Chapter 12

It was a busy morning at Tidal Wave Coffee. Paige had spent the first few hours of her day busily bustling back and forth behind the counter, whipping up coffee drinks for the many customers who came through the front door. She'd enjoyed every moment of it—she didn't mind the rush, and she had a good time riding the waves of her adrenaline. She'd been surrounded by the warm, nutty aroma of coffee all morning—which was one of her favorite smells—and she had no complaints.

Around ten a.m., the place was especially packed with people. A line of customers had been growing inside the coffee shop for the last few minutes. Paige worked swiftly, buzzing back and forth between taking orders from the customers and making their caffeinated drinks.

I don't think we've ever had a line this long before, she thought, glancing at it and letting out a little sigh. Wow. Good to know the place is so popular.

Before long, however, she reached the last customer in line. It was a woman that she didn't recognize, which at that point was unusual for her. Blueberry Bay was a small town, and Tidal Wave Coffee was a very popular spot, so by that time she felt as though she'd waited on everyone in town at least once.

The woman had dark brown hair which was slung over her shoulder in a thick braid. She had sparkling, kind green eyes and a quick smile.

"Sorry for the wait," Paige told her, smiling pleasantly. "What can I get for you?"

"Hmm, I'll take a lavender latte, and one of those muffins there." The woman pointed to the display case, and Paige's heart lifted up.

Those are mine, she thoughteagerly. That's one of the muffins that I baked early this morning and brought in to be sold.

She'd made that arrangement with Michael, that she would bring in her bakery to be sold at Tidal Wave Coffee, and he seemed very grateful for it. He seemed to think he was the one benefitting most from the idea, but she felt as though getting an opportunity to share her baking was a huge blessing. Every time someone purchased something she'd made or complimented it, her heart swirled with happiness. She was making a small profit off the treats that were sold as well, which was exciting too, but not nearly as exciting as watching people's reactions when they ate her bakery.

"Absolutely," Paige said warmly, wrapping up one of the muffins in wax paper. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, that will be all, thank you." The woman paid with a credit card, and then began to nibble at the muffin while she waited for her coffee to be made. Paige glanced at her now and again as she skillfully whipped up the lavender latte.

She looks like she's enjoying it,she thought, thrilled. I thought that recipe experiment turned out really well. I'm glad other people think so too, not just me.

"This is really good," the woman said, swallowing her fourth bite of the muffin. "Extremely good. Where did you get it? Does Tidal Wave Coffee make these in house?"

"I made it actually," Paige said, feeling as though she might be blushing a little.

"You did? This is incredible!" The woman's face lit up with a grin, and Paige returned it.

"Thanks. I really appreciate the compliment."

"Well, I really appreciate the muffin. What is this flavor?"

"That's honey strawberry." She almost added, "I just came up with it this morning," but then decided that might make her sound too cocky.

"Honey strawberry," the woman repeated. "So innovative! And it's such a rich, warm color. You should be proud of yourself—you're really a very good baker."

"Thank you." She couldn't stop grinning. "I love baking. I actually want to have my own bakery someday."

"You do?" The woman seemed a little taken aback.

"Yeah, I do." Paige shifted uncomfortably.

She probably thinks I'm being silly now,she thought. I'm just a kid—and it's one thing to be good at baking, and another thing entirely to own a business.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I ran into you," the woman said, eagerly reaching into her jacket pocket for her wallet. Out of it she pulled a business card, which she handed to Paige. "My name is Rita Lawson. I'm a teacher at Flourish Baking School."

"Oh," Paige stammered, completely taken aback. She stared down at the card, feeling her heart pounding.

"It's a very prestigious baking school," Rita said, smiling warmly at Paige. "And I think you'd do wonderfully there."

Paige felt completely tongue-tied. She nodded, wondering what to say in response to that besides "Thank you." Rita, seeming to sense her hesitation, kept talking.

"It's in Providence, Rhode Island, so only about an hour away from here. You can go to our website and see what students have said about their experiences there, and read up on some of the graduates' success stories. I really encourage you to apply. You have a gift here, clearly." She tapped the muffin with her finger and smiled.

"Thank you," Paige stammered. Her heart felt warm and full. Suddenly she realized that she'd stopped making the latte. Hurriedly, she finished the job and handed it to Rita, who beamed at her.

"Call me anytime," she said. "I'd be happy to arrange a tour of the campus for you or answer any questions you may have."

"I'll let you know, thank you," Paige said. She smiled at Rita and watched in a daze as the woman walked out of Tidal Wave Coffee. She looked down at the card in her hand. The words were printed in a dark purple ink that shimmered slightly in the light.

This is so exciting, she thought. It feels like some kind of sign, this woman just appearing here like that. A baking school. Flourish Baking School. I love that name. And it's only an hour away from here.

She bit her lip, feeling a surge of excitement. The coffee shop had finally slowed down, and she didn't have anyone at the counter just then. She gazed at the card for another couple of moments and then tucked it into her pocket.

I won't tell anyone about this just yet,she thought. I've got to think about it.

Her stomach twisted, remembering her scholarship, and all the pressure she felt to accept it.

I'm going to think about it,she told herself firmly. It's like what Michael told me—I should make sure that whatever decision I make, it's one that supports the future I see for myself. And I know that whatever happens and wherever I go to school, I want to end up running a bakery in Blueberry Bay.

* * *

"Thank you again for having us over. That dinner was absolutely delicious." Hannah beamed at Sandy and Daniel as she and Luke sat with them and Tommy, their newly adopted teenage son, on their front porch.

"You're so welcome." Sandy grinned back at her. "It's so nice to have you and Luke back in town." She reached over and squeezed her nephew's shoulder.

"Thanks, Aunt Sandy," he said. "It's good to be back."

It was a beautiful evening. Across the Ryans' moderately-sized yard, fireflies were beginning to wink and flash, following lazy patterns across the horizon. To the left of the porch stretched the beach, and the ocean beyond it. A cool sea breeze brushed against their faces, gentle and scented with the tangy smell of the sea. To their right, the twinkling lights of Blueberry Bay could be seen from their perch on the porch, and the air was filled with the scent of Sandy's blossoming flower garden.

Hannah and Luke were snuggled up together on the porch swing, Sandy and Daniel were tucked into their favorite rocking chairs, and Tommy was lounging on the steps, his head leaned back and his eyes on the tree branches above, which were rustling in the night wind.

"It's so lovely here," Hannah murmured. "No matter where I go, there won't be any place like Blueberry Bay."

"That's because it's home," Daniel said, smiling at her in a way that made her think he understood. She grinned back at him.

"Yeah, you're right."

Beside her, Luke wrapped an arm around her. They were all holding root beer floats, and she took a sip of hers. The sweet, creamy flavor filled her mouth and she smiled before she swallowed it.

"Ahh, it's been so long since I've had a root beer float," Luke said. "I used to love these as a kid."

"They were Tommy's idea," Sandy said. "They're his favorite kind of dessert."

"Hey!" Luke reached over and fist-bumped Tommy, grinning. "That's right!"

Tommy grinned back at him and took a sip of his drink. "The root beer floats that Sandy makes are the best kind I've ever had."

"You've got to use the right kind of ice cream." Sandy laughed. "One with a rich, creamy taste. And a root beer that's got a little extra tang to it."

"I never thought about root beer floats as being such a science," Hannah said. "But Tommy is right. I've never had a root beer float this good either. Thanks, Sandy."

Their hostess leaned back in her rocking chair, beaming. "I guess that's one of the benefits of owning a grocery store. You know what all the best products are."

"Sandy's amazing at choosing products and tracking sales," Daniel said, beaming at his wife. "It's been hard keeping the grocery store running as efficiently now that she's reduced her hours."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Sandy said, squeezing his hand.

"No, no, sweetheart. That was a compliment, not a complaint. You've got a much more important job right now." He reached over and laid a hand on her round belly. "I want to make sure you feel rested, and that you have everything you need."

Daniel and Sandy beamed at each other for a moment, and Hannah smiled as she watched them.

They have such a wonderful relationship,she thought. I would love to have a marriage like that someday.

"How has your pregnancy been going, Sandy?" she asked.

"Really well." The older woman smiled and tossed her long blonde braid over her shoulder. "So far everything had gone very well. I mean, I definitely don't feel all that great sometimes"—she grimaced—"but I wouldn't miss any of it for the world. I'm so excited. Sometimes I get a little worried, since I am on the older side for a pregnancy, but so far everything's been without complications."

"The morning sickness has gotten a lot better," Tommy said, looking at Sandy with a sweetly affectionate expression. "Although I guess now she gets headaches sometimes."

"And then both my boys take extra good care of me like a couple of angels." Sandy beamed at the teenager. "Yesterday he just saw me rubbing my temples, and the next thing I know he's made me a cup of peppermint tea."

Hannah grinned, thrilled that Tommy and the Ryans had found each other.

He's such a sweet kid, she thought. Luke told me he's really been through a lot—he deserves to end up in a good home like this. And Sandy and Daniel deserve to have finally gotten the kids they've wanted all this time. I'm so happy for all of them.

"So. Hannah and Luke," Sandy said, "what have you been doing with your time in Blueberry Bay so far? Getting some good rest, I hope."

"Yeah, some rest." Luke smiled. "Also some freelance projects for me—and Hannah's still practicing like she's under an enchantment that glues her to pianos sometimes—"

"Hey!" Hannah laughed.

"– but we've been having a lot of fun." Her boyfriend grinned at her. "It's been great to catch up with people and be back here."

Hannah's thoughts wandered to the article on her father and Marsha. She stared out across the firefly-dotted yard and wondered what was going to happen. She took a sip of her sweet root beer float, her mind miles away.

"Something on your mind, Hannah?" Daniel asked. "You look as though you're really concentrating on something."

She turned to him, startled from her reverie. "Yeah." She laughed. "I was hanging out with Alissa and she told me that she'd been looking at some old Blueberry Bay articles. I asked her if I could look at some of them with her, and we came across an article about my dad winning the costume contest at the Summer Smash a long time ago."

"Oh, that's fantastic!" Sandy beamed.

Hannah glanced at Luke and saw that he was watching her with an affectionate gleam in his eyes. He knew all about the article, and her hopes to reunite Marsha and her father.

"That's not all though." Hannah grinned, feeling impishly excited. "He didn't win it by himself. He won it with his girlfriend at the time, a woman named Marsha Dunlap." She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the article.

"That's sweet," Sandy said, reaching for the piece of paper. When she saw the photo, she put her hand on her heart. "Look at those two! Wow, Willis is so young here. And he looks so happy."

Hannah's heart twisted. That's always what I see too, she thought. I haven't seen him look that happy in a long time.

"Doesn't he?" she said out loud. "And doesn't that Marsha look like an absolute sweetheart?"

"She does," Sandy agreed.

"What happened with the two of them?" Daniel asked gently.

"I probably shouldn't share that without Dad's permission," Hannah said, "but it wasn't fair. And it didn't happen because they didn't both want to be together. They did. And I kind of have the feeling that Dad still wishes things had worked out, and I bet she feels the same way."

"You want to try to reunite them?" Tommy asked, sounding interested.

Hannah nodded. "I want to try. Alissa said that there's a Marsha Dunlap in Whale Harbor who sells crafts for a living, and I feel confident this is the same woman." She turned her eyes to Sandy, who was reading the article with her hand pressed against her heart.

"This is so sweet," Sandy said, handing the article back to Hannah. Her voice was a little shaky. "That's quite the love story. I mean, look at those two. And circumstances separated them? It's so sad." She blinked back a few tears and laughed at herself. "I shouldn't be crying, I know. I blame the hormones." She laughed again and wiped a stray tear off her cheek.

Hannah reached over and squeezed Sandy's hand. "I think it's sweet that you care." She beamed at her friend. "Hormones or not."

"How are you thinking about reuniting them?" Tommy asked, taking another sip of his float.

"Well, first I've got to meet her. I mean, if she's got a husband and seven kids, that spoils my plan. But if this is the same Marsha Dunlap, then her name hasn't changed, and I think it's unlikely that she's married. And if she isn't…"

Tommy grinned at her, and she grinned back.

"I think what I'm going to do," Hannah said slowly, staring up at the stars as she considered her plan, "is go down to Marsha Dunlap's store in Whale Harbor. I'll pretend that I'm just there to shop and then I can strike up a conversation with her."

"Are you sure that's the right thing to do?" Luke asked. "I mean, without your dad's permission?"

Hannah nodded. "I know it's the right thing to do. I won't tell him about it unless I think there's a chance that everything could work out beautifully."

"Once Hannah has made up her mind about something, there is no stopping her," Luke said, beaming at his girlfriend. Everyone laughed as Hannah grinned and bowed.

"You've got that right." She smiled. "I'm going to make plans to go Whale Harbor and meet Marsha tomorrow."