Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Lincoln

" W hat do you think, boss? Awesome, right?"

It's one of the worst cookie decorating jobs I've ever seen. Since Lyla left, I've been through five decorators, and none of them has even the slightest bit of talent compared to her. "It great, but I think you should keep practicing." There's no way I'm putting that out so anyone else can see it. It's my reputation on the line.

"Morning, Lincoln." It's my manager, Erin. "Did you hear the news?"

"There's a snowstorm coming? Not exactly news for this time of year."

"No, not that. Today is the last day for Holly Jolly Bakery. They're closing their doors for good at the end of business today."

My ears perk up, and my heart speeds up. This means Lyla's not going to have a business after today. "How do you know?" I ask, hoping this isn't one of those situations where it's a rumor, and I'm making plans for nothing.

"Drove by there, and stopped in," she winces. "I love their cake donuts. I can't help it."

"You're forgiven. Just tell me what you know."

"Kayla, who typically works the counter, said they're closing. They didn't even have an entirely stocked case. It's painfully obvious they were trying to get rid of what they had left."

No one wants this for another business owner, and competition is good. I hate this for Lyla, but I'm wondering if she would come back to Sugar and Spice. People ask for her every day. They loved the way she decorated cookies, cakes, and everything in between. We've had growing pains since she left, but we've done our best. We worked better together, and I've been trying to think of ways to get her back. "That sucks," I say out loud, but inside? My stomach is jumping. This is an opportunity, one I'd be smart to not let slip through my fingers.

Today, when I leave for lunch, I know exactly where I'm headed.

----

"She's not here." Kayla says for the third time. "I sent her home so that she wouldn't have to watch her life's work end."

She says this like I should be the one who's responsible for said ending. "I was hoping to talk to her."

"So you could throw it in her face that she wasn't able to make it without you?" Her hand is on her hip, and it's jutting out with the same amount of attitude that she's giving me.

"No, I don't want to throw it in her face. That's a shitty thing to do. I can't even imagine how she's feeling right now. I don't know what I would do if I lost my bakery." Those words are the truth. My entire life has been dedicated to this.

The sound of laughter fills my ears. She tilts her head back, wiping at her eyes. "Oh my God, Lincoln. Are you kidding me? You want to offer her a job?"

"That's what I said. If you'd let me explain..." I try to continue talking to her. I'm getting frustrated. I came here wanting to make amends with her, but Kayla is blocking me.

The lobby of the bakery is empty. She glances around before coming out from behind the counter and getting up in my face. "This is going to break her. Not yet, because I don't think it's sunken in that she's losing her dream. Everything she's worked for since the morning she left your employment is gone. I'm sure you don't realize how hard this is for her. I'm going to tell you shit I shouldn't, but I'm going to do it because I feel as if you need to know."

I cross my arms over my chest. "If you're hoping it's going to make me feel bad about what happened between me and Lyla, you can forget it. The morning she left, we had words. Neither one of us were on our best behavior, and I'm not proud of it, but here we are. I came to the shop today to extend an offer to her, one I know she wouldn't have taken a year ago, but maybe she will now."

Kayla's eyes meet mine. "I'm going to lay it out for you as clearly as I can. I hope you can follow along."

"I'm not an idiot, but please go ahead." The tension between us is thick, but I refuse to back down. I've learned a lot over the last year, and one of the biggest things has been to stand up for myself. No one else is going to do it for me.

Her gaze sweeps over me. It's taking in the clean jeans, the sweater, and the spotless boots. She's looking at me as if I'm the type of guy who now sits in the office and does nothing to help his employees. I did that on purpose. I wanted to give a good impression to Lyla, to show her how well Super and Spice is doing. What I didn't anticipate was Kayla thinking I'm a dick.

"She's broke." The words are said with moisture in her eyes. "For the last six months she's been hanging on by the skin of her teeth, and it's only gotten worse. The price of everything has skyrocketed, and because you bought the first bakery in Sugar Creek, you obviously have the advantage."

"I wouldn't say that..." I interrupt her.

"Of course you wouldn't. But you did, and the fact you don't realize that says a lot about you, Lincoln. Do you honestly think you'd have all these customers without them being brought to you on a silver platter? If there's one thing I've learned with my husband being in the business field, it's that you have to work hard to get and keep customers, but getting them is the hardest thing. You never had to do that. If you did a survey of the customers who have come into Sugar and Spice, I guarantee you that seventy to eighty percent of them showed up before you were even born, Lincoln. It was never fair to her."

Now I'm getting irritated. "Business isn't fair, Kayla. She left, and I told her she would come back to me, begging for a job. She hasn't yet, but I have a really good idea she needs to. I came here to offer her one so she wouldn't have to ask for it, but you've been an ass since the moment I walked in." I rub my chin to keep my mouth from saying something I can’t take back. "Can you please let her know that there is a place for her at Sugar and Spice, if she wants it? That's all I wanted." I throw my arms out to the side. "My number is the same. She should have it."

With those words, I walk out. I don't need to argue with Kayla. She's not the one I want here, and she won't be able to tell Lyla what to do. As I get into the driver's seat of my SUV, I hope I said enough to get her to call me. If she doesn't, there's not much more I can do for her.