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CHAPTER1
LAINEY
“Ma,Pa, what are you both doing here?” I ask as my parents sneak behind the counter at the bakery, Cinnamon Roll Saviors.
“We came to check in on things.” My mother smiles.
“You know I have everything under control.” I shoot them a knowing look and they look between each other.
“Steve stopped by the house today, he said you broke up with him out of nowhere,” my pa adds.
I clench my jaw and I think about how I want to proceed. I know my parents like Steve, he is good like that. Classy in front of my parents, but the rest of the time he is a completely different person. I didn’t have the guts to tell my parents that he slapped me last weekend, and break the glass that the man they knew wasn’t who they thought he was. It had broken before my very eyes when his hand impacted with my left cheek. It took me a few days to build up the courage to leave him, but once I did, I felt lighter. But I can’t explain that right now.
I pull my parents into the back of the kitchen, giving us a quiet space to talk. I motion to Jen to help out in the front and she nods. She knows what my family can be like and I have a feeling she doesn’t want to be in the middle of another “helpful” lesson about making cinnamon rolls from my parents.
“I did, I think it’s for the best,” I explain.
“We just wanted to make sure you were doing okay, we know how much you liked him,” my mom points out. And it was true, I was over the moon about him, but once he put his hands on me, my feelings were all but gone.
“I know, I’m sure this was for the best though. I promise I’m doing fine and so is the bakery,” I assure them. Cinnamon Roll Saviors has been in the family since my parents started it almost thirty years ago, it is like their second baby, after me. Sometimes before me. So when they reached the age that they wanted to retire, it only made sense that I stepped up and took over for them. I’ve basically been running the place for the last few years anyway, but they had made it official a few months ago.
“We know you can handle the bakery but if you ever need us, we’re just a phone call away,” my pa says. I nod, knowing he means more about the bakery than myself. Sure, I can always call if I need something, but they will be more likely to help if the bakery is in trouble instead.
“I should let you get back,” Ma says, smiling. She gives me a big hug and whispers in my ear, “Just give Steve a call.” I nod to please her but I have absolutely no intention of doing that. I can’t imagine ever seeing him again, let alone speaking to him after what he did. The fact that he’s gone behind my back to my parents is just a sign of how manipulative he is.
My parents leave and I feel a little lighter. Like there is less pressure on me without them being around. I get back to manning the front counter like I always do and send Jen, our lead baker, back into the kitchen. She’s not the quickest on register and I’m not the best at the actual baking. Something I hadn’t picked up from my parents. But that’s why you can hire people to do the things you can’t do.
“What can I get you?” I say in my most friendly customer service voice.
“A cinnamon roll and five minutes of your time.” I look up at the familiar voice and I can’t believe I didn’t see it was Steve. His dark eyes and dark hair standing tall before me, looking like a lost puppy without me.
“One cinnamon roll, coming up.” I force a smile and head to the case to pick out the grossest looking one. I wished no customers were behind him because then I could just throw it at him and tell him to get lost. But no, I need to think about what is best for the family business, not just what would make me feel better.
“Here you go, that’ll be three seventy-five,” I say cheerily and try not to flinch when our hands graze as he hands me a five dollar bill. To make sure that doesn’t happen again, I drop his change on the counter.
“Please, Lainey, I’m so freaking sorry. Can’t you just forgive me already?” he begs. He’s actually begging like he has a real chance of getting me back.
“No. I’m working, Steve. You can’t just show up here and demand I speak with you,” I whisper growl.
“Fine.” He scoops up his change, throwing the coins in the tip jaw and grabs his cinnamon roll before storming out the front door.
I can still feel my body tensing at the thought of him being so close to me. But I try to push it out as I help the next customer in line. This time I look up at each customer, so I’m not surprised. Not that I think Steve would come back today, but you never know with him. He seems to be something of a loose cannon lately.
Sure, when we dated he was a little bit intense with how much control he wanted to have over me and how secretive he was about certain things. Like where he was when I was working and he wasn’t at work. But I try not to let those things bother me anymore. I mean the worst was already done, he’d hit me in the middle of one of our last arguments. I had asked where he was since it was late and I was waiting at his apartment for him. He had gotten aggressive, angry, and told me it was none of my business and when I pushed him just a little bit more, he slapped me right across the face.
I stormed out of his apartment and three days later I broke up with him. My best friend, Jen, came with me to get my stuff and make sure he didn’t try anything else with me. Of course, all he did try was to get me to take him back. The usual business of ‘he didn’t mean it’ and he’d ‘never do it again’. I’ve read one too many books and seen one too many movies to know the man who hits you once, willalwayshit you again. So as much as I loved him, and I didlovehim, I couldn’t stay with him.
“Excuse me? Could I get some more coffee?” an older woman asks, holding out her mug. I nod and grab a fresh cup from the coffee pot behind me. That is another thing we offered, free coffee refills.
“Here you are, ma’am.” I smile and she takes the steaming mug.
I need to stop thinking about Steve and start thinking about literally anything else. I can throw myself into the bakery, maybe start some renovations or something that will distract me. But we’d renovated the whole place only five years ago after that nasty flood. Maybe we can introduce a new item or something. We are famous for our cinnamon rolls that were my great great grandmother’s recipe, but maybe we can introduce a new item with a spin on it. I’m overthinking it when I see my favorite customers come in.
“Leanne, I swear you’re only getting bigger.” I smile at the six year old in front of me.
“And this little man, can he have a cinnamon roll yet?” I tease, looking at baby Emmett strapped to Reagan’s chest.
“Not yet, he’s still on breastmilk and cheerios.” She smiles. She’d been one of my regulars for as long as I could remember, coming here in high school with her now husband, Grayson. Then coming with her daughter and now their second child, Emmett.
