Whispers from the Heart (Camden Point Romance Book 2) Read online

  Whispers from the Heart

  A Camden Point Romance

  Gail Chianese

  Contents

  A Camden Point Romance

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  A Camden Point Romance

  Whispers from the Heart

  Gail Chianese

  Whispers from the Heart

  Copyright © 2021 by Gail Chianese

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This ebook/book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright ACT of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author, excepting brief quotes used in reviews. This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. For permission or information on foreign, audio, or other rights, contact the author, [email protected]

  Cover Design: The Final Wrap

  Author Photo: Julia Gerace

  Printed in the United States of America

  Created with Vellum

  To my fabulous MTBs

  You all know who you are.

  You are my ride or die.

  My tribe.

  And I couldn’t have done this without you.

  Love ya!

  Chapter 1

  “What’s the deal with your grandmother?” Ted Monahan, the man who held the keys to his future asked. “Is she psychic or some kind of ninja-spy?”

  “What do you mean?” Liam O’Malley laughed for the benefit of the sale, to appease the man holding his future. Showing his impatience wouldn’t help. He wanted to get the contract signed and get on with his life, not talk about his kooky family.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining.” The older man scratched the top of his head. “It’s weird. I mentioned to my wife, it might be time to sell. She and I were alone at the time. The next day, your grandmother walked in and told me to call you.”

  “Your wife probably told her,” Liam suggested, as he nudged the paperwork toward Ted.

  “Nah, I asked. They don’t know each other.” Ted scratched his head again. “It’s like your grandmother has supernatural powers.”

  Liam chuckled. If only Ted knew. His grandmother did have supernatural help, but she couldn’t read minds. Thank God!

  “Maybe she caught a leprechaun and he granted her a wish. You know us Irish.” Liam picked up the pen and handed it to Ted. “Either way, I’m glad she did. This is exactly what I needed.”

  “I feel like I’m forgetting something. Must not be important though.” Ted took another look around the place, bent over, and signed the deed before drawing a set of keys from his jeans pocket and handing them over. “Congratulations. Sugar ‘n Spice Delights Bakery is officially yours.”

  “Thanks, man.” Liam let the keys dangle for a moment between two fingers as reality sank in. “I’m ready for it—ready to call my own shots, be my own boss. Your timing was perfect. One more week in LA and they’d be locking me up in a padded cell.”

  “Don’t thank me—you did me the favor, moving as quickly as you did to close the sale. By this time tomorrow, the wife and I will be on the road, heading south.”

  “Sounds nice. How did the staff take the news?”

  “A little uncertainty, which is to be expected. You won’t have any trouble from anyone but Lilly. That one’s a handful, but she shows up for work every day on time and can handle the rush without batting an eye.”

  “Why the warning then?”

  “She’s got an opinion on everything. Isn’t afraid to share it, which can be annoying at times. But she’s a good employee and is the next thing I have to a manager.” Ted looked around like he was saying goodbye to an old friend. “I asked them to keep the sale under wraps, not that they’ll have much time to spread the word because I just told them today. Had to explain why I closed early, and why I wouldn’t be here tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, and thanks for the warning about Lilly.” The last thing Liam needed was more drama, especially the female kind, in his life. “I was thinking I’d make a few changes—not staff-wise. Update the décor and menu. Put my stamp on the place. Then have a grand reopening.”

  First thing to go would be the faded pink-and-white striped wallpaper and the matching awning out front. He’d replace it with a bold color. Red was good for stimulating the appetite.

  Ted rubbed the back of his neck. “The old place could use a facelift, but I wouldn’t stay closed too long. There’s not much in the way of competition. Elsie’s Diner has muffins in the morning, and no one bakes a better pie than Elsie. But for cakes, it’s mostly us.”

  “That’s fine.” Liam rubbed at his chest, where acid reflux bubbled. Liam had jumped in, feet first, with barely a glance. Yeah, he’d looked over the financial records, did a brief scan of the competition, before he’d determined it was a sound business deal. But he probably should have dug a little deeper before sinking his savings into the place. “Any standing orders or customers, I should be aware of?”

  Ted nodded. “I’ve got it all written down for you. We get a lot of traffic from the town’s people stopping for coffee and a quick bite on their way to work. Plus, we supply a dozen assorted muffins every day for a couple of local businesses.” Ted snorted.

  “What?”

  “Have you heard of the Lady’s Society?”

  “The what?” Sounded like something from the Gilded Age.

  “They’re mostly retired ladies in the community, a few of the elite from the area, and they’re involved in everything. Playground planning, zoning issues, save the whatever. Those ladies meet three times a week, four if it’s book club week. Snacks are a must.”

  “Sounds like a potential, steady source of revenue.” Easy money after what he’d dealt with in SoCal.

  “Yeah, they are and they do great work for the community. Except Old Lady Crandall always wants the same things and Mrs. Monroe likes to spice it up. On more than one occasion, they’ve ended up in a shouting match in public. Just follow my notes. Stay out of their cross-hairs and you’ll be fine.”

  “Got it.” He made a mental note not to piss off the Lady’s Society. All he wanted was a place to call home. To call his own. To do his own thing.

  “Like I said before, business is good year-round. Better in some months—summer— than others—winter. But Enchanted Events really keeps us hopping.”

  “Enchanted Events?”

  Ted leaned against the edge of a bakery display case. “Event planners. Biggest customer base is weddings, but they do some corporate functions too. Some of the brides—and their mothers—can be a pain, but the planners are a dream to work with. It’s gotten to be busier than I can handle.”

  “Is that what prompted you to sell?” He knew he should have looked into the offer deeper. Liam could deal with busy. He had thrived on chaos and short deadlines for years. And he’d dealt with more than his fair share of bridezillas and demanding patrons. But he was looking for something a little different now.

  “That and the wife has been nagging me to retire. She’s tired of the cold and snow.” Ted stroked a hand along the curved bakery case like he was stroking a woman. “After dealing with the rich and famous, Camden Point should be a piece of cake for you. Ha, ha. Pun intended.”

  That was the game plan—living the sweet life. He was done with pampered princesses and spoiled children of the rich and infamous. From here on out he was calling the shots. He’d bake what he wanted, when he wanted, and for whom he wanted. But Ted was right—Camden Point was a small community. He’d left town years ago, but his gram, Siobhan O’Malley had stayed, and now his sister, Shay, was back.

  And since he was planning to sink some roots there was no point in starting his new business venture and life by pissing off everyone in town. Plus, he’d pretty much depleted his savings buying the bakery, so for now he’d suck it up and cater to the crowd.

  Ted said his goodbyes, wished him luck, and left, leaving Liam standing in the middle of an empty storefront full of promise. He walked around, envisioning the changes he wanted to make, as his brain plotted out the menu. Life in LA had been good—for a while until one day it became one long-running competition. Could he top the last cake he made? It stopped being about taste and art and became about who could create the most outlandish masterpiece. Or who snagged the bigger client.

  He’d grown tired of it all.

  It was time to get back to doing what he loved—baking.

  And not just cakes. Or muffins and cookies. Sure, he’d keep those on the menu, because that’s what the bakery was known for. And who didn’t love cookies? Add in a few simple tarts and desserts that looked over-the-top, but appealed to the people. Maybe even add a few artisanal breads? This was his place and he could do as he pleased.

  He’d take the Old Lady Crandalls of the world, who wanted simple food that tasted good, over fame and fortune. The latter two had nev
er brought him satisfaction. Sort of like sex without an orgasm. All the work, with no reward.

  A quick scan of the upcoming orders confirmed a full calendar. Tomorrow, he’d hold his first staff meeting. Before then, Liam needed to get his ducks in a row. Camden Point was small, which meant jobs were limited, as were workers. The last thing he wanted was to lose trained staff or make valuable employees stress over where their next paycheck was coming from. He planned on changes, yes, but his goal was a hometown bakery where customers were treated like family. And to do that he needed good people under him.

  As he surveyed the inventory, he pulled out ingredients on autopilot. His fingers itched to feel the silky softness of flour sifting over them. He craved the smell of melting butter and brown sugar. He needed the taste of home.

  And nothing said home more than chocolate chip cookies. Plus, chocolate was the way to a woman’s heart and it sounded like he needed to win over a couple of them if he was to succeed in Camden Point.

  First stop: a visit to Enchanted Events. According to the calendar hanging on the wall, his next wedding was a little over two weeks away. The order was for a simple vanilla cake with strawberry buttercream, except Liam knew there was no such thing as a simple wedding cake.

  One of these days he’d learn to freaking look before he leaped.

  If he hadn’t been so pissed off and tired of Andrea, his boss, with her never-ending demands to “go big or go home,” he might have thought things through. He’d tried to go big. Hadn’t gone so well. Now he was home thanks to his gram’s call.

  He didn’t regret his decision. Had it been impulsive? Sure. Reckless even, but it got him out of LA and close to his family. Now to make the most of the opportunity he’d been given and learn from his mistakes. First lesson learned: keep the customers happy. Second lesson: next time, weigh his options and think before he opened his trap.

  Chances of that happening? About the same as him baking a lousy cake.

  In other words, low, because he was a damn good baker. At least that part of his life was working.

  Liam popped the butter and cream cheese for his cookies into the microwave to soften, then measured out the dry ingredients for his award-winning cookies. They’d definitely go on the new menu. Not that he planned to make too many changes, because one of the reasons Liam had been drawn to Sugar ‘n Spice Delights Bakery was because Ted had kept it simple. The guy hadn’t gone for a bunch of frou-frou pastries.

  Liam planned to follow suit.

  The bell over the front door jingled and Liam wiped his hands on the pristine white towel.

  “I’m sorry, but we’re closed for the day,” he called out as he walked to the front to be greeted by a white-haired lady in a bright orange top and turquoise shorts. “Gram.”

  “Liam, dear, I don’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to pop in and say congratulations.”

  The air around his grandmother shimmered and Liam found himself staring at the faint, transparent image of his late grandfather wearing a short-sleeve button-down shirt, with a pair of skinny-legged slacks that were a little too high in the hem to be fashionable by today’s standards, but fit totally in when O’Malley lived in the ‘60s. Liam nodded and acknowledged the spirit. “I see you brought company.”

  “But of course, dear. O’Malley wanted to see the place. Your grandfather is the one who made this all possible. If he hadn’t overheard the Monahans talking, I would never have known.”

  “Had to do something to bring the lad home,” Finn O’Malley said as clearly as if his corporeal body stood right there.

  After all these years, it didn’t faze Liam. The rest of the family didn’t have the same gift. Only his gram and he could actually see O’Malley and talk with the man. His sister heard bits and pieces, and his parents still thought they were all nuts.

  “Just don’t haunt the customers, okay?” He said to Finn before turning to his gram. “I was making cookies. Want to help?”

  “Oh, no, but thank you. I’ll leave the baking to you. Feel free to bring a plate over tonight for dessert, though. Hmm.” She looked around, wrinkling up her nose. “I hope you’re planning to rip this god-awful wallpaper down.”

  “What? You don’t like the white and pink?”

  “No, it’s very 1950s.”

  “What do you suggest?” She was going to tell him whether he asked or not. He loved his Gram, but their styles were a little different.

  “Well, you’re not in California anymore, my dear. You could go with a sea palette, as we’re a small New England beach town. But that is so cliché. Instead, make the bakery an extension of the beauty of Camden Point.” Her eyes sparkled as she gestured to her colorful outfit, “Go big. Harvest the hues of the garden and bring them inside.”

  He managed not to wince and smiled instead. Gram meant well. “I’ll keep that in mind. Are Shay and Colin coming to dinner tonight?” He hadn’t seen his sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law since he’d arrived.

  “Colin had to fly down to St. Augustine. Some animal rescue needed him, so Shay went to visit your parents.”

  “Are you going to serve hot cross buns, lad?” Finn’s strong Irish lilt rang strong and true. “They’re my favorite.”

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  “Liam, that’s a wonderful idea. Bring a little touch of your ancestry to the place.”

  “We’ll see, Gram.”

  Finn moved closer, creating a chill down Liam’s left side. “Your great-great-granddad was a fine baker in his time, did you know? Made the best hot cross buns in all of County Mayo. Why the ladies would line up for blocks to get their hands on his buns.”

  “Is that a fact?” Liam asked as he raised a questioning brow to his grandmother.

  “It is a fact, indeed.” The air warmed as O’Malley’s spirit moved away, but he continued to speak. “If you ask me, a lad such as yourself stands a fair chance to have a lady or two line up to get their hands on your—”

  “Well, I must be off now,” Gram cut in, wrapping him in a quick hug. “Time for my pedicure and then I have an art lesson over at senior center. Don’t forget the cookies tonight.” With a final kiss on the cheek, she was out the door with Finn trailing behind her before Liam could say another word.

  At eighty-plus, Siobhan O’Malley was still full of life and opinions. As Liam headed back into the kitchen chuckling, he made a mental note to grab his camera later so he could capture the “colors” around him when he went to Enchanted Events.

  Kadie Kennedy’s kitchen smelled like heaven. She inhaled deeply and smiled. She’d been waiting for this day for years—KadieKakes was now open for business.

  As she pulled the batch of chocolate-cherry cupcakes out of her brand-new oven, tears filled her eyes. They were just right. As was her newly renovated, commercial-grade kitchen. Even if she’d had to spend damn near every last dime of her divorce settlement, it was worth the price.

  Everything from the sunny yellow walls, to the granite one-piece countertops, to the oak cabinets was exactly what she’d wanted. Throw in the top-of-the-line appliances, the six-burner stove, double ovens, walk-in pantry, and fridge, and it was perfect.

  Soon the rest of her life would be too.

  Her mouth watered as she inhaled the rich aroma. If she chose, she could eat every last one.

  She could do anything she wanted now that she had her freedom—and sanity—back, but all she wanted to do was bake. It was what she did best, and her dream was to have her own business. A sweet little shop on the square, with a pink-and-white striped awning and a window filled with scrumptious baked goods all made by her.

  She just had to wait a little longer for the full dream, because Ted Monahan wasn’t ready to sell. But she’d taken the first step. And a home-based business was still hers, and still a step forward.

  She slid the muffin pan onto the waiting cooling rack and grabbed the next batch to pop into the oven. She couldn’t wait to test out every piece of equipment, to share her creations with paying customers…to make something of herself on her own terms.