Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1)

by Cecelia Dowdy

  “What in the world?” This must be a bridesmaid’s dress. But, why hadn’t Raven mentioned that one of her friends was getting married? Well, maybe Raven didn’t want to mention it because it made her feel sad, having another friend to get married while she remained single. Rhea slowly unzipped the bag. Bridesmaid dresses could be so colorful and it’d be so much fun to see the style of the dress. Maybe if Raven was in a better mood, she’d ask her who was getting married and when the wedding was.

  Rhea gasped. This was no bridesmaid gown! Why did Raven have this in her closet? She fingered the smooth, cream-colored silk and delicate lace decorating the beautiful bridal gown.

  Why did Raven have a wedding gown? Was she crazy enough to purchase this in hopes of marrying Martin?

  Chapter Eleven

  Raven continued to sleep, so Rhea did all of her laundry while she fixed spaghetti and meatballs. The wonderful tomato scent of her homemade sauce filled the house. Hopefully, the delicious smell would awaken her sister. When Raven continued to snooze, Rhea left her a note about her lunch on the stove. She also wrote a thank-you message for the loan. After grabbing her groceries from the refrigerator, she rushed outside into the warm day, anxious to get back home.

  When she finally arrived home, it was afternoon, and Rhea’s stomach rumbled with hunger. Focusing on food would be a good way to forget about her problematic visit with Raven. After snipping off some cuttings from her small kitchen herb garden, she pulled grilled chicken and veggies out of the fridge. Mixing everything together, she created one of her favorite healthy meals – grilled chicken salad.

  She drizzled some of her homemade buttermilk dressing over her food. After making herself comfortable at the table, she bowed her head. Lord, please help Raven. I don’t know what’s bothering her, but, please help her heal, both mentally and physically. Lord, please help me. I still have mixed feelings about Martin. Is it wrong for me to be attracted to him, knowing how Raven feels about him? I’m anxious to talk to him, Lord, and for the first time since Stan’s death, I find myself thinking about another man. I don’t know if that’s good or not. Please lead me and help me, Father. Amen.

  She opened her eyes when her cell phone buzzed. Martin’s name appeared on her phone, and her heart skipped. He’d called her! She blew air through her lips, dropping her fork before lifting the phone. She couldn’t let him notice her excitement. He was just calling to be sure they were still meeting tomorrow to fix her mixer, and that was it. There was no need for her to get excited. She leaned back into her chair, placed the phone to her ear. “Hi, Martin.”

  “Rhea, hi.” His deep, voice made her stomach rumble with pleasure. The joy from hearing him speak made her believe that everything was going to be okay. What would happen if she made a habit speaking to him, every day? Would she begin looking forward to his phone calls while she rehashed her day at the bakery? Would he continue giving her friendly advice about her bakery once it was turning a profit?

  “I’m surprised to hear from you.”

  “You shouldn’t be. It was too bad we had to cut our appointment short last night so that I could study.” His deep voice softened. “I didn’t want to let the day go by without talking to you.”

  She swallowed, attempting to clear her suddenly dry mouth. She sipped from her glass of water. Grinning, she clutched the phone. “How are things at the church?”

  “Not good.”

  “Oh?”

  “We have to have a committee meeting later this week.”

  “Is the meeting about the pastor position?”

  “Yes. As a matter of fact, I’m at the church now. There’s a lot going on, and I’m very busy, plus, I’ll be up late studying tonight.” Anguish filled his voice. “I just wanted to make a quick phone call to hear your voice and to ask if you saw your sister.”

  They needed to talk about Raven. She wasn’t sure how much Martin really needed to hear. He already sounded agitated, talking about Raven might make his mood worse. “Yes, I saw Raven.”

  “You sound mad. You’re probably sitting there, worrying and frowning right now.”

  “It was awful.” She didn’t want to tell him about her visit right now since he didn’t have a lot of time. “I’ll let you know all about it tomorrow when you come and fix my mixer.”

  “Okay. Did she loan you the money?”

  “Yes, thank God. Now I can catch up on my bills.”

  “That’s a relief. Besides getting the mixer fixed, do you have other plans tomorrow? I thought we’d meet for lunch.”

  Rhea grinned, her heart thudding. So, Martin wanted to share lunch with her tomorrow? A warm, wonderful feeling enveloped her body, like rich chocolate sauce covering a decadent dessert. Closing her eyes, she imagined sitting in a nice restaurant, feasting on wonderful food, maybe sharing a dessert. Reality crashed on her and she opened her eyes. There was no way she could meet up with Martin for lunch tomorrow!

  “Hello? Rhea, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m still here.”

  “So, did you want to have lunch? I really want to see you. I could fix your mixer after we ate.”

  “I can’t.”

  “That’s too bad.” Voices sounded in the background. “Hold on.” She heard bits and pieces of a conversation before Martin came back on the line. “Rhea, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back later tonight.”

  After saying goodbye, she pressed the END button on her phone. She ate her salad, enjoying the crunch of the veggies and herbs. If she ever shared lunch with Martin, what did that mean? Was he interested in her? Did he want to get to know her better? Still munching on her salad, she glanced into her living room and stared at her wedding photo. What would Stan think about her attraction to Martin?

  *

  Rhea crawled into bed that night, exhausted. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have a lot of trouble falling asleep. Martin hadn’t called her back, so she figured he’d been too busy to phone, or maybe he’d forgotten. Her cell phone buzzed, and she spotted Martin’s number on the caller ID. So, he’d called after all. Chuckling, she answered the call.

  “Hi, Martin.”

  “Hi, Rhea.”

  Grinning, she tightened her grip on the phone. “How’s your studying coming along?”

  “Okay.” The phone hummed with silence for a few seconds. “You’d mentioned you couldn’t do lunch tomorrow.” He paused, clearing his throat. “I just wondered…”

  Was he wondering why she couldn’t meet him for lunch? Since they barely knew one another, perhaps he felt strange asking about her whereabouts. “Yes?”

  “Well, just wanted to be sure everything was alright. I know you were worried about some things during the retreat.” His deep tone, etched with concern, made her smile wider.

  “Things are about as fine as they can be. I need to go to the rental office to pay my rent. It’s due tomorrow.” She burrowed further into the blankets, still gripping the phone. “I also have a job interview.”

  “A job interview?”

  She took a deep breath. “Yes, I don’t have a choice. My sister-in-law--”

  “Sister-in-law?”

  “Yes, my deceased husband’s sister. She owns a temp agency. I’m hoping to get an assignment so that I can make some money.”

  “But…what about your bakery?”

  “I’m going to have to let Candy run it by herself over the next few weeks, if I can get an assignment.”

  Martin was quiet for a few seconds. What was he thinking? “Anything the matter?” she asked softly.

  “I didn’t realize things were so bad for you. Taking a second job, while trying to keep your business open…that’s a lot to manage. Are you sure you can do all of that?”

  “I have to. Even though Raven gave me a loan to catch up on my bills, my bakery is still in the red. I need the money to keep up with my day to day expenses. Within the next few weeks, I’ll need to buy groceries again and I’ll need gas for my car.” She grumbled. Did Martin think she was compla
ining too much? Did he think she sounded ungrateful for the blessings that she did have? “I only have two pairs of shoes and one pair has a hole in it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I had twenty dollars, so, I went to the shoe store and purchased a cheap pair of shoes to wear on my interview tomorrow.”

  “Rhea, I’m sorry.”

  She frowned. Why was Martin apologizing for something that wasn’t his fault? “But, it’s not your fault.”

  “I know, but, I wish there was something more that I could do to help you.”

  Why did he feel as if he had to help her? The question burned on the tip of her tongue, but, she just didn’t want to ask him that right now. Just knowing that he cared, wanted to help her as much as he could, created a warm cocoon of happiness. She smiled, relishing the wonderful feeling of speaking to Martin on the phone. “I appreciate your concern.” She bit her lip. “It means a lot to me.” Silence hummed on the phone for a few seconds. “So, about my job interview, there’s no way around it. I don’t want to be indebted to Raven for too long, so I need to start planning to pay her back.”

  He paused, cleared his throat. “You never told me how things went with your sister today.”

  She closed her eyes, cringing when she thought about the unpleasant morning she’d spent at Raven’s house. She didn’t want to ruin her conversation with Martin by talking about Raven. “I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.”

  “Why wait until tomorrow?”

  She didn’t know how much to reveal to Martin about her visit with Raven. What would he think if she told him about the wedding dress?

  She yawned, fatigue enveloping her body. “I need to go to sleep right now. I didn’t get much rest last night.”

  “Really? Were you up half the night worrying?”

  “Something like that. Good night, Martin.”

  “Good night, Rhea.”

  She disconnected the call, burrowing further underneath her blanket. She was going to see Martin tomorrow! She gripped her sheet, anticipation swelling within her.

  *

  Thoughts of her phone conversations with Martin hovered in Rhea’s mind as she pulled into the parking lot of the Morrison Temporary Agency in Baltimore. She entered the reception area. The deep burgundy carpet and sparkling glass doors created a cool, professional ambience for the office building.

  A large, vibrant green plant rested on the floor beside the front desk. The receptionist had just finished a call and she hung up the phone, giving Rhea a bright smile. “Good morning, how can I help you?”

  She swallowed, taking a deep breath. Could she really go through with this? “I’m Rhea Morrison. I have a nine o’clock appointment with Mary.”

  “Oh. Of course.” She pressed a clipboard and a pen into Rhea’s hands. “Fill this out. Mary will be with you shortly.”

  Rhea concentrated on completing the forms, still thinking about her appointment with Martin later. What would happen when they saw each other? Her attraction to Martin couldn’t be ignored. Thinking about him all the time and talking to him on the phone – she almost felt that something could grow between them. But, how would this affect Raven? Her sister’s unstable, emotional outbursts proved unsettling. “Ms. Morrison?” Rhea jumped at the receptionist’s interruption.

  “Yes?” She stood, still holding the paperwork.

  “Mary will see you now.”

  “Thanks.”

  “First door on the right.”

  Rhea walked down the hallway, taking deep breaths. She stopped at the door, took a few moments to calm her nerves. She opened the door and Mary stood, coming toward her. “Rhea…”

  She wore a tight ivory skirt and short-sleeved blouse that molded to her rail-thin body. Her large blue eyes, so much like her brother’s, were touched with sadness. Her blond gleaming hair, also so much like Stan’s, was evidence of her Scandinavian ancestry. She briefly shook Rhea’s outstretched hand. Her skin was ice-cold, and blue veins peeked beneath the pale skin on her wrist.

  Was she sick? Stan had confided to Rhea that Mary had suffered from anorexia several times over the years. Rhea assessed Mary. She’d lost a lot of weight since the last time they’d spoken. “Mary, thank you so much for seeing me.” She released her hand, and Rhea gave her the clipboard.

  Mary appeared to be assessing her as well. “You’ve gained lots of weight.”

  Rhea gritted her teeth. If she lost her temper with Mary, would Mary be callous enough to not give Rhea a job? Instead, she inwardly sighed, taking several deep breaths before she looked directly at Mary. “Yes, I have.” She continued to stare at Mary, refusing to look away, until Mary’s skin reddened and she gestured for her to sit in the white office chair.

  “Now, how can I help you?”

  Rhea bit her lower lip, pausing. “Well, I need a job, a temporary assignment, if you have one.”

  “Is your bakery failing? I told you not to use Stan’s life insurance money for something so stupid.”

  Rhea winced. How she’d despised that slightly husky, superior tone of Mary’s voice. While she’d been married to Stan, Mary had made a habit of giving Stan unsolicited advice in her haughty tone. She acted as if her brother didn’t have the brains to figure things out on his own. The unwelcome thoughts slammed into her, souring her mind like spoiled milk. She took a deep breath. “Somebody else is running the bakery during the day.” She wasn’t telling Mary about the problems she’d been having.

  Mary flipped through the papers Rhea had filled out. “So, you’re only qualified for secretarial and clerical jobs?”

  What did she mean by ‘only’ qualified? Mary had a habit of belittling others to make herself look better. Just another bad routine that Stan’s sister had that grated on her nerves.

  “As the application indicates, those were the only jobs that I had prior to marrying your brother. Will that be a problem?” Mary’s head snapped up at Rhea’s terse tone.

  She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Don’t get upset. Your experience puts limitations on the jobs that I may have available.”

  When Rhea had graduated from college with her general studies degree, she’d worked as an administrative assistant before marrying Stan. Afterwards, Stan had insisted she quit her job. Her duties as first lady of his church were to take priority over her career. She’d loved him so much that the sacrifice had seemed minimal.

  Mary asked more questions about Rhea’s skills. After Mary was done interviewing her, one of the assistants gave Rhea a keyboarding test on a computer in a separate room to see how fast she could type. After she was done with the test, Rhea stood and gathered her purse before asking the assistant a question. “Is that it? I’m assuming Mary will call me if she has anything?”

  “Normally that’d be it, but Mary insisted that she speak with you before you leave.”

  Rhea inwardly groaned, following the assistant back to Mary’s office. Did her sister-in-law intend on spouting more negative thoughts about Rhea’s lack of experience? Was she going to remind Rhea about how much she’d despised her marrying her brother? Lord, I need You to help me through this conversation. She entered the office, and Mary stood at her desk, glaring at Rhea. She turned to her assistant. “Close the door.”

  The assistant exited, softly closing the door behind her. Mary stared at Rhea for a few seconds. What was her problem? Why was she standing there staring at her for no reason? “You wanted to see me before I left?” Rhea needed to get this conversation rolling.

  “Yes, sit down.” Why was she ordering her to sit as if she were a trained animal?

  “You talk to me like you can order me around. What if I don’t want to sit?”

  Mary’s pale skin flushed. “What?”

  “You heard me. If you want me to sit down, why don’t you ask nicely? Most people would say ‘would you like to take a seat?’” When she’d first married Stan, about a year out of college, she’d been naïve, and didn’t stand up for herself as she should have. Mary couldn
’t just order people around and expect them to do what she pleased. Did she talk to her staff this way?

  “Okay. We’ll do this your way. Would you like to sit down?”

  Rhea ignored Mary’s condescending tone while settling into the chair, crossing her legs, toying with the strap of her purse. Mary sat at her desk, looking at Rhea’s file. “I don’t want you to think that I’m going to give you any special treatment just because you were married to my brother.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Mary gestured toward Rhea’s file. “I’m talking about finding you a temporary assignment. Don’t expect special treatment from me.”

  Mary assumed that she wanted special treatment? Such gall! She’d never indicated she expected to be treated differently than other applicants. Since Mary mistakenly assumed this, calling her into the office to tell her, then maybe this was a bad idea. She couldn’t work with someone who automatically assumed the worst about her.

  Rhea stood, gritting her teeth. There was no way she’d grovel for a job. If she had to go elsewhere, look in the want-ads, then she would. She approached Mary’s desk, getting as close as she dared. “I didn’t ask for special treatment. If I wanted special treatment, I know not to expect it from you.” She grabbed her purse, turned on her heel, walked toward the door. Before she could open it, she turned back to Mary. “My coming here was obviously a mistake, so, just forget about it.”

  “Oh, sit back down! Don’t act so childish! You were always so immature—too immature for my brother.”

  “I’m not sitting down, you can’t order me around like a dog!” Rhea stomped over to Mary’s desk, balling her hands into fists. “Your brother loved me. He didn’t care about my age, and he didn’t care about my brown skin. He loved me!” Rhea pointed to herself. “I can’t help it if you couldn’t get over the fact that your brother didn’t fall in love with a mature, white, upper-middle-class woman.”

  Rhea’s hands shook, and the back of her head ached. She needed to get out of this room. But, she wasn’t finished. There was so much more she needed to say to Mary, things that had never been said when she’d been married to Stan. Lots of her pain and anguish in her marriage stemmed from Stan’s non-supportive family and seeing Mary brought all those bad memories to the surface.