“With good reason,” he sighed.
“You certainly stir things up, eh?” she glanced at Nina, then did a double take. “Is that—”
“A good friend of mine,” he said curtly. Mrs. McCallister’s mouth closed, and she nodded once. “What can I get you?”
“Tea,” Patrick said. “And cake.”
Mrs. McCallister rolled her eyes. “What kind?”
Nina smiled at her. “I saw some lavender bread in the display,” she said. “It looks beautiful.”
Mrs. McCallister brightened immediately. “Oh, it ought to, love. Was me Ma’s recipe.”
Nina’s head tilted to the side. “How do you make it rise so perfectly? Mine always fall dead flat.”
“It’s in the yeast. Lager is better than stout.”
Nina’s eyebrows rose in fascination. “Really?”
The women chatted a minute longer, discussing the intricacies of lavender cake, and all the
