Page 82 of A Taste of Trouble

“Can I just have five? What about those ones?” She pointed to the mocha.

“Those have a little bit of coffee in them. Let me suggest the Chocolate Heaven. Chocolate cake, chocolate icing. No kid will turn that down.”

“Sure. Five of those, please.”

Liv beamed. She had no idea it would be so exciting to make a sale. Hopefully the woman didn't see how ridiculous she looked.

Once the five had been put into their pink box with the see-through plastic cutout, the showcase looked pretty bleak. But this was a good indication as to how much she would sell every weekday. The less she had to run to the ovens to replenish her product, the better. It would take time, but she'd get the hang of it.

“Do you smell something burning?”

“Oh.” Liv tensed. She didn't want a customer to know she actually burned something. “It's the new ovens. They're still smelling up a bit whenever they're used.”

The woman shrugged and took out her credit card.

Since the woman didn't actually buy a half dozen, Liv had to charge her individually. She didn't seem to mind. However, it was the perfect opportunity to give her the promotion card. Liv stamped five cupcakes across the card and handed it to the woman.

“Here's a cupcake card. When you buy twelve individual cupcakes, you get the thirteenth free.”

The woman smiled and shoved it in her wallet. She put the cupcakes in the bottom compartment of the stroller. The baby screeched and the mother didn't even flinch. Liv, on the other hand, had to stop herself from putting her hands over her ears.

“Thank you. Have a wonderful day,” Liv said.

With the front door opening, the air swirled and Liv caught another whiff of burning. She sniffed harder. It was a different smell. Deeper.

She entered the kitchen and stopped dead when she saw smoke had filled the room. It wafted from under the door that led to the basement.

But even more surprising was the image of Nancy visible through the smoke. Liv was hallucinating. It had to be a hallucination. How on earth would Nancy get…? Liv glanced to the open back door. She hadn't closed it after she aired out the room.

Panic set it. She went over to the basement door and lightly touched the doorknob. It was warm to the touch but not scorching. She opened the door and froze. Flames as high as the basement ceiling charged their way up the stairs. Smoke billowed out into the kitchen, forcing her to cover her mouth and eyes.

“Olivia, we must get out of here.” Nancy pulled at her, her voice a tiny whisper below the rush of panic taking over her body. “Olivia?”

This was another dream. Another nightmare.

She was yanked backward, her feet fumbling for balance. The basement door became smaller and less visible through the thick smoke.

Someone coughed behind her. Nancy.

Liv gasped for breath when they stumbled out into the alley. Fresh air filled her lungs, calming her, turning the horrific scene into perspective.

“Yes, I'd like to report a fire.”

She turned to see Nancy on her cell phone.

“Yes, it's contained in the basement right now, but it's progressing quickly.”

As Nancy gave the 911 operator the details, she crumbled to the ground against the brick wall. Thank God that woman had already left with her child. Thank God there were no other customers in the building.

A rush of air blasted from the back door of the bakery. Orange flames danced at the top of the basement stairs. Her ovens. Her mixer. The stupid, leaky sink. In minutes, flames were going to take them all.

“Olivia?” Nancy stood in front of her. “We need to go around to the front of the building. The fire department is on its way.”

She nodded. What she really meant to do was hurl expletives and shake the truth out of her friend. She hadn't forgotten Corey's confession. Nancy had been the one out to get her, and she had the audacity to show up. Or rather, sneak in the back door of her bakery as if everything was normal. But she was right—they had to get out of there. On wobbly legs, Liv followed Nancy to the front of the building.

They crossed the street, and when they reached the curb, Nancy tried to link her arm with Liv's but she ripped it away. “I caught you in the kitchen. You snuck into my bakery. Did you start this fire?”

Nancy gasped and raised her hand to her chest. It was then that Liv noticed her purse in Nancy's hand. When did she have time to grab it? “Olivia. I did not start this fire. I…”

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