Page 35 of How Sweet It Is

I shake my head. “You joke about how amazing you are, but do you really not know? What you do is not easily replicated.”

“It’s just good ingredients.”

“And the know-how to put them together. And all of the state-of-the-art equipment you purchased. I’m sure you’re able to make even better pastries with all that fancy stuff you have in your kitchen. Didn’t you call it your ‘dream kitchen’ the other day?”

Levi slowly nods. “Yes. It is. And I think I get what you’re saying. Spending four dollars on a good cupcake is cheaper than buying all the expensive ingredients and equipment I have in my kitchen.”

“Yes, and the fact that people just don’t have time these days to bake. I know I haven’t baked in forever.”

“That’s just sad.”

I laugh and shake my head. “No, not really. I’m a disaster in the kitchen. You’ll know if I try baking by the fire alarms going off.”

Levi grins. “You think that’s bad? The first time I tried to make a cake, I used baking soda instead of powder, and that thing came out looking like a pancake but tasting like soap.”

I cringe, but the laughter won’t stop. “Oh, man. I’m so glad you kept trying.”

“And that’s the moral of the story. Never quit.” Levi jumps up. “Now that we’ve had that inspirational talk, I’d better get going in my kitchen.”

Levi leaves, and I check the clock. Fifteen more minutes until Kiera will arrive and we have to open the front doors. It’s a Saturday, so I expect today to be pretty busy, which I hope is the case because Levi needs the income. I go into the front and change the pricing board, raising his prices. I know he’s nervous about doing that, but it’s necessary if he’s going to stay in business.

Kiera comes in and notices the price increase right away. “Whoa, four fifty for a croissant? That’s a bad idea.”

“We have to raise prices, or Levi can’t afford to pay you.”

Kiera grabs her apron. “Well, then that’s a great idea. I applaud you for raising the prices.”

I chuckle as I open the bakery. Kiera and I help out the first few customers for the day. No one seems to bat an eye at the price increase, which makes me happy.

An hour later, after the morning rush has waned, a woman walks in. She’s tall, blond, and could have stepped off a runway in New York. She looks around the storefront then walks up to me. “Is this the bakery Levi Barrett owns?”

“Yes.”

She grins at me. “Great. Can you tell him someone is here to see him?”

I eye her warily. “Who should I say is here?”

“Tell him Lisa wants to talk to him.”

CHAPTER 18

LEVI BARRETT — SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

Amelia walks into my kitchen and folds her arms. “Someone is here to see you.”

“Micah?” I ask, pulling off my oven mitt and wondering why that would make Amelia grumpy.

“No. Lisa.”

My spit dries up. Lisa’s here? In my bakery? I grab my spatula and start taking the cookies off the baking sheet and depositing them onto a tray. “What does she want?”

“She didn’t say.”

I set my spatula down. Do I want to see Lisa? She made it clear the last time we spoke what she thought of me. I was all in on our relationship, and she really hurt me. I don’t think she broke up with the future doctor. Is she here to apologize?

I walk around Amelia and enter the bakery storefront. Lisa’s standing there at my display case, looking over my raspberry tarts. She looks good. Better than good. She looks like she’s walked off a movie set.

Kiera’s standing by the register, openly glowering at Lisa. I like her for that. Lisa’s gaze lifts to me, and she smiles, and mychest constricts. We’re not together, but my body remembers when we were.

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