Free Murfey's Law by Bec Johnson

Simon smiled as he climbed out of his car.
    ‘And you're Simon.’ Lori hopped down off of the verandah and ran her hand over the back of the shiny black Porsche pushing up the land value of the shop considerably. ‘I need to learn how to bake!’
    ‘Hah!’ Simon laughed, patting it on the fold-down roof like it was a horse. ‘This, I can assure you, is thanks to ten years of fourteen-plus hour days. Kristy's taken the delivery van out to the eco camp.’
    ‘Well, let's get the goods inside shall we? I could smell the bread before I'd even opened the front door.’
    Inside, Simon set down two large flat boxes containing the dozen loaves, and handed Lori a few leaflets covering the names and ingredients of each loaf. She'd be able to use these later when she chalked up an advert on the old ice cream blackboard.
    While he was there Simon asked Lori for a tour of the place. He'd been given strict instructions by Kristy to take a look around and offer Lori any advice he had on the shop's potential.
    ‘You know, this place would make a really spectacular café. The views from the back room and that deck... wow!’ Simon stood holding open the driver's side door of the Porsche half an hour later.
    ‘Perhaps whoever buys the place will see that too.’ Lori dismissed the intimation in Simon's tone.
    ‘Kristy was right, you really are headstrong,’ he laughed and gave her arm a friendly rub. ‘Give us a call when you want more bread Ok?’
    ‘Ok.’ Lori smiled and stood back as he closed the door and started the engine. He and Kristy were such an affable couple it was easy to see how business for them was booming. Their customers, the residents of Green Bay, probably loved them.
    As Simon left the drive and turned right on to the road towards Green Bay Lori noticed Bob trotting along the verge on the other side of the street. She had fed him last night after their walk on the beach but hadn't seen him when she came home from Jenny's. She'd just presumed he was curled up in his favourite spot under the deck.
    Behind him, carrying his surfboard was Zeb. Without missing a step he walked right past the shop, not once taking his eyes off Lori. He looked both angry and tired. The nights he was putting Jonah through must be taking their toll on him too. How he found the energy to go to the beach at the end of his shift was beyond Lori.
    Refusing to be intimidated she stood defiant, hands on hips and watched him pass by until he was out of sight.
     
    She'd only just begun her colourful chalky handiwork when her first customer arrived and bought two of Simon's A Bit of All White loaves. Introducing herself kindly to the octogenarian Lori mentally checked their name against her investor list. Despite not being one of them, she still afforded the old lady her very best customer service, and even persuaded her to take a litre of almost out of date milk with her bread. The village thrived on gossip Jenny had reminded Lori last night, so she needed to be on her very best behaviour at all times from now on, and boy did it pay instant dividends.
    By ten past seven all the loaves had been sold.
    Shocked by the whirlwind of customers, Lori called Kristy immediately to share the news and to place an order, doubled in size, for tomorrow.
    ‘See, what did I tell you,’ Kristy bubbled at the other end of the line.
    ‘I know, I know, you were right. What I hadn't counted on though was how excited I'd be myself, all at the hands of selling a few baked goods,’ Lori laughed into the phone.
    ‘Imagine how you'd feel if you branched out into other areas,’ Kristy pushed.
    ‘Mmm hmm.’ Lori tried not to encourage her.
    ‘I know a hobby farmer not half an hour away from Murfey's Beach making some incredible cheeses.’
    ‘Let's see what happens with this next batch of bread first eh? After all, it may just have been a coincidence and tomorrow I could very well be eating my own way through twenty-four loaves.’
    ‘Alright, alright,’