by Tonya Kappes
“Great.” Jana adjusted the dress again to sit a little lower down on the bust—too low for me.
“Good choice.” Morgan nodded and slipped into another dressing room with Crissy so they could try on something they’d picked out.
“I had it on and just hung it back up.” The angry voice echoed into the dressing room.
Pepper jumped to his feet, his ears back. He never liked for anyone to raise her voice. The sales clerk’s eyes widened, and she hurried down the dressing-room hall to see what was going on.
“Then you aren’t getting it, and I want it.” Hillary’s familiar voice pierced my eardrums. Her words sounded firm and final.
I peeked around the corner of the dressing room and noticed Babette and Hillary both tugging on a sleeve of a long white coat.
“I put it on the hanger to step back and take a look at it.” Babette jerked the coat toward her. “Now let go,” she demanded through clenched teeth.
“Ladies.” Jana tried to calm the escalating tension between the two. “Let me have the coat before you two rip it to shreds.”
Both women reluctantly dropped the coat into the sales clerk’s hands.
“Now, let’s see if we can be adults and settle it as such.” Jana looked at Babette. “I saw that you tried this one on first. I’ll just look at the size and grab another one.”
“There’s not another small.” Babette’s tone became chilly.
“And I can’t wear a medium, but the small is probably too small on you,” Hillary retorted in a nasty tone.
“Are you calling me fat?” Babette asked defensively.
“No. Maybe you are big-boned, but you certainly aren’t a small.” Hillary’s voice was flat and vicious. “Jana, aren’t you going to do anything about this?” Hillary put her hand on her hip and swung it out to the side.
“I’m. . .” Jana pinched her lips together. She appeared to be confused and upset.
“Yes. She’s going to ring me up.” Babette lunged toward the coat.
I hurried back into the dressing room and pulled the curtain shut. Quickly, I got my clothes back on, grabbed the hanger, and draped the dress over my arm. I didn’t want to miss what was going on.
While I was changing, I could tell Jana was trying to find a resolution to the issue by telling the women that they could get the medium altered or even have the dry cleaners take it in. It appeared that Babette had tried on the coat first and had been deciding whether or not she wanted to buy it. Hillary hadn’t tried on the coat but wanted it.
“I need it for the wedding since it’s going to be outside, in Central Park, under the gazebo, which Pam has always dreamed of since she passed it as a little girl,” Babette said. It was obvious she was directing that at Hillary.
“Gazebo? Let me guess. She’s now having pink bridesmaid dresses too?” Hillary laughed at the thought.
“As a matter of fact, she is.” Babette crossed her arms across her chest. “And they are going to be beautiful.”
“Whatever.” Hillary’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You can have that ridiculous coat. I’m out of here and out of this stupid town.”
“Good riddance!” Babette called after her. She turned to Jana. “No one would miss her if she turned up missing or gone forever.”
Jana and Babette turned to face me when I walked out of the hall to the dressing rooms with Pepper trotting next to me.
“You just missed it.” Crissy’s eyes were huge, and she wore a giddy look on her face. “Babette just gave Hillary Canter a fit, and it’s going to be all the talk tomorrow at the Honey Comb.” Crissy twisted more than just hair when it came to gossip. She started as soon as a client sat down in her chair at the salon.
“I swear, I should’ve became a hairdresser instead of owning a pet store, because animals can’t talk back when you want to gossip.” Morgan laughed and broke the tension on Babette’s face.
Babette busted out laughing. “She’s something else,” she whispered. “I had that meeting with Emily, and Pam fired her from doing that cake all because of Hillary. It was awful. Emily was crying. Hillary is a disgrace, and I just wish she’d leave this town.”
“When was the meeting?” I asked because I wasn’t sure how much time Pam had after she and Hillary had their big blowup.
“It was a couple of hours ago, but Hillary wasn’t there. Pam had said they were in a disagreement at the time.” Babette looked between me, Morgan, and Crissy.
“Was that before or after the big blowup at the Bean Hive?” Morgan asked.
“Big blowup?” Jana asked. “I thought they were thick as thieves. At least, that’s how they act when they come in here to get the dresses for the wedding.”
“Pam threw a cup of hot coffee on her. In retaliation, Hillary told Pam that Truman made a pass at her.” My words were greeted with gasps. “I tried talking to Pam and told her to talk to Truman. If there’s no merit to what Hillary said, Pam said she was going to talk to Truman about what they really wanted for their wedding and not do what Hillary suggested.”
“Maybe they do want a fancier cake, then,” Babette said.
“Yeah. You’re probably right.” I held the dress out to Jana. “I’ll take it.”
“I’ll take this.” Babette tapped the white coat on the hanger.
“And I’ll ring you both up at the register.” Jana gestured for us to follow her.
“Great choices, ladies.” Crissy stuck her fingertips in my hair. “Now, let’s talk about what we are going to do with this.”
“Later,” I grumbled, pulled my phone out of my back pocket and used the paying feature on it to buy my dress. I rarely carried a purse or other items now that my cell had almost everything I needed on it.
“Can you hold that until tomorrow for me?” I asked Jana. “I rode my bike today, and I don’t want to go back into the coffee shop tonight since the high schoolers are working.” I looked at Babette. “If I went back in there, I’d find more work to do, and tonight, I get my cabin back.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Babette clapped her hands together. “I still have an early meeting with Pam. We are finally going to finalize all the details of her wedding.”
“You need to schedule a girls’ night, since the cabin is ready,” Morgan said. She was met with nods from my friends.
“I’d love to.” I smiled and patted my leg. “Let’s go, Pepper.”
Babette, Morgan, Crissy, and Jana were right behind me. While Jana locked the door and flipped the door sign to closed, my friends and I said our goodbyes.
There was nothing better than living a short bike ride from the boardwalk. It was something I’d missed so much since the fire. Not that I was able to ride my bike in the freezing cold temperatures of the winter, but every chance I got, I liked to ride my bike. Pepper loved it too.
Since the warm late-afternoon spring sun was on the way to setting, I knew it was going to be a little cooler. I zipped my jacket and picked up Pepper. I held on to one of the bike handles to steady it while I straddled the bike and placed Pepper in the basket that was strapped to the front. I used a little blanket I’d gotten at Walk in the Bark Animal Boutique, another shop on the boardwalk, and tucked it around him.
“Look at that.” I let out a long and satisfying sigh when my eyes took in the beauty of the orange and yellow rays the setting sun had dripped over the calm lake. “I’ve missed this.”
Another thing about having my cabin back was being back in my element and not rushing to a car just to drive to Aunt Maxi’s or my mama’s for the night.
“It feels like we’re getting our life back.” I checked on Pepper’s safety one more time before I put one foot and then the other on the pedals.
The sound of the wooden planks of the boardwalk thumped under the bike tires. As I passed Bee’s Knees Bakery, I could see Emily in there, baking away. It appeared that the supper crowd had already gathered at Buzz In and Out Diner. All the tables looked filled, a much welcomed sight compared to the past f
ew months when it was just too darn cold to leave the house.
Crissy Lane waved a pair of scissors at me out the window of the Honey Comb Salon. The freckles that dotted her nose gathered in a big lump as she scrunched her face into a big grin. Her freshly dyed bleach-blond hair was a sure sign spring had arrived, because in the winter, she dyed her hair back to red. She mouthed that she’d call me later.
Crissy and I had hung out every summer when I was a teenager. She was a wild one, and I lived vicariously through her. Now that we were adults and lived in the same town, we hung out on a regular basis.
Pepper nestled a little deeper in the basket, but not without sticking his nose out into the fresh country air once we hit the curvy two-lane road that took us right to the cabin.
The trees were lined up like soldiers on each side. Lake Honey Springs ran along the road on the left, with beautiful cattle and horse farms behind the line of trees on the right. The leaves were almost finished budding and covered most of the road like a bridge, making it seem later in the day than it really was.
The cabin was up on the left, just about a four-minute bike ride from town. It was all I could afford when I moved back. There was no denying that it was a bit run-down, but it was mine and with a little TLC, it quickly became a cozy home. When Patrick and I began dating, he was good about fixing little odds and ends. He knew I took pride in doing a lot of things on my own and figured I wouldn’t notice things like a new roof or gutters, though I did and thanked him for everything he’d done.
My heart was broken after the fire. Buying the cabin was the first true adult thing I’d done. Yes, I graduated from law school, which was no easy task, and I got married. It was as if I didn’t let myself stand on my own two feet, though, and at times, I truly believed that was why I was taking my time with marrying Patrick. I felt good about only relying on myself. Once Patrick and I got married, I knew it would all change.
When Patrick’s company, Cane Construction, started work on rebuilding my cabin, I would stop by on a daily basis. Over the past month, I hadn’t been by because Patrick insisted he wanted the interior to be a surprise. I was impressed how even my mama was able to keep it a secret. Aunt Maxi couldn’t keep a secret to save her own life. Patrick swore he wouldn’t tell her anything or let her into the cabin until I saw it first.
The closer I got, the faster I pedaled. The small cabin windows were illuminated with an orange glow from the inside lights. The covered front porch looked the same with the two steps leading up to it and the two rocking chairs on either side of the front door.
I pulled up and stopped the bike shy of the steps. “Are you ready?” I asked Pepper, picking him up.
He licked my face and wagged his little stubby tail, wiggling to get out of my arms. He scurried around the yard, sniffing as if he were someplace he’d never been.
“Welcome home.” Patrick stood at the front door with Sassy, his black poodle who was as much of a love muffin as Pepper. He had on his standard blue jeans, cowboy boots, and T-shirt.
Pepper darted into the house when he heard Patrick’s voice. I didn’t blame him. Patrick’s voice made me want to jump into his arms.
But I restrained myself. “Thank you,” I said and walked up the two steps to come face-to-face with him. “My mama’s not here?” I asked.
“Nope. She was all set to come, but she said something about a client and a mortgage. She rambled something I didn’t understand.” He shrugged, his chiseled jaw giving way to the big smile that was always on his face. That smile sent my heart right on down to the tips of my toes. “It’s just me and you and these ornery two, darling.” He took a step out of the cabin and swooped me up in his arms. His lips met mine, and he gave me a soft kiss.
“Are you sure you don’t want to run down to the courthouse and take my last name?” He offered the justice of the peace on a daily basis.
He’d probably drop me if I agreed, so for my own safety, I shook my head.
“I’m gonna keep asking,” he warned. “Are you ready to see your remodel?”
“I could just stay right here the rest of my life.” I rested my hand on his chest. “But I do smell something good coming from in there.” I tried to sneak a peek over his shoulder.
“Don’t you dare.” He tucked my body closer to his. “I hope you like it. I worked really hard to make sure it was exactly what you’ve ever dreamed this place to be.”
He gave me another gentle kiss on the forehead and brought my head a little closer to his ear. His warm breath sent chills all over my body, and the thought of spending every waking moment with that man for the rest of my life nearly caused me to tell him to go ahead and take me to the courthouse.
“I love you, Roxanne Bloom,” he whispered before he took two steps backward into the house and picked me up, cradling me in his arms. “Welcome home, darling.” He set me down and continued to hold on to me when he felt my knees go wobbly.
“Patrick,” I gasped, looking around. “It’s beautiful.”
I strained to see through the tears. The cabin was still the same layout, with an open-first-floor concept. The kitchen was on the right, the family room on the left, and a smaller eating area toward the back. The guest bedroom was in the far-right corner along with a guest bathroom, and right across from it was my laundry room. Off the back of the cabin was a deck, which overlooked a wooded area that I loved so much—especially in the morning, when I would sit out there and sip my coffee.
There was a set of stairs that led up to my bedroom, but I had to see all the fancy decorations. Long gone were the dark wood cabin beams that used to be the walls. The walls had been drywalled and painted white. The open shelving in the kitchen had been updated, and the old, creaky wood floor had been replaced with a light-grey wood floor.
“I hope you love it.” His Southern twang was music to my ears. “I gave the designer all those Southern home books you look at and told her what your favorite home-remodel shows are. She said you’d love the French country look, whatever that was. Now I see.”
“The wood burner.” I was so happy to see that they were able to salvage the fireplace with the insert. There was nothing better to make my little cabin more homey than a nice wood-burning fire in the morning.
“So, I take it that you like all this white?” he asked. “Even with those two?” He gestured toward the dogs.
“Even with those two.” I pointed at his boots, which had mud stains around the soles. “I love all of it.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. “Thank you. I love it.”
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Starving.” My eyes grew to the size that I thought my stomach was.
“Good. I got takeout from the Watershed. I got you a big steak supper to fill that belly so you can get a good night’s sleep.” He walked out of my hug and into the little eating area.
The farmhouse-style table was set with several white candles and two place settings. He’d even brought our good friend, Jim Beam whiskey, to the welcome-home party.
He poured a little whiskey into two small glasses and handed one to me. “To the love of my life. May we always be safe and warm in each other’s arms,” he toasted, and we both took a sip before sealing the deal with another kiss.
FOUR
“Good morning,” I greeted Pepper, who’d found his way downstairs as some point in the middle of the night.
He barely opened an eye from his comfy doggie bed positioned just right in front of the wood-burning fireplace.
“It’s early,” I groaned when I noticed the new, big, wooden-circle clock atop the mantel. The arms said it was four a.m. “At least we got half an hour more sleep than the last few months.”
I tried to find something wonderful about that hour of the morning, when normal people were still sleeping. Owning a coffeehouse was not for the normal people. I grabbed the edges of my bathrobe, which I’d thrown on to come downstairs, and held it close to my chest. I gave a silent prayer of gratitude to the mo
ccasin slippers keeping my feet warm as I walked over to kitchen counter and flipped on the single-serve part of my new coffee pot.
“One good hot cup before we go,” I said to Pepper, who was still ignoring me. Sassy had worn him out last night.
I padded across the room and stared out the back window over the woods. The stars were still out and dotted the sky with their brightness, but the rest of the land was dark and cold.
“I guess we’ll have to see the sunrise from the Bean Hive windows.” I relished the feeling that Pepper and I had actually stayed at the cabin. I still couldn’t believe that the remodel was exactly everything I’d imagined.
Once the single cup of coffee brewed, I took it upstairs and got ready. It didn’t take long to grab a quick shower. I pulled my long, wavy black hair up in a wet bun on top of my head since I was going to be making food at the coffee shop. I slipped into a black Bean Hive tee and my black pants. I tucked the bottoms into a pair of brown knee-high riding boots. The only makeup I wore was some mascara and a swipe of some red lipstick. I was set for the day.
“Are you ready?” I asked when I made it back down to the family room.
Pepper stuck his white front legs out in front of him, and with his butt stuck up in the air, he stretched and yawned, finally bringing himself up on all four legs.
With the cup of coffee poured into my thermal mug, I let him out the door and went to retrieve my jacket, which I’d draped over a ladder-back kitchen chair. My phone started ringing, which sent my heart into a panic. No one ever called at this hour.
The phone screen showed my mom as the caller. Immediately, I swiped the phone to answer.
“Mama, what’s wrong?” I asked.
Those words were the first things that popped inot my head when she was calling so early.
“I figured you were up, and I wanted to see how you slept on your first night back in,” she said in a low and groggy voice.
“Oh.” I sucked in a deep breath of relief. “It was good. I was actually getting ready to head on out the door to go the coffeehouse. Why are you up?” I asked. I knew she didn’t set an alarm to call me. That wasn’t her nature.
