Hannah blinked as she glanced at Ethan. “What?”

“Don’t let that woman get in your head. There’s no way you knew this was going to happen.”

“But I should have known. I should have been prepared.”

“This is not your fault.”

“If it’s not my fault, whose is it?” She didn’t wait for a response. “I should have known that everything in the building would need replaced. After all, the bakery is practically as old as the town.”

“It’s a broken pipe. Those things happen. The building is still standing. Still sturdy.”

At least she hoped so. But what was going on behind the walls? Was there another disaster lurking someplace she hadn’t thought to look?

Lily Adams, her other bestie, came running up to her. Her short dark hair was styled in a pixie cut. And her golden-brown complexion was done up with just a bit of makeup. The only thing missing that day was her cheerful smile.

They’d been friends since elementary school when they’d both reached for the pink modeling clay in art class. They’d both withdrawn their hands. And then they’d both reached for the purple clay. They’d both started to laugh. In the end, they decided to share all of the colors and they’d been friends ever since.

Before Lily said anything, her friend hugged her. “I’m so sorry.” When she pulled back, their gazes met. “What happened?”

“A pipe broke. It must have been leaking for hours. There’s so much water and…and the ceiling has partially caved in.”

Lily didn’t say anything at first; she didn’t have to. The sympathy reflected in her warm brown eyes said it all. “I’m so sorry. What can I do to help?”

Lily ran a small crafts shop called The Lily Pad. Some of the items were hers—mostly the jewelry—the rest were items on consignment. It was a great place to find a unique gift.

Hannah shook her head. “There’s nothing to do now. Everything is soaked and they had to cut the power.”

Lily draped an arm around her and rested her head on her shoulder. “Thank goodness you found it when you did.”

“I know, but it was Ethan who stopped the water before the fire department could get here.”

“Ethan? Who’s that?”

Hannah glanced around but found he was gone. “He was literally just standing here a moment ago. Where did he go?” She visually searched the crowd of people but didn’t see him. His long legs must have allowed him a quick escape. She turned back to Lily. “Anyway, it’s Birdie’s nephew.”

“Oh… Is he cute?”

She gently elbowed Lily. “I can’t believe you asked me that right now.”

Lily ducked her chin. “I know. Bad timing.”

“Yes, it is.” But Hannah felt bad about snapping, so she admitted, “And yes, he is.”

Lily’s gaze met hers and she smiled. “Not exactly a meet cute but a memorable one.”

“Stop. It wasn’t any sort of meet. I don’t need a boyfriend. Been there, done that. What I need right now is someone to fix my bakery.”