Second-Chance Sweet Shop

by Rochelle Alers

Dwight mentioning the divorce gave Sasha the opening she needed to delve into his personal life. “Do you miss being married?”

  Inky-black eyebrows rose slightly with her question. “No. In fact, I like being single. But how about you, Sasha?”

  “What about me, Dwight?”

  “How difficult was it for you to give up your celebrity lifestyle and marriage to one of the biggest country recording stars on the planet to come back to a place with two stoplights and railroad tracks running through the middle of the downtown business district?”

  Chapter Four

  Sasha stared at the rapidly fading whipped cream before she looked directly at Dwight. “It was the easiest decision I’d ever had to make in my life.”

  “So, you don’t regret coming back?”

  “Not in the least.” She took another sip of the semisweet liquid and then set the mug on a glass coaster on the table. She stood up. “It’s getting late and I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

  Sasha did not want to tell Dwight that she wasn’t ready to bare her soul about the details of her failed marriage. She did not know why it mattered, but she didn’t want him to think of her as a small-town girl who’d allowed herself to get bedazzled and sucked in by the hype and glamour of America’s Music City, where she’d married Nashville’s hottest singing sensation after a three-month whirlwind romance.

  Dwight also stood. “Don’t leave yet. I want to get something for you.” He walked out of the family room and returned minutes later with a military fatigue jacket and a small folding umbrella. “Please put on the jacket. We can’t have you getting sick and having to close down so soon after your grand opening.”

  Sasha held out her arms as he helped her into it. The lingering scent of his cologne clung to the fabric. She wondered if his concern was because he was a doctor or a father. “I’ll give it back when I see you again.”

  “You can keep it. I happen to have a few of them.”

  “If that’s the case, then I’m going to leave it in the van in case I again decide to challenge Mother Nature.”

  “And don’t forget a pair of shoes,” Dwight teased with a wide grin.

  She wiggled her bare toes painted a vermilion red. “I must be a country girl down to the marrow in my bones, because I love going barefoot.”

  Dwight slowly shook his head as he handed her the umbrella. “Even country girls know to wear shoes in the winter.”

  Going on tiptoe, Sasha kissed his cheek. “I really appreciate your concern.”

  Turning on her heel, she made her way to the front door, waiting for him to open it. She opened the umbrella, raced down the porch steps and over to her vehicle. A light layer of ice had covered the windshield. Touching the handle on the driver’s-side door, she unlocked it and slipped in. As she tapped the start button, the engine roared to life. She closed the umbrella, leaving it on the mat behind the seat, and then turned the heat to the highest setting. She peered through the side window to find Dwight standing under the protection of the porch, watching her. It took several minutes to defrost the windshield before she fastened her seat belt and backed out of the driveway.

  It wasn’t until she turned off onto the road leading to her house that she chided herself for kissing Dwight. It hadn’t mattered that it was a chaste one; she still shouldn’t have done it.

  “I’m losing it,” she whispered to herself.

  There was no doubt she wouldn’t have had any interaction with the man if his daughter hadn’t come to apply to work in the bakeshop. The only other alternative would have been if she became one of his patients. She had another month before her semiannual checkup and she planned to call the dental office in Mineral Springs, where she’d gone as a child, for an appointment.

  Sasha continued to ask herself what it was about Dwight Adams that made her heart beat a little too fast to make her feel completely at ease around him. It hadn’t been that way in the past when he’d come to her house to pick up her brother, because she knew he had a steady girlfriend. Even if he hadn’t been dating Adrienne, she doubted whether Dwight would have asked her out because of their six-year age difference. That was then, but this was now. And it wasn’t that there weren’t mixed-race couples in Wickham Falls, and if she did date Dwight, they wouldn’t turn heads if seen together. If folks did whisper, it would be about her capturing the attention of one of The Falls’ most eligible bachelors. She didn’t want to overthink or indulge in what she deemed fantasy, because there was no guarantee anything would come from her association with her employee’s father other than friendship.

  She made it home, unlocked the door and tiptoed up the staircase to her bedroom so as not to disturb her mother. Sasha left Dwight’s jacket on the back of a chair, slipped out of her clothes and pulled a nightgown over her head. After brushing her teeth, she set her alarm for five, got into bed and pulled the blankets up and over her shoulders. The incessant tapping of sleet against the windows was the perfect antidote to lull her to sleep. Morpheus claimed her, as she shut out the image of Dwight’s dimpled smile and penetrating dark eyes that appeared to look not at her but through her to know what she was thinking, and that she liked him the way a woman liked a man.

  * * *

  Leaning over his reclining patient, Dwight used a light touch as he drilled a young boy’s tooth. The four-year-old appeared totally oblivious to the sound of the drill as he concentrated on the images on the virtual-reality headset. Although his shingle advertised family dentistry, he counted more children than adults among his patients, which had earned him the reputation as the most popular pediatric dentist in the county. Children looked forward to sitting in his chairs. Video games and headsets were the perfect solution to distract kids if they required a local anesthesia, while a trio of wall-mounted televisions in the waiting room tuned to cooking, cartoon and all-news stations kept most of his patients occupied while they waited to be seen.

  He removed the decay and then placed a sealer on the tooth prior to filling it with a tooth-colored composite resin to protect the tooth and minimize sensitivity. Rather than traumatize the boy with an injection of procaine, he’d applied a numbing gel to his gum, lip and cheek. Dwight checked to make sure the boy’s bite was okay and adjusted the filling. He took off the latex gloves, discarding them in a designated container, and nodded to the assistant to finish up with the patient.

  Dwight found it disturbing to treat a patient as young as four with cavities in his primary teeth. It indicated either poor dental hygiene or a diet of sugary foods in which plaque built up on the tooth and caused decay. Although he’d spoken at length to the child’s mother about brushing his teeth after each meal and limiting his intake of candy and pop, it was obvious his advice and recommendations had fallen on deaf ears. This was the third tooth he’d filled for the child. His practice’s motto was: Good Dental Health Is A Family Affair, and fortunately, most of his patients had embraced it.

  He returned to his office and discovered the blinking red light on his private line. Tapping the button, he listened to his mother’s voice-mail message. It was a rare occasion that Victoria called him at his office.

  Picking up his cell phone, he scrolled through the directory until he found her number. “Yes, Mom.”

  “Are you still going to your lake house this weekend?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it. Why?” Dwight had purchased the cabin in the gated community touted as a fisherman’s nirvana. All the modern cabins claimed central air and heating and had direct paths that led to the lake. It was where he’d spent most of his weekends relaxing, fishing and occasionally socializing with a few retirees who lived there year-round. The weeks had passed quickly, and it was now late March, and spring had come to West Virginia with warmer temperatures and a profusion of flowers, lush lawns and verdant valleys.

  “Kiera invited Sasha and her mother over for Sunday dinner.”

  D
wight sat straight. He’d asked Kiera if she wanted to go with him to the lake and she’d said she would have to think about it. Well, it was apparent her thinking about it meant she’d had other intentions.

  “What did you say?”

  “I told her I’m open to it, only because she can’t stop talking about how much she likes Sasha and Charlotte, and also loves working in their shop.”

  Dwight focused on the framed diplomas, degrees and licenses on the opposite wall. He had made the decision, following the night Sasha came to his house to return Kiera’s cell phone, to limit his contact with her. There was something about the redhead that stirred feelings he did not want to feel, and he knew becoming involved with his daughter’s employer would not be to their advantage. Not only did they live in the same town, but they were also highly visible as downtown business owners.

  What he could not deny was his attraction to the bubbly pastry chef. He liked her smile, infectious laugh and her generosity. There were times when she exhibited a modicum of shyness and vulnerability that appealed to his protective nature. However, it was never far from his mind that Sasha had earned a reputation as a celebrity chef who had become the wife of Nashville royalty.

  What he did not understand was why she had given it all up to come back to a town that barely made the map. A town whose history was filled with generations that had worked in the coal mines under the control of unscrupulous owners that preferred closing the mines to installing government-mandated safety equipment, leaving workers without an alternative source of income.

  In later years, career day at the high school was a boon for recruiters from every branch of the armed forces who enticed graduating seniors with offers of signing bonuses to join the military. Dwight graduated Texas A&M, attended dental school and then set up his practice in The Falls while serving in the army reserves as a dental corps officer. As a US Medical Department officer and as a reservist, he was required to attend the Ordnance Basic Officer Leader Course for two weeks rather than the ten to fourteen weeks for active duty officers. He’d been fortunate enough to combine his passions for the military and dentistry, but recently had to sacrifice the former to become a full-time dad.

  “What do you want me to say, Mom? Uninvite them?”

  “No, Dwight. I expect you to say yes. After all, we’ll be eating at your house.”

  Dwight shook his head. “What’s wrong with your house?”

  “Nothing, except that I like cooking in your kitchen.”

  Dwight did not want to believe what he was hearing. Although the kitchen in the guesthouse was smaller than his, Victoria had insisted it be equipped with top-of-the-line appliances. “If that’s the case, why don’t you consider moving in with me?”

  “I told you before, I like living by myself because I don’t need my son monitoring my whereabouts.”

  “It wouldn’t bother me if you got a boyfriend,” he teased.

  “Bite your tongue, Dwight Mathias Adams. I was married too long, and more importantly, I don’t have the patience to put up with another man. You’re the one that should be dating. After all, you’re not getting any younger.”

  Dwight sobered. “I told you before that I can’t afford to get serious about anyone until Kiera goes off to college.”

  “I hope you’re not suggesting you need her permission to take up with a woman.”

  “Of course not, Mom. Right now, she needs to know she has a full-time father, and not some man who has been in and out of her life for the past sixteen years.”

  “You really don’t give your daughter enough credit,” Victoria said. “She knows you love her and that you would do anything for her, but I’m willing to bet that she doesn’t want you to sacrifice having a relationship with a woman because of your obligation as her father.”

  A beat passed, before Dwight said, “It sounds as if you two have been discussing my love life.”

  “Correction, son. Lack of love life.”

  He had to agree with his mother, but he wasn’t about to admit that to her. “I don’t have a problem with Sasha and her mother coming for dinner,” he said instead.

  “Good. I’ll tell Kiera to let them know we’ll be expecting them.”

  Dwight ended the call somehow feeling he’d been set up by his mother and daughter as they attempted to play matchmaker. He then wondered if Sasha had intimated to Kiera that she was interested in her father. When he recalled their few encounters there was nothing in her actions that indicated that she wanted anything beyond being acquaintances. He was Kiera’s father and Sasha Kiera’s employer, and that was where their association began and ended.

  * * *

  Sasha bit back a smile when she heard Charlotte’s intake of breath as she drove her mother’s car into the driveway leading to Dwight’s home. It had been more than a month since their last encounter, and Sasha wondered if she’d crossed the line when she’d kissed him. He hadn’t been repulsed or appeared shocked by the gesture, but that did not stop her from mentally beating up on herself for initiating it. After all, she did not know whether he was involved with or committed to another woman, which could have explained his keeping his distance. She finally had to remind herself that she was a thirty-two-year-old divorcée with a business to run, and that had to be her sole focus.

  “The doctor has a very nice house,” Charlotte whispered softly.

  “Yes, he does,” Sasha agreed. Navy blue siding, white trim and blue-and-white wicker porch furniture made the structure a standout among those on the block. The United States and Go Army flags suspended on a flagpole fluttered in the warm air. It had become a tradition for those serving or who had served in the military to fly flags and pennants representing their branches to proudly display them on lawns or porch posts.

  Charlotte made a guttural sound, as if clearing her throat. “I don’t understand what would make a woman walk away from all of this to live in a city with folks falling over one another just to exist.”

  Sasha came to a complete stop and shut off the engine. “Different strokes for different folks.”

  Charlotte unbuckled her seat belt. “Like you, Natasha? Don’t forget, there was a time when you couldn’t wait to leave town.”

  She got out of the Corolla, opened the rear door and picked up the large shopping bag with boxes of tarts, tortes and an assortment of mini cakes and pies. It was apparent Charlotte had forgotten and Sasha did not want to remind her mother that the constant squabbling between her and her husband had forced their children to leave home as soon as they’d graduated high school.

  Sasha waited for Charlotte to alight from the car, and together they walked up to the porch. The front door opened, and she came face-to-face with Dwight for the first time in more than a month. An unconscious smile parted her lips as he stared at her as if she were a stranger. She knew he was taken aback by her metamorphosis. A sleek hairstyle, the black sheath dress, with an asymmetrical neckline, ending at her knees and a pair of matching kitten heels had replaced the tunic, loose-fitting pants and comfortable clogs she wore in the bakeshop. Sasha had also subtly made up her face to bring attention to her green eyes and mouth with a smoky-grayish eye shadow and a burnt-orange lip color. Taming her flyaway curls had proved challenging until she’d exchanged the blow-dryer for a flat iron. She’d rationalized that she was going to someone’s house for Sunday dinner; therefore, she needed to step up her game.

  Dwight smiled slowly as his gaze shifted from Sasha to Charlotte. He opened the door wider. “Welcome.”

  Sasha handed him the shopping bag. “I brought a little something for dessert.”

  Dwight peered into the bag. “It appears to be more than a little something.”

  “Grammie, they’re here!” Kiera shouted as she raced over to greet them. Sasha noticed the slight frown furrowing Dwight’s forehead, but it disappeared quickly when Kiera clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry abou
t yelling in the house, Daddy,” she said, apologizing.

  He handed Kiera the shopping bag. “Please take this into the kitchen.” He returned his attention to his guests. “Please come in and sit down. My mother is just finishing up with everything.”

  Sasha followed him through the great room, noticing that the dining room table had been set with china, silver and crystal; a vase overflowing with an abundance of white roses and tulips served as the table’s centerpiece.

  Charlotte touched Sasha’s arm. “I’m going to the kitchen to see if I can help Mrs. Adams.”

  “Do you think that’s such a good idea?” Sasha whispered to Dwight as he cupped her elbow and led her over to a sand-colored sofa. “Cooks are usually very territorial when it comes to their kitchens.” She sat, and he took the cushion next to her.

  “It’ll be all right. My mother doesn’t want anyone to share her kitchen, but it’s different with mine.”

  Sasha stared at him, seeing laughter in the dark eyes. “Your mother doesn’t live with you?” She’d asked the question because Kiera would talk about her grandmother as if they all occupied the same house.

  “My mother lives in a guesthouse at the back of this one. Once my father passed away, I’d invited her to live with me, but she claims she likes having her independence to come and go by her leave. So, when I suggested she sell the house where I’d grown up and let me build something practical for her on the half acre at the back of the house, she finally gave in. I must admit that it’s quite nice. She has two bedrooms, a full bath, galley kitchen, and a living and dining area that overlooks the back deck. Last year she planted a flower and vegetable garden.”

  Sasha stared at the beige-and-teal woven area rug rather than the man sitting only inches away from her. The warmth of his body intensified the masculine scent of his cologne, which only served to trigger the erotic thoughts she had managed to repress during their separation. At that moment she had to question herself lusting after a man who didn’t seem even remotely attracted to her, and knew it was hopeless to even conceive of a possible relationship with Dwight Adams.