Page 14 of Forbidden to Fall

Mia turned to me, her brow puckered and her bottom lip ready to tremble. “Why not?”

“Because,” I said significantly, “I saved an even bigger one for you.”

Instantaneous joy sent her running over to me. “Where? How bigger?”

I scooped her up, twirled around, then carried her to the counter, setting her on top. “In my secret spot.” I opened an empty ceramic canister and pulled out a large if somewhat demented muffin. Mrs. Keller wouldn’t allow such a visual atrocity in her display.

Mia had lower standards and looked like I’d just presented her with a season pass to Disneyland.

“What do we say, Mia?” Ryan prompted.

The response that came out of her mouth was unintelligible but genuine.

“Close enough.” Ryan watched her with a doting twinkle in his eye, then looked at me. “Thanks again.”

“You want something? I’ve got a freakish-looking maple cinnamon bun if that appeals to you. It didn’t pass Mrs. Keller’s quality control.”

“Poor thing,” he said. “Fine. I’ll take it. But only out of pity.”

“Right.” I grabbed the rejected bun just as Mrs. Keller emerged from the back room, head down as she dusted off her apron.

“Are you heading to the Carvers’ right away, Sadie?” Her head came up, and she stopped short at the sight of Ryan.

All the muscles in my body clenched as heat filtered up my neck and into my face. I could feel Ryan’s eyes on me.

“Oh,” Mrs. Keller said with welcome surprise as her gaze shifted from him to behind the counter. “Is that my favorite little hooligan back there?”

“Can I come see the big machine, Mrs. Kehwer?” Mia asked, face covered in crumbs.

“Of course you can!” Mrs. Keller went to help Mia down from the counter, barely wincing when Mia took her hand with a sticky one.

They headed for the kitchen as Mia talked Mrs. Keller’s ear off.

There was a beat of awkward silence once they disappeared, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at my brother.

“You’re going to the farm?” he asked.

I grabbed the rag I’d discarded on their arrival so I’d have something to do with my hands. “Um, yeah. I’m doing a little baking project there.” I began wiping down the glass Mia had smudged. Mrs. Keller had a particular product she wanted used on the glass, but I was too desperate to care. I’d redo it later.

“What do you mean?”

I forced myself to meet my brother’s gaze. “The farm has a huge maple surplus, so Mrs. Keller and I figured we should do what we could to help out. Come up with a couple products they can use it in and sell.”

I cringed at my own wimpiness, laying the blame on Mrs. Keller like that. She had been the one to suggest I do it, but it was my original idea, and I was the one making it happen. I could drop it, and Mrs. Keller wouldn’t care a bit. And it certainly wasn’t affiliated with the bakery.

There was a crease in Ryan’s brow as he looked at me.

My conscience squirmed. Should I tell him I’d seen James?

No.

That was a bridge too far.

James would be gone soon. It’d be like he was never here—just the way Ryan liked it. He was happier in his ignorance, and depriving him of that ignorance wouldn’t accomplish anything but kick up unpleasant memories.

“So, you’re working with May?” His voice was a bit tighter than usual.

“Yeah.”