“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

It sounded like he said it more because he felt it was the right thing to say, but Whitney nodded.

“What questions do you have?” she asked.

“I’m curious what your father thinks of the plan.”

She blinked, then stared at Gordon. Then frowned. Then blinked again. “My father?” she finally asked.

“Yes. I haven’t spoken to him in a while but he didn’t mention anything about a new product the last time we did talk.”

“I’m sure he didn’t,” Whitney said, confused. “He doesn’t know anything about it.”

Gordon seemed confused now. “He doesn’t?”

“No.” Whitney leaned in. “My father doesn’t own Hot Cakes anymore, Gordon. He’s not a part of any new plans or products anymore.”

“Well, yes, I know that’s technically true,” Gordon said. “But surely you’re talking with him about decisions and turning to him for advice.”

Whitney felt her eyebrows rise. “Actually, no, I’m not. There are four men who are making the decisions now and who I get advice from. And give it to, incidentally. Aiden Anderson, Grant Lorre, Oliver Caprinelli, and Camden McCaffery. The new owners.”

“All young men with no previous experience in the food industry,” Gordon said.

She nodded. “Which is why I’m here.”

“Also young and inexperienced.”

“Young, perhaps, but I’ve been involved with Hot Cakes all my life. It’s been my family’s business for almost fifty-two years.”

“I’m aware of that.” Gordon gave her a placating smile. “But I meant inexperienced in actual business.”

Whitney expected to feel the typical frustration welling up. The anger at being dismissed. The exasperation.

Then… she started to laugh.

Gordon’s eyes widened. He looked at Matt and Stephen.

Whitney glanced at them as well, laughing and shaking her head. She was actually… amused. These men were misogynistic fools. They were treating her the way her own father, grandfather, and brother always had. They wouldn’t get it, no matter how she explained it to them.

And it didn’t matter.

It didn’t matter who they thought had come up with the ideas or who thought they were great. It didn’t matter if Gordon Fucking Perkins thought she could handle this.

All that mattered was that Aiden, Grant, Ollie, and Cam thought she could handle this.

And they did.

All Gordon Perkins needed to know was that Hot Cakes was no longer a Lancaster family business.

She was the idiot. She’d put time and energy into this. She’d worn her new skirt for this. She’d stayed here instead of going to Dubuque, where she really wanted to be.

For these jackasses. Who would never get it. And whose opinions didn’t matter.

“What’s so funny?” Gordon finally asked.

“That you think my father, who nearly put this company out of business, is someone that any of these men would listen to,” she said. Honestly. “Look, Gordon, your choice is simple—do you want to continue working with Hot Cakes or not. If yes, then you’ll be a major partner in helping us launch our new product. If no, then…” She pushed her chair back and stood. “You’re an idiot. You will never find four men more dedicated to doing the right thing and making their business successful then these four. But they will do it their way. You can come on board or you can miss out.” She gathered her folder and stepped out from behind the table. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve already given you enough of my time today. There’s someplace else I need to be.

Someplace else she should have been a long time ago.

“Now wait,” Gordon protested, coming to his feet. “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested.”

She looked back. “Like I said, I’ve already given you enough time. We can schedule another meeting after you’ve thought about everything.”

“I’d like to do this now. We can hash out the launch plan for our stores in Iowa right now.”

“I want more than Iowa.”

“Fine. All of our stores,” Gordon said.

Whitney smiled. “Great. I’ll have Piper put that on our agenda. For our next meeting.”

As she walked out of the conference room, she thought about the fact that she’d maybe just ruined the relationship with the biggest account Hot Cakes had.

She might have just let her bosses down. Her friends down.

But as she put her folder on her desk and grabbed her purse so she could head to the hospital, she knew that wasn’t true.

She was going to Dubuque. To the hospital to be a friend. Finally.

21

It had been a shit day.

A really shit day.

Right on the heels of the best night of his life.

Whitney was in love with him. They’d reconnected, in every way.

And now his mother was on an operating table and a surgeon was cutting into her chest.

He rolled his neck and shoulders and looked around.

Aiden was holding Zoe. Grant was holding Josie. Dax was holding Jane. Didi was holding Henry. Or maybe Henry was holding Didi. The only two people without someone holding their hand or someone’s arm around them were Cam and his dad.

That was because the person his dad wanted to be holding was the one with her chest split open right now.

And because the person Cam wanted to be holding was in Appleby in a fucking business meeting.

“Wow, you really look like crap.”

He turned to find Piper handing him a muffin and a bottle of water.

“Hey.” He was surprised to see her. Then he shook his head. “You can’t bring a McCaffery a muffin. Buttered Up or homemade are the only kind we’re allowed to eat.”

She nodded. “That’s from Buttered Up.”

He frowned. “But—”

“Paige opened the bakery and I went in to help her. Stayed open until we ran out of stuff. Well, besides the stuff I swiped for you guys.”

He looked around again and noticed that everyone now had food.

Cam looked at Piper. “Wow,” he finally said. “Thank you. For the muffin and for managing the bakery this morning for Zoe and Josie.”

“It was Whitney’s idea.”

His chest tightened painfully. “Oh.” That was… nice. Awesome even. She’d been thinking of him and his family. She’d come up with a way to help.

In Appleby. From a distance.

It wasn’t as if he believed she hadn’t been thinking of him. Or them.

But she wasn’t here.

She’d stood on those steps, wrapped in a sheet, probably still smelling like him and cookie dough, and she’d let him leave without her.

There was a big meeting today. A big meeting that mattered a lot to her. A big account, one she had history with. One she wanted to impress.

And of course it mattered to Hot Cakes, too. But it hadn’t even occurred to her to reschedule.

“You okay?” Piper asked.

“Sure. I mean…” He gave a soft, humorless laugh. “No. Fuck no, even.” He took a breath. “My mom’s in surgery, my dad’s a mess, my sister and brother are scared, and there’s nothing I can do.”