Page 39 of Bake You Mine (Port Fortune #1)

twenty-seven

Aubrey gazed around Petit Chou with an odd sort of wistfulness. The competition was coming to an end.

“You all right, Aubs?” Tom asked.

“I just remembered that we have to make a dish for Port Fortune’s Night Out? I’d forgotten I’d signed up for us to bring a dish.”

Tom tipped a flowing mirror glaze over a chocolate cake. “We should make something simple, but delectable. It’ll be the pièce de résistance when you win this thing, don’t you think?”

“You’re right.”

Tom set the bowl down. “So, the event. You know the brief. It’s an opportunity for the restaurants in town to show off. Small plates, big smiles, or whatever they’re calling it.”

“Maybe mini croque madames?” Aubrey said.

“A total crowd pleaser when you offer it as the savory of the day. They’d be easy to make in mini form for the event.” He walked to the other side of the table and draped his arm around her shoulders. “I have a feeling you’re not worried about the sandwich, though. ”

She tugged on her long braid. “Damn you for knowing me so well.”

“Are you worried about the competition?”

“Yes and no. I’ve done all I can do. If I win, life will be wild, with work starting immediately. If I lose, it might be time for a rethink.”

“Ugh, that kind of vague statement is terrifying. What do you mean?”

“It might be time to shake things up to ensure we stay in business.”

Tom’s face fell, and she waved a hand.

“I’m not saying we’re closing anytime soon. I just worry. And we can’t keep doing the same old thing and expect to stay open forever.”

He exhaled. “We’re already making changes, sweet lady.

We can add more commercial customers, wedding cake orders…

the possibilities might not be endless, but we’ve got many.

” He took a step closer and covered her hand with his.

“Just stop with the doom and gloom, okay? We’re close to winning this thing.

Anyway, how are things going with Liam?”

His question unlocked the genie from its bottle, and she barfed up all her worries on him.

He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. “I won’t lie to you. DC is a different world. So, if that’s where he goes, you two should talk long and hard about it. Heh, long and hard.” He chuckled.

She laughed despite herself. “I just want to know already. Now that I don’t have the distraction of another challenge, my brain is just repeating the same five thoughts on a loop.”

Where were the confident general tactics she’d once admired in herself? She had to focus on the future, not the past.

“Those thoughts are of your own making. You can tell them to fuck off. It’s as easy as that. ”

When she glared at him, he added, “Not that easy, okay, but you’re in control, Aubs.”

She was, but it wasn’t easy to exit the ride while it was still in motion, and she told him that.

“How about you sit back and relax? Worry about what will happen after it does. You’ve never been very good at going with the flow. Enjoy the here and now.”

She rolled her shoulders and shook out her arms. “You’re right. It’s anyone’s game. Enjoy Liam while I’ve got him.” It sounded easy when she said it. The reality was different.

“And, I don’t know, maybe think about having him in your life for the long term?” Tom gestured toward the growing crowd outside, waiting for Pettit Chou to open. “Especially as his mother is right there, huh?”

Aubrey walked into the shop as Samantha and Ella opened the doors.

This time of day was her favorite, the small space full to bursting with customers.

Samantha and Ella filled orders and sent people out into the world happier than they’d been.

Aubrey or Ted would swoop in to help when needed, but they were queens of their domain.

Mrs. Linley entered the store and claimed a table at the back.

Aubrey watched out of the corner of her eye as Mrs. Linley pulled out a tablet and reading glasses. Even though she was lovely, she was another unfamiliar relationship element for Aubrey. Chris’s parents were dead, so she’d never had a mother-in-law.

Once they’d served the initial rush of customers, Aubrey made Mrs. Linley’s favorite, a cappuccino, in a to-go cup and stuck a pain au chocolate and a cherry Danish in one of Petit Chou’s signature pink bags.

“Thank you, Aubrey, dear!” Mrs. Linley nudged her glasses down her nose. “Do you have two minutes to talk? ”

With one glance, Aubrey could tell her staff had everything under control. “Just.”

Mrs. Linley set her tablet on the table and picked up her cappuccino. “So, we’re almost at decision time for this competition, huh? Are you nervous?”

“A little. I’m trying to let go. Whatever will be will be and all that.” If she kept saying it, she’d eventually believe it.

“Que Sera, Sera,” Mrs. Linley began to sing the old song, and Aubrey laughed.

“Yeah, like that.”

Mrs. Linley waved her hand. “We need to have dinner again soon, Aubrey. I know Liam is going over to dinner at your place soon. Maybe we can get together to celebrate after the winner is announced? Because you’ve both won, truly.”

Whatever happened, happened. She couldn’t keep living in a state of anxious fretting. She exhaled a long breath.

“You all right, love? That was one mother of a sigh.”

She leaned over and squeezed Mrs. Linley’s hand. “I am now.”

Liam dropped his elbows onto the counter and let out a groan. “Is it me, or has time slowed down?”

They were in the lull between lunch and dinner, a rare time when the restaurant didn’t have many covers.

While Enrique led the crew with dinner prep, Damon and Liam were holed up in a booth, considering their options. Lacy was their second new sous chef, working along with him. But with a full kitchen, they bumped into each other roughly every 2.2 seconds .

“I have two kids and a pregnant wife at home,” Damon said. “I have no idea about living life in slow-mo.”

Liam straightened up and inspected the preliminary plans Kevin, the architect, had drawn up for renovations.

Brad, the contractor, had given him an estimate of the work.

Gary had proposed a tenant improvement allowance that would allow him to cover some of the costs, like building out the space and other improvements.

But if Liam were going to go through the trouble, he wanted every upgrade on his dream punch list. And those wouldn’t fall under the agreement.

All those bells and whistles totaled over ten thousand dollars over the amount Gary had agreed to.

He didn’t have that kind of cash. As much as he hated to admit it, his plan B was DC. Liam would be the face for Devour’s concept, with them fronting the cash. All he’d lose was a measure of his autonomy.

As if his best friend could read his mind, Damon said, “That reminds me, have you had a chance to review the info Jason Morse sent over?”

“Yeah, I did. All slick and glossy, just like Morse himself. What did you think?”

“I was impressed. Do you have beef with him?” Damon asked.

“Nah, I just…I don’t know. I like what we’ve got going on here, man. I’ll be bummed if we have to move on. Even if part of me misses that big city hustle.”

“Hell, me too. But you know me, I’ve never lived anywhere but Port Fortune.”

“God, this state of limbo sucks,” Liam said.

“Then why don’t you both get back to work?” Enrique called from the kitchen.

“Yeah, we’re tired of sailing the ship, hot chef!” Lacy called.

Liam and Damon exchanged a glance before laughing .

“Alright, alright, enough ball-busting. We’re on our way,” Damon said.

Liam rolled the plans while Damon held out the cardboard tube they’d come in.

“Only a few more days until we know our fate, but that doesn’t mean time stands still,” Liam said. “Our books are full, people love our food, and the rest will be sorted out later.”

“Amen, my friend,” Damon said.

They exchanged a high-five before heading back to the kitchen.