“My great-great-grandparents opened that shop. Aunt Eleanor loves that place. She wouldn’t sell it to anyone unless she was manipulated.” A sudden thin chill hung on the edge of his words.
Misty seethed with disappointment and anger. She stood up to him. “Do you really think that I’m the type of person who would do something like that?”
“All I know is that she would want the shop to stay in the family.”
“It’s clearly time for me to leave,” Misty said. She wasn’t about to stand there and argue with him. “For the record I didn’t steal your aunt’s business.” She felt weak and vulnerable in the face of Leon’s anger. “You will have to ask her about why she wants to sell.”
“I never said you were stealing anything.”
“You’re an idiot,” Misty uttered. “You don’t have to worry, Leon. I don’t need to buy it—I can open my own somewhere else.”
“Aunt Eleanor loves that place. It doesn’t make sense that she would want to sell it. That’s all I know.”
“Miss Eleanor knows that she’s not able to keep running it, Leon.”
“Why not?” he asked.
Misty hadn’t meant to say that much. “You’ll have to ask your aunt.”
“I’m asking you. Why would my aunt suddenly decide to up and sell her business? I know that there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“Miss Eleanor came to me, Leon. If you want to know more, ask her.” Misty wiped her hands with a nearby towel. “Goodbye... Oh and lose my number.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
UPSET, MISTY LEFT Leon’s house and drove to see Eleanor. The last thing she wanted was to cause friction in their family. It was better to take herself out of the equation.
Eleanor opened the door and stepped back to let Misty enter the foyer. “What a pleasant surprise. C’mon in, sugar.”
They sat down in the living room. “Miss Eleanor, I thought about it and I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to buy the shop.”
Eleanor looked disappointed and near tears. “Why not? You seemed pretty excited about it when we had our discussion.”
“I was... I am... The truth is that Leon’s not really happy about the idea. In fact, he accused me of manipulating you to get you to sell to me.”
“What? How in the world did he find out?”
“One of his neighbors mentioned it. I think his name is Pete.”
“He works at the law firm. My lawyer must have mentioned it to him, but you don’t have to worry about my nephew. I’ll set him straight.”
“Leon’s right about how much you love the shop, Miss Eleanor. Maybe there’s another way...”
“Misty, the only person I’d trust with the shop is you. I know that you love it as much as I do.”
“I do love this place, but I don’t want to cause friction between you and Leon. In fact, I’m thinking about moving back to Charleston.”
“Misty, I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Miss Eleanor, you didn’t see the way Leon reacted. He really hurt my feelings.”
“Don’t make any decisions just yet. I’ll straighten everything out, Misty. The bakery and café are mine to do what I will with it. I don’t need my nephew’s permission to sell.”
“Regardless, the damage is already done. Leon and I won’t be seeing each other anymore.”
“I know that you care for Leon. Don’t give up on him.”
“I can’t make any promises, Miss Eleanor. I refuse to date a man who thinks so little of me. I don’t know what John told him about me, but apparently he believes it.”
“I’m so sorry, sugar.”
“Miss Eleanor, it’s not your fault. I’m actually glad it happened. I needed to know who I was dealing with.”
Eleanor took Misty’s hand in her own. “I want to sell my shop to you. I will only have peace if I know it’s in your hands.”
“I’ll think about it and give you a call tomorrow.”
“Even if you decide not to buy the shop, I know you love this island. Don’t let what happened run you off.”
“Miss Eleanor, I can’t imagine living so close to Leon and not being with him. It would hurt too much to see him around town... My feelings for him are strong.” She paused a moment, then said, “I’m in love with him.”
“I can see that clear as day.”
“That’s why his actions today hurt so much.” Misty stood up. “I need to get home, but I’ll give you a call tomorrow to let you know what I decide.”
* * *
LEON WAS IN search of answers.
“Rusty, do you know anything about my aunt selling the shop?” Leon asked. “Pete told me that she met with her lawyer about it.”
“Have you spoken to Eleanor?”
“Not yet,” Leon responded. “Is this because the two of you got married?”
“Eleanor will be home soon,” Rusty said. “You should talk to her.”
“What’s with all the secrecy?” Shaking his head in frustration, Leon stated, “I just hope this wasn’t Misty’s plan all along.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
Leon shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe. John used to tell me that she used manipulation to get whatever she wanted from him.”
“John also took his own daughter without Misty’s permission,” Rusty said. “I would say his credibility was questionable at best. He was your friend, but clearly there was a side to him that you didn’t know about.”
“All the more reason to wonder if there’s a side to Misty that I have no knowledge of—don’t you think?”
“Has she ever lied to you?”
“I don’t think so,” Leon responded. “Rusty, I know where you’re going with this. Believe me, I want to give Misty the benefit of the doubt.”
“Join us for dinner tonight,” Rusty suggested. “You can talk to your aunt and get all of your questions answered.”
Leon nodded. “I’ll definitely be back.”
None of this made sense to him. He would never believe that his aunt would just up and sell a business that had been in his family for generations. She wouldn’t do something like that unless she was somehow forced into it.
He would find out the truth in a few hours.
* * *
WHEN LEON ARRIVED, Eleanor had the food prepared and was ready to serve. He washed his hands, then joined them at the dining room table.
Rusty said the blessing.
Leon sampled his food. “Auntie, everything is delicious.”
He tried to keep the discussion light while they ate, but questions hammered at him.
Halfway through the meal, Eleanor glanced over at Rusty, then said, “I hear Pete opened his big mouth before I had a chance to talk to you. There’s something you should know.”
Leon wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Is this about the shop?”
“Yes,” she responded. “First off... You were wrong for blaming Misty for anything. It was my idea to sell the shop to her. She’s the perfect person to take ownership because I know she’ll take care of it. Rusty and I talked about this at length. It’s what I want to do, and you have no say-so in the matter.”
“But why do you suddenly want to sell the shop?” Leon inquired. “This didn’t come up after the fire. I don’t understand.”
“There’s something I need to tell you, son.”
The expression on her face made him ask, “What’s going on, Auntie?”
“I have early onset Alzheimer’s,” Eleanor announced. “I thought I was just getting forgetful...that it was because of my age... I never considered that it would be something more. I wake up in the morning sometimes and I don’t feel rested. But mostly, I don’t know what day of the week it is...the date or even the month. There are times when I don’t remember what
I planned for the day.”
“Sometimes I have days like that, Auntie. I think everyone goes through times like this.”
“I didn’t realize until today that I get up and wear one of three outfits all the time, Leon. I have a closet full of clothes. This morning at the café, I couldn’t remember where the coffee was, and I couldn’t remember where I keep the flour. I found myself reading the same article over and over again this afternoon.”
“I’m so sorry, Auntie.”
“I’m sure you’ve noticed I ask you the same questions over and over again. This is my life.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going through this?” He gazed at Rusty. “Did you know?”
“Yes,” Rusty answered.
“Leon, I didn’t want to worry you, son,” Eleanor stated. “I didn’t want you worrying about me. And don’t be upset with my husband—he wanted to tell you but respected my decision to tell you when I was ready.”
“That’s not your call, Auntie. I love you so I’m always gonna worry about you.”
“Now I need you to not say anything to Trey. I want to tell him in my own time, Leon. He’s over in Afghanistan. I need your brother to keep his head straight so he can be safe.”
“I won’t say anything,” Leon provided. “I was just thinking how I made a fool of myself with Misty. I owe her a huge apology.”
“Well, you better do it soon. Misty’s thinking about leaving the island,” Eleanor announced.
Leon’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What are you talking about?”
“She told me that she might be moving back to Charleston. I don’t know what happened between you two, but she was really hurt by it.”
Leon laid down his fork. “I never meant to hurt Misty. I accused her of manipulating you into selling the shop.”
“Boy, you done lost your mind. Yeah, you need to make it right or you stand to lose her forever. Mark my word.”
“I will,” he said. “I’ll go by her place when I leave here.”
Leon’s heart was in a panic at the thought of losing Misty. He had to talk to her—to make things right.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
LEON SAT OUTSIDE her condo for ten minutes, trying to figure out the best approach. He had been a complete jerk to her. He prayed he could repair the damage done.
“I apologize for just showing up, but I really wanted to talk to you,” Leon said when Misty opened the front door. “May I come in?”
“I’m not sure we have anything to discuss.”
She was still clearly upset with him. “I want to apologize for the things I said earlier.”
They settled in the living room.
“I just left my aunt’s house,” Leon began. “She told me everything. Misty, I’m very sorry for the way I treated you.”
“You should’ve known better,” she said. “The fact that you think I’d do something like that—it really bothers me.”
“Misty, I honestly don’t know why I said that to you—it just didn’t make sense that my aunt would even think of selling her shop. I’m so sorry.”
After a moment, she said, “I accept your apology.”
“I assume my aunt told you why she wants to sell you the shop.”
Misty nodded. “I know she has Alzheimer’s. For the record, she wanted me to keep her secret until she was ready to tell you. She didn’t want you to worry about her.”
“She told me the same thing, but it doesn’t matter. She’s my aunt and I care what happens to her.”
“Miss Eleanor knows that,” Misty said. “I have to be honest, Leon. You really hurt my feelings. I have always wanted my own business, but there’s no way I’d swindle Miss Eleanor out of her shop. Or anyone else for that matter. I’m not that type of person.”
“I know that,” he responded. “For the record, I never thought you cheated her.”
“Maybe not, but you did accuse me of manipulating your aunt. That sounds just as bad, Leon. Just so you know, I backed out of buying the shop.”
“Aunt Eleanor made it clear that she wanted you to take over the bakery. Now that I know everything, I agree with her. You should buy it.”
“I don’t know.”
“Misty, can we get past this?”
She met Leon’s gaze. “What happened has made me realize that you don’t really know me.”
“I want to get to know you more. I admit that I messed up, but I’m hoping you’ll give me another chance. I should say give us another chance.”
“I need some time to think about it, Leon.”
He gave a slight nod. “I understand. I’ll give you some space.”
Leon rose to his feet.
“Don’t leave,” Misty said when he reached for the doorknob. “I don’t want you to go.”
He came and sat back down beside her.
“If we’re going to see each other, I need you to trust me unless I prove to be untrustworthy. I don’t know what John told you about me, but whatever he said must have colored your opinion of me.”
“I agree,” Leon said. “You deserve that and more. As for John—he had nothing to do with what happened. I jumped to conclusions without all the information. I won’t make that mistake again. I give you my word.”
“Thank you for coming here to make things right. I appreciate that.”
“Were you seriously thinking about moving back to Charleston?” Leon asked.
“I was,” she responded.
“And now?”
“I thought about moving, but the truth is that Talei and I love it here. I’m not leaving. Polk Island has become our home.”
“I’m happy to hear you say this,” Leon said. “I don’t want to lose you or Talei. You’ve both come to mean a lot to me.”
“I need to know something. If I buy the bakery and café, how will you feel about it? I want you to be honest.”
“I’ll be okay. I know you’ll be great.”
“You really mean that?” Misty asked.
“I do.”
Misty picked up the television remote. “I was just about to watch a movie. Would you like to stay?”
“Sure. I can’t think of a better way to spend the evening.”
They watched in companionable silence until a commercial break.
“How was your day?” Leon asked.
“It was great,” Misty responded. “The shop was busy nonstop. I picked Talei up from day care, we got ice cream, then walked the beach.”
She turned down the volume to the TV while they talked.
“Leon, how are you feeling about your aunt’s diagnosis?”
“I need to learn more about the disease,” he responded. “I’m worried for her. I know Rusty’s there for her, but I can’t abandon her either. I just don’t know what I can do to help my aunt.”
Misty took his hand in her own. “I read somewhere that they are making great strides in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s. You can’t lose hope.”
“One thing I’ve noticed is that whenever we watch the news, I can tell my aunt gets bothered—she doesn’t like hearing about all the bad things happening in the world. Minutes later, Aunt Eleanor didn’t even remember what it was that bothered her. She asks the same question over and over again. She can remember things she did as a child...”
“Her short-term memory is affected by the disease,” Misty said. “What can I do to help?”
“I don’t know,” Leon responded. “I’m glad she has Rusty because I’m not sure how much longer she could’ve lived alone.” He released a long sigh. “I wish I knew what to do to help her. She’s always been there for me.”
“You have to allow her to live as normal a life as possible, Leon. My grandmother had dementia and my mother was her caregiver. As her disease progressed, there were days she didn’t recognize
her own daughter. It was hard on my mom because of Granny’s inability to communicate her thoughts or remember faces and names.” Misty pasted on a smile. “Your aunt is one strong-willed lady. She is going to fight back with her entire being.”
“She’s tough,” Leon agreed.
“Make sure she takes her medicine. My granny hated taking hers. There were times when she’d get violent with my mom.” Misty took Leon’s hand in her own. “I’m here to help in any way I can. I know Rusty has to run his business and you’re working at the station.”
“You’re going to be running the shop and you have Talei. I can’t intrude in your life any more than that.”
“You’re not,” Misty responded. “I’m offering.”
“I guess we’ll both just have to wait and see how this disease progresses. Aunt Eleanor was herself when I went to see her earlier. She made dinner and it was delicious. She looked good. Misty, she looked really happy.”
“That’s good to hear, but you may notice her asking you the same questions repeatedly or she may be confused or forgetful—those are the things you have to be on the watch for with Miss Eleanor.”
“I’m scared of losing her, Misty.”
“Don’t think that way. Just take it one day at a time. Learn about the disease. You might want to join a support group if that will help.”
“I’m glad that I have you, Misty.”
“I’ll always be here for you, Leon. Don’t ever forget that.”
He pulled her into his embrace, holding her close. No words were necessary.
* * *
RUSTY COULDN’T LEAVE work so Leon picked up Eleanor for her doctor appointment. During the fifteen-minute drive, she asked the same question four times. “Where are we going?”
“To see your doctor, Auntie.”
“Is it time for my physical?” She frowned. “Seems like I already did that. I saw Dr. Allen last month.”
“We’re going to see Dr. Grady,” Leon announced.
“Ooh...” she responded. “I like Dr. Grady. I need to talk to her about getting my license back.”
“Auntie, you don’t need to worry about driving. I’ll take you anywhere you need to go.”
Harlequin Heartwarming June 2021 Box Set Page 65