“It’s Baron,” Anna said, swaying on her feet.
Lily made a shooing motion with her hand. “Answer it. I’m not going anywhere.”
Without hesitating, Anna answered the phone. “Hey,” she said. “I’m good. How have you been? It’s been a while. I’m sure you were busy. Where are you? It’s so loud I can barely hear you. Is that a dance club? Who’s Valerie? Oh, okay, sure—call me later.” Anna held the phone to her ear even though Baron disconnected. She stared at someone’s marker scribbles on the stall wall. It read: In Case of Emergency, call Candi. Anna wondered if Candi could heal the sick feeling seeping through every vein, scalding her from the inside. “He’s at a club with someone named Valerie. I heard her laughing in the background. He sounded drunk.” Anna choked and leaned over to put her head between her knees. “I think I’m going to puke.”
“Maybe you’re pregnant too,” Lily said.
Anna popped up so fast she stumbled into the paper towel dispenser and cracked the side of her head. She looked as Lily with eyes so wide all the light from the room pulled toward her and dimmed. A burning October breeze, smelling of brittle leaves and dark earth set afire, wriggled beneath the locked door.
“You’re pregnant?”
Lily nodded, looking as breakable and frightened as a porcelain doll dangling from a second-floor window. Anna pulled her into a hug and held on until Lily relaxed. “Does Jakob know?” she asked.
“No,” Lily said. “I’m terrified to tell him. His mother will likely pull her dyed blonde hair from the roots. She’ll debate whether or not to sew the scarlet letter to my chest. We’re not married. We’re not even engaged. It’s so scandalous.”
Anna shoved her cell phone into her back pocket. “First of all, Hester Prynne was married to another man when she had her affair.”
“Who the hell is Hester Prynne?” Lily said, wiping at her tears.
“The Scarlet Letter. Never mind. Jakob adores you,” Anna said, grabbing toilet paper from a stall and handing it to Lily. “We’re adults, not teenagers any more. So you’re pregnant, so what? It’s a big deal, sure, but it’s not the end of the world. Jakob would marry you in a heartbeat.”
“He’s about to make partner at the firm. If they find out about this, he might not get it,” Lily cried. “They’re so conservative there.”
Anna inhaled slowly. “You’ll have the most beautiful baby. We’ll get you through this and figure out the best time to tell Jakob.” She smiled.
Lily wiped at her eyes and smiled sadly. “Thanks for not reacting like Tessa. She freaked out so badly I puked in her office.”
“You added color. An improvement,” Anna said. “From what I hear the new color is intense.”
Lily grabbed Anna’s arm. “Don’t go in there. It’s blinding. For hours afterward, everywhere I looked was streaked with orange.” She laughed.
“I’m glad you’re not going to punch me and leave me on this floor because I think that gum has been there for at least a month.”
“Longer,” Lily said.
Someone knocked on the door. “Y’all okay?” Tessa asked.
Lily checked her reflection in the mirror and pinched her cheeks for color. She nodded and Anna unlocked the door.
“Just peachy,” Anna said as she opened the door. If peaches were confused and scared and clinging to their best friends so they didn’t drown.
10
Black Sticky Gingerbread
Anna wrapped herself in a quilt and sat cross-legged in the bay window. She cradled a mug of hot chocolate. She’d convinced Eli to sleep in her bed while she took the couch. It was 8:30 a.m., and he was still snoozing away in her comfortable bed. But maybe his sleeping late had more to do with the fact that he’d stayed out until nearly 11 p.m. helping Tessa. Over dinner, Tessa had mentioned wanting to rearrange the furniture in her condo to improve the layout, and Eli had offered to help.
Anna was tucked in on the couch when he’d come home. She’d wanted to ask him about his evening, but he’d seemed out of sorts and exhausted when he finally shuffled through the door. He hadn’t even put up much of an argument about taking the bed from her. He’d said thank you and disappeared into her bedroom.
Anna placed her mug on a book and picked up the contract for the bakery in Wildehaven Beach. She rested it on her knees and flipped through the pages. The contract couldn’t have shown up at a worse time. She knew she should probably move into the Clarke House. At least her mother would be thrilled, but Anna couldn’t forget the bakery or the way the ocean breeze called to her. She leaned forward and exhaled a breath against the windowpane. Then she drew a question mark into the fogged glass.
Anna heard Eli rustling around in the bedroom, his bare feet on the hardwood. She turned to see him step into the living room. His hair stuck out from one side of his head, and he had the sleepy, innocent blue eyes of a little boy. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” she said. The room filled with the lingering scent of sugar and cinnamon.
Eli grinned and pointed to the window. “What’s the question of the day?” he asked.
Anna flapped the contract in the air. “How to break the news to Mr. Cornfoot that I won’t be buying the bakery from him.”
Eli frowned and moved a few books so he could sit next to her in the bay window. “You’re giving up on Wildehaven Beach?”
Anna exhaled and fogged up the corner of the windowpane. She drew a frowny face. “I’m not giving up. I’m doing what’s right.”
“Right for you? Or for everyone else?” He picked up her mug and sipped her hot chocolate.
“I put in an offer on the Clarke House. I’m going to buy it. It’s a great house.” She looked at him and resisted the urge to reach out and pat down his wild hair. “But I want to do both. I want to live in the Clarke House in Wildehaven Beach.”
Eli finished her drink. “You want more?” She shook her head. He walked into the kitchen and refilled the mug for himself. “Why don’t you call Lily and drive to the beach. Take another look at it. Make sure you really don’t want it anymore.”
Anna uncrossed her legs and stood. “I like that idea. We have the day off and no plans.” She folded the quilt and draped it over the chair. Then she grabbed her cell phone and called Lily. After a short conversation, she hung up and frowned. “She doesn’t feel well today. Would you want to go with me?”
Eli smiled. “Love to.” He caught his reflection in the oval mirror in the kitchen. “Whoa, look at my hair. Looks like I had a rough night.” His laughter filled the apartment, and Anna felt the walls swell.
“How was your night?” she asked, chuckling as he tried to smooth down the unruly side of his head.
Eli stopped laughing and rubbed the back of his neck. He stared at the magnetic poetry words on the refrigerator and shuffled them around. “It was okay. We moved her stuff.”
“Until eleven p.m.? Did you rearrange her entire house?” Anna asked, still smiling.
Eli cleared his throat and shrugged. “Not really. We hung out for a while, and then I came home.” He finished his mug of cocoa and put the mug in the sink. “I’m gonna jump in the shower, and then I’ll be ready.” Eli passed her, and Anna caught a whiff of overdone cookies.
When she heard the shower turn on, Anna walked to the refrigerator. Eli’s short sentence read, I want to believe but I want cake.
˜˜˜˜
Wildehaven Beach was approximately an hour-and-a-half trip down a two-lane highway. Anna wanted to cook a quick breakfast before they left, but Eli suggested they stock up on random convenient store snacks for their road trip. Anna wasn’t sure she wanted junk food for breakfast, but Eli convinced her it would be an adventure. After sharing a large bag of Doritos, a Snickers, a bottle of Coca-Cola, and Skittles, Anna and Eli were singing at the top of their lungs, and it felt good to let go of all the stress for a while. During breaks from singing, they talked about places they’d like to visit, their favorite foods, and movies they wished they’d starred in. Eli’s a
nswers didn’t exactly match Anna’s, and rather than finding the information disturbing, she felt comforted by the fact that Eli was becoming his own man.
Anna parked behind the bakery, and they followed the sidewalk until it connected with the boardwalk. The breeze off the ocean was chilly, and Anna zipped her jacket. She and Eli stepped onto the boardwalk, and instead of going straight to the bakery, they walked toward the water. An older man tossed a bright green tennis ball to his golden retriever, while a young woman jogged down the beach. Otherwise, the beach was deserted. Gulls soared through the air like feathered kites and skittered across the wet sand, dodging the waves lumbering in. Farther out, a group of brown pelicans undulated over the gentle waves like toy boats in a bathtub.
Anna untied her shoes, stuffed her socks in her jacket pocket and rolled up her jeans. Then she bounced into the cold sand. It squished in between her toes, and she shivered. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the smell of the ocean, all fresh, salty air and new possibilities.
“Last one to the water has to drink chunky buttermilk,” Eli challenged.
Before she could open her eyes, he was already sprinting for the wet sand. Anna yelled, “Cheater!” But she laughed and followed him, pumping her arms like a steam engine and closing the distance between them. Eli reached the water first and kicked a spray of water in her direction.
“You’re faster than I imagined,” he said, bending over and sucking in cool air. “The intense expression on your face is intimidating.”
Anna kicked water at him and smiled. “High school track team,” she said. She pointed at his legs. “Slim chance of winning when I’m racing against those mile-long legs.” She laughed and dodged a kick of water. “You cheated, so I’m not drinking chunky buttermilk.”
Eli laughed. Then he turned and looked in the direction of the boardwalk. “Which one is it?” he asked.
Anna stood beside him, breathing in the scent that was purely his. She pointed straight ahead. “The one there on the end with the blue and white awning. Aren’t the windows gorgeous? There’s so much light all day, but he used heat-reflecting windows to keep out the summer heat.”
Eli used his toe and wrote in the sand. Anna followed behind him, reading his words until the entire sentence was complete: This could be yours. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the boardwalk.
“Let’s go have a look. You can meet Mr. Cornfoot and his wife.”
They washed sand from their feet in the freezing cold water from the tap at the end of the boardwalk. Anna jumped around and complained of the cold until her feet were nestled back in her socks and shoes. She smelled warm chocolate chip cookies before she even opened the bakery’s door. Warm air rolled out to greet them, and Mr. Cornfoot popped his head out from the kitchen. His weathered face stretched into a smile.
Timothy Cornfoot was tall and still lithe from years of playing tennis. His hair was nearly white with slight undertones of the dark brown he wore in his younger days. His eyes were dark and inviting, reminding Anna of smooth dark chocolate. “Anna,” he said, wiping his hands on his apron. “This is a surprise.”
“I had the day off today, so I thought I’d visit,” she said. “It smells so good in here.” She walked to the display cases and smiled. She tapped the glass with her fingertip. “Mr. Cornfoot makes the best cream-filled donuts I’ve ever had.” She debated asking for one, but she was still full of Doritos and chocolate. “I received the contract in the mail. Everything looks in order.”
Mr. Cornfoot nodded. “Can I get you two anything?” He held out his hand toward Eli. “I’m Timothy Cornfoot. I have coffee or hot chocolate, and Mel is pulling a coffee cake out of the oven right now if you’d like a piece.”
Eli shook his hand and introduced himself. “I work with Anna in Mystic Water. I’m her assistant, and I’d love coffee and cake.”
“He’s more than an assistant. He can do everything I can,” Anna said. “Hot chocolate, please.” While Mr. Cornfoot prepared two mugs, Anna looked at Eli and shook her head. “How can you possibly be hungry?”
“I never turn down an opportunity to eat,” he said.
“Are you coming to Wildehaven Beach with Anna?” Mr. Cornfoot asked. “If she accepts the offer.”
Eli glanced quickly at Anna, and her lips parted as if she might say, Of course he is or Only if he wants to or Where else would he go? or Please, but they were spared from answering because Mrs. Cornfoot stepped out of the kitchen with a coffee Bundt cake on a mint green cake plate. The room filled with the smells of warm vanilla cake, cinnamon, and walnuts.
“Who wants cake?” she asked. Melanie Cornfoot was a beautiful woman in her late ’60s. Her hair fell past her shoulders, salt and pepper, and Anna thought she resembled Emmylou Harris. “Well, hello there. I’m Mel Cornfoot,” she said to Eli. As Eli introduced himself, Mel cut two pieces of cake. “Anna brought reinforcements.” She smiled at her husband. “How did the contract look?”
Anna thanked Mel for the slice of cake even though she didn’t have an ounce of space left in her stomach after the road trip snacking. Eli took a bite and closed his eyes. “This is amazing,” he said. “Don’t suppose you’re going to leave behind your recipes?”
Mel ushered everyone to a table. “Of course they’re included. I won’t have time to make cake while Timothy and I are globetrotting. I’m planning on people making cake for me.” She patted Timothy’s thigh and smiled.
“The contract looked great,” Anna said. “Just as you said it would.” Anna cut her fork into the cake but didn’t make an attempt to eat the small piece.
“But you’re having doubts?” Mel asked her.
Anna’s head popped up. “No,” she said immediately. Then she exhaled. “Not really.” She looked at Eli for help, but he continued eating. “It’s complicated. I really do love it here. It’s a big decision, and I’m weighing all the pros and cons.”
“Good girl,” Mel said. “You need to do what’s best for you. Timothy and I would love to have you take over our place here. But if it’s not right for you, then it will be right for someone else. Think it over. Consult your friends.” She tilted her head toward Eli. “You look like a smart fellow. Did I hear you say you work with Anna? Want me to show you around the place, and you can give Anna your expert opinion?”
Eli grabbed his empty plate and stood. “I’m right behind you.”
Anna heard Mel describing their top-of-the-line appliances. The kitchen had been completely updated two years ago, and it was amazing. The industrial-size mixer alone was enough to tempt Anna to buy the place. She could make so many batches of her goods at once. It would cut her preparation time in half, if not more. Anna looked out the window at the white-capped waves rolling onto the shore. The bakery wasn’t the only thing she loved about Wildehaven Beach. She could smell the ocean amid the bakery scents. It settled around her like handfuls of thrown glitter, and her shoulders relaxed.
“I’ll miss this place,” Timothy said. “But it’s time I kept my promise to Mel and showed her the world. We’ve been happy here, but I’m ready for a new adventure myself.”
“Me too,” Anna said honestly. She looked toward the kitchen just as Mel and Eli returned from the backroom.
“I’m sold,” Eli said with a huge grin, and Mel laughed. “Anna, you would fit in that mixer.”
“You two should enjoy the sun today. Take a walk. Take him to Tucker’s Pier,” Timothy said. “Mel, why don’t you pack them a bag of treats to go?”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Anna said. She carried her plate toward the kitchen.
“Nonsense,” Mel said as she slid open the display cases. “Eli, come over here and tell me your favorites.” He bounded over, and they whispered among themselves as the to-go bag grew fatter and fatter.
Anna thanked Timothy and Mel for the treats, and she and Eli stepped outside into the cool October air. The sun warmed her cheeks, and she exhaled a restful sigh. Would every day feel like this one—perfect
and peaceful?
“Timothy and Mel are great,” Eli said as he strolled toward the beach. He shifted the bag to his other arm.
“Aren’t they?” Anna asked. “You know I can’t resist a bakery, so I wandered in one day, and we talked for hours. Before I knew it, Mel had me in the kitchen whipping up brownies, and we had the best time. I missed lunch with my parents that day, and my mom scolded me for working on my vacation. But it’s not like work to me,” Anna said and smiled at the memory. She untied her shoes, and Eli passed her the bag while he took off his shoes. “Whoa, this thing feels like a bowling ball. If we eat all of this, we’ll end up in a sugar coma.”
“Is that a challenge?” Eli smirked.
˜˜˜˜
The return trip to Mystic Water felt as though time folded in half, and before Anna knew it, they were home. She groaned as she hauled herself from the front seat. The sun crept low on the horizon, and deep blues painted the sky. The first of the evening stars twinkled. Anna shivered as she jingled her keys around in order to find the one to her apartment.
“I can’t believe we ate all that,” she whined. “I feel like I have the shakes.”
“I can’t believe you ate three donuts. I thought you were pushing it with the second one, but when you went for the third, I knew it was bad news,” Eli laughed. “I bet you’d bleed sugar right now.”
Anna glared at him. “This is all your fault. You taunted me with them. All the oohs and aahs. I had to test them.”
“Testing would require a bite, not the entire pastry,” he said.
“Do you want to sleep outside tonight? Maybe a little frostbite will do you some good.”
Eli laughed and followed Anna inside. They shut the door as quickly as possible to cut off the freezing air that tried to follow in behind them. Anna turned up the thermostat, and the heat clicked on. Her cell phone rang, and she rustled around in her bag until she found it.
“Hey, Tessa,” she said. “I haven’t checked my messages yet. We went for a drive today. Wildehaven Beach.” Anna looked up at Eli. “Tessa says hello.” Eli rubbed the back of his neck and stared into the kitchen. Anna took a step toward him and poked her finger into his bicep. Still he didn’t look at her. “What? Why?” Anna asked. Then, she walked into her bedroom. “Okay, I’m in my room. No, he’s in the kitchen. Why are you whispering?”
The Baker's Man Page 10
