Hailey offers a polite smile. “Although I admit, I’ve found his publications incredibly useful. He has a great way of making dense scientific information accessible.”
Gracie gives us a bawdy wink. “And he’s hot, so everyone’s always hanging on his every word.”
We both laugh. She’s not wrong.
“I’m happy he’ll have someone to talk shop with while we’re here.” Gracie flutters her lashes in my direction. “How’s city hall treating you?”
“So far, so good. I love a challenge.” I wave my hand to encompass the bright, airy room decorated in distressed whites and pinks. It’s gorgeous and drips Paris patisserie. “This place is amazing, very old-world French.”
“Thanks, I modeled it off my place in the city. My Chicago manager insisted it was good for branding.” She chuckles, shrugging one shoulder. “That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say, but here we are.”
“Did you grow up in Revival?” Hailey asks, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Yeah, we live next door to Mitch and Maddie. My brother and I inherited the house when our mom died. He lives there, and James and I live there when we’re not in Chicago.”
“Sounds like a full house,” I say.
She shrugs. “Sam and I have always lived together, so it’s normal to me. I’m up early as a baker, he’s out late as a bartender, and James is low-maintenance. He has his own private space to work in the apartment over our garage, so it works out in the end.”
The last customer files out, and Harmony emerges from behind the counter and sits down, completing our four-top. She reclines in the white wooden chair with a sigh. “What are we talking about?”
“I was explaining our living arrangements.” Gracie turns back to Hailey and me. “Before the store opened, the bakery was out of our kitchen. So now that we’ve moved in here, the house is practically empty.”
“I’m still in the honeymoon stage of having elbow room.” Harmony’s voice is light and lyrical, having an almost musical quality to it. “We’ve only been open for about six weeks.”
“How’s it going?” I ask.
“Fantastic.” Gracie beams, her pride in her accomplishments clear in her expression. “One of my best friends, Cecilia—she’s Mitch’s sister and is married to Maddie’s brother, Shane—owns a PR firm in Chicago. She normally does damage-control stuff, but since we’re besties and they are investors in the bakery, she worked her magic, and now we can barely keep up. It’s an excellent problem to have, but I think that’s why I always love coming home to the comfort of baking and the people I’ve known my whole life.”
“Isn’t it hard to go back and forth all the time?” Hailey asks, her nose wrinkling. “It must be exhausting.”
“Like most things, it has its pros and cons. But I have good people working for me, and technology makes it easier. But I’ll admit, with James on sabbatical until after the first of the year, I’m loving the happy comfort of home where I have the space to experiment and get those creative juices flowing again.”
A customer comes in and Harmony moves to stand, but Gracie pats her hand. “No, you opened, so I’ll get it.”
She excuses herself to take care of the customer, and I shift my attention to Harmony. “Did you grow up in Revival too?”
“Nope. I grew up in Missouri, about thirty minutes out of St. Louis. I’ve only been in town a couple years. I’m over on Second Street,” she says.
“What made you pick Revival? Do you have family here?” Hailey asks.
Harmony’s expression turns a little wistful. “I don’t and I wanted a new start, threw a dart at the map, and liked the name.”
“That’s brave of you,” Hailey says.
Gracie rejoins us, but before she sits down, she puts a doughnut on my plate and then does the same with Hailey. “Sorry, I can’t stand to see an empty plate. It’s a sickness.”
I pick up the vanilla-glazed fried concoction and take a bite. A delicious lemon and raspberry cream floods my taste buds. I moan and lick my lips. “Oh my god, this is fucking amazing.”
Harmony and Gracie both squeal in delight.
Hailey’s eyes close as she savors the taste. “It’s like a gourmet doughnut.”
We eat and chat while Gracie and Harmony each take turns going to the counter to help the customers who wander in.
Gracie waves to an older woman with pink hair. “Have a good one, Dorris.”
The older woman waves back. “Kiss that handsome husband of yours for me.”