Second-Chance Sweet Shop

by Rochelle Alers

  He had less than two years before losing her again when she attended college. By that time, she would probably have a boyfriend who would become the most significant man in her life. Dwight hoped, if or when she married, she would find a partner who would love and, more important, respect her. Sasha shared a smile with Kiera when she retook her seat beside her.

  He didn’t know if it was a passing fancy that Kiera wanted to become a chef because the baking bug had hit from working in the bakeshop, but if it wasn’t then he intended to support her totally until she achieved her goal.

  Chapter Nine

  Dwight parked behind a pickup along the street opposite Fletcher Austen’s house, where Fletcher was scheduled to exchange vows with Nicole Campos. He hadn’t planned to stay long because he wanted to drive to the lake house later that night to stock it with provisions he would need for the coming months. He’d bought the property on a whim when one of his patients had left the prospectus in the office waiting room. A developer was putting up one-and two-bedroom homes in a gated community around a lake with picturesque views of tree-covered mountains, thick forested areas and twin waterfalls that flowed into the lake. All the properties had docks for boat owners who were able to store them on the premises during the winter season.

  Dwight knew he didn’t need another house, but once he closed on the property, he’d contemplated that it would be the perfect place to vacation and possibly live once he retired. However, retirement was still a long time away, and as a single father of a teenage daughter, his plans were on hold until Kiera was emancipated. He’d asked Kiera if she wanted to join him at the lake house for the weekend, but she declined because she had to finish reading A Tale of Two Cities, and write an essay on what Dickens was attempting to convey about the social and economic conditions of England during the time he’d written the novel. She’d complained because she was taking French as a foreign language and preferred reading about authors who wrote about French history.

  Dwight saw the familiar white van that belonged to Sasha’s Sweet Shoppe parked in the driveway. He smiled when he saw her coming out of the house. She wore her usual white tunic with the shop’s name stitched over her heart and a pair of black-and-white-striped chef’s slacks. Her recognizable red hair was concealed under a white bandanna.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” he teased.

  “I just delivered the wedding cake.”

  His eyebrows rose slightly. “Are you coming back for the ceremony and reception?” he asked.

  “No. I’m going home to put my feet up and do nothing more strenuous than inhale and exhale. I’ve been going nonstop all week.”

  “Why don’t you hang out with me this weekend?” The invitation had rolled off Dwight’s tongue so quickly that it had shocked him.

  Sasha blinked slowly. “Where?”

  He successfully bit back a smile when he realized she hadn’t said no. “At my lake house. I’m going up there later tonight and plan to stay over until Monday night.”

  “Don’t you have office hours on Monday?”

  This time Dwight did smile. It was apparent she had remembered his office hours. “Not again until after Labor Day. Once I start spending time at the lake, I take off Saturday through Monday.”

  “It’s nice when you can make your own hours.”

  “You can make your own hours, Sasha. You talk about going home and vegging out for the next few days because you’re working too hard. What you must do is work smart. I’ve been where you are now. I tried running a practice with serving one weekend a month and another two weeks in the summer, plus going to New York several times a year to spend time with Kiera. It affected me mentally and physically.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I restructured office hours and added a dental assistant to the existing staff. And now that I’m civilian and I have sole custody of Kiera, I’ve restructured my life.”

  Sasha angled her head, seemingly deep in thought. “Other than hire an assistant, how do you suggest I restructure my life?”

  “Come with me to the lake house tonight. You won’t have to do anything more strenuous than lifting a fork to eat.”

  She smiled. “Do you plan to go fishing?”

  “Not this weekend. I went shopping to stock the pantry and the fridge, so the first order of business will be getting the place ready for the season.”

  “It sounds tempting.”

  “Look, Sasha, I don’t want to put any pressure on you. I’m going to be here for a couple of hours. If you decide you want to join me, then send me a text and I’ll swing by and pick you up.” He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. “Take care of yourself, sweetie.”

  Dwight waited for Sasha to get into the van and back out of the driveway before he walked around the house to the back, where a tent had been erected to accommodate the guests who’d come to witness the wedding of a couple who’d grown up in Wickham Falls. Fletcher had joined the army and Nicole the Corps following their high school graduation. They’d recently reunited when Nicole moved back to The Falls to take care of her nephews while their father was treated for an opioid addiction stemming from the injuries he sustained in an automobile accident that had claimed the life of his wife and their unborn child.

  Dwight and Reggie Campos were best friends in high school, and he had volunteered to be his sponsor, but instead of returning to The Falls to live, the former college assistant defensive football coach had elected to live in Florida, where he had undergone treatment in a private residential facility. When Fletcher had come by to give Dwight the invitation, he’d informed him that Nicole’s brother, parents and nephews were coming to The Falls for the wedding, and Dwight was looking forward to reuniting with his old friend.

  The invitation indicated casual attire, and in lieu of gifts the bride and groom had requested their guests make online donations to the Wounded Warrior Project. Both had completed several tours of duty. Nicole had piloted Black Hawk helicopter gunships. Fletcher was a Special Forces medical sergeant, whose career ended when shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade tore through his right leg, shattering bone and damaging muscle.

  It became Military Monday on steroids as Dwight greeted and was greeted by the crowd of predominantly military people gathering under the tent from which came mouthwatering aromas of smoking and grilling meat. Chairs were set up theater-style in a clearing beyond the tent where the ceremony was scheduled to take place. It was the perfect afternoon for a wedding with midday temperatures in the low seventies and there wasn’t a cloud in the bright blue sky.

  Dwight applauded Fletcher and Nicole for hosting an informal barbecue wedding reception in their backyard rather than in the ballroom of a hotel. He recalled his own wedding, which quickly turned from a small intimate affair into something close to a televised celebrity production. Adrienne’s parents were willing to jump through hoops to give their only daughter whatever she wanted, even if it meant withdrawing money from their retirement nest egg.

  A wide smile split Dwight’s face when he spied Reggie coming out of the house. His friend wasn’t as thin as he’d been before leaving The Falls and there were flecks of gray in his cropped hair that weren’t apparent during their last encounter, but he had to admit Reggie looked much healthier.

  “Hey, buddy,” he said, wrapping Reggie in a bear hug.

  Reggie pounded Dwight’s back. “Man, it’s good to see you. I just got in last night and the first thing I asked Nikki was if she’d invited you.”

  “Even if she hadn’t, I still would’ve crashed this get-together if only to see you.” He held his friend at arm’s length. His tawny-brown complexion was deeply tanned. “You look good, Reggie.”

  “I feel good, Dwight. I must admit that getting and staying clean is a daily struggle. But whenever I look at my boys, I know I can’t go down that rabbit hole again. Nikki sacrificed too much for me to start u
sing again.”

  “Your sister is an exceptional woman.”

  “That she is,” Reggie said in agreement.

  “How long are you going to hang out in The Falls?” Dwight asked him.

  “We’re just going to be here overnight. I have a job interview Monday morning to coach football at a Dade County high school. Even though I prefer coaching on a college level, I’ll take what I can get to get back into the game.”

  “You have my number. Contact me once you get settled into a routine, and maybe we can get together to catch up on old times.”

  “I’d like that, Dwight. I just bought a three-bedroom condo overlooking the ocean, so I’m adjusting to opening my door and not walking out on grass, while the boys are adjusting well to their new school.”

  Dwight chatted with Reggie for a few more minutes until someone told Reggie he was needed inside. He thought about what his friend had said about how difficult it was for him to maintain sobriety. Reggie had been one of a growing number of people who began taking prescription pain meds and after a while found themselves addicted to the substances. At first members of the town council were in denial when they claimed Wickham Falls did not have a drug problem, but with a rising crime rate attributed to substance abuse, they were forced to act by agreeing to open and support a substance abuse clinic. Dwight no longer wrote out prescriptions but faxed them directly to the pharmacist to be filled. The pharmacy was installed with cameras and a silent alarm that went directly to the sheriff’s office.

  * * *

  The wedding went off smoothly with an exchange of vows and rings, and it was followed by a buffet reception with tables groaning with food. A DJ spun upbeat tunes that had most gyrating to the music as they ate, drank and shouted to one another to be heard above the din. Dwight checked his watch after Nicole cut the cake and slices of each layer were handed out to the guests, and decided to leave because he wanted to reach the lake before it was completely dark. The three exquisitely decorated cakes were artistic masterpieces with the detail Sasha had lavished on the roses and leaves. He had no idea of how long it had taken her to decorate the cakes, but now he knew why she’d admitted to having gone nonstop all week.

  He slipped away without saying anything to the newly married couple, who were dancing to a slow tune, and got into his vehicle. Reaching into the glove box, he retrieved his cell phone. He had one text message.

  Natasha: I’m ready whenever you are.

  Dwight smothered a laugh. It looked as if he was going to have a houseguest for the weekend.

  Dwight: I’ll pick you up at 8.

  * * *

  Sasha knocked softly on the door to her mother’s bedroom to get her attention. Charlotte sat in her favorite chair, feet resting on the matching footstool, as she watched a James Bond movie she had seen several times.

  “Mama, I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to be away for a couple of days.”

  Charlotte sat straight. “Where are you going?”

  “Dwight invited me to spend the weekend at his lake house.”

  Charlotte’s blue eyes grew wider, and then she smiled. “Good for you. Enjoy yourself.”

  “I’ll try, Mama.”

  “Don’t try, Natasha. Just do it.”

  She would have had to be completely dense not to figure out that Charlotte wanted her and Dwight together. Well, they were together, but as friends. They’d talked about letting everything unfold naturally, and that was what she intended to do.

  She’d packed a bag with enough clothes to last her several days and was waiting on the porch when Dwight drove up. Sasha was off the porch before he came to a complete stop and walked around to the passenger side, going completely still when she realized he was the only one in the vehicle.

  Sasha opened the rear door and placed her bag on the seat, and then got in next to Dwight. “Where’s Kiera?”

  Leaning to his right, Dwight pressed a kiss on her hair. “She has to complete a paper for Monday.”

  “So, it’s just us?” she asked.

  “You and me, babe. Do you think you’ll be able to put up with me for a couple of days?”

  “That can go both ways, Dwight. Do you think you can tolerate me for more than a few hours?”

  “We’ll see, won’t we? Buckle up, sweetie.”

  Sasha fastened her seat belt. “How long will it take to get there?”

  “About twenty minutes.” Dwight shifted into Reverse and backed out of the driveway. “Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

  “That’s okay. I took a nap after I left Fletcher’s place. By the way, how was the wedding?”

  “Very nice. The ceremony went off without a hitch with Fletcher and Nikki writing their own vows. Everyone was raving about the scrumptious cake, so be prepared for your phone to ring off the hook because folks were talking about ordering from you.”

  Sasha exhaled an audible sigh of relief. She hadn’t lost her touch. For her, cakes had to be more than pretty; they also had to taste good. “I need an assistant ASAP.”

  “Have you advertised for one?”

  “Yes. I’ve contacted several cooking schools in and out of the state for a qualified candidate. At this point I’m so desperate that I’m willing to pay more than the entry-level salary for a new graduate.”

  “Have you had to turn away any orders?”

  “One.” Sasha told Dwight about a woman who’d decided to give her sister a surprise birthday party and wanted a specialized cake the following day. “I would’ve made the cake if I hadn’t been committed to baking four hundred cupcakes for the Johnson County Schools’ PTA bake sale.”

  Dwight whistled under his breath. “How long did it take you to make them?”

  “It took me four hours to bake the cupcakes, and another two to frost and decorate.”

  “How much advance time did you get for the cupcakes?”

  Sasha turned her head, staring out the side window. “Two days. I know they didn’t give me much time, but I make allowances for nonprofits.”

  “Well, for the next two days you can put aside your whisk and pastry bag to decompress.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Sasha was anticipating a quiet, relaxed weekend with a gentle, compassionate man who made her believe in love. When she’d admitted to Grant that she loved him enough to become his wife, she’d believed they would spend the rest of their lives together. However, her fairy-tale world dissipated like a puff of smoke within days of their honeymoon when her new husband turned into someone she didn’t recognize. When she questioned his mood swings, he dismissed it with the excuse that he tended to be temperamental when working on new music. She shook her head to banish all thoughts of her ex-husband. He was her past and she wanted him to remain in the past—even in her memory.

  The sun had set, and it was difficult to discern the passing landscape as Dwight increased his speed. Stars dotted the darkening sky like minute particles of diamond dust on black velvet, and a near-full moon reminded Sasha of a wheel of creamy white cheese. Sinking lower in the seat, she pressed her head against the headrest as a gentle peace settled over her.

  The trees lining the narrow road were taller and seemingly closer together until there was pitch-blackness if not for the Jeep’s headlights. The hoot of an owl could be heard through the open windows along with the sounds of other nocturnal wildlife. Dwight shifted into a lower gear as the road seemed to rise out of nowhere, her ears popping with the higher elevation. A sprinkling of lights appeared in the distance and less than a minute later she saw lights reflecting off a large lake from houses ringing the water like a wreath. There were a few boats moored to docks leading from the homes to the water. A posted sign indicated all visitors must stop at the gatehouse. Dwight’s lake house was in a private gated community seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

&n
bsp; “Do you own a boat?”

  Dwight gave her a quick glance. “No, because I wouldn’t get much use out of it.” He tapped a remote device attached to the vehicle’s visor, the gate went up and he drove through.

  “What made you decide to buy property here?” Sasha questioned.

  “I found it by accident.”

  She listened intently when he told her about finding the prospectus left by a patient in the waiting room that piqued his curiosity. The developer’s original plan was for a retirement community, but the first couple of years he could only sell two of the dozen houses set on half-acre lots. Once he lowered the fifty-five and older age requirement and dropped the selling price, buyers were more receptive.

  “I’m glad I bought in early because the value of the homes has nearly doubled.”

  “Do you plan to retire here?” She’d asked Dwight a lot of questions, but Sasha wanted to know more about the man with whom she would share a roof for two nights.

  Dwight maneuvered along an unpaved road with LED pathway lights. “I’m still undecided. When I retire, I’m not certain whether I’ll keep the house in The Falls, but if I do decide to continue to live there, then I’ll give this place to Kiera to use it as a vacation property—but that all depends on whether she chooses to live in the state. After all, she is a city girl.”

  Sasha smiled. Kiera was a city girl who’d come to the country, and she was a country girl who’d left to go to the city. But she’d come back, and there hadn’t been one day since her return that she regretted leaving a place she’d called home for almost half her life. She fled Wickham Falls at eighteen and returned fourteen years later at thirty-two and knowingly a lot more mature and hopefully wiser.

  She was resolute when it came to her career, but still the proverbial babe in the woods when it came to her heart. Sasha had learned quite a bit about herself in fourteen years and that she had to stop letting her heart rule her head. Here she was with a man who had and was everything she wanted in a lover or husband and he continued to relate to her as if they were besties. It hadn’t mattered that they’d shared a few kisses—chaste ones at that. She wanted more, and the more was the need to be desired.