Page 3 of Flake It Til You Make It

That was before he’d lost all sense ofcommunityandjoy.

“I’d hope not.” Rebecca reached over and brushed one of his curls back from his forehead. “Seriously, you can’t just sit at home on the couch and feel sorry for yourself. It’s not healthy.”

“In this mood, sulking feelsgreat,” Rocco said.

“Yep, you’re definitely tapping into that overdramatic Moretti side,” Rebecca said, chuckling. “I’ll let you sulk for approximately two point five hours, but then you’re gonna come with me to the tree lighting.”

“Fine,” Rocco said. “I’ll do it.ThenI can sulk in peace?”

Rebecca laughed. “All you want to, Moretti.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

He’d just made it upstairs to his little apartment over the coffee shop when he got a text.

Hey, call me when you have a sec, it read, from his cousin Luca’s husband, Oliver.

Rocco had spent the last year in Indigo Bay, soaking up every little thing Oliver, a master baker who owned a charming and popular bakery and cafe in town, had to teach him.

He’d originally gone out to the east coast to save up additional money for his nest egg, but the bonus had been that Oliver had been willing to show him just about anything he asked about, and more. During the ten months he’d spent in Indigo Bay, he’d learned more about how to be a business owner and a baker than he had in the last few years before that.

It was one of the reasons why when the opportunity to purchase Jolly Java had come up, he’d jumped at it. He’dfeltready.

Now, he just felt like a failure.

His first foray into ownership and he hadn’t just not brought innewcustomers, he’d alienated the ones he’d inherited.

Rocco debated just not answering him, but Oliver had given himsomuch, it felt wrong to return that with silence.

Besides, he was family, now, and Rocco had learned from an early age that you didn’t just ignore family.

He dialed Oliver’s number and set it to speaker as he flopped down onto the couch.

The owners of Jolly Java had just put in the second floor when they’d decided—when their daughter moved with their granddaughter to Florida—to sell. They told Rocco they’d intended to rent it out to tourists during the holiday season and to use it for storage the rest of the year. Along with some of his other changes to the main space, he’d expanded the bathroom and even put in a little kitchenette, but for the rest of his cooking, he went downstairs and used the big kitchen.

“Hey, I thought you’d be busy,” Oliver said.

Rocco made a face. If he didn’t want Oliver to know the truth, he should’ve waited to call him.

“Slow one today. It’s the big tree lighting tonight,” Rocco said. Like the tree lighting would have normally kept anyone away from Jolly Java. In fact Holly and Joelle had specifically told him that festival afternoons were always some of their busiest.

Ha.

Not today.

“Oh, that sounds so fun,” Oliver said. “You gonna go? You made any friends yet?”

“You sound like my mother,” Rocco complained. “Actually—a cross between my mother and your husband.”

Oliver chuckled. “That’s a terrifying thought.”

“Yeah. Seriously.” He paused. “So, what’s up?”

“That marzipan syrup you did for that new latte on your menu? I wondered if you’d send me the recipe.”

Rocco winced. “You really want that?”

“Sure, I do. It sounds delicious. I think the customers would love it,” Oliver said and the confusion in his voice made it clear he had no idea why Rocco wasn’t eager to give it to him.

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