Page 55 of Christmas at the Guest House

Her fiancé held her gaze, his blue eyes sparkling with understanding and love, and in that moment, Sarah knew what the right thing to do was. She threw a pointed look at the muffins, a silent order for William to keep watch over them, before she turned and headed off in the direction that Mindy had fled.

At first, she wondered if she’d even be able to find the other woman. Between the throngs of people milling about and the multitude of rooms, the woman could have gone anywhere. But just as Sarah was about to turn around in defeat, a sound grabbed her attention from a small, open door to her right.

The door was only slightly ajar, and Sarah knew that it hadn’t been earlier. Once upon a time, the room had served as a home office, and they had never decorated it or had need for it during the Christmas party. So the door typically remained shut tight. And through the small crack in the door, Sarah could hear Mindy’s high-pitched voice as she talked to herself.

“… such a silly, stupid mistake…” Mindy muttered as Sarah reached forward and pushed open the door.

She had hoped to enter the room quietly, not wanting to startle the other woman. But the door gave a loudcreeaaakkkk, and Mindy’s head snapped up. When her gaze landed on Sarah, her eyes narrowed.

“Come to gloat?” she asked, raising her chin in defiance as she stared Sarah down.

But Sarah just shook her head, not at all put off by the woman’s suddenly brusque demeanor.

“I came to make sure you were all right,” Sarah explained, stepping farther into the office and shutting the door behind her.

“Of course I’m not all right,” Mindy said, but there was no venom to her words. Instead, there was only a sad sense of defeat, as if Sarah extending an olive branch of kindness had leeched all the fight out of her.

“Want to tell me what happened?” Sarah asked hesitantly, wondering if she was pushing Mindy too far.

But when Mindy’s brown eyes turned back to her, there was no malice in them. The other woman studied her for a second, and Sarah just gave her what she hoped was a soft, coaxing smile. She walked across the room, pulling out one of the chairs that sat in front of the desk and gestured for Mindy to take the other. And the woman hesitated for only a moment before sitting down in the chair that Sarah had indicated.

“Eclairs,” Mindy muttered, her voice low enough that Sarah had to lean forward slightly to hear her. “I was making eclairs. The choux pastry, it collapsed. I don’t know if it was undercooked, or if I did something stupid in my rush to get them in the oven like forget to add all the eggs. But whatever happened, they’re completely unusable.”

“But you had other pastries, right?” Sarah prompted. “I saw the way people were flocking around the first thing you made. I couldn’t see what it was, but from the sounds of the crowd, it seemed like they liked it.”

Mindy began shaking her head. “You don’t get it.”

Sarah chewed the inside of her cheek, considering her next words carefully. “I know it’s frustrating,” she offered. “But people have been saying amazing things about your bakery since the day you opened. And based on that, and on the way people were reacting to whatever you put out earlier, I’d venture to guess you’re an incredible baker. So your eclairs collapsed? We all make mistakes from time to time. And sometimes dough is just finicky. It doesn’t say anything about your talent.”

Mindy’s eyes searched Sarah’s face, and Sarah tried to stay still and not shrink away from the weight of the other woman’s gaze.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Mindy asked suspiciously, and Sarah shrugged one shoulder.

“Do I need a reason? Maybe I’m just a nice person.”

A laugh pulled itself out of the pretty blonde woman, and Sarah could have sworn that some of the heaviness left her shoulders.

“I guess you are,” Mindy admitted. She paused for a moment, and Sarah didn’t do anything to fill the silence, opting instead to let Mindy sort out her thoughts.

“You know,” Mindy began again. “My parents were always really tough on me. And when I went to culinary school and then began to study the art of pastry making, theyalwaysemphasized how I had to be the best.” She let out a humorless chuckle. “So when I decided to open up a bakery here, the first thing I did was scope you out. I came to the bakery about six months ago.”

Sarah tried and failed to hide her shock, and Mindy smiled at her sheepishly.

“You weren’t there when I came,” she explained. “The man you’re always with—I think he’s your fiancé?” Sarah nodded in confirmation, and Mindy gave a wry chuckle. “He was working the counter. I ordered a couple different things. And when I tell you they were some of the best pastries I had ever tasted, believe it. I knew I had my work cut out for me if I wanted to compete with you for business.” She shrugged. “I guess it made a version of myself that I don’t entirely like come out. One who can’t accept being anything less than perfect.”

Sarah remembered the day that she had gone to Mindy’s own bakery, hearing the customer that raved about the bear claw, seeing the sold-out shelves, and the way those things had all made her feel so inadequate as a baker. She shook her head, laughing slightly despite herself.

“You know, Mindy,” Sarah said with a wide smile. “You and I might have more in common than you think.”

Then she told Mindy about all of it. She admitted that when Baking Fiend had opened, she had been terrified that she was going to lose business, and Mindy’s formal education when it came to baking had made Sarah feel inadequate.

The more Sarah spoke, the more Mindy’s eyes softened, and by the end of it, the other woman was looking at Sarah with compassion and understanding.

“The truth is,” Sarah finished, biting her lip, “I don’t think wehaveto compete with each other.”

“You don’t?” Mindy asked, sitting a little straighter.

Sarah shook her head. “I think we can collaborate. What if we worked together on recipes? Create drinks that complement each other and run sales in tandem? Have punch cards that customers can fill up at both shops, and even have bakery social nights? Things like that?”

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