Hannah walked in and set her belongings on the bed. It was a small, modest room, but it was perfect for her needs.
Miss Hayes stepped into the room, as well, and explained a short list of house rules. She also discussed the arrangement Mr. Mason had made with her for Hannah’s reduced rent and mentioned a few of the chores for which Hannah would be responsible.
When she was done going over these practical matters, Miss Hayes excused herself. “I’m sure you’ll want to settle in and rest,” the old gal said. “So, I’ll be leaving. If you have any questions about anything—”
“I do,” Hannah replied prematurely. “Where is Mr. Mason’s bakery?”
“It’s a few blocks away,” Miss Hayes answered. “I’ll have one of the other girls show you tomorrow morning, when you both head in to work at your respective jobs.”
“But I was hoping to go there today…now,” Hannah replied.
“But you just arrived in town!” Miss Hayes laughed. “Surely you’d like some time to relax before putting your nose to the grind. I’m sure Blake would completely understand, if not expect, as much.”
“I came here to start a new life as a baker,” Hannah smiled back. “And I’d like that new life to begin as soon as possible.”
“Very well,” Miss Hayes replied, smiling so fully that her plump cheeks bulged. She went on to provide Hannah with directions to the bakery.
Hannah took a few minutes to freshen up and tend to her appearance, mindful of the importance of first impressions. Then she scurried out of her room, down the stairs, and out of the house. She was very eager to get to bakery, start working, and meet the man who’d been so kind to her and provided for her and her family.
The walk from the boardinghouse to the bakery was a quick one, and although there were many treasures to be seen along the way, Hannah did not stop to take them in. She figured she was going to spend a good many years in this town, if not the rest of her life, and she’d have plenty of time to admire them later. Right now, what was most important was getting to the bakery.
Hannah could tell that she was approaching the bakery from the wonderful smell in the air. And, when she saw the hungry faces and watering mouths of customers entering and exiting a particular shop, she knew she’d arrived.
Hannah walked into the bakery. There were several people in there already, but the stock on the shelves appeared to be quite low, which made her understand why the bakery needed another baker. It appeared as though the shop did not have enough supply to keep up with the public’s demand.
“Do you have any biscuits?” a woman shouted over another customer.
“No, I’m sorry. We’re all out,” a deep, rich voice replied.
Hannah glanced at the man who had spoken. He’d just emerged from the kitchen, and he looked like no baker she’d ever seen before. He was tall and well-built, with thick muscles that bulged beneath his shirt. He was rather young—he looked to be under thirty—and had a rugged, yet soft, face. His eyes were light-blue and set beneath long, full lashes, and his smile was broad, with straight, white teeth.
Hannah’s heart pounded as she regarded the man. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And, what was more, he tended to the customers in a very kind, considerate way. He smiled at them, laughed at their humorous comments, and sincerely apologized to those who requested something he did not have on hand. And, as he closed each transaction, he wished each patron a blessed day.
Hannah stood by in silence and watched as the handsome man took care of each customer. She watched as his strong arms packaged their goods for them, and as his mouth uttered pleasant words. Hannah found herself quite intrigued by the man, and she felt a tickling in her tummy that she’d never felt before.
For all of her twenty-two years, Hannah had been very career-minded and had entertained only dreams of becoming a baker. She hadn’t thought that much about other aspects of adult life, such as courting, marriage, or having a family. But, as she stood there, watching the man, her thoughts started to stray toward these things, and that tickling in her tummy intensified.
She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice when the last of the customers in the shop had been served. She just stood there, in a daze, staring at the man and thinking thoughts that were foreign to her.
Finally, the man looked directly at her. When their eyes met, the tickle in Hannah’s tummy spread throughout the rest of her body, and she felt a burst of some unfamiliar energy.
“Can I help you?” the man asked.
“Ah, yes, yes,” Hannah answered, trying to regain her composure and focus. “I’m here to see Mr. Mason.”
“All right,” the man replied, pulling a rag from his back pocket and wiping down the counter. “And who, may I ask, is calling upon him?”
“My name is Hannah Howell,” she responded. “I’m the new baker at this bakery. I just arrived in town today… Is Mr. Mason here?”
The man stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to Hannah. Each step he took seemed to echo the beating of her heart, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.
“Yes, Mr. Mason is here,” the man answered. “He’s right here, right in front of you.”
Hannah’s pounding heart skipped a beat. “You mean, you’re Mr. Mason?” she asked, widening her eyes.
“Yes,” the man replied with a grin. “But please, call me Blake. And please, wipe that surprised look off of your face.” Blake reached his hand out, and as Hannah shook it, she blushed. Blake himself did not blush, but he felt a certain warmth that he did not want to feel.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Mason—err, I mean, Blake,” Hannah said, bowing her head. “I didn’t expect you to be so young… Back in Baltimore, all of the bakery shop owners are much older, so I just assumed you would be, too.”
“Ah, I understand,” he replied in an understanding voice. “But I hope you’re not discouraged by my age. I may be only twenty-nine, but this shop means everything to me.”
“I’m not discouraged,” Hannah told him, lifting her head up high again. “I’m not discouraged at all.”
SEVEN
“This bakery has been in my family for three generations,” Blake explained. “My grandfather opened it nearly forty years ago, when the settlers first arrived in the area. It was then passed on to my mother—and, when she died about a year ago, it was passed on to me.”
“Oh, dear,” Hannah frowned. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my father a few years ago, so I can understand your sadness.”
“I’m sure you can,” Blake smiled, trying to change the mood. “And I’m sure you can understand a lot more, too. When you wrote to me and told me about your mother being a widow, I empathized with your predicament. You see, my father passed many years ago, as well, leaving my mother as a widow to raise me. I was their only child.
“As such, I stepped up to help her out. Our bakery has always been very successful, but, sure enough, we’ve had some hard times, and it took its toll, those hard times placed on her. She had to make a lot of sacrifices to keep this business intact and raise me at the same time—and, when I got older, I, too, made some sacrifices and gave my all to help this business and, more importantly, my mother stay afloat.
“So, when you told me about you situation with your own mother, I felt a familiar pain in my heart, and I sent you a larger advance than you’d asked for, because I couldn’t bear the thought of your mother struggling.”
Hannah’s heart swelled. She’d appreciated Blake’s kindness before she’d ever met him. But, now that she understood his motives, she appreciated his sense of empathy and compassion, as well.
“I thank you dearly for that advance,” she replied, “and for your understanding. I intend to show you just how well your money was spent. I am very dedicated to baking—as I told you, becoming a baker has always been my dream—and I will work wonders here at your shop. I’ll make sure your shelves aren’t empty, and I’ll do my best to meet your custo
mers’ every demand.”
“Ha! So, you noticed that?” Blake chuckled. “You saw that I, alone, can’t keep up with their needs?”
Hannah smiled and nodded, giggling, as well. “And I can see why you need me here,” she replied, blushing a bit.
“Well, I need you here for more than baking,” Blake returned. The moment he said the words, he blushed, too, for they implied more than he’d meant them to. “Um, you see, I mean, in addition to baking for me, I also need you to help train two other bakers,” he went on, searching for the right words. “We get a lot of customers here, and if I’m to tend to the business end of things on my own, I’ll need at least three other bakers to meet my needs.
“The two others I hired will start working here next week. But they’re a bit wet behind the ears, and I’ll need you to help them better learn their jobs and perform according to my standards.”
“I understand,” Hannah replied, still grinning at Blake’s initial choice of words. “And I’ll be happy to help out around here however I can.”
Blake found himself studying Hannah’s smile for longer than he felt he should have, and he quickly turned away. “Well, then,” he said, moving toward the kitchen, “let’s get you familiar with this place… The kitchen’s back here.”
Hannah followed him. Upon entering the kitchen, her jaw dropped, and for the moment, she forgot about everything else she was feeling. The kitchen was much larger than the one back at Mrs. Thomas’s shop, and it had much more equipment and many more baking accessories. It was the grandest kitchen Hannah had even seen.
“How wonderful,” she breathed, exploring the space and running back and forth between objects, like a child on Christmas morning.
As Blake watched Hannah appraise her surroundings, he couldn’t help but smile. It had been ages since he’d seen someone so passionate about anything. “We are the largest, most successful bakery in all of Silver City,” he remarked. “Our customers expect the best from us. So, I use only the best equipment and tools, and I make sure the bakery is always well-maintained and clean.”
Hannah nodded as she continued to look around the kitchen, and Blake continued to watch her, endeared to her sense of rapture at the place.
After a few minutes, however, he glanced up at the clock on the wall and was shaken from his thoughts. “Oh, heavens!” he laughed. “Look at the time! It’s already after five. The bakery is officially closed now, you know… I must take care of a few things around here and then head home to my—”
Blake abruptly stopped speaking, and reached to scratch the back of his head. “So, if you don’t mind,” he added a moment later, “let’s call it a day for now. You can head back to Miss Hayes’s house now, or take care of whatever business you see fit. We’ll pick up again bright and early tomorrow morning and further discuss your job responsibilities then.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Hannah enthused. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
With that, she turned to leave. But she didn’t make it very far before Blake called out to her again.
“Hannah,” he said, walking toward her. “You said you just arrived in town, correct?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“Then I’d imagine you’re probably hungry for something good to eat.” He smiled, reaching for a bag on the counter beside him. “You’ll find that Miss Hayes is a lovely woman, but sadly, she’s not a very good cook… So, please, take a few baked goods with you.”
Blake walked over to the table at the center of the room and loaded several items into the bag. Hannah stood by, watching as he did. She was very touched by the fact that he’d thought about her needs.
“Here you are,” he said, walking over to her and handing her the bag. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” Hannah replied. “I’m sure I will.” She turned again to leave, bowing her head to hide the effusive smile on her face.
“Until tomorrow morning,” Blake called out behind her, which made her smile widen.
Hannah made her way back to Miss Hayes’s boardinghouse and went up to her room. From Miss Hayes’s earlier explanation of the house rules, she knew that dinner would be served soon. But, given her tiredness from her travels, the fact that Blake had said the old gal wasn’t much of a cook, and the sack of treats in front of her, she decided to pass on the meal and rest in her room instead.
Hannah pulled a sugared dough ball out of the bag and eagerly ate it. It was quite delicious, and she quickly popped another into her mouth. After nibbling on a few more baked treats, she felt satiated. She rolled the bakery bag closed, and lay down on her bed.
She closed her eyes and started reviewing her day. She thought about the food she’d just eaten, the marvels of Blake’s kitchen, and the many customers she’d seen in his shop. But, mostly, she thought about Blake himself. He was so handsome, so generous, so friendly, and so kind. He was everything she could have asked for in a man, even though she’d never asked for anything in a man before.
As Hannah drifted off to sleep, she thanked God for bringing her to Silver City. Not only did she have a job that could help her live out her dream, but she’d just met a man who made her realize some of the other things she wanted out of life, as well.
EIGHT
The next morning, Hannah headed to work with a spring in her step and a starry-eyed expression on her face. She was so very eager to work her first full day at the bakery, and so very eager to see Blake.
When she arrived at the bakery, Blake was already at work in the kitchen. But, the moment she entered the room, he dropped everything he was doing and greeted her with a beaming smile. After they’d exchanged a few pleasantries, he went on to show her around the shop and explain her duties before taking her to the kitchen and putting her to work.
As Hannah and Blake worked together in the kitchen, he repeatedly found himself staring at her. Indeed, he found her quite easy on the eyes. But it wasn’t her beauty alone that drew his attention. It was her dedication to her work and her skills. She moved around the kitchen so quickly yet so gracefully, got things accomplished in a highly efficient manner, and demonstrated a level of mastery far beyond her years.
She’s absolutely wonderful, Blake found himself thinking numerous times.
As the day progressed, the two of them continued to work smoothly together, and, given the way Hannah occasionally caught Blake staring at her, she soon came to believe that many of the personal feelings she was starting to have for him were mutual. As for Blake, although he did everything within his power not to have those kinds of feelings, if put on the spot, he would have had to admit that, indeed, he had them, too.
When lunch time came around, Blake approached Hannah. “You can take your break now,” he told her.
“Oh, thank you,” she replied, unaware of how much time had passed. “I guess I’ll be heading back to Miss Hayes’s house, to see what she has on hand for lunch.”
“Hmmm,” Blake mused. “That seems a bit out of your way, especially considering that she might not have much to offer… You know, if you’re interested, I’ve brought a rather large lunch from home, and I’d be more than willing to share it with you.”
Hannah found herself blushing. “That’d be lovely,” she replied.
Blake went over to lock the shop door. Then he led Hannah back to the kitchen and retrieved his lunch. The two of them sat down on the bench in the back of the room, and Blake set his sacked lunch between them.
As he divvied up his food, he started making small talk. “I’m quite impressed with your skills in the kitchen,” he said, handing Hannah half of his large sandwich. “I’m sure your employer back in Baltimore was very sad to see you go.”
For a split-second, Hannah considered telling Blake about what had happened at Mrs. Thomas’s shop. Then she decided that it was too soon to tell him such a thing, as it might tarnish his developing opinion of her.
“Yes. She was a bit upset that I couldn’t work for her anymore,” Hannah replied, speaking a mo
rsel of truth. “But, all things considered, I’m happy I left her employ, and I’m happy that I left Baltimore. Life here in Silver City seems more promising.” She found herself blushing again, and she worried that Blake might be able to discern the reason.
“But still,” Blake insisted, covering his mouth as he chewed on a piece of his sandwich, “I’m sure you left many friends behind. You’re a very personable woman, and I’ll bet you had a lot of girlfriends…and a lot of suitors.” Now Blake found himself blushing, too. He hadn’t intended to touch upon a topic as personal as Hannah’s suitors, but the words had come out without his realizing it.
“I did have a number of friends I left behind,” Hannah answered. “And I do miss them. But I did what needed to be done for my own growth… And, as far as suitors, I didn’t have any. I’ve never really courted, and I’ve always been more focused on starting my career than on starting a family.”
Blake’s heart ached a bit at her response. Yet, at the same time, it brought him some relief. “So, tell me more about Baltimore,” he smiled, changing the subject a bit. “What’s life like on the other side of the country? I’ve never been outside of the West before.”
Hannah went on to describe the land, weather, and other conditions of her hometown, comparing it to what she’d experienced in Silver City so far. She also made mention of some of the locations she’d passed through on her train ride, and together, they discussed other regions they both had only read about in books.
By all measures, it was a delightful conversation, and it made their break time fly by. In fact, it wasn’t until a customer knocked on the door that the two of them realized that that they’d sat and chatted for nearly two hours, which was four times what Blake typically allotted for his lunch break.
As soon as they realized their mistake, Blake and Hannah immediately ended their lunch—and their discussion—and went on with business. Blake hurried out to help the customer, and Hannah returned to her duties in the kitchen.
New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Page 48
