Page 8 of Bittersweet

Savannah laid a hand on her arm. “Hey, you know I think working with his company would be a great opportunity for our shop, but you’re my best friend, and I will support whatever you decide. If you don’t feel you can work with him, I will understand.”

“Thank you for saying that.” Harper squeezed Savannah’s hand. “Wish me luck.”

Savannah gave her a smile. “Take deep breaths. You do deserve answers, and once you know … well, you’ll know, and I’m sure you’ll feel better about everything.”

“I hope so.”

Harper walked out to her car, climbed inside, and set the cupcake box on the passenger seat. She breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm the shaking of her hands and the nerves that had settled over her body. The worry that this conversation might not end well was overwhelming. What if she didn’t get the answers she needed? Or what if she found out the truth and it made her feel worse?

Fear almost sent her running back into the comfort and security of the shop, where she could get lost in creating sweet treats. She didn’t have to think about anything there but what shade of icing to use, what shape of cookie cutter, what flavor for the cupcakes. She could hide behind the mixing bowl, coming up with new combinations of ingredients for the morning muffins.

But she couldn’t always hide safely away from her thoughts, no matter where she was, especially when something sparked a memory in her. In this moment, that something was a UPS truck.

The brown truck pulled up to the curb across the street just then. Harper watched as the man dressed in all brown stepped from within, carrying a couple boxes into a nearby business.

Just the sight of that man had her remembering the knock on the door days after Logan left. The box UPS delivered to her that day contained a cake decorating set with pastry bags, tips, and a cake stand. Along with that box came a card, wishing her a happy six-month anniversary.

But it didn’t end there. For five more days, the man in brown had showed up on her doorstep with a new box in hand—one for each month she and Logan were together. There were muffin pans and cooling racks, baking sheets and spatulas, rolling pins and measuring cups. Anything and everything she would need to someday see her dream of owning a bakery come to fruition.

The sixth and final box contained a KitchenAid mixer and a note.

This is just the beginning. You can bake the treats, and I’ll brew the coffee. Side by side. I can’t wait to see what our future holds.

I love you forever.

Logan

Harper felt glued to the seat of her car, staring across the street at the UPS truck until the man returned, revved the engine, and left. She took a deep breath in and out and started her car, driving in the direction of Logan’s food truck, trying to ignore the rapid drumming of her heart.

Remembering those stupid deliveries had her reeling, but also made her more determined than ever to know why he had left. It hadn’t made any sense. For days after the boxes had arrived, she’d waited for him to show up on her doorstep and tell her that him taking off without a word was a mistake, that he was never leaving her again. But he never came. If he’d loved her so much, how could he leave her like that? Why couldn’t he have picked up the phone or answered one of her texts and explained himself? What had she done wrong?

She turned onto the street where his truck had been parked yesterday, only to find he was no longer there.

Fudge!

She slapped her steering wheel. “Fudge! Fudge! Fudge!”

Savannah might know how to get ahold of him. She dialed Savannah’s cell number, which went straight to voicemail, but hung up before the beep. She thought of calling the shop, but Savannah didn’t usually answer after hours and she might have already gone home for the day.

Tears of frustration burned her eyes, but she shook them off. This was ridiculous. She would not cry. Instead, she remembered his website and brought it up on her phone, tapping the contact number there. Her palms began to sweat with each ring.

“Hey, you’ve reached Bittersweet, bringing you the best coffee around.”

She listened to the sound of his voice, not paying attention to the words he was saying, until she heard the beep.

“Uh … yeah, it’s Harper. I think we should talk. Give me a call back as soon as you can.” She spouted off her phone number and address and hung up.

Her mind raced. Should I have given him my cell phone number? Maybe I should have told him to call me at the shop. And did I just tell him my home address? She shook her head, feeling a little scattered and crazy, and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel.

What is wrong with me?

She couldn’t let him get to her like this anymore.

5

Logan couldn’t bring himself to call Harper. Not that night. And not the next.

His biggest hesitation was the worry that she would tell him to get lost, which would be a perfectly legitimate reaction given the circumstances. He’d known rejection was a possibility when he’d asked Wendy to reach out to their shop, but he had hoped he’d at least get a chance to explain.

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