Shades Of Chocolate (The Bakery Romance Series Book 2)

by Cecelia Dowdy

  *

  Toni gestured toward the sitting area, choosing a table in the corner. She should probably have this conversation in her office. But she just didn’t feel comfortable being alone with her cousin. Eva’s skinny arms shook, and her eyes shimmered. She looked stoned, and it would probably be best if they had this conversation another time.

  But Toni didn’t want to do that. No way did she want to make an appointment to see Eva later. She eyed Hank. He sat at a table, his arms folded. He didn’t appear to be upset like Eva. Why couldn’t he learn to control his wife?

  Toni closed her eyes for a few seconds, recalling the prank phone calls she’d received. Was it possible that Eva and Hank had been making those phone calls? She opened her eyes and caught Eva openly staring at her. “Eva, what do you want?” She didn’t want to waste time with formalities. She just wanted to get to the bottom of this visit and send Eva and Hank away.

  Eva leaned toward her. “I wanted to know if you could float me a loan.”

  Was she kidding? No way was she loaning her any money. “A loan for what?” Hank had won the lottery five years ago, and since then, Toni had not heard from Eva. It’d been a big deal when Hank had won. They’d done an interview with him in the local paper, and they’d supposedly moved out of town. Toni had been relieved when they’d disappeared.

  “Hank and I have gone through all the lottery money. We’re broke, and we haven’t been able to find any work.”

  Toni mentally sighed. Who’d hire Eva if she were strung out? She glanced at Hank. He patiently waited. From first appearances, it appeared Hank would have a better chance of landing a job.

  If she loaned Eva money, she highly doubted she’d pay her back. Besides, she just didn’t have extra funds right now. “I can’t help you. I don’t have any money to spare.”

  “You ain’t struggling.” Eva’s voice hardened. Her eyes swept the bakery, her skinny arms shaking. “This all should’ve been mine in the first place, and you just stole it from me! Kissing up to my parents! You probably were acting all nice and sweet toward them just so they could leave you this bakery when they died.”

  This woman was insane. She couldn’t stand the way Eva talked about her aunt and uncle. Toni stood, desperately wanting to bring this meeting to an end. Eva stood also. Her eyes filled with malice and hatred. She leaned toward Toni. “You owe me, cousin, and you know it. If you don’t loan me the money, you’ll be sorry.”

  Toni leaned closer to Eva. She wanted her cousin to know that she couldn’t threaten her and get away with it. “I said no. I want you to get out of my bakery now.”

  Eva screamed and slammed her fist into Toni’s face, cursing. Toni balled her hands into fists, and Jason and Hank ran toward them.

  Jason grabbed Eva’s flailing arms, restraining her arms behind her back. “You need to leave, or I’m calling the police.”

  She writhed, her muscles in her arms flexing. She seemed surprisingly strong.

  Hank stomped over to Eva and grabbed her arm, gesturing for Jason to release her. Jason did so, but stayed right beside her in case she attacked Toni again. “Let’s go. We can finish this later.” He mumbled, chewing his wad of gum, dragging Eva from the bakery. He gestured toward Eva, his eyes surprisingly kind. “Sorry, she’s high,” he mumbled. Jason kept his eyes on them. They got into a small, broken down car with busted windows and drove away, spitting gravel from the worn-out tires.

  Chapter 14

  Taking charge, he took Toni’s hand, led her into her office. He pulled her chair out. “Would you mind sitting down for a minute? We need to talk.” Her eyes still sparked with anger, and a bruise formed on her cheek. He touched her face. “She really slugged you.”

  “Eva makes me so mad.” Her hands shook as she settled into the chair. He needed to calm her down.

  “Let me get you some ice.” He placed some ice into a plastic bag, wrapped a towel around it, pressed it to her face. She held the ice, closing her eyes.

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  He waited for her to explain what had just happened. When Toni remained silent, he figured he needed to start the conversation. “Looks like Eva is a drug addict.”

  Her eyes popped open. “Yes. It’s awful. She’s been in so much trouble. That’s why my aunt and uncle refused to leave her the bakery. She’s always hated that I inherited it.”

  There was no way Eva would’ve been able to run a bakery if she had a drug problem. “So she probably would’ve sold the bakery if she’d inherited it?”

  Toni nodded, again closing her eyes. “Sold it and used the money for some kind of mess. Hank can be so stupid. Why did he bring her in here if she was high?”

  Jason shrugged. “Maybe he has a hard time reasoning with her when she’s like that. If he had not agreed to the visit, she may have come by herself, and he wanted to avoid that. Did you hear what he said before they left?”

  Toni slowly shook her head. “I was so upset that I could barely see straight.”

  “He said, ‘We can finish this later.’ Do you know what he’s talking about?”

  “He might be talking about the loan, I’m not sure. Eva came here to talk to me about loaning them money. Now that their lottery winnings are gone, they’re broke.”

  “So they’ve been living off their winnings for a few years?”

  She nodded.

  Jason whistled under his breath. “They must’ve won a lot of cash.”

  “They did. It was a few million dollars. But I’ve heard of this happening to lottery winners. After they hit the jackpot, they go through their winnings in a few years, and before they know it, they’re broke.”

  Consumed with worry, Jason studied Toni. “We need to let the police know about this. It’s possible that Eva or Hank has been making those prank calls.”

  She barely nodded. “I wish I could just go lie down.” There were dark circles under her eyes. She looked beat, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms, kiss her, and let her know that everything would be okay. He pushed his feelings aside.

  “Have you been taking those sleeping pills you got from the drug store?”

  She shook her head. “I tried to take them one night, but I was so tired the next morning, I could barely get out of bed. I’ve been taking a nap after work, trying to get some extra hours of sleep since I can’t always fall asleep at night.”

  He checked the time. The bakery would be closing in a couple of hours. He doubted Eva and Hank would return, but if they did, he didn’t want Toni in the bakery. “Why don’t you go upstairs and take a nap. I’ll come upstairs and get you so that you can lock up after closing.”

  “I feel so bad leaving you down here by yourself.” She chewed her lower lip, her brow puckered with worry. She stood up, leaning against the wall.

  “I don’t mind.” Goodness, he wanted to hold her so bad. Unable to resist, he approached her, took her into his arms, and she melted into his embrace. She dropped her ice on the desk, and her head rested on his chest. Before he could stop himself, he kissed her forehead, and she pulled away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay. I think both of us are just a little overwhelmed from Eva’s visit.”

  Was she implying that his kiss didn’t mean anything? He knew he couldn’t get emotionally involved with anybody right now. But he still wondered if she had any feelings for him. Now wasn’t the time to talk about that. He needed to make sure she calmed down, went to bed and had a nap. She opened her desk drawer and removed a gold key. “This is Cathy’s key to the shop. I think you should keep it until she gets back.”

  “How is Cathy doing?”

  “I talked to her recently. She’s thinking about not returning to Blue Spring. She likes staying with her family. Her daughter and son-in-law are still recuperating, and once they’re better, they offered to have Cathy stay with them permanently.”

  He didn’t know what to say about that. He didn’t think he be
longed here in Blue Spring indefinitely. He supposed Toni could hire somebody to take his place once he left, but the thought of somebody else working here just didn’t sound right.

  She took his hand, pressed the key into his palm with her warm fingers. He squeezed her hand, accepting the key.

  Chapter 15

  Cursing, Eva drove the rusted car into the lot of their trailer home. She got out and slammed the door, clutching the hot dogs and buns she’d shoplifted from the supermarket. She had not gotten caught – so far.

  Smoke filled the air. Taking a deep breath, she ran to the small, overgrown yard in the back of the trailer. Hank huddled over the barbeque grill, staring at the fire he’d started. She cursed again, smacking him on the neck.

  Her heart jumped when he grabbed her arm, squeezed so hard that she yelped, tears coming to her eyes. “Hank, you’re hurting me.”

  “Hit me again and I’ll knock you so hard you won’t know what hit you.”

  She shrieked, screaming, throwing the plastic grocery bag onto the grass. “You know I wanted to start the fire!”

  She’d emphatically told him to wait for her to return before starting the blaze. Could it have hurt for him to wait a few more minutes?

  He stomped over to her, his dark eyes blazing with anger. “Last time you started the fire, you didn’t do it in the barbeque grill. You did it in the yard. If I didn’t put it out myself, I swear the fire department would’ve sent somebody out here. We’re supposed to be hiding, remember?”

  She grunted, slumped onto the ground while Hank continued to monitor the fire, waiting for the coals to turn white. She’d been aching to start a fire all day. Ever since things had gotten bad for them, nothing seemed to relieve her pain unless she was burning something. She lit a cigarette, taking a huge drag, finding little comfort from the nicotine.

  Since they’d gone through their lottery winnings, lost all their possessions, Hank had contacted an old friend of his. Hank’s friend had allowed them to live in this godforsaken trailer until they figured out what to do. Approaching Toni had been their last resort. Now she didn’t know what they were going to do to survive. She’d shoplifted, stolen money, even prostituted herself so that they could get some cash. Hank did absolutely nothing but glare at her all day and drink cheap booze.

  Their lives were a mess, and she couldn’t imagine things getting any better. She finished her cigarette, eyed Hank while he placed the dogs on the grill. The scent of cooking meat surrounded them, making her mouth water. She hadn’t eaten all day, and a good dinner would probably help her foul mood.

  Later Hank shoved a plate of hotdogs at her, and she gobbled them down, licking juice from her fingers. As the smoke curled from the barbeque grill, she vowed she’d do whatever it took to make her cousin sorry for the way she’d treated her.

  Chapter 16

  Jason opened Mrs. Dukes’s creaky screen door, stepped out onto her large, wraparound porch. Holding a cup of coffee, he eased into the rocking chair.

  It was six o’clock on Sunday morning. He needed some time to sit, think, and reflect before he made an important phone call. The sun rose above the faraway horizon, highlighting the light blue sky and puffy white clouds. A spring breeze blew, swaying the leaves on the trees. The light rustle tickled Jason’s ears, making him smile. Palm Sunday. He still had a few hours before church.

  He sipped his coffee. The dark, chicory taste eased down his throat. He closed his eyes, continuing to enjoy the crisp, clear morning. Lord, please help me. I want to talk to my dad, but I don’t want our talk to turn into another argument.

  He thought about his mom. He recalled she’d been involved in the PTA. She had not gotten along with one of the mothers. They’d disagreed about everything. His mom had wisely mentioned that if she spoke with this parent about neutral things, the conversation could be pleasant.

  Could he do that with his dad for now? Could he actually talk with him about something neutral, so that they could be pleasant, just for a little while?

  He set his coffee cup down, picked up his phone, called his dad. He answered on the first ring. “Jason?”

  “Dad. I just wanted to call you.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Was his father saying that to be nice, or was he really glad to hear from him? “Where are you spending your vacation?”

  “I’m in Blue Spring. It’s in Maryland.”

  “Maryland? Why are you staying there?”

  “Remember the first bakery that Mom opened when I was in the fifth grade?”

  “You mean the place with the black and white floor, the cheap tables and chairs?” His dad’s voice raised a bit, like he was excited. “I haven’t thought about that place in years. What about it?”

  Smiling, Jason explained how he’d come to work at Shades of Chocolate. He mentally sighed. At least their conversation had gotten off to a good start.

  *

  Sheila toyed with the palm leaf she’d received during Palm Sunday service. Jason relaxed in his car, staring out of the windshield. Since he’d been attending Blue Spring Community Church for a few weeks, he’d become acquainted with Toni’s friend. After Palm Sunday services, they’d shared lunch at Chan’s Chinese restaurant. Sheila had seemed worried, and she said she needed to talk to him about something.

  Over lunch, he’d told her about Eva’s attack against Toni. The news had shocked Sheila. She then mentioned her dad, telling him how he’d abandoned the family. She’d just told him about the letter she received. Once they’d returned to his car at the church parking lot, she unzipped her purse, pulled out a white envelope. “This is the letter that I received from my dad.”

  She caressed the envelope, staring at it. If Jason didn’t know better, he’d assume that she’d forgotten that he was there. “Are you all right?”

  She barely nodded as she flipped the envelope over. It remained sealed.

  “You still haven’t opened it?”

  “No, I haven’t had the courage.”

  She stared at the envelope for a few minutes before putting it back into her purse.

  “You mentioned that you’ve been wanting to hear from your dad since you were seven. Now that he’s reached out to you, you won’t open the letter?”

  “I will…eventually. I’m just scared. What if he tells me something that I don’t want to hear?”

  He nodded. “I can understand that, but I’d probably be too anxious to wait. I would’ve opened the letter right away.”

  She folded her arms in front of her chest. “It’s easy for you to dole out advice when you’ve never been in my situation. Have you ever wondered what’s happened to one of your parents?”

  The direct question caught him off guard. He weighed his words before he spoke. “No, I can’t say that I have. But you should open that letter. Your dad might have something important to tell you. What if he’s sick?”

  “Sick?”

  He sighed. “Toni told you that my mom died a few months ago?”

  “She mentioned it. I’m so sorry.”

  He waved her words away, shaking his head. He was tired of people saying they were sorry. Sorry didn’t bring his mother back. Right now, he wanted to help Sheila instead of talking about his grief. “You might want to see what he has to say. He might be reaching out to you and he might not have the luxury of unlimited time.” He shrugged. “He might be contacting you for a reason.”

  She nodded. “I understand your point.”

  “After church, you’d told me that you wanted to talk about Toni.” He didn’t confide that Toni had already told him about their argument.

  She wrapped the palm around her finger. “I’ve been Toni’s friend since kindergarten. We’ve always confided in one another. I was upset that she’d confided to her friends, Sterling and Rhea, about what Brian had done to her, before she confided to me.”

  He didn’t know any of these folks. “Who’s Brian?”

  “Toni didn’t tell you about Brian?”

  “No.”r />
  “I’d just assumed…when she mentions you, it seems like you’re so close. Forget I mentioned Brian.”

  Okay, he had to respect Toni’s privacy. “Who are Sterling and Rhea?”

  Sheila explained that Toni had attended a food convention two years ago and had met Sterling and Rhea. The threesome had connected and had kept in touch via texting, emails and phone calls. “Toni mentioned that Sterling had been attracted to Rhea until he found out that Rhea was already involved with somebody.”

  Jason shook his head. “It’s interesting that the three of them are close friends but they’ve only seen one another in person once.” He thought about something else. “Are you sure that Sterling doesn’t have a crush on Toni?”

  “I doubt it.” She shrugged. “She mentioned Sterling wanted to know if she was going to attend a food convention that was near her parents’ house. It’s going to take place in a few months.”

  Jason frowned. “Why’d he ask her about that?”

  “From what I know, he wanted to just get together and hang out, talk.” She shrugged. “They’re friends, so it’d make sense for them to catch up with each other.”

  “Will she be meeting him at the food convention?”

  “I’m not sure. I don’t think she wants to spend the money on the convention fee.”

  “You know, you never did tell me why you and Toni argued.”

  She told Jason all about Toni’s questions regarding his mother and about her father. “She seems to want me to give her a nice, simple answer about why God lets awful things happen to Christians.” She shook her head. “Jason, I was in a weird mood. I’ve been daydreaming about hearing from my dad since I was seven, and that was the day I’d received his letter. It was just shocking and amazing at the same time. Then for Toni to turn and ask me that question about my dad and then about your mom, it just put me in a bad mood. That’s why I made her leave.”

  He needed to do something to help Sheila. He reached into the back seat, retrieved his battered black Bible.