Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1)

by Cecelia Dowdy

  He pushed his plate away. “Well, one day, I wasn’t supposed to be at the bakery because I had the day off. I’d forgotten something, but when I walked in, I heard Veronica giggling.”

  “You caught her with somebody,” Rhea guessed.

  “I sure did. It was another employee. I was shocked when I found them kissing.” He dropped his fork, his lips tightening into a thin line. “We got into a fight. I was angry. We were yelling and screaming. I forced Veronica to give me the ring back.”

  “Did you keep the ring?” Rhea sipped her water.

  He shook his head. “I sold it at the pawn shop, then I gave the money to my father’s church.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “Well, you live and learn. As I thought about our relationship, I could see what my brothers and sisters were trying to tell me. Veronica was only with me because I have a respected family in the area. She was raised by different relatives growing up, her parents never really took responsibility for her,” he said, as if defending Veronica’s actions. “I’m afraid her reputation wasn’t very good, and she just wanted to be part of a respected family. I don’t think she ever really loved me. Later on, I found out that she had been seeing more than one person while she was engaged to me. One of my old colleagues is still in contact with her and the last I’d heard, she’s already been through two marriages.”

  Rhea shook her head, again appreciating the close relationship she’d shared with Stan. It was a shame they’d never been blessed with children. It would have been nice to have a reminder of the loving union they’d shared.

  “Rhea, you look like you’re about to cry.”

  “I’m okay. When people talk about relationships, I think about Stan.” She looked into his dark eyes. “Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but, I doubt a perfect marriage exists. But we loved each other, and if he had not been so brutally killed, I’m sure we’d still be together. I wish we’d had children.”

  “You’re still young. You can still marry and have children.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe.” She wasn’t sure if she’d ever find the courage to get married again, and fall in love. If she were to open herself up to another man, it’d have to be with someone kind and caring like Martin. “You said you had been engaged twice? When was the second time?”

  Martin chuckled. “You really want to know all about my past relationships don’t you?”

  She touched his hand. Was she being too nosy? “That’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  “I don’t mind telling you. The second time I was engaged, it was a few years before I entered divinity school.”

  “What happened?” She’d rarely heard about a guy getting engaged twice, without getting married.

  “I loved Kelly. I knew her through my father’s church. We dated, and I asked her to marry me.”

  “What happened?” Rhea asked again.

  He shrugged. “Nothing.”

  She stopped eating, frowning. “What do you mean?”

  “After we got engaged, I couldn’t get Kelly to decide on a wedding date. We were engaged for two years and never made any wedding plans. I thought my dad could marry us in his church. I tried to get the ball rolling but she always had an excuse for putting things off.”

  Rhea shrugged. “Then why did she say yes to you?”

  “She told me she loved me, but she wasn’t in love with me. She wanted to get married and have kids, but, I think she felt that I wasn’t the right person for her. She was a bit older than me, almost forty, so I think she was thinking we could make it work.” He toyed with the salt and pepper shakers. “She moved to Atlanta after we broke up, and I’ve heard she’s still single.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being single, but if you ask my sister, she acts like it’s some disease and she’ll die if she doesn’t find a spouse right away.” Rhea sipped her cider as somebody grabbed her shoulder from behind.

  Rhea turned to the large unfamiliar woman holding her shoulder. “Raven! Girl, I didn’t know you were coming here tonight!”

  Rhea widened her eyes, looking at the stranger, almost choking on her drink. Who in the world was this? The woman squeezed her shoulder before releasing her. Then she held her hand out to Martin. “I’m Myra Stubbs. I was in Raven’s book club a year ago. Girl, I’ve been gone for a year, and I didn’t like New Orleans, that’s why I moved back.” She eyed Rhea from head to toe. “Looks like you gained some weight while I was gone!”

  Rhea finally found her voice. It had been years since she’d been mistaken for her sister. “I’m not Raven.”

  Myra frowned, placing her hands on her ample hips. “You’re not?”

  “No, I’m her twin sister, Rhea. Raven never told you she had a twin?”

  Myra shook her head, and then looked away as if she were embarrassed. “I kept in touch with Raven on Facebook when I moved away. We’ve talked on the phone a few times,” she paused and shrugged before gazing at Rhea and then at Martin. “I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner. I really thought you were her.”

  “That’s okay. I’m glad to meet you, Myra.” It had been awhile since she’d met any of her sister’s friends.

  “You too,” Myra said good-bye before sauntering away.

  Martin looked toward Myra. “That was a surprise.”

  Rhea groaned, leaning forward in her chair. She pushed her plate away, losing her appetite. “It was a horrible surprise.”

  “Why?”

  “Ugh, you don’t understand.”

  “Explain it to me.”

  Raven’s irrational attitude and her former delusional attachment to Martin could be an issue for them. Granted, she may be worrying for nothing since Raven’s outlook seemed to have recently changed, but, Rhea would not know for sure until she spoke with Raven. “Myra knows Raven. I’m sure she’ll tell her about seeing us.”

  “So?” He took her hand. “Since I visited Raven in the coffee shop, I haven’t heard from her. So, I’m sure she’s accepted that I wasn’t interested in her.”

  His low, deep voice soothed her worries, as he squeezed her fingers. The waiter returned to get their dessert orders. Martin suggested he bring the check as well as a takeout box for Rhea’s leftovers.

  The hour-long ride home was filled with silence. Rhea thought about her sister’s attitude since she’s last spoken to her. What would happen if she visited her tomorrow, told her all about her dinner date with Martin?

  “Why are you frowning?” Martin’s terse tone made Rhea pause. He gripped the steering wheel, staring at the windshield.

  “Why are you upset?”

  “Because we were having a nice dinner, I finally feel like you’re getting to know more about me. Then Raven’s friend interrupts our meal, and ruins the whole mood. You were comfortable before we were interrupted, and now you’re upset. I didn’t want to end our meal this way.”

  She didn’t want to end their meal like this either, but, it couldn’t be helped. Raven’s change in attitude still puzzled her, and she wouldn’t feel better until she’d spoken to her about her dinner date with Martin. She needed to know if Raven was okay with Rhea’s romantic interest in Martin.

  He took a deep breath. “You told me that your sister thrives at her job. Once she’s back at work, among more people, she’ll probably be okay.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Don’t go looking for trouble. Let’s just wait and see what happens.” Silence filled the vehicle as they sped down the highway.

  When they finally pulled in front of her apartment building, she opened the car door. “I had a great time,” she murmured as she hurried out of the car. She needed to get away from Martin before he attempted to kiss her again. She wanted him to kiss her, but, for some reason, she needed to speak to Raven before she found out about their date. She really needed to visit her twin tomorrow and clear the air. She didn’t even care about honoring Raven’s request to keep her distance. Discussing Martin with her sister wou
ld be important.

  Martin slammed his door, rushing behind her. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead.

  “Are you sure you’re alright?”

  She nodded, just wanting to get away from him as soon as possible. What if he tried to kiss her again? “I really need to talk to Raven first, before I see you again.”

  “Okay, I understand. I think you need to let your sister know that we went out tonight.” He cradled her face, pressed his lips against her cheek. She hurried up the stairs. Without saying good-bye, she slammed the door.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  The next morning, Rhea was barely awake when she heard pounding on her door. Opening her eyes, she put her glasses on and glanced at the clock. Who’d be visiting at 6:00 AM? The thrum of a car motor purred outside. As the thumping continued she pulled on her robe on and ran to the door. She glanced through the peephole.

  It was Raven.

  She opened the door and gazed into the familiar face of her twin. Raven shoved Rhea, stumbling into the house on a pair of crutches. Rhea grabbed Raven’s skinny arm. “Don’t push me. I’m not in a good mood.” She released Raven’s arm, glancing out the kitchen window and spotting a taxi parked at the curb.

  “If you wanted to come and visit, I could have picked you up.”

  “I don’t need a ride this morning! I want answers!”

  Rhea groaned inwardly. Had her dreaded nightmare come true? “Is there something you want to tell me?” She tried to keep her voice calm.

  Raven glared at Rhea before she plopped onto the couch, dropping her crutches to the side, propping her leg on a footstool. “Don’t be acting all innocent with me. Myra called late last night and told me what happened. She said you were with a good-looking guy named Martin and when she described him, I knew she was talking about the same Martin whom I wanted to marry!” As her voice raised, her words ran together, and Rhea struggled to understand her.

  She rubbed her forehead, sitting on the couch beside Raven. Man, she needed a few aspirins, or maybe something stronger to get through this conversation. “Look, Martin and I were out last night. He took me out to celebrate the opening day of my bakery.”

  “A celebratory dinner?” she spat.

  Rhea nodded so hard, she felt like her head would become disconnected from her neck. She needed to ease into this conversation slowly. She’d let Raven know about her attraction to Martin after she’d told her the initial reason why they initially decided to go out. “Yes, a celebratory dinner. Since Martin has been working with Candy and I, our sales have increased almost 40 percent! That’s a big deal since I thought I’d have to close my bakery before the year was over!” She swallowed, took a deep breath. “I was going to visit you today to tell you—”

  Raven held her hand up toward Rhea in a stopping motion, interrupting her. “You can save it, Rhea. You’re guilty, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

  “What do you mean?” Rhea asked in a small voice.

  “What I mean is, you need to cut out the act. Myra told me everything!” She leaned closer to Rhea, until she was right in her face. “Everything! Myra told me that Martin kissed you in the restaurant!” She threw her hands into the air as she continued her tirade. “Tell me, when was the last time you kissed a business associate!” As her voice became louder, tears poured from Raven’s eyes. Rhea stood, walked to the other side of the room. Raven needed some space and she was willing to let her rant for a bit.

  “I was going to tell you about Martin, and that we might be going out, but, you made it clear that you didn’t want to hear from me.” She looked directly into Raven’s eyes. “I thought you were over him from the way you were acting during our last visit.”

  Raven wiped tears from her eyes, bowing her head.

  She swallowed, disgusted with herself. She’d never hurt Raven so deeply. Raven had already been hurt badly enough when they were little, almost losing her life to cancer. She knew her parents had always wanted to make Raven’s life full of as much happiness as possible. However, their overly-caring nature, their sheltering Raven from unpleasantness, had backfired.

  Raven had been spoiled throughout their childhood and had turned wild as a teenager, used to getting her own way. They’d started to second-guess the way they’d raised Raven during her tumultuous teenaged years, always comparing Raven’s wild nature to Rhea’s softer, more obedient personality.

  She had to think of a way to fix things. In spite of last night’s romantic appointment with Martin, she was still unsure about dating him. Going out with him last night had been the first step. She’d wanted to see what would happen between them, and now, Raven was going into a torrid rant and she didn’t know what to do to make her feel better.

  Raven’s whiny voice interrupted her thoughts. “You haven’t kissed any man since Stan died!”

  Rhea closed her eyes. Lord, please help me through this. She knew Jesus would want her to tell the truth. But, could she? Could she tell Raven how she’d been attracted to Martin from the very beginning, back when she first met him at the retreat? Did Raven really need to know that?

  There could be no more secrets between them, so she took a deep breath and decided to tell Raven everything. She told her about the retreat, and of her confusion at first since Martin reminded her of Stan. She also mentioned Martin’s apprehensions about having a relationship since he’d had two broken engagements, and he didn’t consider himself to be a good choice for a husband. As she continued her explanation, Raven’s mood did not get any better, in fact, she cried harder.

  Raven gasped. “If you had never come onto him at the retreat, he’d be dating me right now!”

  Had Raven lost her mind? “I did not come onto him! You blackmailed me into going to that retreat by offering me a loan. If anybody’s to blame, it’s you.” She stood, leaned closer to Raven. “You’re not a Christian, Raven. Martin said he’d only date a Christian woman. He was worried about your soul! You misunderstood what he was doing!”

  Raven screamed, her brown skin reddened and her eyes filled with tears. She slapped Rhea’s cheek, her eyes burning with anger. Rhea cried out, then slapped Raven’s face. She gasped—this was the first time they’d ever hit one another.

  Raven whimpered. “I can’t believe you hit me.”

  “I think it’s time for you to leave.” Rhea balled her hands into fists. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been so angry at her sister.

  Raven struggled to stand but Rhea grabbed her wrist. “Let me go!”

  “Don’t you ever hit me again, Raven!” She released Raven’s wrist before placing her hand over her stinging cheek.

  Raven glared at Rhea, balancing on her crutches. “Martin was attracted to me!” She paused. “He’s only attracted to you because you look like me.”

  Rhea winced. Those same thoughts had echoed through her mind when she first met him. Raven gathered her purse and crutches and walked toward the door. Raven opened the door, looked back at Rhea, tears pouring down her cheeks. “I’m never speaking to you again.” She hobbled into the hallway.

  Rhea slammed the door before dropping onto the couch, cradling her aching forehead. She knew Raven would become unhinged, upset, when she found out about Martin. But, because of her laid-back, stand-offish attitude during their last meeting, she’d held a tiny hope that Rhea’s attraction to Martin wouldn’t bother her so much.

  Looks like she was wrong.

  Now what was she going to do?

  Her hands shook, and her head buzzed. Bright spots danced before her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. “Lord,” her lips quivered as she prayed, “Help me with this anger. I’m so mad that I feel sick. Please help me Lord.” She swallowed, imagining life without her twin. She’d had always been a part of her life. She couldn’t imagine never speaking to her again.

  Her phone vibrated. She opened her eyes, lifted the phone from the table. The call was from Martin.

  She couldn’t speak to him right now. She’d need to
talk to him another time, once she’d calmed down and was in a better mood. She needed to digest what had happened between her and Raven. Was Raven serious? Were they never speaking to each other again?

  Rhea spent the rest of the day in her pajamas, her mind cluttered with thoughts of Martin and Raven. He’d already called her eight times, but she needed to take the day to pray and think.

  Eager to take her mind off all her troubles, she pulled out supplies to bake a chocolate cake.

  Once the delicious smell filled her small kitchen, she felt a little better. She paced her apartment, looking out the window, watching kids playing on the street.

  A new family had moved into the apartment above her, and they had a newborn baby. Rhea could hear the baby crying in the middle of the night, and it interrupted her sleep. She’d been looking for a new place since Leonard needed her apartment later this summer. Oh, how she wanted to move from this small, noisy building and into her own house! She had to save enough funds before she could purchase her own home.

  Thanks to Martin, her bakery would be turning more profit, making it easier for her to afford a more expensive rental. Thoughts of her business brought Martin to mind again. She fantasized about kissing him, being held in his arms. Her breathing deepened, and she closed her eyes, realizing she wanted to do a lot more with Martin than kiss.

  She turned on the TV, trying to get her mind off her troubles. She tried watching a romantic comedy, but she couldn’t concentrate. She sighed, tears rushing to her eyes. Perhaps she shouldn’t see Martin anymore. Maybe her sour mood was the Lord’s way of letting her know that Martin was not the right man for her.

  Should she continue dating Martin if Raven never spoke to her again? Wasn’t it dishonest and manipulative for Raven to place such high stakes on their relationship? Raven never revealed why she’d been so angry. Granted, she’d had a huge crush on Martin, but, she never shared what things in her life she’d been trying to straighten out.