Kristine nodded.
“Maybe I can help you fix it…”
“That’s okay. My neighbor, er, Joe’s neighbor, is going to help me get it fixed.”
“That’s very nice of her,” Ruth said.
“Yes.”
Ruth sighed. “Kristine, I’ve come to apologize to…”
The phone rang, interrupting her mother mid-sentence. She rose with an apologetic smile and hurried to the kitchen to answer it. “Hello.”
“Krissy, are you all right?” Joe asked in a rush.
“I’m fine. My mother is here.”
“Oh. Oh! Okay. Well, don’t take any guff.”
She laughed at that. It sounded like something her granddad would say, but also suggested he knew she had been on the receiving end of some ‘guff’ from her family members.
“Okay, I won’t.”
“Call me later if you need to talk.”
“Thank you, Joe. I will.”
“Okay, then.” He signed off.
She stared at the phone for a brief moment. Her heart surged with love for him, surprising her with the intensity of feeling. He was protective of her, she realized, and while she considered herself an independent woman capable of taking care of herself, it felt good to be cared about.
“Was that Joe?” Ruth asked, when she returned to the family room.
She nodded.
“He loves you,” she said, smiling. “I see that now.”
“But you didn’t … before?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Lori told me… Well, anyway, I believed her.” She sat quietly for a moment. “Kristine, I’m sorry about … everything.”
Kristine didn’t respond. What could she say? Her mother was sorry about everything. What exactly did that mean?
“Everything, Mom?” she said, spreading her hands in a gesture of confusion.
She nodded. “I’m not much of a mother…”
Kristine gasped. “You’re … a good mother,” she said.
“Say it like you believe it, honey,” she said sadly.
“I do,” she insisted.
“No, you don’t. And you’re right. I wasn’t much of a mom to you girls.”
“You worked a lot,” she said, for lack of something else to say.
“Yes, I spent a lot of time at the bakery,” she clarified, and then gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I didn’t do much work while there, if the truth be told.”
Minnie had said as much before. Kristine remained silent, sensing her mother had more to say.
“I worked because the truth is, I didn’t enjoy being home. I’m about as domestic as … Lori,” she finished with a sad shake of her head. “I used the bakery as a means to get away from home, but the truth is, I didn’t like working there either. Another trait I have in common with your sister.”
Ruth wrung her hands nervously. “Your father used to beg me to take time off, but I had hundreds of excuses as to why I couldn’t. When he passed, I realized… I realized how much time I’d missed with him. When you realize that a loved one will never, ever be walking through the front door again, it’s as if a large part of you dies with him.”
“I know how much you loved Dad,” Kristine said.
“I did, and I love you girls too,” she said, her eyes lighting on Kristine’s like guided missiles. “I just wanted…”
“More?”
She shook her head. “No, not more. Different?” She gave a brittle laugh. “We’re told we can have it all, but we can’t. When I was young, I worked at the bakery because it was expected of me to do so. I can’t tell you how often I battled your grandmother about that. I was the only girl and as such…”
“I know,” Kristine said.
“I know you do. The difference between you and me is that you didn’t arrive at the bakery, kicking and screaming. You’ve always done whatever your father and I expected of you. You’ve always been mature beyond your years, which is why…?” She paused and fought back tears. “Which is why you received so little attention from me.”
She drew silent again, as if gathering her thoughts. “Lori, on the other hand, was a full-time job, and boy, did she ever get attention. From us, from her friends, from … everyone. She craved it, good or bad, positive or negative, if she wasn’t the center of attention, there was hell to pay.”
“That’s true,” Kristine mused.
“And I’m afraid it was just easier to defer to her tantrums, to simply give in. I was busy with the bakery and your dad worked so much too.” She offered a tremulous smile. “We should have taken her to task. We should have held her accountable for her behavior, but the truth is, I was afraid she’d run off. She was always threatening to leave. I couldn’t bear to think about her out in the world. It’s a dangerous place,” she added sadly. “And Lori is sorely lacking in common sense. I really feared for her safety.”
“I understand.”
“Kristine, regarding you and Joe… Obviously, he cares about you. I’m afraid I didn’t have all the facts when Lori approached me initially, hurt and angry, and full of accusations against you. But what you need to understand is, Lori really loved Joe, once upon a time. If you remember, they dated about a year, and when he broke up with her, she was absolutely devastated.”
“I honestly don’t remember much, other than they broke up,” she said.
“I don’t expect you to. You were fourteen, Lori and Joe eighteen. But she cared deeply for him. When he broke it off, she realized her actions had led to the demise of their relationship and she went through a very bad time.”
Kristine sensed there was more to the story.
“You see, Joe believed she had cheated on him…”
“Had she?”
Ruth sighed. “She assured me she hadn’t, but…” She spread her hands helplessly. “Regardless, they broke up and Lori lost someone she truly cared about.”
“Lori wasn’t used to losing, period,” Kristine mused.
Ruth nodded. “That might have been part of her devastation,” she admitted. “She was used to getting her way.”
Kristine searched her mother’s face. “Do you believe I owe it to Lori to stay away from Joe? It isn’t as if we’ve entered a relationship,” she said.
Her mother hesitated, but finally answered. “No, I believe you owe it to yourself to find happiness. It’s been many years since Lori and Joe dated, and I’m afraid Joe never had the intensity of feeling for Lori that I believe he has for you.”
“But… What makes you think Joe…?”
“…Cares for you?”
“Yes.”
“Admittedly, I wasn’t around when Joe came back to town and started coming into the bakery. The truth is, I spoke to Minnie today…”
“Oh, okay,” Kristine said, understanding dawning.
“Also, I just don’t think Joe would install you in his house if he didn’t care about you.”
“I see.”
Her mother smiled. “And you … care about him?”
“I … do.”
“As I said, you’re entitled to happiness, honey. If you and Joe decide to embark upon a relationship, Lori is going to have to deal with it. Besides…” She shook her head regretfully. “It’s hard to discern exactly what’s going on in her mind. I now understand your sister is inordinately talented at playing her mother for a fool.”
Kristine wasn’t going to argue the point, since it was true. “Where does Chad fit into this picture, Mom?”
“I don’t know,” she said crisply. “And I still don’t know the name of the other man she’s seeing.”
“I drove to Norton today, to sit with Joe while his father had surgery,” Kristine told her. “Lori called me, upset after your conversation with her about the fire marshal’s findings… Anyway, she told me she’s meeting Joe for dinner tonight.”
“Yet another lie,” her mother said with a sad shake of her head. “So, who’s Lori with tonight?” she wondered aloud. “You know, Kristine, the
truth is, Lori has a good heart. I just think she’s running scared. She’s thirty-two with a young son and has no skills with which to support herself. I think she’s realized that she squandered her youth, having rejected an education in favor of fun, and now she’s having to live with the consequences. I suspect she’s desperate to get another ‘Mrs. Degree’ and can’t decide which man best meets her criteria.”
Kristine pitied the poor man she currently had in her sights, whoever that might be. “Where’s Devon?” she asked suddenly, alarmed.
“He’s spending the night at a friend’s house,” Ruth answered.
“Oh, okay,” she said with relief.
“Honey, do you really think I’d leave a six-year-old home alone?”
“No, Mom.”
“He’s been spending a lot of time with his new friend. You know him. He met him here, in fact.”
“Oh, Pete Williams.”
“Yes. They get along really well. He was there when we stopped by to talk to you yesterday, as well. Pete seems like a good little boy.”
She refrained from mentioning that Pete had apparently advised Devon as to how he could get himself kicked out of afterschool care. She needed to hear the story from Devon, however, rather than jump to any conclusions.
When she yawned, her mother abruptly rose from the chair. “You’re tired. May we talk more tomorrow?” she asked. “Perhaps we could meet at the café?”
She knew her mother was referring to the one just up the street from Branton’s. “Lunch, tomorrow?” Kristine suggested.
“Yes. I’ll see you there.”
Chapter Twenty-three
After walking her mother to the door, she locked up behind her. “Come, Gracie,” she said, slapping the side of her thigh.
Gracie burst up from her doggie bed and obligingly followed her upstairs. Once again, they settled into bed, and once again, the phone rang.
“Hello,” she said
“Are you okay?” Joe asked.
“I’m fine,” she assured him.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Why?”
“Oh, I just thought…”
“What?”
He hesitated, but finally spoke in a rush, “I’m going to say something and try to get it out before I’m cut off. The other day, Devon said something about Lori being angry that you ‘stole’ me from her… I mean, it’s absurd, but then, I know Lori…”
Kristine sensed he was uncomfortable and she felt equally uncomfortable. “Oh, Devon’s just a little boy. I’m sure…”
“I’m afraid I get the sense Lori is determined to rekindle our relationship, but…”
“You … don’t feel similarly?”
“Krissy, you know I don’t. I mean, it’s been years since she and I dated, and we were just kids at the time. I get the sense Lori views it differently—more seriously. She seems to believe we had something uniquely special, as if we had a great love affair that ended due to the interference of others. I don’t mean to diminish her feelings, but…”
“I understand.”
“And Krissy, I know you saw me as a jerk, back in the day.”
“Joe, I did not.”
“Yes, you did. And it’s okay. I was a cocky kid back then, but… I’d like to think I’ve changed,” he said with a chagrined laugh.
“Joe, I had the biggest crush on you. I know we argued and I gave you the impression I couldn’t stand you, but I…”
He burst out laughing. “Wow, you hid it well. You really had a crush on me?”
“Yes.” She giggled at the memory. “For years.”
“Well, I had a crush on you too. Of course, it wasn’t until you were eighteen and I came home from college that I realized it.”
“Really?” she said, surprised. Minnie had told her as much, but she hadn’t believed her.
“Oh, yeah. I used to stop by the bakery all the time—to see you. Do you remember?”
“Well, yes, I remember you used to come in, but I never dared believe you came in to see me.”
“You’re telling me I was spending hundreds of dollars a month on baked goods and you didn’t even realize it was a ruse to see you?”
“I had no idea. I just figured you loved our cupcakes.” She was silent for a moment, processing. “I always believed you were out of my league.”
“Ha!” he cried. “That is so untrue.”
“That I’m out of your league or that I believed it to be true?”
“Huh?” He laughed. “You were never out of my league.”
“You dated Lori, Joe,” she pointed out. “Lori was gorgeous and popular and…”
“A mean girl before the movies came out,” he uttered, but quickly apologized.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s true. Lori could be pretty awful. She broke hearts as often as she changed her shoes.” She sighed. “However, Mom told me that her feelings for you were very real to her, and intense.”
“Hmmmm. So you and your mom had a talk then?”
“We did,” she said, too brightly. “She explained some things to me.”
“Well, that’s good. Right?”
“Yes, I guess so. I mean, I need some time to process.” She laughed. “But time I have.”
“For the time being,” he said, sounding resigned to the fact that her free time would soon be at a premium again. “Krissy, I just spilled my guts to you…”
She understood what he was getting at. “Joe, I… I’ll just say it. I do have feelings for you…”
“But…” He now sounded defeated and miserable.
“I’m afraid there are no ‘buts,’ but, there probably should be.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, sounding more upbeat now.
“Oh, I guess there are ‘buts,’” she moaned. “You know how you men have the ‘bro code?’ Well, I suppose we girls should probably have the same sort of thing. It’s probably wrong to…”
“Love me?”
“Well, yes. Is it? I mean, since Lori loved you first?”
He gave an uncertain laugh. “Well, I’d like to think that that code, if indeed it exists, applies to high schoolers, rather than full-fledged adults. The truth is, we’re all adults now, so I think it’s appropriate to love whomever we want to love. And I happen to love … you.”
Kristine couldn’t help smiling. Joe had just told her he loved her. She loved him too. She should be feeling happy and excited about their future together. Instead, she still felt a lingering doubt. Could she hurt her sister by disregarding her feelings and falling for a man she too purported to love. But then, Joe wasn’t the only man in Lori’s life…
She groaned aloud, without realizing she’d done it.
“What is it, Krissy?”
“Oh, nothing. I just wish things didn’t have a way of becoming so complicated.”
“I know. But I’ll be home soon and we’ll figure this out.” He paused for a moment. “Hey, I’m going to spend the day with my dad tomorrow, but why don’t I plan on coming home the day after tomorrow? We can spend the day together and I’ll head back to Norton in time for final visiting hours.”
“Are you sure you should leave him? I can always come to you.”
“No, I should head home anyway. I have correspondence to deal with and Gracie is going to think I’ve abandoned her.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you,” she said.
“Me too.”
***
After ending the call, Kristine lay back against her pillow. Her lips tugged into an awed smile. Joe had told her he loved her, and what’s more, she had confirmed she loved him too. She was eager to see him and couldn’t wait for him to come home for the short visit the day after tomorrow.
She reached for Gracie and patted her, and then leaned over and kissed her on her head. “Your daddy’s coming home soon,” she told her.
Gracie smiled and gave a thump of her tail, before settling down and closing her eyes.
Kristine’s mind remained a
ctive for some time, her world suddenly full of possibilities. All of those possibilities included Joe. She desperately hoped she wasn’t making a fool of herself and jumping into something too quickly, but then, she was twenty-eight and she deserved a life of her own with a man of her own.
She smiled at the thought. A man of her own. It was with that thought that she drifted off to sleep.
She woke early to sunlight streaming in through the slight gap in the drapes. It was good to see the sun, which served to enhance her mood even more. She looked forward to an afternoon with Maeve, teaching her new friend how to bake her favorite cake. Although the recipe was a treasured, secret family recipe, she was happy to share it this time. If Maeve could help her get Joe’s couch fixed, she would hand over a hundred years of recipes.
With a yawn and a stretch, she climbed out of bed. She visited the bathroom and then took Gracie outside. After, the dog followed her back upstairs, where Kristine showered and got dressed.
“Would you like to take a walk, Gracie?” she asked.
The dog took off like a shot and returned carrying her leash. “I do believe you’ve done this before,” Kristine said, smiling at the eager pup.
The two set off on a long walk. Kristine breathed deeply of the fresh morning air and remained patient as Gracie stopped along their route to smell every flower she encountered. Finally, Kristine checked the time on her phone. “We should head back, girl,” she said.
Back at Joe’s, she found Maeve and a friend in the family room, bent over the damaged couch.
“Is it fixable?” she asked with a wince, as she came up behind them.
“Absolutely,” the woman, who Maeve introduced her to as Stella, said. “It happens I have this fabric on hand, since it’s very popular right now.”
“Oh, that’s so great,” Kristine said with relief, as she watched Stella reach for a pair of industrial-sized scissors and begin to cut away the damaged fabric. “I’ll only need to replace the fabric on the arm of the chair,” she explained. “I’ll have it done in a jiff.”
Kristine sent Maeve a look of gratitude, which she promptly waved off. “Kristine here is going to teach me to bake my favorite cake in the whole world,” she told her friend.
The Icing on the Cake Page 18