Page 47 of Sweets and Sycamores
“Keep going. I’m going to start on the croissants,” he said and rounded the table.
“But it doesn’t look like yours.”
“Yet.” Dominic turned to her, empty bowls in his hands. “And I’m not running a bakery for the queen, Allie. Imperfect things have a beauty of their own.” His words echoed into her heart, making her chest feel stuffed with feathers. Dominic was probably just talking about cupcakes, but his words meant so much to her. “Finish those.” He jerked his head toward the five trays of cupcakes waiting on the counter.
Allie got to work. Each cupcake was less wonky than the one before, and after she decorated about thirty of them, she managed to do one that looked almost like her boss’s.
In the time it took her to finish all the cupcakes, Dominic had finished everything else needed for today. Multiple types of bread, croissants, pies, five flavors of macarons, and two cakes of the day. Part of them were already out cooling, while the others were still in the oven, filling the space with a savory smell that left her mouth watering.
Allie surveyed the cupcake trays, noticing how each row looked a bit better than the previous one. She sprinkled them proudly with the pumpkin spice mix Dominic had left out forher. Then she took each tray and arranged them one by one in the display case and the tiered serving tray in the front.
Their first customer was Brandon, who came to get his weekly bread order. He flashed his signature warm, wide smile, walking in with that cheery air about him.
“What’s up with the cupcakes?” he said, tilting his head to the tiered tray on the counter. Allie pouted for a moment, but Brandon’s look was kind and playful. Teasing.
“I decorated them.”
“The door’s right behind you, Brandon.” Dominic’s voice carried from the kitchen.
Brandon snickered then said, “I’ll take two.” Allie packed the two ugliest cupcakes she could find and brought his bread order from the back.
“Are you all set for the wedding this weekend?” she asked him.
“I want to say yes, but last time I did, I got a call from Harper asking me to position the chairs the other way around. For the third time. So I’m going to say, maybe.” He shook his head, still with a smile. “How about you? I heard they had a lot of special requests for the cake and the other sweets. Do you need a hand?”
“We’re fine, Brandon,” Dominic yelled from the back again. Allie smothered a laugh.
“Everything’s under control,” she assured him, handing over his order and putting the money in the register.
“You’re staying for the wedding, right, Allie? As a guest, after you’re done setting up for the bakery.”
Allie nodded. The girls had officially invited her yesterday during lunch, when they had mentioned that everyone working for the wedding was their guest. “Sycamore Falls is just one big family,” Tina had said, and while Allie yearned for a thread of this feeling, her time here was limited. Not enough to becomepart of their family. But she had happily accepted the invitation, which reminded her that she didn’t have a dress to wear.
“Great! Do you have a date for the wedding then?” Brandon smirked.
A blaring, clattering noise of bowls and pans followed by a string of curses carried from the kitchen through the entire bakery. Allie motioned for Brandon to wait a second while she checked on Dominic.
“Is everything all right?” Allie asked, stepping into the kitchen.
She found Dominic kneeling among an array of bowls, pans, and trays scattered on the floor.
“Fine,” he grumbled.
Allie helped gather all the items and noticed a hint of fresh anger shadowing his features. She knew better than to pry, so Allie went back to the storefront only to find it empty.
Huh.
“Allie,” Dominic called from the hallway, and she turned to face him. “I’ll be upstairs going over everything we need for the wedding prep next week. Can you handle the front?” He muttered something else that sounded like he didn’t want to be bothered.
“Of course, leave it to me.”
Dominic settled into the hallway den upstairs that served as his office. He could still hear everything going on in the bakery downstairs if he strained to listen, but he focused on the checklist for next week. The orders he had placed were delivered on time, and nothing was missing from the ingredients list.All that was left was for him to schedule daily tasks to ensure everything was ready on time.
No, not him.Them.
Because Allie wanted more responsibility around the bakery.
Dominic had ignored the heat that had climbed up his neck in the morning when she came in and demanded to be given more work. He shouldn’t get used to having her around, as she would return to Pearls Fields soon.
