Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“What problem is that?” Rose frowned and stiffened.
“You need some help, Rosebud,” he said gently. “You’re burning your candle at both ends.”
Rose took a deep breath, not responding. He might be right, but this was her business. Her baby. Her life. She’d put several months of blood, sweat, and tears into making Stuff-It get off the ground. She didn’t like his implication.
“Rose… Are you still there, Little girl?”
She flinched. “Yes, but I need to go. It’s a busy day. I’ll talk to you tonight.” She ended the call without waiting for a response. She didn’t jump up to run back out front though. Instead she sat at her desk, thinking.
This was the first time she’d felt aggravated with her Daddy. She knew he meant well, but she didn’t want him to interfere with her business. She was capable of deciding if she was working too hard. She didn’t need him telling her what to do.
She glanced at the small fridge she kept in her office. She hadn’t had lunch yet. Without a doubt, she should take this opportunity to eat whatever Adam had packed for her this morning, but she felt stubborn and frustrated, so she ignored her growling stomach, put her aggravation out of her mind, and headed back to the front. She had a business to run. Customers to help.
Chapter Thirteen
Adam was confused and worried as he stared at his phone. Had his Little girl just hung up on him? Why on earth would she do such a thing? He couldn’t imagine what he’d said to upset her.
Maybe I’m overreacting and she’s simply busy.
Adam headed to a meeting, but he struggled to listen to the presentation one of his senior employees was giving about the amount of money they would be saving as soon as the new packaging line was in place.
He glanced at his watch several times. The day was dragging. He checked his phone over and over. No messages from Rose. It wasn’t sitting well with him, so he eventually gave up trying to focus, made his excuses, and left the factory. He needed to see his Little girl, look her in the eyes, reassure himself she wasn’t angry with him.
Fifteen minutes later, he was rushing through the mall with such long strides he had to force himself to slow down before he knocked into someone. By the time he reached Stuff-It, he was in a panic.
There were three groups of customers in the store. A quick scan of the room told him Larisa was helping one, Amber another, and Deke the last. Where was Rose?
Deke glanced up from where he was assisting someone at the checkout and beamed. “Hey, Adam. Rose didn’t mention you were coming by this afternoon. I think she’s in her office.”
Adam struggled to smile and nod as he rushed past Alice’s brother. “Thank you,” he muttered. Seconds later, he found his Little girl pacing back and forth in her small office. She didn’t notice him as he approached. She looked fit to kill though. Her hands were fisted. It looked like she’d been running her fingers through her hair because the cute bear clip she often wore on top was askew. She was also muttering to herself.
“Rosebud?”
She jerked to a stop, spun in his direction, and froze. Her eyes widened. “What are you doing here?”
He frowned. “I didn’t like how our earlier conversation ended. I was worried you were mad at me. I couldn’t focus at work, so I gave up trying and came here.” He stepped inside, closed the door, and inched toward her.
“I am mad at you,” she informed him. She stood taller, but she was so much shorter than him that even pumping her chest out and rising to her full height didn’t help much. He recognized an angry Little girl when he saw one though.
Forcing himself to be calm, he took a deep breath and stopped approaching. “I see. What did I do, Rosebud?” Inside he was in a panic, but he tried not to let it show outwardly.
She threw her hands up in the air, obviously exasperated. “You can’t just interfere with my business, Adam. This is my job. It’s important to me. I don’t need you thinking you can take over or control things that pertain to my business.”
He tried to think back on what he’d said that had gotten her so flustered and upset. They’d been discussing Deke at the time. “I’m sorry, Rosebud, but please tell me specifically what I said.” He kept his voice calm.
She spun around to walk behind her desk, putting more space between them.
Adam palmed the back of the chair across from her, pulled it out a few inches, and lowered himself onto it. Maybe if he wasn’t standing so tall and imposing, she wouldn’t feel as intimidated. He didn’t like his Little girl feeling overwhelmed by him.