Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“We’ll take a dozen. Give us a variety though. Surprises are fun too. Maybe Rose will take time for lunch if a cupcake is waiting for her dessert,” Adam suggested with a meaningful look at Rose.
“We’re always busy in the afternoon. Time just gets away from me,” Rose explained.
Adam narrowed his gaze at her, but he was smiling.
Rose shifted her attention to the Little Cakes employees who were all sitting in a semi-circle around Ellie. She waved a hand their direction. “You’ve got something going on. We can come back later.”
Immediately, Ellie shook her head and assured the couple, “No worries. Come meet everyone. You might know most of them, but I’ll introduce you in case you don’t know all of their names. These are my employee friends and my favorite people who work other places in town,” Ellie shared.
“Hi, everyone,” Rose said with a smile.
“I’m glad to hear you’re having such success. I know how hard it is to start a thriving business. Guess what? This is the posse I told you about that I’d like to bring to Stuff-It.” Ellie paused to lean a bit closer and said, “They’re Littles, too.”
“How fun! I’m looking forward to seeing you all.” Rose smiled at their grinning faces.
“Hi, I’m Riley. I work here at Little Cakes,” a beautifully tattooed woman informed her.
A cheerful blonde spoke next. “I’m Daisy. I hope I’ll get to come with the crowd, but it depends on the day. I own the floral shop just over there.” She gestured toward the window.
“I’m Lark, Ellie’s oldest friend from grade school.”
“I’ve seen your picture on real estate signs,” Rose exclaimed.
“That’s me. Well, me with a lot of makeup, hairspray, and a good photographer,” Lark pointed out.
“I recognize you,” Rose said, looking at the next woman. “You’ve been to Stuff-It.”
“Wow, you have a good memory. I’m Tori.”
“I work here, too. I’m Sue. I’ll go grab cupcakes for you.”
“Thanks, Sue,” Rose responded to the cheerful brunette as she moved behind the counter.
“We’re having trouble finding a time for the group to come visit Stuff-It together,” Ellie said.
“If you want to try to do a private party on a Sunday morning still, let me know and I’ll work it out. But I’d love to see you any time. Beware, it’s super busy right now with the holidays fast approaching. We were closed today due to a water leak in my side of the mall,” Rose explained.
“Did you have any damage?” Ellie asked with a concerned expression.
“None, thank goodness,” Rose answered.
“Yay!” the group cheered.
“I’ll go pay for the cupcakes, Little girl, and then we’re headed home for your nap,” Adam announced.
Rose felt her face heat as he addressed her as a Little. Looking around the assembled group, she saw no negative expressions on their faces. Everyone just nodded to agree with his decision.
Taking a chance, she asked, “Are you really all Little?”
“Yep,” Riley answered for the group. “We’ve been lucky like you to find our Daddies. They all make us nap and take care of us. That’s what Daddies do.”
Adam’s return kept Rose from having to respond. She smiled and waved as her Daddy escorted her out of the bakery.
“We’ll come see you!” Ellie called before the door closed.
Looking over her shoulder through the large window, Rose saw everyone wave goodbye. “I liked them,” she told her Daddy.
“Me, too. Now, home and nap.”
“But I’m not tired,” Rose protested, smothering a yawn.
“Don’t lie to Daddy,” he scolded her.
“Sorry.”
Rose was quiet for a few minutes before adding, “Maybe a short nap?”
“That’s my good Little girl,” he praised.
Walking into Stuff-It the next day, Rose celebrated that everything seemed to be okay in her store. She’d tried not to worry but the concern had lingered in her mind as she enjoyed her free time with her Daddy. Expecting to be overwhelmed with business, she set up the cash register and restocked everything so they wouldn’t have to scramble for supplies.
The back door closed with a slam, scaring her. No one was supposed to be here for another hour. She rushed to the door leading into the back section of the store and laughed.
“Larisa! You frightened me. What are you doing here so early?”
“Hi, boss. I knew you’d be here and need some help getting things ready for the day. Is it okay for me to clock in early?” the dedicated employee asked.
“Definitely. Thanks for coming in!”
Rose headed back into the shop to continue her preparations. After a few minutes, Larisa joined her and made a few alterations to the window display. “I posted on social media that the gold tiger was the stuffie of the day. I added some fun facts about tigers and included a picture of an empty body waiting to be filled and taken home.”
“That’s not usually the bestseller for the holidays,” Rose pointed out. “We have a ton of them in the back.”