Page 108 of This Moment

Kian’s head snapped to look at me. “You keep extra?”

My cheeks heated. “I do, but I have no idea how she knew!”

“You little banana bread hoarder. I want a piece.”

Laughing, I walked over, locked the front door, shut off the open sign, and started putting the chairs on the table so I could mop.

“Where is Katherine?”

“Upstairs. She had off today. Did I tell you she got a cat?”

“Really? What made her want a cat?”

I put the last chair on the table. “He just showed up one day. Sat in the window box until Katherine left it some water and food. After that, he figured out how to sneak into the bakery. The customers love him, so Opal said he could come in, but he’s not allowed in the kitchen area.”

“So you guys have a bakery pet?”

Laughing, I replied, “I guess so.”

The sound of the back door opening and closing alerted us that Opal was here.

“I’m going to go say hi to my aunt. You need help right now?”

Waving Kian on, I said, “No, I’ve got this down pat. Go visit with your sister and aunt.”

I quickly got to work mopping the dining room and then made my way to the kitchen. Before I could change the water and clean the floor in the back, Macy popped her head out.

“Cadie? Can we talk to you for a second?”

Glancing at the floor and thinking about all the prep I still had to do, I almost told her I couldn’t, but something on her face said this wasn’t up for discussion. I wasneededin Opal’s office.

“Um, sure. Let me dump this water out and–”

“I’ve got it, babe.”

Kian walked up to me and took the mop from my hand. “Don’t worry, I used to mop these floors when I was younger. I can do it with my eyes closed.”

Confused, I nodded and followed Macy back to Opal’s office. Jake was sitting there holding hands with Opal. It was so cute how their relationship had blossomed these last few months. Jake had decided to take a step back, sold his place in New York City, and now lived in Moose Village full time. He still painted, but he was doing it for pleasure now. I knew his daughter Hope was over the moon happy about it.

“Hey, Jake, I didn’t know you were here. Would you like something to eat or drink?”

He grinned. “No, thank you, darling.”

“Cadie, sit down, please,” Opal said as she motioned for me to sit down.

Suddenly worried, I looked around the room as I made my way to the seat opposite Opal’s and across from her desk.

“I’ve been giving you more and more responsibilities here at the bakery.”

I nodded. “Yes, and I appreciate your trust in me.”

Opal smiled. “You have been such a wonderful addition to not only our family, but the bakery as well. And you’ve proven how talented you are. The customers love you, and more of them are requesting you to do their cakes, which has been wonderful for me. It’s freed up so much time that I’ve realized how much I have been missing by devoting my entire life to the bakery.”

“Your idea of closing on Sunday was also wonderful,” Macy stated. “Opal thought at first it would hurt the business, but it hasn’t impacted it.”

Only Opal, Kian, and Mark knew the truth about me owning a bakery back in Boston. We had decided it would be best if I kept going on as Cadie Waterford until the Bellucci trial was over. It would buy me a little more peace and quiet, especially with the press being all over the trial. They might learn Katy Reynolds, prominent local businesswoman and co-heir to the Reynolds fortune, was associated with Michael, but they wouldn’t bother Cadie Waterford.

“I’m glad to hear that. That one day of closing makes people miss you even more.”

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