“I think they’re offering a choice.” Ruth shrugged. “You should go dance. I know you enjoy it.”
“What do you say, Kenia? Care for a turn around the floor?” Jonah held out his hand.
Kenia slipped her hand into his with a nod. “Sure.”
Jonah spun her in a little twirl before pulling Kenia close. He’d taken dancing lessons several years ago. It was the only part of his relationship with Melissa that he didn’t regret. It was good to be able to hold his own when the opportunity to dance arose.
“You’re not bad at this.” She laughed and slid her arm up his shoulder.
“Thanks. Same goes. Are you having fun?”
“I am. I’m glad you invited me.”
He grinned. “I’m glad you said yes.”
The evening passed quickly. Jonah and Kenia danced for much of the time, breaking now and then to rest, eat cake, and chat with the others at the reception. Periodically, Jonah looked for Gloria. She hadn’t left the table. Should he ask her to dance? No. She’d been clear about their relationship, such as it was. And he had a date. It wouldn’t be right to ditch Kenia just to try and help a friend have fun. For all he knew, Gloria was having fun.
So why was she glaring at him?
Pushing it out of his mind, he glanced at his watch. “Almost midnight.”
“Let’s find a seat. I could use that cider.” Kenia fanned a hand in front of her face.
Jonah grinned. “Me, too. Looks like they’ve already set it out at the tables.”
As the song came to an end, the D.J. picked up the mike. “If I could get everyone’s attention? We’re coming down to the countdown, so find that special someone and get ready to toast in the New Year. Everyone ready? Let’s count it down.”
The crowd of people at the tables and on the dance floor joined in the chant.
“10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...Happy New Year!”
Auld Lang Syne started to play and Jonah leaned closer to Kenia, his eyes holding hers. “Happy New Year.”
Her eyelids lowered.
Jonah’s gaze darted to her mouth. It was their first date. Much too soon for a kiss. Except...he leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. “I think I read it’s bad luck not to do that.”
Cheeks pinking, Kenia giggled. “Well, we wouldn’t want that.”
Jonah tapped his glass of sparkling cider against Kenia’s and sipped. There hadn’t been fireworks, but as kisses went, it hadn’t been awful. Maybe in time, it’d get better. His gaze darted to where Gloria sat frozen. She caught his eyes and stood, her chair toppling backward as she hurried into the crowd. He looked back at Kenia and forced a smile. “Another dance?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hey.” Ruth pushed open the farmhouse kitchen door and slid a covered casserole onto the table.
“Morning. I didn’t expect to see you today.” Jonah looked up from his book and reached for his coffee. In fact, he’d been anticipating a day with no human contact, a rare break from the bakery with nothing else planned. Probably best not to mention that, though. “What brings you over?”
“I don’t have a lot of time. Most of the guests are still sleeping. Did you know the reception went until almost two, when management finally kicked everyone out?”
Jonah shook his head. “We left about twelve thirty. Kenia was starting to yawn.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?”
“A head’s up would’ve been good. Did anyone know you were bringing a date?”
Jonah peeled up one corner of the foil on the casserole and smiled at the baked sausage and egg mixture inside. “Sure. I mentioned it to Micah. That’s how Kenia had a place card.”
“He didn’t say anything?”
“Like what?” He stood and crossed to the cupboard where the plates were stored. Grabbing a fork on the way back to the table, he frowned at his sister. “What’s the problem?”
“Gloria—”
“Didn’t want to go with me. I did ask her first.” Using the fork, Jonah dug out a generous piece of casserole and levered it onto his plate. It was cold, but that wasn’t a problem. Not for him.
Ruth sighed and gestured to a chair. “Can I sit?”
“Of course. Want some of this? Or some coffee?”
Ruth pressed her lips together before nodding. “Yeah, sure. To both.”
Jonah retrieved another plate, fork, and cup of coffee for his sister before returning to his own plate.
“She really said no?”
“Yep. Just like she’s said no the last, oh, six hundred times I’ve asked her out. I’m done. I said I was done this summer, but now I really mean it. This time, I explained it would just be as friends—two people who knew each other, who were both in the wedding party, and who could hang out comfortably for the evening. She still said no.”
“I’m sorry.” Ruth chewed on her bottom lip before adding, “She seemed to regret it.”
“How do you figure that?”
“You didn’t see how she looked at you and Kenia?”
Jonah shrugged. “I figured she was grumpy. She gets that way sometimes. I’ve learned to roll with it.”
Ruth sighed and put a small square of sausage and eggs on her plate. “I’m not convinced Kenia is the right girl for you.”
“Seriously? She was your idea.”
“What? Please.”
He shook his head. “In August, when you announced your pregnancy? Dinner party? Any of this ringing a bell?”
“Not...rea—oh. Maybe? I thought you said she was too young?”
“Turns out, she’s not as young as she looks.”
“Lucky her.” Ruth sipped her coffee, eyeing Jonah over the rim of her cup. “Are you serious about her?”
“That was our first date. I’ll have to let you know. I’m thinking I’ll ask her to do something on Friday. We can see how things go when we aren’t at a wedding.” Weddings weren’t great first dates. At least, not in Jonah’s mind. There was a lot of pressure for romance at a wedding. Maybe he should’ve gone by himself, but Gloria’s continued rejection stung. It had been nice to be with someone who didn’t seem to think spending time with him was a bad idea.
Ruth frowned and set her coffee down.
“What do you expect me to do? It’s been nearly three years. Honestly? She could probably arrest me for stalking, if she wanted to. It’s time to move on. Past time.” And Kenia...well, she was a nice girl. Maybe there could be something between them, even if it wasn’t the spine-tingling fireworks he’d always anticipated when he found the right woman.
“Every good love story starts with a certain amount of stalking.” Ruth grinned and held up her hands before he could retort. “Okay, okay. I want you to be happy. I just...I want Gloria to be happy, too. She’s such a good friend—to all of us.”
He nodded. “She is a good friend, which is why I think I need to walk away and bury whatever feelings I have for her.”
“What are those feelings?”
Jonah shook his head. He wasn’t going to explore those with his sister. He barely spent time thinking about it when he was alone in his room, trying to fall asleep.
“You know feelings have names, right Jonah? And that it’s okay to talk about them?”
He snickered. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. You’re okay then?”
“Yeah. I’ll let you know if it changes.”
“I’m going to hold you to that. I should probably get back to the B&B. Don’t eat all those eggs in one sitting.”
“Yes ma’am.” He stood and offered her a hand. She took it and pulled, levering herself out of the chair with a groan. “Take care of my niece.”
“Or nephew.”
“Or nephew. Tell Corban if he wants to escape later, I’ll probably have the game console on.”
“Oh, no. He doesn’t get to escape when we’re booked solid. Nice try.”
“Offer stands if you chan
ge your mind. Why didn’t you drive? It’s freezing out there.”
Ruth shrugged and pulled the edges of her coat closer around her neck. “It’s not that far. I’ll text you when I’m home if you’re worried.”
“Do that. I don’t need Corban finding you frozen solid in the cornfield.”
Laughing, Ruth pulled the door closed behind her. Jonah watched as she scurried through the dormant fields toward the B&B.
Feelings. He had plenty of them for Gloria, and she wanted nothing to do with them. It was time to see if he could develop them for someone else. Someone who wanted them. All the experts said love was a choice. Jonah chose a woman who would choose him back.
4
Gloria drove past the bakery, forcingherself not to stop. She hadn’t spoken to a Baxter since the wedding on New Year’s Eve. Almost two weeks ago, now, and it was like a part of her was missing. Couple that with Serena off on her honeymoon in Bimini and Gloria’s off-shift time had been quiet. Lonely. Felipe had invited her over several times, but there was only so much imposing she could do. Besides, his big happy family was just that. Since she wasn’t likely to ever have one of her own, it was hard to be around right now.
Her choice, of course, but that didn’t make it any easier.
She hadn’t been able to trade shifts with anyone or pick up an extra, which meant a long, solitary Friday night stretched out in front of her. Maybe she’d just go home and read. Except, of course, she needed a new book and right now, heading into Page Turners wasn’t high on her list of options either. Was Jonah really dating Kenia? Her heart ached. This was what she wanted though. Of course it was. She’d made it clear he needed to move on and he finally had. That was good. It was. In time, her heart would catch up with her head.
It had to.
So. No bookstore, and it was too late for the library, which meant no new book. Which left the TV.
Ugh. Maybe she should bite the bullet and buy an e-reader. Then she could get books online whenever she wanted. It just seemed wrong to have to plug something in to be able to read. Books were a sensory experience. Or they should be. She didn’t spend a lot of time reading, but when she did, it was because she wanted to unplug. Even if she did hop on the technology train, it didn’t fix her prospects for tonight. She wasn’t about to try to read on her phone.
Gloria turned her car into the apartment building parking lot and found a space. She sighed as she eyed the ramshackle structure. The landlord skirted on the edge of being a slum lord. Half the windows didn’t have screens, the half that did weren’t really winning the occupant any benefits, there was so much rust on them. But the place was cheap and she didn’t have to spend off time doing yard work. What would she do with a house, anyway? It was just her. She practically rattled around in the two-bedroom apartment.
She climbed the stairs to her unit and frowned as she glanced down the hall. Someone was sitting against the wall opposite her door. Waiting for her? Who? Her hand went to her holster and she took a breath and forced her muscles to relax. Aiming for casual, she strolled down the hallway.
The man shifted and surged to his feet, tucking his hands in his pockets. “Hello, Gloria.”
“Frank?”
He stepped into the glow the overhead light cast on the dingy hall carpet. She wouldn’t have recognized him if he hadn’t spoken. He was thin—bordering on emaciated—but his hair was clean and neat, as were his clothes. “Could we talk?”
She stared at him, her blood roaring in her ears. Finally, she nodded. “I guess you’d better come in.”
Gloria unlocked her apartment and pushed open the door, gesturing for him to go ahead. She hadn’t been thrilled about a long, lonely night but now? That sounded just about perfect.
“Thanks.”
Movements jerky, Gloria closed the door and flipped the deadbolt out of habit. She tossed her keys into the bowl by the door—Serena had made it and it never failed to make her smile. Until tonight. Her stomach rumbled. She’d meant to stop by Fire and Brimstone to grab a pizza. Now...she wasn’t going out in public with him. “I was going to scramble some eggs for dinner. Did you eat yet?”
He shook his head.
“Go have a seat. I need to change out of my uniform and grab a shower.” She started down the hall, then paused and turned back. “Turn on the TV if you want, and there’s pop in the fridge.”
“Got any beer?”
She gave him a long look before shaking her head. “I don’t drink anymore.”
“Right. ’Cause Jesus didn’t drink. I forgot. Except for that whole water into wine thing.” Frank flopped onto the couch and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Frank...why are you here?”
He shooed her away. “Go change. I’ll wait.”
She sighed and headed to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. She stared at the flimsy knob and debated pulling something in front of the door. No. That wasn’t his way. He’d wheedle. Beg, if he had to. Lie almost certainly. But he wasn’t violent. Or, at least, he hadn’t been. She didn’t recognize him physically. It was a safe bet she wouldn’t recognize his personality either.
In her old Marine Corps sweats, her hair pulled into a ponytail, Gloria went back out to the living room. Frank didn’t look like he’d moved, though the news was playing on the TV.
He glanced over and his lips twitched upward. “I see you’re still as girly as ever.”
“It’s Friday night and I just got off duty, what am I supposed to wear? It’s not like I’m going anywhere. Do you want eggs, or not?”
“Yeah. You always were good at breakfast food.”
She didn’t bother to sigh. She could cook other things, but after a long day working, who wanted to? It had been a point of contention early on in their marriage and apparently Frank wasn’t going to let the years in between temper his tongue. “Why don’t you talk while I cook?”
“About what?”
“Why you’re here? Let’s start there.” Gloria opened the fridge and took out the carton of eggs and the quart of milk. She opened the top and sniffed. Should be okay.
“Still direct, too.”
“Yep.” Gloria cracked eggs into a bowl. “I see you still avoid answering questions when you can.”
He laughed. “I can’t just stop by to see my wife?”
“You haven’t had any interest in me as a person, let alone as your wife, for a number of years. Why now?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe I missed you.”
The snort escaped before she could stop it. It was more likely his latest girlfriend had dumped him. Or he needed something. She beat the eggs a little more forcefully than absolutely required.
“All right, all right. I’m on my way to New York, figured this was as good a place to stop for a bit as any.” He shrugged. “And maybe I was thinking I might try and convince you to come.”
She shook her head and poured the eggs into a pan. “How would that work, exactly? I’m still the same person you left. If anything, Jesus is a bigger part of my life now than He was then. He’s all I have.”
“Then I guess it wouldn’t work. I was hoping time might have convinced you to see how ridiculous you were being. I mean, come on Glor, it’s the twenty-first century, aren’t we past needing fairy tales to get through the day?”
“How’s that working for you?” She grabbed toast out of the toaster and slid eggs onto two plates. “Pop or milk?”
“Is it diet?”
“No.”
“Pop. I’m surprised you’re not slugging down the diet. I thought that’s what women did. But then, you’re active.”
And she didn’t drink them very often. Maybe one a week. Two if she felt like living on the edge. She set a can down by his plate and took her seat. “I don’t think you know me well enough anymore to comment.”
Frank dipped his fork into the eggs and took a bite. “Mmm. Still got it.”
Gloria bowed her head and offered a short prayer for the food and a silen
t plea for help before using her own fork to scrape eggs onto her bread. She folded the bread over and took a bite. “What’s in New York?”
“Oh, you know. Bigger and better opportunities. No sense in sharing the details if you’re not going to come along.”
Which meant it was probably illegal. Certainly unethical. “How long are you here, in Arcadia Valley?”
He shrugged.
“You can’t stay here.”
“What do you mean? I’m your husband, of course I can.”
“No, Frank, you can’t. If you want to stay and work on our marriage, I’ll set up counseling with the pastor.” When she’d fit that in her schedule, she didn’t know, but she’d do it. Even though it made her stomach clench. She pushed her mostly untouched plate away. “But until we’ve made some progress there...I have a friend who can probably put you up.”
“Why are we still married, Gloria? I keep waiting to get papers from you.” Frank scraped the last bites of egg off his plate and pointed to her food with his fork. “You going to eat that?”
“Go ahead.”
“So?”
“Because it’s not my call to make. We made vows before God. That means something to me. If you want to try and make this work, then we will.”
He shook his head. “You take this Jesus thing to extremes, don’t you? As it happens, I don’t have a specific time to be in New York. I can hang here a little while. Maybe you’ll come around and decide to join me when it’s time to go.”
That didn’t seem likely. On the other hand, things were so weird now with Jonah, maybe leaving Arcadia Valley was the right choice. She sure didn’t want to hang around and watch him fall in love with Kenia Akers. What was she thinking? Forgive me, Jesus. Sitting here across the table from her husband, worrying about the heartbreak of watching another man fall in love. “I’ll go call Felipe.”
“I still don’t see why I can’t stay here. I can bunk on the couch, if you insist.”
“Not many people here know I’m married.”
Frank started to laugh. He scooted away from the table as his mirth grew. “That’s rich. I don’t know much about the Bible, but I’m pretty sure there’s something in there about lying being a bad thing.”
Donuts & Daydreams: An Arcadia Valley Romance (Baxter Family Bakery Book 4) Page 4
