Bittersweet

By Krista Noorman

His coffee food truck + her bakery = a perfect combination. Or could exes working together be a recipe for disaster?

Harper Hensley’s greatest joy is baking. She’s co-owner of a cute little bake shop, creating delicious treats to her heart’s content, and happily dating a successful lawyer. Life seems perfect. Until Logan Riggs, the man who walked out on her without a word four years ago, rolls into town in his new coffee food truck, living the dream they were supposed to share together.

The last thing Logan ever wanted was to leave Harper, but unforeseen circumstances forced him to make that choice. He never meant to hurt her or ruin their plans of starting a food truck. Now he’s back to make things right, hoping to convince her to work with him, and longing for a second chance with the woman he loved from the start.

Coffee and cupcakes belong together. But is the truth about Logan’s disappearing act too much to forgive? Can Harper move past the bitter to get to the sweet?

***** Bittersweet was formerly part of the Second Chance with You multi-author series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Krista Noorman
• Release date: Dec 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005453022

Krista Noorman

Krista Noorman is the author of sweet romance, contemporary Christian romance, and young adult novels. She's a small-town Michigan girl, who is constantly inspired by books and movies, gets some of her best ideas while driving or walking in the woods, enjoys beautiful Instagram feeds, and loves a good peppermint mocha.Krista studied at Cornerstone University then turned to her love of photography and spent nearly a decade running her own wedding photography business, which was the inspiration for her novel Goodbye Magnolia. For most of her life, she scribbled away in journals while documenting her everyday life, but it wasn't until she took part in National Novel Writing Month, that she found her true calling and turned her pen to fiction. She's been dreaming up stories ever since.

Book preview

1

cupcakes

What Harper Hensley felt when she stepped through the doors of Sweets on the Grand was always overwhelming and nearly impossible to describe.

Happy. No, that was too simple a word. The feeling was more than that. Blissful.

Some days she still couldn’t believe it was real. She had loved baking for as long as she could remember—all the way back to her Easy Bake Oven days—and she’d always known she wanted to run her own business someday. It was the reason she’d chosen to study business management and entrepreneurship at college. So when the time came, she’d be ready and fully capable of making it happen.

But that wasn’t what led to the fulfillment of her dream. It was the day near the end of junior year when she’d ventured into a baking class on a whim and met Savannah—six years her senior—not knowing then that they’d become the best of friends and decide to go into business together.

Three years it had taken to get this little bake shop going. They had started talking about it and planning for it before Harper graduated. They’d been working their tails off until the timing was just right, until the money was in place, until the perfect spot opened up in downtown Grand Rapids.

When she’d first toured this building, she’d instantly fallen in love with its tall front windows, old tin tile ceiling, and original wood floors. In her mind’s eye, she pictured a long display case filled with goodies, a quaint seating area up front, and an open kitchen in the back so customers could watch them work. The space was perfect, and she knew without a doubt that it would make the most charming bakery.

And now, they were nearly a year into running their shop, and it was better than she’d imagined it would be. The layout was just as she’d envisioned. They had made a plan and stuck to it and their dream was now a reality.

Proud.

Blessed.

Hungry?

Harper’s stomach growled as the door closed behind her. The comforting aroma of cupcakes and scones and brownies and every other decadent delight imaginable filled the space. It was a wonder she hadn’t gained twenty pounds with all the cookies and muffins she’d sampled on days like this, when she’d rushed out of her apartment, anxious to get to work, and completely skipped breakfast.

Taste this. Savannah held out a spoon with a smooth, creamy substance the color of peanut butter about to drip over the edge. She didn’t have to ask twice. Everything Savannah made was mouthwateringly good.

Harper’s mouth closed over the spoon, and her eyes nearly rolled back in her head.

Chocolate butterscotch to fill the croissants. Savannah smiled proudly.

Mmm, that might be better than sex.

Savannah’s eyebrow raised. Like you would know.

Some might say it is. Harper shrugged and went to work organizing the display case with fresh pastries and muffins and all things delicious. This wasn’t normally her job, but Ginny, who manned the counter most mornings, was off sick, and she didn’t mind taking on the task. She’d always felt such great pride in lining everything up, knowing people would buy the treats they’d made, that each creation would satisfy their taste buds and bring a smile to their face.

She stood in front of the counter as if she were the customer and admired her organizational skills. Catching a glimpse of her reflection in the display, she tucked an escaped strand of golden blonde hair back into her bun. Her eyes raised and glanced around, taking in the shop, making sure the place was presentable before the doors opened.

Oh, I forgot to tell you, that coffee truck called me back, Savannah informed her.

What coffee truck? She had no idea what her business partner was talking about.

I told you, the food truck festival is coming up, and that coffee truck, Bittersweet, was looking for a local bakery interested in partnering with them.

Harper shook her head, a little annoyed at the mention of food trucks. You told me nothing about that.

I did, Savannah replied as a section of her dark toffee hair fell from under the white, puffy baker’s hat she’d insisted on wearing since the day they had opened. She blew it away from her face. That might’ve been the night you and Brett went out, though. Maybe you were distracted.

Harper thought about Brett. Sweet, handsome Brett. One of Grand Rapids’ most successful lawyers. They didn’t have much in common, but she enjoyed his company. And he was the first guy Harper had dated seriously since … well, in quite a while.

Are you guys going out again this weekend? Savannah asked.

Harper shrugged her shoulders and straightened a few chairs.

Harper. Savannah was giving her the look—the perceptive one she’d been giving her for months when it came to her relationship with Brett. Just tell him you aren’t into him.

What? I am. She avoided eye contact, because Savannah was incredibly intuitive, often picking up on how Harper really felt about something, sometimes before she even admitted it to herself.

Savannah snorted. Whatever. I know you’re never going to care about him like—

Don’t say it! Harper snapped. Don’t say his name to me.

"Maybe Brett’s not the one, but—"

Who says Brett’s not the one?

Savannah’s eyebrow arched again.

I like him, Vanna. You know I do.

But …

No but. She wasn’t lying to her friend. She did like Brett. But it wasn’t easy to open her heart after the way she’d been burned in the past.

I can tell you’re holding back, Harper. It’s okay for you to be happy with someone else, ya know? It’s been a long time. It’s okay to fall in love again.

Yeah, falling in love again sounds great.

Savannah perked up.

It sounds about as great as sticking my head in the oven with that batch of muffins right now.

Savannah rolled her eyes and went back to working on the croissants.

Or maybe sticking my hand in the blender. Harper moved behind the counter and took long, quick strides across the kitchen, motioning dramatically toward the kitchen appliances. Do I really need both hands?

Stop. Savannah gave the same exasperated look she always did when Harper went off on one of her sarcastic rants.

Harper laughed to herself.

I don’t mean to be insensitive. But isn’t it time to move on?

Who says I haven’t moved on? Harper came up beside Savannah and threatened to stick a finger in her chocolate butterscotch creation.

Savannah smacked her playfully on the hand and pressed her lips together. Her furrowed brow gave away her uncertainty. If so, then I’m happy for you. He’s nice, Harper. Really.

But … Harper waited for her friend’s true opinion. She valued it more than any other person in her life right now.

Pausing in the middle of filling a croissant, Savannah looked at her seriously. It just seems like after eight months, your relationship would’ve progressed a little more than it has.

We’re going slow. He understands.

You told him about—?

Harper’s sudden head tilt and narrowed eyes stopped Savannah from saying his name. Brett knows I had a bad breakup, and that I’m a little gun shy. Besides, he’s busy with his caseload. We see each other when he’s got the time, which works fine for us right now.

If you say so.

It does.

Savannah gave her an amused look and went back to work.

Harper sighed. She knew Savannah was only being a concerned friend, but she was ready to change the subject.

She looked around the shop once more. No matter where she was at in her dating life, this was her one constant. The one thing in her life that made her truly happy and proud. The one area she had control over. The shop would never abandon her like he had.

But if he’d stuck around, none of this would’ve happened. Not a single thing they’d planned for had come to be. He’d been all talk, and she hadn’t needed empty words and empty promises. She’d needed drive and determination and action. She had needed someone who would be in it for the long haul.

If only she’d known Logan Riggs wasn’t a long haul kind of guy.

cupcakes

The thought of partnering with a food truck made her cringe. Not that she had anything against them or the industry itself, but owning a food truck had been one of Logan’s dreams. At the time, it had sounded like so much fun—selling her baked goods out of a truck, traveling around to festivals and events together. She loved to travel, and he had always wanted to, so it seemed like the perfect business to start together.

Looking back, she’d been so naive, so trusting. She actually thought they had a future together.

She shook her head, annoyed that Logan was hanging out in her thoughts again. She’d been so good at not thinking about him, but it was September. They had met in September. He had told her he loved her in September. That, and her earlier conversation with Savannah, had to be why he was stuck in her mind.

Harper found the coffee truck at the location Savannah had given her and drove around the block a couple times until she found a parking space. She retrieved the box of goodies from the back seat and made her way down the street to where Bittersweet was parked. The truck was a dark espresso brown with a bold white logo of a coffee cup on wheels painted on the side. She liked it instantly.

The window of the food truck was closed, so she approached the door and raised her hand to knock just as it flung open.

Ow! She jerked back when the door slammed against her knuckles, causing her to drop the box. Son of a biscuit!

She rubbed her hand, trying to ease some of the pain, and crouched down to where the contents lay scattered across the sidewalk. There was no way to salvage them, so she retrieved the box and was pleased to find a lone, untouched cupcake within.

Her hand throbbed as she took the cupcake from the box. She let out a sigh as she straightened and stood, a little annoyed that the man standing in the doorway hadn’t apologized or offered assistance. Jerk.

I guess this one will have to do. Unless you don’t follow the five-second rule. She held out the cupcake and finally glanced up at the man in the truck. He was standing as still as a statue, gaping at her.

The solitary cupcake fell from her hand and landed frosting down at her feet.

Logan?

2

foodtruck

Harper was still as cute as ever. Except Logan much preferred her long blonde hair down, flowing over her shoulders, than twisted up in the tight bun she wore at the moment. And those bright blue eyes he’d always gotten so lost in seemed even bluer than he remembered.

I guess that one’s a lost cause too. Logan chuckled as he stepped down from the truck and into her personal space, glancing down at the last cupcake smashed on the ground. How are you, Harper?

She stuttered and stammered and said basically nothing before bending down to scoop the mess of cupcakes, cookies, and scones back into the box. She struggled to use only her left hand. The right one was red and swollen from where the door had struck it.

I’m sorry about your hand. Do you want some help? He started to bend down to assist in the cleanup, but she waved him away.

He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and simply stood there, watching with amusement. His gaze followed the slope of her neck, the curve of her shoulder, remembering how soft her skin felt when he would nuzzle against it.

His heart rate kicked up a notch. If he stared too much longer, he might do something embarrassing so he attempted conversation instead.

I didn’t know you worked at a bakery, Cupcake. That wasn’t the truth.

She narrowed her eyes at him as she stood. Don’t call me that. And don’t tell me you didn’t know it was my shop.

"Your shop? You own it?" He knew she did.

Her eyes met his as she gave him her I-know-what-you’re-up-to look. She’d always been able to put him in his place with a single stare. It was one of the reasons they were perfect for each other. She called him on his crap. She made him want to be a better man. The best man he could be. For her.

But then everything had fallen apart before it really got started. And it was obvious by the expression of disbelief on her face that she wasn’t over it.

Harper turned on her heel and walked away, dropping the box of ruined treats into a nearby trash can on the way to her car.

Wait! Logan called after her. At least come inside so I can get some ice for your hand. I’ll give you a tour of the truck while we’re at it.

Harper’s steps slowed.

Come on. You know you want to see it. He wasn’t above begging.

She stopped and turned to look at him.

He tilted his head toward the truck and motioned her over, hoping she would take the bait, wondering if she was at all curious.

They had talked about having their own truck someday, but he was completely unoriginal when it came to anything other than the coffee. The real genius behind the whole thing—from kitchen layout to menu design—had been Harper. They’d spent hour upon hour in coffee shops, planning and dreaming. She’d been full of creative, imaginative suggestions, and everything he’d done during the remodel of this truck was inspired by her. He hadn’t forgotten a single detail.

Now, more than anything, he wanted her to like it. But he knew as soon as she stepped inside, she would see right through him. She would know he based the entire layout on her ideas.

Just for a minute … for the ice.

He was delighted that she’d caved and couldn’t hide his smile if he wanted to.

Harper walked slowly back to him. I, uh … She pointed at the side of the truck. I like your logo.

Bold and graphic and simple. Your words, if I remember correctly.

Her cheeks flushed, and he wanted to press his lips there. One cheek at a time. To feel the warmth he knew he’d caused.

It’s definitely all of those things, she replied.

He moved aside and motioned for her to step up into the truck ahead of him, offering her his hand. She ignored the offer and took the steps without assistance.

It was such a rush having Harper in his space. Her eyes traveled over everything, and he watched her take it all in, still as enamored by her as ever. Having her this close and not being able to hold her or kiss her after all this time was getting to him already. He wanted to get closer, step into her space, wrap his arms around her, inhale the sweet scent of her.

She glanced over at him and held up her hand. The knuckles were bright red and swollen at the point of impact. Ice.

He