by Ellen Joy
His words came out weak and scratchy. His face was pale. Her father’s full head of hair looked sparse and grayer. For the first time in her life, her father looked weak. She rubbed his shoulder and felt his warmth.
“Glad you’re back,” he whispered, reaching his hand to hers.
She choked down the lump in her throat before she let go.
“You two should sit.” Frank pushed a chair over to Ally, fussing on everyone, as usual. He scraped a chair over from the other side of the room. “Elise, here.”
Elise sat down, but Ally didn’t sit, she stood next to David’s bed and took his hand. “What do you need? I can take care of the bakery.”
“There’s no need.” Frank shook his head. “Jack asked his sous chef, Michael, and he’s happy to fill in until David’s better.”
Something inside Ally’s stomach dropped like a steel drum plummeting from the sky. “Well, I can help.”
“Yes, but we didn’t want to make you do that,” Frank said, pushing the chair closer to her. “Here.”
Ally kept standing. “But I can help.”
“What about your job with Jean-Paul?” Elise asked.
“Jean-Paul completely understands.” The words came out of her mouth before she knew what she was saying. She didn’t want to stay here. Jean-Paul wouldn’t be that understanding. She didn’t want to work in a town that had brought her mostly misery. But she didn’t like the idea of them not even asking her. It was as if they hadn’t even thought of her.
“We can’t have you do that,” Frank said, shaking his head. “Michael will do a great job.”
“Michael who?” Her tone was a bit snarkier than she wanted.
“Michael Mailloux. I think you went to high school with him.”
“Michael Mailloux?” Ally’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“He’s really very good,” Frank said.
“If you want to learn how to steal kids’ lunch money?” It was supposed to be a joke, to break the tension she felt over her fathers choosing a stranger who had been the criminal underboss in high school, but all three looked at her in horror. “What?”
“Someone say my name?”
Ally’s heart stopped. Literally stopped beating. She turned around, slowly, hoping that the deep voice behind her wasn’t Michael. She looked up to her left and saw a very tall, very handsome man standing in front of her.
Yup, it was Michael Mailloux.
“Hey Ally.” He walked past her.
“Hi, Michael.” Elise said. “Good to see you.”
“You, too.” He walked over to Frank and shook his hand, then patted David on the shoulder.
“Today go okay?” David asked, shifting in the hospital bed with a wince. Frank jumped up out of his chair to help. David held up his hand before Frank reached him. “I’m fine.”
“Went great.” Michael nodded his head. “Tons of business.”
“I didn’t realize you could bake?” Ally played with the bracelets she’d taken from her dads’ place. She didn’t mean to sound rude, but she hadn’t known. She knew he worked at The Fish Market for her cousin Jack and had for years, but she didn’t know he could bake.
“Michael cooked in the military,” Frank said, as though being a line cook was equivalent to being a pastry chef.
She remembered how Michael Mailloux had joined the Marines just after they graduated. She thought he had left that same night, didn’t even bother showing up to the graduation ceremony.
“Are you able to follow the recipes?” She knew her father’s recipe book was incoherent at best. “I can help for the next few weeks, just so you’re comfortable with everything.”
Michael’s face seemed to harden as he stood there silently, not answering her question.
Frank waved his hand at her, as if to fan the idea away. “Oh, we don’t want to bother you.”
“I can help, it wouldn’t be a bother.”
“Michael’s going to be fine.” David’s eyes drooped, then slowly began to shut.
Elise stood up and patted Ally’s arm. “We should let your dad sleep.”
Ally pursed her lips. Frank rushed to her Dad’s side, adjusting his blankets as David whispered goodbye to Ally. She looked over to her mom, to Frank, and then to David, trying to catch their eyes, let them in on her anger. But none of them looked at her except Michael, whose stare pierced right through her. If looks could kill, she’d be the one who needed the hospital bed.
But she gave it right back. She could not believe her fathers chose a complete stranger over their own daughter.
“Let’s let your dad sleep,” Elise said. “You’ve had such a long day, with all the traveling. You really should take a nap.”
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Acknowledgments
There are so many people I’d like to thank for helping with the writing of this book.
First, I’d like to thank my three men. I wouldn’t have followed my dreams if I didn’t have you all by my side. Thank you for your encouragement, patience and faith in me.
Thank you to my mom, dad, and sister who always believed in me.
Thank you to Katie Page, my editor. A thank you just doesn’t feel appropriate enough for what you have done for me and my career. You truly are an angel. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you to Zoe Book Design for my beautiful covers!
Thank you to Danielle St. Laurent-Thorne. The best beta reader a writer could ask for! Thank you for your honest feedback, your reader’s knowledge and advice. Thank you. I love having you as my friend!
To Darcy Favorite-Brewster, my beautiful cousin and one of my very first readers. Thank you for reading and encouraging me. I’m so lucky to have you as my cousin, but even luckier that you’re my friend! Thank you.
Thank you to Debbie Love, my critique partner, for our writing group the Pen Hens. I wouldn’t have finished the final draft of my first story if it wasn’t for you. Not to mention all the other crazy things you do for me and my family. Your heart is pure gold. Thank you.
Thank you Darlene Phelps-Foss. Thank you for your early edits. You took on a huge project out of the kindness of your heart. I love our sweet town because of people as kind and generous as you.
Thank you to Dr. Robyn Eldredge, the real Dr. Elizabeth, for being my friend and always inspiring me. Thank you for reading my early versions and being my first fan.
Thank you to my local chapter of Romance Writers of America in New Hampshire. You ladies are totally inspiring and I want to be like all of you someday.
Thank you to all the readers who picked up this book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. I’d love to hear from you, please join my newsletter and reach out to me by going to my website!
www.ellenjoyauthor.com
About the Author
Ellen lives in a small New England town, between the Atlantic Ocean and the White Mountains. She lives with her husband,, two sons, and one very spoiled puppy.
Ellen writes in the early morning hours before she teaches language arts to middle schoolers. When she's not writing or teaching, you can find her spending time with her family, gardening with her puppy and chickens, or headed to the beach.
She loves summer and flip-flops, running on a dirt country road, and a sweet love song. All of her stories are clean romances where families are close, neighbors are nosy, and the couples are destined for each other.
Read more at Ellen Joy’s site.
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