Page 24 of Sweet Christmas Wish
Feeling that the shop was too quiet, she turned on some jazzy instrumental Christmas music over the shop’s speakers, set at a low volume. She was just debating lighting some candles, then rejecting the idea because it was too date-like, when she heard a knock at the front door.
Sarah hurried to answer the door, which she’d locked to make sure she wouldn’t be surprised by an “intruder” the way she had the other night.
“Thanks for coming,” she said, pulling the door open and stepping aside so he could come in out of the cold. “Let me take your coat.”
Will shrugged out of his coat but he stopped with one sleeve still on as he truly caught sight of her for the first time. His eyes widened and he froze, staring at her. Suddenly self-conscious that something was wrong, Sarah’s heart leapt into her throat.
“What, did I grow a third arm?” she teased, though inside her stomach was in knots.
Will blinked, a flush rising on his chiseled face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. You, uh… you look really nice tonight.”
It was Sarah’s turn to freeze, her own eyes widening, but she quickly tried to cover her surprise, taking his coat and hanging it on the back of one of the shop’s chairs.
Maybe I’m not the only one experiencing a few butterflies, one part of her brain whispered, even as the other voice in her head told her not to get her hopes up.
It was probably nothing. Maybe he just wasn’t used to seeing her looking like anything but a disheveled mess. Still, she couldn’t seem to make her heart get with the program, as it had begun to beat faster and she felt almost magnetically pulled to take a step closer to Will.
“Th-thanks,” she stammered. “You also look well tonight, also. I mean, you always look nice, but… I mean…”
Sarah could’ve bitten her tongue off for the way it was betraying her. She knew she was flushing, probably to the roots of her hair. A sticky, uncomfortable silence settled between them, so thick with tension that she wanted to run away screaming. Well, she decided, there was no way out of the awkwardness but to acknowledge the awkwardness and start over.
She took in a deep breath, trying again. “Wow, I don’t know what just came over me,” she said, with a more calm and confident tone, and she flashed him her usual smile. “You look nice. And thank you for the compliment.”
Will gave her a crooked smile. “Sorry, I don’t know where all that awkwardness came from. Usually I don’t act like a nerdy highschooler.”
“Even though youarea nerd,” she teased.
“For business and accounting? Heck yeah, I am. And proud of it,” he teased back, pulling out his laptop from his bag, as well as a notebook, and setting them up on the table. “Ready to get started?”
“Absolutely.” Sarah settled herself in the chair across from him, but he shook his head.
“If you’re going to see my screen, you should sit next to me. Why don’t you bring your chair around?”
Trying to ignore the way her pulse had picked up at the thought of sitting right next to him, Sarah complied. As she settled in, she caught the clean scent of him, maybe his cologne or body wash. She wanted to breathe it in again, but she kept herself glued to the back of her seat.
“This is quite the professional setup you have,” she said, looking over the laptop and the tablet he had also pulled out to make a double screen.
“That’s the only way to do it. Organization is key.”
Though she knew he hadn’t meant it as a jab against her, Sarah felt for a moment like the breath had been knocked out of her, and she bit her lip. She had proven over and over again that organization wasn’t her strong point—after all, that was exactly why she was in a tight spot right now—but she hoped Will wouldn’t judge her for the lax way she ran the business side of the bakery. When it came to baking, she was a goddess in the kitchen, and she knew it. When it came to keeping track of finances and inventory? Well… not so much. Her stomach clenched into a knot, and she grabbed a snickerdoodle off the plate, breaking it apart to give her fingers something to do and shoving a piece of it into her mouth.
“Okay, so the main thing I wanted to do tonight was show you that there are ways to make unforeseen hardships, like an expense or a bill or whatnot, easier to manage,” Will was saying, oblivious to her inner turmoil. “Would it be okay if I saw your accounts? It would be easier to give you more focused help if I know what I’m dealing with.”
Without a word, Sarah got up and went into her office, grabbing her tattered old ledger book. In the shop, she handed it back to him, feeling sheepish and embarrassed down to her very bones. Will took the book, flipping through the pages and occasionally stopping to run his fingers over the columns, his brow knitted together as he considered what he was studying. Eventually, he looked over at her.
“It might be a good idea to switch over to computer accounting at some point,” he suggested. His tone was gentle, without a hint of judgment. “I saw some things in here that troubled me a bit, especially the loan you took out for a new oven. Do you have a savings fund?”
Sarah felt like her throat was closing up. “Only a very small one,” she admitted. “Michelle was always better at keeping the finances organized, and I hate to admit it, but I’ve kind of let that side of things go.”
To her amazement, Will reached out and squeezed her hand for just a moment. “That’s okay. That’s why I’m here to help.” Seeing her distress, he smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You may not be the most gifted when it comes to organization, but you’re certainly gifted in baking, and your pastries are amazing. That’s why folks keep coming back to you. That’s why Sweet Thing is still open.”
“Thanks,” she managed, and she really did mean it. His kind words meant a lot to her, and she clung to them like a lifeline for now, because her ledger was glaring at her from the tabletop, reminding her of all her other failings. “Okay, so what do I do to get my finances back on track?”
“Well, that’s where my idea comes in. What if you were able to sell a drink with every baked good? It would double your profit without significantly adding to your overhead costs. There isn’t a proper coffee shop in town, so I’m certain that handcrafted drinks are in demand. I mean, look at me—I’ve been dying for a good coffee since I got here, but there’s just nowhere to get one. I’ve been making do with the coffee maker in my room at The Snowy Pine.”
Sarah sat back, nodding slowly. She was amazed that the idea, simple as it was, had never actually occurred to her. How many times had she felt bad that she had no beverages to offer her customers? Too many times to count, and yet the answer had been staring her in the face the entire time.
“I think that sounds like a great idea! What would it take to get started? Like I said, my savings account isn’t too big right now.”
