The Icing on the Cake

  Her mother didn’t look pleased. “You need to come home.”

  Kristine was surprised to hear her mother speak those words. Her heart warmed, until Lori spoke. “Mom and I agree that you’re being very selfish. You know we need your help at home. And have you given any thought to your nephew? He misses you.”

  “And I miss him,” she said, meaning it. “But to be honest with both of you, I don’t feel particularly welcome there at this point.”

  Her mother gave her a pointed look. “We won’t discuss this in front of Minnie.”

  “Oh, discuss away,” Minnie said, glaring at her. “Let’s be real here,” she said, her protective instincts flaring. “You, Ruth, miss having a full-time housekeeper, and you, Lori, need Kristine to assure Devon isn’t snatched by some stranger when you happen to forget where you’ve left him.”

  “Well, I never!” Ruth cried. “Minnie, you have no right talking to me like that. If you’ll remember, I’m your employer.”

  “Not anymore,” Minnie said, seemingly unaffected by the implied threat.

  Lori apparently decided to ignore Minnie’s remark. Kristine soon learned why as her sister resorted to guilt to achieve her goals. “Kristine, Devon is devastated that his auntie has turned her back on him. He adores you. In fact, he was asking me this very morning if he could see you this afternoon at three-thirty.”

  “Oh, so the six-year-old specified a precise time?” Minnie clarified, chuckling to herself. “Sure he did. I suppose you and Chad have plans?” she queried.

  “Well… I…” She appeared to be gathering her thoughts. “I am seeing Chad this afternoon, but only because I need to tell him that I’ve fallen in love with someone else.”

  “And who would that be?” Minnie asked.

  “Kristine is well aware of whom I am speaking,” she enunciated carefully. “And it’s only fair that I be honest with Chad about the situation. This is a small town and we’ll inevitably be running into one another. I don’t want it to be awkward when we do.” She gave a shrug. “I need to handle this properly. I hope Chad and I can part friends.”

  “So you and Joe are dating?” Minnie inquired. “I haven’t seen him around. Have you, Kristine?”

  “No, I haven’t,” she said truthfully. He was out of town. It wasn’t a lie that she hadn’t seen him.

  Lori made a play of studying her perfectly manicured nails, and then glanced up coyly. “Yes, of course I’ve seen him. Joe took me to breakfast this morning and…”

  “Joe took you to breakfast,” Minnie repeated doubtfully.

  “Well, yes. We’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

  “Uh, huh,” Minnie said.

  “Anyway, Kristine, can you watch…? I mean, will you be able to spend some time with your nephew this afternoon? As I said, you’ve hurt him deeply by suddenly cutting him out of your life.”

  “Will you drop him by my place?” Minnie inquired.

  “It would be more convenient for Kristine to pick him up at home.”

  “Convenient for you,” Minnie said drolly.

  Kristine felt bad that her family members and friend were now antagonistic toward one another on her account, but she couldn’t help feeling grateful Minnie had her back. If not for Minnie, her mother and sister would have bulldozed right over her, assuring she did exactly as they told her to do. Well, enough was enough.

  She held her head high when she said, “As you know, Lori, I adore Devon. You have no idea how much I love that little boy, or, actually… I think you do. But I’m going to have to say ‘no’ to watching him today. I’ll call you when it’s convenient for me to take him, and perhaps I can keep him for an entire day.”

  “I don’t think so,” Lori said, her brows lowered in anger. She spun on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant.

  “I guess you’ll have to watch Devon, Mom,” Kristine said, unaffected by her sister’s fit of temper. It was typical Lori. If she didn’t like what one had to say, she didn’t stick around to hear it.

  Her mother watched Kristine for a brief moment and then followed Lori out of the café without as much as a ‘goodbye.’

  Once she was sure they were truly gone, Kristine collapsed on the table. Resting her forehead on her folded arms, she shook her head from side-to-side. How had she been so blissfully unaware of how dysfunctional her family really was? She had finally asserted herself and her family treated her as if she had committed murder. As long as she did everything they expected of her, and maintained the status quo, all was well. But as soon as she showed a little independence, they gave her the cold shoulder.

  If only her father were here. He wouldn’t have allowed them to team up against her. He would have been the first to point out the error of their ways. But would he have had a word or two for her too? Would he have scolded her for falling for Joe when her sister purported to also have feelings for him?

  Kristine wished desperately that Joe was in town. She sensed he was in her corner, but then, her instincts had failed her before.

  She remembered falling for a boy when she was a senior in high school. She had believed he cared about her too. She later discovered he was using her to gain access to Lori. When he came over to her house, it was with the hope that Lori would be there. When he finally confessed to her that it was Lori he was interested in—and in front of Lori—her sister had only smiled smugly. She hadn’t considered Kristine’s hurt feelings, or embarrassment. In fact, she still laughed over the incident years later.

  Finally, Kristine glanced up and met Minnie’s gaze. “Thanks for having my back,” she said, and then added with a humorless laugh, “but you’ve done it now. You are officially on my mother’s bad side.”

  “Not to mention Lori’s,” Minnie added with a delighted laugh. “Oh, the look on Lori’s face when you told her ‘no’ to watching Devon… I wish I’d had my phone camera-ready.”

  Kristine sighed. “Am I doing the right thing? I do miss Devon so much.”

  “I know you do, and they know you do. They use him as leverage against you. It has to stop. And frankly, it’s about time Lori started putting Devon’s needs before her own.”

  “I know…”

  Minnie shook her head, her eyes dancing with humor. “Can you believe Lori?—suggesting she and Joe had breakfast together. That must have been difficult, being as he’s in Norton—three hours away.”

  “Maybe he drove home to see her,” Kristine said numbly. “It is possible.”

  “I don’t think so. Why would Joe give you a place to stay while he’s seeing your sister…?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s not the man I think he is. Maybe he’s playing both of us.” She gave a shrug. “I don’t have much experience in these matters.”

  “I suspect that’s part of your appeal,” Minnie said, patting her hand. “Joe isn’t playing you, honey. And he isn’t stupid. He knows a good girl when he sees one.”

  “I hope so,” she mused.

  ***

  Later, after Kristine had returned to Joe’s place, her cell phone trilled in her hand. She’d been about to call Joe, to check on him and his dad, but noted the insurance adjustor was calling.

  She took the call, eager to hear what he had to say. “Hello,” she said.

  “Hello. Is this Kristine?”

  “Yes, yes it is.”

  Was she mistaken, or did she hear the adjustor sigh with relief. “Okay, good. I was hoping to connect with you. Your sister called earlier and… Well, er, anyway. I just wanted to let you know we’re still awaiting the report from the fire marshal. I tried to explain to your sister—again—that we cannot release payment until we have a full report.”

  “I understand.”

  “I have called the fire marshal, per your sister’s request, but I don’t have any authority to hurry them along.”

  “Okay. Well, thank you for the call.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kristine had no sooner hung up with the insu
rance adjustor than her phone rang again. It was Joe.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “Everything’s fine here. Gracie barked today,” she informed proudly.

  “That’s … good?” he said, and she could hear the laughter in his voice.

  “Hey, it’s time she realized she’s a big dog with a big voice.”

  “Have you ever heard the adage, ‘be careful what you wish for?’”

  She chuckled. “You make a good point. How’s your dad?”

  He sighed. “He’s going to need surgery, I’m afraid. I wish we were closer to home, but Norton is much bigger than both Ridgeway and Cooper Glenn. His cardiologist is one of the best. I’m happy about that, but I really miss you.”

  “You do?”

  “I do. And Gracie too.”

  “We both miss you too.” She hesitated, but then blurted, “Joe, may I ask you something…?”

  Before she could complete the question, he whispered in a rush, “Oh, Krissy. I’m so sorry. I have to go. Dad’s doctor is here…”

  “Oh, sure. I understand.”

  “I’ll call you soon.” And then he was gone.

  She sighed as she dropped onto the couch. Gracie rose from her doggie bed and rested her head in Kristine’s lap. She absently patted her velvety head. She wished she could have asked Joe the question that had been on her mind since she’d run into her family earlier today. Had he come into town and had lunch with Lori?

  As she thought about it, she doubted it was true. It was only a little after two ‘o clock, which meant Joe would have had to drive three hours from Norton in order to have an early breakfast, spend an hour or two in Cooper Glenn with Lori, and then drive three hours back. If he did put himself through it, he was definitely in love with her.

  Kristine suddenly felt bone weary. Only a short time ago, she had had the benefit of a family business in which she’d found her niche. She’d spent nearly her every waking moment there. Her mind was occupied, her body in a constant state of motion. When she wasn’t there, she’d devoted herself to running her household. Now, what did she have?

  She couldn’t go home. She didn’t doubt her mother and sister wanted her back there. Who else was going to pick up after them, run their errands, and generally assure the house ran smoothly. But she was no longer content to make it possible for them to do what they wanted to do. She had allowed Lori to come and go as she pleased, with no accountability for herself or for her neglect of her son.

  Her mother had seemingly pulled out of her grief, and that was a good thing, but she hadn’t expected her mother to turn on her at Lori’s urging. Wasn’t a mother’s role to be neutral? She considered that, but then supposed a mother couldn’t always take the middle ground. If she believed strongly enough about something, she had a right to assert herself. But her mother had seemingly sided with Lori because it was easier to do so—she’d taken the path of least resistance, as Minnie had said before.

  She knew there was a conversation she and her mother and sister needed to have sooner than later. She dreaded it, knowing she would once again be standing alone against them.

  She wanted to reopen the bakery, to take the settlement money and to rebuild. She envisioned a new Branton’s, bright and sparkling. She was eager to participate in the redesign, assuring the space was perfect for their particular needs. In her mind’s eye, she could see the brand new ovens, boasting every state-of-the-art feature available. She envisioned a much larger display case and a wall of windows affording a magnificent view of the delectable goodies from the street. She even saw a new sign above the store—large, twinkling, inviting.

  She was smiling, until the picture in her mind suddenly evaporated with a poof. Who was she kidding? If her mother and sister weren’t on board, Branton’s Bakery would cease to exist. After over a century in business, the Branton family would no longer be in the business of selling baked goods. It would be the end of an era.

  ***

  Kristine woke from a nap. She had fallen asleep on the couch, with Gracie lying behind her. She smiled ruefully when she spotted Gracie’s paw draped over her.

  She rose from the couch and Gracie let out a whine. “I know. You’re sooooo tired,” she said, patting the dog on the head. “It’s so tiring lying around the family room all day,” she added with a chuckle.

  Gracie whined again, as if confirming that life was, indeed, rough. Kristine glanced around, uncertain what to do to fill her time. An idea came to mind, but first, she let Gracie outside, watched her carefully to assure she didn’t jump the fence, and then let her back inside.

  She went into Joe’s kitchen and searched the cupboards for the ingredients to bake a cake. She had picked up fresh strawberries at the supermarket and was hopeful she could find the ingredients to make her neighbor the strawberry cream cake she so enjoyed.

  She rummaged through the cabinets and was pleased, albeit somewhat surprised, to find that Joe had the ingredients she needed. She set about assembling the dry ingredients, followed by mixing up the wet, and then combined them. She mixed well, poured into two cake rounds, and baked them off.

  When they were done, she set them aside to cool. After they had sufficiently dropped in temperature, she began preparing the icing. Once done, she frosted the bottom layer, combined the tiers, and continued icing the cake. She worked with practiced flair, her hands instinctively moving around the cake, creating a perfectly smooth finish.

  Although she didn’t have her cake decorating tools with her, she knew some tricks of the trade. She found a small sandwich baggie, filled it with frosting, cut the tip and began decorating. She created a scalloped edge around the top and base of the cake. She finished by laying cut strawberries on the top. The completed cake didn’t look half bad.

  She smiled as she held it up for inspection. When Gracie suddenly leapt at it, she ducked and dodged and somehow managed to avoid a cake catastrophe.

  “Gracie!” she scolded, as she set the cake on the counter. She took Gracie by the collar and escorted her outside and to her dog run. She stowed her safely inside, despite the fact that Gracie wasn’t pleased about it.

  She immediately began pawing at the concrete beneath her, and then began leaping toward the narrow opening between the top of the fencing material and the roof. Finding no way out, she finally gave up and slunked to the back of the dog run and into her dog house.

  “I’ll see you later,” Kristine told her.

  The dog let out a pitiful whine, but Kristine only shook her head in response. “You know better than to try to take food out of my hands,” she said sternly.

  Gracie appeared shame-faced as she dropped her head onto her paws and watched Kristine from her vantage point inside the dog house.

  Kristine hurried back to the house and locked the French doors behind her. She reached for the house key, which she’d left on the dinette table earlier, carefully picked up the cake again, and hurried out the front door. She locked up behind her and headed directly to Maeve’s house next door. She rang the bell.

  The older woman opened the door and then grinned widely when she spotted the cake in Kristine’s hand. “Oh, thank you!” she cried, and then smiled sheepishly. “I’m hoping that’s for me…”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Bless you,” she said earnestly, as she took it from her. “Will you come inside and join me for a slice?”

  “No, thank you though. I’m afraid I’m still full from lunch.”

  “Well, I’m not,” she said, smiling with gratitude.

  “Enjoy,” Kristine said, and then bid her ‘goodbye.’

  She started for Joe’s place when her cell phone trilled. To her surprise, it was Joe again. This time, he sounded glum. “Hi, Krissy. I’m so sorry I had to cut our conversation short before.”

  “It’s okay,” she assured him.

  “You were about to ask me something…”

  Something about his tone worried her. “Is everything okay, Joe?”

  “
Well, I hope so. My dad’s doctor has decided he needs surgery tomorrow. It turns out he needs a heart valve replacement.”

  “Oh, Joe. I’m sorry. I know how worried you must be.”

  He sighed. “Well, normally, it’s a pretty straight forward surgery, I understand. Unfortunately, my dad’s health is poor, but the doctor feels we can’t wait any longer to do the surgery. The doctor had hoped to delay awhile, so Dad could build up his strength, but…”

  “I really am sorry. Is there anything I can do? Anyone I can call…?”

  “No, that’s okay. I’m afraid it’s just Dad and me now. Dad was an only child, as was Mom, so...”

  “What about your business? Do you need me to do anything? Call anyone?”

  “No, I’ve taken care of it.” He gave a humorless laugh. “I suppose that’s the perk of owning the business. You don’t have to ask permission of anyone.”

  “Yeah, I suppose. Well, unless you co-own a business with your mom and sister.”

  “True,” he said.

  Kristine’s heart broke for him. He sounded so sad and alone. Should she offer to join him in Norton and sit with him while his father was in surgery? Would it be presumptuous to do so?

  “Um, Joe… Would you like me to drive to Norton tomorrow?”

  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You’re not asking, I’m offering. And as you know, I have a lot of free time on my hands… I’m happy to come. I know how difficult it is waiting when a loved one is in surgery.”

  And she did. When her father had been in the hospital, after having had a massive heart attack, she had sat beside his bed when allowed, praying earnestly for his recovery. Unfortunately, he had never awakened.

  Despite having her mother and sister nearby, she had never felt so alone. She wondered why that was the case. She shook her head, to force away the thoughts for now. She refocused on Joe.

  She suddenly realized he had hesitated to answer her and she suspected she’d crossed a line of propriety. She shouldn’t have foisted herself on him. He was in the hospital waiting room right now, trying to find a polite way to tell her to mind her own business.