stay until Christmas,” Emma said.
“I thought you were the one who worshipped the sun and the heat?” I asked.
“Come on, Suzanne. Everybody likes a white Christmas,” she said. “Even me.”
As we took in the early morning, we were each left to our thoughts. The break we took between making cake donuts and the yeast ones was an important one for us. It allowed Emma and me to clear our heads of what we’d done, and focus on what we had ahead of us. Inside the proofing box, the yeast donut rounds were safe and warm, but I was happy to be outside despite the cold weather. It made me feel alive in a way that a warm day in August never seemed to manage.
I glanced at my watch, and saw that we’d gone over our break-time by a full four minutes.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Emma nodded, and as we walked back in, the timer was beeping, and I worried that it had roused my friend. I glanced over at Grace, who looked so peaceful in her sleep, and saw that she hadn’t moved an inch.
* * *
Two minutes before opening, it was time to wake Grace so we could unlock the front door and welcome our customers. I couldn’t believe that loading the display cases with donuts hadn’t awakened her, or the freshly brewed coffee, either.
I poured a mug of it, walked over to her, then gently shook her shoulder. “Hey, sleepyhead, it’s time to wake up.”
“What? Where am I?” Grace said as she slowly awakened. “Suzanne?” It took her a second, then she spotted the coffee in my hand. “Must. Have. Coffee.”
I handed her the mug, then as she took her first sip, I said, “I hate to wake you, but I’m opening the shop in one minute.”
“I fell asleep?” she said as she rubbed her face with her free hand. The one holding the coffee wasn’t going anywhere.
“Yes, before we even took our break.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked.
“Seriously? You looked so peaceful, I didn’t have the heart to do it.”
Emma surprised me by getting a fresh yeast donut and handing it to Grace. “I owe you an apology. I’m sorry I was a little snippy this morning.”
Grace took the donut gladly, then said, “Girl, if I had to get up every morning when you did, I’d be biting people’s heads off like they were made of chocolate.”
Emma said, “That’s no excuse. I was afraid you wanted my job.”
“Not if it paid a million dollars a month,” she said, then paused before adding, “Well, maybe then.” She smelled the fresh donut, then took a healthy bite. “This is wonderful, but it’s not worth it. Suzanne, I don’t know whether I have a whole new level of respect for you, or if I think you’re completely insane.”
“Why can’t it be both?” I said. “Why don’t you move to a booth, unless you want to go back to the house. You can take the Jeep, if you’d like.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to go back to my place yet.” For the first time that morning, a look of fear crept into her expression, and I hated myself for bringing it up.
“I meant you could go back to my house. I’m sure Momma would be thrilled to fix you a big breakfast again this morning.”
“Donuts and coffee, that’s what I need,” she said. “Unless you don’t want me hanging around.”
“Are you kidding? We’d love to have you. Right, Emma?”
To my assistant’s credit, she didn’t even hesitate. “That’s right. Would you like another donut? We’ve got all kinds.”
Grace shook her head. “This is great, for now. You two have work to do. Don’t let me stop you.”
“We didn’t, and we won’t,” I said with a smile.
I unlocked the front door, but since nobody was waiting to get in, it was more a formality than anything else.
Five minutes later, customers started streaming in, and it felt good to have something to offer them. A day without donuts was a day without joy for a lot of my regulars, and I didn’t ever want to be responsible for taking that away from them.
An hour later, I was
“I thought you were the one who worshipped the sun and the heat?” I asked.
“Come on, Suzanne. Everybody likes a white Christmas,” she said. “Even me.”
As we took in the early morning, we were each left to our thoughts. The break we took between making cake donuts and the yeast ones was an important one for us. It allowed Emma and me to clear our heads of what we’d done, and focus on what we had ahead of us. Inside the proofing box, the yeast donut rounds were safe and warm, but I was happy to be outside despite the cold weather. It made me feel alive in a way that a warm day in August never seemed to manage.
I glanced at my watch, and saw that we’d gone over our break-time by a full four minutes.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Emma nodded, and as we walked back in, the timer was beeping, and I worried that it had roused my friend. I glanced over at Grace, who looked so peaceful in her sleep, and saw that she hadn’t moved an inch.
* * *
Two minutes before opening, it was time to wake Grace so we could unlock the front door and welcome our customers. I couldn’t believe that loading the display cases with donuts hadn’t awakened her, or the freshly brewed coffee, either.
I poured a mug of it, walked over to her, then gently shook her shoulder. “Hey, sleepyhead, it’s time to wake up.”
“What? Where am I?” Grace said as she slowly awakened. “Suzanne?” It took her a second, then she spotted the coffee in my hand. “Must. Have. Coffee.”
I handed her the mug, then as she took her first sip, I said, “I hate to wake you, but I’m opening the shop in one minute.”
“I fell asleep?” she said as she rubbed her face with her free hand. The one holding the coffee wasn’t going anywhere.
“Yes, before we even took our break.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked.
“Seriously? You looked so peaceful, I didn’t have the heart to do it.”
Emma surprised me by getting a fresh yeast donut and handing it to Grace. “I owe you an apology. I’m sorry I was a little snippy this morning.”
Grace took the donut gladly, then said, “Girl, if I had to get up every morning when you did, I’d be biting people’s heads off like they were made of chocolate.”
Emma said, “That’s no excuse. I was afraid you wanted my job.”
“Not if it paid a million dollars a month,” she said, then paused before adding, “Well, maybe then.” She smelled the fresh donut, then took a healthy bite. “This is wonderful, but it’s not worth it. Suzanne, I don’t know whether I have a whole new level of respect for you, or if I think you’re completely insane.”
“Why can’t it be both?” I said. “Why don’t you move to a booth, unless you want to go back to the house. You can take the Jeep, if you’d like.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to go back to my place yet.” For the first time that morning, a look of fear crept into her expression, and I hated myself for bringing it up.
“I meant you could go back to my house. I’m sure Momma would be thrilled to fix you a big breakfast again this morning.”
“Donuts and coffee, that’s what I need,” she said. “Unless you don’t want me hanging around.”
“Are you kidding? We’d love to have you. Right, Emma?”
To my assistant’s credit, she didn’t even hesitate. “That’s right. Would you like another donut? We’ve got all kinds.”
Grace shook her head. “This is great, for now. You two have work to do. Don’t let me stop you.”
“We didn’t, and we won’t,” I said with a smile.
I unlocked the front door, but since nobody was waiting to get in, it was more a formality than anything else.
Five minutes later, customers started streaming in, and it felt good to have something to offer them. A day without donuts was a day without joy for a lot of my regulars, and I didn’t ever want to be responsible for taking that away from them.
An hour later, I was
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