The door was ajar.
She pushed it open and her heart skittered when she saw the massive damage inside her kitchen.
*
“Jason!”
“I’m right behind you, Honey. Call the police. I’m going to go in and make sure there’s nobody in there. I’ll let you know if it’s safe.” Jason rushed into the building. Toni tried to remove her phone from her purse. Her hand shook so badly that she dropped her phone, and it broke apart. She needed to get a grip and calm down.
Jason came out of the bakery. “It’s empty.” He glanced at her scattered phone parts. He pulled his own phone from his pocket and called the police. After they’d said they were coming, he picked up the remnants of Toni’s phone and gave them to her. “The damage is pretty bad. I’ll go in there with you. We shouldn’t touch anything. I figure the police will want to dust for fingerprints.”
This was insane! She groaned, kicked the wall. Blood rushed to her head. If she didn’t calm down, she’d probably faint from her explosive anger.
She’d been living in Blue Spring for over five years. She’d bonded with a lot of her customers, and although she’d never been blissfully happy, she’d had least been content. She peeked into the kitchen, her brain buzzing. Jason held her shaky hands while she surveyed the damage. Flour, milk, eggs, butter, and cream puddled on the kitchen floor in a chaotic waste. Flies buzzed around the mess, rancid odor curdled her stomach. This damage had probably been done several hours ago.
“Jason, my mixer!” Her industrial-sized mixer had been battered with a blunt instrument, probably a hammer or some other type of huge, heavy tool. Deep dents had been bashed into the mixer, ruining the motor. The cost of a new mixer would set her back several hundred dollars. Still clutching Jason’s hand, they went into the sitting area, which had been left untouched. The crooks must’ve left the front of the bakery undamaged since people would be able to see it when they walked by on the street.
“Who would do this?” She closed her eyes. Jason wrapped his arms around her.
“You’re tense. Calm down.” Taking deep breaths, she relaxed in his arms. Police sirens echoed in the background.
*
Jason cradled Toni’s hand while she answered the police officer’s questions.
“Ma’am, are you sure you have no idea who’d want to wreck your bakery?”
“The only person who’s been openly rude to me was Eva, my cousin. She seems upset that I inherited this bakery, and she has a drug problem. But I honestly don’t think she’d destroy my property.”
The officer needed to understand how dangerous Eva could be. Jason cleared his throat, not wanting the policeman to dismiss what Toni had revealed. “I saw Eva once. She was pretty strung out. She hit Toni. It was hard for us to subdue her. I think you need to speak with her.”
“Do you have her address?”
Toni shook her head. “I don’t know where she’s living. She told me that she and her husband, Hank, were having a bad time because they’d gone through their lottery winnings.”
The officer raised his eyebrow. “Lottery winnings?”
She explained that Eva and Hank had won the lottery a short time after she’d inherited the bakery. The officer stretched his legs in front of him, reviewed his notes. “Eva used to live here, in this bakery?”
“No, her parents owned it. She spent a lot of time here since her parents worked here. They lived in a house outside of town.”
Jason figured they had to do something to put a stop to this. “Does Eva have a key to the bakery?”
The officer nodded toward Jason. “Good question. I was just about to ask the same thing.”
“I’m…not sure.” The question seemed to have caught her off-guard, but Jason was glad he’d asked. He just wished he’d thought to ask before now. They might have been able to avoid all of this senseless destruction. “I don’t know if she has a key.”
The officer finished up his report. He then stood up, shook their hands. “All your locks look like they’re about fifty years old. Your doors don’t even have deadbolts on them. You need to get new locks and a burglar alarm.”
He nodded at the officer’s advice. “She’s getting a burglar alarm installed next week.” He focused on Toni. “I think we should get the locks installed today.”
“But it’s Sunday. I doubt we’d be able to get a locksmith out here today.”
“Tomorrow, then.”
Once they were back at the rooming house, Jason paced around his room, unable to sit still. They’d already gotten the word out and cleanup efforts were going to start tomorrow morning at the bakery. So many people had volunteered that they didn’t know if they’d have enough to keep everybody busy. Coincidentally, Sheila was off from work the next day, so she’d be able to help. She’d stopped by the rooming house and had visited with them, upset about all that had happened to Toni.
Jason had spent the evening in Mrs. Dukes’s den with Toni. She’d appeared antsy, rubbing her hands together, not able to sit still. He’d wanted to take her out to dinner that night, but the entire mood of having a date night had been ruined. Mrs. Dukes had been clearly worried about Toni’s plight, and, although she didn’t usually serve dinner to her tenants, she served them a home-cooked meal that night. Fried chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes and apple pie rested on the large dining room table. Mrs. Dukes had confided to Jason that Blue Spring was a peaceful town.
“You know, there was a rapist that had attacked women not far from Toni’s bakery. About a year ago. But since he was caught, things have quieted down.” She went on to say that very little crime happened in the area and she’d been worried that the vandalism against Toni’s bakery may have been indicative that more vandalism was going to occur in Blue Spring.
Jason eyed Toni during dinner, witnessing the anger simmering in her beautiful eyes. She’d barely eaten, and that concerned him. She needed to take care of herself. He’d gestured toward her untouched plate. “Why don’t you eat something?”
She’d shaken her head. “I’m just not hungry.”
Mrs. Dukes patted Toni’s shoulder. “I’ll keep your plate for you. You can re-heat it if you get hungry later.”
Toni usually had a healthy appetite. Several times, Jason caught her staring at the wall, not paying attention to the conversation. After dinner, he took her hand. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”
“Okay.”
Holding hands, they strolled down the streets of Blue Spring. Crickets chanted in the late spring air, and the sun was just beginning to set. Orange, gold, and yellow colors painted the sky, and a flock of birds flew by, their chant carrying on the warm wind. They sat on an empty bench in front of the barber shop. Toni easily leaned into him, sighing.
“Toni, I wanted to talk to you alone.” Mrs. Dukes didn’t allow boarders of the opposite sex to visit in one another’s rooms. She had a strict rule about that. “I’m worried about you.”
She sighed again. “I’m scared.”
He wanted to tell her not to be scared, but saying that was a bunch of bull. Heck, he feared for her safety, too, but he didn’t want to add fuel to the fire by telling her how he felt. He swallowed, continued to hold her.
“Jason?”
If felt so nice and comfortable, holding her. He swallowed, relishing the clean, floral scent of her perfume. “Yes?”
“I’m afraid of dying.” He released her, took her hands.
“Baby, don’t say that.”
“I can’t help how I feel. What if the person who’s threatening me wants me dead?”
“Toni, look at me.” She peered into his eyes. Goodness, she was so pretty. “I’ll do everything within my power to protect you. I’ve been praying for your safety since you started getting those phone calls, and I’ll continue to pray for you.”
She didn’t scoff about prayer like she did when he’d first met her. She sighed, her shoulders slumped with dejection.
“After your locks have been changed
and you have a burglar alarm installed, that should make things better for you.” He licked his lips, gathering his courage. “Do you know what the Lord says about fear?”
She scrunched her eyebrows together. “I’d thought the Lord wanted us to fear Him?”
He shook his head. She’d been attending church for a while now, and from what she’d just said, she’d obviously been listening to the sermons. “I’m not talking about fearing God. I’m talking about what God says about us fearing others.”
She leaned back on the bench, folded her arms in front of her. “No, what does God say about fear?”
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. That’s Isaiah 41:10.” He gently forced her arms from her chest, took her hand. “You know I’ve been praying for you, and we need to keep asking God for guidance about this.”
“Oh, Jason.” She sighed, and her pretty eyes locked with his. “That’s so easy for you to say. You’re not being threatened with obscene phone calls and vandalism.”
“No, I’m not, but I worry about you all the time. I can’t sleep at night I’m so worried about you.” Unable to resist, he took her into his arms, held her for a moment before kissing her.
*
Goodness, she couldn’t believe she was in Jason’s arms being kissed. His mouth pressed against hers, and the kiss proved warm and wonderful. Amidst her horrid dreams about her safety, she’d been fantasizing about Jason’s kiss.
Moaning, she reluctantly ended the kiss, opening her eyes. What did that kiss really mean? Did it mean that Jason had deep feelings for her? Should she even bother asking him?
He caressed her face, kissed her forehead. “What are you thinking about?”
She took a deep breath, moved out of his arms, shaking her head. “You don’t even want to know.”
“Actually, I do.”
Except for Brian, she had not had many serious relationships. She’d found when you’d started asking a man to define the relationship, they usually became silent and stand-offish, not wanting to talk about it. She eyed Jason. Was he any different?
“Well?” he prompted.
She shook her head. The kiss was still fresh in her mind, like a newly-bloomed rose in the early morning. She wanted to think about it, savor it for what it was, before asking Jason her question. She didn’t want her question to ruin the good, romantic mood between them. “I don’t feel like talking anymore. Just hold me.”
She settled into his embrace and closed her eyes.
Chapter 26
Jason mentally sighed, dropped into an empty chair, studying Toni while she swept debris off of the floor. It’d been a long and hectic week since they’d shared that amazing kiss. The folks of Blue Spring had been wonderful and sympathetic toward Toni’s plight. Several volunteers had come down to the bakery to assist with the cleanup, including Mrs. Dukes, Sheila, and some members from the church. Some volunteers could only stay for a few hours, but they’d been grateful for the help.
Henderson’s Drug Store, Pedro’s, and Chan’s Chinese had taken turns providing free lunch to the volunteers during the cleanup week. He’d been amazed when the lunch delivery vehicles had arrived, providing food for them each day. The Blue Spring residents had also chipped in and purchased Toni a brand new mixer. Jason had never witnessed small town life before, and when he’d watched old programs like The Andy Griffith Show, he’d thought that small-town life, where the community cared for one another, was something that was only happened a long time ago. Now he’d witnessed a community coming together to help just like on television.
Over the past week, Toni had also gotten her phone number changed. She’d hoped that the change may put an end to the crank calls she’d been receiving. The security alarm company had also visited, installing Toni’s burglar alarm. She had to set the alarm every time she left the bakery and before she went to bed at night. She had been insistent that he be by her side during the entire demonstration. After all, he’d probably have to disarm the alarm sometimes.
His phone buzzed, interrupting his musings. He pulled it out of his pocket, spotting Trina’s number. He stepped outside to take the call. “Hey, Trina. Is everything okay?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you. I haven’t spoken to you in a while, and I just wanted to check in to see if everything was okay.”
Toni put her broom away and went back into the kitchen. Since her locks had been changed and the burglar alarm had been installed, she’d moved out of Mrs. Dukes’s rooming house and back into her bakery. Tonight would be the first night that she’d be sleeping in her own place since her bakery had been vandalized.
“No.”
“What’s wrong?” Trina asked.
Jason told her about all that had happened to Toni over the past week. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah, the police still don’t know who’s been doing all of these things to her.” He took a deep breath. “So, what’s been happening with you?”
“You know Antoine’s playing on the summer basketball league?”
“Yes?”
“Well, they made the playoffs and he wants you to come to the next game. He’s missed you so much.”
Toni had returned from the kitchen, and she spotted him outside, giving him a small smile. He couldn’t leave her now, yet he wanted to be there for his nephew’s big game.
His feelings for Toni continued to grow. He wasn’t so sure what to think about his future. After all, Toni was still finding her way to God, and he didn’t know if it was wise for him to think about their having a future together.
But he was falling in love with her. He stepped back as the thought slammed into his mind.
“Jason?”
Trina’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Trina, when is Antoine’s game again?”
She told him the date before he rang off with her.
He shoved his phone in his pocket, went back into the bakery. The bell dinged, and Toni approached him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong? You seem upset.”
He swallowed, still unsure about what he should do. No way did he want to leave Toni with all that had been happening in her life. He needed to protect her, but his presence didn’t really seem to make a difference. Perhaps the vandals would no longer bother Toni since they’d installed the new locks and the new security system. “That was just an unexpected phone call.”
“Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “Everything will be fine.” His stomach growled, and she laughed.
“I was going to ask if you wanted me to make you dinner tonight. I think this is a night for a celebration.”
“A celebration?”
She nodded. “I appreciate your suggesting that I stay at Mrs. Dukes, but I’m glad to finally be at my own place again. There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed.”
“Dinner sounds like a good idea.”
Later, after they’d enjoyed her spicy spaghetti dinner, he broached the subject he’d wanted to avoid. “My sister wants me to see my nephew, Antoine, play his final basketball game in the playoffs for his summer league.”
Toni put her coffee cup down, frowning.
If he went out of town for a few days, he knew he’d miss her. He took her hand. “Why are you frowning?”
“You’ve been working here for a long time.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
She licked her lips, her hand still resting in his. “It’s just that I don’t know very much about you. It’s strange that I was kissing you a week ago, and I didn’t even know you had a sister or a nephew. This is the first time you’ve mentioned Antoine.” She shrugged, pulling her hand away. “It’s almost like you have these secrets bottled up inside of you, and you don’t want me to know about your life.”
So, she was still thinking about the kiss they’d shared. He’d thought about it, too. He’d been thinking about it every day since it’d happe
ned. Since he’d become a Christian, he wasn’t in the habit of kissing a woman like that unless he had deep feelings for her. The last woman he’d kissed before Toni had been Tangie. He’d thought he and Tangie had shared something special until he’d discovered her hidden agenda. “Toni, it’s not like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I guess I just don’t like talking about myself very much.” How could he explain that being away from his family, away from the bakery, kind of removed him from the grief of losing his mother? His relationship with his dad was so messed up, he was ashamed to talk about it.
“It sounds like you’re close to your nephew.”
He nodded. “Yes.” He then told her about Trina getting pregnant, unmarried, and about how he’d stepped in and had been a father-figure to Antoine. “He was upset when he found out I was leaving.” She sipped her coffee. He had to wonder what she thought. “What’s the matter?”
“I feel like the only reason you don’t want to go to see Antoine’s game is because you don’t want to leave me here by myself. Don’t worry about me. You need to go and do what you need to do with your family.”
Chapter 27
Jason ignored the chaotic noise in the video arcade, concentrating on his game. He swerved the electronic car on the screen, crossing the finish line. “I beat you again!”
“Uncle Jason!” Antoine grinned.
One thing he loved about his nephew, he wasn’t a sore loser. “Let’s play again.” He pulled some tokens from his pocket.
“Jason.”
Oh no, his dad was now right behind him. So far they’d had some civil conversations, and now this would be the first time that he’d spoken to his dad in person before he went on his road trip.
Shades Of Chocolate (The Bakery Romance Series Book 2) Page 13