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He continued to stare at her with his creepy grin.
“Well, have a good day. I have to check on…the bread.” Which was a lie because no bread was currently baking, and if they had bread in the oven, Chip normally took care of that.
“Always nice to see you.”
She nodded, then turned, making sure to take slow, even steps to the kitchen. The last thing she needed was for him to think he bothered her, which he did. But she didn’t need him to know that. Unable to help herself, she glanced behind her before stepping through the swinging doors. Bob was leaving, not getting in line to purchase something. Odd. Had he already eaten and decided to say hi when he saw her? Or had he just come in to say hi?
A shiver rippled across her body. She forced the weird thought out of her head. Bob could be strange at times, but he was harmless. Everyone in town had a bad habit of getting in a person’s face. They couldn’t help themselves.
The day crawled at a slow pace. By the time three rolled around, she was ready to go home. Since nothing had happened the prior week with Darrian, she’d told Griffin she felt comfortable enough to drive to work by herself. Her shift usually ended before his and she felt bad putting him out like that. Having to leave work to bring her home where she locked herself in the house until he got home himself. Simply silly when she could handle it on her own.
She’d seen the urge from him to argue with her about it this morning before they left—separately—but he conceded. Like he normally did. Giving her the space and the independence she craved. She loved his protectiveness, but she also needed to do this on her own. She had to prove to herself that she was capable of surviving without him. She didn’t know what the future held. Though they didn’t talk about it, leaving always sat in the recesses of her mind. She knew he knew it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jules.” Eve grabbed her purse, slinging it over her neck.
Juliet popped her head up from some paperwork she was doodling with at her desk, tossing a wave her way. “You don’t need to come in until eight tomorrow, if that’s okay. Theresa needs to leave early for a doctor’s appointment. If you could close for me, I’d appreciate it.”
“Of course. I don’t mind.”
Eve didn’t ask if she’d be closing by herself. She could only assume so if Juliet needed her to come in later, which meant Juliet herself would be leaving before closing as well.
“I’ll swing by the homeless shelter as well, drop off the leftovers.”
Juliet frowned, waving her off. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Why could everyone else bring the food there and she couldn’t? Juliet felt she was capable of closing the cafe on her own. Why did she think she wasn’t capable of dropping off food at the homeless shelter?
“But I want to.”
Juliet looked up from her papers, her frown increasing. Chip was already gone, having left thirty minutes earlier. Only the two of them were in the back. Not that she wouldn’t have said anything in front of Chip, because she would’ve.
“Well, then I’ll ask Griffin to accompany you.” She went back to her paperwork.
“I’ll do it on my own.”
Juliet sighed. “I’d prefer you didn’t.”
Eve’s hands tightened on the strap of her purse, slung across her chest. To the point she felt the leather dig into her skin.
“Why? Why don’t you trust me?”
Juliet stood up with a pained expression. “It’s not that I don’t trustyou.”
Okay. The way she emphasizedyoumeant it had to do with something else—someone else.
“Explain, please.”
They stared at each other for the longest time. Juliet finally sighed, her shoulders slumping as if admitting defeat.
“Gerald, my ex-husband, his brother, Gregory, runs the place. I should’ve known from his brother alone that Gerald wasn’t the man I thought he was. He’s never pleasant to me. Ever. Not even when we were dating.” Juliet drew her eyes to the ground. “I saw the way he looked at you the first time you helped me. I don’t want him to do anything to you.”
The place was always busy, full of people. Though there were times when delivering the food, they were the only ones in the kitchen. Juliet was afraid Gregory would corner Eve and force himself on her. She’d admit, she’d have a hard time fighting any man off. She never could fight off Darrian.
But what about Juliet? She went there on her own. She didn’t worry about herself?
“You go alone.”
Juliet nodded. “I try not to. But I also don’t want that asshole to think he scares me, so I do on occasion. It’s unfortunate he runs the place because I’d like to avoid him. He blames me for his brother in prison as if I did something wrong. If I don’t have to put you in an awkward position, then I won’t.”
