A
t the moment both Piper and Trudy were looking in his direction, awaiting his answer.
“The holidays are definitely a time to spread holiday cheer and take a little time to be with family and friends, but business has increased tenfold since the holiday stroll so Piper needs to capitalize on it,” he said, being careful not to allude to the diner’s financial problems. It was tricky since Piper still hadn’t told her mother about the urgent need to turn things around. That was frustrating because if Trudy knew about the diner’s woes, she would understand her daughter’s need to bypass some of the holiday celebrations in favor of working.
“And with Jorge needed elsewhere at the moment,” Piper added, “I really must stick close to the diner.”
Piper had received the call from her employee late last night informing her that his wife, Irina, had gone into labor. Hours later he’d announced that they were the proud parents of an eight-pound baby boy named Charlie. They were all doing well and feeling grateful for their little Christmas blessing. Jorge would be enjoying a family leave of absence for at least a week.
“That’s such wonderful news for their family,” Trudy crowed. “Your father adored Jorge. He’d be so tickled with all the wonderful things happening in his life. A wife and now a baby boy.”
“He would be,” Piper agreed. “Everyone who worked at the diner was considered family. They still are. That’s what made the Snowy Owl so special.”
“I can hang around tonight and provide coverage if you want to go caroling,” Braden offered. “Between me and the staff, we can cover for you. You deserve a night off after all the hard work you’ve put in over the last four years.”
A sigh slipped past her lips. “Thanks for the offer, but it’s best I stick around. We’re short-staffed as it is, and I’m hoping we get a big crowd tonight. I’m the face of the Snowy Owl, so I should be here greeting the customers.”
“Well, thank you for the pies,” Trudy said, picking up the brown paper bag that held two of the sought after baked goods. “It’s nice to have an in with the owner. My guests will be delighted. Everyone is buzzing about them.”
Piper grinned. “See you later, Mama. Have fun tonight,” she called out after her as she exited the diner.
Braden looked at his watch. It was almost time to open up the place. Piper was sitting at the counter scribbling in a notebook. She was staring at the page intently while nibbling at the end of her pencil. She seemed to be in a completely different world at the moment.
“What do you have there?” he asked, curious about her being so engrossed in something other than the Snowy Owl.
She looked up at him with a startled expression. He could tell she’d been deep in thought about something. “I’m just making some notes. I’ve been thinking over a few things. It might be crazy to go all out like this, but I came up with an idea to expand the pies into an actual business.”
“A business?” he asked, surprised by Piper’s statement.
She held up her hand. “I know it’s ambitious, but the pies have taken the town by storm. Along with the milkshakes, they’re really making a big difference to the diner’s bottom line. I was looking at the numbers, and it hit me that if we—” She stopped speaking abruptly.
“Go on,” he urged. “If we do what?”
“I shouldn’t really say ‘we,’ Braden. You could be leaving Owl Creek soon. I can’t really count on you to be a part of the team, even though you were the one who put me on this road in the first place.” They locked gazes. He could see the raw emotion emanating from her eyes. Something powerful crackled in the air. It terrified him because he knew his pulse shouldn’t be racing, and he shouldn’t feel like his heart was being squeezed by a giant fist. It stunned him to the point where he couldn’t even find the words to comfort his best friend.
He didn’t know yet whether he was going to leave or stay. It would be cruel to make promises he might not be able to keep. It would be like ripping a rug out from underneath her feet. In his heart he yearned to stay in his hometown even though it seemed as if he couldn’t do right by Piper no matter how hard he tried. But maybe he should stick around and try. If he really wanted to achieve redemption, running away wasn’t an option.
“I’m grateful, Braden. Without you I probably would have just given up and thrown in the towel. I know things have been strained between us, but you really stepped up to help me. Because of you I started brainstorming ideas to bring more income to the diner.”
“That’s all you,” Braden responded. “It’s who you are, Piper. A go-getter. You’ve always been the type of person who wants to make things better. You were just afraid of losing your dad’s establishment so you got stuck. That’s a lot of pressure on one person’s shoulders. If I helped in any way, that makes me happy, but you’re the driving force behind the diner, as well as being its future. So tell me more about your idea.”
Piper’s grin made his stomach do belly flops. Happiness looked good on her. “Okay, so don’t laugh but I came up with a name.” She waited a moment before speaking. “Pie in the Sky. That’s the name I want to give the new venture. I want to start really small because I know it’s not going to be easy, but my goal is to increase revenue and to do something I really love, which is making pies.” She inhaled a deep breath. “Am I babbling? Because I really feel like I’m talking way too fast from nerves. Tell me what you think.”
Pie in the Sky. It was clever and spot-on. He nodded, appreciating Piper’s vision. “I love the name. It fits with the whole idea of how it came about. Are you planning to stay local or branch out?”
“Definitely local. I want the townsfolk to think of it as fresh, flavorful pies sold out of the Snowy Owl. But if things take off, perhaps I can open up a small shop next door. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but at the moment people seem to want whole pies rather than slices, which is more lucrative for me.”
“Starting small is a good idea just to make sure you’re not getting into a situation that’s over your head. How do you plan to officially launch it? And what about money? Investors? There are going to be costs associated with it.”
Piper shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers yet. But I’d like to have a soft launch right before Christmas. No bells and whistles. Just letting the townsfolk know that the pies are here to stay, and we’ll be taking orders under the new name—Pie in the Sky.”
Braden rubbed his hands together. “I like the idea of a soft launch. There really won’t be a lot of pressure since you’re already taking pie orders.”
Just then the front door rattled, alerting them to the fact that they’d been so deep in conversation that the front door was still locked. Elena came from the kitchen and made her way to the front, quickly placing an Open sign on the door.
“I feel so blessed to have such hardworking and loyal workers,” Piper said, watching Elena ushering guests inside. “I’d be lost without them.”
“People tend to give back what they get,” Braden said. “You make everyone feel like family, just like Jack did.”
