The Sweet Spot

13

The days following Oliver's confession were a blur of emotions I couldn't quite sort through. My mind was constantly racing between thoughts of Sam, Oliver, and Elliot, with no clear answers or resolutions in sight. The bakery had become my sanctuary, a place where I could lose myself in the familiar motions of baking, but even that comfort was beginning to slip away.

Sam had been patient since our talk, giving me the space I needed to process his sudden return. He would text occasionally, polite messages asking about Elliot or checking in to see if I'd thought more about letting him spend time with his son. Every time I saw his name pop up on my phone, I felt that same knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach.

And then there was Oliver. After his late-night confession in the bakery, things between us had become... strained. We still worked side by side in the kitchen, still fell into our usual rhythm of playful banter and teasing, but there was an undercurrent of something else now. Something that neither of us wanted to acknowledge but that hung in the air between us like a fog.

One evening, after closing up the bakery, I sat at the kitchen table with a stack of invoices, trying to focus on anything but the tangled mess of my personal life. I had barely made a dent in the paperwork when the bell above the door jingled. I looked up, half expecting Oliver, but instead, I found one of the local bakery owners, Jenna Richards, standing in the doorway.

Jenna ran The Sugar Mill, a bakery across town that had been Sweet Dreams' main competition even before the food fair. She was the kind of woman who always seemed to have it together—perfectly styled hair, impeccable clothes, and a smile that rarely reached her eyes. I hadn't seen her since the food fair, and her sudden appearance now set me on edge.

"Jenna," I said, forcing a smile. "What can I do for you?"

She stepped inside, her heels clicking on the tile floor as she made her way toward the counter. "Just thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing," she said, her tone overly sweet. "I hear business has been booming since the food fair."

I nodded, unsure of where this was going. "Yeah, things have picked up a lot. It's been... busy."

Jenna's smile widened, but there was something cold behind it. "Well, congratulations on your win. I have to admit, I didn't expect you to pull it off."

Her words stung more than I cared to admit, but I kept my expression neutral. "Thanks. It was a tough competition."

Jenna's gaze flickered around the bakery, taking in the rows of pastries and the neat display cases. "You know, I've been in this business a long time, Charlotte. And I've seen a lot of bakers come and go. It's easy to get swept up in a bit of success, but the real challenge is staying on top."

I bristled at her thinly veiled warning. "I'm not in this to be on top, Jenna. I'm just trying to run my bakery the best I can."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Sure. But don't think for a second that winning one little competition means you've arrived. The Sugar Mill has been around for years. People know quality when they taste it, and we've built a reputation for excellence. You might have won the fair, but it takes more than one win to build a legacy."

I clenched my jaw, feeling my temper rise. I didn't know what Jenna's game was, but I wasn't about to let her undermine what I had worked so hard for. "I'm not trying to compete with you, Jenna. There's room in this town for more than one bakery."

Her smile sharpened. "We'll see."

Before I could respond, the bell above the door chimed again, and this time, it was Oliver. He walked in, his gaze immediately locking onto Jenna, and I saw his expression harden.