Aimee (A Time for Love Book 3) Page 18

  “Which one do you prefer?”

  Aimee looked from one image to the other. “I’m not sure. I guess I’d hoped for something like a divine revelation, where I’d look at one of the locations and just know it’s the one. It didn’t happen. The spot near Lucy is fine now, but it has no room for expansion, if I’m lucky enough to need it. The shopping center location is very practical, but it’s just not inspiring. The third location is a standalone building that used to be a clothing shop. It’s near a busy road, but it would need lots of work to refit it as a food establishment.”

  “Does it have to be one of these three? Maybe none of them are right.”

  “Not necessarily, although on paper at least they’re the best choices. And I can’t delay if I want to buy the equipment from Joe’s bakery.”

  Frank nodded thoughtfully. Aimee was glad he was taking an interest in her business plan. Over the past few days, he’d listened to all her ideas and offered the occasional suggestion.

  “Why is Joe closing his business?”

  Aimee explained about his wife’s arthritis and desire to move closer to their son.

  “If the equipment is already there, and he’s not closing because of lack of business, why don’t you consider buying not just the equipment but the building too?”

  “I’ve thought about it,” Aimee admitted. “But it’s too big. Joe used to serve sandwiches and coffee, before he scaled back to doing just baked goods.”

  “Why don’t you sell something else?”

  Aimee shrugged. “I don’t want to do sandwiches, and I don’t want to add on some random products. What else would I sell?”

  Frank pointed to the containers on the nightstand. “Ice cream?”

  “A bakery/ice cream parlor? I don’t think that would fit.”

  “Why not? People eat cake and ice cream together all the time at birthday parties. You could sell them separately or together.”

  Frank looked more animated than Aimee had seen him since his return, so she decided to humor him. “Like an ice cream flavor of the day, paired with a cake of the day?”

  “Or anything from the bakery. You could do your mud pie with vanilla ice cream, brownies with mint chocolate chip, pound cake with apricot?”

  “And if I made my own ice cream, I could incorporate the baked items into it. Like coconut cake or lemon ice box.”

  “Or a donut sundae. I would eat that!”

  “I’d need extra space for the ice cream counter and room in the kitchen for an ice cream maker,” Aimee said. “The three locations I saw this morning wouldn’t be large enough.”

  “But Joe’s would?” Frank prompted.

  “Maybe. I wasn’t looking at it as a prospective site, so I’d have to see it again.”

  They chatted for over an hour, until Aimee could see Frank was getting tired. She said goodbye and promised to return later. When she got back to her apartment, Mandy was on the living room floor, in the midst of an impossible-looking stretch. She straightened up when she saw Aimee.

  “Sorry! I’ll get out of your way.”

  “No need.” Aimee smiled at the girl. “You’re paying rent too. And about that—“ she hesitated. “Do you know how long you plan to stay?”

  “Is that a hint?”

  “No, I’m not trying to get rid of you. Quite the opposite.” Aimee sat down on the sofa and faced the younger girl. “I’m opening my own business, if I can get a loan. Money is tight, so your half the rent really helps out.”

  “In that case, I’m staying as long as you’ll have me,” Mandy told her. “I’m trying to figure out what to do with my life now that I won’t be spending it on the social circuit with the minor nobility.”

  Mandy had broken her engagement to an impoverished European lord and run away from her family’s pressure to marry him. Since then she had apparently bounced from vacation to vacation with an assortment of wealthy friends.

  “Great,” Aimee smiled. “Then we’d better get you a more permanent setup, like real roomies.”.

  Mandy was basically living out of suitcases, with her bags stacked along the living room wall, and sleeping on the pullout couch. Aimee owed her a better setup, even if privately she doubted Mandy would be satisfied with such modest accommodations for long.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon dragging a chest into the living room for Mandy’s use, and Aimee cleared out half of her closet for the other girl’s clothes. Aimee even offered her the bedroom, but Mandy preferred the couch, so she wouldn’t wake Aimee with her comings and goings, she said.

  As she worked, she was mulling over Frank’s idea. Cake and ice cream. Could it work as a business? She’d have to use store-bought ice cream for now, but she could try some of the pairings. When she and Mandy finished rearranging the apartment, Aimee pulled out her notepad and began jotting down ideas for dessert combinations.

  She read them to Frank when she saw him that evening. He liked her ideas and shared more of his own. She enjoyed talking to him about her life, but she wanted to hear about him too. She’d like to ask him what he planned to do after he recovered. Where he planned to live. Whether he saw them together a year from now. But the conversation was going well, and she didn’t want to risk spoiling the lighter mood that he seemed to be in.

  When she stood up to leave, Frank said, “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I’m just sitting here all day, and while the daytime talk shows have been very educational, I wouldn’t mind having something useful to do.”

  “Any chance you’re secretly a graphics artist or an accountant?” Aimee joked.

  “I’m hopeless at art, but I’m not bad with numbers.”

  “Okay. I’ll bring my budget with me tomorrow and see if you can straighten it out,” Aimee told him.

  “I’m looking forward to it. Good luck with the tasting,” he added as she gave him a gentle goodbye hug.

  Aimee had arranged a tour of Joe’s Bakery for the next morning, followed by a taste testing at her apartment, for the three women she called her angels. When she arrived back at her apartment, she went straight to the kitchen to begin whipping up her favorite cakes and pastries in preparation. Mandy wandered in and watched while she worked. She even helped Aimee ice her chocolate layer cake and pipe filling into the cream puffs.

  Their efforts were rewarded the next day when Lucy, Charlene, and Tish dropped by for a tasting party after their bakery tour. The women had seemed to like the building and its friendly owner, and they seemed equally impressed with her attempts at pastry and ice cream pairings.

  “My favorite is the apple pie with cinnamon ice cream,” Lucy said. “Delicious.”

  “I like the sugar-free strawberry ice cream on angel food cake,” Charlene said. “It’s so light, and I’m not completely blowing my diet.”

  “I am,” Tish mumbled around a mouthful of ice cream. “But I don’t care. I love everything chocolate that you’ve made.”

  “I think you’ve got a good concept here,” Charlene told her. “We’ll need to do additional market research and tweak our description of the business, but it’s just different enough to work. What’re your thoughts about the location?”

  “You’ve already decided, haven’t you?” Tish said. “You like Joe’s.”

  Tish was right. During their tour, Aimee looked at the bakery from a new perspective. She liked the clean lines of the building and its layout, with booths and a counter and stools that reminded her of a ’50s diner. It wouldn’t even need major remodeling. She would repaint. Add free Wi-Fi. Upgrade the coffee offerings to include cappuccinos and lattes. She could offer custom cakes and desserts and daily specials. She would need to replace the long glass cabinet with freezers for the ice cream.

  “Aimee? Aimee!”

  She realized Charlene was calling her name. “Sorry. Yes?”

  Lucy and Charlene were both looking at her. “You’ll need a bigger loan, to cover increased expenses,” Charlene said.

  “You may not be
able to run it as a one-woman shop, even initially. You should think about hiring additional help,” Lucy advised.

  “But if it’s what you really want, we’ll help you make it happen. The world deserves to taste this chocolate cake!” Tish finished as she licked chocolate icing from her fork.

  They discussed logistics and arranged a new round of meetings. Aimee thanked them all again before they left. She was so blessed to have such a wonderful support group. Joe had also offered to help her in any way he could, and she’d already spent several afternoons at the bakery familiarizing herself with the kitchen equipment.

  Part of her still wondered if she deserved all this, but the other part was simply thankful. She had the opportunity she’d always dreamed of, and she would do all she could to make sure the business succeeded.

  She had Frank’s full support too. She visited him every day over the next couple of weeks and filled him in on her progress. He helped her with her revised budget and worked out a proposed supply schedule. Aimee enjoyed their time together, even if they steered away from personal topics.

  “Joe’s started looking for an apartment in California,” Aimee told Frank one evening. “He says he’s so confident I’ll get the loan and buy his building, that he and his wife are already packing.”

  “You should be confident too,” Frank said.

  He and Aimee were sitting in what Edwina referred to as the upstairs parlor, a cozy room with a fireplace, armchairs, and a small writing table Frank was using as a desk.

  “I’m trying. He doesn’t want to leave, you know.” Aimee’s face was serious. “He told me the first time I went to the bakery. He’s leaving because of his wife. He said he loves his bakery, but he loves her more.”

  “Isn’t that the way a marriage should be?”

  “I don’t know. It seems like there should be room for both, doing what you love and being with the person you love.”

  “There was for, what, thirty or forty years? Now he’s making a sacrifice for the benefit of his wife.” Frank shrugged. “Shouldn’t he want to make her happy?”

  “Yes, but not at the expense of his happiness.”

  Aimee kept her voice level, but she felt strongly about the point. Neither partner should have to give up everything just to make the other one happy. Although, she had to admit, Joe was actually starting to sound excited about his upcoming move. He was planning to buy a second-hand RV and turn the drive to California into an extended sightseeing trip.

  “Don’t you think giving his wife what she wants and needs would make him happy?” Frank asked. “That’s one of the marriage preparation questions, by the way.”

  “Marriage preparation?”

  “Yes. When I was stuck in bed after my surgery, Edwina brought me a little light reading, including the marriage preparation workbook. She didn’t slip you one?”

  “No.” Aimee wondered why not.

  “It’s over there somewhere.” Frank waved his hand at a stack of books near the edge of the table. “I think the exact question was, ‘What sacrifices would you be willing to make for your spouse?’”

  Apparently Frank had not only received the marriage workbook, he’d also been reading it. What did that mean? Aimee didn’t want to say anything to discourage this venture into personal territory, so she just nodded.

  “To me, the ultimate sacrifice is not becoming someone’s spouse if you don’t believe you’re the best person for him or her.”

  Aimee’s breath caught. Was he trying to tell her why he had left? “Shouldn’t both people have a say in a decision that big?” she asked.

  “Maybe not, if only one person is seeing the situation clearly.”

  “What if that person isn’t seeing the situation as clearly as he thinks? Don’t you think both people should have a say?”

  Frank looked at her as if measuring her words. His gaze was steady, although more guarded than when they had first met. Aimee waited, and finally Frank’s expression softened.

  “You think couples should always talk things out, right? I’m from a time when the man was typically responsible for making the tough decisions and seeing that they were carried out. But you’re right. No one is infallible. Two heads are better than one, and all that. I’ll try to remember, next time.”

  Next time? Next time in general or next time for the two of them? Aimee tried to keep her expression from changing, but she couldn’t help the little smile that lifted the corners of her mouth. “I’m sure any future spouse would appreciate it.”

  They returned to their discussion of her business plans, but as Aimee gathered up her papers before she left, Frank rearranged his books so the marriage manual was on top. When he saw that Aimee had noticed it, he said casually, “I could ask Edwina to get you a copy, if you’d like.”

  This time Aimee couldn’t keep from smiling. She turned away so Frank wouldn’t see. “Sure, why not? It sounds like interesting reading.”

  Frank kept his word. He walked to the landing with Aimee and called down to Edwina. She appeared in the foyer below. When she heard Frank’s request, she paused, wiping her hands on the embroidered apron she wore.

  “Of course, dear,” she called to Frank and motioned for Aimee to follow her.

  “See you tomorrow,” Aimee said to Frank.

  She started down the stairs, but he reached for her arm, and she froze. It was the first time he’d touched her voluntarily since their return, and his fingers felt warm through the thin cotton of her blouse.

  “Thank you for being so patient,” he said quietly. He squeezed her arm gently and then disappeared into his bedroom.

  Aimee continued down the stairs. The aroma of the stew Edwina was cooking filled the foyer, and Edwina emerged from the kitchen to offer her a paper-wrapped parcel.

  “Here’s the workbook. If you’re sure it’s what you want?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Aimee’s words were quiet, but she could tell that Edwina sensed the excitement behind them. She handed Aimee the book. Aimee thanked her and made herself wait until she got home before she tore off the brown wrapping.

  The glossy cover featured a bride and groom, holding hands and gazing at each other. The picture was shot out of focus, with a gauzy effect, but the groom looked like Frank, while by an amazing coincidence, the bride with her long, jet-black hair, could almost be Aimee. The title was emblazoned across the top: A Time for Marriage.

  Was she being too optimistic in thinking that this book was a signal? What did Frank mean when he said she’d been patient long enough?

  Whatever happened, she would be ready. She snuggled up in her favorite armchair, opened the book, and began to read.

  Chapter 22

  “Ready to go?”

  Aimee was waiting at the doorstep to Edwina’s townhouse. Frank’s doctor had cleared him to resume normal activities, as long as he was careful, although he still had a round of physical therapy to complete. Aimee was taking him out to celebrate.

  “Definitely! I feel like I’ve been cooped up inside for months!”

  Frank’s expression was cheery, but his movements were slow and cautious. He’d lost weight since he’d left St. Louis, and although he didn’t look as frail as he had in the hospital, he hadn’t regained the health and vigor he’d once radiated. Aimee had to hold herself still to keep from helping him down the stairs. He wouldn’t appreciate it, she knew.

  Edwina watched until Frank was settled in the passenger seat of Aimee’s car and then waved goodbye. She had taken excellent care of Frank, cooking for him and giving him the run of her spacious house and its brick-walled garden, but Aimee got the impression Frank was happy to escape from her care for the day.

  “Where are we headed?” Frank asked as Aimee pulled out into traffic.

  “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  She navigated the now-familiar route to Joe’s Bakery. The red-brick building was starting to feel like it was hers, although she kept warning herself the deal wasn’t fina
lized yet. That week, she and Charlene had completed all the paperwork for her loan application and business plan. One of Charlene’s colleagues was reviewing it before they submitted her packet to a local organization that helped launch small businesses.

  By the time they reached the bakery, the breakfast rush was over, and Aimee parked in front of the plate-glass window that showcased the baked goods. She planned to change the signage and freshen the paint, but otherwise change very little. Frank climbed out of the car and stood looking at the building, while Aimee waited to hear what he thought.

  “So this is it,” he commented. “The future home of Cakes ‘n Cream?”

  “I hope so.”

  He nodded. “I can see it,” he said finally, and Aimee was excited to have his stamp of approval.

  She had told Joe she would be bringing Frank by, and he had evidently been watching for them. He came to the door and motioned them inside.

  “You must be Frank.” He extended his hand. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “I could say the same.” The men exchanged a friendly handshake, and Frank added, “This bakery is practically all Aimee talks about.”

  “Come see it for yourself,” Joe invited.

  He gave Frank a tour of the dining area and the kitchen. Frank looked around as if he were taking mental notes, and he asked the occasional question. Once the tour was over, Joe led them to a secluded table near the kitchen.

  After Frank was settled in his chair, Aimee turned to Joe to give him the news she was bursting to share. “Charlene and I have finally finished all the paperwork. I’m submitting my loan application next week!”

  “Wonderful! It’ll be approved. I just know it!” Joe gave Aimee an enthusiastic hug. “This woman’s going to be really popular soon,” he said to Frank with a grin. “I’ve sampled her baking, and it’s almost as good as mine! And speaking of my cooking, I bet you young folks are hungry. I’ll be right back.”

  Frank looked around the bakery. “I’ve seen the pictures, but actually being here is different. I can see why you love it. This place is great!”