Chapter 1

As the sunrise starts poking through the cracks in the curtains, I reluctantly rolled over to check the time on my phone. Having a restless night’s sleep was not going to help me get through my day, as I thought to myself and rubbed my eyes. I needed to get up and start getting ready for work, since it will be a busy day at the bakery, with tasks not only including baking and putting out freshly baked goods but now I have a wedding cake testing I need to prepare for as well.

I sat up and stretched and slowly slipped on my slippers so my feet wouldn’t touch the cold hardwood floors beneath me. I dragged my feet to the kitchen and pushed the start button on the coffee machine. While reaching for my coffee cup from the upper cupboard, I felt Woodrow brush up against my leg. His meow was a force to be reckoned with when he demanded his breakfast. I couldn’t help but smile and bend down and scoop him up to give him morning cuddles as I headed for the pantry to get him his food. I put him down in front of his bowel and dumped some food in it, he couldn’t help but let a small meow that sounded like a thank you and I quietly chuckled to myself. Woodrow always looks so serious due to his long black hair and his white strip below his nose that stood out and resembled a cowboys mustache. He also packs around 13 pounds of extra fluff, but he is the cutest thing. I remember one crisp autumn morning; I entered the barn and heard a commotion in one of the stalls.  When I got closer, I realized this little kitten was tumbling and rolling in the straw and on his face was the cutest marking and new he was going to be mine. Six years later, he remains the best companion I could ask for and his presence truly helps coming home to a quiet home.

When I moved out of my small town, I had to leave him with my parents.  My dad wasn’t thrilled as the deal was if I brought the cat into the house, he would go with me when I moved out. But after high school I knew I wasn’t meant for college life as it was never really appealing for me, but I always knew that I wanted to travel, so why not become a flight attendant and get paid while traveling. After a couple of years, I realized that the fast-paced life and always on the go catching flights and dealing with mostly ignorant people was no longer appealing to me, I wanted a slower pace in life.  One morning I stumbled upon the listing for this building back in my hometown and decided to contact the agent and check it out. Two weeks later I was moving back home to the small town I so desperately wanted to get away from. The building was an original stone building that was built back when the town was growing in the 1900s and the charm it had was amazing! I made a plan to start renovating with the help of my dad and grandfather to turn the bottom half into a bakery and the top half into an apartment. I saved up enough money to get this new dream rolling and I still can’t believe this is my new life. I guess I always enjoyed baking, and everyone always enjoyed my backed goods even when I was still at home, so this was my chance to try a new dream.

BEEP BEEP the sound of the coffee machine letting me know it was done brewing, suddenly brought me back to reality and I realized that I was already behind getting ready for the day. I hurried and jumped into the shower. Once I got out, I grabbed my towel and dried off and wrapped it around myself and headed to get dressed. I slipped on a pair of skinny jeans and mustard colored off the shoulder sweater. I couldn’t help but glance at myself in the floor length mirror. Over the years my body has slowly changed for the better. When I was in high school I had no curves and I always wore hoodies and jeans so I wouldn’t stand out. I didn’t want the attention of boys. But now I finally feel confident in myself, so now I wear clothing that highlights my slim 5 foot one figure that now has curvy hips, a round perky butt and boobs that are not too big or to small but a perfect size in my opinion. My face has slimmed out and it no longer looks babyish and by putting a little bit of meat on my bones it has definitely helped me feel more like a grown women instead of a lanky teenager.  I styled my long chestnut brown hair into a messy bun and kept my makeup natural to highlight my baby blue eyes.  My best friend Hattie always tells me she loves the new confidant me and that I need to start dating and one day settle down, but I just hate the thought of dating. I just didn’t have the time for that and dating in a small town was terrible. Everyone has known each other since grade school and some of them have just never grown up and the boys I grew up with were not what I wanted to be involved with. Since I am a business owner now and I am still getting my name out there, I just don’t need or want any distractions.