Sweet Love (NG5)

26 - Limited

Kat looked around the large professional kitchen. Everything looked just like she found it. Working alone brought back a boatload of emotions, enough to sink her. Her bruised back didn't help her emotional state. She had expected bruises on her chest, but it was fine. The door frame was harder than the asshole's shoulder as he pushed into her.

If life was about learning from mistakes, she had learned a lot. Will had helped her feel better about the man's request. She had seen Alex's estimate. No business would spend that kind of money without some guarantees. Was she ready to commit to staying? With the right support, she might be. First she wanted to be trusted to add to the menu. She wouldn't change what made The Landing what it was, but in one week she had proven special items brought people in. In her own kitchen, she could make goodies, like her lemon blueberry muffins with a drizzle of glaze. Maybe a special muffin each day, with the regulars every day: blueberry and chocolate chip. Although the double chocolate was popular, hers were much better. Maybe not having them every day would bring in more customers. Ideally, she could bake all the muffins and not rely on the frozen wholesale supply.

The real improvements would be with the menu items she envisioned. Aside from new salads, she wanted to add homemade soup in colder weather. The biggest thing was after the success of the pasta, she wanted to serve dinner entrees on Saturday nights. Date night at The Landing. Social media was the vehicle to make her ideas succeed.

Glancing at the clock she had to hurry to get her strawberry creme tarts back before the lunch rush was over. With a picture posted on social media people would come. The word limited did something to the mind. Everyone wanted to be one of the few.

A crowd had gathered when she pulled around back. Her car had become a mobile pantry with foil pans of baked goods. She carried in the first of the trays. "Four dollars each."

Kat went upstairs to shower. Looking out the window she saw the line was into the parking lot. Hopefully, they were buying coffee too, although lunch would be better.

She put her hair in a ponytail and hurried down to help. Nick was making sandwiches. He waved off her offer for help. Finley ran the register including the coffee.

"Let me take over. You can get the coffees."

Nick mumbled. "We'd be really backed up with a fancy machine."

With his smile, it was hard to be mad at the kid. "Enough from you."

She looked up to see Will in line. When he worked his way to the front, she winked. "Not coming through the back door."

He chuckled. "Are you sore?"

"Just a little. I made these beauties."

"I'll take one."

She bit her lip. "Can you stick around until we sell out, or come back later? I have some ideas to bounce off you."

He nodded and smiled. "It's your day off. We should go to the beach."

"Seriously?"

He nodded. "What good is living here?"

Kat smiled. She needed a friend who was on her side. Eventually Finley handed her the last tart. "That's it. Sorry we've sold out. Come back tomorrow morning, we'll have a special muffin."

She continued to help those who stayed in the line. More inspirations came to her as she sold some previously frozen cookies.

Nick looked at her. "I thought you were off today."

"I am. Are you all set?"

"We got it. Right, Fin?"

Ivy had the day off too. Kat had hired Janice, Martha's friend. The two of them could handle any crowd, especially in the morning when they mostly served coffee and pastry.