Before Today Read online

  The garage door opened and Karl walked inside. “I can’t believe how many food and hygiene forms we need to complete. Anyone would think we wanted to open a kitchen on Mars.”

  Levi smiled. “I know what you mean. This morning, the health inspector came to see what we’re doing. She was pleased with our progress, but had some suggestions.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me? What did she say?”

  “She wants us to consider installing a commercial drainage system.”

  Karl studied the painted floor. “If we did that, we’d need to destroy the concrete. That could take more money and time than we have.”

  “Because this is a temporary relocation, we don’t need a new drainage system to get a Baker’s License. But if Brooke moves here permanently, she will.”

  “It’s just as well we’re not planning on that happening. Has Brooke heard anything from the insurance assessor?”

  “I don’t think so. Everyone seems to be waiting for the fire marshal’s report before they release any information or money.”

  Karl opened a folder sitting on the counter and added more paperwork to it. “I don’t know how long it normally takes to investigate a fire, but this is ridiculous.”

  “I guess they have to make sure the fire wasn’t deliberately lit.” Levi held a metal hook in the air. “What do you think Brooke does with this?”

  Karl laughed. “If she was in a performance of Peter Pan, I’d say it belonged to Captain Hook. But because my wife uses one of those, I know exactly what it is. It’s a dough hook. It sits above one of the big mixing bowls we set up yesterday.”

  “How did you get to be so knowledgeable about making bread?”

  “Virginia loves baking. I like eating, so I encourage her to try new recipes. It turns out I’m pretty good at making fancy bread, too”

  “Maybe you should consider staying in Sapphire Bay. You could open a bakery with Virginia.”

  Karl cleared his throat. “It’s funny you should say that.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “While Virginia and I were walking around town yesterday, we saw this store. It’s only for lease, and we don’t know what the kitchen is like, but it used to be a bakery.”

  Levi studied the photos and the information. Apart from what he’d seen in Sweet Treats, he didn’t know what a bakery needed. But the list of equipment included in the lease seemed similar to what Brooke had in her commercial kitchen.

  “Have you talked to Brooke about moving here?”

  “We have. She seems happy with the idea.”

  Levi handed the paper back to Karl. “Even though it might not seem like it, Brooke’s missed you. From what she told me, the candy store took all of her spare time. By the time she got home each night, it was too late to do anything except sleep.”

  “And now look at us,” Karl said as he looked around the garage. “We’re knee-deep in boxes and cleaning equipment that’s seen better days.”

  “I just hope Brooke is happy with what we’ve done,” Levi murmured. “The last few days have been incredibly stressful for her.”

  Karl opened one of the boxes they’d stacked on the stainless steel counter. “Brooke has never been afraid of hard work, but I’m worried the fire has broken her spirit. She was nearly in tears last night.”

  “It will get better.” Levi had never seen Karl look so worried. “Once we’ve finished converting the garage back into a kitchen, Brooke will have somewhere to make her candy while Sweet Treats is being rebuilt. It won’t give her the same amount of retail space, but she has a lot of customers who would come here to buy her fudge.”

  “We could talk to Mabel and see if she would sell Brooke’s candy in the general store. That way, we’ll still catch the tourists as they pass through town.”

  Levi took another box off the counter. “Good idea. I’m going to start the dishwasher. Is there anything in your box that needs to be washed?”

  Karl peered inside. “If you count soot-covered utensils as needing a wash, then yes. Everything needs to go in the dishwasher.”

  Levi stacked Karl’s box on top of his and walked to the other side of the room. If what they were doing didn’t make Brooke feel better, nothing would.

  Once she was in her old kitchen, Brooke wouldn’t have to work around the café’s hours. Life could get back to a semi-normal routine, and Levi would do everything he could to encourage her to stay in Sapphire Bay.

  Chapter 17

  Three days later, Levi was buying groceries when he saw Megan. “How was your honeymoon?”

  “It was great. Nora thought it was wonderful having ten whole days with William and me.” She frowned at Levi’s shopping cart. “It looks as though you’re restocking Zac’s pantry for the next six months.”

  “The groceries aren’t for Zac.” He looked over his shoulder. “Have you seen Brooke this morning?”

  “Not yet. We’ve only just arrived back in town.”

  “Can you keep a secret?”

  Megan frowned. “What are you up to?”

  “Brooke’s dad and I have turned the garage in Brooke’s original home back into a commercial kitchen. We were given our operating license this morning.”

  “But Brooke took most of the appliances across to Sweet Treats. It would have taken a huge amount of work to…” Megan frowned. “Have you moved them?”

  Levi shook his head. “Some of the bigger pieces were too damaged to fix. Brooke made a list of the appliances she had to replace and what models she wanted. What she doesn’t know is that Karl and I went shopping. We had the appliances delivered to her old garage. When the kitchen in Sweet Treats is ready, we’ll move them from the garage and into her new kitchen.”

  “She’ll be so excited. When are you showing her what you’ve done?”

  “I’ll pick her up from Pastor John’s church as soon as I’ve unpacked these groceries. She’s making candy at the moment.”

  Megan looked at the list in her hands. “If I’m fast, I could meet you at her rental. I’d love to see her face when she walks into the garage.”

  Levi couldn’t see any problem with Megan being there. “I still have to pay for the groceries, so you’ve got plenty of time to buy yours.”

  “I think you’re underestimating how much food I need.” Megan grabbed a large shopping cart. “I’ll be waiting outside Megan’s rental property in thirty-five minutes.”

  Before Levi could say goodbye, Megan was off, rushing across the store and throwing items into her cart.

  The things on his grocery list weren’t your run-of-the-mill family favorites. Confectioners’ sugar, unsalted butter, corn syrup, pecan halves, sliced almonds, and heavy cream wouldn’t tick all the boxes in a balanced diet, but they would begin to restock Brooke’s new refrigerator and pantry.

  All he had to do was get them back to the garage, drive to the church, convince Brooke that she needed to go somewhere with her mom and dad, then get her into the garage before she thought everyone was crazy.

  After the last few days, nothing seemed impossible.

  Brooke placed a shiny, red toffee apple into a plastic bag and tied a rainbow-colored ribbon around the top. A lady in Great Falls was having a carnival-themed birthday party. She wanted eighty gift wrapped toffee apples sent to her.

  Brooke was thrilled with how good everything looked. Considering the order had only been placed two days ago, she was even more impressed that she was able to deliver everything in time for the party.

  It was fun to create something different for her customers—and even better when those customers hadn’t ordered anything from her before.

  “Where would you like these?” Virginia asked.

  Brooke smiled when she saw the pretty parcels her mom had made for another order. “If you leave them in a box with the other orders, I’ll make sure they’re collected at ten o’clock. The apricot fudge looks beautiful in the pearl bags.”

  Virginia tweaked the edge of one of the packages. �
�I think so, too. Have you heard from Levi or your dad this morning?”

  “Not yet, but they shouldn’t be far away. Their appointment with the planning department would have finished an hour ago. They might have stopped somewhere for a drink.”

  “That sounds like something your dad would do. I’m sure he knows every half-decent café within a two-mile radius of Phoenix.”

  Brooke carefully placed another toffee apple in the center of a bag. “At least you never go thirsty or hungry when you’re with him.”

  Virginia laughed. “I suppose you’re right. And sometimes, knowing where you can buy a good cup of coffee can be a lifesaver.”

  A light tap on the kitchen door made Brooke turned around. “Hi, Levi. We were just talking about you.”

  “I hope it was all good.”

  Brooke tried not to smile, but it was difficult when Levi had a wicked grin on his face. “It was mostly good. We were trying to work out if Dad had led you astray.”

  Karl walked through the door with at least half a dozen envelopes in his hand. “We stopped by your mailbox on the way into Sapphire Bay.”

  “Don’t give them to me if they look like bills,” Brooke said half-jokingly.

  Her dad kissed her cheek. “I hate to tell you this, but they all look like bills.”

  Brooke took the envelopes and sighed. “Tell me you have some good news. How did the meeting go?”

  Karl glanced at Levi.

  Brooke waited for her dad to say something. When he remained silent, she started to worry. The frown on her dad’s face wasn’t reassuring—especially when the reason they’d gone to Polson was to see about her building permit.

  “Did they say we need a new permit?” That was the worst-case scenario. The best outcome was that the building department was willing to do a site inspection to look at the damage from the fire. If they were satisfied that any additional work was covered on her existing building permit, everything would be okay. If not, they’d have to go through the whole process again.

  Levi picked up one of the toffee apples and smiled. “These remind me of a fair I went to when I was a boy. Except they didn’t have any ribbon tied around the top.”

  Brooke looked at her dad, then at Levi. “You aren’t changing the subject, are you?”

  Levi frowned.

  Her heart sank. Dollar signs flashed in front of her eyes.

  “We don’t need a new permit,” Levi said. “But we do need a structural engineer to look at the building.”

  Brooke frowned. “Why?”

  Karl cleared his throat. “It’s better if you come with us. That way, we can show you what the planning department was talking about.”

  Virginia picked up her bag. “You couldn’t have chosen a better time to arrive. We need a break, don’t we Brooke?”

  “Are you sure you can’t tell me what they said?”

  Her dad shook his head. “It’s easier to show you.”

  Brooke glanced at her watch. “Okay. If we’re going to Sweet Treats it would be good to go now.”

  Before she’d moved from behind the counter, her mom handed Brooke her bag and nudged her toward the door.

  “Isn’t it a lovely day?” Virginia said in a bright and breezy voice.

  Brooke’s eyes narrowed. “Is everyone feeling all right?”

  Karl rushed around to the passenger side of his rental car. “Here you go, Brooke. It’s easier if we all go in my car.”

  Levi and her mom were already sliding into the back seat.

  “Thanks, Dad.” She had no idea what was going on, but it couldn’t be too bad. Her dad was one of the most honest people she knew. If he had an ulterior motive for getting her out of the kitchen, he would have said something.

  As soon as the car turned into Main Street, she frowned. “We’re going the wrong way. We were supposed to turn right at the lights.”

  Her dad kept driving in the same direction. “It’s such a nice day. I thought we’d take the scenic route.”

  Brooke looked over her shoulder at Levi and her mom. They didn’t seem the least surprised by her dad’s odd behavior. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  Levi took an unnatural interest in a strand of loose cotton on his shirt.

  Her mom smiled serenely from beside her cohort in crime. Because, no matter which way Brooke looked at it, Levi and her parents had another reason for getting her into the car.

  “I hope your scenic route involves a big ice cream sundae,” she muttered. “I’ll need something sweet after I find out what you’re up to.”

  No one said anything, so Brooke rolled down her window and enjoyed the cool air blowing off the lake.

  It didn’t take more than a few minutes to realize where they were going. “Why are we heading toward my rental home?”

  Her dad glanced across the car. “You’ll find out soon.”

  “I’m not good with surprises.”

  Her mom leaned forward. “We know.”

  Levi grinned from the back seat.

  So Brooke did the only thing she could. She sat quietly and waited to see what would happen next.

  When her dad stopped the car in front of her rental home, Brooke frowned. “That’s Megan. Why is she standing on the sidewalk?”

  “I imagine she’s waiting for you,” Virginia said from the back seat.

  Her dad’s mystery tour was getting more bizarre by the minute.

  Levi pulled himself out of the car and opened Brooke’s door. “You have two minutes to say hello to Megan. After that you have to close your eyes.”

  “It’s not Christmas. I won’t be put on the naughty list if I see Santa wiggling down the chimney.”

  “But you will go on my list,” Levi whispered. “And I have much better gifts than Santa.”

  “In that case, I’ll be quick.” She grinned at Levi before rushing across to Megan. Brooke hadn’t seen her friend since her wedding. Even though it was only ten days ago, it felt like half a lifetime.

  She hugged Megan tight. “It’s good to see you. I can’t believe how tanned you are.”

  “I thought Sapphire Bay was hot, but Orlando was like an oven.” Megan studied Brooke’s face. “For someone who’s been through so much, you’re looking remarkably relaxed.”

  “I’d be a lot more stressed without Levi and my parents to help me. Come and say hello to my mom and dad.”

  Megan smiled at Karl and Virginia. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” Virginia said. “Congratulations on your marriage.”

  “Thank you. I still can’t believe it’s actually happened.”

  Karl laughed. “Wait until you’re celebrating your thirty-ninth wedding anniversary. It still seems unreal.”

  Levi cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but Brooke needs to close her eyes.”

  Virginia opened her bag and pulled out a gray scarf. “I brought this with me. Even if Brooke is tempted to peek, she won’t see anything through the fabric.”

  Brooke’s eyebrows rose. “You knew about this and didn’t tell me?”

  “I was sworn to secrecy.”

  Megan took the scarf out of Virginia’s hands. “Brooke will need some not-so-gentle prodding to get her inside.”

  “I like surprises,” Brooke said as Megan tied the scarf around the back of her head. “But I like to know what’s going on even more.”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Levi said from beside her. He lifted her hand to his elbow. “Hold on. We’re walking to your surprise.”

  Brooke followed Levi’s lead. Within a couple of steps, the softness of the grass gave way to the hard, concrete sidewalk. Whatever Levi, Megan, and her parents had planned must be important. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be here when everyone was so busy.

  She squeezed Levi’s arm. “Have you been working on the surprise while Mom and I were making candy?”

  “Only for some of the time.”

  The sound of her dad’s laug
hter echoed from behind Brooke. Someone wasn’t telling the truth.

  “We’re nearly there,” Levi said as he slowed their pace.

  “I’ll open the door,” Megan said.

  A creaky, metallic sound echoed around the yard.

  Levi stood in front of Brooke. “I’ll hold your hands while you take five steps forward. When you stop, you can take off the scarf.”

  She did as she was told, hoping it gave her extra points on Santa’s ‘nice’ list. After she removed the scarf, Brooke blinked a few times while her eyes adjusted to the fluorescent lights.

  As she looked around the garage, her mouth dropped open. “Oh, my goodness. What have you done?”

  Virginia frowned. “Don’t you like it?”

  For the first time in her life, Brooke was speechless. She ran her fingers along the spotless stainless steel counter. The ovens were the same model she’d chosen for the kitchen at Sweet Treats. Even the light fixtures were similar.

  “It’s amazing! When I came here after the fire, it was a mess. There was dust and dirt everywhere, and the room was packed to the brim with boxes. How did you turn it back into a kitchen so quickly?”

  Karl smiled. “It was Levi’s idea. After the fire, he spoke to Sam. She told him about the garage and how you’d converted it into a commercial kitchen. When he realized how long your other kitchen could take to get up and running, he suggested we work on this one.”

  “Is that why you wanted to know what ovens I’d buy to replace the ones that were damaged?”

  Virginia nodded. “The ovens and refrigerators were expensive. We didn’t want to get something you wouldn’t like.”

  Brooke opened one of the oven doors. “This is perfect. But what about my tenants? Were they happy to lose the extra storage space?”

  “Your dad and I rented a room in a storage facility for their boxes.” Levi opened one of the pantry doors. “It was a lot easier than trying to find another commercial kitchen while Sweet Treats is remodeled. We tried to think of everything you and Megan would need, but you’ll have to bring other equipment and ingredients with you.”