“Oh, the strawberry cream cake you rave about?”
“That would be the one.”
Stella pulled back from her work and eyed Kristine briefly. “I know you,” she said. “You own the bakery that…”
“Burned down,” she cut in.
“I was so sorry to hear,” she said. “That bakery is such an attraction. Your baked goods really are superior quality. What are we going to do without Branton’s if you don’t rebuild?”
Kristine didn’t have an answer for her. She was as in limbo as the citizens of Cooper Glenn.
“At this point, Kristine is uncertain about the future of Branton’s,” Maeve answered for her.
Stella nodded and turned her attention to the arm of the chair. She laughed when Gracie approached and nosed her arm away from her repair work. “Hey, girl,” she said with a smile, “I need to fix this and I understand we have you to thank for this damage.”
“And don’t even think about chewing it up again,” Maeve told her in a scolding tone.
Gracie had the good graces to drop her head and slunk away to her doggie bed.
Kristine checked her watch. “I have to scoot. I’m meeting my mom for lunch.”
“Oh, by all means,” Maeve said.
“I’ll take Gracie to her dog run before I leave,” Kristine said.
“Please don’t worry about it,” Maeve said. “If it’s all right with you, may I take her home with me? I’ll bring her back this afternoon when I come back for my baking lessons.”
“Oh, sure,” Kristine said. “I know she would prefer being with you to being cooped up in her run—nice as it is. Too, she adores you.”
Maeve smiled. “Okay, then. Have a wonderful lunch and I’ll see you later today.”
***
Kristine arrived at the café before her mother. She located an empty table and ordered coffees for them. Her mother soon arrived and sat down with a smile. “I’m so glad you agreed to have lunch with me,” she said.
Kristine smiled, though her brows were furrowed. “Why wouldn’t I?”
She shrugged guiltily. “I thought you might have had time to consider some of what I told you and perhaps felt…” She spread her hands. “…Slighted.”
Kristine sighed. “Mom, I choose to believe you did the best you could.”
“I could have done better.”
“In hindsight, it’s easy to see the things we could have done differently. At the time, when we’re in the midst of living life, it’s not so easy.”
Her mother regarded her thoughtfully. “I’d like to think I did something right with you, but you came out level-headed and grounded. With you, we got lucky.”
“Well, thank you,” Kristine said. “I appreciate your saying so.”
“About that…” She laughed. “Well, along those same lines anyway… I’ve made a decision.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, I’m going to try to be positive with respect to the bakery and believe the insurance company is going to come through for us. If they do, and I really hope they do, I want to rebuild the bakery.” She searched Kristine’s face. “But… That’s only if you want to, since I’m giving it to you.”
Kristine gasped. “Mom! Are you serious?”
“I am. And if you’re okay with it, I’m going to give Lori the house. Of course, there’ll be provisions in place. I’ll need a home base and Lori will have to agree to allow me to live there as long as I choose to, or am able to. She’ll also have to agree that you may live there as long as you choose regardless of how long that may be.” She smiled and held Kristine’s gaze. “Are you okay with that?”
Kristine was quick to agree. She was thrilled to hear the bakery might live to see another day and that it would belong to her, and thus, she would be able to make all business decisions without having to run them by her mother and sister. It seemed redundant and time consuming to always have to seek their input—especially Lori’s—when Lori in particular couldn’t care less about anything bakery-related.
Suddenly, Kristine honed in on something her mother had said. “Mom, what do you mean, you’ll need a home base. Are you going somewhere?”
She smiled brightly. “Remember, I mentioned before wanting to travel… Well, I’ve decided I’m going to do just that. I’ve wanted to for so long but never felt I could. If the bakery is yours, and the house Lori’s, I’m … free!”
Kristine smiled. “Where are you going to go first?”
“Somewhere tropical,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “Somewhere warm, but breezy, with turquoise waters and…”
“May I come too?” Kristine interrupted.
Her mother chuckled. “You have an open invitation,” she assured her, but then pinned her with a look. “My suspicion, however, is you’re not going to be particularly inclined to leave Cooper Glenn anytime soon—especially when Joe comes home for good.”
Kristine couldn’t help smiling, though she suspected she and her mother were getting ahead of themselves. There was much to do before the bakery could belong to Kristine, and much to settle with Lori before her mother could head off to parts unknown.
Kristine sighed as reality reared its ugly head. Her mother noticed her frown. “What is it, Kristine?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about how much we have to accomplish before I can move forward in my life, and you can set off to a tropical locale.”
“You’re right,” Ruth acknowledged. “I just hope the insurance company calls soon with good news.”
“I hope so,” Kristine mused.
Chapter Twenty-four
When Kristine returned home, she hurried to check out the condition of Joe’s couch. To her absolute relief and delight, it was fully repaired and there was no sign it had ever been anything but. She smiled as she hurried to the kitchen to begin assembling the ingredients she needed in order to teach Maeve how to bake her favorite cake.
She had already printed out the recipe, from her assortment of tried and true recipes from generations of bakers at Branton’s. As she studied this particular one, her heart gave a tug. She suddenly realized just how much she missed the bakery. It had been such an important part of her life. She desperately wanted to return and continue the Branton’s tradition of baking the finest cakes, fritters, and pastries available.
As if on cue, Maeve rang the doorbell. Kristine hurried to answer it and smiled when she spotted Gracie beside her, so well mannered and obedient. Gracie seemed to love Maeve and the feeling was clearly mutual.
“We two girls have had such a wonderful afternoon,” Maeve told Kristine, as she followed her into the kitchen. “Gracie and I sat out back, enjoying the sun.” She giggled. “I tossed a ball for her and she brought it right back to me and dropped it at my feet.” She cocked her head in thought. “I’ve never played ball before, with anyone, but I sure enjoy it with Gracie.”
As if understanding Maeve was singing her praises, Gracie sidled up to her and pressed her head against her hand. Maeve began stroking her head. “I love you too, sweetie,” she crooned.
Kristine smiled and sensed that Gracie was filling a void in Maeve’s life. She had lost her husband and had to be lonely. “Do you have children, Maeve?” Kristine asked.
“I’m afraid Ken and I weren’t able to have any kids,” she said with a resigned smile. She shrugged.
Kristine nodded and decided to change the subject. She hated that she might have brought up a subject that might cause Maeve discomfort or pain.
“Hey, I have all of our ingredients assembled,” she said cheerfully. “Oh, by the way, thank you, thank you, for having your friend fix the couch. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. And you do have to allow me to pay for the fabric and repair.”
“Nonsense,” Maeve said, and then watched her with mock-suspicious eyes. “You’re not backing out of our arrangement, are you? You’re not going to withhold that recipe, because we had a deal, you know.”
Kristine laughed. “I wo
uldn’t do any such thing. I was also going to let you look through the Branton’s recipe collection and pick out as many as you’d like.” She passed her both the recipe card for the strawberry cream cake, as well as the entire book of Branton’s recipes.
Maeve’s eyes widened with wonder. “Are you serious?”
“Very,” Kristine said, smiling into her eyes. “You can hang onto it for a couple days, but promise me it’s for your eyes only.” She wagged a warning finger her way.
Maeve promptly began looking through the book. A smile spread across her face. “I predict I’m going to have tired fingers from all the writing I’m going to do.”
“I’ll tell you what. Mark the recipes you want with sticky notes and I’ll print them off for you.”
Maeve grinned. “I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me. I’ve never been much of a baker—well, much of a cook, either—but I aim to improve my skills.”
“We’ll have to make an ongoing appointment to bake together,” Kristine said, happy to spend time with a woman she sensed was really missing her husband. After having seen the suffering her mother had endured, she understood Maeve’s pain. She was obviously a strong woman, but she detected a lingering sadness in her.
“Would you really consider meeting occasionally to bake together?” Maeve asked, as if daring to hope.
“I think we should set a date once a week,” Kristine said.
“That would be great,” Maeve enthused.
“Shall we get started on the strawberry cream cake now?”
“Absolutely.”
***
After a fun afternoon baking with Maeve, Kristine accompanied her home. She carried the cake, while Maeve carried the thick recipe collection from Branton’s.
She followed Maeve inside and her eyes widened. Her home was beautiful, stunningly decorated and boasting a terrific floor plan. “Your home is gorgeous,” she gushed.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling, as she led Kristine into the kitchen. She put the book on the counter and reached for the cake. “Ken and I drew up the house plans together. It was supposed to be the dream home in which we were going to grow old together.” She sighed. “Well, older, I should say.”
Kristine smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. Maeve smiled gratefully for the support.
“Would you care for a tour?” she asked.
“Sure.”
Maeve showed her the entire home, which was an expansive, one-level ranch. It was breathtaking, with every modern amenity. “Beautiful,” Kristine said, after seeing the entire home.
“It’s nice,” Maeve acknowledged, glancing around. “Big, silent, but nice.”
Kristine’s heart broke for her. It had to be difficult, making a big move away from family and friends, with the intent of living out retirement with her beloved husband, only to lose him within a short span of time. Watching her mom mourn her father, and now Maeve her husband, she vowed never to take her future husband for granted.
She suddenly envisioned Joe in the role and dared to hope things might work out between them.
“What are you thinking, Kristine?” Maeve asked. “You just got the most wistful expression on your face.”
She shook her head and smiled self-consciously.
“You were thinking about Joe,” she said knowingly, her eyes twinkling.
She didn’t bother denying it.
“You have feelings for him.” It was a statement, rather than a question.
Kristine nodded.
“Well, he obviously cares about you too.”
“I hope so, but… Well, it’s complicated.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
She hesitated, but opted to share, deciding it might be helpful to gain some insight from a person of a different generation. “My older sister dated Joe years ago, when they were in high school.”
“Oh,” Maeve said with a wince. “Is she unhappy about…?”
Kristine nodded. “She’s not happy about Joe and me, or rather, the potential that there might be a Joe and me.”
“But… Well, I know Joe is thirty-two, so high school was some time ago. I would think your sister would be okay with the two of you dating, unless…”
Kristine nodded. “She regards him as the one that got away. My mother tells me she cared deeply for him and still may.”
“Oh, hmmm,” she said. “I’m not sure what to say. No, no, I do know what to say. I do believe the heart wants what the heart wants, and if you and Joe are well suited—and I think you are—then you’re entitled to a chance for happiness together.” She smiled sadly. “It’s a shame if your sister doesn’t see it that way, but life is short, Kristine. And they dated a long time ago. They were children. It would be different if she and Joe had just broken up, after having been involved in a torrid romance as thirty-two-year-old adults.”
“I see your point,” Kristine said, but decided to say nothing further. The fact was, the situation was far more complicated than she wished to say, and filling Maeve in would involve going into depth about her sister’s character. As much as Lori aggravated her, she hated to be disloyal to her. It felt wrong to disparage her, even if she felt the inclination at times and succumbed to it.
“Oh, well, let’s talk about something else,” she said.
Maeve nodded with understanding, and then chuckled when she heard Gracie howling next door. “She misses me,” Maeve declared with a smile.
“She does,” Kristine agreed. “It’s funny, but when she jumps the fence, it’s always into your yard.” She stroked her jaw, as if sleuthing some hidden truth. “Maeve, when Gracie’s here, do you ever leave her out back by herself?”
“I do,” she said, frowning. “Shouldn’t I?”
“Does she ever jump the fence?”
She shook her head. “No. She usually does her business, walks around for awhile, smells my roses, and then paws the back door to come back in.”
“Interesting,” Kristine said, eyeing the older woman thoughtfully.
“Why? What happens when you and Joe leave her outside alone?”
“She jumps the fence into your yard.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Kristine arrived back at Joe’s, after having visited with Maeve for a few more moments. She hurried outside to get Gracie, and then watched the dog thoughtfully as they walked back to the house.
“So you only jump into Maeve’s yard,” she observed, narrowing her eyes at the dog.
Gracie emitted a whine as she dashed off to do her business. She returned, but Kristine was certain she had given Maeve’s backyard a yearning look.
Back inside Joe’s house, she sat down on the couch and pulled a throw pillow to her chest. She suddenly realized Maeve’s friend had repaired it too. She studied the workmanship, impressed this was the same pillow Gracie had torn up a couple days before. She would have to remember to thank Maeve for the repaired pillow. She also needed to pick Joe up a new pair of slippers at the first opportunity.
Gracie, from her doggie bed, watched her. “Come,” Kristine said, and the dog instantly leapt to her feet and crossed the room to her. “You are a good girl, aren’t you?” she said, petting the dog’s head. “You won’t chew up the couch again, or the pillows, or Joe’s slippers, will you?”
The dog whined in response and she bent to kiss her. Gracie returned the affection, kissing her soundly on the cheek. Kristine laughed and gave her a hug.
Finally, unsure what to do with the rest of her evening, Kristine opted to shower early, dress in comfortable pajamas, and join Gracie in the family room for a movie.
She did just that. It had been a leap of faith leaving the big dog alone with the couch and all its pillows, but Gracie hadn’t disappointed her. Everything was as she’d left it. “Good girl,” Kristine praised, as she settled onto the couch.
Gracie leapt onto the sofa and settled in beside her. Kristine considered making her get down, but just didn’t have the hea
rt. Instead, she wrapped her arm around her and stroked her softly with one hand as she aimed the remote at the TV with the other.
She selected a movie and settled in to watch. A few moments passed when the phone rang. Kristine rose to answer it. “Hello.”
“Hello, Krissy,” Joe said.
She could hear his affection for her in his voice. She smiled. “Hello. How’s your dad today?”
“Remarkably well,” he told her. “I’m really surprised at how well he’s doing. The doctor says he’ll be out of here in no time.”
“When can he come home? He does live in Cooper Glenn?”
“Actually, he lives in Norton,” he answered. “It’ll be a week or two before I can bring him home,” he said. “And I’ll be bringing him to my house so he can do most of his recovering there.” He chuckled. “He isn’t pleased that I’m telling him what he will and won’t be doing, but that’s too bad for him. I don’t want a repeat of his heart troubles.”
“I can understand that,” she said. “And I’m so glad he’s doing so well.”
“And you? How are you?”
“I’m doing fine. I had lunch with my mom today and then spent several hours with Maeve after. I’m giving her some baking tips.”
“Oh, she’s gotta love that,” he enthused. “She absolutely devours your strawberry cream cake.”
“She devours it, huh?”
“You probably shouldn’t repeat that to her,” he said with a chuckle. “But she is a super fan.”
Kristine laughed at his terminology.
“Did you save any cake for me?” he asked. “Maeve isn’t the only one going through sugar withdrawals.”
“What would you like me to bake for you?” she asked.
“I love it all, so feel free to bake whatever you’re inclined to. I promise, I’ll eat it.”
“Will do.” She drew silent. “I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
He was also silent and she sensed something was amiss. “Krissy, about that… I’m afraid I can’t make it tomorrow. I’ll do my best to come home as soon as I can.”
The Icing on the Cake Page 19