The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor, #5)(13)

‘Left to go where?!’ Annie was shouting and pacing in her tiny bathroom, which was really only two steps in one direction and two steps in the other. She was getting dizzy.

‘I don’t know!’ Hazel wailed, having moved far beyond frazzled into panicked territory.

Annie sat on her toilet lid and took a deep breath. ‘Okay, let’s calm down for a second. Didn’t Henry know where she went?’

‘Honestly, he seemed kind of confused about the whole thing. He said Estelle had to go out to pick something up. Or maybe someone? I don’t know. He was talking in circles about some kind of surprise, but I’m worried, Annie.’

Okay, so a missing elderly person was not ideal but, as elderly folk went, Estelle was pretty with it. Annie was reasonably certain that Estelle wasn’t lost and confused somewhere, but she also knew that, if Logan caught wind of this situation, he would be a mess on the day before his wedding and Annie couldn’t have that.

‘I’ll go look for her,’ Annie said, rising from her seat and hastily finishing her makeup routine. ‘She’s probably just around town somewhere getting a gift. I’ll track her down and then we can all rest easy for tomorrow, okay?’

‘But then you’ll miss the mani-pedis.’

‘I’m sure I will have found her by then.’

Hazel let out a worried little sigh.

‘It’ll be fine. Everything will be perfect. Don’t worry.’ Annie would make sure of it. ‘And don’t mention anything to Jeanie about Estelle, either.’

‘Are you sure? Maybe I should come with you.’

‘No, you promised Kira you would help with the favors.’

‘Oh, right. I would send Noah, but he and Logan are taking some of the Ellis cousins ice-fishing today.’

‘Dear God,’ Annie muttered. ‘I swear, if those two idiots fall through the ice, I will revive them and re-kill them myself.’

‘I know. I suggested paint and sip, but they didn’t go for it.’

Annie smoothed her hair back into her signature ponytail. ‘It’ll all be fine. And I’ll keep you posted on my search for Estelle. My guess is I’ll be sipping a PSL with her by ten.’

‘I hope so. Bye, Annie.’

‘Bye, Haze.’

Annie took a minute to tidy her apartment before setting out on her quest. It only took a minute because the space was so small, but she loved her little attic apartment. She lived on the third floor of an old Victorian house that had been converted into several apartments. She loved the slanted ceiling and the way the light came in through the front window every morning. She had everything she needed here. Her cozy bed, her kitchenette, good for heating up soup or tea and not much more, and a clawfoot tub, which was perfect for soaking after being on her feet for hours. It was her oasis after a long day.

And most importantly it was hers. She’d spent years living with her parents while she got her business up and running. She was barely making enough money to buy ingredients in those first few years; she certainly couldn’t afford rent, too. And then she’d been saving for the lease on her shop, the new equipment she’d need, and the money to actually pay an employee.

Owning a bakery was her dream, but it was an expensive one.

After years of working for it, she wouldn’t trade her baking empire for anything. Annie strongly believed that everyone should have a passion in life. It could be anything, bird-watching, writing fan fiction for your favorite small-town TV show—where you make every character a werewolf—photographing the squirrels that live in your backyard. Whatever gets you out of bed every day. It just so happened that her passion for baking translated into her career, which was a mixed blessing.

Now, her other passions were napping whenever possible and watching reality TV. Not that she would admit to either of those things. She had a reputation to maintain, after all.

She grabbed her coat from the hook by the door and slung her bag over her shoulder. When she opened the door and found a man standing on her doorstep, she yelped.

‘Damn it, Mac. What the hell are you doing here?’

He looked as shocked as she was, apparently not expecting her to be charging out the door right as he was about to knock.

‘Logan sent me.’

Annie frowned. She did not have time for this. ‘He sent you for what?’

‘His tie and cufflinks.’

‘Why the hell would I have—’ Oh, right. She did have those things. As a close friend of the bride and groom, Annie had been helping them both. She’d forgotten that Logan had ordered a tie and special cufflinks but had them sent here so Jeanie, a notorious snoop, wouldn’t see them. She had already ruined the surprise proposal Logan had planned. He, at the very least, wanted a part of his outfit to be a surprise. Annie had thought it was cute at the time, but now she was annoyed. And extra annoyed that Logan had sent Mac of all people.

‘Shouldn’t you be ice fishing or something right now? How are you the only groomsman available for this task?’

Mac smirked. ‘You really think I’d agree to sitting outside freezing my ass off trying to catch a tiny fish I have to throw back anyway? No, thanks. And Bennett’s parents just got into town this morning. They’re all out to breakfast at the Pancake House. So, I told Logan I would run some last-minute errands for him.’