Page 11 of A Chance for Candace

“This is like having two stores in one place,” she told him. “The entrance is smack dab in the middle. When a customer comes in they will see candy and chocolates on one side and cakes on the other. Confections galore!”

He didn’t disagree. “I like it. Maybe that’s what we should call the store, Confections galore! Tomorrow I’ll put up the shelves and we’ll work on the kitchen arrangements. We still have to decide who gets to display their goods on the top shelf in the window first.”

“Since I am truly the rightful owner of this store, my gut instincts tell me that I should have first dibs on the top shelf. We can switch each week so we both get equal time.”

She was surprised when Jessie told her that sounded fair. He turned to her. “Look, I’m not here to ruin anything for you. We’re in a difficult predicament. If I ever see McVey again, he’ll eat his words is all I have to say.”

“Let’s work on this together, okay?” Candace was trying to do this without much difficulty. They actually were speaking nicely to each other until she announced she was moving into the apartment upstairs. “I’ll stay at the hotel tonight and have them deliver my trunk in the morning. Where is the door that leads to the apartment?”

She began to look around then stopped abruptly when he faced her, hands on his hips. “What do you mean you’ll have your trunk here tomorrow? I’ve already moved into the apartment upstairs and I don’t intend to go anywhere else. You are in a hotel so I suggest you stay there for now until the contest is over.”

“That’s impossible! Do you realize how much it will cost me to pay for a hotel room for almost three months?”

He gave her a pointed look, then shrugged. “What does it matter since your chocolates are so delicious you’ll have everyone buying them. At least that’s what you say?”

“How dare you! This is also my property and I suggest you find a place to stay because I plan to move into that apartment tomorrow morning.” Candace was so angry, she picked up her reticule and bonnet that she had hung on a hook inside the door and left. The door slammed behind her.

She walked towards the hotel, so furious she didn’t bother to wave back to several folks who said hello. She had almost thought this would work out and now she had to share the building with a man who made her furious! How would she survive? She wasn’t about to give up!

Candace went back to her hotel room to calm down, then made her way downstairs to inform the hotel clerk she would be checking out in the morning. “I’ll be moving my things to the apartment above the new sweet shop.”

“We can have your trunk moved to your apartment in the morning when you check out, Miss Sweigart. Don’t worry, everything will be taken care of.”

After giving him directions, Candace wanted to go back to the store to finish working on cleaning her side, but there was no way she wanted to face Jessie. If he planned to live there, he was going to live downstairs. Maybe there was room in the kitchen area he could sleep in because he certainly wasn’t going to live in the apartment with her. That was not acceptable or proper.

If she were to be honest this whole ordeal wasn’t proper. She missed Theodore. He had been like a father to her. Working with him had taught her so much about the candy business. She didn’t think she’d ever forget the receipts he taught her since she had them in her memory.

Candace had memorized every single one of them. But Theodore had so many receipts that she was anxious to open the pouch and get to work. She remembered his words when she had asked if he wanted to create more for the store. “One thing you’ll learn is people get comfortable with what they are familiar with. They like coming here and being offered their favorite confections. If you start changing things now, they’ll go elsewhere.``

She always agreed with his theory, but had wanted to try other receipts and now she had the chance to do so. Candace would do her best to make sure he’d have been proud. It was a new era, and perhaps it was time to move on from old traditions and be more creative.

*****

Jessie paced back and forth in the apartment later in the evening. He knew it wasn’t proper to stay here and yet it was his place, too. When he had told Candace to stay at the hotel he immediately realized that wouldn’t be fair. She was starting over like he was. There was no way he’d be able to afford to live in a hotel for almost three months until the contest determined a winner. They’d have to make do with what they had.

He ran down the stairs then went into the kitchen. He remembered seeing a closed porch off the side of the house when he first got here earlier. After checking one of the doors which was a pantry, he found the other door led to that porch. Looking around, the walls were solid and there was a tiny window by the door that led out back. It would do.

Jessie spent the rest of the afternoon moving one of the metal framed beds upstairs down to the porch. It was good that McVey left all the furniture behind. He’d need all his money for the store which he planned to bake the best cakes in all of Nebraska! He had the opportunity now to try out new cakes and batters that he only thought about while working in his dad’s bakery.

Jessie was good at preparation. He had a solid business plan and knew his cakes would sell. Now all he had to do was convince this town he was the best fit for a business here.

Can he do it? Heck yes. He was going to show Candace Sweigart there was not enough room in town for the two of them.

And he didn’t think he’d need three months to do it.

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