Sweet Baklava

by Debby Mayne

  Paula glanced down at the counter as she pondered what to say. She couldn't very well mention that Amanda reminded her of herself when she was younger. Kate never tried to hide the fact that she always thought Paula was a loser. Finally, she looked Kate in the eye.

  "I saw something special in Amanda. There's a spark of intelligence that let me know she had something going on. I think she might have wanted to get caught because she's smart enough to have gotten away with a few candles and soaps."

  Kate bobbed her head. "Yeah, her father was always pretty smart, and I'm not stupid. I guess she comes by that from both sides."

  "Thank you for agreeing to let her work for me."

  Kate snorted. "You've always been a little weird like that. I'll probably never understand why you would want a thief working in your store."

  "I don't think, deep down, that she's a thief."

  "Either you're being naïve, or you see something no one else can. Her father and I have beaten ourselves up over what to do about that girl. He wanted to send her away to a camp for bad girls, and he certainly has the money to do that, but I didn't want her to be around other kids who could teach her more bad stuff."

  Paula could imagine Sam Dunbar wanting to get rid of his daughter. After all, everyone but Paula knew she was his daughter, and if she continued getting into trouble, it might hurt business. Suddenly, an idea flickered through her mind. This might be a good time . . .

  "How would you feel about Amanda going to church with me sometime?"

  "Church? Get real. You're kidding, right?" She flapped her hand. "If those church people find out she's my daughter, they'll probably toss her to the street."

  "No, they'd never do that."

  "So you think church is the answer, huh?" Kate chewed on her bottom lip. "I doubt Amanda will agree to go to church with you or anyone."

  "That's one of the things I told Amanda I wanted her to do to make up for trying to take stuff."

  "I don't know." Kate flipped her hair over her shoulder. "We've never been all that churchy."

  Paula smiled. "Being churchy isn't required. Besides, there are some nice kids who go there."

  "If they're the ones from school, they won't have anything to do with her."

  "Maybe not. A few of the kids go to Tarpon Springs High School, but since it's in Crystal Beach, most are from Palm Harbor University High School. I think she'll make friends."

  Kate frowned as she thought about it. "I don't know. You're asking an awful lot."

  "You don't have to make a decision right now. The offer will always be open."

  "Okay . . . thanks." Kate walked around the store, picked up a candle and sniffed it, then put it back down. She glanced over her shoulder at Paula with a curious expression.

  "How would you like to go to church with me?" Paula blurted.

  "Now I know you've lost your mind. Are you insane?"

  Paula shrugged. "Maybe."

  "Why would you want to be seen with me? Won't your church friends get upset, knowing you brought the town bad girl to a holy place?"

  "It's not like that at all." Paula came around from behind the counter. "Besides, most people there don't know you."

  Kate flicked her wrist again and grunted. "I'll never understand any of that church stuff. Besides, God will probably faint if I show up in church."

  "Oh, I think God will be happy to see you there."

  "Why would you ask me to go, Paula? Are you trying to set me up for something? I mean, I wasn't exactly your best friend in school."

  "We've been out of school a long time, Kate. I'm over it."

  Kate snickered. "Yeah, I guess you are." She turned over a candle, studied the price tag, then put it back down.

  Paula decided to give Kate some time to think rather than try to persuade her to go. "It's up to you, Kate. I'd love to have you be my guest at church, but I don't want to force it on you."

  "Tell you what," Kate said. "I'll drop Amanda off at your house on Sunday morning, and she can tell me about it later."

  "Okay, that's fine," Paula said. At least now Kate trusted her with Amanda. "Now I have a question for you."

  Kate looked leery. "What?"

  Paula pulled one of her new candles out from behind the counter. "I've been working on some new scents, and I'm still undecided about this one."

  "Let me take a whiff." Kate lifted the candle to her nose, closed her eyes, and inhaled. Paula held her breath until Kate opened her eyes and smiled. "It smells delicious. What is it?"

  "It's a blend of lemon and vanilla. I wasn't sure if it was the right balance."

  "I think it's perfect. When will you have it for sale?"

  "Not for a few months."

  The disappointment on Kate's face touched Paula.

  "Too bad." She tried to hand the candle back to Paula.

  "Keep it. I made a batch of them in different molds, so I have more."

  Kate lifted her eyebrows. "Are you sure?" She dropped the candle into her bag. "How much do you want?"

  "It's a gift."

  "Nothing's free. What do you want from me?"

  Paula understood exactly where Kate was coming from, and she didn't want to step on her pride. "I just appreciate your opinion. Consider it payment for that."

  Kate hesitated before nodding. "Okay, thanks." She glanced at her watch. "I guess I better run. I'm supposed to be picking up some doughnuts for the office."

  After Kate left, Paula rehashed their interaction. Something had changed between them, and she was relieved.

  A while later Nick stopped by with lunch. "Uncle Apollo wanted me to bring you this."

  Paula opened the bag. "Yum. Spanakopita."

  "So I hear Kate paid you a visit this morning."

  She laughed. "Nothing gets by you, does it?"

  "Not if it happens on the sponge docks. Is everything okay?"

  Paula nodded. "She was checking me out to make sure my intentions were good for her daughter."

  "That takes a lot of nerve after what happened."

  "I don't know. I think I would have done the same thing if I'd been in her shoes. In spite of the way she behaves, she loves Amanda."

  Nick tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "She loves her so much she told her to get lost."

  "Yeah, that does seem rather drastic," Paula admitted. "They have somewhat of a tumultuous relationship, don't they?"

  "Oh yeah."

  "I bet there's other stuff we don't know about—at least not yet. Amanda still has some mighty rough edges."

  "You're probably right. I'm sure you'll get it out of Amanda eventually. You're good at doing that."

  "Grandma used to say guilt was the biggest torture, and it would eventually get people to talk," Paula said.

  "Your grandma was smart."

  "Yes, she was very smart." So smart she'd managed to keep her daughter from leaving her husband as long as she was alive. Less than a year after they buried Grandma, Paula came home from school one day and discovered her stuff packed in a car. Her mother informed her they were moving to Florida— without Dad.

  "So how did your visit with Kate go?"

  Paula shrugged. "I think okay. She's dropping Amanda off at my place on Sunday before church."

  Nick lifted one eyebrow. "So you're taking Amanda to church? Are you sure you wanna do this?"

  She looked him in the eye. "Yeah, why not?"

  Nick knew exactly what was going on. Paula saw herself in Amanda, and she wanted to do the same thing for the girl that someone had done for her. Only with Paula, it happened at a much younger age—at a more malleable time of her life.

  "Want me to pick both of you up?"

  "No, I think it would be better for me to take Amanda, just the two of us. Besides, I'm kind of hoping Kate might decide to join us."

  "You're kidding, right?"

  "Nope. I asked her if she'd like to go."

  Nick chuckled. "And what did she say?"

  "She seemed to think I'd lost my mind."


  Nick was inclined to agree with Kate, but he'd also known Paula long enough to understand what she was doing. "I guess miracles do happen."

  "Yes, and you're looking at one."

  Maybe so, but in his eyes she was more of an angel who came into his life when he needed her. Before Paula, Nick felt like he could have whatever he wanted, but nothing made him happy. Once they started seeing each other, he didn't want as much, and everything made him happy. That hadn't changed as long as he was with her.

  "So do you want me to get there early and save seats for you and Amanda?"

  Paula looked around her shop then turned to face him. "That would be nice."

  "Would you like to hang out afterward?"

  She laughed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Let's just play that by ear, okay?"

  "Okay." It was obviously time for him to leave. He backed toward the door. "See you on Sunday."

  Paula smiled and nodded. "Since Amanda hasn't been there before, maybe you should pick a spot somewhere toward the back. I don't want to make her nervous by sitting too close to the front."

  Over the next few days Nick tried to put Paula out of his mind, but that was impossible. The harder he tried, the more her image popped up in his head. He loved her now more than ever, and he knew nothing else in the world mattered more to him than being with her for the rest of their lives. The problem was he only had a couple of weeks left in Tarpon Springs before he had to return to his base in Texas.

  True to his word, he saved a seat for Paula and Amanda. He remembered to sit near the back of the church—but not the very back. He kept glancing over his shoulder, waiting for Paula and Amanda. When he spotted Paula leading the way toward him, his heart did a double thump. And when he saw Amanda and Kate right behind her, he almost fell off the seat.

  "Hi, Nick," Kate said as she squeezed into the pew. "I bet you're surprised to see me here."

  He didn't want to lie, so he just smiled and said, "Hi. I'm glad you could come."

  They were lined up in the pew—Nick, Amanda, Paula, and Kate. From a stranger's perspective, they probably looked like a group of happy friends. However, Nick remained stunned as he noticed Paula guiding both Amanda and Kate through the service. He tried to help with Amanda, but Paula was so quick he didn't have to do anything but smile.

  After church, Kate shook her head. "I never realized church was like this before. Thank you for talking me into coming. The music was actually very nice."

  "You were ready for this," Paula told her, then turned to Amanda. "So what do you think?"

  "Can I come back next week?"

  "Yes, of course," Paula replied. "Nothing would make me happier than for both of you to continue coming to church."

  Nick had no doubt that she meant every word of it. He was about to ask Paula to come to his mother's house for lunch, but she announced that she wanted to treat Amanda and Kate to lunch at the Lucky Dill Deli in Palm Harbor.

  "Would you like to join us?" she asked.

  He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Mama is expecting me. Besides, I'm sure the three of you wanna talk girl-talk, and that's just not my thing."

  Paula gave him a curious look. He winked and smiled.

  "See you tomorrow?" she asked.

  "Sure. I'll stop by the shop in the morning. Maybe we can make plans for later in the week."

  Paula waved as he left. Before he exited the church, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Paula introducing Kate to some other women. Amanda was a few feet away talking to a couple of kids her age. Yes, Paula was a miracle worker, he thought as he drove home.

  Nick had no idea how to do it, but he had to act fast or he'd lose out on Paula. His mother noticed him picking at his food.

  "Girl trouble?" she asked.

  "Not really." He stabbed some of the lamb then slowly chewed it as she continued staring at him. Finally, he put down his fork and looked her in the eye. "Actually, I need some advice."

  She looked pleased as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "It's about time. What can I help you with?"

  He opened up to his mother about his confusion over what to do about Paula. She listened and nodded. It had been a long time since he'd poured out his feelings to her, and it felt good.

  When he finished talking, her eyes glistened with tears as she reached for his hand. "You can't rush this, Nick."

  "Rush it? But I thought you . . . well, I've loved her for years."

  "Yes, I know, but you haven't been together for so long. Why don't you do things differently this time after you leave? Before you leave, tell her you're not giving up. Then send letters, call her, and visit more often."

  He nodded. "I can do that."

  "Give her time to gather her thoughts and know you mean business."

  Nick laughed. "I absolutely do mean business."

  She finally stood up and started clearing the table. Nick helped load the dishwasher. "If you don't have anything else for me to do around the house, I guess I can go help Aunt Phoebe with some more of the stuff she said Uncle Apollo's been too busy to do."

  No matter how hard he tried, Nick couldn't stop thinking about how to convince Paula they should be together. Phone calls and letters seemed too easy. The next morning, he forced himself to wait until she had a chance to open the shop before he went to see her.

  "How'd it go yesterday?" he asked.

  "Amazing. Kate was totally open about everything, and Amanda loved church. She recognized a couple of the kids from school, and one of the boys actually came up and talked to her after you left."

  "Amanda's a cute girl."

  Paula nodded. "She has a fun personality too, once she lets down her guard."

  They discussed the changes in Kate and Amanda for a few minutes before Nick managed to turn the conversation to the two of them. "I only have a little time left here, and I'd like to spend as much of it as possible with you. You need to understand that I plan to show you how much I care about you, Paula." He glanced down then looked back into her eyes. "I don't want another of my days here in Florida to go by without seeing you at least once."

  Silence fell between them. His heart felt like it would jump out of his mouth. She finally nodded. "I'd like that."

  Nothing was concrete besides the fact that they'd see each other every day before he went back to Texas. At least he had that.

  A piece of Paula's heart went out the door with Nick. To her dismay, she loved him now more than ever, but she needed to remember that he was about to disappear again. She might not have been able to turn him down, but she could guard her heart in the time he had left in Tarpon Springs. Enough people had let her down before, and she couldn't expect anything to change.

  23

  Paula pulled out her favorite dress then changed her mind. Nick had said he wanted to take her to Bern's, but she didn't want to go to such a romantic place right before Nick left. She'd suggest Crabby Bill's instead.

  She pulled on some jeans, a tank top, and over-shirt then stepped into a pair of espadrilles. She tucked her hair behind her ears and put on her standard makeup—a dusting of powder, a touch of blush, some mascara, and tinted lip balm. After a close look in the mirror, she decided to add a little more color to her lips. Then she was ready to go.

  Nick showed up on the dot as always. "Been waiting long?" He looked her up and down and grinned. "I guess we're going casual tonight, huh?"

  "I guess."

  "Care to clue me in? Tonight I want everything to be all about you."

  Paula leaned away from him and shook her head. "Okay, what's up, Nick? What's going on? Are you planning to blindside me again with talk of marriage?"

  "Maybe."

  "You know how I feel. It's pointless to talk about something you can't follow through with."

  A forced goofy expression washed over his face. "Are you saying you don't trust me?"

  She sensed that she might have hurt his feelings, and he was trying to cover it up, so she playfully
put a finger on her chin and gave him a goofy look right back. "That's open for discussion."

  "Seriously, where would you like to go?"

  "I'll give you a clue. They have the best baked oysters in the world."

  "Crabby Bill's, huh?"

  "Hey, you're good."

  "You need to give me a harder clue next time. I'd sort of hoped to impress you more. You sure you want to go there?"

  "Why wouldn't I be impressed by Crabby Bill's?" She gave him a teasing look.

  "No reason. They do have good food."

  Nick held the passenger door open for her then slid behind the wheel of the Town Car.

  "I remember the first time we ever went out to dinner you took me to Crabby Bill's in Clearwater."

  A slight grin played on his lips. "And I remember your reaction to baked oysters." He mimicked her "eww" sound and laughed.

  "How was I supposed to know how good they are?"

  "Good point. I suppose you needed someone to teach you about the finer things in life."

  Paula thought about that for a few seconds and nodded. "Yes, you did teach me about a lot of the finer things in life."

  "I didn't mean that like it sounded."

  "I know, but you really did teach me a lot, Nick. My mother never had the money or the time to take me out to eat. In fact, she didn't even believe in cooking dinner every night. She said it got old very fast."

  "That always baffled me," he said. "At my house, I could set the clock by dinnertime."

  "Our backgrounds are so different I'm amazed we ever got together."

  Nick put both hands back on the steering wheel. "I think that might have been some of the attraction—our differences, that is. I used to watch you and be amazed at the way you processed information. You saw things I never even noticed."

  "And you were always so rock-solid steady. I'd never met anyone like you before."

  He laughed. "I guess you and I were the heads of each other's fan clubs."

  "I think you might have been the only member of mine. Everyone used to wonder what you saw in me."

  "That's crazy. My family thought I was dating way out of my league, and they were thrilled about it. I think Mama was happy you came along and saved me from the Kates of the world."