Page 37 of Unexpected Love
“Is this okay?” he asks, eyeing the stack of wood skeptically.
“Sure.” I’m not sure, but I’m not telling him that. I’ll deal with whatever the landlord has to say.
We carry the slabs of wood down to the alley and head back to the engine, then back to the station, to find that our bunks have been covered in shaving cream.
Jackson’s eyes grow sinister as he takes in the destruction, and a wide grin spreads across his face. “Let the reindeer games begin.”
Chapter 15
Jules
Istand at the front window of my shop, looking across Main Street at Sticky Sweet Bakery.
“It’s not that hard. Just walk in and say hi,” I mutter to the empty construction zone that is my storefront. But for whatever reason, itisthat hard.
All of a sudden, the weight of all that I’m trying to do crashes over me. Again.
Instead of bowing to the weight of “what if Cal can’t get this work done,” and “what if we don’t open on time,” I straighten my shoulders.
I take a deep breath and count backward from five, then open the door and stride across the street like a woman on a mission.
Just as I reach the entrance, before my insecurities take over and send me running back to my safe place, I snatch the door open and step inside.
I’m sure I look a bit unhinged. Standing right inside the door, wide-eyed, and my hair doing that thing where it frizzes and looks like I stuck my finger in a lightsocket.
The woman who waved at me last week is behind the counter. She turns and offers me a bright smile.
“Hi. Welcome to Sticky Sweet.”
I lift a hand in an awkward wave.
Why is it so hard to put myself out there to make new friends?
“Hi, I’m Jules. I’m opening the coffee shop across the street.”
“Hi, I’m Maggie. Let me just clean up and we can chat.” She closes the display case and steps to a small sink behind the counter, then washes her hands while talking back to me over her shoulder. “I saw you unloading the other day. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Relief that she didn’t automatically run me out of her store has me taking another step inside.
Sticky Sweet Bakery has an ’80s vibe to it. Vintage hair-band posters dot the walls, along with framed lyric sheets. A small TV mounted in a back corner plays a music video of “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”
I glance at her menu and recognize song titles from my brothers’ favorite bands.
“You’ve got a cool place.”
She rounds the corner of the case and shakes my hand. She’s wearing a T-shirt with the bakery logo over a pair of faded jeans and Converse. Her red hair is piled high in a messy bun, and if she’s wearing makeup, it’s very minimal. She exudes confidence and comfort, and I like her vibe immediately.
“Thanks. How’s your shop coming along? I truly was planning to come over and introduce myself, but I was just waiting until it looked like you were getting closer to opening.”
We dive into a conversation about all things opening,and before I know it, a half hour has gone by. A customer comes through, and Maggie leaves me to go help them.
“I’ve held you up for too long. I didn’t mean to interrupt your day,” I say once the woman and small child are enjoying their treats at a nearby table.
“Oh, I’m so glad you came over. This has been fun. We should definitely do it again soon.”
She follows me out to the sidewalk and adjusts the small chalkboard easel announcing her special of the day.
“Are you going to be open in time for the spring market day?”
