The Devine Doughnut Shop(41)

Travis sat down in a chair. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were having health issues?”

“Didn’t want you to worry. Too bad I can’t eat like you do and never gain a pound—but then, it’s always been that way, even when we were kids,” Calvin said after a long sigh. “I could look at a candy bar and gain five pounds. You could eat three of those big ones and never tip the scales an inch.”

Travis made a motion like he was zipping his mouth shut. “My lips are sealed, but I’m getting you into a gym with a personal trainer before the week is out.”

Calvin sucked in air and let it out in a whoosh. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you. I hate sweating—and dieting.”

“And I can’t run this company without you,” Travis said. “We’ll both go to the gym. You’ve been fussing at me to get out more.”

“I’d rather go for drinks after work—or even down to that doughnut shop before work,” Calvin huffed.

“You’re my best friend, Calvin, and company and work aside, I don’t want to lose you,” Travis told him, and a cold shiver chased down his spine at just the thought of not having Calvin around.



The moment that Travis was outside, the buzz of whispers and conversations sounded like a hive of bees. There was no doubt in Grace’s mind that everyone in the shop had heard Travis ask her out for a date and then to his office to discuss a pastry shop once she’d turned him down. She hoped that they had also heard her tell him that she was not putting the Double D on the market.

Sarah brought the final tray of doughnuts out to the display case and wiped her forehead on a napkin she pulled from a dispenser. “We’ve made twice our normal amount all three days this week and sold out before noon,” she said and then lowered her voice. “We’re going to have to hire more help or else think about—”

“We need to talk,” Grace whispered and led the way back to the kitchen. As soon as the door was closed behind them, she shook her finger at her sister. “Don’t say a word about selling where anyone can hear you.” She paced the floor as she told Sarah and Macy about Travis Butler buying so many doughnuts.

“He must be having a brunch, or else he’s planning to eat a lot of doughnuts,” Sarah said.

“I bet he’s seeing if all the varieties are as good as what he had earlier when he was in here with Claud and the guys. I don’t like the idea of him testing our product—or maybe even giving it over to a bunch of food chemists to try to reverse engineer the recipe.” Macy stuck all the dirty trays in the sink and began to rinse them. “Grace, what do you think he’s doing with them?”

“I have no idea, but there’s more,” Grace said. “He asked me for a date.”

The bell on the door let them know that either someone was leaving or arriving. Grace went back out into the shop with Sarah and Macy right behind her.

“You don’t get to drop that bombshell on us and then leave,” Macy whispered to her back so customers wouldn’t hear.

The group of women sitting at the table to the right had left, but Lisa and Carlita came in right behind them and settled down at the only clean table in the shop. Macy rolled her eyes toward the ceiling but called out, “Good morning. What can we get you?”

“Hot tea and half a dozen doughnuts with chocolate icing,” Lisa said.

Grace nodded, filled two mugs with hot water, and added a tea bag to each one. She rounded the end of the counter, wishing the whole time that she had made chocolate icing with an unhealthy dose of laxative in it. “Might as well get this over with.”

“I heard that Travis Butler was in here this morning and asked you out on a date. You need to be careful. He might be playing you just like Neal did with Macy,” Lisa said. “He’s probably nice to you just to get you to sell him this shop, and like I told you before, our husbands”—she glanced over at Carlita—“could get you a better deal than you can get selling on your own.”

“And faster,” Carlita said. “You might even be able to move before the end of the school year.”

“When I want your advice, I promise I’ll ask for it,” Grace said.

“I suppose it would be a good thing for jobs, but I like our little town just the way it is,” Carlita said with a sigh. “Just think of all the riffraff a factory would bring in. Trailer parks would probably pop up everywhere, and our girls would be going to school with . . .”

“With kids like Audrey, who isn’t good enough to be friends with your daughters?” Grace fought the urge to spit in their mugs and set them down on the table.

“You’re unusually rude this morning,” Lisa snapped. “I don’t know why we even try to visit with you.”

“Because you want to see if we’ll spill the tea on the latest gossip,” Sarah answered from behind the counter. “We’re all out of chocolate doughnuts. What else can I get you?”

“Glazed is fine,” Carlita said.

“Coming right up.” Sarah put six in a box and took it over to them, then grabbed a broom to sweep up the floors for the third time that morning.

Lisa pointed across the narrow room toward Macy. “Grace says she won’t sell this place. What about you? It’s evident that you aren’t a very good judge of character, but would you go against your cousin?”