Sweet Dreams (The Bakery Romance Series Book 3)

by Cecelia Dowdy

  Louis changed the subject. “So, Sterling, how have you been doing?”

  He may as well be honest. “Terrible.”

  “Really? Why?”

  He told Louis all about his relationship with Misty. He ended by telling of her unsavory background, and about his conversation with her the previous night. “I know I made her mad, but, I do think she believes that getting into that school is like a seal of approval from the upper class people. She doesn’t need that seal of approval to feel better about herself.”

  Louis nodded. The oven timer buzzed. Minutes later, he brought a fresh plate of hot cinnamon buns to the table. Louis gobbled the warm buns, licking the icing off his fingers. “Man, these are good.” His brother pushed his table manners aside when he was around family. After slurping a carton of milk, Louis finally spoke. “You’re probably right about the school. But you’re wrong to judge her about her past.”

  “I’m not judging her.” Heck, he knew when you were born again, it was like being made new. That was the gospel. He wasn’t holding her past mistakes against her, well, not very much.

  “Yes, you are. You just said that things have been stilted between you two since you ran into that guy, Ace, at the grocery store. Misty knows what you’re like. That’s why she never told you about her former life.”

  “What do you mean what I’m like?”

  “You judge people when they don’t fit into your little box.”

  This made no sense. Louis’s visit was doing nothing but lousing up his already-messed-up day. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You talk about Latisha flirting with you.”

  He threw his hands up in the air. “But, she was!”

  “But, Misty tried to help her. Didn’t you tell me once that Christians should help each other?”

  He didn’t even know if Latisha was a Christian, but, that was a subject for another day. “So, what’s your point?”

  “My point is, I can tell that you like Misty. You need to treat her past just as it is, her past. She’s not like that now. She’s mainly focusing on raising her daughter, which is a good thing. From what you’re telling me, she didn’t even want to date you. She didn’t throw herself on you all the time like Latisha.”

  He gave Louis the rest of the buns to take home. Yeah, Misty’s past bothered him. It was a tough pill to swallow, and Louis’s words rang through his mind like a warning bell. He loved Misty, he really did. He knew he shouldn’t judge her by the way she used to be. Maybe he should call her to…well, maybe he needed to explain why he’d been acting like a jerk. Louis’s words were like a splash of cold water onto his soul. Now he just needed to figure out what to say to Misty.

  *

  Misty completed the email for Carmen. Whew, what a day. She’d been so busy at work, but, busy was good. It didn’t give her time to dwell on what Sterling had said to her. His thoughtless words kept her awake at night. It’d almost been a week since their conversation. After she’d found the loaf of bread and the letter on her doorstep, she’d opened the letter. She’d been stunned about what Sterling said in the letter. He’d told of her learning to cook so that she could work in the soup kitchen. He’d mentioned that she was the most dedicated volunteer that he’d ever met. Did he really mean that, or was he only saying that because of their shared attraction?

  She supposed he really meant it. After all, she knew that Sterling could be tactless, but, he was honest. The thoughtful letter had touched her core, and when she’d gotten to work the following day, she’d scanned the letter and had submitted it with her application for the scholarship. The ringing telephone interrupted her musings. “Carmen’s Law Firm.”

  “Ms. Stewart?”

  Misty sat up straight in her desk chair at work. “Yes?”

  “I’m calling from the Sarah Wilkins Scholarship Foundation.”

  “Yes..hi.” She tried to tame her voice.

  “You’ve been selected as a finalist for the scholarship. Ms. Wilkins needs to set up a time to meet with you and your daughter. After she’s personally interviewed all of the finalists, then she’ll be making her final decision.”

  She closed her eyes. Thank you, Jesus. Their appointment was set for the following day. She ended the call, still trying to process all that had happened within the last few minutes. The scholarship was now in her grasp. She wanted to grab that money and send Jennifer to Juliette’s. Sterling’s firm sexy voice interrupted her musings. She still struggled with what he’d said. But, she wouldn’t let their conversation bring her down. She needed to focus on getting ready for the interview tomorrow afternoon.

  Chapter 33

  Sterling peeked through his blinds. Misty’s bedroom light shined through her curtain. It was two o’clock in the morning and Misty was awake. Did the conversation they’d had almost a week ago bother her? Was that why she wasn’t asleep?

  Well, he didn’t know why Misty was awake, but, he knew why he couldn’t sleep. The conversation he’d had with Louis burned in his mind like an over-baked cookie. He’d held Misty’s past against her and that was wrong. He’d been calm and cool towards her over the last couple of weeks, unsure if there was hope for them. Sure, she’d said she wasn’t interested in dating him, but, he had to believe that she was using that as an excuse to not get close to him. She didn’t want to trust him.

  Misty had been let down too many times and she wanted to do everything on her own.

  She was independent and determined. She was one of the most awesome women he’d ever met, but, he’d never told her that. He’d unfairly judged her because she had not lived a life that fit into his little box, just as Louis had pointed out.

  After he’d accompanied Misty home from Nate’s funeral, he’d imagined her previous lifestyle.

  Just the thought of her dating Ace, a sleazy drug dealer, made his temperature rise. Over the last few weeks, he’d thought about why Misty’s previous actions bothered him so much. He’d wondered if she’d had self-respect before she’d found Christ. It looked like she hadn’t. But, if she were raised in that sort of environment, it was possible that she found no fault in her actions.

  Ace had seemed scary, and Misty obviously feared him. Ace had probably abused Misty, and Misty had let him do it. He recalled Misty’s mom, raising three daughters alone, her having drug problems when she was younger. If all Misty had been exposed to were her mom’s irrational actions, it was possible that she was used to seeing her mom being abused by men. Heck, maybe she’d noticed her sister’s actions, too.

  Again, he recalled why Misty was in Miami in the first place.

  She wanted to get her daughter away from her family, raise her in a Christian environment. Misty had made drastic changes in her life, a noble gesture, all for the sake of her daughter. He again recalled his judgmental attitude when she’d first shown up in Miami. He’d accused her of being a bad mother, just because she’d briefly left Jennifer behind in Lehigh Acres.

  He winced, shame consuming his soul. He knew that Jesus didn’t like for people to judge others. In spite of his negative thoughts about Misty, he was still in love with her, and there didn’t seem to be anything he could do to make his love for her disappear. That’s why he’d been so miserable the last few weeks.

  He swiped his tears away. “Lord, I’ve messed up, big time. I love Misty and I don’t know what to do.” He closed his eyes, continued staring at her bedroom light. Tell her the truth. Apologize.

  The words popped into his mind, clear and strong. If he told Misty how he felt, apologized, she might give him a chance. Was she even ready for a relationship yet? Well, he wouldn’t know if he didn’t ask her. He sighed. With a start, he realized that he’d never asked Misty how she came to find Christ, how she’d made the positive changes in her life. There was so much he didn’t know about her, but, he was anxious to learn.

  His life was such a mess. Well, the least he could do was let Misty know how wrong he’d been. He dialed her phone number.
/>   “Hello.” Her soft, sleepy voice carried over the wire. He continued staring out the window.

  “Misty. I thought you were awake. Your light is on.”

  “I was reading my Bible earlier and fell asleep with the light on.”

  “I’ll let you go back to sleep then.” He didn’t want to keep her up. They could always talk later.

  “No, that’s okay. Why’d you call?”

  “I was worried about you. I saw your light on and thought that something was wrong.”

  In her cute, sleepy voice, she told him about getting the interview for the scholarship the next day. “Please pray that Jennifer gets that scholarship.”

  “I will.” He’d do that for her. There was a ton of stuff he wanted to say but now wasn’t the time. He’d talk to her later, when she wasn’t half asleep. He figured he could at least rectify some of his mistake right now, though. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry I’ve been such a jerk the last couple of weeks. It was wrong of me to act that way.”

  When his apology was met with silence, he figured she wasn’t going to accept it. Well, maybe he needed to apologize again when she wasn’t half asleep.

  “I wanted to ask you something.”

  “You can ask me anything.”

  “Have you been avoiding me at church? I saw you sitting up on the balcony the last couple of Sundays. Why would you sit up there?”

  “No, I wasn’t avoiding you.” He paused and gathered his thoughts. “I sit up there sometimes when I’m upset about something, when I don’t feel like socializing with anybody. I get to church right before it starts and then I leave once most people have cleared out.”

  “But, you did it right after you found out about Ace.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  She was silent again. He figured she may have fallen asleep again. “Does this mean we’re friends again?”

  “Yes, we’re friends.” He wanted to be more than friends, but, he’d shelve that conversation for another day. “Bye.”

  “Bye.” He continued studying her window until the bedroom light had been turned off.

  *

  Still thinking about last night’s conversation with Sterling, Misty approached Sarah Wilkins’ front door. Sarah Wilkins was the head of the scholarship foundation. She stopped, closed her eyes. She needed to concentrate and calm down.

  Last night, Sterling had said he’d pray for her, and she could only hope that he had. Adrian had said she’d pray for her too. Misty had prayed until she’d fallen asleep, right after she’d spoken to Sterling. He’d actually apologized. When the words tumbled from his lips, she’d felt some relief. She honestly didn’t know if they’d ever have a relationship beyond friendship, and if they didn’t, then that was okay.

  Well, it wasn’t okay, but, it’d have to be.

  She wanted to be more than friends, and she’d almost told him that last night.

  But, for some reason, she just didn’t have the courage to tell him that. Besides, now that they were friends again, and he knew all about her past, he might not want to date her anymore. He probably just wanted to be friends with her for now.

  She took a deep breath and finally knocked on the massive door. The nice, polished expensive-looking wood gleamed in the late afternoon sun. The frosted windows gave the entrance a charming appeal.

  Jennifer studied their surroundings. “Mommy, look at that!” She raised her dark eyebrows and pointed to the massive fountain in the middle of the yard. Water squirted toward the sky and a few birds fluttered in the liquid, enjoying a late afternoon bath.

  She smiled at her daughter. “Yes, that’s pretty.”

  Flowers bloomed in the yard, so many flowers. Roses, marigolds, violets and wildflowers …all of the plants created one big symphony of color. “Mommy, look at those flowers.”

  “Yes, they’re so pretty.” A butterfly fluttered by. Butterflies…her stomach felt like it was exploding with butterflies and she needed to calm herself down. Jennifer looked so cute in her pink dress and matching pink hat. She also wore sandals on her small feet. Hopefully, they’d make a good impression on Ms. Wilkins.

  Her daughter dropped her hand. “Mommy, your hand is wet.”

  Sweaty palms, nervous stomach, all of these were symptoms of a nervous mom trying to get her daughter the scholarship that she deserved. The previous week, she’d driven over to Juliette’s again. It’d been a Saturday afternoon and the school had been deserted. “See, Jennifer,” she’d said. “That’s where you might be going to school next year.” Jennifer had not seemed impressed. Misty had again tried to get her enthusiastic about the school, but Jennifer merely shrugged Misty’s comments away, focusing on her book. Misty figured her daughter recalled being sick on her last visit and didn’t want to go inside the school again.

  “Yes?” A tall butler opened the door, dressed in black and white. He gave Misty a cool, frosty look.

  Well, looked like he wasn’t expecting her, which was not a good sign after all. “I’m Misty Rae Stewart and this is my daughter Jennifer. We’re here to see Ms. Wilkins. We have a two o’clock appointment.”

  His frosty look melted like ice cream on a hot summer day. “Well, of course. Come right in.” He showed them into an elaborate sitting room. African prints hung on the gold-colored walls. A fancy couch and a chair rested in the middle of the room. She supposed she should remain standing until Ms. Wilkins came into the room. The butler returned minutes later. “Go ahead and have a seat. Ms. Wilkins will be here shortly. Would you like some refreshment?”

  Refreshment? Misty doubted she could keep any food down, her stomach was so nervous. “Could I get a glass of ginger ale, please?”

  He nodded. “Of course.” He glanced at Jennifer. Her daughter had gone over to the window, again staring at the pretty flowers in the front yard. She didn’t realize Jennifer enjoyed flowers so much. Perhaps she should get some to plant in Adrian’s front yard. Jennifer could help her. She was sure her daughter would enjoy that. “What about the child?”

  “Oh, she’s fine.” Besides, this room looked so elaborate, she didn’t want Jennifer dropping crumbs on the floor. The butler left the room. “Come here, Jennifer. Let’s sit down here and wait.” Misty pointed to the couch. Jennifer reluctantly left the window, joined her mother on the couch.

  “My, my, my, what a pretty dress.” Misty glanced toward the door. A petite elderly lady made her way into the room, pushing a walker. She gave Jennifer a warm smile before seating herself on the couch.

  “Jennifer, say thank you.” Whew, good thing she’d taken time to make sure Jennifer had a nice dress. She’d gotten the expensive designer dress from the thrift store for a steal.

  “Thank you,” Jennifer whispered.

  “I’m Sarah Wilkins.” She offered her wrinkled hand.

  “I’m Misty Rae Stewart and this is my daughter Jennifer.”

  “Hi,” Jennifer said softly.

  “Hello dear.”

  The butler returned with the ginger ale over ice. Misty wanted to drink, but, her hands were shaking. She couldn’t recall ever being so nervous in her entire life. She swallowed, willed her hand to stop shaking. She finally lifted the glass and took a tiny sip, just enough to wet her dry, parched throat. Ms. Wilkins nodded to her butler. “That will be all. I’ll ring for you if I need anything.” The butler took his exit, closing the heavy doors behind him.

  Misty tried to think of something to say. “What a nice home you have.”

  “Yes, it serves me well.”

  Misty managed to take another sip of ginger ale.

  “Ms. Stewart.”

  “Please, call me Misty.”

  She nodded. “Misty. Let’s get right down to business. I mainly want to hear about your experiences of working in a soup kitchen.” She paused, her dark eyes twinkling. “I just want you to know that the man you work with, Sterling Richards, gave you a glowing letter of recommendation. I haven’t read such a beautiful letter in years.”

>   Really? In years? Even though Sterling had not supported her decision for Jennifer’s preschool, he’d still helped her to pursue her dream. She’d never thanked him for writing the letter. It’d been touching for him to tell of her fear of cooking, and how she’d overcome that to work in the soup kitchen and feed others. “Well, I became interested in working in the soup kitchen because I used to eat in soup kitchens when I was a child.”

  The old woman nodded, gesturing for Misty to go on. While she told of her childhood, and then her experience of volunteering in the soup kitchens in Lehigh Acres and Miami, she could sense the approval in Ms. Wilkins dark eyes.

  “So, serving others in the soup kitchen is something you’ll probably continue to do if you are able?”

  She nodded. Once she’d started talking about her childhood and her history of eating and working in the soup kitchens, she found that her hands no longer shook. Her voice had become stronger. She took another sip of ginger ale. Mrs. Wilkins eyes twinkled as if she were hiding a huge secret. Misty returned Mrs. Wilkins grin. Yes, maybe there was hope in their gleaning this scholarship after all.

  Chapter 34

  Adrian sat at the kitchen table, sipped a cup of tea. “So, how did the interview go?” Misty had volunteered to make dinner that night, hamburgers. Latisha was also supposed to drop by later. She formed the meat into patties and put the skillet on to heat. She was glad they’d gotten chips during their last visit to the grocery store. Hamburgers always tasted good with potato chips.

  “The interview was fabulous. I feel so much better. I think there’s a good chance that Jennifer might get that scholarship.”

  “That’s good. I can understand why you’re in a good mood. Tell me all about it.”

  While Misty fried the meat, she told Adrian all about her interview. “I could tell she was really impressed. And Adrian, she was so nice and hospitable.”

  “Well, I hope you get this scholarship. I know how much it means to you.’