by Amber Crewes
“Lori,” Meghan said coldly. “What can I do for you today?”
Meghan was shocked to hear sobbing on the other end of the phone. Lori was crying, and Meghan could hardly understand Lori’s words between the loud, heaving gasps.
“Lori! What’s the matter?” she said, her frustration with Lori dissipating with every wail she heard.
“I’m embarrassed, Meghan. I was terrible to you yesterday. I had a big head from everyone saying such nice things to me, and I treated you horribly. I’m so sorry.”
Meghan’s heart warmed as Lori continued. “My whole life, I worked for my father. He never believed in me, and he never let me go after my dreams. I was just expected to work for him in that tea shop forever. Now that he’s dead, things have changed. I have changed, and when people started paying attention to me, it just felt so good.”
“Lori,” Meghan said softly. “Lori, I forgive you. We all have big heads sometimes, and I know how easy it can be to let a kind word bring out the worst! Let’s just put it behind us, Lori. Why don’t you come in to Truly Sweet at noon? We can chat over some tea, and then we can get back to work! That new corporate order isn’t going to fill itself.”
Lori paused, and Meghan heard a loud, wet sniffle. “Lori?”
“I’m sorry for the way I acted, Meghan,” Lori said gingerly. “I’m sorry about the way I treated you, but I meant it when I said I wanted to put in my notice at Truly Sweet.”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. “Lori, why don’t you come on over? Let’s chat about this in person.”
Lori arrived at the bakery ten minutes later, and Meghan saw the concerned look on her small, delicate face. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her short hair looked unkempt.
“Let’s sit down,” Meghan said as Lori walked through the yellow door. “I’ll get a treat for you. You look like you need a boost.”
The two women sat down at one of the little white tables, and Lori buried her face in her hands. “I’m sorry, Meghan,” Lori said. “I was so rude.”
Meghan put an arm around Lori’s shoulder. “I told you, Lori, it’s fine. I forgive you. We all mess up. Don’t sweat it. I want to talk about the last thing you told me. Do you really want to leave Truly Sweet? You are a great assistant, Lori. You have real talent in the kitchen. I like having you around, and I would be sorry to see you go.”
Lori slowly raised her head, but she did not look Meghan in the eyes. “I’m sure,” Lori whispered.
Meghan nodded. “Okay,” she said slowly. “That’s your choice, of course. Can I ask why, though, Lori? I told you that I forgive you. We’re good, Lori. You and I are fine! What makes you want to leave Truly Sweet?”
Lori wiped a tear from her pale face. “After everyone started complimenting my donuts, I started thinking,” Lori explained. “It felt so good to get that praise, and I thought about all of the things I haven’t done yet that I would like to be praised for someday. Meghan, my dream was always to be an architect. I never told my parents; I knew there wasn’t enough money to send me to some fancy college, and I didn’t want to make them sad by asking. But now….my father is gone, Meghan. His tea shop is sitting empty, and I’m thinking about selling it. I could make enough money to pay for college. I could finally live my dreams, Meghan!”
Meghan’s eyes widened. “Have you spoken to anyone about this? This is a big decision, Lori.”
Lori smiled. “I called Kayley Kane, the real estate agent. I used to babysit for her kids before she and her husband got divorced! Anyway, Kayley is really nice, and she thinks if I want to sell, the time is now. She said that I could get a good price for the shop, but if I sit on it, I might lose out.”
Meghan rested her elbows on the table and folded her hands neatly in front of her. “So let me get this straight,” she said down-to-earth. “Your plan is to sell the tea shop quickly, and then start college?”
Lori nodded. “Exactly! That’s what I want to do, Meghan. I think the time is right, and Kayley swears that I can get at least enough money to pay for a full three years of college. Three whole years, Meghan!”
Meghan saw the hope in Lori’s large eyes. She reached over and took Lori’s hands, squeezing them in her own. “I didn’t even know you had these dreams, Lori,” Meghan confessed, looking into Lori’s face. “I feel like a bad friend for not knowing this about you.”
Lori shook her head. “No one knew, Meghan. You’re a good friend! A wonderful friend! It’s been such a fun time working at Truly Sweet, and I hope there are no hard feeling between us.”
Meghan smiled. “Of course not, Lori. We’re good. I’m happy to see you do something that makes you happy, and if you feel like this is the right path, then I support you. Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need any help from me? You’re making a lot of big decisions right now, and if you need me, I’m here for you.”
Lori’s eyes brimmed with tears, and she hiccupped as she leaned over to embrace Meghan. “You are the best, Meghan,” Lori said. “You are the nicest person I know. I’m lucky to have you.”
Meghan hugged Lori tightly. “Seriously! Do you need anything? I’m happy to help.”
Lori pulled back and nodded. “I do have a lot on my plate,” Lori admitted. “Kayley is coming by tomorrow to take photos to help sell the tea shop, and the place needs to be spotless! Any chance you could help me clean for a few hours? I don’t know how I am going to do it all by myself.”
Meghan rolled her eyes. “You are so silly,” she said. “You’ve helped me with so much. Of course I’ll help you clean up the tea shop. It would be my pleasure.”
Lori shrieked. “Hooray! You are the best.”
Meghan grinned. “I’m just glad you’re so happy. I think your biggest adventures are yet to come, Lori! Whatever is around the corner for you is going to be big. I just know it.”
As the two women hugged again, the little silver bells attached to the front door of the bakery chimed. Meghan dismissed the sound; customers came in and out of the bakery all of the time, and she was used to the tinkling of the little bells. She watched as Lori’s eyes widened; Lori was facing the door, and Meghan pulled back in concern.
“What’s the matter? Are you okay?”
The color drained from Lori’s face, and she started to shake. A stocky, dark-haired man stormed over to the table, his blue eyes narrowed. He tossed a bouquet of flowers on the table in front of Lori and glared.
“Welcome to Truly Sweet! Can I help you?” Meghan asked the man, looking to Lori for an explanation.
“Uncle Felix,” Lori said weakly as the man scowled.
“They told me I would find you here, little niece,” the man addressed Lori. “And over my dead body are you going to sell my brother’s tea shop.”
4
“IT WAS SO AWKWARD,” Meghan said to Jack as they walked their dogs along the beach. “Lori hadn’t seen her uncle in years, and he just arrived out of nowhere! He didn’t bother to come to attend her father’s funeral, and now, he’s demanding she keep the tea shop open.”
Meghan and Jack strolled slowly along the pebbly beach as Dash, Fiesta, and Siesta frolicked through the waves. It was a chilly day; the wind from the Pacific Ocean had been cutting through Meghan’s thin jacket, but upon seeing her shivering, Jack had given her his thick, wool sweater to wear. Meghan liked the texture and pattern of the sweater, but what she liked most was Jack’s attention; he had immediately noticed how cold she was, and now, she reveled in the soft sweater that smelled just like him.
“That is crazy,” he said, looking out over the water as the sun slowly floated down toward the horizon. “What else did he say?”
“He told Lori he was ashamed of her for tarnishing her father’s legacy and then scolded Lori for working in a ‘second rate sweet shop’!”
Jack scowled. “Lori’s father didn’t have a legacy,” he said. “Well, at least not a good one! Everyone in Sandy Bay knew Norman was a jerk. He was mean to Lori, he was a jerk to his customers, and his tea sh
op was just okay. I don’t understand what this guy’s issue is.”
Meghan continued. “This morning, he and his wife, Lori’s aunt Becky, came back by the bakery. Lori was there picking up her last check from me, and the pair of them were nasty again.”
Jack shook his head. “I don’t get it,” he said. “What do they want from Lori? Her father is dead, and she doesn’t want to run a tea shop by herself. Why do they have a problem with that? Why are they coming out of the woodwork now?”
Meghan shrugged. “I don’t know, Detective Irvin,” she teased. “But it does seem fishy to me. Maybe you should watch out for them. You are the town detective now.”
Jack grinned. “That’s right, Ms. Truman. It’s my job to watch out for this town, and everyone in it, including you.”
Jack looked down at Meghan and smiled. She beamed up at him, and he leaned down toward her. He put a hand on her arm, and slowly, his body drew closer to hers.
“He’s going to kiss me!” Meghan thought to herself, closing her eyes in preparation for the moment she had been looking forward to for weeks. She tilted her chin upward, but nothing happened. Suddenly, Jack removed his hand from her arm, and she opened her eyes.
“Hey!” Jack shouted, turning as his dog, Dash, began to bark. “Dash! Hush! You’re fine.”
Dash kept barking, and Fiesta and Siesta joined in. The three dogs ran out of the waves and across the beach.
“Dash, come!” Jack yelled sternly. “Dash!”
Dash did not obey Jack, and the dog began running away. Fiesta and Siesta watched as Dash sprinted down the beach, and they joined him, their small legs moving quickly across the dark sand.
“Hey!” he called out. “Dash! Come!”
Meghan laughed. “I don’t think he’s going to follow your orders, Detective,” she said playfully. “Come on. Let’s go chase down our dogs.”
Early the next morning, just as Meghan unlocked the front door of the bakery, Felix Butcher burst through the door.
“Good morning, Felix,” Meghan said through gritted teeth. This was his third visit to the bakery, and as their first two encounters had been terribly unpleasant, Meghan was not pleased to see him. “Can I help you with something?”
Felix crossed his arms and glared at Meghan. “Where’s Lori? Becky and I need to speak to her again, and she isn’t at home. I figured she’d be here.”
Meghan shook her head. “I haven’t seen her yet today,” she said politely. “May I take a message?”
Felix cleared his throat and stuck out his chest, drawing himself to full height and making Meghan feel small. “Look,” he said, looking down at Meghan. “Lori and I have some business to talk about, and I need to get in touch with her. Are you sure you don’t know where she is?”
Annoyed at Felix’s imposition, Meghan stood on her tiptoes and looked him straight in the eyes. “She isn’t here,” she said firmly. “She isn’t here, and I don’t think you have business with her. I heard her tell you twice now that she is selling the tea shop. She is an adult woman, and if she wants to sell it, I don’t think it’s your business.”
Felix laughed, raising a dark eyebrow in amusement. “Well, look at you. A tough girl, I see! Well, it’s cute that you’re speaking for Lori, but I won’t have it. She isn’t selling, and that’s that.”
Before Meghan could reply, a loud scream rang through the bakery. Meghan glanced at the door. Sally Sheridan, one of Sandy Bay’s oldest residents, was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide, and her hands clasped to her cheeks.
“It’s a ghost!” Mrs. Sheridan howled, pointing at Felix. “It’s the ghost of Norman Butcher! Ms. Truman! I came here to return these nasty donuts and ask for a refund, and I find this? Do you see that you have a ghost in your bakery?”
Mrs. Sheridan hobbled towards Meghan and Felix, her wooden cane raised high above her head. She reached out the cane and waved it at Felix. “Be gone, ghost! Be gone!” The cane struck Felix on the forehead, and he stumbled backward into one of the little white tables.
“Mrs. Sheridan!” Meghan cried. “Stop! Stop, Mrs. Sheridan.”
“Ghost, be gone! Be gone, Ghost!” Mrs. Sheridan screeched, beating Felix on the head with her cane. “Be gone!”
“Hey, lady! Stop it! What are you doing?” Felix yelled. “Cut it out, lady.”
Mrs. Sheridan raised her cane over her head, but before she could bring it down on Felix’s head once again, a hand reached for her arm.
“Stop it, lady!”
Felix, Meghan, and Mrs. Sheridan turned to find Becky, Felix’s wife. “What do you think you’re doing to my husband?”
Mrs. Sheridan’s eyes widened, and a look of confusion crossed her wrinkled face. “Young lady!” Mrs. Sheridan lectured Becky. “This is a ghost! This apparition is the ghost of Norman Butcher, young lady. This terrible bakery not only has bad food, but it has ghosts! I’m trying to make this one leave. Give me my cane back so I can get rid of him!”
Becky threw the cane across the room. “That is my husband, Felix Butcher, you old bat! He is Norman’s brother! He isn’t a ghost.”
Mrs. Sheridan bared her teeth and clenched her fists. “Now you tell me? Ms. Truman! Why did you let me exert that much energy if this fellow isn’t a ghost! Shame on you, Ms. Truman, for letting me believe this fellow was a ghost. I am leaving, and I will be back for my refund later. This place is just shameful. A terrible place!”
Mrs. Sheridan walked across the room to retrieve her cane. She shot a look of disgust to Meghan as she left, and Meghan sighed in relief as the chime of the little silver bells signaled Mrs. Sheridan’s exit.
“Now then,” Meghan said, looking at both Becky and Felix. “What do you two need? I don’t know where Lori is, nor do I think you two should be bothering her.”
Becky glared at Meghan. She would have been a pretty woman, but her lined face and graying hair took away from her looks, and Meghan noted the sinister look in her eyes.
“Look, little girl,” Becky said, pointing a finger at Meghan’s chest. “We’re here for business, and our business is none of your business.”
Felix nodded. “Don’t think you’re going to stand in our way,” he said. “My brother’s tea shop isn’t closing, and that’s the end of the story. It’s none of your business, and if you think you’re going to talk Lori out of anything, you’re dead wrong.”
Meghan felt her heart beat faster in her chest. She reached into her pocket and fingered her cell phone. She wondered if she could discreetly call Jack; Felix and Becky were making her feel uncomfortable, and Meghan felt as though she needed backup.
“Hey,” a deep voice called as the little silver bells chimed from the doorway. Meghan looked up to see Jamie, the town handyman. She instantly felt relieved.
“Jamie!” Meghan cried out. “Good to see you!”
Jamie walked over to Meghan, his face dark. “What’s going on, Meghan?”
Meghan gestured at Becky and Felix. “I think these people need to be escorted out of the bakery,” she said, thankful that strong, tough Jamie had shown up at the right time. “Can you help me?”
Jamie nodded. “I’ll take care of it, Meghan,” he said. “You’ve helped me out before, and I’m real pleased to help you.”
Jamie rolled up his sleeves to reveal his tanned, muscular arms. Becky shrank back from Jamie, but Felix didn’t move. “Do I need to carry you two out?” Jamie challenged Felix and Becky. “The lady wants you to go, and you’re both going to go now.”
Meghan watched as Felix glared at Jamie. The two men were the same height, but Felix was no match for Jamie’s thick, strong body.
“Let’s go,” Jamie growled, and he ushered Felix and Becky out of the bakery. “You two stay away from Meghan and her bakery. If I hear you’re bothering her, or anyone else in this town again, you’ll be answering to me.”
5
MEGHAN’S EYES WIDENED as Jamie walked out with Becky and Felix. She felt her shoulders instantly relax as she watched them
turn the corner, and she wiped the sweat from her brow.
“Ugh,” she said to herself as Jamie walked back through the door. “Thank you, Jamie. I’m so glad you were here. They creep me out, and I’m thankful for your help.”
Jamie nodded, adjusting the strap of his dirty overalls and giving Meghan a kind smile. “No problem, Meghan. I was just in the mood for something sweet, and one of your cookies sounded real nice. I’m glad I could help get those hooligans out of your place.”
Meghan walked to the counter and retrieved a fresh oatmeal raisin cookie from the display case. “Here!” Meghan said as she handed the cookie to Jamie. “On the house.”
Jamie smiled. “Awww, Meghan. That’s too nice. Let me pay you.”
