Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1)

by Cecelia Dowdy

  She leaned toward him. “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Sure. You can hand me the tools while I work.”

  So, for the next half hour, he tinkered with the motor, Rhea handing him the tools that he requested. A few times, their hands touched and sparks of warmth covered his skin. He stopped working for a few seconds, glancing over at Rhea as she searched for his small phillips screwdriver. A few strands of brown hair escaped from her bun, tumbling onto her cheek. He reached his hand toward her, and her head snapped up. She grinned. “Found it.” She pressed it into his hand and he continued working.

  “Do you think you’ll be able to fix it?”

  “Not sure.”

  He finally closed the mixer and screwed it back in place. “Okay, plug it in and turn it on.”

  Rhea jumped from the stool and flipped the switch. The gentle hum of the mixer filled the room. She pressed her hands together, looking toward the ceiling. “You fixed it, thank God!”

  Her eyes sparkled, and she grinned. Placing his hands behind his back, he linked his fingers into a tight fist, resisting the urge to hold her. Her face reddened, as if she were embarrassed about her excitement. She turned the mixer off and gestured toward the front of the bakery. “Can we sit for a minute? I needed to talk to you.”

  “Sure.” They made their way to one of the round tables in the front of the bakery. Her face glowed when she pushed a white box toward him. What would she say if he gave her a compliment? Would she brush his words away like unwanted food crumbs, or, would she graciously accept what he’d said, perhaps giving him a peek into her innermost thoughts about him. That is, if she even had any thoughts about him. She seemed focused on running her bakery and getting her finances straight. Would she even welcome his attraction?

  He cleared his throat. “You look cute when you smile.”

  Her grin deepened. “Thanks,” she mumbled, fingering the white box. “I made some raspberry cupcakes yesterday. I’ve been working on this recipe for a while. I’m hoping that I can perfect it and serve them in my bakery.” She made herself comfortable in one of the wooden chairs, and he joined her.

  She pushed the box toward him, and he opened it. The cupcakes appeared tasty. He selected one, and took a large bite. He chuckled, wolfing down two cupcakes in minutes. “These are fabulous!”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Do you really think so?”

  He reached into the box for another. “Yes, you know, I’m not sure if customers would order raspberry cupcakes every day. You could make this a special flavor, maybe, once a week.” He paused, eating his third treat, “Or, you could maybe serve them on Valentine’s Day. You used red food coloring. People might buy these for a special holiday.”

  Rhea crossed her legs, resting her elbows on the table. “That sounds interesting. Do you think I can make the recipe better?”

  “You could add a bit of raspberry extract. I’m not sure how much, but it’ll bring out the raspberry flavor.”

  “Yes, I’d thought about that. But, I didn’t want to overpower the natural flavor of the cake.”

  He wiped his hands on a napkin. “I know what you mean. Like I said, you could experiment by just adding a little bit. I see you have the fresh raspberries and the raspberry jam.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll try them again and use your suggestion.”

  She removed the last cupcake, took a large bite. “Rhea?”

  “Hmm?”

  “How was your job interview with your sister-in-law?”

  “Oh, Martin…”

  “What?”

  She bit her lip, rested her elbow on the table, cupping her chin in her hand. “I went on a job interview this morning, and I paid my rent.” The echo of her lovely voice filled the bakery as she told about the emotional meeting with her sister-in-law. “I think Mary is starving herself to death, literally. I think she still resents that I married her brother, and I think she’s still grieving for him.”

  He leaned toward her. “Are you still grieving for him, too?”

  “Yes. I still miss him…deeply. Stan was the most wonderful man I’ve ever known. I just want him with me again, but….” She shrugged. “I need to stop thinking about him so much. Raven keeps telling me that I think about Stan too often. She said I need to get over his death. She doesn’t understand that these things take time.”

  Curious about her marriage, he wanted to ask questions, but decided she’d tell him more when she was ready. “I hope you hear from Mary soon.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Anything else happen today?”

  “I lost my temper with my sleazy landlord and his receptionist.” She then told him about the drunken, lewdly dressed receptionist and Leonard’s advances.

  He gritted his teeth. The thought of someone trying to kiss Rhea, against her will…he should’ve been there with her! How could this guy run an apartment building if he treated his tenants like this? “Don’t go there alone anymore. If you ever need to get to the rental building again, let me know and I’ll go with you.”

  She waved his comment away. “Leonard’s nothing to worry about. I can handle him.”

  Why didn’t she accept his offer to help? The least he could do was escort her to the building. “I’m serious. Don’t be around that guy alone, if you can avoid it. Maybe it’s a good thing that he’s not renewing your lease. Maybe the Lord wants you to find a better place to live.”

  “Well if the Lord wants me living elsewhere, then He’d better provide more money for me to pay my rent,” she mumbled. “I don’t know why Leonard keeps hitting on me.”

  “He keeps making passes at you because you’re beautiful.”

  “What?”

  “I said you’re beautiful. You don’t think you’re attractive?”

  Rhea’s cell phone buzzed, and she lifted the phone from her pocket. “It’s Mary,” she mumbled.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The phone buzzed again. “You don’t sound too happy.”

  Rhea stared at the phone. Should she answer it? “I’m wondering if she’s having second thoughts about giving me a job.” Although their visit had ended on a somewhat positive note, it was still hard for her to determine what Mary would do. When she’d been married to Stan, she’d discovered that Mary could be fickle, changing her mind for no reason. Hopefully, her sister-in-law had matured over the last couple of years.

  “Stop worrying and answer the phone.”

  She flicked her fingers over the screen, placed the phone to her ear. “Hello, Mary.”

  “Hello, Rhea. I just wanted to tell you that I have a position for you. It’s at a law firm. It’s Monday through Saturday.”

  “Saturday?”

  “That won’t be a problem for you, will it? Saturday hours are nine to twelve.” Mary’s crisp, business-like voice echoed her ear.

  “No, no problem.”

  Mary continued giving her details about the job, including the name and address of the law firm as well as the dress code. “I’ll email this information to you and you’re to report to work tomorrow at nine. Don’t be late.” After telling her the hourly rate, Mary hung up without saying good-bye.

  Rhea glanced over at Martin. “I got the job.” Relief flowed through her veins like warm, thick honey. Now she could start making plans to pay Raven back.

  “That’s wonderful.”

  She shoved her phone back into her pocket. Her skin warmed just thinking about what Martin had said before Mary’s call. She peeked at him, caught him glancing at her legs. He’d said she was beautiful. Did he really mean that? The last person who’d given her a similar compliment had been Stan. Martin’s eyes sparkled when he gestured around her bakery. “Now, what were you going to do about your bakery? Candy is on her own, until you can get back on your feet?”

  She nodded. “I hate leaving her here by herself but, I don’t have a choice. I’m in a financial hole and working full time is the only way I can get out of it. I’ll probably get here early, at
five o’clock, bake what we need for the day. I’ll then need to change and head over to the law office.” She sighed. “I have to make sure I’m not late —I’d hate to make a bad impression on the law firm, also, Mary would be extremely upset if I made her temp agency look bad.”

  Martin nodded and stood. The muscles on his arms twitched as he balled up his soiled napkins and tossed them into a trashcan. “In order to help you, I’ll need to spend some time in your bakery to see how it’s run. That way, I can advise you on ways to improve your business. How about I come here every day when I can make it? I’ll be here with Candy during the day, and I’ll ask her if I have any questions.”

  Rhea nodded, relishing the deep, mesmerizing tone of his voice. She could sit and listen to Martin speak all day. No wonder he was able to enthrall his audience when he preached. “Can we meet on Saturday? Maybe meet after I’m done at the law firm.”

  He nodded, folding his arms in front of his chest. “That’s a great idea. I still want to check in during the week, let you know what I’ve been doing while I’m here each day.”

  “That sounds like a good plan.”

  “Well, I need to get going. I have a class that’s going to start soon. Before I leave, I just wanted to remind you not to worry about your sister.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “How could I not worry?”

  “You need to stop worrying so much. Talk to her, ask about the dress and see what she says. You might be making a big deal out of nothing.”

  “She’ll be calling you back soon.”

  He nodded. “I know. I’m sure I’ll be speaking to her before the end of the day.”

  Rhea stood, walked Martin to the door, not wanting him to be late for his class. “If you talk to her, could you let me know what she says?”

  He cleared his throat, his hand on the door handle. “Yes, I’ll let you know.”

  Rhea mentally moaned. Martin hurried down the street toward his car. How would the conversation between Raven and Martin play out? Although she still felt apprehensive about spending time with Martin since he was a pastor, she still found herself drawn to him. Was it possible that she was ready to explore this attraction? If so, how could they freely spend time together with Raven hovering in the background, still mistakenly thinking that she had a relationship with Martin? If the conversation went well, would Martin want to spend time with her, getting to know her better?

  Martin started his car, waving as he drove down the street. Rhea returned his wave before leaning back against the wall, closing her eyes. Lord, I don’t know what you have planned for my life, but, I’d really like it if You could make Raven see the truth about her situation with Martin. Please help her, Lord, Amen.

  *

  The professor finished his lecture about the book of Genesis. Martin closed his notebook, gathering the rest of his things before leaving the crowded room. During class, his mind had been partially focused on his imminent phone call with Raven and his deep attraction to Rhea. He’d love to get to know Rhea better, spend more time with her. Even though they were not dating, was it possible for them to explore their feelings while they worked together in the bakery? Was that a good idea? Or, considering his dark past with relationships, maybe he should ignore his attraction to Rhea?

  He made his way to his car and his phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID.

  Raven. Groaning, he entered his car, tossed his books on the back seat and answered the call. “Hi, Raven.”

  “Martin, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

  “I know. I’ve been busy. I heard about your accident. I’m so sorry.” He’d wanted to call her to see how she’d been doing, but, he figured his concern would give her the wrong idea. “How are you feeling?”

  “Oh, Martin.” Her whiney voice droned over the line. “I miss you so much!” She sniffled, and she sobbed, the broken sound of her tears carried over the line. “I don’t feel well and you’ve been ignoring me.”

  He swallowed, staring at a group of students walking across the parking lot. Lord, what should I say? “I hope you feel better. Try to calm down and stop crying.” He waited for several minutes until her tears stopped. The sound of her blowing her nose punctuated the end of her crying fit. “I think you need to stop calling me.”

  “No.”

  He waited for a minute. Maybe there was more she had to say. “You should contact my father or one of the deacons for spiritual advice.”

  “No. We need to talk about this in person. Can you come visit me?”

  Visit Raven, alone? That was a bad idea. There was no telling what she’d do. “I can’t.”

  “You can’t or you won’t?”

  “Both. I’m a pastor. My visiting a single woman alone at her house is just a bad idea.” Rhea had mentioned that Raven’s medicine made her woozy. Maybe her drugs were making her act unstable. “Look, maybe we can talk about this over the phone later, when you’re feeling better.”

  “No. I want to talk to you about this in person.”

  He didn’t want to spend time alone with Raven.

  He wanted to spend time alone with Rhea.

  Did Raven even know that he’d be helping Rhea with her bakery? He needed to clear the air. He needed to be sure she knew about his arrangement with Rhea. He didn’t want Raven to find out about it and mistakenly believe that Rhea was keeping their business meetings a secret. “I’m helping your sister with her bakery--”

  She cursed, muttering. “I don’t want to talk about Rhea.” This whole conversation was ridiculous. Maybe he should simply stop talking to Raven, resuming this discussion when she’d healed from her accident. Yes, that’s what he’d do. Since he was working with Rhea, she could let him know when Raven was feeling better. Since Raven refused to listen, she might be more open to hearing what he had to say once she recuperated.

  “Look I have to go.”

  “But we’re not done.”

  “We’re done for now.” What if she started crying again? He had no idea what he could say since she refused to listen. He ended the call.

  *

  Martin entered the lobby of Holy Grace Community Church, his heart pounding. The lemon-oiled walls gleamed and the clean odor of the freshly shampooed carpet dominated the space. Over the last year, the increased offerings for the church had allowed them to make a few of improvements to the old building. Since the old carpet had been cleaned, the room practically glowed.

  He stood in the corner of the room. Lord, help me get through this meeting. He’d been up late the previous night, studying. Rhea had called him before she went to bed, again thanking him for fixing her mixer. Just hearing her sweet voice had made his night a bit brighter. He’d told her about his unsuccessful phone call with Raven, and she’d assured him that Raven was only acting that way because of her medicine. Usually, in time, she saw things logically. “Just be patient with her,” she’d advised.

  She’d also confided that she’d been worried that Raven’s cancer may have returned, and that’s why she’d been acting more moody and irrational. But, she’d asked Raven about that and Raven had told her that she was not having a cancer scare.

  He still needed to go to her bakery later that day, and she assured him that she’d told Candy to expect his visit.

  He closed his eyes, saying a quick prayer before his father, Doug Lane, approached, clapping him on the shoulder. “Good morning, son.”

  They hugged. “Hi, Dad.”

  “I’m sorry about all of this happening with Linda Tucker. You know how badly I want you in the pulpit.” He spoke in a low voice.

  Martin sighed. There wasn’t much he could say about that. He wanted to be in the pulpit, too, but he had to wait to see if the rest of the congregation wanted him as their lead pastor. “Is everybody here for the meeting?”

  His father nodded. “Your Uncle Jesse is here, too. If nobody objects, he’d like to join us.”

  Martin followed his father out of the lobby and into the meeting room. “It’
ll make me feel better to know that somebody here will be on our side.”

  Martin entered the meeting room. There were more women than men seated around the long rectangular table. Sixteen people congregated around the room. Ten of them were women who were the transplants from Linda’s old church. There were also four deacons attending.

  Martin studied the painted portraits of Jesus performing miracles adorning the walls. The faint scent of women’s perfume co-mingled with the tangy smell of the freshly-baked lemon cookies in the center of the table. No way did he have an appetite for one of those treats. He swallowed, trying to get some moisture into his dry throat. His stomach twisted in knots as he approached the group.

  Linda Tucker sat in the center of the left side, her wrinkled mouth puckered, glaring at Martin. “It’s about time you got here.”

  His dad returned Linda’s intense stare. “There’s no need to be rude, Sister Linda.” He looked at his watch. “Martin is right on time.”

  Martin shook Uncle Jesse’s hand before greeting those sitting around the table. When he came to Linda Tucker, she just stared at his hand, refusing to shake it. He shrugged, as if her rudeness didn’t bother him. But, her attitude bothered him, a lot. The Lord had been gracious enough to dole out enough patience for him not to snap at Linda over the past year.

  Linda scanned the room, taking in all of the occupants, focusing on each face, narrowing her eyes. Spotting Uncle Jessie, she stopped her perusal, her lips curling into a frown. “Who are you?”

  Uncle Jesse grinned, leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I’m Pastor Jesse of New Hope Christian Church. I’m a good friend of Martin and Doug Lane. I’m also Martin’s godfather.”

  “If you’re not a member of this church then you don’t need to be here. Our church’s bylaws state that in special circumstances non-church members are allowed to be present during the church meetings unless a church member objects. I’m now objecting to your presence in this room!” Her mouth quivered, and she wiped her lips with her handkerchief.