Page 38 of Spicy or Sweet (Wintermore #2)

NOELLE

An electrical fault. That’s all it took to turn The Enchanted Bakery to ash—one little electrical fault, likely caused by a leak after the storm we had the night of the wrap party. It’s a reminder that everything is so fucking fragile.

At least my insurance is paying out.

Rebuilding the charred remains is going to take months, if not longer.

Shay and I considered waiting and funneling all our energy into rebuilding so we could open a bigger bakery with a bigger kitchen space, but neither of us wants to go so long without baking.

We’ll fix it up eventually, but for now, we’ve cleared everything out and closed off the main floor.

Shay and I decided to take a risk by keeping most of The Enchanted Bakery’s staff, and they’ll work out of the basement kitchen, which is still in perfect condition, thanks to the expensive-ass fire door I invested in when I first renovated the bakery.

According to Quinn, that fire door is the reason the fire didn’t make it into the stairway—that door is probably the reason Shay and I are still alive. Worth every penny.

My apartment is also unscathed, and we hired a company to come in and professionally clean it and the basement kitchen of any ash and smoke residue. Technically, I’ve been free to move back in for weeks. But, by some unspoken agreement, neither Shay nor I has brought it up.

We’ve barely stopped working since we set an opening date for our new—shared—bakery, but I don’t mind working all the time when it’s something I’m genuinely excited about. And when I get to do it with her.

Physical labor aside, the whole process has been surprisingly easy.

I expected it to feel like a mountain when Shay and I sat down to list everything that was important to us, but we were completely aligned.

She mostly wants to work out front in the café, interacting with people, but still wants to take on custom cake orders and help out with decorating where needed.

I want to work in the back, developing new recipes, and, like Shay, work on custom orders.

So, we turned her kitchen into a custom-order kitchen, and most of the staff staying on from The Enchanted Bakery will be working on the bigger batches of things for parties, mail orders, and the café itself.

Gracie will be handling the bulk of our admin, we’ve promoted one of my bakers to kitchen manager, and we have a couple of bakers who’ll be working with us in the smaller kitchen.

Perhaps most importantly, Shay and I will never be more than twenty feet away from each other while we’re working together. It’s the perfect setup.

I lean against the counter and watch her straighten the star on top of the tree in the window.

Right now, it’s a Christmas tree, but Shay insisted that, if we’re leaving it up year-round, we have to update the decorations seasonally.

As long as there’s Christmas lights, I’m not complaining—and there are a lot of Christmas lights in here.

Wintermore can be pretty dreary in the cooler months, but with the flick of a switch, tens of thousands of Christmas lights glow and twinkle all over the ceiling.

We painted the ceiling a pretty pale yellow, and, inspired by Shay’s locket, painted a gold letter to represent all of the people who helped us get where we are today: my parents, Felix, Rora, my uncle Henry, Sunny, Nico, and Georgie.

And at the center of the ceiling, in a swirly heart, Shay freehanded: N + S.

If you didn’t know they were there, you’d never spot them.

“How does that look?” Shay asks, peering over her shoulder.

“Perfect, sweetheart.”

She smiles, dusting her hands off on her apron and crossing the café toward me, pausing every other second to straighten a chair or wipe a completely crumb-free table.

“Quit fussing. Everything is perfect,” I say as she reaches me. I pull her into me, sliding my hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “And the line of people waiting outside is going to think so, too.”

Her eyes widen. “There’s a line?”

“There’s a line,” I confirm. “Why don’t you get everyone out from the back, and I’ll go and let them in?”

Shay nods, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before heading for the door that separates the café from the kitchen.

“Love you, by the way,” she calls over behind herself, disappearing before I can reply.

I walk toward the front door with a wide smile and nothing but excitement for our new chapter.

It’s funny to think that three months ago, I dreaded this walk every morning.

I saw the lines and felt my heart sink, because I knew it meant I’d be rushed off my feet all day and wouldn’t get to bake.

Back then, I had to force myself out of bed every morning and drag myself downstairs.

Now, I wake up in Shay’s arms, usually when Croissant decides it’s time for his breakfast and demonstrates by whacking our faces with his paws.

Now, I see the line outside and feel proud of the bakery Shay and I have built together, not alone, but with my family and our team.

Now, I know I’ll be leaving at a reasonable time, with the woman I love, and taking at least two days off a week, because I’m not trying to figure everything out without asking for help.

I guess fall really is the season of change.

I unlock the front door and pull it open, ready to greet our first visitors—my parents, naturally. There’s never been a time when they weren’t first in line for something me, Felix, or Rora was doing.

“Welcome,” I say, stepping back, but my dad sweeps me into a hug.

“Proud of you, kiddo. Always, but especially today.”

My mom tugs him away, which is just as well, because I’m not above crying. Rora and Uncle Henry follow, and Sunny is wearing a T-shirt, hand embroidered by her dad, with our new bakery logo on it.

“Future employee of the month right there,” I say, tapping her on the nose, before turning to greet the next person in line.

Of course, I know everyone here. This is the town that raised me, that supported me when I sang “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in the Christmas pageant when I was nine, and when I opened The Enchanted Bakery last year, but they’re not just congratulating me on opening the new bakery.

“This looks amazing, Noelle. You and Shay have outdone yourselves.”

“Wow, you can really see the perfect blend of both of you in here.”

Mayor Blackwood gives me a small smile as she approaches. “I don’t know what to congratulate you on more—the bakery, or Shay.”

“Both make me pretty happy, but Shay is my favorite.”

“I take full credit for bringing you two together,” she says, and I don’t bother hiding my laugh.

“I’d expect nothing less, Mayor Blackwood.”

Her gaze rakes over me. “Really, Noelle. You’ve both done amazing things for this town. And I think you’re probably old enough to call me Angela.”

Surprised, I return her smile. “Thank you. Angela.”

We both wrinkle our noses. “Too weird,” I say, and she agrees, heading into the bakery with a wave.

It’s amazing how many people have shown up for us, but it’s the tall figure that hovers at the back of the line, approaching only when there’s no one else left, that I’m happiest to see.

“Hey, Nico,” I say. I step outside because the café is bustling, and that has to be overwhelming for someone who spends all their time on a mountain with only dogs and wildlife for company. “It’s good to see you again. I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Hi,” he says. His lips lift in a strained smile, but despite how different his haunted expression is from his sister’s, I see so much of Shay in him.

He looks older than her. His eyes are a darker gray, his hair and beard dark brown, but they have the same sharp nose, almond eyes, and thick lashes.

He holds his mouth in the same way she does, and he stands with his head tilted left ever so slightly, exactly like Shay.

“This is amazing,” he says, gesturing to the bakery. “I can’t believe you pulled it together so fast.”

“It’s been a surprisingly smooth process,” I admit.

“Still, it looks good. I’m happy for you. Both for the bakery, and for you and Shay.”

“Thanks, Nico. I’m happy for us, too.”

Speak of the devil, I hear footsteps coming toward us, and I know before she speaks that it’s Shay.

“You made it!”

She hugs him, and his face softens as he hugs her back, making him look ten years younger.

“This is incredible. You did good,” he tells her when they break apart, and her face lights up.

“Thank you.” She wraps her arm around my waist, almost like she needs to steady herself.

Nico clears his throat, looking at his shoes.

“I made you something. Both of you.” He reaches into a bag I hadn’t noticed and pulls out a carved wooden boat.

“Shay told me about your picnic on the boat—she sent me a couple of pictures, and I thought it’d be a nice memory for the two of you to have,” he adds, shifting uncomfortably.

The boat is maybe ten inches at the most, and I gasp as I take in the details. Two figures, sitting across from each other, with a tiny cat sitting between them. How he’s managed to make everything so clear and detailed when it’s so small, I have no idea.

“That is… Holy shit. I don’t even know what to say.” I shake my head in disbelief at how beautiful the carving is. It’s wild that such a large man who looks like he wrestles bears for fun created something so perfect, so delicate.

“It’s amazing, Nico. You really do blow me away,” Shay says, sounding a little choked up.

“Thank you,” I tell him, as he presses the boat into my hands. “It’s… Wow.”

“It’s nothing,” he says, and I get the feeling he might turn around and bolt if we don’t wrap things up.

Shay must notice too, because she changes the subject. “Do you want to come in and get something to eat and drink? I know it’s busy, so it’s totally fine if not. I can bring something out for you.”

“No, I want to see it. I’ll be fine.” He squares his shoulders, and Shay blinks, surprised.

“Alright. Well, after you.” Nico walks on ahead, and I breathe a sigh of relief when Rora and my uncle Henry meet him by the door. I know they probably know him better than anyone in town, besides Shay.

I start to follow, but Shay holds me back.

“Hey. Can we just stay here for a second?” she asks. “I feel like I haven’t had time to take it all in.”

“I know, right? It’s so busy. A good busy, though,” I add, wrapping my arms around her and resting my chin on her head.

“A very good busy.”

We both stare up at the shop sign, quietly taking it all in.

“Who would’ve thought,” I murmur. “You and me.”

“Me and you. We build something pretty amazing, mon délice,” she says, and I know she’s not just talking about the bakery.

“I love you, sweetheart. I’m so happy we get to do this together. I’m so happy we get to have a life together.”

She turns in my arms so she can stand on her tiptoes to kiss me. “Me too. I love you so much.” She takes a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s head back in there.”

We walk hand in hand back into the bakery, our bakery, and I glance up at the sign one last time as we pass under it:

SPICY OR SWEET

Thank you for reading Spicy or Sweet!

I hope you enjoyed Noelle and Shay’s love story.