All You Can Handle (Moments In Maplesville Book 5) by Farrah Rochon Read Free Book Online Page B

office manager offered Kiera a contract on the spot to take over all of the law firm’s catering duties.
    “Did that just happen?” Sonny asked as they made their way back to the van.
    “It sure did,” Kiera said. “It serves them right for going with Entertain Us Catering in the first place. I’m the local caterer.”
    “Is Entertain Us your biggest competitor?”
    “They’re one of them,” Kiera said. “There’s another in Slidell that people like to use, even though they’re forty-five minutes away. But Entertain Us gives me the biggest run for my money. They have an amazing pastry chef who does competition-caliber cakes. You can thank him for your new job, because he’s the main reason I decided to look for a pastry chef. I needed to step up my game if I was going to compete.”
    “I’ll send him a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries as a thank you,” Sonny said.
    “Oh, I like your sass.” Kiera laughed. “Come on, I promised Trey I would deliver lunch for him and his workers at the shop.”
    As they made their way across town to where Kiera’s new husband, Trey Watson’s renovation shop was located, Kiera gave Sonny a tour of town.
    “Not even five years ago, all of this was sugarcane field,” Kiera said, pointing to a line of strip malls and standalone buildings along the main highway. “I don’t know what they’re building there,” she said as they passed a wooded area that was being cleared. “Some speculate that it’s a Target. Others say it’s a warehouse club.”
    “Maplesville doesn’t seem big enough for a warehouse club.”
    “It wasn’t big enough for an outlet mall,” Kiera said. “But if you build it, they will come.” She shrugged as she made a right turn onto a road that was in dire need of repair. “There are a lot of people who are uncomfortable with the massive growth, but it’s been good for business. The law firm we just came from is one of several new businesses that have come to Maplesville this past year. There’s a huge accounting firm, and further back, around the area where my brother Mason and his wife Jada lives, there’s a medical plaza being built in conjunction with the renovations being done at Maplesville General Hospital.”
    “It looks as if I picked the perfect time to show up,” Sonny said.
    Kiera peered over at her, an inquisitive lift to her brow. “We didn’t really discuss it during your interview, and believe me, it isn’t a big deal to me, but do you mind if I ask why you chose Maplesville? The town is growing, but it isn’t considered a destination for young, single women, especially those with your…” She hesitated. “Your unique style.”
    Sonny laughed. “I hope you don’t have a problem with it.”
    “Not at all. I love it,” Kiera said. “Still, it doesn’t scream Maplesville. I just wondered why you picked my hometown.”
    She knew her new boss must be curious. Why wouldn’t she be? Sonny had been vague about her background during her interview. It was by necessity. It wasn’t as if she had a ton of fancy baking credentials to her name. Sonny was certain that it was the chocolate torte she’d made for Kiera on the spot during Monday’s interview that won her this job. That and Kiera’s willingness to take a chance on her.
    Even though she’d dropped out of her residency program over a year ago this was her first official pastry chef job. Most of her business had come from word of mouth, baking cakes, pies and other desserts for friends and family, often having to use their kitchen in order to do so.
    That was the one knock against her new apartment; it only had a microwave and cooktop, no oven. But she’d already solved that problem. Because her new boss was the coolest person ever, she’d agreed to let Sonny use the oven at the catering company.
    “I moved here for the job,” Sonny finally answered. “When I ran across your job posting, it seemed like the perfect fit; somewhere that I could hone my