The Bachelor Baker

“Oh my, yes. All the shrubs and plants around this place were ones she put in.” He carried on, telling Brian stories he knew by heart. With each story Brian heard the love and pining in his voice for this place that held so many memories.

He should move back here.

The thought settled into Brian’s mind with a certainty he couldn’t shake off. But he wouldn’t say anything yet. Not until he figured out exactly how he could support them if he stayed.

He watched his grandfather walk back up to the house, pausing at the orchard and smiling. Then he carried on, reaching out to touch the shrubs lining the driveway, stopping to stoop over a blooming dahlia, looking up as crows danced and darted on the gentle wind.

He belonged here. That much Brian knew.

You could take that job in the bakery. Then he could stay.

Brian cringed at the thought, but at the same time the idea wouldn’t leave him. His options were growing narrower and narrower.

He blew out a sigh, his practical mind fighting with the vision he’d had of his life. Never, in any iteration of his thoughts and dreams, had working at a bakery been part of that.

Even as he sorted things out, he sensed with each passing minute he edged closer to the decision he couldn’t avoid.

Behind all of those thoughts came another chilling one. He would be working with Melissa.

Who would be his boss.

Chapter Three

Brian stood in front of the bakery early Saturday morning, hands planted on his hips as he looked at the gold swirly logo on the window. This was it. His last chance.

As he pushed open the door, his mind flashed back to the last time he was here.

“You could use the money.”

Melissa’s words still stung but the problem was, she was right and that was why he was here.

He swallowed his pride and stepped inside the bakery, a buzz above his head announcing his arrival.

He glanced around the inside, his eyes ticking over the wooden shelves covering the wall to his right. They were filled with loaves of freshly baked bread lined up haphazardly, as if someone was in a rush to put them out.

The glass cases to his left held cookies, squares, cupcakes and stuff he didn’t even recognize but figured he would soon.

A movement in the back of the bakery caught his attention and then, there was Melissa, wiping her hands on a towel, a welcoming smile on her face.

That faded when she saw him.

Great beginning, he thought.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice polite but cool.

His throat closed off as the words stuck, but he forced them out.

“I need to talk to you. About the job.”

Melissa frowned, her head tipped to one side as if she wasn’t sure who he really was.

“If it’s still available, that is,” he added.

“It is. For sure.” She wiped her hands a bit more, then laid the hand towel aside. “When can you start?”

As if he had anything else going in his life.

“Now.”

She hesitated. “As in right now?”

“I thought you needed help.” Dread clutched at his stomach.

“I do. I do...” She caught the side of her lip between her teeth, as if thinking.

“Did someone else get the job?”

“No. Not yet. I have to talk to Mr. Eversleigh yet.”

Brian wasn’t sure what that was about, but he was surprised at his relief.

“I can start Monday if you prefer,” he said.

“No. May as well start right now.” Melissa brushed her hands over her apron and gave him a polite smile. “Come into my office and we can get some of the paperwork out of the way and get you started.”

Brian fought down his hesitation.

It’s only until something better comes along, he reminded himself.

Once that happened, he was out of here.

He followed Melissa into the office, feeling as if the walls were closing in on him. She sat down and pulled some papers out of a drawer.

“Fill these out. Let me know when you’re done and we can go over the basics.” Her words were clipped and Brian suspected she was about as willing to hire him as he was to work here.

Oh, this was going to be fantastic.

But he only nodded at her, then took the pen she handed him and started filling in the blanks.

Ten minutes later he was done. He left the papers on the desk and walked to the back of the bakery.

Melissa was dumping some flour into an industrial-sized mixer. She looked up when he came in. “Done?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

Great conversation. This was going to be just swell.