Millie’s eyes almost bugged out of her head when she saw the house. It was huge, looming. The sight brought back memories for Emmeline of all the time she spent there before she got pregnant, and the disaster that followed. She swallowed them down and straightened her back.
Erik met them at the bottom of the driveway.
“Millie,” he said, “I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me, and well, she doesn’t know it but it means a lot to her too. She loves you very much.”
“I’m sure she does,” said Millie gracefully.
“I think we should head back; it’s been a long day. Her first day at a new school.”
“If you give me a few minutes, I could drive you back.”
“Nah,” said Emmeline. “It’s a beautiful night. We can walk back, enjoy the air.”
They said their goodbyes and then left. As they turned onto the street, Millie said, “So are you going to tell me?”
“Okay, Angel Face, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She recounted the story, trying to keep to the basic facts. When she finished, she held her breath, not knowing how her daughter would react.
Chapter 52
Emmeline gave Millie the PG version of events. She didn’t need to know about her mom being attacked at her father’s funeral, only that Dorothy had been very upset. Millie listened intently and Emmeline could feel the anger rise in her little girl. She still felt angry herself, but knowing that these were the actions of a sick woman—clinically, not just in perception—made a huge difference.
“Millie, I know this is a lot to take in,” Emmeline continued, “but I don’t want you to be too upset with your grandmother. She was grieving and you see how sick she is. I had to work through my disappointment of the situation a long time ago, I don’t want you to take that on.”
Millie was quiet, and then she just seemed to accept what she had been told. That kid was funny; sometimes she could handle anything, other times she was a mess. Maybe it was the age. Whatever it was, Millie had matured so much in the past few days, and it seemed like she was really coming to terms with everything, which was a complete relief.
Millie went back to school on Monday and Emmeline continued to work on the renovations, which had moved along much faster than she had imagined thanks to her dad and his friends and Callum’s help. It was really starting to look like a place of business. The kitchen was mostly done. She was waiting for the inspector to come and tell her that it was up to spec. The original floors had been refinished, the display case was in its place, the cash register was working. Emmeline had completed the menus long before she even moved back to Port Hope.
It was the fun time this week. As soon as Millie was off to school, Emmeline drove into the city to an industrial kitchen supply store and bought new pots and pans, and a huge mixer for making her bread. On Tuesday, the massive freezer was delivered, and by Wednesday she had the okay from the inspector. She was good to go. She set the opening date for the following week. That way she could spend some time marketing her business, one thing that she had totally forgotten to do. She hired a local firm to make some advertisements and put an ‘OPENING MONDAY’ sign in the window.
She just hoped that her bakery would be a success, that people would actually come. That this wouldn’t be a giant failure. She had so much to lose. She felt like she was on a tightrope walking across a canyon, so close to falling, so close to making it across, not knowing which it would be.
When Ginny had been told the official opening date, she had put everyone on full alert, and even had the local radio station do their broadcast from there. That girl was a wonder. Ads were put in the paper, and an ‘OPENING MONDAY’ sign went up in the window. Emmeline was so nervous the night before, she could hardly sleep, which wasn’t good because she had a really early morning planned. She wanted everything to be fresh and displayed perfectly for when she opened up at eight a.m.
She gave up trying to sleep around two and went downstairs to start on the bread. By seven thirty she was drinking her second pot of coffee and tapping her fingers nervously on a table by the front window. Everything was done. The food was ready; the tables were set. The glass display case was filled with goodies that were a feast for the eyes, and she had a shiny new sign outside with the name of her business, Sugar Lust.
She got Millie up for school, keeping the door to the stairs open so she could hear the bell if anyone came in. Millie dressed and came downstairs for breakfast. She had her pick of anything she wanted.
“I think I can handle this, Mom,” Millie said, loading cookies into her backpack after her breakfast.
“You better go, you’ll be late.” Emmeline removed a few of the cookies before kissing her and sending her out the door.
Thirty minutes later, at nine a.m. on the dot, the door opened and fifteen people walked in. Emmeline’s heart stopped. She was really open; it was really happening and people were here.
“Hey you!” said Ginny, coming in for a hug.
“You’re here!” Emmeline said.
“Of course! Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Thank you! And you brought friends!”
“I’ve been rounding them up over the past few months since I’ve moved back,” she said. “I’d like to introduce you to the rest of my crew.”
“What has she got you doing?” Emmeline asked, looking at the group of women, all taking off their coats and reading over the menu. She could tell they were up to something.
“You should hear the ideas this woman has. She’s turning the whole town upside down,” said the woman standing next to Ginny. Ginny playfully elbowed her in the arm.
“It’s a good thing. This town has been the same for ages. Time for a little fresh blood,” said another woman who Emmeline didn’t recognize.
It took a few minutes to press everyone’s order through the cash register. The ding it made sent chills of excitement down her spine. She quickly got their orders together and delivered them to the tables.
Callum walked in a few minutes later, his denim shirt half undone to reveal a stained undershirt and smelling of paint fumes.
“Oh, goodness,” Emmeline exclaimed, covering her nose. “What have you been up to?”
“An Eastlake dresser. I found it at auction the other day, but it had been painted over. I thought it would be an easy job to restore, but there must be ten layers of paint on it. I think it might be half the size when I’m finished.”
Emmeline chuckled. She could tell he was in his glory.
“Looks like things are going well here.” He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Emmeline snuggled in closely.
“So far,” she said, a satisfied grin crossing her face.
“I’ll have tea, milk, two sugars.”
“This is a coffee shop,” Ginny said.
“I don’t like coffee.”
“What do you mean, you don’t like coffee?”
“That’s what I said, I don’t like coffee.”
“Pansy.”
“Here’s your tea,” Emmeline said, stepping in between them.
“How much?”
“Nothing!”
“Don’t be so foolish. This is a store, and you’ll never make any money if you don’t charge people.”
“I won’t take your money.”
“Fine. I’ll have to find another way to pay you back.” He winked, looking pleased with himself.
“That’s something I can live with!”
“What are they doing?” Callum pointed to Ginny, who was now with her friends, buzzing with energy at the tables.
“I think I heard them talking about doing a snow festival this winter and using the hill downtown for toboggan races.”
They heard Ginny laugh out loud amongst the group. They were plotting, and seemed deliciously dangerous as they did.
“Callum,” Ginny called over. “Do you think…?”
“Whatever it is, ladies, my answer is yes.”
“I learned long ago that you never say no to Ginny. Best just say yes and go along with it.” He grinned.
“No one says no to Ginny,” a woman said. She wore a dark blue scarf around her neck and a nameplate that showed that she was the bank manager.
“I wouldn’t dare,” Callum said.
“Smart man,” Ginny said, and she got up and put her arm around him. He moved away slightly. “Aw, get back here.”
“Ladies, you’re too much for me.” Callum gulped down the rest of his tea and kissed Emmeline goodbye, promising that he would be back later in the day.
He waved goodbye to Ginny and her friends, then placed a five-dollar bill down on the counter and walked away. Emmeline grimaced. She would have to somehow put a stop to him paying like that.
There were more people as the day went on. Some were curious about the new place, others were curious to see Emmeline now that she was back. All in all it was a pretty successful morning. Satisfied, Emmeline sighed. She looked around at her bakery, the people at the tables, the chairs, the sign on the window, her new home.
It was her dream, and it was real, and it was going to work.
The End
About the Author
Lavinia Leigh has been in love with stories her whole life. As a child, she used to read well past her bedtime with her foot on the light switch, primed to turn it off quickly at the slightest hint of being caught. As an adult, she has carried that love of stories with her until the day she started to write herself.
Outside of writing, she is a serial volunteer, and loves being involved in her community, from helping to build a giant waterslide down the middle of her town’s main street, to running a day camp, and working on a committee that honors volunteerism. She has also won a cooking show on Food Network.
Lavinia Leigh has a super supportive family who lets her go ahead with whatever hair-brained idea she comes up with and helps her along the way.
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It Starts With L
The Letters of Love Series,
Book One
By Cassandra Fear
Chapter 1
The Bonfire
School sucked. Arielle’s junior year should have been great, but since the first day, it had already turned into the same thing as every other year. Bullying and being made fun of. Being skinny and part of the “in crowd” was overrated. She couldn’t wait to finish these last two years and be done with the people in her high school. Arielle stooped in front of her open locker, fumbling through the books that barely fit in the bottom.
“Ari, you okay?” Jess asked, coming up behind her.
Jumping a mile high, Arielle stood, then sighed as she faced Jess, one hand covering her chest. “Jesus, Jess. You scared the crap out of me.”
“No, you aren’t okay. I can tell.” Jess raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know why you let Karla Lust get to you. She’s nothing but a girl so insecure with herself she has to make fun of you and everyone else to make herself feel better.”
Arielle rolled her eyes. She’d heard it again and again. Karla might be making fun of her because she hated herself, but it never made Arielle feel better about it. In fact, it made her angrier. Why couldn’t she just leave her alone? Arielle couldn’t wait for this year to end. It would be Karla’s last unless somehow the girl flunked her senior year. Arielle chuckled to herself. She could see that happening, but she hoped it didn’t. With Karla gone, she’d be able to have the best senior year imaginable.
Jess smiled at her. “I can see the wheels moving behind those eyes. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Arielle shrugged. “Way too much, like always.”
Jess wrapped her arm around Arielle. “Well, good thing we have plans tonight. First, we’re going to hit up the bonfire before the football game, then it’s a party at my house.”
“Come on. No parties. We can just hang at your house by ourselves.” Arielle’s voice came out whiny, even to her own ears.
Jess walked forward, pulling Arielle along with her toward the exit. The school day had ended and the weekend had arrived just in the nick of time. Maybe it would help make Arielle forget about Karla’s horrible teasing.
Jess gave her a knowing smile, as if she’d already won the battle. “Trust me, you’ll have fun.”
Arielle shook her head and looked at the ground. When she raised her eyes again, she was walking out the door, but something caught her eye. Not something, someone. He was tall with blond hair, completely shaved on the side and in a ponytail on top. He wore a sleeveless white shirt, accentuating his deep tanned skin and sculpted muscles.
He had to be new, no doubt about it. When his eyes met hers, Arielle’s chest felt like it had hollowed out, then he disappeared into the school.
Breaking the trance, Arielle moved her eyes to Jess and with her elbow, Arielle nudged Jess’s side. “Did you see that guy? Who is he?”
Jess tilted her chin to her chest and widened her eyes. “Who?”
Arielle sighed. “Never mind.”
They walked to Jess’s black SUV and got in. Jess drove Arielle home every day since she didn’t have a car of her own. Her parents couldn’t afford to help her and her part-time babysitting gig every other weekend didn’t pay enough to afford a car. Living on a farm had its perks, but money had never been one of them.
Growing up on a farm had been interesting though. Of course, it wasn’t a normal farm where cattle were raised or horses were stabled. Arielle’s home had chickens. Every single day after school, her chore list started when she collected eggs from the coop.
When Jess dropped her at home, she tossed her backpack on the front porch and walked around the side of the house, passing her dog, Stubby—named for his stubbed tail—and opened the wire gate of the chicken coop.
The chickens cluck clucked as she pulled the gate closed behind her and smiled. She loved coming out here, but she had to stop talking about how much she adored these pets. Her classmates, including Karla, used it as fuel to pour on the already blazing fire. The things they said…the names they called her. The best one was “the crazy chicken lady,” so full of creativity.
Kids were mean, but teenagers were meaner. Their teasing hurt, sure, but she wouldn’t let any of it change her. She went out to the coop even when she didn’t need to feed the chickens. It was quiet and she could think out there. Plus, she loved spending time with Mama, the pure black chicken who collected her own eggs and sat on them. Her sweet chicken had a job to hatch those eggs and create new chickies, and as much as Arielle would love to let her have her way, she couldn’t. The coop didn’t have room for any more. She picked Mama up and placed her on the floor, tucked the eggs in her basket, then Arielle hightailed it back to the house.
On her way, she stopped to pet Stubs, setting her basket on the ground. His black fur had a tan stripe running down the middle of his back and his belly matched the color of the stripe. The German Shepherd mix was the friendliest guy and one of the best dogs Arielle ever had. Even though a chain locked him in place near the dog house he loved, Arielle let him loose daily to run and get the exercise he needed.
Her family had a ton of land. Every year they planted vegetables and then sold them all summer. The season had almost come to an end, but the stand would remain open at least through pumpkin season.
Arielle smiled as Stubs wagged his tail. “You’re such a good boy, aren’t you?”
He barked, as if in answer. She tapped her chest, letting him jump up on her even though her parents hated when she did that. But he gave the best hugs.
When sh
e finished, she picked up the basket and shot through the kitchen door. The front of the house seemed so far away, even though she’d left her book bag there. But she could get it when she finished her chore.
In the kitchen, Arielle grabbed an empty egg carton, slid the brown eggs inside, and placed them in the fridge. Mom would be proud since she didn’t have to ask Arielle to do her chores.
As she closed the fridge door, Arielle’s big brother, Reed, flew through the small hallway, brushing up against her as he started rummaging through the cabinets. He was a senior this year and told Arielle before school started, “Well, sis, it will be better if you act like I don’t exist.”
Reed had the whole popularity thing working for him as one of those jock boys who played football and basketball and every other sport he could manage. Arielle didn’t have to be told to pretend he didn’t exist. Really, it had been easier than she cared to admit because they had never been close. They ran with different crowds and had absolutely nothing in common. Sure, she loved him. Deep down, she knew he’d protect her from anything bad ever happening to her, but it didn’t change the fact they didn’t like each other much. Maybe things would change as they got older, or maybe they wouldn’t. Either way, she would be there for him and he would be there for her, but from a distance.
“Hey, dweeb. What are you doing?” Arielle asked, using the nickname he loved the most.
He shoved her arm. “Don’t call me that.”
She put her hands up in front of her, shaking them. “Ooh. I’m scared. What are you going to do about it?”
He wrapped his elbow around her neck. “This.” Then he took his knuckles, scraping them back and forth along her head.
She ducked out of his reach, planting her hands on her hips. “Seriously, dweebus? Noogies? Aren’t we a little old?”
He laughed. “You’re never too old for noogies, baby sis.” Then he got serious, angling his chin and getting his focused creepy eyes, all wide and brown. To some people they might not be creepy, but to her they were. Arielle didn’t know many people who could widen their eyes quite like Reed could, but he always got his point across when he did. This time was no different. “Remember that.”
Crush: A YA Romance Collection Page 74