Flirt (Chasing Hope Book 1)

by Lavinia Leigh

  “It needs a little work to make it look like the pictures you showed me, but there’s a lot of space,” said Ginny optimistically.

  Emmeline let her breath out. It wasn’t half bad. There would be plenty of room for tables and chairs along with a counter and a prime spot to showcase her pastries. She had scanned the street before coming in, and didn’t see anything else like what she wanted to open here. At the back, there were two doors leading into what looked like offices that shared a wall.

  Anxiously, Emmeline turned to Callum. “Do you think we could knock down the wall in between the offices to make one big kitchen?”

  He looked around and examined the walls. He was familiar with buildings like these. His shop wasn’t all too different.

  “As long as you don’t knock this main wall here down, it would be fine.”

  A happy glow spread through Emmeline’s stomach. This would work.

  Other than the two offices and a tiny bathroom, which was really good news—something Emmeline wouldn’t have to pay to put in—one last door stood open. She peeked through and found a staircase leading upstairs. “Let’s go see what’s up there,” Emmeline said, feeling adventurous.

  According to what the lawyer had explained earlier, there was an apartment up there that hadn’t been rented out for years. Emmeline clenched her jaw as she reached the top stair and the overwhelming blandness of the apartment became apparent. It wasn’t exactly glamorous, and it looked like no one had even tried to update the decor since 1972. Ginny made some very loud gagging sounds.

  “It could be worse,” Callum said, opening and closing the cabinets that looked as though they were in decent shape.

  “Paint, maybe that would help,” Emmeline said, running her hand along the countertops; at least they were clean. She knew it would be a long time before they could do any sort of renovations up here. Every little bit she was hoping to get as a loan from the bank would have to go to renovating the downstairs to transform it into her business. She needed to put in a whole new kitchen from scratch, and there was no way that was going to be cheap.

  Besides the kitchen in the apartment, there were two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a living room. ”I have to admit, it isn’t pretty, especially not compared to Pernella’s house, but it will fit us perfectly. There’s that at least.” She paused, worry like a cloud floated through her brain. “I hope Millie will like it. She’s still not happy about the whole thing. I promised that we won’t move until the summer.”

  “She’ll come around,” Callum soothed her.

  “I hope so. She’s mad that she fought so hard to get Director Anthony to take her seriously and let her direct, and now she’s leaving. I don’t blame her. If this wasn’t such a perfect opportunity, I wouldn’t leave Oakville.”

  “You know, there’s a theater just around the corner. She could walk there. They put on plays with the kids all the time,” Ginny said.

  “Is that still there?” Emmeline asked. At least that would be something she could use to convince Millie that this move would be a good one.

  “Trust me, everything is exactly as it was. Everything!”

  “Ginny, it’s not that bad,” Callum said, faking insult.

  “Callum, did you have that shirt in high school?”

  “Shut up.”

  “So, this is it,” Emmeline said, ignoring the two of them play fighting. It really felt as though nothing had changed all these years, all except Nicholas. The world had gone on without him. She had made it through, even though she didn’t think she would at times, and together they had made an incredibly interesting, bold, strong, and determined little girl. She knew he would be proud. “How long do you think it’ll take to do the renovations downstairs?”

  “A couple of months, I think. Are you still planning to do a lot of it yourself?” Callum asked.

  “I think I have to. I don’t want to go into too much debt. I mean, there’s no guarantee that this is even going to work. I’m just pleased that I can use the building as collateral for the loan.”

  “What about your parents? Any thoughts about asking them for money?”

  “Forget it. I’ve done without asking them for money all along, I’m not going to start now.”

  “They must be pleased about you coming back,” Callum said. “Your mom stops by the shop all the time, trying to get information out of me about what you’re doing. If she buys any more lamps, I think you’ll be able to see the house from space.”

  “You’ve never told me that before! She could just call me.”

  “To be fair, you kind of get your back up every time your parents’ names are mentioned.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Callum and Ginny exchanged a knowing glance.

  “So this is what I get for coming back, eh?”

  “This and so much more!” Ginny put her arm around Emmeline’s waist. “I can’t believe we’re all going to be back together. I never thought it was possible.”

  “Well, almost all of us,” Callum said, and then looked up. “Buddy, we miss you.”

  Emmeline sucked in a breath. Memories all day had been flooding back, things she didn’t realize she had suppressed, making her feel a little raw. Perhaps it was the stress of the move, or the anticipation of what her shop could be. Maybe it was the fear of running into Nicholas’s family again.

  “What’s wrong?” Ginny asked, quickly picking up on Emmeline’s flash of anxiety.

  “Does everyone still blame me for his death?”

  “No one blames you!” Callum said, although it seemed like this was something that he had expected. “Listen, Dorothy wasn’t well back then. Even if we didn’t know at the time.”

  “What do you mean?” Ginny asked.

  “I mean, the family tries to keep it quiet, but Dorothy was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s when she said those things. Remember how irrational she was and the hair pulling? Looking back, it seems pretty obvious, but then she just seemed like a jerk. Remember the mood swings, and how Nicholas was so confused about why she was behaving the way she was? She’s gone downhill from then. She pretty much needs around the clock care now. A few times she’s run away. That’s the only reason why I know. I’ve had to help Erik fetch her a couple of times.”

  “You have got to be kidding me!”

  “Crazy as a freakin’ loon, she is.”

  “Isn’t that a little insensitive?” Ginny asked, clearly surprised by the news.

  “Maybe, but I call it as I see it.”

  Emmeline stood there blinking. She felt like she had been walloped, and wasn’t sure if the news was good or not. At least there was an explanation as to why Dorothy had been so unreasonable. It didn’t make what she went through any easier, but a small weight felt like it had been lifted.

  “Trust me,” Callum said, “You won’t have any troubles with her anymore. And I can promise, no one in town thinks anything of you but kindness. And let me tell you, your parents aren’t the only ones who come into the shop asking how you’re doing.”

  “Now you’re just making stuff up.” Emmeline elbowed him in the side, gently. Ginny smirked, and Emmeline realized she had just flirted with Callum. She stood up a little straighter. She hadn’t even begun to figure out what she felt for him. It had just been a natural reaction.

  “You’ll find out for yourself soon enough,” Callum said, shifting his weight a little closer to Emmeline.

  “It won’t be today, unfortunately. I better run. I’ll be lucky not to be late picking Millie up.”

  They walked down the stairs and outside, where Emmeline locked the front door. Next time she came back, she was hoping she would have an official yes from the bank and could really start making plans for the opening.

  She said goodbye to her friends and climbed into Nicholas’s car. She felt blessed for the first time in a while. Seeing the place made her feel better, like what she gave up with Joel to make this happen might just be worth it.

  Twice she had bee
n unlucky in love. As she pulled out of her parking space, she looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Callum’s tall frame walking down the street toward his own shop, and she thought to herself, There’s a chance the third time might be the charm.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  The next two months were a flurry of activity, packing up Pernella’s house, sending some of her stuff into storage, finding homes for the rest. On Pernella’s insistence, Emmeline was taking a bunch of the furniture and decor with her to furnish her new apartment.

  Excitement was taking hold. This would be the first place she got to decorate herself. Millie wasn’t thrilled, but seemed to be accepting what would happen in a very short time. Emmeline, however, was counting down the days—especially after she got the long-awaited okay on her loan from the bank. Admittedly, it was going to be hard to say goodbye to Kathy, who had taught her everything she knew about baking and running a business. She wouldn’t be anywhere if it wasn’t for her.

  Emmeline took a few moments to realize how blessed she had been. Where would her life be without Pernella and Kathy? They had been a lifeline for her when her world was falling apart. They loved her, and helped her not to make themselves look good, not to show off, but because they were just good people. She was so proud that Millie had women like them around her who had treated her as their own. Emmeline wished she had a relationship like that with her mom. Things were still touchy, but maybe with her going back, there could be hope for change. They were both older now and ideally more sensible.

  Emmeline thought of the differences between women like Pernella and Kathy—strong, independent, willful—and her own mother, who seemed like a little mouse trying to be a stallion. Always so worried about what people were thinking about her, always wanting to keep up appearances. It all seemed fake when Emmeline was younger. Now, as a mom, Emmeline couldn’t imagine what it would be like if her kid moved away and hardly talked to her. She would be devastated. But in comparison, Emmeline’s relationship with Millie had always been much closer than she ever was with her mom. At least she was pretty sure that Millie wasn’t harboring some secret hatred toward her. The idea rocked her to the core before she shook it away. They were close, and she just had to have faith in that.

  The night of the play, Emmeline’s stomach was so full of butterflies she couldn’t figure out how Millie was handling it so well. She seemed calm and cool. Emmeline asked how she was doing, and Millie answered, “As long as stupid Charlie doesn’t forget his lines, we’ll be fine.”

  Emmeline stifled a laugh, and then gave her crap for not sounding very supportive.

  “He wouldn’t have been my first choice, but that was before Director Anthony started to take my opinion seriously,” Millie continued dryly.

  “I don’t care. He has the part, and you have to be encouraging.”

  Millie rolled her eyes, but didn’t push it any further.

  Emmeline dropped her off backstage at the theater, then went around to take her seat. She was front and center, but there were still two hours before the play would begin. She decided to leave her scarf on the non-assigned seats to save her spot and go for a walk.

  She was walking out the door when a frantic Callum almost ran into her. “Did I miss it? Please tell me I didn’t miss it!”

  “Miss what? The play?”

  “Yes! I got here as soon as I could.”

  “No, you’re two hours early!”

  “You’re kidding me; I’ve been fretting all day about getting here on time!”

  “It doesn’t start until seven. It’s, what, five oh five?

  “I have the time wrong!” He pulled out his phone and showed his calendar to her.

  “I have no idea. We have lots of time. I didn’t realize you were going to make it.”

  “Are you kidding me? Millie’s first debut on stage, pulling multiple duties. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

  “Of course you wouldn’t.” She looped her arm through his, and asked, “I was about to go for a walk to waste some time. Do you want to join me?”

  “Absolutely,” he said.

  They wandered out the door and down the street. The little business area in this part of the city was quaint. Shops were full of vintage wear and antiques, which put Callum into a good mood. He insisted that his stuff was way better, and complained that the prices of the things in the windows were too high. He may have sounded like he was annoyed, but Emmeline could see the light in his eyes.

  The summer air was lovely, slightly humid, and the sun peeked out from behind heavy clouds that indicated it might rain later on. She felt herself pull a little closer to him. Since she went to see the bakery for the first time, they had talked every day on the phone making plans. There was still so much to do once the play had finished its two-week course. Emmeline was planning on taking the rest of August off to begin the renovations. If she worked really hard, she was hoping to open for October first. It was a lofty goal, but she was determined to make it. Hopefully she could take advantage of all the people coming downtown to shop for the holiday season to bring in new curious customers. But tonight she didn’t want to think about it; she just wanted to walk in the soothing summer air with her friend, her rock and confidant, and enjoy her daughter’s triumph.

  “You know, I don’t think that I’ve ever thanked you for everything you’ve done for us,” she said, looking up at Callum. She gently put her head down on the side of his arm. His gray tee felt soft against her cheek.

  “You have, and it’s not necessary.” He hip-checked her slightly. “Besides, you know that you two are my world.”

  “You know, it was words like that which made Joel so green with envy!”

  “Joel—you bring up Joel at a time like this?”

  Emmeline tried not to think about him. It worked, most days, and then it would slip out at the most inconvenient of times.

  “Sorry. He’s gone, you know. I don’t think I’ll ever see him again.” She wasn’t sure why she said this; if it was for her benefit or Callum’s. They still hadn’t had the talk, but it did seem like they were getting closer by the day. Maybe he was who she was always meant to be with. Who knows?

  “He really broke your heart, didn’t he?” Callum asked.

  “Nah, I broke my own. I was the one who didn’t want to go. Besides, it wasn’t right for Millie.”

  “You just wanted to stay here with me,” he said.

  “You just keep telling yourself that,” Emmeline said.

  “And I do.”

  “Why have you stayed around all this time?”

  “My whole life I just wanted you to be happy, you and Millie. I want you live the life you were supposed to. And since I can’t take away all the crap that surrounds you, I just try and do what I can. Anything to see that smile on your face and the wiggle in your hips.”

  “I don’t wiggle when I walk,” she said obstinately.

  “Oh, yes you do. I think that even the Pope would notice when you walked down the street.”

  She reached behind with her leg and kicked him in the bum.

  “Next time, if you’re going to spank me, please use your hand.” He winked.

  “You are incorrigible!”

  “Yep!”

  They went into a coffee shop and bought a few lattes, then went over to the park to drink them. They stayed there until a half hour before the show started.

  They met Pernella at the front door as she was being dropped off by the transportation arranged by the retirement home, and they all went in together. Emmeline’s stomach felt hollow as she wiped her sweaty palms on her pants, fighting the urge to run backstage. She knew Millie wouldn’t appreciate her mother fawning over her as she tried to get ready. She could only hope that Millie was doing okay.

  The theater filled up, and the lights dimmed. A spotlight shone onto the stage and the curtains rose. On the large movie screen at the back of the stage came beautiful images that told the history of the chocolate factory.

 
Out came the small boy playing Charlie Bucket, singing a solo. He was slightly off-key at some parts, but he remembered all the words. Emmeline wondered what Millie must be thinking at that moment. The second scene started in the bedroom with Grandpa George, Grandma Georgina, Grandpa Joe, and Grandma Josephine. The kid playing Charlie was singing about how much he wanted a golden ticket hidden in the chocolate bars. Emmeline could see Millie in the wings mouthing the words. Twice, she made a face, and Emmeline wondered if she would run out onto the stage to correct the boy, but she stayed put. Emmeline let out a breath, realizing that she had been holding it in.

  Relax, girl. If your kid can do this, so can you. But she was on the verge of crying. She was so proud. This was her kid. She hadn’t even hit the stage, and yet Emmeline could tell she was a star. She could see the little touches her kid had added, and wondered again how it was that she knew to do things. It just seemed so natural to her.

  The scene Millie was responsible for came near the beginning, and definitely had her stamp on it. Emmeline could barely control herself when Grandpa George said, “Now why would kids want to eat all that chocolate? It’ll rot their teeth, and turn them into zombies!”

  The scene ended with a song, and the crowd cheered. It was lovely, and Millie really did do a good job. Perhaps this really was her calling after all. Then Emmeline shook her head. Millie was still young; she might have ten more callings before she grew up. Yet there was Callum sitting beside her. He knew what he wanted to do at a young age too.

  A few more scenes in, Millie came out wearing her old ballet tutu, a pink sweater, and a pair of white mini heels.

  “But Daddy, I want a Golden Ticket! And I want it now!” she shouted from center stage.

  “But darling Verruca, I don’t have a ticket to give you,” said the man playing her father.