Page 18 of The Cinnamon Spice Inn (Maple Falls #1)
THIRTEEN
MADISON
Kit and Madison spent the rest of the afternoon experimenting with different recipes and developing a menu. When Kit left just before five, Madison felt energized.
Working in the kitchen made her feel alive.
She could already picture the menus—printed on thick linen paper with gold leaf accents.
The menu would always be seasonal, and Kit planned to rotate offerings monthly, plus daily specials offered with a variety of diets in mind.
Madison loved where Kit’s heart was—just like Madison, she wanted to make sure everyone felt welcome at the Cinnamon Spice Inn.
“Alright there, Madison?” her father asked as he walked into the dining room just as Madison was reimagining the space.
“There you are. I was hoping you’d pop in so you could meet Kit.
She’s an amazing chef and has some brilliant ideas for the menu that are going to be a hit.
We’re going to turn the Cinnamon Spice Inn into a dining destination—you have my word on that.
” Madison could see it all, and she was ready to run with it.
“I don’t know, that seems like a lot of work.”
Madison knew her dad cared about the inn; he just couldn’t see the future the way she could. He’d been in survival mode for far too long.
“Not more than we can handle. We just need to remodel a few things, redo the ceiling, obviously. Some fresh paint, change the lighting a bit. I can see it, Dad, and it’s beautiful. And besides, it’ll be fun.”
Or, at least, it would be if Zach Whitaker wasn’t going to be involved in every last stroke of paint. Madison ignored the heat that thought triggered. She didn’t want him stroking anything . And she definitely didn’t want to see his frustratingly handsome face every time she turned around.
She didn’t need to be reminded of what they’d once had—and lost. And she sure as hell didn’t want to be reminded of that fantasy.
But the inn needed her.
“Trust me, Dad. I want to do this. Mom would have loved it,” Madison added.
That softened him just a bit.
“You think so?” he asked.
“I know so. We’re just going to need a little bit of help,” she added, refusing to keep thinking about Zach. “Speaking of which, where is everybody? I know Maurice retired, but where’s Barry? Monica?”
George looked away. “Had to let them go. Money… Besides, Monica wanted to spend some time in Florida with her sister, and you know Barry spent half the day napping.”
Madison smiled. That was true. Barry had been “retired” when Madison left, but he still worked around the inn, napping in the corner chair and assisting guests with their luggage when they needed it. “True, but guests loved him. Does he want to come back?”
“Well, now, he might’ve said something about it at the hardware store last week.” George put his hands in his pockets.
“Alright, ring him up. See if he’ll start back next week. I know we only have two rooms booked?—”
George sucked in a breath.
“Wait, we do have rooms booked, don’t we?”
“Not right now. But I’m sure it’ll pick up with folks coming into town for Christmas,” George said.
There it is , Madison thought, that Kelly family stubbornness. She knew exactly where she got it from. But now wasn’t the time for pride. Now was the time to get things done.
“Or it might not, and you know that. I know you do.” Madison softened her voice. “You’ve worked too hard to have the inn go down like this.”
“I suppose that’s true…”
“It is true. Just let me fix it up a bit, make it shine again. For Mom, for all of us.”
George stared at her for a long moment, the proud stubbornness in him warring with the quiet pride he still had in the inn.
Finally, he exhaled and cracked a smile. “Alright then. What do you need me to do?”
Madison grinned. “You get to keep doing what you do best, making people feel at home and taking care of the animals our guests will love. Now, it’ll take a couple of weeks to get the dining room up and running with our new chef and menu launch.
” Madison was mentally targeting Halloween.
“In the meantime, I have pastries being delivered and I’ll stop by the café to see about offering food that guests can order on demand for the time being. ”
Madison mentally added creating a menu for the guest rooms to her growing to-do list. She pictured a little chalkboard by the front desk, listing the day’s pastry flavors—warm apple turnovers, buttery croissants, thick frosted cinnamon rolls—free for guests to grab with their morning coffee.
She was going to make the inn feel welcoming again—one cozy bite at a time.
“Right-o. Guess I’ll leave you to it, then.”
George turned to leave just as Madison got another idea. “Actually, Dad, there is one thing I could use your help with right now.”
“Oh?”
“Outside, the fencing, around the animals. It’s a bit loose in some places. I’m worried Honey and Biscuit might get out.” Highland cows running down Oak Way would be a very bad thing.
“Oh?” Her dad perked up. “I’m sure Cocoa and I can tackle that.”
“Perfect.” She leaned forward and kissed her father’s cheek.
It had been quite a day, but Madison was too keyed up to go to her room and crash. It was only five-thirty on a Friday evening, and she was itching to go out and do something. She’d call Jo, but her best friend would give her an earful—weekends were the busiest time for restaurants.
She could go for a walk around the lake.
The leaves had turned a magnificent display of reds and oranges as if they were on fire, and she knew there’d be the sweet scent of cinnamon-roasted almonds in the air from the street vendor.
But when she glanced out the window, she realized it would be a rather short walk.
The sun was already sinking low, painting the horizon in striking golds and rich purples.
And honestly, relaxing wasn’t what she wanted. She needed to fill up every minute with activities so she wouldn’t end up replaying every charged glance, every accidental touch, every memory of Zach that seemed determined to break through her defenses.
“You keep biting your lip like that, and you won’t have much left,” Gram said, entering the room.
“Sorry, I think I’m just a little restless,” Madison confessed.
“And I think you need to get freshened up and hightail it to the tavern. That’s what I plan to do,” Gram said.
“You’re headed to the Kettle tonight?”
“Sure am. Got a hot date with Hank.”
“Hank? You mean Mayor Bloomfield?” asked Madison, her eyes widening.
“Don’t look so shocked. He’s been sweet on me for years. Besides, I promised Liam I’d buy him a drink.”
Madison shook her head. She wasn’t about to stay home while her grandmother went out.
“If you hurry and get cleaned up, you can come with me. I’m heading down around seven.”
Madison debated for a few moments longer.
“Stop thinking about it and just go get ready. Put something nice on. Hank’s got a grandson I might be able to fix you up with,” Gram teased.
Madison hurriedly shook her head and Gram chuckled. “I kid. You should see the look on your face. Honestly, I think you need to go out more than I do.”
Promising she’d be quick, Madison went upstairs to get ready.
It wasn’t going to be easy to go to the tavern, given the last time she’d been there all those years ago, she’d taken a blow harder than she could ever have imagined and left with a broken heart.
But Zach’s comment about her “running away” had stuck in her mind.
How dare he judge her, how dare he make fun of her?
He was wrong. She wasn’t afraid of him, of the pain in her past. She was different now, stronger, more confident.
And she deserved to go and have a night out with her old friends.
Don’t overthink it. Just get dressed and go , she told herself.
But of course, she did overthink it and she did get cold feet. Which was why she found herself standing in the middle of her room, staring at her phone like she didn’t fully trust it.
She hadn’t texted Emily in… years. Sure, they still technically followed each other on social media, trading the occasional like on birthday posts or pictures of pets and new jobs. But it wasn’t the same. Not like it used to be.
Back then, Madison could walk into Emily’s kitchen without knocking. Emily and Zach had been a package deal. Her best friend for years and her boyfriend for just as long. They’d grown up together, then Madison had left and let it all slip away.
Emily should have been furious with her. But she hadn’t been. And if Emily could hug her in the bakery like no time had passed, Madison owed it to her, and herself, to try.
She took a breath and tapped out a quick message.
Madison: Any plans tonight? Thinking about heading out, but not sure.
Emily: Liam’s birthday. Didn’t he invite you?
Madison: He did. Just wondering if you were going to be there.
Emily: Me and the rest of the town. It would be great to see you.
Well, that settled that.
Madison would be heading to the tavern.
She slipped into a pair of high-waisted jeans and an oversized cream sweater. Running her fingers through her hair, she fluffed out her curls, then went light on her makeup—just a touch of blush and a swipe of lip gloss. To finish the look, she pulled on a pair of brown ankle boots.
Tonight, she was going out.
Madison wasn’t sure what to expect when she walked into the Copper Kettle, but it certainly wasn’t this.
The place was packed. Laughter and chatter filled the air, mixed with the scent of pizza and all things fried—cheese sticks, French fries, and chicken wings. It was louder and livelier than she ever remembered.
Gram ditched her the moment they stepped inside, disappearing into the crowd like she owned the place. Madison barely had time to process it before Gram reappeared at a long table near the back, surrounded by more familiar faces than she would have thought possible.