Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Lyla

I t's a dicey drive into work, but I make it with a few minutes to spare. I'm not surprised to see Lincoln's truck already there. He's the man you can count on, no matter what's going on, or what's standing in your way.

I make plenty of noise when I come through the back door.

"Is that you, Lyla?" He yells from the prep area.

"Yeah, me and the storm that's coming through the damn door with me," I yell back at him. "There's a mess in the hallway, especially once this all melts." I gesture to all the snow that's come in behind me.

He walks to the hallway, looking down at me. "I'll mop it up once it melts. That's going to be the easiest way to do it. It's crazy out there, huh?"

"Yeah, I wasn't sure I'd make it."

"Sliding all the way..." He sings, a smirk across his face.

It's not very often I look at Lincoln and think about how cute he is. He's always so serious, but right now he's got a smile on his face and dimples are evident in his cheeks. "Oh, you got jokes today?"

"Every once in a while I can make one. I know it's rare, and you don't believe it, but I'm human. I can crack jokes and appreciate the people around me. You're not used to it, I get it."

I tilt my head to the side. He looks different today. As if he doesn't have the stress on his shoulders that he had when he came to see me at Holly Jolly. "You don't look nearly as tired or stressed as you did the other day."

"Well yeah. I got you back, I gave my brother the cookies yesterday, and although there's a huge snowstorm outside, it's going to be a good day."

There's something about the way he says he got me back. "I didn't realize you missed me that much."

"I didn't realize it either," he answers. Stopping for a moment. His dark eyes get this faraway look, and I would give anything to know what he's thinking. "But we were always friendly before I took over. Dare I say we had fun?"

"We did..." I remember the long hours we would stand side by side. Me decorating, him mixing more batter to make cakes, and both of us talking about our big dreams. "At some point we lost that, Linc."

"We did." He nods. "Maybe it won't be so hard to get it back?"

The air between us becomes thick, and I don't remember his eyes ever having the dash of honey around the pupil. "I'm willing to give it a shot if you are."

"Alright."

We separate quickly about nothing more than business. "How much do you think I should prep?" I ask him, clearing my throat. "Do you really think we'll have a bunch of people in here today?"

He glances out into the lobby, looking out the bakery windows. It's coming down even harder than it was when we got here. "I don't know. It's getting crazy out there. I'm conflicted. Maybe we should go home? I mean, do you think anyone will be out and about?"

Coming up behind him, I look in the direction he is, seeing the swirling white out. "Oh my God, it wasn't this bad twenty minutes ago."

Right on cue, both of our phones go off. His is then followed by around four pings. Reaching over, I grab mine, while he pulls his out of his pocket.

Blizzard Warning for Sugar County

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLORADO HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING...FROM 6AM THURSDAY THROUGH 10PM FRIDAY.

LOCATIONS: SUGAR AND GOLD COUNTIES, INCLUDING SUGAR CREEK

HAZARD TYPES: SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW

ACCUMULATIONS: HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, A TOTAL OF 18 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

WINDS: 45-55 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60

TEMPERATURES: IN THE LOWER 20S

VISIBILITY: QUARTER MILE OR LESS

TIMING: THE HEAVIEST SNOW AND STRONGEST WINDS ARE OCCURRING NOW THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.

IMPACTS: BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. WINDCHILLS WILL RANGE FROM FIVE BELOW TO FIFTEEN BELOW ZERO WILL PRODUCE EXTREME COLD IMPACTS.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, HAVE A WINTER SURVIVIAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED, STAY WITH YOUR CAR.

We look at one another, our eyes meeting. "Holy shit, Lincoln. We're stuck here, aren't we?"

He nods slowly. "Yeah, I don't think it would be a good idea for us to make it home at this point."

I rush to the front of the bakery, gazing out the window again. "Oh my God, you can't even see the parking lot from here." I'm dizzy watching the swirling of flakes, and thankful I'm in here. If I were out there, I would be lost.

"Guess we're stuck here," he says, lifting his shoulder. "At least we have food, and there's a cot in the office."

"There is?" This is news to me. I didn't realize there was one back there. In fact, I don't think I even knew when I first worked here. "Was it back there when I worked here last time?"

He shakes his head. "No, when I first took over and started working longer hours, I was here more than I was at home. There were a lot of times when I'd go to sleep, wake up, and start working again. It's taken a lot for this place to be successful." He rolls his lips together. "It wasn't as easy as it looked, Lyla. I wish it had been, but I've had to give up much of my personal life to be here, to make this what it's become. It's the part that no one talks about."

I understand every single thing he's saying. Back when I was in the thick of this, I wanted someone to understand what I was going through, but I couldn't find anyone. There was never any thought of me reaching out to Lincoln, though, because we ended on such a bad note. "I get it, Linc. Maybe this time, we can help each other, instead of fighting against what each of us thinks should be the right decision. We can't be selfish and argumentative anymore. If we do, we'll end up ruining what could be a great working relationship. Do you agree?"

He sighs, resting his forearms on the case in front of him. "I do, and I'm willing to give this the best shot we can. Together, we're unstoppable. Your designs, my marketing know how? There's no one in the tri-county area who can beat us. But we have to get out of our own way."

The old me would've been offended, she would've huffed and not been willing to listen. Him accusing us of getting out of our own way would've been enough for me to blow off the handle. Part of that was because I was feeling so sheltered and like my ideas weren't being respected. The other part was because I wasn't confident in my own abilities. What owning my bakery gave to me is the knowledge about what I can do, and what I'm capable of. I'll no longer let my own insecurities or anyone's lack of belief in me dampen my sparkle. "We will. I'm in this with you. I want to give you my best, and I promise that I'm going to do that."

"And I promise that as soon as you're able, if you want to leave to do your own thing, I'll support it. I'll help you in any way I can. One thing I've learned in the last year is that I'm only as strong as the people I surround myself with." He swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "And I'm stronger with you around, Lyla."

Those words warm a place in my chest that hasn't been warm in at least a year. Regardless of how we left one another, he was one of my best friends, even if I didn't want to admit it to myself. He's one of the few people who understands what I'm trying to do, and the failure of what I wasn't able to see through. "I'm stronger working with you, too." I sigh, the emotional impact of what we've been talking about, enough to wear me out. "So, what are we going to do today?"

He chuckles. "I guess we need to get comfortable. We sure as fuck aren't going anywhere."

And after the talk we just had, that doesn't sound like a horrible situation to be in at all.