Page 9 of Theirs to Treasure

Josie motioned them to the sample display, expecting the men to try a few of each. They both homed in on the cinnamon roll samples, and after trying them, they each purchased coffee and cinnamon rolls. The next customer did the same. Then the one after that. It went on for the first hour and a half before Josie asked Elise what was going on.

“The Matushkas never had cinnamon rolls on the menu,” she explained, as she bagged up another order to go. By nine a.m. they were out of cinnamon rolls, so Josie had to take those samples off the counter. However, she still had more customers coming in asking for them, since word had spread around town. She shook her head in amazement. Butch and Betty had been right—cinnamon rolls were a good move.

The afternoon slowed down, which suited Josie just fine. Elise told her to get ready for a big day in a few weeks, since there was a school carnival, and a lot of parents brought baked goods to their children’s classrooms. Josie remembered when she worked for a bakery in Florida where they baked ahead of time for events like that but ended up with a lot of unsold items. She explained to Elise that she preferred to just keep normal inventory, and then take orders on top of that.

“Okay, Honey, whatever you think is best.” Josie appreciated the fact that Elise offered advice, but then allowed her to make the final decision, without a lot of fuss and bother. “Aren’t Betty and Butch back in town today?” Elise asked.

“Yep, they said they would drop by this afternoon and take me to dinner.” That was another reason that Josie had been so nervous. The last time she’d seen them in person, she’d been eight years old.

As soon as Betty and Butch walked through the door, the years just melted away. They might have aged, but they were still two of the dearest people that Josie had ever known.

Betty walked forward, her arms open wide. “Josie, you look wonderful.” And just like that, she was enveloped in familiar arms. Butch came up behind the two women, wrapping his huge arms around them both. Josie remembered this hug, this sense of safety and warmth.

“My girl, it’s so good to have you back where you belong.” Josie looked up, stunned to see tears in the big man’s eyes.

He stepped back and looked around the shop, “My God, Josie, this is amazing. I can’t even believe it’s the same place. Business has to be booming.”

“It is, Butch,” Elise piped up from behind the counter. “Your girl is doing a great job. Welcome to Sweet Dreams Desserts.” There was pride in Elise’s voice.

Betty held onto Josie’s arm as they toured around the shop, the older woman oohing and ahhing over all the displays and details that Josie had worked so hard on to make the shop her own. Betty missed nothing, noting every light fixture and every type of treat in the display cases.

“Oh, I love this,” Betty exclaimed. Josie beamed.

“I thought it was a great touch,” Elise said. “I had to force Josie to sneak in a couple of pictures with her and her sisters. Isn’t this a great one?” She pointed to one of her favorites. It was the one that the twins’ algebra teacher had taken of Josie and her sisters when the girls had graduated high school.

“Oh my God, they look like you,” Betty said.

Josie looked at Betty. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Look at the shape of their eyes, and that same stubborn chin. Yep, they might be blondes, but they are your sisters.” Betty smiled.

Josie wrapped her arm around Betty’s shoulders. “You know, you’re the first person who ever said that. Because Mom was white and so were the girls, all I ever heard was how much they looked like her and I felt like the odd duck. So thank you for that.”

“Are they stubborn like you?” Butch asked.

Josie laughed. “Becca is. Do you see that picture of her there in the tennis outfit? That was the game where she served and they shut-out Kentucky. She’s fierce.”

“She looks it,” Butch said.

“Tell me more about the stuff in your display case,” Betty prompted. “Do you make everything Josie, or does Elise help?”

“So far she only trusts me to make the batters and doughs. Josie does all the baking and decorating. I’m hoping to be promoted,” Elise said with an amused chuckle.

Josie blushed, knowing she was a perfectionist, but it was her livelihood.

“Wait until the school carnival in a few weeks, you’ll be sold out,” Betty predicted. “After that, Josie will have no choice but to let you help with everything.”

“Have you been to Hart’s Diner?” Butch asked in his booming voice. Josie shook her head. “We’d take you to the steak house, or the Italian place, but we want to introduce you to everyone in town, and Hart’s is the place to go. It’s one block over, right near the wharf.”

“She’s met almost everyone, but she hasn’t put them into context, if you know what I mean,” Elise said sagely.

“Well, she’ll know what’s what and who’s who by the time we’re done,” Butch assured Elise, and he looped his arms around Josie and Betty and guided them out the door.

Josie wasn’t surprised at the greeting that Butch and Betty received when they walked into the homey diner. What did surprise her was how many people called out to her. There were three waitresses and about forty patrons. Josie saw two men cooking in the back, and she found herself doing a double-take. They’d been in her shop at a busy point earlier, and Elise had sold them a pie before Josie could talk to them. For a moment she thought they were twins, but then decided they were probably just brothers.

Holy hell, they look yummy! she thought. One of the waitresses walked up and caught her looking at the eye candy.

“I know, pretty hot, huh? I pinch myself on a daily basis that I got this lucky.”