Page 9 of Meet Me at the Fudge Shop

Sadie tugged on one of Lily’s waves. “You’d never make it as a brunette. We’retooserious.”

Her playful comment twisted something in Lily’s gut. “And that’s my problem, isn’t it? It’s always been my problem.” Turning, she pulled two bowls from the cabinet and scooped pistachio ice cream into each one. “I’m not serious enough.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Sadie gathered two fresh spoons from the rickety drawer that needed fixing. “You’re creative and fun and spontaneous. That’s why we’re such a good pair. You make my life far more interesting. Think about how boring the last ten years would have been if you hadn’t moved out here to live with me.”

“That’s true. Youarepretty boring.”

“I didn’t sayIwas boring.” Sadie made a face and stuck the spoons into the ice cream, then stole one of the bowls and headed for the worn red couch in the den. She gestured around the room, with its bright green accent wall, yellow side tables Lily had rescued from the apartment dumpsters and refinished, and a giant painting of the beach done in retro pinks and blues. “Remember how this place looked when you first moved in?”

Uh, yes, she did. Drab browns and grays. “I thought you hated all the color.” Ice cream bowl in hand, Lily joined her friend on the couch, sinking into the soft deep cushions and propping her feet up on the dazzling blue coffee table. “You said it looked like a paint palette threw up in here.”

Sadie laughed and pushed against Lily’s knee. “You know I just like to tease you. The point is, you bring life and color to all you do, and that’s something I deeply admire about you. So don’t let stupid Oscar try to take away what makes you special. He’s one man with one opinion. Listen to someone who really knows you.”

“And see, that’s why you’re my best friend.”

“Only because you were nice to me whenever I came to visit Gramps and Gran every summer.” She dug into her ice cream. “By the way, have you talked with Dani lately?”

“Not since I visited the island last month. She’s busy with the Tourism Bureau. I told you about her crazy idea about rebuilding the Grand.”

“The Sullivan Hotel? Wow.” Sadie took another bite. “Too bad your family didn’t own an ice cream shop. You could go back to the island and open that.”

“Right. Can you see the scandal?” Her hand ran through the air, like a headline. “Hart Family Fudge gets frozen makeover. My grandparents would roll in their graves.” She finished her ice cream. “No. Florida is where I belong.”

“Please.”

“Seriously. The farthest state away from Declan Kelley.”

“He’s not even in Michigan anymore.”

“Illinois is close enough,” Lily said.

“You’re going to have to forgive him sometime.”

“Eat your ice cream.”

Sadie laughed.

“Unfortunately, ice cream won’t solve my problem.” She set her bowl on the coffee table. “Oscar might be a jerk, but he’s a jerk with a good reputation. Any potential employer will see that I spent the last five years working for him, and they’ll want a reference. Besides, there’s the pesky little thing about not finishing culinary school. Why would an employer even give me a chance when there are a slew of perfectly qualified candidates graduating with honors every year? I’m just a washed-up has-been.”

“Are you tasting what I’m tasting?” Sadie shoved another bite of ice cream into her mouth. A little dribbled onto her white blouse and she wiped it with her finger, licking it off. “You are not washed up. No matter what kind of dessert you’re making, you’re talented and experienced.” She also set her bowl on the coffee table and turned to face Lily. “And okay, so say you’re right and nobody in Orlando will hire you. There’s still a possibility you aren’t considering.”

“And what’s that?”

“I’m not enthusiastic about this option, mind you. But maybe it would make you the happiest.”

“Spit it out, girl.”

“Well.” Sadie absently smoothed her finger along a crease at the top of her black pants. “When you got home from visiting your family, didn’t you say your brother and his girlfriend asked you to reopen Hart Family Fudge?”

“I mentioned why I like Florida, right?”

“Seriously. From what I heard, Declan Kelley hasn’t been back on the island for nearly a decade. I think you can set your defenses at Defcon 3.”

“Maybe.” Lily got up, picked up the bowls. “But yes, Mia asked me to reopen the shop. She was trying to fill the vacancies on Main Street with viable businesses to bring people back to the island. Jonathon Island is famous for its fudge. Or used to be. Plus, they had this crazy scheme to give every new business owner an abandoned downtown home for just one dollar—an enticement to draw people there.”

“That’s really smart. So you’d even get a place to live out of the deal.”

“True. But I told them no.” Because she’d already beenthis closeto getting her own kitchen, to impressing Oscar. Or so she’d thought.

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