Samuel nodded. “Done.”
She blinked. “That easy?”
I studied her, the hint of tension in her shoulders, the guarded look in her eyes.
She wasn’t used to this… being heard, being trusted.
Especially since her last boss was clearly such an asshole to her.
Well, not us.
I didn’t want to make her regret getting mixed up with the people in charge a second time.
Leaning in slightly, I lowered my voice. “You’re smart as hell, Sadie. You think we’d ignore that?”
Her expression flickered.
For a brief moment, the world around us faded, and all I saw was her—sharp, brilliant, beautiful Sadie.
And damn, was I in trouble.
Kai leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, watching Sadie with an amused smirk. “Since you’re full of ideas, do you have a big plan for the festival?”
Sadie blinked. “The festival?”
Samuel gave her a knowing look. “Don’t tell me you forgot about it. Harvest and Hearth…”
She groaned, pressing her palms to her temples. “Ugh. I did. But it’s, like, the best event of the year! The lights, the music, the ridiculous amount of food… I always used to go when I was younger.” Her eyes flicked between them. “Wait. Are you guys running booths?”
I shot her a grin. “Of course. What kind of self-respecting business owners would we be if we didn’t capitalize on a town event centered around food?”
Kai shrugged. “I’m doing a cake stand… miniature versions of my best sellers. I figured it’d be a good way to test out some new recipes too.”
Samuel rolled his shoulders. “Grilled fish. Simple, classic.”
Sadie turned to me expectantly. “And you?”
I smirked. “Meat sandwiches. Big ones. Messy ones. The kind that make people question their life choices halfway through but still finish every last bite.”
Sadie snorted. “That’s very on brand for you.”
“Damn right.” I propped my elbow on the counter. “So, what about you? Gonna come by and sample our hard work?”
She huffed. “Like you even have to ask.”
Kai nudged her knee with his. “You could help, you know.”
She hesitated. “Help? As in… with the food stands?”
Samuel arched a brow. “You think we can handle everything by ourselves? You’ve seen The Foundry on a busy day. Now imagine that, but outside, with triple the people, kids running around, and some overenthusiastic town council member making sure we’re ‘on theme.’”
Sadie bit her lip, clearly considering it. “Well, who would I work with?”
Samuel shrugged. “Now that’s up to you.”
Sadie’s eyes flicked between the three of us, her lips twitching like she was trying to suppress a grin. “Let me get this straight. My options are: making fancy desserts with Kai, grilling fish with Samuel, or assembling absolute monstrosities of meat and bread with you?”
I smirked, leaning in slightly. “Not monstrosities. Masterpieces. My sandwiches are an experience, Collins.”