Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“Oh, Little girl. Why are you crying?” he probed quietly.
“I don’t know!” she answered, scrubbing her hands over her face.
“Do you like Daddy taking care of you?”
“I love it,” she whispered.
“So much it makes you cry happy tears?”
“Yes.” Her voice warbled with emotion.
Her Daddy pulled her tightly against him and hugged her fiercely. “You’re mine, Little girl. I’ll never let you go.”
“Never?”
“Never.” Garrett eased her back from his body and captured her lips.
His kiss was demanding. Ellie clung to him, grabbing handfuls of his shirt to stabilize herself. Her Daddy would not allow her to be partially connected to him. Garrett wanted everything from her.
When he lifted his lips from hers, Ellie nodded. She wasn’t sure what she was agreeing with exactly, but his devasting smile made her feel even warmer inside. Allowing him to guide her through the house and out to his SUV, Ellie clung to his hand, needing to be close to him. She dutifully sipped the smoothie that her Daddy pressed into her hands when he tucked her safely into the vehicle.
They were both quiet on the drive to her shop, each lost in their own thoughts but holding hands to stay in contact with the other. Too soon, Garrett parked at the front of the shop and exited to help her out. He unlocked Little Cakes and swept through the bakery to make sure all was well.
“Alright, Little girl. We’re here right on time. You’re ready to get your day started. Call or text me if you need me.”
“Can I contact you just to chat?” she hesitantly asked.
“I’d love that.”
Her Daddy swept her into his arms and hugged her close. “I’ll see you this afternoon. Lock the door behind me,” he instructed.
“Yes, Daddy,” she answered automatically before lifting her lips to invite his kiss.
“Good girl.”
She was still thinking about that fiery kiss as she turned to walk into the kitchen. A loud rapping on the door made her turn to see Garrett pointing at the lock.
“Oops!” Ellie ran over to flip the lever to secure the door. She laughed at his waggling finger reprimanding her.
“Be good,” he called through the door before heading back to his SUV.
She waved happily through the window until he drove out of sight. Hugging her arms around her torso, Ellie headed for the kitchen. There were so many cupcakes to get ready for the grand opening!
Once the sun was up, Ellie opened the front door so her staff could enter for training. She knew Garrett wanted her locked inside but it just wasn’t practical with all the deliveries and training. Working hard on the decorations and setting up the displays in the cases while batches of cupcakes rose in the oven, Ellie kept an eye on the traffic outside.
Tori was the first to come through the door, and Ellie beamed as she entered. “Hi, Tori! I’m glad you’re here for the training. You’re the first to arrive. Let me show you how to clock in.”
Ellie showed her where the time clock hung in the back supply room. Plucking a colorful nametag from the rack, she handed it to the woman in her thirties.
“Here you go. You’ll need this badge every day. This will clip onto your Little Cakes apron. You can wear a colored T-shirt and jeans or shorts depending on the season. Nothing too revealing—like holes in private places. You should look casual but not like you’re hanging at a club or at home. Make sure you wear sneakers that cover your entire foot. The health department here requires that. No flipflops or sandals.”
“Got it. T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. I can do that.”
“You’ll use your ID to log in. You try it. Wave it across the sensor,” Ellie directed. She smiled at the mechanical beep that signaled the machine worked perfectly.
“Let’s get you an apron.”
Ellie opened a cabinet next to the time clock. “You can get a fresh apron here each day and leave your old one in that bin when you log out,” she explained, pointing to the large bin.
“Awesome. I love this design. Did you create it?” Tori asked, pointing to the store’s embroidered logo on the front.
“Goodness no. I don’t have a creative bone in my body. I hired a designer. How I’m going to make a special board look legible, I don’t know,” Ellie confessed.
“I’m pretty artistic. I’d love to try!”
“Yay! I’ve got everything set out. Let’s see what you come up with.”
Soon, Tori was entrenched in creating a beautiful announcement using the neon markers on Ellie’s blackboard. Amazed at the swirls and decorations her new employee crafted around the featured cupcake, Ellie knew she’d found the right person for that job.
Things were just falling into place. Ellie couldn’t wait for the grand opening. She knew her dream of running Little Cakes would be a success. Ellie didn’t want to derail her success by missing an important component, so she forced herself to concentrate on training her employees. Carefully, she checked off all the items on her list.