couldn’t peek up at him. Otherwise, she’d lose what little control she had of her emotions and be weeping in his arms. She needed to stay confident. And not give in to the despair that tinged the edges of her life. “I need to find my sister.” She rose and started to leave, but stopped and faced him. “Thanks, Sam.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Exactly. That was exactly what I needed right now.” She pushed through the swinging doors to the kitchen where she found Megs sitting on a stool and staring at the floor. “Hiding?”
“No.” Her sister glanced away, wiping at her eyes. “I needed a moment alone.”
Kelly noted the empty kitchen and sighed. “There was always something going on back here. It doesn’t seem right to see it like this. Cold ovens. Empty trays. There’s no warmth without her.”
“You know Gina, right? My cashier? She asked me this morning if we’re closing the bakery. And I’m sure the other baker Tom is wondering the same thing, too.”
Kelly frowned. “What? No. Not possible.”
Megs rested her chin on her fist, leaning on the marble work counter. “I don’t know how to run a bakery. I’ve been working next to Grammy for twelve years, but I don’t know the first thing about what she really did. I know her recipes. I know the rotation of the menu. But the business side of things?” She gave a shrug. “Nothing.”
“You know more than you realize.” Kelly approached her and took her hands in hers, then flipped them over to expose her sister’s wrist. “Your veins are filled with butter and cream because this bakery is your life. Grammy always said to find your passion and this is where it is.”
Her sister looked up at her, eyes shining with fear and something else. Doubt?
Megs let her hands drop to her sides. “Is it?”
Kelly hated to see her sister like this, full of worries and second-guessing herself. How could someone so talented with flour and sugar be so insecure in her future? This wasn’t the Megan she knew. “The reading of the will isn’t until tomorrow, but we both know she’s going to leave you this place.”
“It’s not that simple.” Megs rose to her feet and straightened her dress. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”
* * *
SAM GLANCED BEHIND MEGS, looking to see if her sister would be joining her. She gave him a soft smile. “Searching for someone?”
He frowned. “Who?” She eyed him until he sighed. “It’s not what you think. I’m worried about her. That’s all.”
“If you say so.”
“You know, Addy always said Kelly was beautiful, but I assumed she was being a proud grandmother. Puffing her up so I’d like her, you know?” He ran a hand over his jaw. “But she’s more than what I expected. I’m uncertain as to what to do about her.”
“Well...she’s my sister.”
“Right.” He leaned in closer to Megs and dropped the volume of his voice. “She’s gorgeous. And it’s got me rattled.”
Megs wrinkled her nose. “Gross.”
“Come on, you’re my best friend. If I can’t talk to you about this kind of thing, who can I talk to?”
She peered at him, then broke into a smile. “You’re trying to distract me.”
He put a hand on her shoulder. That had been part of it. “Did it work?”
“Maybe a little. It may sound weird, but I still wish Grammy could be here to see this. She’d be so grateful, and probably taken aback by everyone showing up for her.” She collected a couple of empty coffee mugs on the table closest to them. “I’ve got to get back to playing hostess.”
She started to walk away, then glanced back at him. “I think the lawyer told you about the reading of the will tomorrow?”
Zac Hall, the family lawyer, had approached Sam at the funeral home and mentioned that he would need to be there, since Grammy had named him in her will. Not that she owed him anything or that he deserved it. “Which doesn’t make any sense. Why do I have to be there?”
“Just remember that Grammy wanted what was best for all of us. And that includes you, too.” She paused to watch Kelly behind the glass pastry cases, handling a new box of tea bags. “Tomorrow is going to change a lot of things around here. I hope we can still all be friends at the end of the day.”
She rushed over to a table at the far side of the bakery, and he was left confused. What in the world was that all about?
* * *
KELLY COLLECTED THE last of the china tea cups and brought the full tray into the kitchen where Megs was washing and placing them on the rack next to the sink. Her sister had told her that Grammy had meant to replace the old dishwasher, but had never gotten around to it. Now she never would.
Kelly grabbed a dish towel and started drying the cups and other dishes, and stacking them neatly on the standing carts. They worked in silence until every bowl, fork and last cookie tray was put away.
Megs gave her a soft smile, collapsing onto a stool. “Glad that’s over.”
“It’s been a long day.” Kelly yawned and rolled her shoulders, trying to ease away some of the tension that seemed to have lodged there.
“More like a long three days.” Megs pulled her hair off her neck and twisted it into a knot on top of her head. “We could have a late dinner at the diner before going home.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Megs stood and grabbed up a cleaning rag. “Nah. Me, either.”
Kelly stretched her arms above her head and gestured to the front of the bakery. “Sam’s almost finished sweeping out there. He said he’d mop, too. I don’t know where he’s got all this energy after a day like this.”
Megs wiped down the last counter then turned to her. “I told Gina and Tom that we’ll reopen Saturday at four a.m. I need one more day before we attempt normal life.”
“Everybody understands that.”
Megs flicked the rag back and forth. “The longer we stay closed, the less money the bakery brings in, which means the less available to pay my employees. And our suppliers.”
“And you said you don’t know anything about running the business.”
“I’m serious.” Megs slowly ran a hand down the clean counter top. “I won’t lose the bakery because Grammy isn’t here anymore. I’ll do everything required to keep it going.”
Now that sounded like the Megs she knew and loved. “So take a small-business class or something. Get educated so you can manage it all better.”
Megs bit her lip, looking hesitant. “You think I could do that?”
“Doesn’t the library offer things like that? Or the community college?” Kelly took out her phone and started the search app. “I know they’ve got stuff like that online at least.” She found one course and held the phone out to her sister. “You can do it on your own time at your own pace.”
Megs took the phone and read the screen, then gave a shrug. “What own time? With Grammy gone, it’s all on me. I won’t have time to breathe much less take a class. I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can.” Kelly walked over to her sister and took her phone back, slipping it into one of the front pockets of her apron. “You can do anything. Especially if you have help.”
Her sister stared at her with undisguised skepticism. “Who’s going to help me?”
Kelly took a deep breath and pointed at her chest. “Me.”
Megs laughed