Sweet Dreams (The Bakery Romance Series Book 3)

by Cecelia Dowdy

  “It’s okay. My new assistant opened up for me this morning. So, just sit back and rest and I’ll go in and get the medicine.”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ll get it.” She opened the door. He placed his large brown hand on her arm, halting her exit.

  “Why don’t you want me to help you? I’ll go in and get the medicine. Then I’ll drop you off at work.”

  Stunned, she removed her hand from the car door, staring into Sterling’s cocoa-brown face. His full lips hardened into a frown and she blinked, feeling bad about upsetting him. It was so hard to depend on others for help, she liked doing everything herself. But, Sterling wanted to help her, and the thought of having somebody take the lead and help her out warmed her heart.

  Taking a deep breath, she closed the door. It was probably best to accept his help. She placed her hand on his arm. “Thanks for helping me.”

  He nodded, exited the car and went into the drugstore. He soon returned with the cold medicine, Tylenol, a bottle of water, and some liquid drops. “The pharmacist said you can place these drops into your ear for pain. He said you might have an ear infection and should see a doctor.”

  She blew air through her lips. “I’ll be okay.”

  She popped the Tylenol into her mouth and washed it down with a drink of water. When he dropped her off at work, he halted her exit again. “Look, if you find out that you can’t stay at work then you can call me.” He pulled a business card from his wallet. “My assistants can run the bakery if you need me to come and get you. I’ll write my cell phone number on the back.” He scribbled on the back of the card before handing it to her.

  She accepted the cream-colored card, noting the huge cupcake embossed on it. “Thanks, Sterling.” She finally exited the vehicle, walked into her office building on slow, measured steps. As soon as she entered the reception area, she closed her eyes. Lord, help me with this pain.

  After entering the ladies room, she placed the drops into her ear. She screwed the top back onto the drops and placed the bottle into her purse. With a slow gait, Misty approached her desk and opened the seal over the cold tablets. She popped two into her mouth and guzzled the cool water. Wincing, she endured the pain of her aching throat after swallowing the tablets. The Tylenol did nothing to ease her pain, so, she figured she should take the cold medicine.

  “What’s the matter?” Her boss, Carmen, entered. Her dark fashionable business suit hugged her slim body. She glanced at Misty, her dark eyes full of curiosity.

  Misty shook her head, placing the bag of medicine into her drawer. Her ear still ached, in spite of using the drops. “I’m feeling a little under the weather.”

  “You sound horrible. Why’d you come to work?”

  She sighed, wondering who was going to comment on the way her voice sounded next. She held her sore ear, wondering if she should’ve gotten Sterling to purchase some stronger medication. “I’ll be okay.” Her voice came out sounding thick and croaky like a frog’s.

  Carmen didn’t comment further, but Misty could see the disapproval in her eyes. She managed to work for an hour, in spite of her pain. A cough erupted from her chest. She ran into the ladies room and guzzled from her bottle of water. Hopefully the liquid would soothe her sore throat. Her coughing continued. The hacking cough irritated her fiery sore throat. Lord, please help me to stop coughing. Maybe she should’ve told Sterling to purchase some cough medicine from the drug store. Carmen stormed though the bathroom door. “Misty, you really need to go home. You sound horrible and I don’t want you to make the rest of the staff sick.” Her firm tone resonated against the tiled bathroom walls. She glanced at her gold watch. “I’d offer to drive you but I’m meeting with a client in five minutes.”

  Misty exited the ladies room, blinking. She felt even worse over the last five minutes. The room seemed to be spinning. Her stomach churned. Hopefully, she wouldn’t puke. She slumped into her chair. “A friend of mine will drive me home.”

  Carmen’s dark eyes filled with concern as she touched Misty’s forehead. “You’re burning up. You need to go to the doctor. There’s an urgent care center downtown and they’re usually pretty quick. I don’t want you coming back to work until you’re better.”

  Carmen left for her meeting. Misty fumbled in her purse until she found her cell phone. She studied Sterling’s business card and took a deep breath. She managed to dial his cell phone number. He answered on the first ring. “Misty?”

  “Can you come and get me? I feel worse.” She then told him what Carmen said about the urgent care center. “You can drop me off at urgent care if you need to get back to the bakery.”

  “That’s okay. I can stay with you. My assistants can handle things until I get back.” She dropped her cell phone into her purse. It was such a relief that Sterling had agreed to come and pick her up. Breathing deeply, she thought about the caring concern he’d displayed all morning. He really seemed to care about her as a person, and he didn’t even know her very well. His willingness to help her created a cocoon of warmth around her, making her want to get to know him better.

  She relished these thoughts for a few seconds before pushing them away. Sterling really didn’t know her very well. Did he want her to do something to return the favor? Why was he being nice to her? Should she be suspicious of his actions? Mental and physical fatigue washed through her and she didn’t have the energy to question Sterling’s motives anymore. She needed to accept his assistance and be thankful that somebody was around to help her out.

  Two hours later, Sterling dropped her off at Adrian’s house. She’d been diagnosed with the flu and an ear infection. Fatigue washed through her body like a tidal wave and all she wanted to do was to lie down and sleep. After Sterling had left, she ate a bowl of soup and went to bed.

  For the rest of Friday and all day Saturday, Misty slept and took her medicine and soon her fever left and the pain subsided. During the weekend, thoughts of Sterling’s kindness twirled through her mind like raindrops splattering against dry, parched soil. Still unsure about Sterling’s motive, she’d found that it was nice to have somebody to help her while she was ill. She thought about him all weekend. He’d proven to be a kind person, and Adrian had mentioned he was a firm believer in Christ.

  Misty also found herself drawn to his handsome good looks. His caramel brown skin and pleasant features were like a ray of sunshine. She wondered about his life. Was it still hard for him to function since his dad had passed? Was he ever able to smooth things over with his brother? As Sterling continued to dominate her thoughts the entire weekend, she found herself wondering when she would see him again. She wondered what his thoughts were about her. Did he feel sorry for her because she was raising Jennifer alone and had to deal with troublesome Nate?

  When Sunday rolled around, she was still tired. She came into the kitchen and the scent of Adrian’s perfume filled the air, signaling that she was ready for church. “You think you feel well enough to come to church?” asked Adrian, setting a mug of hot tea on the table in front of her.

  “I just feel so tired, but I do feel better since last Friday.”

  “Why don’t you go back to bed?”

  “Adrian, I can’t. I promised Jennifer that I’d come and get her today.” She paused, sipping her tea. “Can we rent the car like you promised? I’ll need to take Jennifer to the daycare tomorrow and it’ll be easier for me to transport her in a car instead of taking the bus.”

  Adrian nodded. “Sterling and I rented the car this morning, but you’re not driving today.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, Misty, you can’t drive. You’re still sick.”

  Misty swallowed, enjoying the hot lemony taste of the tea. “The doctor at urgent care said I could go back to work on Monday if I felt like it. I just need to rest this morning and then I’m going to drive to my mother’s house to get Jennifer.”

  Adrian huffed, grabbing her cane and sticking it into her large tote bag. “Just stay home and wait until next week
to get Jennifer. You’re in no condition to be driving for two and a half hours.”

  “But I promised her. I miss my daughter. I’ve been moping around your house since I came to town.”

  Adrian sighed. “You have been upset.”

  “Well, I can drop her off at the daycare tomorrow since that’s when the space opens up and they’re expecting her and I’ve already paid my deposit and one week’s fee in advance. I miss Jennifer so much and seeing her is the best medicine that I could hope for.”

  A knock sounded at the door. “Oh, that’s Sterling. He usually gives me a ride to church. Go back to bed after you finish your tea and we’ll talk about this when I get home.”

  Misty obeyed, too tired to argue. When she returned to bed, she fell into a deep slumber. Adrian gently awakened her a couple of hours later, shaking her shoulder. “Misty, I asked Sterling and he’s going to drive you over to your mom’s to get Jennifer.”

  Misty struggled to wake up, shocked at Adrian’s actions. “What? You shouldn’t have asked him to do that. I could’ve driven down to get Jennifer.” Sterling had done so much for her already, and she didn’t want him to think she was taking advantage of his kindness.

  Adrian sighed and made herself comfortable on the bed. “The bakery is closed on Sundays and Sterling doesn’t mind doing this as a favor to me.”

  Misty looked away, wondering if it was a good thing for Sterling to be driving her down to her mother’s house. She didn’t want to inconvenience him. “Adrian, I don’t know…”

  “Don’t argue with me. You can sleep in the car. Imagine how excited Jennifer’s going to be when she sees you.”

  She pulled herself out of bed, a sudden burst of excitement rushing through her when she thought about seeing her daughter again. She washed up and gathered her bag and keys before taking another dose of medicine.

  She strolled into the kitchen and stopped. Sterling lounged at the table. He cradled a cup of coffee in his large brown hands, sipping the steaming brew. “Hi,” she breathed.

  “Hi, Misty. I thought we could leave after I finished my coffee.”

  She nodded. “That’s fine.” He sported a dark red collared shirt and denim shorts. He’d recently gotten a haircut and the scent of his cologne teased her nose. She eyed his muscular arms and calves. Goodness, this man was big. Big and kind…the thought of spending the day with him filled her mind. What would they talk about while driving to Lehigh Acres? He looked up and caught her staring. She looked away, ashamed that he’d noticed her looking at him.

  Sterling finished his coffee and they finally made their trek to the rented car. The humid Florida heat sweltered around them. Sterling unlocked the car doors, wiping his brow. “It’s hot out here.” He rushed over to her side of the car and opened her door for her. Misty hesitated, studied him. Her heart skipped a beat. This was the first time a man had ever opened her car door for her. But, Sterling had taken her to work and urgent care the other day. Had he opened the door for her then? He probably had, but, she’d been so ill that she had not taken note of his kind gesture.

  He gestured toward the open door. “What’s wrong? Are you upset about me taking you to your mom’s?” He actually looked worried, as if his actions would upset her. She needed to make sure her reaction didn’t make him feel uneasy. She wanted him to feel as comfortable as possible while they drove to her mom’s.

  “Don’t pay me any attention. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” She got into the car and strapped her seatbelt. She continued to peer at him while he buckled his seatbelt. He no longer looked worried, and that was a relief.

  When they were comfortably situated in the vehicle, he started the engine and fiddled with the GPS. “What’s your mother’s address?”

  She recited the address and he entered the information. “You should rest while I’m driving.” He turned the radio on. “Do you have a favorite radio station?”

  She shook her head. “Anything you want to play is fine.” She closed her eyes as the soulful sound of gospel swirled through the car, the harmonious voices of singers praising Jesus soothing her soul. She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until a gentle hand nudged her shoulder. “Misty, we’re here.”

  She forced her eyes open. Tears slid down her cheeks when she spotted her mom’s familiar house. After getting out of the car, she rushed to the small white structure, receiving a sudden burst of energy. She swung the door open and scampered through the living room toward the sound of Jennifer’s chatter in the kitchen. She rushed into the room. Her mom and her daughter sat at the table. Jennifer sat in a booster seat, eating a cup of fruit cocktail. Her heart thudded as she ran to the table, swiping her daughter in a huge hug. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she kissed her daughter’s hair, enjoyed the wonderful scent of baby powder and lotion. She sniffed, running her fingers over Jennifer’s kinky hair.

  “Mommy! You’re squeezing me too tight.”

  “I’m sorry, baby. I missed you so much!” The nightly phone calls were a poor substitute to having her baby in her arms. She sniffed, setting her back into the chair.

  Misty’s mother pulled her into her arms. “Hi, Honey.”

  She shared a hug with her mother and they sat at the table. “Where are Lisa and Kim?” She asked about her two older sisters.

  Her mother rolled her eyes, as she got up from the table. She started a pot of coffee. “Where do you think? Both of them were gone all night last night with their boyfriends. They still haven’t come home.” She shook her head. “They both should be back later because I know they’ve got stuff around here to do before they go to work in the morning.”

  Misty sighed. Her sisters’ behavior started to bother her after she’d accepted Christ, and she didn’t want to raise Jennifer in a house where her sisters were always bringing home different boyfriends and staying out all night.

  Her mother’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Lisa’s only known this dude for two weeks and she’s already talking to him every day, staying at his house most of the weekend.” Her mother shook her head, as if saddened by the news. “Like usual, he’ll probably dump her before long. I just wish that I’d had a father around to raise you girls better—”

  She placed her hand on her mother’s arm, halting the speech she’d grown tired of hearing over the years. “Mom, don’t. You did the best you could and we’re fine.”

  Her mother went to the tap and poured herself a glass of water, gazing out the window. “Child, who is that cute young man walking up our driveway?”

  “Oh, my goodness! I forgot about Sterling. He’s Adrian’s neighbor and he drove me over here.” Misty ran into the living room and met him at the door. “I’m sorry for just leaving you out there. I wanted to see Jennifer.”

  He chuckled and touched her face. His dark eyes twinkled when he smiled at her. Her heart skittered and she backed away. His smile faltered. “That’s okay. I knew you were anxious to see your daughter.”

  Her mom joined her at the front door. “Misty, aren’t you going to introduce me to your…your friend?”

  “Mom, like I said, this is Sterling. He’s Adrian’s neighbor and he drove me over here since I wasn’t feeling well.”

  Embarrassment filled Misty’s soul as her mother eyed Sterling from head to toe before shaking his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too, Ms. Stewart.”

  They retreated to the kitchen and the room filled with awkward silence. Misty wondered why her mother seemed at a loss for words since she was always so talkative.

  Jennifer shied behind Misty when she spotted Sterling.

  He grinned, giving Jennifer a playful wink. “What’s your name?” Jennifer didn’t respond, continuing to stare.

  He glanced around the spotless kitchen. “Where are your toys?” She remained silent but Sterling continued to smile, coaxing her to come forward. “I won’t bite.”

  Soon, Jennifer chuckled and approached him. “I have a doll.”

  “You do
? Where is she?”

  Jennifer ran out of the kitchen, soon returned with her small brown doll and a little white bottle. She shoved both items into his arms, giggling. “She wants lunch.”

  Misty’s heart fluttered as he held the small doll and bottle in his brown, muscular arms, playing with her daughter. She blinked, wondering why the scene made her so emotional. She figured it was just lingering remnants of her illness. As Sterling continued to play with Jennifer, she wondered what it would be like to have him around to help her with Jennifer. He’d certainly be a better father-figure than Nate. She imagined both her and Jennifer spending more time with Sterling, bonding. She shook the thought away. She couldn’t allow herself to fantasize about something that would probably never happen. Her mother cleared her throat. “Misty, you should’ve told me you were bringing company. I would’ve cooked dinner.”

  He shook his head. “That’s okay. Since we have a long drive back, I’d rather get on the road.”

  Misty’s mother shook her head, studied him holding the doll. “I can’t send you guys back on the road until I’ve fed you.” She gestured toward the adjoining bedroom. “Misty, go in there and get my purse.”

  Misty obeyed, returning with her mother’s worn black handbag. “I’ll give you some money and you and Sterling can run over to Willie’s Chicken Shack. Get a bucket of fried chicken and some rolls. I already have some potato salad in the fridge. Take your time showing him where it is. Maybe show him around the town a bit.” Misty accepted the money, frowning, wondering why her mother wanted her to show Sterling around Lehigh Acres. Wasn’t her mother glad to see her after all this time?

  Sterling furrowed his brow, setting the doll aside. She wondered what he was thinking.

  Pushing her thoughts away, she lifted Jennifer, kissing her cheek. “We’ll take Jennifer with us.”

  Her mother shook her head before Misty could barely get the request out of her mouth. “No, leave Jennifer here.”

  “Mom…”