The shock of Lily’s statement halted Anna’s sadness. “Would you want this place?”
“With Jakob? Of course. Who wouldn’t want this house?”
“I’ll let you have it, but only if you promise to deck it out in lights during the holidays and give out caramel apples at Halloween,” Anna said.
“Jakob would have to be in charge of the lights. This time next year I’ll have a baby to worry over,” Lily said and glanced out the window. “That sounds so weird.”
“I’m guessing you haven’t told him?” Anna asked.
Lily shook her head. She toyed with one of her curls, wrapping and unwrapping it around her finger. “He’s supposed to know this week if he makes partner or not. I’m waiting for the best time to tell him. I don’t want to jeopardize his promotion. He’ll want to tell his parents, and once his mother knows, I suspect the news will spread faster than wildfire.”
Anna wrapped up the rest of her sandwich. “Are you afraid of how he will react?”
“A little,” Lily said. “I’m hoping he’ll be excited because I’m completely freaked out.”
Anna reached over and gave Lily’s knee a squeeze. “He does love you, Lily. You know he wants kids.”
“But we’re not married. You know how old timey this town is,” Lily said. “You think people will treat me differently?” Her watery eyes revealed her fears.
“What people? Stupid people? Hypocrites? Those people don’t count. Only the people who know and love you matter. Think of the awesome sweets we’ll have at your baby shower.” Anna walked to the hall closet and dragged down two quilts. “Finish your sandwich, and let’s wrap up and sit in the tower room. I think it’s time for chocolate.”
˜˜˜˜
Anna and Lily curled on the floor of the dark tower room wrapped in quilts that smelled like cedar. Lily had brought hot chocolate and travel mugs so they wouldn’t have to use any of Mrs. Clarke’s dishes. They sipped in silence for a while and stared out the long windows at the distant city lights. Stars appeared and disappeared as clouds rode the winds across the sky.
“Are you still in love with Baron?” Lily asked.
Anna cupped her mug with both hands and stared at the lid. “I’ve wondered that a lot recently. How could I have feelings for someone else if I was in love with Baron?” Anna said. “But I don’t think this just has to do with Eli. Even without Eli, Baron would still be leaving me for California. It hurts, but I think I’m more hurt from the disappointment. I love Baron, and I miss him, but I think the time when we were in love has passed—if it ever existed.” She pushed her auburn hair behind her shoulders. “He proved how he feels by not including me in his future.”
“And Eli? Are you in love with him?”
Anna’s heart squeezed, and she held her breath. “Tessa has feelings for Eli.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Anna looked at Lily and smiled wearily. “You have always been the one to drag everything out of me—never satisfied with my avoidance tactics.” Anna glanced up at the stars. “It’s possible I’m in love with him. Not that it matters now. He’s chosen Tessa. But when I’m around him, I forget everything else. He gives me peace, and I don’t want him to go. When I think of him leaving, I feel like someone is splitting me in half. But what if that’s the magic?”
“What if it’s not?” Lily asked.
“How would I ever know if it was real?”
“Does it feel real?” Lily asked. Anna nodded. “That’s all that matters. You never talked about Baron the way you’re talking about Eli.”
Anna rubbed her hands down her face. She wanted to take a twenty-year nap and wake up to find her life was settled and there were no decisions to be made.
“We’re a sad little pair, aren’t we?” Lily bumped her shoulder into Anna’s.
Anna leaned her head on Lily’s shoulder. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“Tell him,” Lily said. When Anna started to protest, Lily continued, “I know Tessa likes him a lot, but you’re in love with him, and I’m pretty sure if he knew, he’d pick you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. The whole town has.”
“Tessa would hate me,” Anna said. “She’ll think I’m trying to steal every man she likes.”
“We had no idea she liked Baron,” Lily said. “And Baron chose you. Give Eli the option. Maybe he’ll choose Tessa. At least he’ll know how you feel.”
What would Eli choosing Tessa instead of her feel like? Would her heart stop beating? Would she feel released from the magic? Anna sighed and finished her hot chocolate. “I’ll tell Eli when you tell Jakob. Deal?”
“Deal,” Lily said. “We’ll tell them at the festival. That gives me less than five days to prepare myself for the freefall.”
12
Spice-Kissed Pumpkin Pie
At a quarter until midnight on Thursday night, Linda Ronstadt blasted from the radio in the bakery’s kitchen. Anna pony danced around the island, moving her arms like a swimmer and tossing her hair around. She pointed at a pumpkin pie that refused to set up correctly and sang loudly, accusing the pie of being no good.
“Those are some strong words for a pie,” Eli said with a huge grin on his face.
Anna gasped and clutched a hand to her chest. “You scared the beejeebies outta me,” she said, rushing to turn down the radio’s volume. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I don’t think you would have heard a bomb going off,” he said, walking over to her pie. He poked his finger into the custard, and it sunk straight through to the pie pan. “You’re right. This pie isn’t good.” He licked his finger. “Tastes good if you like sweet pumpkin soup.”
Anna shoved stray hair from her face, leaving streaks of flour on her forehead. She grabbed the recipe and hopped onto the island. She scanned the ingredients and frowned. “I added too many eggs. I don’t think I’ve ever made that mistake,” she said. “I’ll start over in a few minutes.” Now that she was sitting down, fatigue made her limbs heavy and her eyelids droop.
“You need to go to bed,” he said, sidling over to her. “It’s almost midnight. I can make the pie while you get cleaned up.”
Anna glanced at the clock. Where had all the hours gone? “You’ve been up as long as I have. It won’t take long—another hour tops.” She slid off the counter and yawned. “How was the movie with Tessa?” Anna had spent a few hours wondering what going to the movies with Eli would be like. Would he share the popcorn? Would they make space for both of their elbows on the armrest? Would he hold her hand? While making a dark chocolate tart, she’d even imagined she and Eli at a drive-in movie cuddled up next to each other watching an action-adventure movie. Never mind the fact that she hadn’t been to a drive-in movie since she was six, and there wasn’t a drive-in theater within fifty miles.
“It was a chick flick. Tessa cried twice, and I ate a large popcorn by myself.” Eli grabbed her arms and made her look at him. “Go to bed,” he said. Then he pulled her into a hug. “You’re wiped.”
Anna sagged into him like a baby doll. He smelled like he’d been on a date, like movie popcorn and melting M&Ms. She pressed her cheek into his chest and exhaled. “And the pie?” she mumbled into his T-shirt.
“I’ll make it.” he said. He let go and turned her around, pushing her toward the staircase. “I don’t want to see you again for a few hours at least.”
She smiled sleepily over her shoulder. “I want to argue, but I’m too tired. Good night and thank you.”
“Sweet dreams,” he said, and she dragged herself up the staircase. Tomorrow, the circus of baking would start all over again.
˜˜˜˜
Anna showered and changed into her pajamas, and Eli was still downstairs in the bakery. She wasn’t quite ready to fall asleep—not when he was still working—so she reached for Grandma Bea’s letters. Anna closed the door all but a crack wide enough so she could hear when Eli came to bed. Then she flipped off her main light, turned on the lamp, and crawled be
neath the covers.
December 5
For three days, the shop was a ghost town. The bakery might as well have been a sinkhole the way people seemed to avoid it while walking through town. At night, Joe and I would toss out the goods that were only fresh for a day, and we saved the items we could resale. The third night of tossing out my baked goods, I stood over the trashcan and cried. That’s where Joe found me.
I told him I didn’t know why people weren’t coming anymore.
He said we’d know soon enough, and someone knocked on the front door as if in response to his words.
My good friend Mary Margaret knocked again, and I unlocked the door. She and I stood in the darkened front room like fugitives. She spoke in whispers and eased, inch by inch, away from the windows until we were standing behind the counter.
She explained that Mildred told the entire town I stole her boyfriend. She’d filled everyone’s head with lies. Mary Margaret apologized for not coming by sooner, but she said Mildred had kept her hawk eyes on her. Evidently the whole town was on edge because of the wildness they saw in Mildred’s eyes. As soon as Mildred left a town meeting the previous night, all the bushes around City Hall had caught fire.
I was indignant. I told Mary Margaret I hadn’t stolen Joe. Joe had chosen me.
Mary Margaret understood. She said she believed me because it didn’t make sense for Joe to have been Mildred’s boyfriend when no one had ever seen him before until they saw him in the bakery. She also said she and Mildred had gotten into a big argument because Mildred told her a cockamamie story about me making Joe out of dough like a common witch. Mary Margaret admitted that she feared Mildred was losing her mind. Then she had checked her watch, knowing we both were aware there was no way she could see the watch face in the darkness. She said she needed to go and that I should keep hope that people would return.
Mary Margaret pulled open the door and looked both ways before she rushed out of the bakery. Resentment flared in me like a gas burner. My apologies had fallen on deaf ears. Mildred not only rejected my friendship, but she had infected the town with her bitterness and rage. She had pushed past personal and had chosen to destroy my business.
Joe was cleaning off the countertops when I returned to the backroom. He looked up at me and gave me his most gentle smile. Up until that moment, I had not truly appreciated his support, his constant companionship. He had never once told me to snap out of my gloomy state, never once told me to get over losing Mildred’s friendship for reasons he could not understand. Now when my hometown turned its back on me, he offered me a smile that said, “I’m here.”
I told him we were entering a war, and if it took me all night, I would bake sweets that would draw the town to me like bears to honey. Mildred wouldn’t beat me.
Joe grinned, and for the first time, I saw mischief flicker in his green eyes. He said he wouldn’t let Mildred beat me either.
We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning baking, icing, mixing, and molding. Sparks flew from the ovens. The scents of chocolate and vanilla filled the air with a pink haze, slipped beneath the doors, and lights flickered on all over town. Sugary smells, warm, sticky, and sweet, floated from the kitchen and coated everything like a fine dusting of powdered sugar. Cupcakes sparkled on colorful cake plates, and cookies filled the display window like smiling faces.
Before we could unlock the door at seven a.m., a line had already formed. At least half the town rushed in with eager eyes and watering mouths. By noon, we had nearly sold out of everything. People bought faster than we could replenish our stock. Joe and I stood behind the counter, and I reached over and slid my hand into his. He gave my hand a squeeze, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
˜˜˜˜
Friday was ordered pandemonium—if there was such a thing. Running the bakery during usual hours and trying to make last minute preparations for the festival left Anna feeling like she was trapped inside a spinning top. She hadn’t sat down all day, and without Eli’s badgering, she wouldn’t have eaten either.
Anna crossed the last baked good—blueberry muffins—off the list and smiled. She bounced into the front room and lifted her arms over her head like a cheerleader at a pep rally.
“We’re done!” she said.
Eli looked up from the boxes he was packing for tomorrow. He’d labeled all the boxes according to what each contained and where it would be placed in the booth or at the auction. He smiled at her. “Way to go,” he said. “This is my last box, and we can call it a night. We can celebrate the fact we’re going to bed before midnight.”
Anna looked out the windows. “What time is it?” When had night fallen? White string lights stretched across the fronts of the downtown buildings. Gas lamps flickered, lighting the path of the festival’s layout. Colorful tents had already been assembled and lined along the street. Anna could just make out the outline of the live music stage.
“It’s after eight,” Eli said.
Anna walked to the front windows. Lights twinkled, and maple leaves tumbled across the tops of the tents. Tomorrow Mystic Water would become a colorful riot of music, crafts, foods, and activities.
“You’re going to love the festival,” Anna said. “It’s one of the best times to be in Mystic Water.”
Eli folded the flaps on the last box and stretched his back. Then he walked over and stood beside her. “Want to order pizza and watch TV until we start drooling?”
Anna’s heart fluttered. Yes! “You’re not going out?” In Anna’s mind, she expected Tessa to want to be with Eli every evening when he wasn’t working because that’s what she would have wanted.
“I’m exhausted. I’d rather be a bum on your couch.”
Anna smiled at him and leaned her head against his bicep for a moment. “We have to set an alarm before we start eating. I have a feeling that once we fill up on pizza, we’re going to fade fast.”
Eli chuckled. “You’re in charge of the alarm. I’ll be in charge of the pizza. Let’s close this place down.”
˜˜˜˜
Eli ordered pizza, and Anna filled the claw foot tub with water and lavender-scented bubble bath. When she eased into the water, the bubbles rose to her ears, and she draped her hair over the lip of the tub and sighed. Anna closed her eyes and soaked for a few minutes before she dried her hands and reached for one of Grandma Bea’s last letters.
December 24
Today Joe brought home a guitar. He saw it in the pawn store window during his afternoon walk, and he said he felt lured in by the music he heard in his head. I laughed when he sat down at the kitchen table and tuned the strings. He hummed and twisted the knobs until each string sounded perfect.
I busied myself tossing dirty aprons and towels into the washing machine, but when Joe started strumming his fingers across the strings, I stopped, bent over with my hands hovering above the dirty laundry. I straightened slowly and walked into the kitchen.
Joe whistled and played a song I’d never heard before. He looked up at me, grinned, and made up words about me and the bakery. I asked him how he knew how to play the guitar because I don’t have one musical bone in my body, and he shrugged. Said he felt it.
My skin felt shivery as I realized that Joseph O’Brien was becoming his own man with his own talents and his own ideas. And still he loved me. That was something to smile about.
13
Passion Fruit Torte
Anna had rented two large blue tents housing long tables in the front and extra tables in the back used for storing the product not on immediate display. Cupcakes spun on the whimsical arms of holders shaped like trees. Pies sat in neat rows and summoned people over with their buttery, flaky crusts. Pairs of cookies wrapped in plastic bags tied with aqua ribbons lined the fronts of the tables. Eli hung a nylon sign announcing the name of the bakery, and it draped across the top of both tents.
Anna hugged her arms around her chest and bounced on her toes. “I think that’s everything. People should start piling in here within half a
n hour.” She reached for her hot chocolate and drank. It spread warmth throughout her chest and traveled to her fingers and toes.
A cold north wind rushed down the streets. Anna’s knitted scarf flew into her face, and the sign flapped wildly before Eli could tie it down tightly. Grandma Beatrice had always said a north wind was a bad omen. It foretold coming storms, disaster, and sometimes violence. Anna shivered.
Eli stepped off the ladder and folded it. He grabbed his coffee. “You think the cold will keep people away?”
“Not the people in this town,” Anna said. “I don’t think a snow storm could keep them out.”
Hours later, the downtown streets of Mystic Water were alive and packed full of people bundled in scarves, hats, and mittens. Steam rose from cups of coffee, hot chocolate, mulled cider, and buttered rum. Big band music swelled from the stage, and Anna bopped her hips to the rhythm. Vendors sold bratwursts, giant turkey legs, and kettle corn. Funnel cakes filled the air with the smell of hot vanilla, and blue and pink swirls of cotton candy bounced above heads like edible balloons. People walked by eating corndogs, grilled cheese sandwiches folded in wax paper, and french fries in brown paper sacks dotted with grease.
Anna brought out cookies and brownies to replace the dwindling supplies, and she refilled the cupcake stands. “We’ve sold more than half of our supply,” she told Eli. “If sales keep up at this rate, we’ll have to close down before the festival ends.”
“We can enjoy the rest of the night,” Eli said.
“My thoughts exactly.” She smiled at him.
Three young women giggled their way over to Anna. They cupped mugs of steaming hot chocolate, and happiness bubbled inside them, making their cheeks rosy and their smiles wide. She didn’t recognize them as bakery regulars.
“Hey, y’all,” Anna said. “See anything you like?”
The bright, red-haired woman glanced over the offerings. “We’re from out of town—road trip! And everyone keeps telling us we have to come and buy something from your booth. They swear your stuff is magical. I’m looking for a cure. I ate too many nachos—”
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