Page 25 of Forgetting Rafe Thomas
“Learned from the best,” I admit. “Aunt Tress made me work the coffee machines every summer from the time I was thirteen, so it’s like second nature.”
“I actually didn’t know that. I thought you started in high school as an after-school job.”
“Oh no,” I say and shake my head. “By then, she had me helping her prep in the back, cleaning equipment, and doing inventory, on top of running the coffee machines. I could run that place if I needed to.”
“Do you think any of the guys will want to take it over one day? What about Wilder?” She voices aloud what we’ve all wondered at some point or another. What will happen to Sweet and Salty when Mom, Aunt Tress, and Uncle Dominic decide to retire?
I shake my head again. “No, he’s still determined to remodel that old warehouse into a real restaurant. I’m not sure what will happen to the bakery when they retire. None of us are really interested in taking it on, and neither are our cousins, so…” I end with a shrug.
“That’s actually kind of sad.” She stares into her coffee, thinking, but she doesn’t say what’s on her mind. All I can do is stare at the raven-haired love of my life, sitting here with me, talking to me. Maybe Silas is right. Maybe they all are. It’ll work out as long as we let God lead. He’s going to have to, to be honest, because I am at a complete and total loss as to what to do next.
Luna looks up from the coffee with watery yes. She blinks and tears roll over her cheeks and onto the countertop.
I plop my mug onto the counter and round it so I can hug her. “What’s wrong?” I ask as she falls into my arms. I half expect her to be stiff, barely accepting my show of affection, but instead, she melts into me. Her arms link around my waist and she clings to me, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what went wrong. One minute it was a lovely morning, and now she’s almost bawling.
“Luna, talk to me. Did I do something wrong?”
She shakes her head and buries her face in my chest. “No,” she sobs.
“Then what is it? Do you not want to go on the hike?”
She giggles this time and looks up at me with red-rimmed eyes. “No, Rafe. It’s not that either. I was thinking about the bakery and all of the memories we have there, and the thought of it not existing someday justgotme.”
“So, you’re crying about a bakery closing that isn’t closed and probably won’t close for a long time?” I ask, just to clarify, because I’m kind of dense sometimes.
“Yes!” she says and scrunches her nose at me. “Where will people go to get caffeinated and filled with advice?”
“Well, probably the same place. I’m sure they’ll sell it to someone as a whole business, and those people will probably continue to run it as a bakery, considering it’s basically a landmark in Coldstone Creek.”
“No, absolutely not! It won’t be the same.” She pushes off my chest and wipes her cheeks. “It won’t be Sweet and Salty. It’ll change names and décor, and your mom won’t be there, and your aunt and uncle and Miss Rose won’t be there. It won’t be the same, and Coldstone Creekneedsa Sweet and Salty. It’s like you said. It’s practically a town staple!”
She is very determined about this, but considering my mother loves her bakery, I highly doubt there is cause for so much concern. However, Luna seems to have forgotten all about hiking and has fixated on the fate of my family’s famous store.
“We can’t let that happen. Right? I mean, everyone has memories there. Tell me a single person in that town who doesn’t have an amazing memory that took place at that very shop.” Her hands are on her hips now, which is both bad news and good news. The bad news is that she has totally derailed our day, which on the surface doesn’t seem like a big deal, but deep down, I know this fixation will lead her into a spiral of stressand anxiety I would like to avoid if possible. I don’t want my girl to feel that way, and time is running out for me to avert this situation and keep us on track for agreatday.
But on the other hand, it’s good to know that my family still means so much to her. And the memories she’s talking about include me. However, it’s not enough reason for me to let her go down this path of destruction until she’s sobbing about a future that isn’t carved in stone, making herself sad and puffy-faced.
“Luna, I can promise you that my parents will figure it out when the time comes. For all we know, they won’t retire until they have grandkids who are old enough to want to take it over. It’s not like there is a retirement cap for bakery owners. They can do what they want. Just look at Miss Rose. She’s practically running her own section of it, and I don’t see her slowing down anytime soon.”
She bites her lip. “I guess that is a possibility. And it’s true about Miss Rose. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Right. And even though Wilder is working on that restaurant, there is always the possibility that he might take Sweet and Salty and hire a manager to run it. I’m not sure what will happen.”
Her lip starts to tremble again. Like this, vulnerable and sweet, she’s like a child. No, not exactly like a child, but it’s the same softness and pure innocence a child has when something they love is in jeopardy. And it makes me say something completely, totally stupid.
“What if you’re wrong though? What if something happens and they decide to up and sell it to some…somestranger?”
“I doubt they would do that, but if it means that much to you, I’ll buy it for you. I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to it,” I say. Lord help me, I don’t know how I’d run a bakery and design apps and games at the same time, but if it’s what she wants, I’ll find a way. Even though I don’t see it happening for a long time. I hope.
Luna stops sniffling. She stops crying. Her lips part and she blinks a few times, clearing her vision. A small huff of breath escapes her lips before she says, “You would do that for me?”
Um? Yes? I thought I had established with this trip that I would do anything for her, but clearly, once again, my intentions seem to have been lost in translation.
“Luna, I would do absolutely anything for you. It’s always been that way, and always will be, even if I’m terrible at letting you know that.”
She swallows hard and wipes her cheeks. “I’m so silly. I’m crying over the sale of a bakery that hasn’t happened, and like you said, probably won’t for a long time.”
I chuckle and relax a little. “To be fair, I do understand where you’re coming from.”
