all bad. People had visited the bakery to meet her, but she made sure to stay busy in the back. Still, while they were there, they bought her products. They bought a lot of products. If things had ended better with Simon, she might be inclined to thank him. But as it was, she didn’t think she’d ever speak to him again.
The new bakery was pulling out all the stops with big ads, radio spots and every other promotion they could think of. The bakery was part of a national chain that could afford to undercut their prices to drive the competition out of business. Then once the competitors were out of business, they’d jack up their prices. The nerve of some people.
But Pepper refused to let them drive her out of business—not without a big fight. She’d sunk everything she had into making this bakery a success. It was a dream of hers—a dream that she refused to let die, even if it meant doing things that she wouldn’t otherwise have done, like working round the clock if she had to. The chain couldn’t keep up their deep discounts forever. At least, she hoped not.
In the meantime, she was taking every Christmas party she could cram onto her calendar. It was exhausting, but her grandmother had always told her that nothing worth having came easily. This bakery definitely wasn’t going to be easy.
She worked from the time she woke up, which was hours before the sun decided to rise, until she fell into bed early in the evening utterly exhausted, sometimes still in her work clothes. And so far, it was working. She was keeping her existing clients and gaining new ones. Things at last were looking up. Her clients recognized true quality and not frozen mass product.
Now that Christmastime was here, it was time to sparkle. Pepper loved Christmas above all other holidays. And that was saying something because they all had a special place in her heart. But she not only loved Christmas, she really loved it. It was magical and it brought out the best in people. People were a little nicer to others, holding doors, sharing a smile or a nod. If it was possible, she’d have Christmas all year round.
It was almost time to open up for the day. She loved this early morning hour. In her mind, each day was a new beginning with new possibilities. And she had a feeling something big was going to happen. Maybe they’d be hired for the wedding of the year. Or perhaps she’d meet a big client at the holiday party she was catering that evening. A smile pulled at her lips as anticipation put some pep in her step.
She moved to the stereo system and turned it on. Over the speakers came the deep timbre of Michael Bublé’s voice as he sang “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” She glanced out the window as the flurries swirled through the air. This really was her favorite time of the year.
Yesterday had been Sunday, the only day of the week the shop was closed. She’d taken advantage of the downtime to get out the holiday decorations. It took all day to exchange the Thanksgiving fanfare for the homey Christmas look, but that was because she’d baked and crafted a lot of the decorations herself.
She paused next to the glass display cases and glanced around at her handiwork. On the brick wall where floating shelves normally displayed an array of antique dishes, she’d replaced them with gingerbread figures, from a giant gingerbread man to a gingerbread train. There were also red ribbons, greenery, pinecones and a poinsettia bloom here and there.
She loved gingerbread. Not only did it taste delicious, but there were so many things to do with it. And so she might have gone a little overboard this year with gingerbread. It was even in the store window.
Looking around at all she’d accomplished, she realized she’d done it all alone. As much as she loved this bakery, she’d give it up to have her family once more. The joy the bakery brought to her life just wasn’t the same as having her family by her side, especially during this festive holiday season.
Walking through life alone was not how she’d envisioned her future. And yet that’s exactly what she was doing. Because each and every person who meant something to her had been torn from her life.
She’d learned to close her feelings to others little by little, and her grandmother’s death had been the last straw. That was it. The protective walls had fully encased her heart. She was done with loving and losing.
Pepper moved to the front door and turned the lock. She smiled as the first rays of sun lightened up the inky sky. Beneath the streetlights, a light coating of snow was detectable. It had fallen last night, coating the grass but leaving the street clear.
“It’s going to be a good day. A very good day indeed.” If only wishes came true.
“What did you say?” Charlotte asked from behind the counter.
Pepper shook her head. “Nothing important.”
Charlotte arched a brow. “Talking to yourself again?” When Pepper shrugged, Charlotte continued, “You keep that up and I’m going to start worrying about you.”
Pepper moved behind the counter. Her gaze strayed across the little stuffed dog she’d had since she was a girl. When she was young, they’d lived in an apartment—a small apartment—that didn’t allow pets. And she’d wanted a dog in the worst way. Every birthday and Christmas, when anyone asked her what she wanted, she would tell them a puppy.
Her mother felt so bad that she gave Pepper this designer stuffed beagle and a promise that someday when they moved to a bigger place that allowed pets, she would get her a dog. But that day never came.
She’d lost her mother at the tender age of eight, after a car had run a red light and struck her mother as she’d crossed the street. Pepper had gone to live with her grandmother, who was allergic to animals. Bugles McBeagle had come with her.
She sighed as she ran a finger over the dog’s plush fur, promising herself that someday she would have her puppy. Just not today.
The business phone rang. Pepper rushed over to answer it. “Hello. This is the Polka Dotted Bakery. How may I help you?”
“Pepper, this is Mike. I’m sorry to do this, but I quit.”
“Quit?” Not again.
“I just couldn’t say no.”
“No? To what? To whom?” She had a sinking feeling she knew who he was talking about, but she had to hear him say it. She needed the confirmation.
“The other bakery. They approached me when I was leaving work yesterday. They offered me a lot more money. And with the baby on the way, we need all of the money I can make. Pepper, if it wasn’t for that, I swear, I wouldn’t be leaving. Honest.”
She liked Mike. He’d been with her since she’d opened the shop. And even though she didn’t want to, she understood he had to put the needs of his family before his loyalty to her and the business.
She wished him well and hung up. So now she was short a baker and she had a party to prepare for...alone.
Not wasting any more time, she got to work.
THIS COULDN’T BE HAPPENING.
How had he let this slip through the cracks?
With the tinted rear windows of the car, no one could make him out. Simon was free to
