Sweet Satisfaction

Cami rolled her eyes. She wasn’t going to escape this conversation no matter what happened. They walked arm in arm in the McKinley’s barn .

“I bet he did.” Samantha giggled. “He’s always been good with a gun .”

“Can we please talk about something else?” Cami begged. “What about my snickerdoodles? Want to try one, Samantha ?”

They walked to Jamie’s booth. They had spent most of the night baking and wrapping the cookies for the display. Cami was happy with how they had turned out. It might get some buzz going for The Sweet Treat .

She had pulled up her bank account this morning. It wasn’t looking good. It would be another month before she had another royalty payment. Each month those numbers were getting smaller and smaller. She had already opened a new credit card just to buy supplies for the candy. Not to mention, packaging, wrapping, and containers she needed to sell the sweets .

She wished she had a manager to set up a website. But that would cost more money, and right now she had to get through the Christmas season. This could be enough to steady the shop while she planned on how to grow the business .

People passed Jamie’s booth and picked up the cookies. She saw smiles on their faces. It didn’t matter what came next. Whether it was the flotilla or the Snow Ball, she couldn’t turn down a job because of Evan. They had gotten the sex out of their systems. Now she had to work to survive .

People were going to talk. They were going to whisper about them. He was going to give her the cold shoulder. She just had to get used to it. The Sweet Treat was all she had, and he wasn’t going to ruin it for her .

“Cami?” Jamie prodded .

“Huh?”

“You look lost over there. Mrs. Hamilton wants to know if she can order some fudge .”

“Oh.” She blinked, realizing she had zoned out for too long. “Hi, Mrs. Hamilton. Fudge?” She chewed nervously on her lip. “When do you need that by ?”

“Well, I’d like to ship it to my nieces in Connecticut before Christmas .”

Cami picked up a pad of paper to jot down some notes. “Ok. And how much do you need ?”

“I usually order a pound for each of them .”

“And how many nieces do you have ?”

She waited while the woman counted on her fingers. “Twelve .”

“Twelve nieces?” Cami almost choked .

“Yes. When can I pick it up?” she asked. The holly leaf earrings she wore shook every time she talked. She was an animated speaker .

“Why don’t I take down your number, and I’ll call you as soon as it’s ready? I’ll have it for you this week.” Her stomach twisted in knots as soon as she said it. She knew the fudge recipe wasn’t ready .

“That would be lovely. I’ll stop by as soon as it’s ready .”

“Did someone say The Sweet Treat is selling fudge again ?”

Cami smiled. “We sure did. Are you interested in placing an order ?”

A woman in cat-themed Christmas sweater stepped forward. “I love that fudge. We live in Hopper’s Glen, but drive up every year for the mistletoe shoot and fudge. I’d be willing to drive back if you have some .”

Cami felt the anxiety start to creep in. She was making a promise she wasn’t sure she could keep. Her fudge was adequate, but it wasn’t extraordinary. She was also facing an empty bank account if she didn’t make some sales .

“Then I will make sure to have some for you.” She smiled at the woman .

She turned to Jamie and Samantha who were standing behind her. “I think I’m going to be making a lot of fudge this week .”

“You’ve got this,” they whispered .

* * *

I t was nearly dark. The barn sparkled with Christmas lights. Mason jars flickered with vanilla candles, dangling from wire. Cami looked around and remembered why she loved this event so much when she was a child. It was like there was Christmas magic in the air .