A Time to Bake

She quit her job, bought a bakery, and nearly got hit by a truck — all before lunch.

Alison Dahl has been selling cupcakes at Illinois farmers markets for years, testing a dream she was never quite ready to chase. When a For Sale sign appears in the window of a shuttered historic bakery on the shores of Silverton Lake, she stops testing and starts moving. She signs the contract, quits pharmaceutical sales, and steps off the curb directly into traffic.

The man who pulls her out of the street is Chad Hastings.

Chad has no interest in caring about anyone new. Four years after losing his wife to cancer, he's still learning to be a present dad and keep his grief from making him someone he doesn't want to be. He made desperate choices in the worst of it. God has forgiven him. His friends have forgiven him. He's still working on that himself.

Taking the renovation contract for The Pumpkin Moon should be simple. Fix the wiring. Argue about paint colors. Get paid. Except the new owner smells like cinnamon and vanilla, laughs like she means it, and is working herself into the ground to prove she doesn't need anyone.

The closer opening day gets, the harder it is to pretend this is only about cupcakes and code inspections.

Some people protect themselves by staying busy. In Silverton Lake, God has a way of clearing the schedule.