropped. “I had no idea.”
“And that puts you in the black, doesn’t it, Red?”
She nodded. “Alright, when you make reservations keep in mind I love Italian.”
He laughed. “I don’t think I can wait that long.” He stood up and held out his hand. “I’m collecting on that date tonight.”
She laughed. “I don’t think I could manage it.”
“I was thinking of a quiet evening, in.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Like with your senior fan club? I’m not doing lunges.”
He smirked that same smirk she’d first seen at Grandma’s a few weeks back. “I’m working on getting my therapeutic massage license. I could use the practice.”
Naughty and Nice. She’d been nice long enough. “Why Jack, you are a wolf, aren’t you?” She flicked off the lights and followed him out into the night, her red cape billowing in the breeze.
“I’ll let you find out for yourself.” His big hands wrapped around her head and he pulled her in for a kiss that was naughty, but also very, very nice.
“Belle”
Belle Foster stood in front of Prince Maxim’s apartment in Grimm Towers with her two suitcases at her feet and a whirl of butterflies in her tummy. She rang the bell one more time. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Her father had warned her the prince did not run a typical household, but since Dad had suffered his stroke she hadn’t been able to press him for further details. He couldn’t talk, much less finish his work for the prince. She was determined to save her father’s job—because he would recover. He had to.
