Page 4 of Autumn Wishes and Pumpkin Kisses

“I’ll keep you posted. Let me know once you’re settled honey,” she says, with a sigh.

After that we say our goodbyes, I climb out of my truck after driving around the block four times waiting for a parking space to come available. Warbee’s bakery has become one of the hot spots of Blue Ridge. I’m so proud of her and it’s not surprising. She’s always been an amazing baker. It’s her passion and I’m so glad that after everything she’s been through that she gets to come to a job she loves every day.

That thought is still lingering in my mind as I pull the door open to the bakery. The smell of fresh apples, pumpkin and coffee brewing invades my senses. It’s like walking into heaven. However, Warbee is behind the counter looking stressed. Her glasses are perched low on her nose and her red hair is slipping out of the messy bun. Her clothes are covered in flour and chocolate and she looks like she’s on the verge of tears. Maybe, I spoke too soon.

FOUR

Keefer

I head towards the counter, concerned about why Warbee looks so distraught, but before I manage to reach her, she disappears behind her swinging doors that lead into her kitchen. I’d follow her, but I don’t want to break any health code rules. Instead, I get in line and wait, hoping she’ll come back out to the front soon. She doesn’t, but luckily Capri, Warbee’s assistant manager, is standing behind the counter when I reach it. “Oh my, you’re back!” she squeals with delight. Capri is definitely different from most around these parts. You can tell she isn’t from around here. Her hair is constantly changing. Today, it’s platinum blonde with cotton candy pink streaks, French braided at the scalp before being piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Her large, oversized glasses are mint green to match her nose hoop. Multiple earrings glisten under the lights of the bakery from her multiple ear piercings. Her signature attire seems to be on as well, band t-shirts, ripped up jeans and Vans or Converse. She smiles and her whole face lights up. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t often wondered what her story is. Capri is a joy to be around once you get to know her. At first, though she’s withdrawn and quiet. It makes me wonder if there’s a reason for that. I know the gossip musketeers are busy for a while. Her looks alone are enough to turn heads in this small town.

“I am. It’s good to see you, Capri,” I give her a smile and pull my baseball hat from my head. “Is everything okay? Warbee seemed distraught when I came in.”

Capri’s seafoam green eyes dip with sadness. “Yeah, it’s just been a day. We lost out on a really big wedding. Warbee had her heart set on making a cake for it. The design was amazing, too, but the couple went with someone more...up to date.”

My eyebrows pull together. “What do you mean, up to date?”

She scans the area and realizes we have a lot of curious ears listening in, the one thing I didn’t miss about being in a small town. “Jolie, will you watch the front please.” Jolie rushes over and takes her place behind the register, and I move off to the side where Capri leans over the counter in the corner while pouring me a cup of coffee. Sometimes I’m convinced she can read minds. “So, there’s a new bakery in town. Well actually, it is a restaurant, but they have a bakery as well. Anyways, the couple went with Sip and Smack to make their cake instead of us.”

“Sip and Smack? What the hell kind of name is that?” I ask. That just sounds dumb. Who wants to go around their wedding announcing that a bakery by that name made their cake. Are they crazy? Capri shrugs her shoulders. “Okay, I still don’t understand the up to date comment.”

“Well,” Capri sighs. “They went with Sip and Smack because they have a website and they could easily view what they had to offer. With us, they had to come in and talk face to face and apparently, they didn’t want to do that. It’s thrown off Warbee’s whole day because Fran, the one that opened the Sip and Smack, had to make a point of coming in here first thing this morning and rubbing it in Warbee’s face.”

My mood instantly goes into protective brother mode. Warbee and I have been friends for as long as I can remember and as far as I’m concerned, she’s my little sister and no one messes with her like this. “Am I breaking any rules if I go into the kitchen and see Warbee?”

Capri smiles and shakes her head. “I don’t see any harm in it. Have at it,” she tells me, as she motions for me to come around the counter.

I don’t hesitate as I grab my coffee and head towards the swinging doors. Warbee is the only one in the kitchen. Her red hair is in a neat ponytail now, but her small frame is hunched over a bowl of batter. I can tell losing this wedding cake has really affected her. “Hey, Bee,” I tell her.

She jumps slightly at the sound of my voice. When she turns around to face me, I notice the batter and flour covering her apron, streaks of flour are in her hair and on her face. Her glasses sit on the tip of her nose, barely hanging on and her eyes are rimmed in red. My heart flips over in my chest at this sight. “Keefer! You’re back!” Warbee attempts to give me the most enthusiastic welcome that she can muster, but it’s not much. I walk over and pull her into my arms. “Oh no, Keefer you’re going to get flour and batter all over you.”

I shrug while laughing off her concern. “So, it’ll wash out. Right now, my best friend needs something to take her mind off everything.”

“Rocker already tried.” Warbee turns back to the batter and gets the pans ready. Rocker is Warbee’s fiancé. They were high school sweethearts, but she let him go so he could chase his dream of becoming a professional football player. He actually did see that dream come true, but his career was ended early when one of his knees suffered a career ending injury. Afterwards, he returned to Blue Ridge and took a job at the local high school as the head football coach. Warbee happened to be filling in as the cooking teacher and their paths crossed, giving them a second chance and the rest is history. I’m sure Rocker would be here right now to help turn Warbee’s mood around if he could, but it is the middle of the football season, so that’s not possible.

I drape my arm around her shoulders. “Well, he’s not me. Besides, I have an idea so finish this up then come join me.” My stomach growls loudly. Warbee looks up at me, her eyes wide. “Clearly, I need to eat something. I have yet to buy groceries.”

“Well, I got you covered. Have Capri grab you whatever you want...on the house,” Warbee adds.

She knows I’ll never accept ‘on the house’ from her. As I head back out into the bakery, I see the line is still steady. Capri appears at my side. “Any luck?”

“I’m still working on it. Can I skip the line and get one of those apple cider muffins?” Apple cider has always been my favorite. I’m not sure anyone knows that, but any time that Warbee makes apple cider anything I have to try it. I know that she’s known for her pumpkin flavored treats but something about apple cider reminds more of being home than anything else.

Capri smiles at me. “Just one?”

I shrug. “Maybe, a couple.”

“Coming right up.”

Capri hands me a candy apple red, small plate with two large apple cider muffins placed on it. They are dusted with cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. The smell of fresh apples feels my nose instantly and my stomach tumbles over and over on itself. Quickly, I make my way through the tables to the far corner, near the hall of fame wall. Warbee created the hall of fame wall right after she took over the bakery from her grandmother. I think it was her way of keeping up with Rocker and his career without having to admit she was doing it for herself. The wall mostly consists of Rocker and... Teaganne. My heart aches as I see a picture of her. It must be recent. She’s standing at the end of a runway, surrounded by models. It must be from one of her fashion shows. Teaganne stands out against all of the women around her. She’s still the most captivating woman I’ve ever seen. Her tall, curvy body is dressed in a skin tight black pant jumper with a red lace blazer over it and red heels on her feet. Her hair is still long and as black as night, straight and hanging over one shoulder. Her dark eyes are rimmed in dark eye makeup and her nude lips allow her smile to truly shine. A few diamonds in her ears and around her neck glisten under the runways spotlight. I’m lost in the picture when Warbee pulls out a chair across from me. “Apple cider muffins?”

Her question brings me back to reality. “Yeah, I had to go with something different.”

“I hope you like them,” she says quietly. This whole Sip and Smack thing has really brought her mood down. Normally, Warbee is one of those, see the silver lining in everything, she seems to have lost that today.

“I’m sure I’ll love them but first explain to me what happened with the Sip and Smack and this wedding cake that has you so upset…” Reluctantly, Warbee explains the situation. Capri’s explanation is basically the same as Warbee’s. I’ve already inhaled both muffins while Warbee talked. They were amazing and I make a note to grab a couple more before I leave. “I have an idea, Bee.”

She takes her glasses off and lays them on the table while pinching the bridge of her nose. “What’s that?”

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