Page 60 of A Slice of Summer
The only path.
Garrett would return home after Callie and Brandt’s wedding, and Taryn had to save the bakery. A few kisses were all she could afford.
“Cute booth,” Mrs. Sellwood, one of Taryn’s former schoolteachers and the mother of Silver Falls’s mayor, carried her little dog, Madden, who panted at the table of baked goods. “I’ve had my fill of sweets today, but I’ll be here tomorrow for a slice from you. Clever theme.”
“Thank you.”
The woman had canceled Madden’s days at Callie’s Wags and Tails when the doggy daycare flooded, but she later apologized and returned. Now it appeared Mrs. Sellwood had done something similar to Lawson’s Bakery. She used to come into the bakery a few times a week, but Taryn hadn’t seen her in weeks. Possibly, months.
Her stomach knotted. This weekend would remind Taryn of the customers who no longer came into the bakery. “I haven’t seen you lately. How have you been?”
“Watching my figure.”
Or driving to Summit Ridge.
Taryn pressed her lips together. Customers were free to shop where they wanted, but she would try to remind them to visit Lawson’s. That was what a business owner—or a future one—did.
“Good for you.” She handed a coupon to Mrs. Sellwood. “If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth or want a fresh loaf of bread or rolls this week, here’s a coupon for you.”
“Thanks, dear. I love a bargain.”
That explained why Mrs. Sellwood hadn’t been in. “It’s always good to get a deal.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Enjoy the fair.” Taryn noticed people standing in line. “Callie has dog biscuits if Madden is hungry.”
Mrs. Sellwood glanced over her shoulder. “We’ll go there next.”
A boy and a girl of around eight wearing matching yellow T-shirts, and a man came up to the table. The children stared at the cookies with wide eyes.
Taryn’s grin widened. She recognized them from earlier. If she remembered right, they had moved to town recently, but she hadn’t seen them in the bakery. She wanted to change that. “Back for more?”
He grinned at his kids, who appeared to hold their breaths. “They wanted another picnic cookie.”
“That’s fine. You’re welcome to have more picnic cookies.” Those last two words brought a tingle. As Taryn gave each child a napkin, an idea formed. What if she created special dessert menus for various events? Caterers did that, but customers might enjoy those, too. Words popped in her mind: picnic, kid favorites, romantic, chocolate lovers, no chocolate. She gave the dad a second coupon. “If you have two cookie eaters in the family, an extra one might come in handy.”
He laughed. “It will. Thanks.”
The father handed each child a cookie. “No more after this, or you’ll get a tummy ache.”
Both kids nodded before eagerly biting into their cookies.
Their smiling faces made the long hours preparing for the fair worthwhile. She’d been so focused on surviving, she forgot what she’d love about working at Lawson’s—bringing smiles and creating memories with desserts. She needed to remember that. “Enjoy your time at Silver Falls Summer Fair.”
The three walked away.
“I checked all the containers.” Brecken refilled the empty platters before removing his gloves. He wore a Lawson’s Bakery apron over his clothes. “We’re almost out of the watermelon cookies. Do you want me to call Jayden or get them myself?”
There’d been a steady flow of visitors to the booth but not overwhelming. “I can hold down the fort for a few minutes.”
“I’ll run.” Brecken took off.
“Someone’s in a hurry.”
Her pulse kicked up. She turned to face Garrett. He’d changed into a different pair of shorts and a polo shirt. “Having fun?”
He nodded. “I helped Callie until Anna arrived. Ran to Margot’s, showered, and changed. I also checked out the competition.”
