by Nina Bocci
Her eyes widened. “You know?” Emma asked, not sounding annoyed but slightly relieved. “Did this one tell you?”
“I did no such thing!” Charlotte shouted, actually stomping her foot. “I told you I wouldn’t, and I didn’t. Don’t blame me, sister.”
I held up my empty hand and took another sip. “No one told me anything. I’ve only ever seen a person look that longingly at something when someone who was gluten-free came into the bakery and I had just made a fresh batch of regular blueberry muffins. It was easy to squirrel out that you’re preg—” I began, but she jumped forward to place her hand over my mouth. In the process she sloshed the beer out of my glass and onto the floor near my shoes.
“Don’t say it out loud,” she whispered, her eyes excited. “I haven’t told Cooper yet, and the walls have ears.” She looked around the room anxiously. No one was paying us any mind. They were just drinking and enjoying the reprieve of not having new snow falling today.
I nodded, trying not to laugh. She slid her hand away. “Sorry, my nerves. Everything is just going haywire. I can’t think, I can’t eat. All I want to do is sleep, which is impossible because I have a thousand things to do.”
I felt a rush of sympathy for her. While I didn’t know what it felt like to be preggers, I knew quite well what it was like to be perpetually exhausted. “I’d offer you a cupcake or pie to make you feel better, but I’m not even sure the wildlife outside my lake house would eat the stuff I’ve been baking lately.”
Emma laughed. “Charlotte mentioned the baking block. Anything I can do to help? I’m an excellent tester,” she offered.
“Again, you wouldn’t want it even if you were starving. I tried tossing a couple scones that I had made this morning out to the squirrels. I think I might have concussed one of them. It was a miserable failure, to say the least.”
Emma frowned. “That sucks. Not just because I was really hoping for those cookie dough cupcakes you sent for my birthday. I swear I was dreaming of those for a week afterward. I’m ashamed to say I ate all twelve that you sent. Poor Cooper didn’t even get a crumb!”
“Well, let’s hope that my mojo comes back soon. I’ll bake them for your wedding. Out of curiosity, how do you plan on handling the wedding? Are you moving it back until after the… you know?” I said, not wanting to say the baby out loud for fear of eavesdroppers.
Emma shrugged as Charlotte looked at her curiously. “I have no idea. I mean, we’re talking months away when I’ll be enormous. I’ve seen pictures of my mother. If I carry the same way she did, I’ll waddle down the aisle.”
I smiled. Now that I knew Emma was pregnant, I could absolutely see the change in her features. She looked serene, with her long brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail and her bangs swept dramatically to the side. She was glowing, but it was more than that. It was her eyes that drew you in, wide and dark brown. Emma always had a force about her, but now she looked fierce.
“Does your mother know yet?”
Emma barked a laugh. “The whole town is still in the dark, so that would be a no. Once Sophia finds out, the entire state of Pennsylvania will know.” She smiled when Charlotte nodded vigorously beside her. “I’ve been avoiding her. I swear the second she sees me, I think she’ll figure it out. Nothing gets past that woman.”
Pregnancy agreed with Emma, but at the same time, I wondered how her fiancé didn’t notice the changes. “How does Cooper not know? I’m just curious because I could tell you looked different after about two minutes in your presence.”
“He’s been traveling a lot. Trying to get some new businesses in town. Normally, that’s not a mayor’s job, but he’s got contacts that he thinks may be more easily persuaded if it’s him doing the pitching.”
“That’s great.”
“My folks just got home from a weekend trip themselves. I’ll tell them after I spring it on Cooper.”
“Tell Cooper what?” Cooper said, sidling up behind her.
Emma paled faster than I had ever seen someone lose color.
Charlotte choked on her beer, quickly excusing herself to run toward Henry at the bar. That left me, a curious Cooper, and a stunned and silent Emma, who looked like she was going to hurl. Whether that was a pregnancy thing or just the nerves of nearly getting caught, I didn’t know. I sincerely hoped it was the latter.
“Hey, just the man we were talking about,” I said, tossing my arm casually around Emma’s shoulders. Using my thumb, I gave her a small push, hoping she’d know to play along. Not that there was a universal symbol for Don’t screw this up, I’m about to lie to your fiancé, but what other options did we have?
“Is this going to be something positive or negative?”
Interesting choice of words, Mayor Endicott.
“I’m not a constituent, so I guess… positive?”
“I hope. I’ve had my fair share of crappy news today,” he said, and Emma looked on worriedly. “We’ll talk later. I don’t want to bore Parker here with town talk.”
“I really like what you guys are doing here. Sort of reminds me of my area of Brooklyn: family-owned stores, rent-a-bikes, and a lot of good stuff to keep the kids outside and not in front of a screen.”
“Are you staying put in Brooklyn now that your shop is sold?” Emma asked, but Cooper chimed in before I could answer.
“Ever thought about opening up a bakery here in town? I have the perfect spot.”
“Emma, is he always being the mayor?”
They both nodded. “Yes, yes he is,” she said, laughing when Cooper looked affronted with a disbelieving frown. “Honestly, you know I love you, but you’re always the mayor.”
“Oh, it’s a good thing,” I said. “I think it’s great that you’re always looking for ways to bring Hope Lake a little further along.”
Cooper smiled. “Parker gets it! Seriously, though, thank you. I appreciate that. Sometimes I get a reputation for being a bit too dog with a bone, I guess you could say.”
“You mean like asking the unemployed baker if she wants to open a new bakery?”
He gave me a wry smile. “Guilty. Like I said, I’ve got the best spot.”
“I’m in a bit of a dry spell and the baking fairy hasn’t deigned me worthy yet of a visit. I hope that Hope Lake and this delightful change of scenery will be just what the doctor ordered.”
Cooper looked disappointed. “So, no desserts?”
Charlotte returned carrying a pitcher of beer. “That’s what you’re bummed about? No sweets? My God, just ask Sophia. She’ll make you whatever you want,” she huffed, filling my glass, then Cooper’s.
“Sophia’s desserts are delicious, make sure she knows that, but Parker, those salted caramel cupcakes were incredible. I still dream about them,” Cooper said, referencing the dessert I brought to the Fourth of July festival.
Emma rolled her eyes. “He’s not lying. I know you gave me the recipe, but they didn’t come out the same way. Cooper was so disappointed, I think he might have cried.”
Cooper scoffed. “I didn’t cry, I bit my tongue and my eyes watered.”
“Guys, guys, relax. Once the mojo comes back, I’ll bake all the cupcakes, okay?”
“Promise?” Cooper said hopefully, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the boyish expression. I was going to hold up my pinkie, when the front door opened and let in a blustery, cold breeze that we felt even at the back of the room.
“Nick’s here,” Charlotte said, since she was the only one facing the door to see who was coming in.
I turned to see Nick in the doorway, a snowy swirl dancing around him as if he were in a snowglobe. His large frame taking up most of the small space. He shook out his hair, sprinkles of snow falling from it as he smiled at a couple at one of the high-top tables in the corner. Nick drew attention to himself, whether intentional or not, by working the room as if he knew every person inside. It was part of his charm.
The ridiculous snowsuit that he had on last night was long gone, replaced by jeans
that looked to be flannel lined, judging by the reddish patch at the bottom that stuck out over his bulky brown leather boots. He pulled off his puffy navy coat and revealed an ivory cable-knit sweater that pulled tightly over his broad chest.
Did I lick my lips?
Maybe.
Yes.
No matter how mad I was at him, I knew what was underneath all of those wintry layers. There were memories there that presented themselves at the worst possible time. That was the hardest part about seeing Nick again.
He was making his way over, stopping at random tables, high-fiving and hugging various people, but as he worked the room, his eyes kept finding mine.
“Huh, he’s by himself,” Charlotte said, not to anyone in particular but to the ground in general.
“Maybe because of the snow?” Emma offered. I looked between them. They seemed to be having a mental conversation that I wasn’t privy to.
“What am I missing?” I asked.
Charlotte turned to me with a serious expression. Nick was almost to us, so she pulled me in close. “Nick’s by himself. Jillian must have stayed home.”
I racked my brain for a Jillian at the Fourth of July festivities, or at any of the times I visited in secret since then. Nothing. “Okay, you got me. Who’s Jillian?”
But I knew deep down what the answer was and just as I asked, I heard heavy boots stop directly behind me.
“Jillian’s my girlfriend.”
Everything okay there, Parks? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Cooper said, resting his hand on my shoulder and jarring me out of my haze. I was still reeling from what I’d heard.
It felt like I’d just been stung by a bee. The initial poke is terrible, but even as it fades, it still hurts.
I shook my head and plastered on an overconfident smile. “Yep. I’m great. Sorry, I zoned out staring at the beer menu.
“Hey,” I said to Charlotte, who had just given Nick a hug, “where’s our table at? I want to grab a seat and jot some stuff down.”
Charlotte looked at me suspiciously. Her eyes slid to Nick for the briefest of seconds. If she was working through what had just happened, she wasn’t mentioning it in mixed company. The joys of having a best friend who knew when you wanted to keep your private stuff private.
“I’ll show you,” she said, taking my arm in hers. We clinked glasses as we passed a couple tables. “You sure you’re okay? Is it Nick? I know you guys didn’t hit it off last time, but I promise he’s a good guy—”
“Yep. All good,” I said, wanting to ask about Jillian and why Charlotte never mentioned her to me before. Still, as curious as I was, I didn’t want the answer.
“Adjusting okay to the leisurely pace of your new life?”
I laughed. “A life of leisure isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. My sleep schedule is still in the pits. I’m out cold by eight-thirty and up at four like clockwork. I even took some herbal sleeping pill the other night. I made it to nine.”
“Whoa, party girl. Take it easy.”
I bumped her hip. “Smartass. I’m still getting used to not going to a job. Walking down the steps and stumbling into the kitchen, where I sit on a stool and stare at a snowy lake, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Believe me, it’s been months of the same thing.”
“Trade you,” she deadpanned, stopping to say hi to a couple having dinner at a table just outside the party room. Everyone knew everyone in Hope Lake, it seemed.
“This place is literally the opposite end of the spectrum from New York, and you…” I paused, clinking our glasses again. “You’re one of them. It’s like you’ve always been stitched into the fabric of Hope Lake.”
Emma made an excited noise behind us. “My God, you’re stealthy!” I said, holding my hand to my chest. “I didn’t even hear you sneak up.”
“Oh, I have to write down exactly what you just said about the fabric. What was it? I’ll quote you of course.”
I looked at her, confused. As the rest of the partygoers started filling up the back room, Charlotte explained, “She’s on a mission to get visitor quotes to use for a campaign this spring. Don’t be surprised if Parker Adams, television celebrity, is used on a billboard on I-81.”
My eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding.”
Charlotte and Emma shook their heads. “Are you kidding? You’re a celeb! People will eat it up!”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Emma, I was on the Food Network on a baking competition show. That’s hardly a celeb!”
Emma looked offended, tapping her pencil on the notepad in her hand. “You are! You’re wildly popular on YouTube as well. Hell, if I had twenty followers, I’d wear a badge. You have thousands of subscribers and a fan club, for pity’s sake.”
“Okay,” I said, laughing when she stomped her foot. “I’m Parker Adams, Food Network competitor and YouTube sensation.”
“It needs work but it’s a start,” Emma said, and I got the feeling we would be having lessons on how to present myself as a “celebrity.”
“Hey, if you think it’ll help, go nuts.”
“This isn’t going to be a conversation that you win,” Charlotte said, hooking her arm into mine. “It’s easier to agree.”
Henry, Cooper, and Nick strode in, followed by a couple other people that I assumed were coworkers of Henry’s at the school.
“We’re all here, so pick a seat and grab a beer!” Charlotte instructed, ushering people to get comfortable.
The tables filled up quickly, everyone partaking in their own conversations, which was interesting considering the party was for Henry’s birthday. Our table had eight chairs, which helped me avoid being next to Nick. It was as if the Fates wanted all of us paired off. The couples took up one side of the table: Charlotte and Henry, and Emma and Cooper. Nick and I arranged ourselves on the other side of the table accordingly: Nick, two empty seats, me.
Nothing obvious about that at all.
“Now, let’s get to the nitty-gritty,” Emma said, flagging down our server. “We’ll take three pitchers of the Toboggan. Only five glasses, though, because my stomach is still bugging me from that wonky salad I had at lunch.” A concerned Cooper frowned at his “ill” fiancée. “I’ll just have a ginger ale.”
Charlotte smiled knowingly at Emma.
“Parker, I was thinking about everything you said last night about selling your business. You didn’t say how you ended up selling D and V to The Confectionary. I looked them up. They’re pretty badass,” Cooper said, impressed.
I grinned. “They are, and D and V is the first dessert-centered business they bought and are franchising,” I explained. The other four people leaned forward on the slightly wobbly table, all nodding.
Nick’s face was full of confusion but also shock, with his mouth gaping wide. “Wait, you sold D and V?”
“Yep, sold. Signed, sealed, delivered, and the check cashed.” I wanted to add If you answered any of my calls, I would have told you, but ya didn’t…
Instead, I made the very adult choice to keep my mouth shut.
He shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve never heard of the people that bought it.”
“I’d be surprised if you did. People in the business don’t know just how much they control: they’re like an octopus with twice as many tentacles. The only reason I was introduced to them in the first place was because of my connection with the Food Network. They’ve got an in with some of the producers to help identify potential ventures.”
“So the Food Network was a really good decision, wouldn’t you say?” Charlotte chided.
I laughed. “Yes, Charlotte, it was. Thank you again for forcing me to enter that first competition all those years ago.”
“Christmas just passed, but I do like presents any time of the year,” she said, and everyone laughed. I shook my head and continued my story.
“The Confectionary gave me two options. The first was that I could sell a majority portion of the business to them where they would maintain opera
ting control of the business, and I would stay on as the face of D and V.”
“That sounds pretty sweet, right?” Henry offered. “Face of it but none of the minutiae and nonsense that goes with running a business?”
“You’re one hundred percent right. It was a great offer. Both monetarily and personally. Honestly, it would have given me a bit of a break from the hamster wheel I had been on for years. I could have explored different avenues, traveled to show up for openings of new franchises, whatever.”
“But…” Cooper said.
“The but was the route that I chose. Their second offer.”
“Sell everything and get out of Dodge,” Charlotte finished for me, before reaching out her hand to take mine. “I’m proud of you for putting you first.”
“It was the right decision. Not just because of the money, though let me tell you it is nice to not have to worry about damn near close to anything right now. But also, I didn’t have a life outside of D and V, and I was sick of it. I figured if I sold the business, I’d have more time for me.” I avoided looking at Nick because the idea was that if I had more me time I would also have more we time—but we know how that turned out.
“When did this all go down?” Nick asked.
I didn’t know how I felt about answering his question. I decided to go with honesty. “Around Thanksgiving. Give or take a couple weeks.”
Nick’s eyes grew wide and we had a silent conversation while he put two and two together. Nick stopped answering my calls right around the same time I was working out the D&V deal. At the time, he was who I wanted to celebrate with. I’d be damned if I told him that now.
“So, what’s the next step?” Cooper asked, breaking our silent conversation and slinging his arm over Emma’s chair.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I came here for— Well, however long I’m here. There’s no end date. I’m trying to get good at baking again. Find the zing again. I miss it. The one thing I’m good at seems to be actively avoiding me.”
Nick sat up straight in the chair. “So, you’re missing your mojo. What are you going to do?”
