
Why had he thought it was a good idea to hire his big sister to be his accountant? Yes, she had a brilliant mind, but she would never respect their professional relationship. “I hope so.” She didn’t sound optimistic, which set his teeth on edge. He stifled his hundredth sigh of the day. And if he and his business partners were going to follow through with their plan to hire a full-time manager, whose salary would be fully funded by the store’s profits by the start of training camp in July, then sales needed to rebound. Yet the sales figures on his computer screen did not lie.

After that first month, however, the number of customers had slowed from a flood to a steady stream to a damn trickle. Better than anyone.īusiness had been good- really good-when the shop first opened in January after his team was eliminated from the playoffs (which sucked, by the way), probably because people were dying to see their favorite football players up close and personal, hawking baked goods. “Yes, Shana, I know profits have declined for the last six weeks,” he answered. “Donovan, did you hear what I said?” His accountant’s exasperation came through the phone’s speaker loud and clear. He made a face at the cell phone lying so innocently on his office desk. Their weekly business call was off to a rip-roaring start. As his accountant had just noted with absolutely no attempt to spare his feelings. Okay, maybe not exactly how he’d planned.

“Donovan, sales have declined for six straight weeks.” His plans for his post-playing career were starting to take root.

He didn’t care, though.īaking relaxed him. He was used to the quizzical looks people gave him when they learned he, a man who made a living terrorizing quarterbacks, co-owned Sugar Blitz, San Diego’s latest and best cupcakery.

Donovan Dell was a professional football player who loved to bake.
