Chapter Twenty

Days had passed in a flurry of activity.

Ethan couldn’t remember the last time he felt this exhausted. Or this driven. When he looked around at the work he’d accomplished, he felt a sense of fulfillment. The bakery was turning out better than he’d imagined.

The only problem was that all of the attention he’d paid to the details such as the trim work had cost him time. And right now, time was in short supply. He had to finish the bakery before he left town. He’d promised Hannah. But was that even possible? Especially now that Spring Fling was upon them.

With some help, anything was possible.

Right now, he needed to focus on helping Hannah with the final preparations for Spring Fling. Somehow they’d gotten past the awkwardness of the kiss. It didn’t mean he’d forgotten it—not by a long shot. But he’d found he valued their friendship above all else. He could live with them just being friends—at least that’s what he’d been telling himself.

“Did you get the Easter baskets sorted for Saturday?” Ethan asked Hannah as they stood in his aunt’s kitchen. It was so early in the morning that the sun had just barely tiptoed past the horizon.

“I did.” She smiled brightly as though she’d been triumphant. “Josie and Lily pitched in.”

“I should have been helping more.”

“You were helping by finishing the bakery. Stop frowning. It all worked out.” She placed her bags of supplies on the floor near the table. “I’m the one who feels guilty for leaving you to handle the bakery on your own most of the week.”

“And I told you not to worry about it.”

He failed to mention that he had a lot of help from the fire department. They’d pledged to help him see that everything was done by Saturday—the last day of Spring Fling. They’d all agreed to make it a secret for Hannah. The only problem was trying to keep Hannah out of the bakery until the big reveal that weekend.

“But I do worry,” she said. “After we’re done here, I can go help you.”

“No! You can’t.” Even to his own ears his response came a little too fast. He cleared his throat. “I mean there are Easter baskets to deliver to Sunny Days.”

She frowned. “You’re right. We don’t want to just drop them off and leave.”

“That’s right.” He nodded in agreement.

“Then tomorrow I can help.”

“When? Remember tomorrow is the first day of the festival.”

She sighed. “That’s right.” And then her eyes grew shiny before she lowered her gaze. “It’s just not going to work out.”

“Hey.” He walked over to her and placed a finger beneath her chin, lifting until their gazes met. “Remember our agreement?”

She moved away from his touch. “Ethan…”

“We agreed that you would take over organizing the festival while I worried about the bakery.”

“But that was before when we both thought there was time to make this all work out. And now time is up and—”