The Sweetheart Deal

“So we’ll Google it and put one together.”

“And the application is like twenty pages long.” She sniffed. “And it’s Adam Hawkins. I don’t exactly have the best history with him.”

“A lot can change in twelve years.”

She was probably right. Megs was glad she’d made that rule about not bringing up the past. Why rehash it?

Then, why hang on to it?

Okay, her conscience had a good point. Adam seemed to have gotten past all of that, and she needed to, as well. Just bury those memories away. Let it go. Move on. And every other cliché she could think of. “Yup. It’s for the best. Time to forget and—”

Her sister chuckled. “I didn’t say forget. I mean, he was a bully who hurt a lot of people. But he seems to have changed, so that’s all over with.” There was a pause. “Right?”

It was over, all right. Because there was no way that Megs was going to let him humiliate and hurt her or anyone she loved ever again. “Right, Kel.” Her phone buzzed, and she checked the caller ID on her car’s console. “That’s Mom. I’ll be home in about ten minutes.”

She switched the call using the buttons on her steering wheel and took several deep breaths. Talking to her mother was easier now that they had established a relationship as adults, but she couldn’t forget the abandonment. “Hi, Mom. Where are you today?”

Her mom chuckled. “Megs, I’m not exactly a globe trotter. Still in Florida, though Stan is talking about moving on to Arizona where it’s drier. Better for his asthma.”

Megs frowned. “Stan? I thought you were with Michael.”

“His kids didn’t like me much, so there you are.” Her mom was suddenly silent on the other end. “Listen, sweetie, I heard about the Sweetheart. Are you going to be okay?”

How? Lake Mildred, Michigan, was a long ways from Florida, but obviously the local grapevine extended that far south. “I’ll be fine. I met with the bank manager to discuss getting a loan to rebuild the bakery.”

“Can you afford that?”

“I can’t afford not to.” Because the option of doing nothing was unthinkable. “Unless you have some money you could lend me.”

Her mom laughed, but it sounded false. “Oh, sure. Let me send you a check for twenty thousand. Will that work?” Another pause. “You know if I had anything, I’d be the first to be sure you had enough.”

Her mom had never been one she could depend on in a crisis. She’d always turned to her dad, then Grammy after he’d died. They’d been the steady, strong ones in her life. Not her mother. “Thanks anyway, Mom.” Megs turned down the street where she lived. “I’m almost home, so I’ve got to go. Have fun with Stan.”

“Oh, I will.” Then her mother was gone.

Megs ended the call by pressing a button and gripped the steering wheel. It was time to start depending on herself. Time to do something different. Be something different. She could be strong on her own. Do it all herself.

But first, she’d have to research what a written business plan required.

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_11c092df-5857-5729-8f28-237e4968a9c1)

THE LIGHTS FROM the cabin lit the way for Megs and Kelly as they walked carefully over the icy path, balancing several boxes of pastries and cookies as well as two loaves of sourdough bread. Kelly glanced behind them. “I’ll get our overnight bags after we put all this inside.”

Megs kept her eyes forward, skirting around a patch of ice. “Why we have to hold this girls’ weekend at a remote log cabin is beyond me. Why not a spa or the casino? Just because Jack has the room for all of us under one roof...”

“I think this will be fun.” Kelly giggled and walked faster to the front door. “How many did you say will be here?”

“Depends. Every year is different.” She paused before the top box could slide off the two others and land in the snow. “I doubt Suzy will be here since she has the baby. And sometimes people bring friends and... Maybe ten?”

They had finally reached the front door. Megs used her foot to knock since her hands were full. “Open up or none of you get any treats.”

A woman in a hoodie and sweatpants answered the door. She turned and yelled into the cabin, “Dessert is here. The fun can begin.” She took two boxes off Megs’s load and held the door open for them. “Penny is setting up all the food in Jack’s kitchen. Megs, you know the way.”

“Thanks, Shelby.” Megs stepped inside the cabin. The front room was a large open space connected to the kitchen and boasted huge windows that looked out into the woods surrounding it. She led the way to the kitchen and smiled at Penny, a friend since high school. “Hey, you made it this year.”

The older woman shrugged. “My husband decided that he could live without me for a weekend.” She gave a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Tell me you brought those chocolate things I love.”

Kelly set her load on the countertop. “If they’ve got chocolate, then yes she made them. She’s been baking all week for this.”

Penny opened a lid and took out a mini éclair and bit into it. “You’re a genius, Megs. Honestly.”

If only she could convince Adam of that. She still had the application sitting on top of her dresser, waiting for her to work on that. And the business plan. She should have been doing that rather than baking for the girls’ only weekend. But she had priorities. She looked around the room. “Where is everyone?”

“I found some old photos in the study and they’re having a look at those. There will be cries of laughter any minute now, Jack wasn’t the cutest of babies.” Penny’s brother lent them the cabin for their girls’ weekend every year despite his sister’s constant teasing. Penny smirked. “Those pictures probably won’t help get him married off any time soon, I’m afraid.”

Kelly’s eyes lit up, and she left to join the other women. Megs chuckled. “So didn’t need to know that about my accountant.”

Penny shrugged and continued getting the food set up for their first evening. Megs reached for a container and stacked crackers on a plate. “Everything okay? You look a little pale.”

“Nothing this weekend won’t help.” She started to clear her throat and turned away from the food. “Sorry. Smoker’s cough.”

“I thought you gave that up.”

“It comes and goes. Right now, it’s my nasty habit.” She turned and looked at Kelly, who had brought in their overnight bags. “You warn your sister about this weekend?”

Megs raised one eyebrow. “And ruin my fun? I don’t think so.”

Penny laughed then started to cough again. “I really gotta quit for good this time.”

Megs put her hand on her friend’s arm, then walked into the living area where a fire had been lit in the wood-burning stove. The mulled wine was already in the pot on top of the stove. She took the wooden spoon resting on a shelf above and gave the wine and fruit a stir. The front door opened, and she greeted Lizzie Allyn. “You’re off work for the weekend?”

“Didn’t want to not participate in the shenanigans again.” She pulled her wheeled suitcase inside and placed it near the pile with the others. “Did I miss anything?”

“Just baby pictures of Jack.”

Penny and Shelby had started the girls-only weekend a few years ago. And each year, the festivities got bigger and louder. Friday night was mulled wine and catching up with everyone. Saturday meant hiking with canteens of wine, a huge dinner, then a pajama fashion show and board games. Sunday was a big brunch after sleeping in late. Megs rarely took a weekend off from the bakery, but it was always this one. She wouldn’t dare miss the party.

Kelly walked back into the living room. “Here’s a picture of Rick, our now illustrious mayor, with Jack mooning the cheerleaders.” She chuckled. “I forgot about that. It’s amazing what the years can do to your memories.”

“I was there, and trust me, I’d rather forget it.” Penny carried the platter of cheese and crackers into the living room and placed it on the coffee table. “Seems we’re all here if we want to get this party started.”

Shelby returned to the living room followed by Lizzie, Suzy, Page, Tori and Presley. “Now that roll call’s been taken, I’m starving. Is it all ready?”

“Yes, no thanks to you.” Penny brought over a tray of mugs and balanced it on the seat of a chair from the dining room. “Would someone like to serve the wine?”

Since she was standing near the stove, Megs did the honors of ladling the hot spiced wine into the mugs and distributing them to each woman. All but Lizzie. “I can’t.”

Conversations stopped as the group turned toward her. Suzy asked what they were all thinking. “Why, Mrs. Allyn, are you pregnant?”