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Leighton pushed forward. “I love Bordeauxnuts. What if I wanted to invest?”

Jamie frowned, trying to follow the thread. “In what way?”

“That new location you’re interested in opening.”

“Wait. What?” She quirked her head to the side. “You don’t have time for a coffee shop.”

“None at all. I would be a completely silent, hands-off partner.”

Jamie blinked. “Then what’s in it for you?”

Leighton stole a moment to formulate a sensible answer becauseshe wasn’t sure she’d organized her thoughts quite yet. “I’m always on the lookout for investments, and I know the bar and enjoy the concept a lot. I like the idea of being a part of something I believe in.”

“And you believe in me?”

Leighton swallowed. They held eye contact for what felt like an important moment. “I do.”

Jamie seemed nervous. “Um. I don’t even know what to say. This is a lot and a little out of left field.” She was speaking rapidly, racking focus to the wall and back. “Can I—”

“Definitely, think on it.” A beat. “But tell that guy no. It’s not the right deal for you.”

Jamie nodded a few times, living in the land of absorption. She placed a flustered hand on her hip. “Are you sure? I mean, maybe you want to think on it, too.”

Leighton knew her answer. “No. I’m actually good. Want to walk out?”

Jamie eyed her like she wasn’t sure what Leighton might do or say next.

She held up her palms. “No ulterior motives. This is not about you and me. Business. That’s it.”

Jamie exhaled. “I believe you.”

“Good.” A pause. “Now let’s get out of here before Jessica’s assistant trots in more planet-sized cookies.”

Jamie held up a finger. “See, that’s not a good reason to leave.”

They shared a laugh in the quiet hallway. But the energy had shifted, and Leighton couldn’t help but feel that this was an important moment for her. She believed in fate, signs, and following her intuition, and that was exactly what she was doing.

“I want you to know you can trust me.”

Jamie arched a brow, inclined her head, and passed her a look that she damn well deserved.

She closed her eyes, cringing. “I know. I heard it the second I said it. But it’s true all the same. You have my word.”

Jamie ran a hand through her dark hair, and it fell back to her shoulders in layers, forcing Leighton to look away. She had trouble not noticing Jamie’s startling beauty, yet didn’t feel it was her place, a devastation that was hers to live with. “Why don’t we take tonight and reconvene tomorrow?”

“We can do that.”

Jamie looked up at the clear night sky. A fire engine wailed in the distance. “But I don’t think I’m going to take the offer for the franchise.”

“Thank you. You deserve better than an off-base pseudo replica shop. It would be the Upside Down version of Bordeauxnuts.”

She laughed. “You do have a way of putting things.”

“I’m serious, Jamie. You’d hate it. You’d walk in and die a little each time. The doughnuts might be cold.”

“The blasphemy hurts to think about.” She stepped closer. “He was planning to get rid of the chalk menu.”

Leighton’s mouth fell open. “Not the chalk menu.”