Page 88 of Home Sweet Home

The Cougars had won. The crowd erupted, and the team spilled out of the dugout. They lifted Oliver on their shoulders. He had a huge smile on his face, unlike any she had ever seen.

As the celebration continued, Kayla came up next to Evie, a thick envelope in hand. “We’ve got some hungry motherfuckers in this town. Sold everything.”

“I…” Evie started.

Kayla shook her head. “No need for the mushy crap. I love you. You love me. We’re best friends.”

An arm slid around Evie’s shoulder, and even though she couldn’t see who’d done it, she would know that weight anywhere.

“What’d I miss?” West asked.

“Just that Evie’s bake sale idea was a smashing success,” Kayla said.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Evie said. And she knew it was true, not just that she couldn’t have, but that she didn’t want to.

West kissed her forehead, his lips as light as feathers. “You can boss us around anytime, Peach.”

“Speak for yourself,” Kayla said. “See you two lovebirds at Joe’s later?”

Evie nodded, then Kayla walked to Kenny, who was sitting on the bleachers with Ryleigh.

“Nice work, Coach.” Evie stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on West’s cheek.

He grinned. “That all you got?”

He pulled her in for a kiss, and as she melted into him, Evie didn’t notice the sound of the crowd around them—or anything at all other than how good she felt.

The sum total of Evie’s life had been many things. Happiness, flipping pancakes with her mom on Saturdays and cakes on her birthday and so many other desserts for so many other reasons. Uncertainty, wondering if she would have enough money to pay the electric bill or weighing the risks of letting her muffler drag a little longer. But until that moment, despite the years of cupcakes, brownies, cookies, cakes, tarts, and more pies than she could ever eat in one lifetime, she’d never known it to be so sweet.

ONE YEAR LATER

The line wasout the door. It was always long on the weekends, with everyone in Creek Water off work and in need of pie. But today was game day, which meant everyone in town, and quite a few people outside of it, had turned up at Joe’s Bakery and Cafe to get their sugar fix before heading to the diamond to see the Cougars play.

Evie had spots of flour all over her face. She’d seen it a dozen times as she walked past a mirror on the wall, but each time, she’d been too busy to wipe it away. There were too many other things to think about. The batch of biscuit dough she needed to take out of the freezer. The tarts sitting on the prep table, waiting to be glazed. The AC wasn’t strong enough to cut through the July heat and multiple ovens working, and her hair showed it, frizzing up in at least ten different places. She’d been on her feet since five in the morning, first making dozens of desserts, then selling them. The heat, the pain, and the disorderliness were bliss and contentment she’d never thought possible.

The line moved, and the next customer stepped up to the display.

“Amy!” Evie said, a huge grin for her old friend. “So good to see you again.”

Amy smiled back. “Mom’s birthday. You work here now?”

“Own the place, actually.”

Saying it never got old.

Amy glanced toward the neon sign on the wall, the one Evie’d had custom made. It was bright pink and lime green. Ryleigh had chosen the colors. “This used to be Joe’s, right?”

“He was looking to take a break,” Evie said, dusting the flour off her hands on her apron. “And I was looking to open up a bakery.”

After the bake sale the year before, she’d told Joe that she couldn’t take the manager job. After she’d gotten a taste of what it was like to bake for a living, she knew there was no going back. She’d been so nervous to tell him, she had literally vomited right before in the staff bathroom, but he’d been so understanding it had made her tear up. And it turned out that he’d been open to selling the place. She and West had decided together to keep the name intact. When she’d walked Joe to the parking lot and showed him the sign, he’d cried.

“I saw the Yelp reviews. And my mom insisted we get her cake from here,” Amy said. “Said it’s the best she’s ever eaten.”

Evie boxed up the cake, wrapping it carefully with pink-and-green string. “Peach rhubarb. Both in season. You’re gonna love it.” She turned to grab a loaf of bread from a display, wrapped it in paper, and put it on top of Amy’s cake box. “And some of West’s famous sourdough. On the house.”

“Thanks,” Amy said with a smile. “Good to see you, Evie.”

She stepped away from the register, letting the next customer come up to the front of the line, but before she could get out the door, Evie shouted, “Hey, Amy.”

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