by Kathy Ivan
She flipped on another light switch, and pushed through a swinging door, revealing the back of the space, and Jill’s mouth opened in shock. It was…it was perfect. Several long aluminum tables were pushed against one wall. They needed a good cleaning, but they’d make perfect work stations for mixing and kneading. A turntable for decorating cakes could fit on the far table. Two large racks were shoved into one corner, but they’d work for holding trays of pastries and cookies, or even loaves of bread. There weren’t any ovens or cooktops, but she could picture them in her mind.
“Think this would work?”
“Ms. Patti, it’s—it’s perfect. It’s almost like this whole space was made for a bakery. The front half could hold display cases, filled with cookies, doughnuts, and pastries. Maybe pies, too. You could set up a couple of small tables in front of the big picture window, where people can sit outside and eat. Maybe have a coffee station. If the weather’s nice, maybe have a few tables and chairs out there. Add an overhang, an awning or canopy of some kind, for when it’s really hot.”
Ms. Patti’s smile grew with every word, and Jill realized that the older woman hand suckered her right into her delusion. Because it was nothing but a pipe dream, always out of reach. Quashing down her feelings into a tiny ball, she shoved it deep inside, the way she did every time it seemed like it might happen. She was a realist, and she’d learned the hard way dreams didn’t always come true, and not everybody got their happily ever after. Especially not her.
“Ms. Patti, I can’t—”
“You know, I’ve never liked that word. Can’t. It’s like giving up without trying. If we don’t make the effort, then can’t wins.” Ms. Patti studied her, her gaze intent, and Jill bit back the urge to run. She knew Ms. Patti didn’t mean to hurt her, but she was, because dangling her life’s dream before her right out of reach, was breaking her heart. Like her brother, Dante, had mere weeks ago.
“Before you say anything, there is a reason I wanted you to see this place. I wanted an honest appraisal of whether this location, this interior, could or should be utilized for a much-needed Shiloh Springs bakery.”
Jill drew in a deep breath before answering. “The location is great. It’s right in the heart of town, not far from Daisy’s Diner, the bookstore, or any number of other great shops on Main Street. The back can be converted fairly easily to accommodate everything you’d need for a fully functional kitchen. The sales floor area has the potential for walk-in customers and even a small counter space where custom orders could be placed. You could have a shelf with pictures of wedding cakes, special occasion cakes, and specially designed orders. It’s exactly the kind of place you’re talking about.”
“Excellent. That’s what I wanted to hear.” Ms. Patti reached forward and wrapped her arm around Jill’s shoulder, and started leading her toward the front. “Tomorrow’s Saturday. You don’t have to work, do you?”
“Um, no ma’am.”
“Perfect. Be at the Big House at noon. We’ll have lunch and then talk about a proposition I’d like to share with you.”
“Proposition?”
She stepped through the doorway and out into the humid night air. Ms. Patti turned and placed the lockbox back on the front door handle and pivoted to face Jill.
“We’ll talk tomorrow. Now, I need to get home. Douglas is waiting for me.” Ms. Patti’s grin was infectious and Jill found herself responding. “He’s cooking dinner, so I’m sure it’s going to be an adventure.”
“Sounds like fun.”
Ms. Patti hefted her purse further up on her shoulder, and Jill wondered, not for the first time, how someone so tiny managed to carry around a bag that was nearly as big as she was, but somehow she always made it work.
“Do you need a ride home, hon?”
“No, thanks, Ms. Patti. It’s only a couple of blocks, and I think I’ll walk.”
“You sure, I don’t mind giving you a ride. After all, you came to meet me.”
Jill shook her head. “The walk will do me good. Help me clear my head from crunching numbers and writing policies all day. You head on home and have dinner with Douglas. Tell him I said hello.”
“Good night, Jill. See you tomorrow.”
She watched Ms. Patti drive away, and shook her head, before heading toward home. She couldn’t help wondering what the other woman had in store for her tomorrow. Because once you found yourself on Ms. Patti’s radar, she’d bowl you over like a tumbleweed in a thunderstorm, and you’d never know what hit you.
“Guess I’ll find out tomorrow how my life’s about to change.”
Bad weather delayed Lucas’ homecoming by a couple of hours. After leaving Fort Worth, he’d had to pull over a couple of times because the torrential rain made visibility impossible. His wipers hadn’t been up to the job, even on the highest setting, but it wasn’t like he was on a deadline, so he could take his time.
The decision to head home had been spur of the moment, even though he’d been back a few weeks ago to celebrate with Ridge and his pretty new lady, Maggie, and catch up with the rest of the family. Rafe and Tessa’s wedding was still a few months away, but he’d never seen his brother happier. Antonio and Brody also seemed to glow, especially when around their newfound ladies.
Exhausted from investigating his latest story, the one he’d turned in the day before, he’d crashed for twenty-four hours straight. The investigative work for the story had turned ugly early on, and the more he dug, the harder it became to stay objective. He had to hand it to his brothers, because they had to deal with the scum of the earth on a regular basis. As an investigative reporter, he only came in contact with slimy characters when he was researching, making sure he had his facts straight, and that his sources were impeccable. This story, though, it got to him, crawled beneath his skin until he saw it, lived it, and breathed it even in his sleep.
Shaking his head, he realized he’d been so engrossed in his thoughts he’d missed his exit off the interstate. He backtracked through the south part of Shiloh Springs instead of heading straight to the Big House.
Everything looked the same as it had when he’d been a boy. Not a whole lot changed in the small town, and that’s the way he liked it. He liked knowing even if he wasn’t living here full time, when he came back home, everything stayed exactly as it had been when he’d left. Oh, sure, a few things changed. Shops closed. New ones opened. Folks moved away and new ones took their places. But the essence, the heart, of Shiloh Springs remained.
Silhouetted in his headlights, he spotted a woman walking, and immediately his chest tightened, his breath caught in his throat, because he recognized her.
Jillian Monroe.
Jill, the woman he’d known most of his life. They’d grown up together. Gone to school together. Shared a first kiss together. She’d been his first crush, all the way back in the sixth grade. He’d hated it when she’d gone away to college back East. Hated every minute she was gone, though he never admitted it to anybody. But when she came back, she was different. He couldn’t put his finger on it. The laughing, friendly, loving Jill disappeared underneath a layer of silence, withdrawn and missing the spark that had always seemed to burn deep inside.
And she wouldn’t talk to him. Oh, she never went out of her way to deliberately avoid him, but the spontaneity, the joie de vivre, her zest for life, disappeared. Slowing, he rolled down the passenger-side window, and called out to her. “Jill. Want a ride?”
In the dim light from the street lamps, she looked beautiful in an ethereal way, her skin glowing. Golden blonde hair framed the beautiful face he still saw in his dreams. He felt a tug inside his chest, the instinctive pull toward her that never went away.
“Lucas! You’re home. I mean, welcome back.”
“Thanks. Folks don’t know I’m here, thought I’d surprise them.”
She smiled. “You just missed Ms. Patti. She’s headed home for date night with your dad.”
“Huh. I forgot it was Friday night. Unless there’s an
emergency, they have a standing Friday night date. Been doing it for years.”
“She mentioned Douglas is cooking tonight.”
Lucas chuckled. “Well, unless he’s fired up the grill, I bet he pulled a casserole or something out of the freezer and heated it up. I love my dad, but he can’t cook.”
“I kinda got that impression from your mother.”
Tired of talking through the open window, Lucas put the car in park, and left it running while he climbed out. He stood in front of Jill, giving her a quick grin, and shoved his hands into his pockets. On the soft breeze, he caught the subtle scent of vanilla, and couldn’t help wondering if she’d been baking up one of her wickedly delicious desserts.
“What has you walking down Main Street all alone on a Friday night?”
“I had a meeting with your mother, and I’m headed home.”
“Momma didn’t offer you a ride?”
She speared him with a glare, and he raised his hands. “Of course she offered. I decided to walk, clear my head. It’s been a long day. Heck, it’s been a long week.”
“Yeah, it has.”
“I should probably get home.”
Before he stopped to think, he blurted out, “Why don’t we go and get a drink? Catch up on what you’ve been up to. Like we used to—come on, Jill, say yes.”
“Lucas, we really shouldn’t…”
“Why not? Last I heard, there’s nobody waiting for you at home. Me either. What’s wrong with two old friends grabbing a drink and reminiscing?”
A long rumble of thunder rolled, loud enough to rattle the window in the shop beside them. A brilliant flash of lightning followed, illuminating the sky, filled with dark, ominous clouds.
“I need to get home before the storm lets loose.”
Lucas sighed. He’d hoped she’d say yes. It had been far too long since they’d spent any kind of time together. The thought saddened him. They’d been closer than thieves when they’d been growing up, it hurt that they’d drifted apart.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. But I insist you let me drive you home, otherwise, you’ll be soaked before you get there.”
Jill gave a shaky laugh, and ran a hand through her hair. “Okay, I give up. Take me home.”
Lucas opened the passenger door and helped her in, then jogged around the front of the car and climbed behind the wheel. Her apartment wasn’t far, only a few blocks. Before he’d made the turn off Main Street, fat raindrops were splattering against the windshield, increasing in ferocity with every second that passed. Soft country music played on the radio, almost a white noise in the background. He couldn’t have said who was singing or even what song, his attention riveted on Jill sitting beside him.
She’d changed since the last time he’d seen her. His momma and dad held a get together at the Big House. Nothing special about this one he could remember. They did it all the time, because with a family the size of theirs, there was always something to celebrate.
He remembered Jill sitting together with his momma on the back patio. Dad had been manning the grill, ruling his domain with the determination of a general, and nobody got between his father and grilling meat. Jill wore a pretty yellow sundress with little straps on the shoulders. It had pretty blue and white flowers around the bottom, and he’d thought she looked beautiful. Like a breath of sunshine in an otherwise dreary afternoon. Of course, he’d been neck deep in an investigation for the story he’d just turned in. The one about human trafficking. Thinking about it turned his stomach, and he knew he’d barely scratched the surface.
By the time he’d pulled up in front of her apartment building, the rain was coming down in torrents. He could barely see the front end of the car through the windshield. No way was he letting her get out, she’d be soaked to the skin.
“Let’s sit here for a minute or two, until it eases up.”
Jill peered through the windshield, a tiny line appearing between her eyes as she squinted. It was cute. He chuckled, and she turned to face him.
“What’s so funny?”
“You have the cutest little thing right here when you squint.” He ran his fingertip lightly across the bridge of her nose, watching the tiny line disappear.
“Cute? Lines on a woman’s face aren’t considered cute.”
“Hey, I’m telling it like I see it. I guess cute is in the eye of the beholder.”
“You’re nuts, you know that, right? Only you would tell a woman she’s got wrinkles and think it’s cute.”
He pulled back and placed his hand over his heart, feigning outrage. “I never said you had wrinkles. I said you had a tiny cute little squiggle mark. It’s adorable.”
Jill gave a playful slap at him, and he caught her hand and pulled it against his chest. Her gentle smile reached her eyes, and reminded him of the Jill he remembered, the laughing, bright light in his life. With a jolt that struck deep, he realized that he missed her. More than he’d realized, until this moment. When he’d made the choice to leave Shiloh Springs, he’d never once thought about what he left behind, instead focusing on his goals of writing, being the best journalist. Digging for stories, searching for the truth, and looking for his sister.
Instead, he’d left behind something precious, that intangible missing piece, and like a bolt of lightning, he realized what he’d been unwittingly searching for sat right in front of him. The silence lengthened as he studied her, noting the exact moment she withdrew from him. Not in a physical way. Sure, she pulled her hand away. But it was more, an almost invisible wall, erected brick by brick, and the twinkle left her eyes. An almost painful distance yawned between them, one that hadn’t been there moments before, and he wondered what happened to make the once vivacious and heartwarming woman he remembered become this almost aloof stranger.
“The rain is letting up. I’d better get inside. Thanks for the ride, Lucas.” She reached for the door handle, and he started to open his, ready to escort her to the door. “No, don’t. No sense in both of us getting soaked. Let your momma know I’ll see her tomorrow.”
Before he could stop her, she climbed out of the car, and raced toward the apartment building’s front door, and within seconds was out of sight. Lucas sat there with the engine running, watching the entrance and wondering why she’d darted like a scared rabbit.
Jill had made her first mistake. He was at heart an investigator, loved digging into a problem and coming up with the answers. There wasn’t a challenge out there that he’d run away from, and whether she realized it or not, she’d thrown down the gauntlet.
Let the games begin.
CHAPTER TWO
Jill parked in front of the Boudreau house, and turned off the engine. Glancing in the mirror, she frowned at the dark shadows visible beneath her eyes. Even under a layer of concealer, she saw them. Great. That meant eagle-eyed Ms. Patti would surely notice them. She prayed the older woman didn’t ask why. What was she going to tell her, that she’d tossed and turned all night, thinking about her son?
Climbing from the car, she straightened and strode purposefully toward the front door. It swung open before she reached the porch, and Douglas Boudreau stood silhouetted in the opening. A quick grin passed his lips as he walked out onto the huge front porch, and enveloped her in a hug. Not one of those wimpy, half-hearted ones most people used in greeting, either. Nope, this was a big ole bear hug, the kind her daddy used to give her. She blinked back the tears, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tight.
“My wife says you’re to go straight through to the kitchen. I only stopped by for a second, gotta get back to the job. You two have fun.” Releasing her, he continued off the porch and down the front steps, and climb behind the wheel of his oversized pickup. Douglas was bigger than life, and one of the sweetest men she’d ever met. His size belied an inner strength and character she only wished others could emulate.
She watched until he’d driven out of sight, then turned and walked into the Big House. She smiled, thinking about the name. Lu
cas had once told her his brothers came up with the name. Being foster kids, they’d looked on the Boudreau house as one step shy of prison, feeling like they were stuck there. The choice between staying with the Boudreaus or ending up in a group home really wasn’t much of a choice. As they grew older, the name stuck. Most people thought the name referred to the size of the house, but the family knew the truth. Their own private joke.
Going through the opening to her left, she stepped into the kitchen. Ms. Patti stood at the counter, pouring glasses of iced tea. She smiled over her shoulder when she spotted Jill.
“Come in, make yourself at home, hon. Here, take these,” she handed the two glasses to Jill, and then motioned to the table. Jill set the glasses down, and hung her purse over the back of a chair.
“What can I help with?”
“Nothing, thanks. Everything’s ready.” Ms. Patti pulled two brightly colored bowls from the fridge, loaded with fruit salad. The vivid colors of the cut fruit gleamed like jewels, and Jill’s stomach rumbled. She had skipped breakfast, too anxious about this lunch meeting to care about eating. Suddenly she felt ravenous.
Placing the bowls on the table, Ms. Patti slid onto a chair and Jill seated herself across from her. Why’d she feel so nervous? Heck, she’d known Ms. Patti all her life, although they hadn’t really been close until recently. Her family and the Boudreaus didn’t move in the same social circles. It was only in the last couple of years she’d gotten to know the older woman better. Jill got invited to social functions at the Big House, probably because of her association with Lucas and a couple of his brothers when they were in school.
“Dig in. I hope this is okay?”
“It’s perfect.” Jill took a bite, the bright citrus taste bursting across her tongue. Umm, delicious.
“Have you had a chance to think about the property we looked at yesterday?”
Trust Ms. Patti, right to the point. She liked that about her. “I actually thought about it a lot. It’ll take a lot of elbow grease to whip it into shape, but with the right tenant and the proper equipment, it’ll make a great shop.”