“I’m glad to hear that.” Sheila bit into her burger. Afterwards, Toni showed her the news articles.
After her dinner with Sheila, Toni went into her office, again reading the news articles. She put them away in a drawer. She shouldn’t make such a big deal about this. She’d talk to Jason about it later. It was time to concentrate on something else. She reviewed her receipts over the last few days. Her total sales had tripled. She’d even sold a lot of her chocolate cream pies.
She wanted to go over her budget, review the final numbers for last week’s sales before paying her bills. She’d probably be able to put away even more cash this week toward the down payment of her new home. A few hours later, she’d finished reviewing her finances. After she’d typed her financial information into a spreadsheet, she went upstairs to her apartment. Time for her to go to bed.
She was about to brush her teeth when her phone rang.
Her parents’ number flashed across the caller ID box, and her heart jumped with relief. At least this wasn’t another prank call.
“Hi, Mom?” She wasn’t sure if it was her mom or dad calling.
“Toni!” Her mother’s loud voice echoed in her ear.
Toni gripped the phone. She’d never heard her mother so upset. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s your father. Toni, he’s had a massive heart attack. And the doctor . . . doesn’t expect him ... to live.” Sobbing, she could barely talk.
Toni took a deep breath, her heart skipping. Her room suddenly seemed too hot. She wiped rolling sweat from her brow. She dropped onto her bed, no longer having the strength to stand. Her head hurt, so she rubbed her temple, forcing herself to calm down. “Are you by yourself, Mom?”
“No. Some of the sisters from the church are at the hospital with me.”
“I’m on my way!” She replaced the receiver, her hand shaking. She fought to regain control of herself, but she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. Lord, if you’re even listening to me, please, don’t let my dad die!
The telephone rang again and she lifted the receiver, not checking the caller ID, assuming it was her mother calling back. She sniffed, her mouth quivering. “Hello!”
“Toni, what’s wrong?” Goodness, it was Jason. She’d never been so glad to hear his voice.
“Jason, my dad’s in the hospital. I have to go home.”
“Don’t leave yet. I’m on my way.”
“You’re here?”
“Yes, I just returned from Chicago a few minutes ago. I was calling to check up on you.”
“But you were supposed to be gone for a week.”
“I just thought it’d be best if I cut my trip short. Sit tight. I’ll be right there.”
Ten minutes later, Jason pounded on the front door. Toni rushed downstairs, disarmed the alarm, and let Jason in. She fell into his arms, sobbing.
“Jason, I have to leave now.”
Gently, he swiped her tears away and kissed her cheek. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to drive right now. Let’s wait a few hours for you to calm down.” Holding her hand, he led her upstairs to her apartment. He fixed a pot of coffee and placed some chocolate cookies on a plate. Toni drank two cups of black coffee, but she couldn’t eat any of the cookies. She pressed her hand against her aching stomach.
He eyed her hand. “Your stomach hurts because you’re upset?”
She nodded. “I had dinner earlier with Sheila.” A sour taste filled her mouth. “I feel sick.”
“You have to calm down. Come and lie down and close your eyes.”
She shook her head. “But I have to go—”
“You’re not going anywhere like this. You’re too upset to drive. Do you want to have an accident?”
“My head hurts.”
He brought her some aspirins and a glass of ginger ale. After she’d taken the pills, she finally lay on the bed and closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths, while Jason held her hand. The pain in her head lessened and her mind drifted.
When she opened her eyes, she spotted Jason still sitting on the bed, his eyes closed. She glanced at the clock. She’d been lying on the bed for almost an hour. Jason opened his eyes and squeezed her hands. “You fell asleep. I was just praying over you before you made the trip to your parents’ house. Did you want me to come with you?”
Would prayer really save her dad? Didn’t God already know when everybody was going to die? She blinked, her cynicism leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Maybe she needed to stop blaming God for all her troubles. After all, her father smoked and drank for years. He didn’t live a clean, humble life. He worked in that factory, was unemployed a lot…she could go on and on.
She focused on the cross around Jason’s neck. She reached up, fingered the necklace. Jason wore a tank top, and she touched his hard, muscled chest before dropping her hand. He was so handsome, humble, and just…just good. He was such a great man, almost too great to be true. “Was that cross a gift from someone?” He wore it all the time. She wondered if Tangie had given it to him.
He raised his eyebrows, seemingly surprised about the question. “It was a gift from my mom after I was baptized. She gave it to me, and I’ve never taken it off. Just seeing it every day reminds me of when I accepted Christ.”
She sighed, sat up in the bed. “Sometimes, I don’t think Jesus cares about me.”
“He does care about you, Toni.” He took her chin between his index finger and thumb, gently coaxed her head toward his. “Now, did you want me to come with you when you drive home?”
She sighed, her heart still feeling like a load of bricks had settled on it. She was glad that Jason had suggested that she lie down. At least her headache was gone, and she’d calmed down. Her hands were no longer shaking.
“Thanks, but I’d rather go by myself. I’ll call you if I need you to come later.” She removed a suitcase from her closet. “I’ll have to close the bakery for at least the next few days.”
“Since you don’t want me to go with you, how about I run the bakery for you while you’re gone?”
“You’d do that for me?”
He nodded. “I still don’t know how to make everything. But I would be more than willing to do what I could.”
“Oh, Jason. Are you sure?” It would be a load off of her mind to have Jason here while she was gone.
“I’ll do it under one condition. I want you to call me when you need me to come to your parents’ house. I pray your father is okay.”
“I’ll let you know.” She threw clothes into her suitcase. “Could you let Sheila know what’s happened?”
He hugged her. Being in his arms felt safe, warm, and relaxing. He kissed her forehead.
“Of course I’ll let Sheila know.” The scent of his intoxicating cologne filled her nose.
She’d gotten so used to being around him, smelling his wonderful cologne. It’d be hard, extremely hard, when he decided to permanently return to Chicago.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive? Wouldn’t you rather wait until tomorrow morning?”
She shook her head, pulling her wheeled suitcase into the living room. “I have to leave now. If I wait until the morning, it might be too late.”
“Let me help you.”
She let Jason lift it, and he followed her down the steps to the front door. She disarmed the alarm before they went outside. Using her key fob, she rearmed the alarm and unlocked her car door. Jason hoisted the suitcase into her drunk. “How long will it take you to get home?”
“A couple of hours.”
“Call me when you get there. If I don’t hear from you within three hours, I’m going to call you. I’ll come searching for you if I have to.” He removed his phone from his pocket. “What’s your mom’s address?”
She gave it to him, along with her mother’s telephone number, and he entered the information into his phone. He hugged her again before she got into her car and started the ignition. She glanced at her rearview mirror. He stood on the
street, focused on her, while she drove away.
Chapter 29
Toni had been struggling with her questions about God and religion for a while now. Since her father was now ill, Jason didn’t know what he could do to help her. She didn’t want him to come with her, but he wished she’d reconsidered and allowed him to drive her down to her parents’ house. Keeping the bakery open was the least he could do.
After calling Sheila and telling her the news, he talked to her for an hour. Toni had told him a little bit about how she’d been raised and about her shaky relationship with her father. He discussed this with Sheila, again discussing Toni’s recent church attendance, and hoped that she was learning to lean on God, and accept Him into her life.
He didn’t realize he’d drifted off to sleep until his phone rang. Spotting Toni’s number, he answered the call. “Toni, how’s your dad?”
“Jason, he’s gotten worse.” She sobbed. Her words ran together, and Jason could barely understand what she was saying.
“Slow down. Just calm down, catch your breath, and tell me what’s happening.”
“They don’t expect him to live through the night. I just got here a few minutes ago.” She sniffled, and he heard the sound of a hospital PA system in the background.
“I’m so sorry.” He wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her. Lord, please heal Toni’s father. Please protect Toni and be there for her, no matter what happens. Amen.
“I have to go. My mother needs me. I’ll be in touch.” Toni disconnected the call before he could say anything. He couldn’t go back to sleep. He paced around his room, his body now buzzing with unwanted energy. He finally left his room, went downstairs and outside onto Mrs. Dukes’s porch. He turned on the outside light. The porch swing gently swayed in the warm breeze. Tons of flowers bloomed from Mrs. Dukes’s sectional garden and from the pots decorating the side of the porch. The scent of the flowers perfumed the air with glorious sweetness, briefly reminding him of Toni’s perfume.
He sat on the porch swing, gently rocking, studying the dark sky littered with stars. When he was a kid, his mom had gotten him a telescope for his twelfth birthday. He’d enjoyed studying the stars, seeing the way God had created the canvas in the sky. He could understand why Toni was leery about God. So many things happened that were not understood, yet, he’d found that at times, it was best to appreciate God’s goodness, like those stars decorating the sky.
He sat in the swing, rocking, thinking about Toni, her father, her mother, and everything he’d learned about her over the last few months. Toni haunted his mind so much it was scary. Scary because he’d been grieving when he’d initially went on this road trip.
His agenda had taken a sharp U-turn when he’d stopped in Blue Spring and met Toni. His journey had come to a screeching halt and now he didn’t know what he should do. He was falling in love with Toni, but she didn’t share his faith. Would she ever be able to accept Jesus?
So much had happened since he’d returned from Chicago that he had not given his father much thought this evening. Dad’s engagement announcement both shocked and angered him. He gritted his teeth, groaning. “How could my dad do something so stupid?” Before he’d boarded the plane home, he’d called Trina. He’d asked her if their father had been dating Ms. Clara before their mom died, but she claimed she didn’t know.
After his father had announced his engagement, Jason had asked him if he’d been dating Ms. Clara before their mom died, but he refused to answer his question. How would he ever get along with his dad if his father did such stupid things? Wasn’t he even grieving for his deceased wife? His mom’s grave was still fresh, and his dad was getting married again…already. The urge to curse or hit something consumed him. He balled his hands into fists. Lord, help me. He still didn’t understand his father. Perhaps he never would.
He sighed, the trees danced in the warm breeze. He pulled out his cell phone and checked the time. He needed to get to bed if he was going to go to the bakery early in the morning to make those chocolate donuts.
Chapter 30
The next day turned out weird. As usual, Jason arrived early to make pastries for the morning crowd. He could barely keep his eyes open. He’d been so worried about Toni the night before, thinking about her, that he’d not gotten much sleep. Whenever he drifted to sleep, a troubling thought about Toni would force him to wake up. He’d thought about calling her, but didn’t want to intrude. Plus it was the middle of the night. If Toni was in the hospital with her dad, fretful, would she really want to hear from him?
He’d sent her a text, asking if she was okay. The text went unanswered, so he assumed her father was still in a crisis and she didn’t have the time to respond to his text.
To stay awake, he had to make a pot of extra strong coffee for himself. It felt strange being in Toni’s kitchen alone, without her. It almost seemed like he intruded on her privacy. He glanced at the bookshelves that held her secret family recipes. He recalled how she guarded those recipes, not allowing anybody to see them. But she let him in on them, and he’d been surprised and pleased.
After a hectic morning of serving coffee and pastries to customers, Jason felt like dropping into bed and taking a nap. Sheila had visited during lunch. She’d mentioned that she had not heard back from Toni.
Later that afternoon, not long before Jason closed the bakery, his phone buzzed. His heart skipped. He pulled the phone from his pocket and saw Toni’s number. “Toni, are you okay?”
She sniffed, sobbing.
“Toni, what’s wrong?”
“Jason, Daddy died a few hours ago.”
*
Toni sat in the living room of her childhood home, exhausted. The old trailer seemed so small, too small. How she’d hated living in this rundown, beat-up trailer. There was never enough room for everything. Stuff was so cramped, pushed together. Just being in this environment made her feel claustrophobic.
In spite of the drab environment, she was glad that her parents allowed her to pay for some repairs. The cracked windows had been replaced five years ago. The old electric furnace had been removed and a new heat pump provided both heating and cooling. While she’d been growing up, they never had air conditioning. To keep cool on those hot, one hundred degree summer days, Toni used to pull out her ancient plastic childhood wading pool. She’d place the pool under the small cluster of trees in their yard, fill it with water, and dunk her feet into the cold liquid while sitting under the shade.
The carpet and vinyl had been replaced two years ago. So the floors did not seem so battered anymore. Just being in this trailer made her wish she could own her own house. A new house would be perfect. When she’d been engaged to Brian, she’d often fantasized about her future family. Now that he was no longer in her life, she had not been so focused on those ideas…
Well, that wasn’t true. She still yearned for a nice home with a wonderful family, but Brian no longer fit the bill. Jason kept popping into her mind. She leaned back in the old, reclining chair, her father’s favorite place to sit. If she closed her eyes, breathed deeply, she could faintly smell her dad’s lime-scented cologne. A leather-bound Bible rested on the small table beside the chair. She lifted it, seeing her dad’s scrawl in the margins of the scriptures. He’d underlined several passages, and her heart lifted just a bit to discover he’d taken to reading the scriptures before he’d died.
Her mother’s soft sobs came from the bedroom, and a few of the church sisters were seated in the living room. The doctor had given both her and her mom a prescription for sleeping pills, but Toni wasn’t interested in falling asleep.
Over the past two days, she had scrutinized every single photo album and studied every photo that included her daddy. She recalled the cake he had purchased for her birthday when she turned five. She remembered the first bicycle she’d received when she was six. She even chuckled when she thought about how he loved to watch horror movies on television. In spite of the pain and in spite of the arguments, he was sti
ll her daddy, and she would miss him. And she wondered what small piece of God he had found to hold onto during the final hours of his life.
Amidst her sadness, she’d been receiving texts from some of her regular customers from her bakery. She’d also received texts from her pals Rhea and Sterling. Flowers had been delivered to the trailer, and one of the huge, fragrant bouquets had been from Rhea. The tiny, red roses and baby’s breath lifted her spirits. The attached card said Rhea and her husband, Martin, would be praying for her, and they’d tell their congregation to pray for her too. When Rhea had texted, she’d told Toni that she was free to call her anytime, day or night, if she wanted to talk.
Sterling had also texted her, reminding her he was in the area for a food convention and wondered if he could stop by to see her. He’d further said if she was not up for company, then he’d understand. He’d mentioned he was coming to the funeral the following day, and Toni had been touched by his kindness.
She’d called Sterling and had given him her mom’s address just in case he’d wanted to come by. It would be nice to see a friendly face. With the exception of Sheila, she’d not kept in touch with most of her high school friends.
With fondness, she’d recalled meeting Rhea and Sterling at the food convention. The way they’d connected had seemed…almost surreal. Sterling had mentioned that it was divine appointment the way the three of them had met and talked during the entire conference, and then formed a lasting friendship. She’d not agreed with his comment about God’s appointment, but now she wasn’t so sure.
Maybe Sterling had had a point about that. Since she’d been receiving those prank phone calls, and her bakery had been vandalized, she’d been giving God a lot of thought. She still felt confused, not understanding why these weird things and scary and sad events were happening to her, but she’d found that her thoughts about the Lord had been filling her mind. She still questioned God, but had been finding herself saying things to Him in her mind over the last three days while she’d pored over the photographs and thought about the memories of her father.
Shades Of Chocolate (The Bakery Romance Series Book 2) Page 15
