Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“He’s not wrong.” I wink at Ryan and take a bite of my own piece. “Heather never misses.”
“God, I love the smell of this place.” I inhale deeply as I saunter into The Sugar Studio the next morning to pick up the cookies that I’ll set out for customers today. “Jackie, I swear, I gain ten pounds just from walking in here.”
“It’s worth it,” Jackie replies with a wink.
She’s a pretty blonde woman with bright blue eyes and a happy smile, and she’s always dressed in her white chef’s coat. How it stays so pristinely white, I have no idea. Even after she’s been in the kitchen for hours, she looks fresh as a daisy.
“I have to try one of these.” Jackie sets the big tray of strawberry biscuit cookies on the counter, and I pluck one out and take a bite. The cookie melts in my mouth. It has just the right balance of tart and sweet, with a crumbly biscuit, and I close my eyes in delight. “Marry me, Jack.”
The other woman giggles and secures the plastic wrap on the end.
“This is a fun summer cookie,” she says. “And they’re not messy, so people won’t eat them and then make a mess of your pretty clothes.”
“Yeah, I thought of asking you to do a s’mores chocolate chip for fall, but no. Too messy. I don’t need melted chocolate and marshmallow on everything.”
“If you’d like to switch it up now and then, I thought we could do some key lime cookies this summer, too.”
“Holy hell, yes. That sounds great. Thanks, friend. Add it to my tab, if you don’t mind.”
“I never mind,” she assures me and waves as I walk out of the bakery and down the block to my own shop, where Katie’s already inside, hanging pretty blue, pink, and sage-green helium balloons on racks, making the place look extra festive.
“I poured the lemonade into a pretty pitcher,” she informs me and gestures to the sideboard, where it’s already set out next to a bucket of ice and disposable cups. I arrange some of the cookies on a pink plate and then store the rest down below.
We’ll replenish all of this throughout the day.
“Thanks, Katie.” I grin over at her and smile at her yellow sundress and brown sandals. She’s paired the dress with a brown belt to match the sandals, and her hair is teased into a bun that’s anything but messy. “You look extra pretty today.”
“Thanks. I’m excited about the big reveal.” She joins me behind the checkout counter. “Where do you want me today?”
“Help customers, refold things as they get messed up—all the usual things.”
“Sounds fun to me.”
The door opens, and I’m thrilled to see that my first customers of the day are my closest friends.
Summer, Erin, Millie, and Abbi hurry in, with excitement written all over their gorgeous faces. All four women are business owners in Bitterroot Valley, and we’ve become tight, especially over the past year.
“This. Is. Fucking. Amazing.” Millie blinks, and her eyes wander across the room, as if she doesn’t know where to look first.
“So gorgeous,” Abbi agrees. “Polly, this bathing suit is adorable, and I hate bathing suits.”
“Oh, but you have the best curves for it,” Katie says, and we all turn to her in surprise. “Sorry, but she does. That suit is made for curves for days, and we have the best cover-up to match it.”
“She’s good. You’d better keep her around,” Erin says to me with a grin and pulls me in for a hug. “How are you?”
“I’m relieved that it all got done in time,” I confess and can’t help but smile as Summer pulls a blue top off of a rack and holds it up to her. “You’re our first customers.”
“That was on purpose,” Summer replies. “First, because we love you and wanted to see everything.”
“And second, because we wanted first dibs,” Millie finishes for her, making me laugh.
“Well, help yourselves to lemonade and cookies.” I gesture to the sideboard. “And if you want to try anything on, go right ahead.”
“I’m going to be here for a while,” Erin decides, her arms already full of clothes.
“Can I start you a room?” Katie asks her.
“Yes, please.”
More women shuffle in. Some are tourists, who have their husbands and kids in tow. The cookies and lemonade are a huge hit, and we’re out of both by midafternoon.
I make a mental note to ask Jackie to make six dozen rather than four. Seeing the smiles on the customers’ faces is totally worth the expense.
Not to mention, I swear it makes customers more at ease and puts them in the mood to shop. It’s the best thing I ever started doing when I opened this store. It’s a gesture of friendship.
When we’re nearing the end of the business day, Ryan walks into the shop and strides over to me with a big grin.