The Holiday Swap(74)
He paused a moment longer, then told Charlie to call him if she needed his help, before leaving the bakery. The twins continued the swap facade until the door shut firmly behind him. Then Charlie switched the sign to CLOSED and locked the bakery’s door before turning back to Cass.
But she didn’t get a word out before Cass launched into her. “What happened to the starter?!”
“I don’t know!” Charlie was frazzled. The Woodburn Breads starter had been in their family for generations. And a frothy starter was not a healthy starter.
“It’s possible I screwed something up when I was feeding it last? Like, I might have used icing sugar instead of flour? But things have been crazy here. Apparently Sharon Marston is starting some dog biscuit company and wants our starter for her sourdough biscuit line. Don’t worry, I didn’t give her any.” Charlie tried to change the subject, because Cass’s expression was growing angrier by the second. “And can we talk about ordering? I mean, I don’t know how you keep on top of orders when you have no system.” She pointed to the drawer under the cash machine, where she had found the bakery orders. “How do you not miss stuff? Why isn’t all of this digital?”
“I don’t need you to tell me how to manage things around here, Charlie.” Cass’s jaw clenched. “And I’ll deal with the frothy starter in a minute, but most importantly, what the hell was Sarah Rosen doing here?”
“Who?” Charlie asked. She felt like she was trying to play catch-up, because she still had no clue why Cass had come home early. What did she mean she called in sick, and what else had happened? Plus, Charlie was trying to reconcile the truth that she had fed the starter icing sugar. Icing sugar! “Who’s Sarah Rosen?”
“The woman with the ridiculously high-heeled boots who walked out of here with take-out boxes?” Now Cass pointed at the door, gesturing wildly with her one hand.
“Whoa. What the hell are you so pissed off about? She was a customer, passing through town. We want that sort to visit the bakery, right? That’s how the bills get paid, Cass.” Charlie knew her tone was unnecessarily harsh, but she couldn’t help it. She was feeling defensive, not to mention anxious about what had happened in L.A. “Why haven’t you told me why you’re home early? Or what’s happening with the show?”
Cass ignored Charlie’s questions. “Sarah Rosen is Makewell. The company trying to move in on us? The ones who are about to set up shop two doors down?”
“Oh . . . Oh. But she’s so young!” Charlie knew that was beside the point, but she couldn’t help but sound impressed.
“I know,” Cass huffed irritably. “She’s a wunderkind, apparently. Built an empire by the time she was twenty-five.”
“Huh,” Charlie replied. “Impressive. And also explains why she looked familiar.”
“Can we focus here, Charlie? I’m pretty sure I know why Sarah Rosen was here tonight, and it wasn’t because she suddenly had a craving for holiday cookies.”
Charlie bit the inside of her cheek. But how could she have possibly known that woman, Sarah, was the Sarah threatening the future of the Goodwin family’s bakery? “I’m sorry, Cass. I had no idea. She didn’t say anything about Makewell’s. I swear.”
“I don’t even know if it matters.” Cass sounded defeated. “This thing is probably past the point where we have any chance to stop it.”
“Again, I’m sorry. If I had had any idea—”
“It’s fine,” Cass snapped. “I’ll deal with Sarah. And the starter. Just like I always do when it comes to this family.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Now it was Charlie’s turn to cross her arms angrily, the twins facing off in front of the case of baked goods.
“You couldn’t wait to get out of here, Charlie. But did you ever think about what you were leaving behind? That you left me to figure this all out, to make sure our family’s legacy continued? Did you even think about me at all?”
Charlie was dumbstruck. Yes, she had skipped town the second she got accepted to culinary school, but Cass had never mentioned wanting to leave Starlight Peak. Or to do anything differently than what she was doing. “You never said anything, Cass! Besides, you were with Brett, and I thought you were happy here. Look, I know we have that mind-meld twin thing, but how was I supposed to know you didn’t want to stay if you didn’t tell me?”
“Would it have even mattered?” Cass sat down heavily at one of the tables and put her head in her hands. “Someone had to stay, Charlie.”
“Says who?” Charlie softened her voice, sitting down across from Cass. “I’m sorry I didn’t check in with you more often. I didn’t realize everything you were going through.”
Cass shook her head. “Honestly, I mostly wanted to stay. I do love it here. I’m good at running the bakery. But . . .”
Charlie touched her sister’s hands. “But what?”
“I didn’t know what else might be out there!” Cass had tears in her eyes. “I didn’t give myself permission to consider it. The bakery. Brett. My life was all wrapped up in a predictable bow and I didn’t even take a minute to think about whether it was what I really wanted.”
Charlie nodded, understanding the dilemma. The idea of starting anew brought with it exhilaration, but also fear. “Why are you home now, Cass? There’s still a day of shooting.”