The Sweetheart Deal

At least what was left of it.

She looked up to find Kelly peering at her over the top of her menu. Her sister lowered it and reached across the table to grab her hand. “Grammy would be feeling exactly what you are right now. I know it.”

Megs doubted it. Because she felt as if she was mourning Grammy all over again. First to lose her beloved grandmother and mentor, and now her business, too? If Grammy was here...

But she wasn’t.

Kelly’s blue eyes filled with tears. “If something had happened to you...” She took a big gulp and wiped at the corner of her eyes.

Megs squeezed her hand. “I know. But I’m fine.”

The waitress arrived to take their orders. Megs ordered some soup and coffee, the hotter the better to get her warmed up before returning to the frigid climes. Shirley grimaced when she asked for the bread basket. “Well, we didn’t get our bakery order this morning, so we have bread that Rick bought from the grocery store. The rolls aren’t the same as yours, but...”

Right. Because Megs hadn’t been able to bake and deliver their daily order without the bakery. The loss of the Sweetheart extended beyond her. Something to remember as she made plans to rebuild. Because she had to rebuild, right? People and businesses depended on her. “I’ll still take the bread basket, Shirley. Thanks.”

The waitress nodded and left their table to put in their orders. Sam sighed. “I’m going to miss your crullers the most, I think.”

“I can still make some for you at home.” Because that would be the only place she could use ovens until the bakery would reopen. “It will keep me busy at least while I wait.”

Sam held up his coffee cup. “We could look at this as something terrible. Or we could see this as a chance for you to fashion the Sweetheart in your own image. I can build it better than it was before.”

“What about Grammy’s house?” His offer was generous to say the least, but Sam and Kelly had been remodeling Grammy’s turn-of-the-century farmhouse for months. While the first floor was completed, they were in the middle of expanding the bathroom on the second floor. Megs shook her head. “You’re already booked.”

“The house is almost finished.” Sam glanced at Kelly, who nodded her assent. “The bakery is my first priority now.”

“We live in the house, and it would be nice to have a working bathroom.” She found that she could smile at that. “Besides, it will be days or weeks before the insurance on the bakery will kick in. I can’t rebuild without money.” She fingered the business card that she’d stashed in her jeans pocket. Adam was the last person she’d go to for a loan. She didn’t care how desperate she got, she would never go to him and beg for money.

CHAPTER TWO

IT TOOK TWO days to get clearance to enter what was left of the Sweetheart. Even then, Megs had to be accompanied by Will Stone, the town’s code inspector. And she had to wear a hard hat. She adjusted the heavy thing on her head and stepped over the threshold of her bakery. She stood in what once had been the retail area where her customers bought and ate their pastries. Snow now covered the broken glass of her display cases, the tabletops and chairs. The cash register was buried under more snow and broken timber. She walked through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

The damage here seemed minimal compared to the disaster in the front. Megs walked to the marble top of the work island that had saved her life and ran a hand along it. She glanced behind her to Will. “The insurance adjuster said he’d arrive at ten. I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.”

Will nodded and glanced around. “I’m really sorry about what happened, Megs.”

“Not your fault.” She turned back and wandered to the shelves that still stood connected to the partial back wall. She pulled down a worn but now wet recipe book. She clutched it to her chest. “I’m glad Grammy’s not here to see this. It would kill her for sure.”

Will cleared his throat, probably not sure what to say to her gallows humor. She shrugged and walked back to the dining area. Being in the kitchen made her wish for something she could never get back.

A tiny man wearing a heavy parka ran into the bakery and glanced around. “Horrible. Simply horrible.”

Megs nodded. “Mr. Simon?”

The insurance adjuster brought out his cell phone and started to take pictures. “The devastation.”

She glanced around. Yep, that was what it felt like. “But you’ll be able to help me rebuild?”

He didn’t answer but continued to take pictures. She followed him around the front room, then through to the kitchen. Will handed him a hard hat, which the man put over his earmuffs. He snapped at least fifty pictures before he glanced at her. “Rebuild? Maybe. Mrs. Sweet’s insurance policy covered fire and flooding. But acts of God?” He shrugged. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“When we spoke on the phone, you assured me that this wouldn’t be an issue.” She looked around at her ruined business. “I believed you when you said that my policy covered damages.”

“Damages? Yes. Rebuilding?” He screwed his face up into a grimace. “Do you realize how much it will cost you to do that? Even on a smaller scale than what you once had?” He shook his head. “Your settlement will help you get started, but I’d suggest consulting a banker for a business loan. You’re going to need a lot more than what I can offer.”

The image of a certain banker’s face popped into her head. No. Never.

She closed her eyes. Why couldn’t this ever be easy?

Mr. Simon walked past her and into the kitchen area. She raised her brows questioningly at Will, who shrugged and followed the insurance adjuster. Maybe she could go into one of the Traverse City banks to get a loan. The bakery had a strong track record of sales, almost a century of them. Surely that would get her the funds she would need. It shouldn’t matter that she’d only been in charge of the business for four months, right?

Mr. Simon promised to inform her of the settlement within a few days. She shook his hand and thanked him for being prompt. Will Stone also shook her hand, but he paused before leaving through the front door. “I hate to say it, Megs, but Mr. Simon’s right. Anything to do with construction these days costs a lot. The insurance money will help, but you’re probably going to need a loan to cover the difference.”

She knew that, even as she resisted the idea. But she also knew she would do whatever she needed to avoid having to ask Adam for money. Anyone but him.

She thanked Will again, then locked the door behind him after he left. She sighed and walked back to the kitchen. She needed someone to give her advice. Someone who knew the business and could direct her. Problem was the person she’d depended on wasn’t here anymore.

Decision made, she grabbed her purse and locked the door and then walked down the street to where she’d parked her car on Main, since they still weren’t allowing vehicles on Lincoln.

She drove out to the countryside cemetery, where four generations of Sweets had been buried, and parked on the side of the road before trudging through the snow up the hill to where Grammy lay buried. She brushed the snow off the headstone marking her grandparents’ graves, then stood and clasped her hands in front of her. “I suppose you know why I’m here. The Sweetheart is in trouble, and I don’t know what to do.”

She paused, listening to see if her dear Grammy would be able to communicate with her from the beyond. But only silence answered her.

Not that she’d expected to actually hear anything.

She thought of Grammy and how she and Pop Pop had kept the bakery going even through the lean times during the Great Depression and the sugar shortages of World War II. They’d rebuilt after a fire had destroyed the kitchen when her father had been a baby. They’d never given up, but had poured their hearts and souls into the Sweetheart.

They’d expect no less from her.

She kissed her glove, then rested it on the headstone. “Thank you both. I won’t let you down.”

She walked back to her car, determined to make things work. Somehow.

* * *

MONDAY MORNINGS REQUIRED enough coffee without a visit from the district manager. Adam sighed and poured himself his third cup, as well as one for Dave Thompson. He took both mugs to his office and handed one to his boss. “I don’t remember us having a meeting planned for today.”

Dave chuckled. “If I announced every time I was going to visit, I wouldn’t find out nearly enough about how things are really running in my branches.” He looked out the glass walls to the lobby area where a customer filled out a deposit slip at the stand and another stood at Eva’s window making his withdrawal. “Not that busy for a Monday morning, I see.”

“The weather has really affected the traffic the past few weeks. Besides, the snow birds are in Florida and won’t return until April or May.” Adam didn’t worry about the trickle of customers in January. But looking at the frown on Dave’s face made him rethink that position. “The winter months tend to be slower in Northern Michigan.”

Dave huffed and claimed the chair in front of Adam’s desk. “I thought when I brought you here that I was getting a go-getter who would make things happen in this area. Not a man who would offer excuses before he’d even started.”

“I am a go-getter, but I’m also realistic.” Adam rubbed his forehead above his nose where a tension headache threatened to form. He opened his eyes and looked at his boss, who waited for more. He sighed again. “The community had a setback last week when several businesses suffered from snow damage. Many of those business owners are our customers who will be looking to rebuild. I wanted to talk to you about an initiative that will not only leverage the business we have, but bring in more.”

Dave nodded. “I’m intrigued. Go on.”

Nothing like spitballing and making up things on the fly. Sure, he’d spent time considering options and alternatives for the community since the buildings had collapsed. But he hadn’t put anything concrete down on paper. They were merely ideas in his head at the moment. Adam put his hands on the desk in front of him and leaned slightly forward. “When you hired me for this location, the biggest obstacle you explained was the public image of the bank. Foreclosures on homes in the community were at a high. Deposits were down. And the previous bank manager was seen as the villain in the town drama.”

“Sounds right.”

“In the current crisis situation, I’d like to change the bank’s image so that we’re seen as a benefactor. Set up a community fund to help those who lost the most. Extend low-interest-rate loans to business owners who’ll need to build again. Make the bank a partner with the community in order to improve not only the businesses, but also our image.” He sat back in his chair. “If I can change that, I can bring in more money. We will be their first choice rather than last.”

Dave took a sip of his coffee then nodded. “Solid ideas. You think you can write up a plan and get it to me by the end of the day?”

Did he have a choice, really? “Absolutely.”

Dave stood, so Adam rose to his feet, as well. The other man extended his hand. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”

They shook hands, then Adam escorted Dave to the door of his office. He opened it to allow the other man to walk through. Dave turned back when he was halfway out the door. “I hope this works. You have ninety days to prove it to me, or I’ll have to reassess who I have at the helm of this branch.”

“Understood.” Adam kept the smile on his face even as the bottom fell out of his stomach. Ninety days? An ambitious plan like his would take almost that long to be put into place. He watched as Dave greeted Eva, then walked out to his car in the parking lot. He entered the lobby and let himself into the teller’s area. He waited until the customer in front of Eva had left before addressing her. “Dave was here.”

Eva didn’t look at him but nodded. “I saw. Everything okay?”

“Remember those ideas you said were locked in your head?”

“Yep.” Eva turned and gave him a smile. “You ready to hear them?”

He nodded and regarded the tiny woman. He’d been told by Dave that she was a dynamo and his biggest ally in the branch. It was time to see if it was true. “I’ll buy you lunch, and we can discuss what we both have in mind.”

“You’re on.” She straightened the bills in her drawer so they faced all in the same direction. “And you might want to consider going to the town hall meeting tomorrow night. They’re discussing the Lincoln Street situation and what to do.”

If he could present some of his ideas to the town council, perhaps he could get their support in helping turn around not just the community but also the bank. He nodded. “Great idea. Thanks. You’re worth every penny we pay you.”

She glanced up at him with a smile. “Then, maybe you can send more of that my way?”

He laughed. “In ninety days, if I’m still here, I’ll ensure it happens.”

* * *

MEGS ENTERED THE high school auditorium and scanned the crowd to find her sister. Kelly had promised to get them three seats together for what was sure to be a packed town hall meeting. Already they’d had to change the venue from town council chambers at city hall to the high school when people had called for details about the evening’s meeting. And if the half-full room was any indication, they had been correct in switching to a larger space.

Kelly waved at Megs from a spot in the middle of the fifth row. How she had missed her sister when she’d been living in Nashville pursuing her music career. Grammy’s death had brought her back, one bright light in those dark days. She walked down the aisle and stopped when she found Adam sitting at the end of the fifth row. He had his dark head bent over a stack of three-by-five note cards and didn’t notice her. She’d have to squeeze by his tall, lanky form to get to her sister. She cleared her throat, and he looked up at her, his chocolate-brown eyes peering into her hazels. “Excuse me. I need to get past you.”

He didn’t seem to understand her English but stared at her. She held up her hands as if to ask him what the problem was. He stood but didn’t move into the aisle to let her pass. Instead, she faced a dilemma: squeeze by him with her back to him or turn to face him as she attempted to walk by. She decided she couldn’t spend any more time looking at him and turned her back to him to squeeze past. The tight quarters made her brush her arm across his chest. If she’d still been in high school, she might have described the event in her diary and swooned as she told her sister about it. Instead, she ignored the fluttery feeling it brought to her belly and walked toward her sister. She glanced behind her and found Adam watching her. He nodded at her before returning to his seat. Megs rolled her eyes and took the open seat next to Kelly.

Activity on the stage brought Megs’s attention to the front of the auditorium. She leaned closer to her sister. “This should be interesting.”

Kelly’s eyes twinkled. “The meeting or that awkward moment with Adam?”

“You saw that?” Megs groaned. “A gentleman would have stepped out into the aisle to let me pass, but he wouldn’t budge. Not that he was ever anything but a cad.”

Kelly’s eyebrows raised at this. “A cad? Been reading regency romances again with your free time?”

“Free time seems to be all I’ve had lately since I can’t seem to get a loan.” She shook her head and glanced at the agenda someone had thrust into her hand. “This is probably just another waste of time.”

“Since when has the community coming together to help out ever been a waste? I think the accident has made you cranky.” Kelly stood and scanned the rear of the auditorium, probably searching the audience for Sam. “Don’t let what’s happened change you, Megs. You’re better than that.”

“You sound like Grammy.”

Her sister turned back and nodded. “And maybe she’d kick your backside until you got out of this funk, too.” She paused and waved, then sat down next to her. “Grammy wouldn’t give up on the Sweetheart.”

“I haven’t given up.” Megs adjusted her coat around her shoulders since there was a chill in the auditorium. “I’m being realistic. I’ve applied to two banks for a business loan. Struck out at the first place, and the second wouldn’t even take my application because I haven’t owned the bakery long enough.” She sighed and shook her head. “Worked at the place for fifteen years, but apparently that doesn’t mean a thing when you’re asking for tens of thousands of dollars.”

Kelly nodded toward the end of the aisle. “So talk to Adam.”

“Be serious.” She glanced at him quickly and then shook her head. “He’s the last person I’d go to for this. You remember what he was like in high school.”

“Was being the key word.” She looked up at Sam as he approached them. “Hey, babe.”

Sam bent over and kissed her sister’s cheek. “Full house tonight.” He looked around and nodded at several people. “I would have been here earlier, but my inspection went longer than planned with Will.”

Kelly and Megs held their collective breaths. With a soft voice, her sister asked, “And what did he say?”

Sam shrugged. “He approved all the changes.” He gave them both a wide smile. “We’re officially finished renovating.”

Kelly squealed and jumped up to hug him. “All that work and time.”

“It was worth it, right?” He let go of Kelly and put an arm around Megs’s shoulder. “You girls actually have a beautiful fully remodeled home.”

“You mean, you and Kelly do. Grammy left it to the two of you.” Megs smiled despite the sour feeling in her belly. “Congratulations, you guys.” She joined the group hug and willed herself to feel happy for the couple who seemed to have everything going right for them. Finally.

A gavel sounded on the podium onstage, so they ended their celebration and took their seats. Megs took another glance down the aisle at Adam, who still studied his note cards. She wondered what that was all about.

Rick adjusted the microphone. “Testing. Great. If we could all settle down, we’ll get the meeting started. I know there are a lot of questions and concerns about what’s been going on. If you didn’t receive an agenda for tonight, hold up your hand and I’ll make sure you get a copy.” He shielded his eyes with one hand as he looked out at them then nodded. “Good. First, let me express my regrets about the loss of property. I’m glad to say that there were no fatalities. Randy Simms remains in stable condition at the hospital, but Vicky tells me she expects to bring him home next week.”

Several people clapped at this. Rick joined in for a second or two, then continued. “Next, I’ll have our town code inspector Will Stone talk about the damage the businesses on Lincoln received and his expectations of what happens next. Will?”

Will took his place at the microphone. “Thank you, Rick. And like you, I am grateful that there was no loss of life. The businesses, on the other hand, took quite a hit. The hardware store had minimal damage, but the bakery, aquarium, bookstore and the apartment complex have suffered quite badly.” For the next several minutes he described what Megs already knew. The shell of the buildings stood, but the interiors had been wiped out. Rebuilding was now the priority for not only the business owners, but the community members, as well. “I know I’m missing my cinnamon roll fix like you are.” He looked out into the crowd and smiled at Megs.

She put her head down. Without her hands in dough, her life felt emptier and colder. She longed for the heat of the ovens and the scent of yeast and sugar. She’d tried making cookies and bread at home, but it wasn’t the same. She missed the Sweetheart. Her bakery.

“In terms of rebuilding, I’d like to introduce someone who is dedicated to bringing back the Lincoln street businesses. Our local bank manager, Adam Hawkins.”

Her jaw dropped. Will had to be mistaken. Adam was dedicated to himself and his own interests alone. Certainly not to Lake Mildred’s.

* * *

ADAM HADN’T EXPECTED applause as he took the stage, but he hadn’t expected stunned silence, either. He shook it off, reminding himself they remembered his past and not his present. He put his note cards on the podium and took a sweeping glance out over the audience. He found hazel eyes staring at him from the fifth row, but chose to ignore her for the moment.

He nodded to Will. “Thank you, Mr. Stone and Mr. Mayor. I appreciate this opportunity to present Foster Community Bank’s proposal to rebuild Lincoln Street.” He flipped the first card over. “And that’s what this is—an opportunity to come together as partners in redeeming what was lost.” He glanced out again and squelched the nerves radiating from his fingers, making his note cards tremble. He found Megan staring at him. He kept his focus on her. “Foster Community will offer low-interest-rate loans to those business owners affected by the snowstorms, whether directly or indirectly. After all, what happens to one of us touches the entire community.

“We are also proposing a community fund to raise the funds necessary to help in the rebuilding process. I have set up an account where anyone can donate a dollar, five, ten. Whatever you have. Foster has agreed to match all contributions.” He flipped the next card. “We want to be a partner during this difficult time. And I hope that together we can rebuild and revitalize Lincoln Street as well as Lake Mildred. Any questions?”

Hands shot up around the auditorium. He wanted to groan, but Eva had warned him about this. Rick approached the podium and pointed to a gentleman near the front. “Mr. Finney?”

“You said low interest rate. How low?”

Adam smiled. A question he was prepared for. “Three percent less than the current rate, which will save the business owner thousands over the life of the loan. And no application fee or closing costs.”

“Why would Foster be willing to work with us now when many of us lost our homes before because they refused?”

A hard question, but again he’d come prepared. “I regret how things were handled in the past. Those responsible are no longer with Foster Community, and we are working hard to repair those bridges we burned. I have been brought here to salvage the relationship the bank once enjoyed with you all. We want to be your source of sound advice and help you achieve your financial goals.” He stopped before he sounded anything more like a public-relations brochure. Another hand, and a familiar guy stood. Adam wanted to ask someone else, anyone else for a question, but he stood and waited. “And we should believe you why?”

His smile faltered slightly at the sight of his old friend Shane Lee. “I approached the bank president regarding these plans, and she has agreed to them all in writing. I have copies of our proposal should anyone need one.”

“I still don’t trust a word you say. We all remember what you were when you left here.” Shane took his seat.

Adam winced. He’d anticipated that something like this might come up, but he’d hoped it would come from someone else. “I grew up here, so you all know the boy that I was. But I’ve returned as a changed man. I don’t want to see us lose any of the businesses, including the aquarium store. Let’s work this out together. I’ll be in my office every day and every hour the bank is open this week and next for those who want to discuss this plan further.”

He glanced out at the audience but didn’t see any more hands. Most had gone down after the last question, which meant he had to rebuild more than the bank’s reputation. He had his own to consider.

* * *

AFTER ADAM’S PROPOSAL from Foster Community, there was another rival branch manager who stood to offer assistance. But Megs noted that it didn’t come close to what Adam had offered. There was no talk of a community fund with matching contributions. Or lower interest rates.

Maybe Adam had changed. Megs shook her head. She meant the bank had changed. The Sweetheart had been a customer for longer than she’d been alive, so it had been a no-brainer to keep the accounts there as they were before Grammy died. And though she hadn’t been affected by the foreclosures, she knew many of her customers who had been. The town’s population had shrunk by almost a quarter during that time. Slowly, it was changing for the better. People were now buying homes that had been sitting empty for years and bringing their money to spend in her shop and others.