Page 8 of Dark Christmas
Claire smiles, leaning against the counter. “That’s sweet of you. But you know we can’t always be giving away extra stock.”
I pause, looking over at her. “I know, but maybe we could plan ahead and make a little extra of everything. That way, we’ve got plenty to donate without cutting into what we sell.”
She chuckles, shaking her head. “We don’t have enough overhead right now to be whipping up extra trays of pastries just to give away. It’s a nice tax write-off, sure, but we’re still a business.”
I sigh, knowing she’s right. “Yeah, I know. Just sucks we can’t do more.”
Claire pats my shoulder. “We’ll be able to do a lot more when we grow. We just need to stick to the plan.”
“I agree. But I still like doing whatever we can now. Hey,” I add as an idea pops into my head. “It’s getting close to Christmas. We should plan something extra nice for the shelter. You know, really make it special.”
Claire’s eyes light up. “I’m down for that! What are you thinking?”
We chat it out, and after some back-and-forth, we strike a deal: Come Christmas, we’ll bake enough muffins for everyone at the shelter, plus cupcakes for the kids. It’s a small way to spread some holiday cheer without breaking the bank.
"But," Claire adds with her signature I’m-the-boss grin, "starting next year, we might have to scale back on the daily drop-offs. Maybe switch to a few times a week instead of every day. Just for a while."
I sigh but I know she’s right. “Yeah, okay. I get it. Gotta be realistic.”
She pats her bump with a satisfied smile. “Exactly. But Christmas? We’re going all out.”
Then her grin turns a little too mischievous for my liking. “Speaking of Christmas, did you get the boudoir photos?”
My cheeks heat up even though I’m trying to play it cool. “Don’t remind me. I still can’t believe I let you talk me into something so outrageous.”
Claire laughs. “You needed a little spice in your life!”
The boudoir shoot had been her brilliant idea—a birthday gift she insisted I couldn’t refuse.
Claire smirks. “Look, I love that you’re so committed to the bakery, but babe, you’ve let your love life fall off the face of the earth. Those photos were to, you know, reinvigorate things. Remind you that you’re a beautiful, sexy woman who deserves to feel like one.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t help smiling. “Yeah, I know.”
“And it worked, right? Didn’t you feel sexy?”
I shrug, feeling my face warm up a little. “I guess. The photographer knew what she was doing. She managed to make me feel pretty damn good, honestly.”
Claire’s eyes sparkle. “Told ya!”
I suddenly remember it’s been a few weeks since the shoot. “Actually, the photos should be here by now. I should’ve gotten them already.”
Frowning, I pull out my phone, checking my email and tracking the package. My stomach twists as I see the status.
“Delivered,” I mutter. “Weird, I haven’t gotten them yet.”
A ding snaps me out of my thoughts, and I rush over to the oven. The cookies look amazing—golden brown with gooey chocolate chips.
“Perfect,” I say, “but they’ll need to cool a bit before I can take them over to the shelter.
Claire peeks over my shoulder. “Why don’t you throw them on a paper plate? They’ll cool off on the walk over.”
“Genius. Why didn’t I think of that?”
She hands me the box with the rest of the leftovers already packed up. “Here. Tell the staff I said hi, okay?”
“Will do!” I grab the plate of cookies and the boxed-up treats, balancing them as I head for the door.
The walk to the shelter is quick, and when I arrive, I make sure to tell the staff to grab a cookie before they’re all gone.