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June listened to her mother complain about her father. Lexie and Elliot Armstrong were always arguing with each other, which is why
June was always surprised by how in love they were. She’d never known a couple be so much in love yet argue all the time. It was the strangest thing to her. Her parents were supportive of her dream to be a baker. When she’d first told them what she wanted to become at sixteen they’d been against it. To celebrate her twenty-fourth birthday, they’d given her this shop and installed all the latest baking equipment. She loved Just Another Slice and was a hit with the town.
Her father wanted her to be a doctor while her mother wanted her to be a world renowned cook. The professions were so far apart, June didn’t know how her parents picked what to have for dinner. Their life was so strange. Her father was wealthy, a billionaire in his own right, but instead of living the high life, Elliot liked to live in Winters Fall where all the Armstrongs of his family line had lived before him. Lexie was the small town girl who fell in love with the wealthy man. Her mother’s main career was to look after Elliot. So much so that even though they could hire a cook, nanny, and a maid, Lexie did none of those. Unlike a lot of daughters from wealthy families, June had her mother’s support growing up. Her mother cooked, cleaned, and was always there to do homework.
“If he doesn’t stop buying me more jewels I’m going to divorce him,” Lexie said, growling in frustration.
Laughing, June looked at the new addition to her mother’s collection of necklaces.
“Mom, you’re probably the only woman complaining about a necklace or two. Dad loves you, and he wants to give you the best.”
“No, I’ve told him no more gifts. These gifts signify guilt. He’s guilty over something.”
“I think you’re imagining it.” Resting her hands on her hips, June couldn’t help but glance across the street where Trey’s tattoo parlor stood. She made a promise to herself to never put herself in front of Trey’s path again. The bastard, along with his two friends, had made her life a misery growing up. In college she’d learned to get over a lot of her issues that had crawled up inside her. Also, having a man who loved a curvy woman had helped her a lot. She started to see the value of having a curvy body as opposed to a body fit for a teenager.
The diets she’d once lived her life by never worked for her. The weight always kept pounding on her. She’d tried to starve herself, which lasted for three days before her mother tempted her with homemade pizza.
“Is he causing you any troubles?” Lexie asked, seeing where her gaze had fallen.
“No. I’ve not seen him.” Only Lexie knew the true extent of the bullying. It wasn’t as bad as some of the bullying other kids got, but it was enough for June to know she’d never get past it. Trey Hunt was her enemy back then, and he was her enemy now.
“I know he was a pain in the ass to you growing up, but he’s changed.”
“Whatever. I want nothing to do with him.” Trey was the reason why she’d stayed away for as long as she had. Her original plan was to open a bakery up in the city, but her parents wanted her back home. She loved Winters Fall a lot more than she loved the city. Coming home had been a huge deal for her.
Fortunately, Trey hadn’t left the confines of his tattoo parlor to ruin her little buzz.
High school was finished. She wasn’t going to let him stand all over her.
“Well if it makes you feel any better, your father can shut him down whenever he wants,” Lexie said.
“What?” June frowned.
“Your father owns the building. He can cause a lot of waves if you want.”
Shaking her head, June closed her eyes. She was a bigger person than that. “No, I could never do that to him. I’m not that kind of person.”
“I know, sweetie, which is why we love you so much. I’ve got to go. I’m making a pork stew if you’re interested in stopping by.”
June declined the invitation. She wasn’t living at home but above the bakery. Every morning without fail she was up at four o’clock to start baking. She loved the new timetable. Just Another Slice closed at five, giving her an hour to clean everything away. She was home within five minutes of cleaning up, doing her own thing until nine when she was in bed sleeping. Then she’d wake up, and her whole day would start again, apart from Sunday. Her only day off was Sunday. She liked her life, and it was fun.
“Okay, I’ll see you soon. Do not be a stranger to us,” Lexie said, kissing her cheek.
As June headed back inside the bakery, the scent of cinnamon bagels permeated the air. She loved the smell of baking. It always reminded her of her mother’s kitchen. It was always nostalgic for her. Molly Tatum, her one employee, was handing a ham toasted sandwich to a customer.
“We’re out of whole meal roles,” Molly said, closing the till.
“A fresh batch is already in the oven.”
Molly was a surprise employee for June. During school, Molly had been one of the popular kids. She was always giving parties and wearing new clothes, but she’d never given June a hard time growing up.
Putting the sign up for a full-time assistant, June never expected Molly to answer the advertisement. She learned throughout the interview that Molly was the mother of two children and the father had left her. No one knew who the father was. June couldn’t imagine raising two babies at all, but Molly was doing it all alone. Whenever Molly was asked about the father, the other woman shut down and refused to say anything. June figured it was up to Molly, and she wasn’t going to force her to spill.
She’d needed the job and wanted to get off the benefit because it was sending her into a depression. Pitying the woman, June removed the application from the window and offered Molly the job on the spot. She probably should have interviewed more people, but she possessed a heart and wanted to help Molly. In the month she’d been open she’d met Molly’s two children and fallen in love with them instantly.
Molly never talked about their father, and June never asked who he was.
“If you want tomorrow I’ll teach you to make the dough for the whole meal bagels?” June went to check the oven. Another five minutes and she could pull them out.
“I’d love that. Why are you so good to me?” Molly asked.
“What do you mean?” June turned to the other woman, frowning.
“You’re June Armstrong. You could employ anyone, and yet you employed me and I’ve got no baking experience at all. All I know how to do is put a ready meal in the microwave.”
“Hey, I taught you how to make lasagna and chicken the other day,” June said, smiling.
Molly smiled. “I guess I want to know why?”
“Why I offered you the job?” Grabbing the hair net from the hook June placed it on her hair, wrapping up the strands.
“We didn’t get on in high school. I was popular, you were not, and yet you’re being nice to me. A lot of my old friends ditched me when I turned up pregnant without a boyfriend, but you’re still here.” Tears filled Molly’s eyes, and they gripped at June’s heart.
Her mother had filled her in on all the town gossip while she’d been away.
“I’m not a bitter person. I don’t see the need to hold a grudge. You were never outright mean to me, Molly. When you walked in the door, I wasn’t going to give you the job at all. Getting to know you and seeing your problems, you need this job a lot more than most. Besides, Sasha and Luke love you working for me, and they get more than a frozen ready meal now.”
June pulled out the whole meal bagels and placed them on a cooling rack.
Turning back to Molly, she saw the other woman crying.
“You’re the only friend I’ve got,” Molly said.
“That’s okay. We only ever need one friend in this world to survive.” She moved toward the other woman and hugged her close. “Tell you what, when you pick Luke and Sasha up today, come back here. I’ve got a casserole in the oven, and there’s plenty for all of us.”
“You really are too damn kind.”
Laughing, June went back to the mixer to see if the dough had proven enough. She really did love baking.
