by Nicole Ellis
When she walked past what used to be Edgar’s Bakery, she stopped. A closed sign hung in the window, but the lights were on. She cupped her hands against the window to keep the glare away, and peered inside.
Cassie sat at a small table in the middle of the room. Nearby, two men were reconstructing a counter. Should she bother her friend? Libby made a quick decision and pushed on the door. It swung open easily, and she stepped inside.
Cassie’s head popped up at the intrusion, but her lips spread into a wide smile when she saw who had entered. “Hey, Libby.”
“Hey.” Libby looked around. “Wow. I can’t believe how different it looks in here.” The last time she’d been inside Edgar’s, it had been filled with people, and she could barely see the tiled floor. The space appeared five times larger now, especially with the different counter.
Cassie laughed. “We’ve barely done anything yet. Wait until you see it after it’s all in place and painted.”
“Speaking of paint.” Libby pointed at a mural spanning the entire wall. She’d never seen anything quite like it indoors. “Where did that come from? Was it here all along?”
Cassie nodded. “They found it yesterday while removing the drywall. Can you believe that was underneath?”
Libby walked closer to the painting. From far away, it was beautiful, but from only a foot away, it was stunning. The artist had included small details that made the artwork come to life, like wispy strands of grass on the top of the dunes. “Wow.”
“I know.” Cassie moved across the room to stand quietly by Libby’s side. “Every time I look at it, I see something I hadn’t noticed before.”
Libby scanned the length of the painting. “It looks like the California coast.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. Visiting that area with Gabe had always been on her bucket list. The way things were going with him, though, there wasn’t much chance of that ever happening.
“That’s what I’m guessing. I think it’s the Monterey Peninsula – at least how I remember it.” A far-off look came into Cassie’s eyes before she cast her gaze down at her shoes, tracing a line in the fine dust coating the floor below the mural.
“Do you know who painted it?” Libby walked along the mural to view the rest of it up-close.
Cassie shrugged. “Not yet. I talked to Chase, the new owner of the art gallery, but he didn’t know off the top of his head. He said he’d ask around about it, so I sent him photos that he could share with some of his contacts.”
“So, he might be able to find out who the artist is?” Libby stepped back again to take in the whole thing. The artist’s passion for their subject came through in every square inch of the panels. “It’s like you got a mystery along with your bakery.”
“I know.” Cassie smiled. “I wasn’t sure when I saw it for the first time yesterday, but the idea of keeping it is growing on me.” She nodded to the notebook lying on the small table she’d been sitting at. “I was planning on making this wall into a counter to eat at, but I think I’m going to change things around so I can keep the mural.” She touched the wall with a gentle finger. “I really hope I find out who created this. Chase is coming over in an hour to tell me what he’s discovered from his contacts.” She blushed when she said his name.
Libby grinned. When they’d shown out-of-town guests around town last year, she’d visited the art gallery. Its proprietor was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen, and Cassie didn’t seem to be immune to his charms. Her friend had been hurting since her marriage had ended several years ago, and it was about time she started dating again.
“What did you think of Chase?” Libby asked innocently.
Cassie turned an even darker shade of pink. “He was nice.”
“Nice?” Libby teased. “Is that all you noticed about him?” Prying into her friend’s love life was much more fun than worrying about the problems in her own marriage.
“Okay, he was good-looking too.” Cassie mock-glared at Libby. “Have you met him before?”
She nodded. “Once. I don’t buy a lot of art, but we had friends that wanted to go in there while they were in town.” Libby walked over to the table Cassie had been working at and picked up a drawing of what looked to be an interior design schematic. “Is this the bakery?”
“Yeah. I’m trying to figure out what to do now that I don’t have my eating counter.” Cassie took the paper from her and scrutinized it. She frowned. “I can’t seem to make it work, but I’d really like to keep the mural.”
“Do you mind if I take a look?” Libby asked. “I studied interior design in college.”
Cassie shrugged. “Sure. I’d be happy to have some help.”
They pored over the plans together, eventually making some minor rearrangements to the layout.
“Did you make any decisions about the mural?” a man asked.
Libby and Cassie looked up to see Andy Avery standing in front of them. They’d all grown up together, and it hadn’t come as a surprise to anyone in town when Andy had started his own construction company. He’d always been building something when they were kids. In fact, Libby’s own parents still had a few of his birdhouses in their backyard.
Libby smiled at him. “Hi, Andy.”
“Hey, Libby,” he said. “What do you think of the mural we found?”
“It’s pretty amazing.” She gazed at the painting. “I can’t believe it’s been covered up all these years.”
“No kidding.” He grinned. “I’m kind of hoping Cassie decides to keep it.”
“Well, I definitely want to keep it.” Cassie held up the piece of paper. “What do you think about this layout? Is it doable?”
He accepted the paper and scanned it for a moment. “This should work. I’ll let the guys know.”
“Thanks,” Cassie said. “How much longer do you think it’ll take to complete the project?”
He stuck his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans and gazed at the ceiling with his face contorted with thought. “Maybe another week? We still need to finish the counter, add in the bar, and then install the flooring.”
“Great.” Cassie shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this is moving along so fast.”
Andy puffed up a little. “We work fast.”
Cassie laughed, but worry clouded her face. “I meant that, a month ago, owning a bakery was the furthest thing from my mind. Now I’ll be opening within a few weeks.” She patted his arm. “But I do appreciate how hard you and your crew have been working.”
He smiled. “Of course. I’m happy to help. And you’re going to do great.” He looked over his shoulder at the men working on the counter. “Speaking of construction deadlines, I’d better get back to work.” He glanced at Libby. “Nice seeing you again.”
“You too,” she said. Andy walked away, and Libby peered at Cassie. “How are you doing? You seem a little overwhelmed.”
Cassie took a deep breath and her shoulders slumped as she leaned back in her chair. “I am, a little.” Her eyes roamed over the bakery. “I can’t believe this place is mine now. It’s a lot of responsibility.”
Libby reached across the table and squeezed Cassie’s hand. “You’re ready for it. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard people raving about your custom cakes or the treats you make for the Willa Bay Lodge.” She gestured to the construction mess. “When this is all cleaned up, people are going to flock to your bakery, just like they did when it was Edgar’s.”
Cassie’s spine straightened, and a glimmer of a smile came over her lips. “Thanks.” She eyed Libby. “When you and your mom started your catering business, did you ever worry?”
Libby chuckled. “Of course we did. We still do. Over the years, we’ve managed to gain a reputation in town for providing excellent food at a good value, but it hasn’t been easy. We had to work hard to get there. And when Mom was sick last year, we cut back a lot, so we lost some ground.”
Her chest constricted, thinking of her mother’s cancer diagno
sis and treatment. It had been worth taking time off from the business to allow her mom time to heal from her surgery and chemotherapy, but their finances and client list had taken a hit. Libby had come to depend on her income from their catering company, so the last two years had been rough. She and Gabe had dipped into their savings quite a bit to make ends meet, but they’d managed.
She and her mom had increased their bookings over the last month, but business still wasn’t at the level they’d been at before. With the state of her marriage so uncertain, Libby needed that income. She didn’t want to be caught unprepared if they ever separated. Libby stared out the window, her eyes glazing over. How had their relationship gotten so bad that she was considering what to do if he wasn’t in the picture?
“Libby?” Cassie asked. “You okay?”
Libby blinked a few times to moisten her eyes. “I’m fine. Just thinking a little.”
Cassie scooted her chair closer. “What’s going on? How is your mom?”
Libby gave her a small smile. “Mom’s fine. She’s as healthy as a horse now.” She twisted her fingers in her lap. “It’s Gabe.”
Cassie stared at her. “What’s going on with Gabe?”
“He’s been so distant lately, staying late at work and snapping at me whenever we do talk.” Libby sniffed, hoping to hold back the tears that threatened to erupt. Airing her dirty laundry didn’t come naturally to her, but her sisters hadn’t been around to confide in lately. If she didn’t talk to someone about it soon, she worried she would explode the next time she saw her husband.
“Has he said anything to you?” Cassie asked.
Libby snorted. “Like that he’s having an affair or something?”
Cassie’s eyes widened. “He’s having an affair?” she whispered.
“No.” Libby sighed. “At least, not that I know of. But something is wrong.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”
Libby shook her head. “I’ve tried to, but he always shuts me down and says nothing is wrong.” She rested her elbows on the table and dropped her head into her hands. Her freshly cut and washed hair cascaded around her face like a curtain she could hide behind.
“I’m sorry, Libs,” Cassie said.
Libby looked up. “Thanks.” She had a hard time keeping her voice from trembling, and she didn’t like the way that made her feel. She’d always taken pride in staying calm and collected, even in the face of adversity. Unfortunately, she’d never expected adversity to come from within her own marriage. Until this past year, she would have described her relationship with Gabe as rock solid. Now it was about as solid as the cherry Jell-O she’d made for dessert last night.
“You’ve got to talk with him,” Cassie said.
“I know.” Libby balled her hands into fists, then flexed her fingers. “But I can’t make him talk to me.”
“You have to.” Cassie pressed her lips together, and a pained expression crossed her face. “Don’t let things go for so long that they can’t be fixed.”
Her words tugged at Libby’s heart. She studied her friend. “Do you ever wish you’d tried harder with Kyle?”
“Every day,” Cassie said in a voice so low that Libby strained to hear it. Cassie took a deep breath and smoothed her hair back from her face. “But I can’t change my past. You still have time with Gabe. Talk to him, Libby. Find out what’s bothering him.”
“But what if I don’t like what I find out?” Libby’s heart twisted. She had tried to talk to Gabe, but had she tried hard enough? Did she really want to know what was going on with him, or was it better not to know?
If she never heard the truth from him, maybe she could pretend that nothing was wrong. She pushed her chair back from the table and stood. Since when had she ever backed down from anything in her life?
The doorbell jingled and Chase Flaherty entered. He looked between Cassie and Libby. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No, no.” Libby forced a smile to her lips. “Actually, I was just leaving.” She held out her hand. “You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Libby Briggs Jansen. We met once, about a year ago.”
“Of course I know who you are.” He flashed her a toothy grin. “Everyone in town knows the Briggs family.”
She laughed, more at ease now. “Well, I wouldn’t say everyone. But, it’s nice to see you again. Are you here about the mural?”
“I am.” He looked over at Cassie, eyeing her appraisingly.
Behind his back, Libby winked at Cassie. “He’s cute,” she mouthed.
Cassie shook her head slightly and got up from the table. “Thanks for coming over here. Did you find anything out about the artist?”
“No, not yet. But I’ve got some feelers out.” He motioned to the mural. “Do you mind if I take a look?”
Cassie shrugged. “Be my guest.” She and Chase walked over to the wall, and Libby followed a few steps behind. With the kids at her parents’ house for the night, Libby had plenty of time before she needed to get home to make dinner for Gabe, and she was intensely curious about the provenance of the mural.
“It’s even more spectacular than the photos you showed me.” He moved closer to the painting and scrutinized it. “Have you seen a signature on it?”
“No, but I definitely could have missed one because it covers such a large area. It must have taken the artist a year or more to paint it.”
“Most likely.” Chase slowly moved down the wall. In the far corner, he halted and dropped to a crouch, then pointed at a faint scribble of brown paint that was almost concealed in the corner of a panel. “Look at that!”
Cassie and Libby crowded around him.
“It’s a signature, isn’t it?” Cassie asked.
Chase beamed at her. “Sure looks like it.” He took out his phone and snapped a shot of the text before standing upright to view the image on the phone screen. Zooming in made the signature clearer, but Libby still couldn’t read it.
“Do you recognize it?” Libby asked.
He shook his head. “No.” He peered at the screen. “I can’t quite make it out, but I’ll keep trying to decipher it.” They moved a comfortable distance apart, but Chase kept staring at the signature. “I swear I’ve seen this before.”
“Really?” Cassie’s face lit up.
His brow furrowed. “Yes, but I can’t think of where I saw it. It’ll come to me, though.” He turned to face Cassie directly. “I’d better get back to the gallery, but I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything. Maybe we can get together over coffee sometime to discuss it?”
Cassie coughed suddenly and couldn’t seem to get her words out, so Libby stepped in before her friend could embarrass herself further. “That would be great. Thank you for helping Cassie with this. I know she appreciates your help and would love to discuss the mural with you later.” She looked at Cassie meaningfully.
Cassie nodded, finally able to speak. “Yes, thank you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’ll talk to you later then.” He touched Cassie’s arm, then gave Libby a little wave. “Nice meeting you.” With a quick pivot, he strode out the door.
Libby turned to Cassie. “I think he likes you. He was flirting with you.”
Cassie looked a little green. “I’m sure he flirts with everyone.”
“No, that was definitely aimed at you.” Libby grinned. “He even asked you to coffee.”
“To discuss the mural, I’m sure.” Cassie made a show of checking her watch. “I’d better be getting home. The kids will be there soon. Don’t you need to get home too?”
“No, Mom is watching them tonight.” Libby spread her arms out wide. “I’m a free woman today.”
Cassie sighed. “Must be nice to have your parents living so close. My parents only see the kids about once a month and it’s the same for Kyle’s parents.”
“It is nice,” Libby admitted. “But they don’t usually want to take all four kids at the same time.”
They said goodbye to Andy and the
work crew, then walked outside onto the sunlit sidewalk.
“I’ll see you on the Fourth of July, right?” Cassie asked. “If not sooner, that is.”
“Yep, we wouldn’t miss it,” Libby said. Her whole family went every year to the big Willa Bay fireworks show and celebration at the park by the water. It was an annual tradition they all enjoyed, and it usually involved a big picnic on the beach. Gabe always loved cooking hot dogs for lunch over a barbecue pit at the park. She bit her lip. Would he even be there this year?
“Great, I’ll see you then.” Cassie gave Libby a hug and said into her ear so no passersby could hear, “And I’m sure everything with Gabe will work out.”
Libby nodded, but a chill ran through her body. “I hope so.”
Cassie jetted off down the street, and Libby walked back to the other end of Main Street where she’d parked her car. Today had been a nice diversion, but she needed to get back to real life, or at least part of it. The kids may be with her parents for the night, but Gabe would be coming home for dinner, and she intended to make him listen to her concerns.
Three hours later, Libby slumped into an armchair in their living room, staring into the kitchen. The table was set for two, but the shrimp and asparagus risotto she’d carefully arranged in shallow bowls had long ago turned into a congealed mush. She’d spent over an hour making Gabe’s favorite meal, and he hadn’t even bothered to call to let her know he’d be late. At this point, she didn’t even know if he planned to come home.
A tear slipped down her cheek, followed by dozens more. She wanted Gabe in her life, but at this rate, they were never going to take that dream trip together to Monterey. How could she fix her relationship if he wasn’t even there?
13
Meg
Meg stared at the Inn’s half-renovated kitchen. A granite countertop leaned against the wall, the new farmhouse sink on the plywood floor next to it. “I thought this was supposed to be done by now.”
“Well, it’s not,” Zoe snapped back at her. She ran both hands over her scalp, threading her fingers through her hair and tugging on it gently. “Argh! Nothing is going right.”