Faith bent low, her glasses perched on the end of her nose, moving a tiny paintbrush with confidence. “Let’s hope it tastes as good as it looks. By the way,” she nodded toward a pile of crumbs that had once been a cupcake, “your baking is amazing. They’re fluffy and moist. The best I’ve had in ages.”
Pleasure suffused her, and Megan hoped her blush wasn’t as obvious as it felt. “Thanks. They’re nothing fancy, but I adore cupcakes.”
“Nothing fancy?” Faith put the finishing touches on her butterfly and straightened. “Do you have any idea how much people would pay for cupcakes like that?”
Megan shrugged. She’d never tried to sell them. The bakery she’d worked at hadn’t been the right place, and she’d had nowhere else to trial them.
“I’m serious,” Faith continued, her hazel gaze direct. “These babies aregood. Have you decided whether you’re staying in the bay?”
“Please stay,” Brooke chimed in. “We’d love to have you here.”
Megan wet her lips. “I’d like to,” she began cautiously, “but I’m not sure how things will play out yet.”
“You’re welcome here for as long as you need,” Kat told her, and excitement fizzed through her insides. It had been a long time since she’d experienced this level of kindness from anyone outside her family.
Faith placed the butterfly atop the frosting. “If you do stay, you should consider joining me at The Shack. I’ve been looking for a business partner to help me expand for ages, but I haven’t found the right fit. I think you and I would be dynamite together, and your cupcakes are just the thing to pair with my ice creams.”
Wait. Hold up. Was Faith asking what she thought she was?
The pulse in the base of Megan’s neck thrummed wildly, and all of her senses heightened. She could smell the sweetness of the fondant, the tartness of strawberries, the sharp aroma of alcohol. Tilting her head to the side, she watched the woman’s lips move.
“Are…” Her voice came out high and squeaky. She was so thrilled she couldn’t speak properly. Taking a breath, she tried again. “Are you asking me to be your business partner?”
Faith bit into an unfrosted cupcake, her eyes closing as she savored the taste. When she swallowed, she replied, “Yes, I suppose I am.”
Megan grabbed the counter for support. The invitation was everything she’d never been brave enough to admit to herself that she wanted, but as soon as she embraced the possibility, she heard Charles in her head, reminding her—as he always had—that her cupcakes were nothing special and she should aim higher. Or not aim for anything at all, and be content to play second fiddle to him for all her life.
Screw him.
“Thank you, that sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I’ll think about it.”
“Tee would like it if you stayed,” Brooke added slyly.
Embarrassment churned in her gut when she realized how badly she wanted Brooke’s words to be true.
“Butt out,” Kat admonished. “It’s not our place to interfere with anyone else’s love life.”
“Now that you mention it, he did seem quite taken with her,” Faith said, and Megan wished the floor would swallow her up. Despite that, a secret corner of her heart wanted them to continue. Could she dare to believe that Tione was interested in her romantically?
Don’t get ahead of yourself.
“I don’t think there’s anything to it,” she said, even as disappointment soured her stomach. “He’s just being nice to me out of pity, and because I help him cook.”
Brooke rolled her eyes. “Tee has never been nice to a person out of pity. That man does and says exactly what he likes.” She paused for a moment, then added, “And he likes you.”
“Come on, Brooke. Stuff a cupcake in your face and leave the poor girl alone,” Kat ordered. She turned to Megan. “Can you show us how you piped the frosting into roses like that?”
Resisting the urge to wipe her sweaty upper lip, Megan latched onto the distraction with gratitude. “It’s super easy. If you all gather round, I’ll demonstrate.”
19
When the lightsin the kitchen flickered off, Tione put the dogs to bed—with the exception of Pixie, who he tucked under his arm—and left the cabin. He’d been keeping an eye on the women, because for some reason, he was nervous on Megan’s behalf. He wanted the evening to go well for her.
He entered the lodge through the back entrance and traipsed down the hall to her door, where he knocked softly. He heard shuffling in the bedroom, then the door opened and she blinked up at him, a big smile on her face.
“Hey,” she said, her eyes dropping to Pixie. She petted the dog’s head while Pixie squirmed and tried to hide her face in Tione’s t-shirt. “She’ll warm up to me eventually.”
“Don’t hold your breath. She’s a territorial little devil.”