by Olivia Miles
Good practice for the opening of her bakery, she told herself.
She spotted Britt across the converted barn that had housed the market for years and held up a hand to get her attention. She usually stuck around on Sundays to help where she could, but today she needed to get going. Cole wasn’t scheduled to work, so there would be no development on the construction since yesterday, but she hoped to get a start on the week.
Besides, she reminded herself…it was one thing to continue to help her family’s various businesses. Now she had her own to think about.
“Do you mind if I head out today?” Maddie asked when Britt finally made her way over to her. “I’m hoping to get a few more items crossed off my list.”
“How’s the bakery coming along?” Britt asked, and from the gleam in her eye, Maddie knew immediately that she’d been tipped off about Cole. “I hear Candy hired you a mighty fine contractor.”
“Very funny,” Maddie said drily. “Actually, it’s coming along better than I expected.”
Britt frowned. “What do you mean? Do you have doubts about the new business?”
Maddie hesitated. She knew that Britt would be more than happy to share her thoughts on how to make the bakery a success; she’d done wonders with the orchard in the brief time since she’d taken over the daily operations from their father.
But something was stopping her. She wasn’t sure what would be worse…admitting that she was in over her head or having Britt point out that the choices she’d already made were not the right ones.
There was no going back on some of those things now. All she could do was forge ahead.
“Oh, you know how little hiccups can arise when it comes to construction work,” she said casually, wishing that she hadn’t even hinted at her concerns.
Britt nodded knowingly. “Oh, yeah. You have to keep an eye on Cole. You remember what he was like as a kid!”
Maddie pinched her lips. She felt oddly defensive of Cole, and she didn’t like where this conversation was headed.
“He’s been really helpful, actually. It’s…surprising.”
Britt looked unconvinced. “Huh. Well, I guess people change and grow up. So you think the work will be done on time?”
“I hope,” Maddie said, and then, upon seeing the pinch of Britt’s brow she said, “I mean, of course. Actually, I think Cole may be ahead of schedule.”
“Wow!” Again, Maddie had the sense that Britt wasn’t buying into what Maddie was saying, or maybe, she could see through to Maddie’s doubts. Or maybe, she knew what she was talking about, and her experience had taught her to be a little more guarded. “Well, I’m excited to see what you do with the place.”
Maddie pulled in a breath and released it. “I hope you like it,” she said, and in that moment she realized just how much Britt’s approval meant to her. Nearly as much as Amelia’s, but that couldn’t be topped.
“Maddie, given the success you have with the pies each week, I am sure the bakery will be just as successful,” Britt said, and Maddie didn’t know whether to smile or cry.
She’d mastered her mother’s pie recipe. She could turn out a dozen or so pies once a week for the market. She could assist Amelia in her expertly run kitchen.
But taking it all to a whole new level? All on her own?
That was unchartered territory.
*
She decided to walk home again, but Gabby was just climbing into her delivery truck when Maddie emerged from the barn. She rolled down the window and stuck her head out. “You sold out quick today!”
“Apple pies are usually a big hit,” Maddie said. She would have made more, but she hated to have extra, even though she knew that her family members would gladly take them off her hands. “I’ve been thinking of ways to incorporate seasonal flavors onto my new menu. What do you think about apple turnovers?”
“Yes, please!” Gabby grinned, and Maddie made a mental note to highlight that item on her list. “Maybe a crisp, too?”
Maddie considered this. She felt her spirits buoy at the conversation. “I could make them individual sized,” she thought aloud. Yes, crisps were easy, and who didn’t love that buttery, sweet topping on a cold, fall day? “I could warm them up for each order.”
“All this talk of food has me hungry,” Gabby said. “Care to grab a bite in town?”
“At the café?” It didn’t close until after lunch, and Maddie wouldn’t mind seeing Amelia. She missed her daily routine. Craved it, really. Life had been so much more secure when she knew exactly what she had to do each day, without having to give it much thought.
Gabby wrinkled her nose. “I was thinking we could go to the pub. It’s livelier. Besides, I really don’t think I could deal with Candy on my day off. Could you?”
Maddie laughed. Gabby had a good point, and the pub was livelier. And it wasn’t next door to her bakery either. Or a reminder of everything she’d given up.
“Okay, then.” She had work to do, but the day was wide open, and besides, Gabby was good for her. Gave her ideas, and let them flow without force. Calmed her down a bit too.
“Thanks for the lift,” she said to her cousin. Once again, the feeling of depending on the strong women around her left her unsettled. She reminded herself that she lived in a town where whatever you couldn’t walk to, you could bike to, mostly. The orchard was on the edge of town, but it wasn’t a place she visited more than once a week. And she needed to stretch her budget. Focus on what was really needed. Like the tables and chairs for the café.
She made a mental note to place the order by tomorrow, no matter how much she waffled with her decision between clean lines and classic, old-school charm. Amelia’s café was more eclectic; and Maddie had never seen Amelia fret over the chairs not matching the tables, or the art work all being different, and mostly from local artists. Each item she added to her café was something she liked. A part of her.
Maddie reminded herself that just as the café had come together, so would the bakery. She just had to go with her gut. Like Amelia said.
There were several restaurants and bars it Blue Harbor—it came with being a resort town and the ferry port for the charming Evening Island not far off in the lake. But the Conway girls had long ago adopted the pub at the Carriage House Inn as their favorite spot, and it went without saying that Harrison’s, while popular with the men in town, was off-limits after Gabby’s sister Brooke married Kyle Harrison years back, and shortly thereafter divorced him and left town.
The pub was busy when they arrived. Jackson was tending bar, and he waved to them when they walked in, deciding on a spot at the bar today, rather than a secluded table. It didn’t need to be said that Gabby was holding out hope that a tall, dark, handsome stranger would saunter in, slide onto the stool next to her, and basically propose marriage by the time the sun set.
She was a hopeless romantic. Really, she read too many novels for her own good.
Maddie’s stomach grumbled as she studied the menu, but she knew she needed energy if she was going to get through the rest of the day.
“I’ll have a coffee and the scrambled eggs,” she said to Jackson, ordering from the weekly brunch menu.
“Well, you’re no fun!” Gabby chided. She grinned at Jackson. “I’ll have a Bloody Mary.”
He winked at her and Maddie stifled a sigh. She doubted there was anything more than banter and flirtation stirring between those two, but she still envied the way they both pulled it off with such ease. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d flirted. Or dated.
Really, she had no time for such a thing anymore. She now understood why Amelia had been so determined to stay single.
Except that Amelia wasn’t single any more, was she? She was back together with Matt.
And there he was, Maddie noticed, perking up.
“Hey, Matt!” she called out as he approached the bar. Noticing them, he seemed to relax and came over to the empty chair beside Gabby.
Gabby’s lips pinched only slightly that a man
who was spoken for had taken the seat that she was clearly holding out hope for. Maddie knew her so well.
“Amelia meeting you here?” Maddie asked as she glanced at the oversized, vintage clock on the wall.
“I’m meeting her later on,” Matt replied. “Thought I’d kill a little time until she was finished up for the day.”
“You coming to Harvest Fest next weekend?” Gabby asked, and Matt laughed.
“As if I have a choice? Amelia has me helping out. I’m almost expecting a detailed spreadsheet of my duties.” He looked pleased at the thought of it. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Family tradition,” Maddie mused. When she was younger, they all looked so forward to the big day at their orchard, when the grapes were harvested for wine and the entire town seemed to come out to help with the effort. Her mother would make pies and the girls would hand out cider for refreshments, to thank everyone for pulling together. Over time it had grown into a larger event, and Maddie knew that Britt had big plans for this year.
“I’m helping with the decorations,” Gabby said.
“And I’ll be selling baked goods, of course,” Maddie said. She already knew the mini pies would be a hit, and the opportunity to give the townsfolk an early preview of some other treats she’d be offering at the bakery was something she intended to take full advantage of.
“I’m surprised you find the time with the bakery opening so soon,” Matt remarked. He managed to keep a straight face when he said, “Amelia told me about Candy’s part in everything.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “Actually, it all worked out, not that I’ll be letting Candy off the hook just yet.”
“You admit that to Cole yet?” Matt asked. He jutted his chin toward the other end of the bar. “There’s your chance.”
Maddie sat up a little straighter as her heart sped up. Cole was here? In the pub? She supposed it wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. He’d been here before, alone at the bar, talking to no one, sipping his drink and then leaving silently. But back then he’d just been someone from town. Now…
Well, now he was starting to feel like a part of her life.
She looked down the length of the bar. Sure enough, there at the far end, hunched over a beer, his eyes on the game on the television screen, was Cole. Normally, she wouldn’t have even considered drawing his attention, or interrupting his solitude, but now it was impossible not to. What was she supposed to do? Ignore him? The man might like his space, but it didn’t feel right.
She stared his way, hoping to draw his attention, and finally caught his eye. She gave a little smile, and a wave, and she felt Gabby nudge her hard as Cole’s mouth lifted into a slow grin and he slid off his stool, drink in hand.
Maddie shifted over to the seat that had opened beside her, but not before Gabby hissed, “And you said he was just your contractor…”
Maddie narrowed her gaze at her, but composed herself before Cole caught on.
“We were just talking about you,” Matt told him as Cole slid onto the seat in between Gabby and Maddie.
Immediately, Maddie was aware of his presence. She could feel the heat of his skin and sense the size of him, so much larger than Gabby, who was no bigger than a wisp. She stole a glance at the muscles that pulled against his long-sleeved tee shirt. Her cheeks flushed when she caught Gabby watching her do so, her smile rueful.
“Oh boy,” Cole said, sliding Maddie a rueful smile. “That’s rarely good.”
Maddie relaxed into her chair, enjoying the banter. “Tell me about it. I might have to actually let Candy off the hook at this rate,” she said, sparking a laugh from Gabby.
“Something tells me that Candy has something in mind other than your bakery being finished,” her cousin replied, giving a suggestive lift of the brow.
Maddie felt her cheeks flush and she quickly said, “So, Cole, you never told me where you learned to do what you do.”
Cole’s jaw tightened as he shifted his gaze to stare at his glass of beer. His shoulders hunched as he took a long sip. “Just things you learn along the way.”
Maddie knew all about learning along the way; she had no formal culinary training after all, and neither did Amelia. But they had their mother. The best teacher of them all.
“Oh, but someone must have showed you the ropes?”
Cole went quiet for an unnerving amount of time and kept his eyes trained on the television. “Can’t really credit anyone.”
Gabby exchanged a glance with Maddie. Right. Time to change the subject.
“Well, I can’t wait for it to open. I’ll be the first in line. Jenna, too,” Gabby said.
“Maddie said the bakery is coming along quickly,” Matt continued.
“Your plans make it easy,” Cole said gruffly. It was true that Matt’s plans were clear and concise, and detailed the design of the space exactly to Maddie’s vision. With his support and expertise, she at least knew that the layout of the space would be fully functional and beautiful. “I was going to head over there later and start opening up that wall—get a head start on tomorrow.”
Matt glanced at his watch. “Amelia should be wrapping up soon. I can walk with you if you’d like.”
Maddie wasn’t sure what surprised her more. That Cole seemed receptive to socializing with Matt, or that she was suddenly disappointed at the thought of Cole leaving so soon…even if it was to work on her bakery. What he was hired to do. What she should care most about right now.
Cole’s phone vibrated on the table. He looked down at the message that had just come in and frowned. “Change of plans,” he said, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair. “Looks like I won’t be in tomorrow, after all.”
Maddie sat up in panic. All those warm and strange feelings were immediately replaced with the same old feeling she always had when she thought of Cole. Disappointment. Only this time it was personal.
“What do you mean, you won’t be in? Tomorrow is the only day to cut the doorway through the cafe,” she reminded him. “It’s the only day of the week that Firefly is closed. I promised Amelia we wouldn’t disrupt her business. And I’m on a time frame.”
“The job will be done on time,” Cole grunted. He glanced at his phone once more before shoving the device in his pocket. “But I won’t be in tomorrow.”
“But—” But he was gone. Turned and walking out the door before she could even form her protest. The words left hanging in the air much the way her bakery now felt.
Would he be finished in time? Or be back at all? She hadn’t paid him yet, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
“Did I say something to upset him?” Maddie asked Gabby, who looked just as confused as Maddie felt.
“Didn’t his father own that construction company?” her cousin asked.
Maddie chewed her lip. Regardless of what Cole’s father did or didn’t do, or where Cole learned his skills, one thing was clear: Cole was still unwilling to open up. And she should have known better than to try.
After all, he’d just up and bailed on her.
He was still the same exact person he was all those years ago.
*
Cole arrived home in seven minutes, but it felt like seven hours. Traffic in Blue Harbor was always at its peak on the weekends, with tourists cruising down Main Street, or driving through to check out scenery. Most of them probably thought it was too cold to walk or bike today, even though the leaves were nearing peak foliage. He supposed that the wind was sharp, but it didn’t stop him from cursing under his breath when he finally pulled into his driveway and killed the ignition. The cans of paint he’d purchased for the exterior of the house sat in a neat pile to the side of the garage, a bitter reminder that time was fleeting and that there was still so much to do.
Janice opened the door before Cole had time to fish out his key. Her eyes were wide with alarm, but her shoulders seemed to relax with relief at the sight of him.
“She’s sleeping now, but that was scary, Cole. Never saw
her like that. Suddenly so pale and weak. Between you and me, I think she’s in more pain than she’s letting on.”
Cole’s jaw tensed. Of course his mother was in more pain than she was letting on. That was just like her, always trying to be strong, for him. Couldn’t she see that it was his turn now, to be strong for her?
Didn’t she know that despite all her efforts, ever since he was a kid, he’d seen right through the brave smile to the hurt that lingered in her eyes? That he’d carried that pain inside him, helplessly, until he was old enough to do something about it.
Yet here he was, thirty years old, and there was still not a damn thing that he could do.
He clenched a fist at his side, wanting to punch a wall, or kick something over. To release this frustration that was building inside him without release.
But that was something he’d done as a kid. Kicked rocks. Punched trees. Gone down to the lake and screamed out over the water, letting the waves carry away all his pain.
He wasn’t that kid anymore.
And he was going to do something to help her if it was the last thing he ever did.
“Call the hospital and let them know we’re coming,” he told Janice, who immediately winced.
“She said she didn’t want to—”
He was already halfway up the stairs. He didn’t pause. “Call them. Please.”
The insistence must have gotten through to Janice because he heard her mutter something under her breath as she picked up the house phone and dialed the hospital—she didn’t need to be told which one. It would be a thirty-minute drive but he’d get there faster than it would take an ambulance to get here and back.
He found his mother in her bedroom, on top of the worn patchwork quilt that had been there as far back as he could remembered, covered by a green knitted blanket that he knew Janice had brought over as a gift around Christmas. The curtains were drawn, and the bit of light that peeked through the fabric lent shadows on the wall.
His mother was so frail he could lift her in his arms like a child. And that’s what he did, before she could protest.