Chapter 1

“Calm down, chickypoo. I think what you already have on your menu are divine morsels of heaven,” I said to Lexi. We had spent hours designing a take-out menu for the bakery, and now she was second-guessing herself about replacing her macadamia nut cookies with chocolate chunk.

“But chocolate is so popular, Naya,” she said, brows drawing together as she tossed her feet up on my coffee table. I disliked shoes on my glass table, but I had to remind myself it was just a piece of furniture. “The macadamias sell good, but chocolate is a winner. Everyone loves chocolate. You could pour it on sardines and it would sell.”

“Sounds delish,” I purred.

I tugged on her brown hair and slinked around my white sofa to sit in my favorite oversized red chair in the right-hand corner of my living room. It gave me a full view of my humble apartment. The kitchen was tucked behind a wall to the right of the door but had an open bar where I could see into the room. To my right—behind the television—was a quaint dining room in front of the back door. It faced east, so I was able to enjoy the morning light with my coffee. The bathroom and bedroom were just beyond that. Though it was small, I kept my apartment tastefully decorated.

Misha’s silver bell jingled, and my Siamese beauty sauntered across the plush white carpet toward the kitchen. She was cream-colored with a dark face and sooty legs, and she had the most remarkable blue eyes, which were slightly crossed. Lexi always complained about how much I spoiled the cat, but the only thing good enough for my little Misha was tuna or raw chicken and vegetables. That dry stuff humans packaged up looked like something you’d feed a cow, not a natural predator.

“No question. Your macadamia cookies are to die for, Lexi. If you don’t keep those on the menu, I’m going to disown you as my friend. Of course everyone loves chocolate, but most women can’t turn down a good nut.”

Lexi snorted and tapped her feet together, staring at her blue Converse sneakers. She dressed so plainly for such a stunning brunette. Unlike me, she was slim without all the curves, but her high cheekbones combined with those bourbon eyes just made her stand shoulders above other women.

“Why all the fuss? You already know what sells. It’s what I do in my line of work,” I said with a sly wink. “Find out what they like and keep dishing it to them.”

She drummed her fingers on the armrest. “I hear what you’re saying, but I keep wondering if I could be doing better. I just don’t want to screw this up and have Austin think of me as a failure. There’s just so much more to running a business than I ever imagined. When the cost of goods goes up, my profits go down unless I can find another vendor or raise prices.” She waved her hand at the mess of papers on the coffee table. “Thanks for helping me with everything; I don’t know what I’d do without you. I went over the cost factors with Wheeler last night, and we’re in the black. Maybe I don’t want to get too comfortable with our income and become afraid to try new things. The tip jar helps, and God knows that Trevor can bring in extra money when he plays, but I want to keep taking it to the next level. This business could keep our family comfortable for years to come, and I’m just trying to come up with ideas to make Sweet Treats more profitable.”