“For now.” I open my truck door and get in, pulling away from the house. When I get to the stop sign, I look right and then left, and spot Claire in her car, driving away.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
COLLINS
A couple of women with strollers pass me as I walk from my car down Main Street. I smile at them, and they smile back as I move out of their way. My hand goes to my stomach automatically as I pull open the door to the bakery. The assault of fresh-baked goods hits my nose. I close my eyes as if I’ve died and gone to heaven.
“Hey, Collins,” Ms. Maddie says, walking out of the back. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” I smile at her, pretending not to notice the two women at the table in the corner. They’re watching me, clutching their purses to their laps.
“What can I get for you?” Ms. Maddie asks.
“What do you suggest?” I look into the case as if it’s the first time I’ve been in here.
“We just pulled banana bread cinnamon rolls out of the oven. I was about to add the cinnamon cream cheese frosting.”
“Say less,” I reply. “I will take two.” I hold up my fingers, knowing I’m going to keep one for Theo. “Can you put them in two different boxes?”
“Will do.” She walks back into the kitchen, and I turn my head. The women in the corner quickly look away. I swallow down a lump, and my head hangs down.
“Hey, Collins.” Mrs. Lambert, her hair and makeup perfectly done, has just entered the shop, a canvas bag over her shoulder. Her daughter, McKenna, and I went to school together. We didn’t hang out with each other, just knew each other in passing, and she moved away from home as soon as she graduated. I think she even dated Hudson, a lieutenant fireman I work with, but that might just be the rumor mill spinning. “How you doing?”
“I’m okay.” I nod.
“Heard you got food poisoning the other day.” I don’t know why I’m shocked she knows this. She runs the town library, a position that she has had forever. She is also president of the senior bowling league, president of the church choir committee, and president of all things gossip.
“I did. But I’m feeling much better now.”
“I see that.” She smiles at me. “How’s life treating you?” Her eyes twinkle as if she knows the biggest secret in town. Just telling by her tone, I know she’s fishing for something.
“Um, good, I guess.”
“Saw you having dinner with that new boy in town.” She cocks her hip to the side and folds her arms over her chest. “The cute one with those blue eyes.”
I want to correct her and tell her that his eyes are much more than blue; they are gray at times, and sometimes it looks like he’s got yellow in the mix. Instead, I say, “Who?” and hope she can’t see my heart about to beat out of my chest.
“Yeah, you can’t play coy with me.” She winks. “Not sure I’d be able to keep him a secret. I’d want the whole world to know I was knocking boots with him.”
“Mrs. Lambert,” I try not to laugh, “I can assure you there are no knocking boots.”
“Now I know you’re lying. He’s a charmer, that one. Jumping from one girl to the next.” I ignore the way the words sting, even though I was one of those girls who fell for his charm. “But only because he’s looking for the right one,” she adds. “See, he finally caught a good one. Anyway, I have to go, or else I’ll be late.”
“You didn’t order anything?”
“I know. I was walking by and saw you and wanted to see if you were better from that stomach bug. You take care, Collins.” She walks away holding her hand up and wiggling her fingers. “Alice and Brenda,” she calls to the women in the corner, “you have a nice day, too.”
I gaze at the floor. Before I give the words about Theo and his other women a chance to bother me, Ms. Maddie comes out with a bag in her hand. “Here you go.” She hands it to me, and I reach for my wallet. “On the house.”
“What?” I grab the ten-dollar bill from my wallet. “That’s . . . no.” I shake my head. “Here.” I put it on the counter. “It’s me paying it forward.”
“You’re too good, you know that?” she declares, pushing my hand and the bill away from her. “Now, go before you’re late.”
“Thank you. I will let you know how they are.”
I avoid looking at the two wary women and head off to work.
Our first call comes in fifteen minutes after I’ve changed into my uniform, and it’s someone who thinks they have appendicitis. We then go directly to two more calls before taking a break.
