Joe looked her way, frowned, and when she indicated Devon with a slight nod, he understood. He should have remembered the little boy was in the seat behind him.
“Auntie Kristine,” he said, his lips beginning to tremble, “is our bakery ruined?”
Kristine attempted to turn in the seat and see his face. His eyes were wet with unshed tears. “Honey, we won’t know anything until we get there. But don’t you worry,” she said. “Everything will be fine.”
He was quiet for several seconds, but then cried out, “Is my mom okay?”
Kristine gasped. It hadn’t occurred to her that someone might have gotten hurt? Presumably her mother was okay, since she was able to make the phone call, but Lori…
Kristine reached for Devon’s hand and held it tight. Together they prayed for the safety of Lori and his grandma and anyone else who might have been in or close by the bakery. Seemingly soothed by the prayer, he calmed down and stared ahead.
Thankfully, they arrived at the bakery a moment later. Fire trucks were there with hoses extended. Kristine was relieved to see her sister and mother standing a safe distance away from the fire that was nearly extinguished.
Joe parked half a block away and helped both Kristine and Devon from the truck. He grasped both their hands and they hurried to reach Ruth and Lori. When they did, they saw Lori was now being tended to by paramedics. Her face was blackened by smoke and she was coughing. A paramedic slipped an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose.
“Are you all right?” Kristine cried. “Mom? Lori?”
Her mother nodded wordlessly. It was clear she was fighting back tears as she watched the firefighters continue to hose down the smoldering fire inside the bakery. When she turned and saw Lori in an oxygen mask, she began crying.
When Lori spotted Kristine, her eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of Joe holding her hand. She suddenly thrust the oxygen mask off her face and rushed toward them. “Joe!” she cried, as she flung her arms around his neck. “It was awful! One second, everything was fine, and the next, the bakery was engulfed in flames.”
Joe looked at Kristine, uncertain what to do. Lori was holding onto him for dear life and he was still holding onto Kristine. Kristine extracted her hand and reached for Devon’s hand, which was still entwined within Joe’s. The little boy seemed hesitant to let go.
She and Devon stepped away from her sister and Joe. The situation was awkward at best, wholly uncomfortable at worst. Lori held onto Joe for dear life and he was now awkwardly patting her back. He sought Kristine’s eyes, but she quickly averted her face.
Guilt crashed over her once again. If she’d just gone to work this morning... If she hadn’t been intent on teaching her mother and sister a lesson. Now, her bakery was ruined. After years and years of providing baked goods to the citizens of Cooper Glenn, the landmark business was gone—up in smoke—just like that.
Kristine moved to stand beside her mother. “What happened, Mom?” she asked gently.
She shrugged and turned to her briefly. “I don’t know. I was working the front counter when suddenly, Lori let out a scream and… It all happened so fast.”
Her mother glanced over at her older daughter again. She seemed to notice Joe for the first time. She smiled softly at the sight of him, holding Lori in his arms and comforting her.
Kristine read her mind. Maybe something good would come from this tragedy.
Chapter Fourteen
Kristine woke the next morning to the reality that she had nowhere to go. Her bakery was ruined and she had herself to thank for it. If only she had gone to work the day before.
In her mind’s eye, she saw the firefighters drenching her beloved bakery with tens of thousands of gallons of water. Everything was ruined. What the fire didn’t destroy, the water did. If only she hadn’t fought with her mother and sister. If only she had just gone to work as usual. Everything was her fault.
She rolled over in bed and pounded her pillow. This time, the action was an attempt to release her fury with herself, rather than to make a comfortable impression for her head. After giving the pillow a good pummeling, she dropped her face into the billowy softness. She willed herself back to sleep, to no avail.
She finally turned over and stared at the ceiling. She lay there, unmoving, for an hour or so, hoping sleep would come. No such luck.
Finally, in frustration, she rose and readied for her day. She had a meeting with an insurance adjustor later in the morning. The fire marshal explained it might take some time to determine the source of the fire. As such, the insurance company could only send an adjustor to assess the damage, but they wouldn’t offer any settlement until he provided a written report outlining any cause or causes.
When Kristine had asked Lori what had happened, she had simply shaken her head. Kristine wasn’t sure if she was traumatized by the fire or punishing her for showing up with Joe. Lori had certainly played the part of the victim, crying and clinging to Joe as if he were a life preserver.
Kristine had felt a surge of anger, followed by jealousy, followed by resignation. If she hadn’t stepped on her sister’s toes and shown a reciprocal interest in Joe, none of this would have happened. Lori should have seen him first, that day he’d saved her from a serious injury by catching her when she’d fallen off the ladder. If only Lori had been working that morning, he might have seen her first and realized he still felt something for her. If only…
Kristine promptly rejected the image of Joe and Lori together. Joe was a grown man. He had every right to prefer one sister over the other. Of course, she might feel differently if she hadn’t been the sister for whom he had a preference. She grasped her face in her hands and let out a long, mournful groan.
Finally, she took a shoring breath and padded down the stairs. She found both her mother and sister in the kitchen. She was surprised to find them both up and dressed. They typically slept in much later.
Lori was leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping coffee. Her mother was seated, eating toast. “Good morning, Kristine,” her mother said, sounding much more formal than her usual self.
“Good morning, Mom,” she said, watching her questioningly.
“So…” Lori began, “you were with Joe when Mom called you yesterday.”
She nodded. She couldn’t very well lie. They’d seen her. “Yes, I was.”
“And Devon too?” Lori asked.
“Yes, he was with me. When I went by school to pick him up, Joe was there. Well, you know that, right? He called you when he saw Devon all alone at school.”
Lori glared at her. “Are you trying to suggest I’m a negligent mother? I forgot about early release, Kristine. Okay? Someday, when you’re a mom, you’ll understand it isn’t easy to remember every little detail involving your kids.”
Kristine watched her, aghast. She hadn’t suggested any such thing. However, if the shoe fit…
Before she could formulate a response, her mother spoke up. “Lori’s right. It isn’t easy being a mother—trying to assure everyone’s needs are met. Frankly, it’s a thankless job and one that people are quick to criticize.”
“I never said it was easy being a mother and I didn’t criticize you,” Kristine said, thoroughly confused by the swift turn of the conversation.
“I can see the judgment in your eyes,” Lori accused, as she glared at Kristine. “And so you know, I don’t appreciate you sneaking around with Joe behind my back, and with my child along for the ride.”
Kristine looked from her sister to her mother. She expected this sort of nonsense from Lori, but her mother had seemingly jumped on the crazy train with her. “Mom…?”
“Kristine,” her mother said curtly, “Lori makes a good point. What were you thinking, taking Devon around Joe?”
She shook her head, absolutely perplexed by the question. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Her mother ignored the question, but Lori spoke up. “It doesn’t matter,” she said, now smiling smugly. “Joe and I have a lunch date. He t
old me we’d get everything sorted out.”
Kristine felt her heart break in two. So Lori had worked her magic on Joe. What else was new? Few men could resist her beautiful sister. Why would Joe be any different?
***
Kristine accompanied the insurance adjustor on a walk through the damaged bakery. Her heart broke anew as she took in the magnitude of the damage. Repairing it would require a total gut job. They would have to replace everything and start from scratch.
Fortunately, the exterior of the old brick building, though charred, appeared sound. They would have to have an engineer have a look at the foundation and exterior, as well as the roof, in order to assure all retained structural integrity, but Kristine was hopeful they would receive a good report.
As she talked at length with the adjustor about the potential to rebuild, she happened to catch sight of her sister strolling along the sidewalk across the street. When Lori ducked into a small café, she realized she was likely meeting Joe there.
She inhaled deeply, to still the drumbeat of her heart. The thought of Lori and Joe together was painful to consider, but inevitably would happen. She was certain of that. When Lori needed to, she could turn on the charm, and that, coupled with her stunning beauty, assured she’d get her man.
Kristine resolved then and there to accept the inevitable. She’d been happy with her life before Joe came along and she would be happy after. The fact that her mother and sister had turned on her would make living at home difficult, but it was time for her to move out anyway. She was twenty-eight and should have gone on her way after graduating college. But she’d stayed to work at the bakery at her mother’s request.
She remembered her father had urged her to spread her wings and fly, but she had felt wrong even considering it. Her mother had worked so hard at the bakery, sacrificing her time in order to help provide a good life for her children…
She realized now that her mother had used her time at the bakery as an excuse to be away from the drudgery of running a household. It was her escape, and in a sense, Kristine was as guilty as her mother of making her livelihood her life. Perhaps she enjoyed the feeling of being needed and relished the compliments from people who recognized her talents as a premiere baker and gifted business manager as much as her mother had during her early years. Either way, it was time to move on from her home.
Was it time to leave the bakery behind? She had assumed they would rebuild Branton’s and start anew. But would her mother and Lori be on board with rebuilding? They had wanted to sell before the fire, so it stood to reason they would want to sell after.
If they were determined to part with it, would they rebuild first? Or would they take the insurance money, split it three ways, demolish the building and sell the land beneath it?
What would become of Minnie and Mitch? They’d worked for Branton’s for years and years. Cooper Glenn was a small town. How would they find work? Theirs was the only bakery in town, aside from an in-store bakery at the local supermarket.
The thought of losing the business, the finality of its loss, the impact on her friends… Kristine felt tears spring to her eyes. She couldn’t bear for a stranger to see her crying and she excused herself and dashed away. Climbing into her car, she dropped her head onto the steering wheel and allowed the tears to flow—for the bakery, for her broken relationships, for her father… She cried most for Joe. Faced with losing him entirely, she knew now she loved him.
***
Kristine checked her face in the rearview mirror. What little mascara she wore was running in steaks down her tear-stained cheeks. Her nose was red, as were her eyes. She looked awful.
She considered going home to clean up, but thought better of it. She couldn’t face her mother and her accusing eyes. She couldn’t bear that her mother had seemingly turned on her, when she had tried to do everything within her power to keep the family afloat.
It was time to search for an apartment. Making a quick decision to pick up the newspaper in order to look for a place, she checked her mirror and carefully did a u-turn. She passed the café just as Lori and Joe stepped outside.
Lori had her arm wrapped around Joe’s arm and her head was tipped back, her face alight with laughter. Joe had his head turned slightly toward her, as if he’d been listening intently to whatever she had been saying. The two turned to their left and began strolling along the sidewalk.
Joe spotted her as she drove past. Their eyes connected for a brief second before she yanked hers away. She didn’t miss the flash of confusion in his eyes, or the lift of his hand in a wave. She didn’t wave back and continued toward the store.
There, she purchased a newspaper and returned to her car, where she sat and read through the ‘for rent’ section of the paper. She found a few possibilities, circled them, and then pulled her cell phone out of her purse in order to make inquiries.
Within an hour, she had three potential places to consider and had set up appointments to see them. She checked her watch. Her first appointment was twenty minutes away and on the other end of town.
She started up the car, just as Joe pulled into the space beside her. She cringed. After his meeting with Lori, he must have headed in the direction she’d traveled and spotted her car.
It appeared he was about to climb out, in order to talk to her. She simply couldn’t talk to him right now. He was probably going to tell her that he and Lori had discovered they still felt something for one another and that they owed it to each to explore those feelings. She just didn’t want to hear it. Couldn’t bear to hear it.
She released the emergency break, shifted into reverse, and backed out so quickly she left him open-mouthed and watching after her. She felt ridiculous, but what could she do? She’d suffered enough loss of late, and losing him when she’d just found him was too much to bear.
Perhaps it would be best if she left everything behind. Maybe it was time she move away entirely—leave Cooper Glenn. She’d probably been premature scheduling appointments to view rentals. If they sold the bakery, she would have little reason to stay. Since she’d lost Joe, the only thing keeping her here was Devon. Could she go off and leave her nephew with a mother who couldn’t take care of herself, let alone him, and a grandmother who couldn’t see her daughter was lacking when it came to maternal instincts?
What would happen to her precious nephew if she left town?
She sighed as she considered her options. She couldn’t leave Devon behind. He didn’t belong to her, but leaving town felt like abandoning him.
Could she do it?
Minnie would tell her it was time to focus on herself—to find her own happiness. But how could she do that if Devon was constantly on her mind. The guilt of leaving him behind would kill her.
In light of that reality, she decided to go ahead and view the rental properties. If nothing else, she could find a place as a means to buy time, in order for her to come to an ultimate decision about her future.
As she toured the apartment with a middle-aged woman who managed the complex, she soon realized the place was simply too tiny. A studio, it featured a small bathroom and a single, large room. She didn’t feel comfortable attempting to carve out a bedroom and living space within the oddly-shaped room.
An hour later, she viewed a much larger duplex. Brick, with a manicured front lawn, the apartment had curb appeal and a great location. If she happened to go back to work at a rebuilt bakery, she would be close enough to walk to work.
She entered the duplex with a young man who explained the building belonged to his parents. He showed her from room to room and she found she really liked it. She was thrilled with the master bedroom with the ensuite bath. The kitchen was updated with new stainless steel appliances and she was delighted to see a large window above the kitchen sink, affording a view of the small yard outside. Mature arborvitae lined the space, providing both shade and privacy.
She smiled as she turned to the young man. “I really like it.”
“Would you l
ike to take it then?” He filled her in on the rent and fees.
“May I have a night to think it over?”
“Sure. It’s not as if we have people lining up to rent. Small town,” he offered, by way of explanation.
He escorted her out and she returned to her car. After considering the address of the third place she was scheduled to see, she made the decision to cancel. The appointment wasn’t until mid-evening and she decided if she were to move, she would choose the second place.
She checked her watch. It was early yet. She made a quick decision to drive into Ridgeway and do some shopping. Anything was better than heading home and facing her mother and sister.
After arriving at the mall in Ridgeway, she parked and spent a leisurely afternoon strolling from one end to the other. She entered several stores, considering what sorts of items she’d be needing when she made her move. She also remembered she had never gotten Devon the promised Spiderman game, and quickly purchased it at the toy store.
Soon, she decided to grab a bite to eat and found herself in the food court. She purchased a taco and a soda and sat down with a sigh. She felt bone weary all of a sudden. She also felt alone in the world.
She was just about to bite into her taco when her cell phone trilled. She snatched it out of her purse—was Devon all right? To her surprise, it was Joe. She hesitated to answer, but something told her she needed to take the call.
“Hello.”
“Krissy?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I don’t have anywhere else to turn.”
“What is it, Joe?”
“I just got a call from a hospital in Norton. My dad’s been admitted. Anyway, as you know, Norton’s a three-hour drive. I have no idea why he…” He sighed, worriedly. “I was wondering if you could… Listen, I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think you could stay at my place for a few days? I wouldn’t normally ask, but I can’t leave Gracie…”
The Icing on the Cake Page 11