Page 49 of Meet Me at the Fudge Shop

Lily dusted off her hands and turned to Declan with a triumphant grin. “Guess I was right.”

“About what?”

She came closer and lowered her voice. “Onlysomewomen find the Top Gun look attractive.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Her eyes sparked.

“Just that those women took you for a sucker. Look.”

Kerry and Blondie were already standing from their stools as they wrapped their fudge in napkins and stuck it into Kerry’s purse. When they noticed Declan and Lily’s eyes on them, Blondie had the decency to smile sheepishly. “We thought maybe we should have lunch before trying this fabulous fudge, so we’re gonna eat at the café across the way. We’ll be back to make a purchase though.” With a wave, they slipped out the door and headed across the street to Martha’s.

“They are definitely not coming back.”

“You have such little faith. I’m choosing to believe.” Lily stuck her nose in the air and started humming as she refilled her platter with fresh samples from inside the display case on her side. It was much fuller than Declan’s—he’d only had yesterday to make fudge, while she’d had several days to build up a stockpile—but since they’d opened this morning at ten, she’d only made a few sales next to his twenty.

And don’t get him started on her record-keeping system—an old-fashioned receipt stake next to the register compared to his integrated accounting program on his tablet.

He should just let it go. Let her fail. That was what he was here for, to beat her.

But she’d shown him how to make fudge. And without her doing that, there would be no competition.

Declan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can I give you a tip?”

“I’d rather you not, unless you mean the legal tender sort.” She held out her hand for the cash.

“It’s not.” He stared at her a moment. “It’s business advice.”

“Now you’re going to wave that big MBA around?”

“It isn’t like that. You helped me. I’m trying to return the favor.” Declan pointed towards her sample platter. “You’re giving away too much.”

Lily crossed her arms. “I want them to know what they’re getting. It’s only fair.”

“Sure, but you’re giving away enough to fill them up, to satisfy them. Give them just a little taste. Enough to make them want more. To tease them.”

As if mocking his words, her vanilla scent reached out, hit him. He cleared his throat, moved back to his register. Pretended to dust off his iPad. Stared at it for a moment. Turned back to face her. “The point is, Lily, you’ve got excellent fudge. You’re really talented, and I would hate to see you not reap the rewards simply because your business tactics need a little tweaking.”

She winced and turned away. What had he said? But before he could ask, the door opened again and Dani Sullivan stepped inside. A tall man wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes walked in beside her.

“Hey, guys!” Dani said. “How’s it going?”

“Great!” Lily’s cheer was back as she greeted her friend. “First day officially open and we’re already making sales.”

“That’s fabulous.” Like Lily, Dani seemed to have endless amounts of energy, and though just as casual as others on the island in her jeans and T-shirt, she seemed organized. After the mixer two nights ago, she’d already emailed out charts and diagrams of the upcoming Main Street Festival, with a map of the booth, a list of assignments, and an FAQ of all the details the business owners were required to know.

“What can we do for you, Dani?” he asked, eyeing the stranger beside her.

“Oh! Sorry.” She glanced over at the man and patted his arm. “This is Asher Quinn, Terry and Angela’s nephew, who’s looking after their ranch and horses while they’re away on their RV trip.”

Declan held out a hand over the counter. “Good to meet you, man.”

Grunting, the man stepped forward and shook Declan’s hand. He wore scars on the right side of his neck that his beard didn’t fully cover.

“Yes, hi.” Lily came up, smiling.

A lump rose in Declan’s chest to see it directed at Asher. Guess Lily wasn’t the only one jealous.

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