Page 58 of A Slice of Summer
Taryn lowered her gaze almost shyly. “Not me. We did this. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
His chest swelled at her words. He wanted to do more for her—whatever she needed.
Jayden whistled. “Come on, you two. It’s time to show off your hard work.”
Garrett bumped his shoulder against hers. “Let’s finish this.”
She glanced at the other booths coming to life, but her expression didn’t tell him if she worried about the other competitors or not. The Summit Bakery appeared to be on the opposite end from hers. That had to be a good thing rather than right next door.
Her smile was fleeting with no dimples, but at least it was there.
In his forties with thinning hair and a calm demeanor, Carl set his box on the table. “That’s my cue to get out of here. Let me know when you run low on samples. I’ll keep Finley and Brecken baking them, so we’re set for the weekend.”
“Thanks.” Jayden slapped Carl’s shoulder. “Be there soon. It’ll be rough rotating between the bakery and fair with only five of us—”
“Six,” Garrett chimed in. “I’ll help, too. But I’m better suited for the booth.”
Jayden’s posture relaxed. “Even better.”
“Yes. That’ll be an enormous help.” Taryn’s grin made Garrett feel as if he’d given her a million dollars, not a few hours of his time. “The bakery’s usually closed on Sundays, but today and tomorrow will be rough, so thanks.”
“Whatever you need.”
And he meant it. This was more than making amends.
He swallowed around the lump in his throat. He fought the urge to reach out to Taryn and touch her. Instead, he pressed his arms against his sides.
She took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
An hour in, Jayden returned to the bakery.
Two hours in, other business owners came by for first and second looks.
Three hours later, the final decoration—a baguette on top of a picnic basket—was in place.
Taryn rubbed her palms together. “I can’t believe we finished early.”
“Teamwork and a great plan.” Garrett stepped away to see how everything fit.
“A Slice of Summer” theme was, in a word, summery. The red, white, and blue color scheme with a yellow splash from the daisies worked well with the trees on either side and the artificial grass on the table and front panel. A picnic basket and tiered serving plates filled with samples: watermelon-slice-shaped cookies, cake slices, pie slices, and slices of bread sat on the table next to a large glass drink dispenser full of ice water with slices of lemon floating in it.
“You put out all the sample slices.”
“I wanted to for the judging. Saturday and Sunday, I’ll rotate them.”
“Bravo.” Margot applauded. “The theme is quaint with a hint of nostalgia, a perfect combination for Lawson’s Bakery.”
Taryn’s dimples appeared. Her face lit up. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.”
“You did this.” Margot didn’t miss a beat. “Your parents will be proud of you.”
She stood a little taller. “I couldn’t have done it without Garrett.”
Margot’s twinkling gaze traveled between him and Taryn. “It’s nice you have such a good friend.”
But the mischievous expression on Margot’s face suggested she wanted to say more. Garrett was happy she didn’t.
“Very nice,” Taryn agreed.
