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Chapter 17
She needed to talk to someone. It was rare that Hope felt the lack of an immediate family in Riviera View, but this was one of those times. Though, if she talked to them, her mother and older sister would just tell her to come home, as if this could solve anything. If she called Libby, she knew Libby would leave everything and listen to her, but she didn’t want to dump her issues on her friend who had finally found happiness and was away on a romantic weekend.
She was being silly because she had pushed Eric to spend more time with the girls, so why were tears stinging the back of her eyes?
Hope made her way up Ocean Avenue and away from where the town fair’s happy crowd brimmed the sidewalks. Sarah’s pharmacy was closed, but Breading Dreams was open.
Going in, she was disappointed not to see Connie Latimer, the closest thing she had to a mother in Riviera View.
“She’s at the fair with David. Didn’t you see her there?” Anne asked from behind the counter.
“No. There are so many people out there. More than I’ve seen in years.”
“I know. It’s great. Many out-of-towners came today. We’re getting a lot of business. And we need it.” Anne’s almond-shaped eyes were restless, their dark brown a sharp contrast to her fair complexion.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks. It’s just … I’ll be fine.”
Hope creased her chin, pressing her lips together. She wished she could talk to Anne more. They both seemed to need it. The crowd in the bakery left no room for that, though.
“Do you want unicorn cupcakes for Naomi? I know they’re her favorite, and we’re running out fast today,” Anne said.
The mention of her daughter made the tears prick the back of Hope’s eyes again. “No, thanks.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Anne said. “They’re at Eric’s?” Anne’s face contorted, probably without her even noticing. She hated Eric. And for a good reason. It was Roni who had told Hope after her divorce that, in high school, Eric had started the nickname “Plain Jane” for Jane Anne Drecher. The first name her mother, a Jane Austen fan, had given her had been forsaken, and the middle name, which was also after an Austen character, had remained. And so had the hate. But Anne was discerning enough to never mention it until Hope had entered the bakery one day and apologized to her, feeling terrible for having seen her a million times without knowing. “It’s not your fault. If anything, you improved him. But he still didn’t deserve you,” Anne had said.
“They’re with him, yes,” Hope said now. “But we had plans for the parade. He called out of the blue on Wednesday and offered to take them to Disneyworld. In Florida! I can’t compete with that, and I couldn’t stand in their way of having that much fun with their dad. So, his parents took them, and they flew there …”
“I’m sorry, Hope.” Anne, tall and thin, reached over the counter and placed a comforting hand on Hope’s forearm.
“It’s okay. Thanks. I should go home. I’m happy they’re having fun. I guess it’s just the short notice and our plans that—”
Just then, the bell over the door rang, and a procession of tourists and locals entered.
Hope was about to leave when she noticed Anne’s face turn paler than usual, and her slender fingers, which had never seemed fit for the hard work of a bakery, clutched Hope’s forearm.
“Anne?” Hope asked.
Anne didn’t reply.
Hope shifted her head and saw the dark-blonde-haired man with prominent, grey-blue eyes that Anne was staring at.
Her grip on Hope’s arm loosened as she pulled her hand back.
The man approached the counter. “Hi, Jane.”
“Finn,” Anne said.
“I’ll see you later,” Hope mumbled, walking slowly toward the door, wondering what she had just witnessed.
As she made her way back down Ocean Avenue, Hope noticed the crowd had thinned. Chairs had been folded or stacked, waiting to be picked up, the plastic jersey barriers removed, and the road had opened for vehicles. The beach promenade in the distance still swarmed with people.
She had come to the fair because she had promised her students that she would see them there—that was before she knew the girls would be with Eric—and Roni had made her promise, too. But Roni had her hands full with her three kids. So, after strolling along the booths and buying a few knickknacks that she knew Hannah and Naomi would love, Hope had had enough.
Chris had told her in advance that he had agreed to meet Linda and Mason there. She had seen glimpses of them. They looked like a family. They were a family. In fact, things between her and Chris had slowed down so much that they had wordlessly agreed on a timeout. They met at school almost daily, but they hadn’t met or spoken outside of it.
Hope continued down the street. She was surrounded by people yet felt like an island.
