Page 20 of How Sweet It Is

LEVI BARRETT — TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

Iput my hands on my hips and glare at Amelia as she withers in front of me.

She gives me a tentative smile. “Would you believe me if I said this wasn’t the one you gave me?”

I shake my head and pick up the plate I handed her that morning. “No. I’m not an idiot.”

She huffs. “All right, fine. I felt bad for taking one you could sell. Your bakery is brand-new. You need to make as much money as you can.” She avoids eye contact, and I know she’s lying.

A pang of hurt zings through me. “Is it me? Are you so disgusted with me that you can’t bear to eat any of my creations?”

She looks up at me, her eyes wide. “No,” she says quietly.

The front door dings, and Kiera comes in.

Amelia rushes around the counter. “Hey, I’m so glad you’re here. I need to do some accounting in the back. Can you run the register?”

Kiera slides her hands in her back pockets. “Sure.”

Amelia disappears into the back office. Kiera puts on an apron and stands beside the register. She gives me the side-eye. “What’s up with you?”

“What?” I look at myself in case I spilled something on me, but I don’t see anything.

“You’re glowering. Who peed in your breakfast cereal?”

I cross my arms, defensive. “I’m fine.”

She looks me up and down, curling a strand of her hair behind her ear. “What happened? Did you ask Amelia out and she turned you down?”

“No,” I say, scoffing, as if that was ridiculous and didn’t just happen Sunday night. Kiera looks at me like she doesn’t believe me, so I exhale and admit, “She refuses to eat any of the things I make. It’s insulting.”

Kiera frowns at me. “Not everyone likes sweets. Get over yourself.”

I laugh and take a step back. Kiera has a way of saying exactly what’s on her mind. “You’re right. I just don’t understand why she threw the cupcake I gave her into the trash.”

She thinks about it a moment. “Did she throw it away in front of you?”

“No.”

She shifts her weight and crosses her arms. “Then she wasn’t mad at you. She probably didn’t want to hurt your feelings and thought you’d never see it.”

I stare out the front window at a blue Corolla parked across the street. Kiera makes a lot of sense. “You’re a pretty smart kid.”

She barks out a short laugh and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, right. Really smart. I got kicked out of my house and couldn’t make it on my own, so now I live with my sister.”

I kick her shoe. “Hey, don’t do that. I’m the king of sarcasm and self-deprecation. There can’t be two of us here. The customers will get confused.”

She gives me a polite laugh. “Oh, by the way, Kiki told me it’s your birthday today. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.”

Kiera leans against the counter. “Sorry I don’t have a present.”

“You didn’t need to get me a present. You gave me wise advice and told me to get over myself.”

She grins at me. “Try making her your biscuit muffins. Those aren’t sweet, and everyone loves them.”

I nod, amazed that I hadn’t thought of that. “Great idea.”

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