Page 30 of Coming Home

Marta smiled. “The appetizer will be out soon, Ainsley. I hope you’ll have time to say hello to the kitchen staff.”

“I will after we eat,” she promised.

“Did you eat here a lot, or did you work here?” he asked after Marta departed.

“Both. After I graduated from the culinary institute in Bend, I started working as a pastry chef at a Japanese steakhouse a few blocks from here. Many people don’t know it, but some of the top pastry chefs in the world are located in Japan, especially Tokyo and Osaka. Most of them train in Paris. One of the line cooks at the steakhouse recommended this place to me. Eventually, I put in my notice and came to work here fulltime. I liked the family atmosphere and total freedom Marta gave me over the dessert menu.”

“How long did you work in Portland?”

She thought a moment. “Close to two years, then I made my way up to Seattle. I worked in a variety of restaurants there, saving every dime I could for my tuition at l’Ecole Len?tre.”

They chatted amiably as they worked their way through the ravioli appetizer and hearty soup, which was accompanied by the most delicious bread Jackson had ever tasted. After he bragged on it, Ainsley told him she made something very similar at her bakery.

“Or at least Gus does the honors now. I still bake the occasional loaf to keep my muscle memory in shape, but Gus has a wonderful touch with breads. Kneading is a fine art. I’m lucky to have him.”

“Did you have any reservations in hiring an ex-con?”

“I know you have probably worked with plenty of clients who have already been to prison. Your experience is mostly likely very different from mine. Yes, I did have a few qualms, but Gus had glowing recs from several people, including the warden.”

“Might I ask what he did to be sent away?”

Ainsley explained the car wreck Gus’ drinking had caused. “The saddest thing is that it cost him any kind of relationship with his son and daughter. His drinking over the years had led to his divorce and had already put up a barrier between him and his kids. Being sent to prison was the final blow. He sends them a birthday card each year, but neither has ever responded.”

They finished their meal, and Ainsley brought him back to the kitchen with her. She knew almost every worker there and was greeted warmly by all.

As they paid their bill, Marta said, “If you ever tire of the bakery, Ainsley, you know you always have a place here.”

“Thank you for the kind offer, but I’ve come to enjoy owning my own business. Yes, the hours are long, as you know, and the responsibility is heavy, but I’m able to devote myself to my sweets. I hope I’ll remain in the Cove, providing baked goods for decades to come.”

They returned to her SUV, and he asked several questions about the bakery. Why she had chosen the location she had. How she planned out what to bake each day. Ainsley explained the difference between weekdays and weekends and the various seasons.

“Off-season is easy to predict because my clientele is mostly those in and around the Cove, and they buy on a fairly regular basis. Once May arrives, that means tourists begin pouring into the Oregon coast, mostly on weekends. I have to step up ordering supplies and make adjustments as to what to bake. That increases once students get out of school, and traffic in the Cove picks up even more, with families on vacation. The crowds grow throughout the summer and then taper off after Labor Day, though I still get some of that tourist trade on the weekends throughout September.”

“I’m sure it’s a fine line between baking enough and not running out of popular items, balanced with having too much left over at the end of a day.”

“It happens. I can’t always predict the whims of customers. There is a small food bank in Salty Point now. They established it a few months ago. If I have anything left with a short shelf life, Gus takes it with him and delivers it to the food bank after his shift.”

“That’s nice. People in need rarely get treats such as sweets, I’ll bet. They must look forward to finding your desserts on the shelves.”

“It is for a good cause, and I don’t often have too much left over. I do allow Gloria, Sheila, and Gus to take whatever they want when they leave, free of charge. Certain items just aren’t good the next day. Things like cookies can roll over for a day, so I don’t have much waste in that department.”

They arrived back in the Cove and she drove directly to the bakery. The rain had ended, and Jackson helped unload the many boxes and sacks, as Ainsley instructed him where to place things. Her kitchen was very well organized, and he knew that was part of her success.

“Just leave everything for now. I’ll unpack it later. Thank you for helping me so much today. It takes me a long time to bring things in by myself.”

“Just text me any Monday when you arrive from Portland. I can walk across the square and help you unload your SUV.”

“No, you’ll be dressed for work. Besides, you might even be with a client. When are you going to look over Clancy’s case files? I don’t want you spending too much time with me and neglecting that.”

He took her hand and pulled her toward him, again smelling the tempting vanilla scent on her skin.

“I don’t want to miss out on time with you,” he admitted freely. “I can bury myself in files starting Wednesday morning. Right now? “He smiled down at her. “All I want to do is be with you.”

He searched her periwinkle eyes and saw welcome there. Slowly, Jackson lowered his head, placing his lips against hers.

Magic…

CHAPTER 11

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