“I’m so sorry.” Lily’s brown eyes reflected her sympathy. “What can I do?”

Hannah shook her head. “Nothing. But thanks for offering. I’ve got things under control.” At least it’s what she liked to tell herself. “On Saturday the claims examiner showed up and took pictures. He approved the emergency restoration. And Sunday the restoration company sent out an inspector, who made an assessment of the situation. They didn’t waste any time. They didn’t want to give the mold a chance to set in.”

“That’s a relief.”

Hannah nodded. “This morning they’ve set up commercial dehumidifiers. The inspector said the big units would dry the place out in a day—two days tops. The faster, the better.”

“You’ll have everything back on track in no time.”

“I don’t know about that.” All of Hannah’s insecurities came rushing to the surface. “Maybe trying to start my own business was a mistake.”

Lily studied her beneath her long, dark lashes. “Why did you buy the bakery?”

Was she serious? Everyone knew why she bought the bakery. “You know why.”

“Humor me. Why did you buy the bakery?”

After Lily received her coffee, they moved to a table. Hannah didn’t have time to sit around, but without some caffeine, she didn’t have the energy to keep going. And it’d been so long since she’d slowed down and spent time with her friends. Work was important but so was spending time with those you cared about.

Hannah pursed her lips, not sure she wanted to answer Lily’s question. But when her friend arched her brows expectantly, Hannah sighed. “Fine. I bought the bakery for the same reason you bought the Lily Pad.”

Lily shook her head. “Totally different reasons.”

“How do you get that?”

“Because…” Lily paused as she stared down at her coffee. “When I bought the Lily Pad, my life was at a crossroads. I had to choose between venturing out on my own or stepping up in the family’s business. Our reasons”—Lily waved between them—“for going into business are different. But this isn’t about me. It’s about you. And it’s about your lifelong passion for baking. The flood is a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things.”

“Minor?” Her voice rose with emotion. When a couple at the next table glanced over in their direction, Hannah made a point to speak softly. “It’s more than minor. After I pay the insurance deductible, I don’t have enough cash left to finish the renovations or buy the fixtures.”

“But I thought the insurance was fixing everything.”

Hannah shook her head. “They’ll only make it look like it did before the disaster. So I will still have unfinished walls and ceiling. The new flooring got ruined by the water. And I have no fixtures to give the place some personality.”

“Personality? I thought that’s what you were for?” Lily sent her a teasing smile.

“Ha-ha. I just wanted to spruce it up. When I bought it, it had all of the basics, but they’re beyond worn out. I knew the place needed work and some updates, but I had no idea just how much.”