Chapter 9 : Unwanted Questions
839 Words
Daniel Carter hated bakeries.
Specifically, this bakery.
Because every time he walked into Sweet Haven, he left feeling worse than when he arrived.
Today was no exception.
Tamara was standing behind the counter organizing order forms.
She didn’t look up when he approached.
Which somehow hurt more than if she had glared at him.
“Hi.”
“Hello.”
Polite.
Professional.
Distant.
Daniel hated all three.
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
Tamara continued writing.
“You proposed to another woman.”
Daniel winced.
Fair.
Very fair.
Across the bakery, Mia looked up from her coffee.
Like a shark sensing blood in the water.
“Do you want me to fight him?”
“No.”
Daniel sighed.
“Does she ask that every time?”
“Yes.”
“The offer remains open,” Mia informed him.
Emily nodded.
“It really does.”
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
This was becoming a nightmare.
⸻
Three days later.
Guy Harrison was trying very hard not to think about Sweet Haven Bakery.
Unfortunately, his efforts were failing.
Not because of the bakery.
Because of its owner.
Which was significantly more annoying.
He was halfway through reviewing contracts when Chloe entered his office.
Without knocking.
As usual.
“You seem distracted lately.”
There was that word again.
Distracted.
Guy was beginning to dislike it.
“I’m working.”
“You were staring at the same page when I walked in.”
Silence.
Chloe smiled.
The smile of someone who had just proven a point.
“I heard your bakery vendor is doing well.”
Guy looked up.
“My bakery vendor?”
“The one you’ve visited personally.”
Interesting.
So people were talking.
He should have expected that.
“What about her?”
Chloe sat down gracefully.
“Nothing.”
Which meant absolutely something.
Guy had spent enough years around powerful people to understand that.
“Chloe.”
She smiled.
“I simply find it interesting.”
“What?”
“You rarely take an interest in people.”
There it was.
The real conversation.
Guy leaned back.
“She’s a vendor.”
“Of course.”
Chloe’s smile never wavered.
Which somehow made it worse.
⸻
That afternoon, Sweet Haven received good news.
The gala proposal had been officially approved.
Emily screamed.
Mia screamed louder.
Tamara regretted telling them immediately.
“We got it!”
Emily was practically bouncing.
“We actually got it!”
Mia grabbed a cupcake.
“This calls for celebration.”
“You celebrate everything.”
“Correct.”
For the first time in weeks, hope felt possible.
The gala wouldn’t solve every problem.
But it would help.
And right now, help was enough.
⸻
The celebration lasted approximately twenty minutes.
Then Daniel arrived.
Again.
Mia didn’t even look up this time.
“Still no.”
Daniel stopped walking.
“I haven’t said anything.”
“You were going to.”
Fair.
He was.
Tamara set down her clipboard.
“Daniel.”
Something in her tone made him pause.
Not soft.
Not angry.
Just tired.
And somehow that hurt the most.
“What do you want?”
Daniel looked at her.
Really looked at her.
The flour on her apron.
The exhaustion beneath her eyes.
The determination she carried everywhere.
For years, he’d assumed she’d always be there.
Waiting.
Believing.
Loving.
Now he wasn’t so sure.
“I miss you.”
The bakery fell silent.
Emily froze.
Mia slowly lowered her coffee.
Tamara stared at him.
And for one terrible second, Daniel allowed himself to hope.
Then she sighed.
A quiet sound.
Almost sad.
“I wish you had missed me sooner.”
The words weren’t cruel.
That was the worst part.
They were honest.
Daniel looked away first.
Because he couldn’t bear seeing the truth reflected in her eyes.
⸻
That evening, Harrison Holdings hosted another gala planning session.
Most attendees had already left.
Only Guy remained.
Reviewing final details.
Or pretending to.
A file sat open in front of him.
Unread.
His attention wandered.
Back to the bakery.
Back to Daniel.
Back to the strange tension that seemed to exist whenever the man appeared.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
“Come in.”
His assistant entered.
“You asked for background information on all gala vendors.”
Guy nodded.
Standard procedure.
Nothing unusual.
The assistant placed a folder on the desk.
“Sweet Haven Bakery is on top.”
Of course it was.
Guy opened the folder.
Business information.
Financial statements.
Operating history.
Nothing surprising.
Then a loose document slipped out.
A newspaper clipping.
Small.
Unimportant.
Or so it seemed.
Guy picked it up.
His eyes narrowed.
The article wasn’t about the bakery.
It was about a charity gala held three weeks ago.
A high-profile engagement announcement.
The accompanying photograph showed a smiling couple.
The man looked familiar.
Very familiar.
Guy stared at the picture.
Then at the name beneath it.
Daniel Carter.
Slowly, he sat back.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because suddenly…
A few things started making sense.
- Writer
