Chapter 17 : Cracks
617 Words
The next morning, Tamara regretted opening her email.
Immediately.
⸻
There were twenty-three unread messages.
Three customer enquiries.
Two order confirmations.
One event reminder.
And—
Three overdue payments.
⸻
She closed the laptop.
Then opened it again.
As though the numbers might have changed.
⸻
They hadn’t.
⸻
Sweet Haven Bakery wasn’t failing.
Not yet.
But it wasn’t thriving either.
And the difference between those two things felt smaller every month.
⸻
“Morning.”
Emily appeared carrying coffee.
Tamara accepted it without looking up.
“You’re doing the thing again.”
“What thing?”
“The staring-at-financial-documents-and-losing-the-will-to-live thing.”
Tamara sighed.
“The gala needs to go perfectly.”
Emily’s smile softened.
Immediately understanding.
Because they both knew why.
The gala wasn’t just another event.
It was money.
Exposure.
Future bookings.
Breathing room.
And right now…
Sweet Haven desperately needed all three.
⸻
Across town, Guy Harrison was trying very hard not to think about Tamara Joseph.
Unfortunately…
He was failing.
⸻
The engagement announcement lingered in his mind.
The look on her face.
The hesitation.
The sadness.
⸻
Whatever had happened between her and Daniel Carter…
It had left scars.
⸻
Guy disliked scars he couldn’t understand.
⸻
Which was ridiculous.
Because her past wasn’t his business.
⸻
Yet somehow…
He found himself thinking about it anyway.
⸻
That afternoon, a black SUV pulled into the bakery parking lot.
⸻
Mia looked out the window.
Then frowned.
“Oh no.”
Emily immediately joined her.
“What?”
“Rich people.”
Emily gasped.
“Which one?”
“Unknown.”
The bakery had become deeply dysfunctional.
A moment later, the front door opened.
Not Guy. It's Daniel Carter.
The disappointment on Mia’s face was immediate.
“Wrong rich person.”
Daniel chose not to respond.
Mostly because he valued his sanity.
⸻
Tamara looked up from the counter.
“Daniel.”
His smile appeared automatically.
A habit.
An old one.
Then his gaze landed on the dark circles beneath her eyes.
The exhaustion.
His smile faded.
“You look tired.”
“Good afternoon to you too.”
The response would’ve made him laugh once.
Now it just made his chest ache.
Because she used to tease him.
Constantly.
These days she barely let him close enough.
“How’s the gala preparation?”
⸻
Tamara hesitated.
Just briefly.
“Fine.”
A lie.
Daniel recognized it immediately.
He’d spent years learning her expressions.
Learning her tells.
Learning when she was pretending.
And right now…
She was definitely pretending.
“You’re worried.”
“I’m busy.”
“Tamara.”
She sighed.
Long.
Tired.
⸻
“The bakery is fine.”
The answer arrived too quickly.
Daniel’s expression changed.
Because people rarely defended things that weren’t under attack.
Later that evening, after Daniel left, another familiar figure appeared.
Guy Harrison.
Again.
At this point, even Tamara wasn’t surprised anymore.
The bell above the door chimed.
Guy approached the counter.
Then stopped.
Because sitting beside the register was an open folder.
A financial statement.
Tamara reached for it too late.
Way too late.
He’d already seen the red numbers.
The overdue notice.
The words FINAL REMINDER.
Silence.
⸻
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Tamara closed the folder.
“Don’t.”
Guy blinked.
“Don’t what?”
“Whatever you’re about to say.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then—
“I’m not going to say anything.”
The answer surprised her.
Because somehow…
She believed him.
⸻
Guy’s gaze remained on her.
Steady.
Thoughtful.
Not judgmental.
Not pitying.
Just…
Concerned.
Which was somehow worse.
Because concern was dangerous.
Concern made people ask questions.
And right now…
Tamara wasn’t sure she could afford the answers.
- Writer
