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Ivy agrees.
We’re finally on the road in Ivy’s car, ready to head to the spa resort when she turns toward St. Helena, a neutral expression on her face.
“Where are you going?” I ask her, my voice quiet, my thoughts a jumbled-up mess.
I miss Gage. My mom is thrilled we’re finished and wants to talk about what a jerk he is, but I told her any discussion about Gage is off limits. Dad leaves me alone because he knows I’m heartbroken and Mom gave him the same talk I gave her.
No talk of Gage in the house. Ever.
But I want to talk about Gage. How happy he made me. How passionate we were together, both in bed and out of it. He made me think, he made me want to achieve something. Anything. He made me strong.
And now I feel weak and lonely without him.
“I needed to pick up something first,” she says vaguely, waving her hand.
Huh. I don’t like where this is going. I remain calm, though, and notice the colorful bunches of balloons hanging in front of... the bakery.
A giant crowd of people are waiting outside, and I see my familiar chalkboard easel, the wordsGRAND REOPENINGwritten in bold script across the front of it.
No way. I had no clue the bakery was being reopened. Gage sure did move fast.
And doesn’t that leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
Ivy drives by the bakery slowly, coming almost to a complete stop so I can see everything. God, she’s obvious. “I wonder what’s going on in there?” she asks innocently.
I don’t know how she can keep a straight face. “Gee, I don’t know, Ivy. Maybe we should go inside and see what’s going on.”
“That’s perfect!” She claps her hands together and then parks the car. She’s practically leading me by the hand toward the café, and my feet are dragging. I so don’t want to go in there. I don’t want to see the new owners, though I have my suspicions the only owner is Gage.
Still. I don’t want to deal with this. Deal with him.
Not only is the outside of the café and bakery overflowing with people waiting in line to get in, but the inside of the café is packed too. Somehow, the determined pregnant lady gets us inside and I’m immediately shocked by all the changes.
The entire interior has been repainted, and Gage ordered all new tables and chairs, giving the location a cleaner, simpler feel. A new glass case has been installed, as well as new countertops, and I can’t help but gape at everything, too stunned to study any of it for too long for fear it’ll up and disappear.
“The kitchen is revamped too,” Ivy says close to my ear soI can hear her. The chattering crowd is absolutely deafening. “You should go check it out. There’s all state-of-the-art appliances. Your aunt is in seventh heaven.”
“Wait a minute. Gina is working here?”
“How do you think they’re able to have the open house if they have no one here to bake all the goodies? Yes, she still works here. And she’s loving every minute of it, despite Archer wanting to steal her away. Not that I can talk about it.” She clamps her lips shut and does the universal sign for lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key. “Archer will kill me if he finds out I told you he’s desperate to take Gina.”
Yeah right. Like Archer would ever lay a hand on Ivy. “Take me to the kitchen,” I tell her, needing her with me so I won’t have to confront any of my fears—as in Gage—alone.
She escorts me back there, and the closer we get to that swinging door, the more heavily I lean on her. My heart is racing double time, my feet feeling like they have lead weights on top of them, and I stop just before we go through the door so I can look at her.
“There’s no spa day planned, is there?”
“This is it.” She throws her arms out, a silly smile on her face for a moment before it slowly starts to fade. “I hate nothing more than seeing my two favorite people in the entire world, besides the man I’m going to marry, so miserable without each other.”
I hang my head, breathing deep. I hate that we’re so miserable too.
“You two need to talk and listen to each other. He never meant to hurt you, Marina. I hope you’ve finally realized that.”
Slowly I nod, not wanting her to see me. I feel weak and blink back the tears that are threatening to spill.
Ivy moves in closer so she can whisper in my ear. “Let him spoil you. He’s so in love with you it’s disgusting. He would do anything to make you happy.” With a gentle shove, she pushes me through the swinging door, and I lose my footing, sending me nearly sprawling as I tumble inside the kitchen.
My gaze goes wide as I drink everything in. The layout is the same, but the appliances are all brand new. Big, gorgeous, stainless steel—and all top of the line.
