A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,67

she’d moved to Willa Bay. “The landlord says I can’t move back in for at least a month, if then.”

“Do you have a place to stay?” Zoe asked.

“No.” Tia felt like she was about to cry again. “I was hoping you might have an idea.”

“I do,” Zoe said brightly. “You can come and stay with me, at least until we can figure something better out. My cottage isn’t big, but you can have the couch.”

Tia’s heart lifted. “Really? You’d let me stay with you?” It wasn't a permanent solution, but it was miles above where she’d been a minute ago.

“Of course,” Zoe said. “What are friends for?”

Friends. At the moment, that was the nicest thing Tia had ever heard. She looked over at the groceries.

“Do you by chance have room in the freezer for a half-gallon of ice cream?”

Zoe laughed. “There’s always room for ice cream.”

“Thanks, Zoe. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“See you then.”

They hung up, and Tia started driving, happy to know that she did have friends and a support system in Willa Bay.

17

Meg

“And then, after freezing it overnight, you end up with this.” Meg opened the canary-yellow freezer door in Coffee Talk Seattle’s demonstration kitchen and pulled out the icebox cake she’d made. She tilted the clear glass baking pan to the side to allow the live studio audience a glimpse of the rippled chocolate and whipped cream confection. Her efforts were met with oohs and ahs from the crowd. “Looks delicious, doesn’t it?”

The audience murmured in agreement.

“Well folks,” Demi Andle, one of the show hosts said. “We’ve got a treat in store for you today. Our lovely guest chef was kind enough to make enough icebox cake for everyone!” Demi flashed a big TV smile, teeth gleaming brightly behind hot pink lipstick that matched her ruffled blouse.

The murmur turned into wild cheering, and Meg grinned widely. As they began serving dessert to the entire audience, row by row, she stepped off of the set, stopping in the green room backstage where she could see everyone’s reactions as they tasted the treat. Judging by their faces, her cake—or, rather, Davina’s cake—was a huge success.

Being in front of an audience had been both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. She’d had a touch of stage fright when she’d first arrived, but Demi and her co-host, Charles, had made her feel as comfortable as though she were cooking at home for her family. Thank goodness she’d accepted the opportunity to appear on the show. It would be wonderful publicity for the Inn and her future restaurant.

However, it was an opportunity that had come at a cost. Meg had undergone hours of soul-searching as she struggled to choose between going with Theo to sail the San Juan Islands and staying in Willa Bay to be on the TV show and continue readying the barn for extensive renovations. In the end, she’d taken Celia’s advice to heart.

While she’d enjoyed spending time with Theo, she’d finally admitted to herself that he wasn’t someone she could see herself settling down with. After reaching that conclusion, she’d had a long conversation with him, and they’d come to the mutual decision to end their relationship. Looking back, it had been a surprisingly clean break, which further solidified her belief that he wasn’t the right man for her. Even with that certainty, she still missed his companionship.

“Meg!” Demi called out to her as she entered the green room. “You did a great job. The audience loved your cake and loved you even more.”

Meg felt a telltale blush work its way upward from her neck. She looked down at her feet, which were clad in white leather sandals she’d bought for the occasion, then forced herself to meet the show host’s eyes. “Thank you. I had fun today.”

Demi tapped her finger against her lips. “What would you say to being on the show again? Maybe once or twice a month?”

Meg gaped, the woman’s suggestion stealing her breath away for a moment. It had been one thing to appear on live TV once, but to do it on an ongoing basis? That was another case entirely.

Demi laughed. “I know, being on TV takes some getting used to.” She studied Meg carefully. “But I think you have a knack for it. Your sense of timing is impeccable.”

“Really?” Meg stared at her, trying hard to keep her mouth shut.

Demi nodded. “Yes. Plus, they were eating up the story about the recipes coming from an old journal you found in