Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1) (11 page)

She gestured for Rhea to take the paper. “Obviously, I need an action plan to attract Martin.” She shook her head, giving Rhea a cursory look. “Rhea, you can be so dense sometimes. No wonder you can’t catch a man. All you do is grieve over Stan and bake desserts.” She pursed her lips. “You need to get a life.”

Rhea swallowed, hurt welling up inside of her. Raven had no idea what it was like to bury a husband after only two years of marriage. Mentally groaning, she resisted the urge to yell at her sister. Her bakery brought her solace and joy since Stan had died. She loved the way people came into her shop, eating sweets, complimenting her on her wonderful desserts. If that were taken away from her, what would she do? Would she have to move, re-start her business elsewhere? How would she get the money to do that? “Just because I didn’t know about your action plan, doesn’t mean that I’m dense.”

“Whatever.”

Rhea took the paper that Raven offered. “What’s this?”

“What’s it look like? It’s a grocery list.” Raven snapped. “I need you to go grocery shopping for me.”

So bossy! Maybe Raven would calm down if she took her medicine and rested for a bit. “Did I do something to upset you? You’ve been snapping at me since I walked through the door.”

“No, I’m not mad at you. I’ve been in a bad mood since my accident. I can’t socialize, I can’t exercise, and I feel rotten.”

“I’ll pray for you to feel better.”

“I don’t need prayers. God doesn’t care about how I feel.”

Rhea dipped her head, needing a way to reach out to her sister. “But He does care. He healed you of cancer. I prayed for that and He listened. Just focus on God, Raven, don’t worry about Martin so much.”

Raven frowned. “Why would you not want me to worry about Martin? Did you want him for yourself?”

Rhea stepped away from her twin, hurtful pain twirling through her. “That was uncalled for.” She wasn’t even going to stick around any longer. She had to get out of here before she really lost her temper. “I’m leaving.”

“No, don’t go! Please, Rhea, I’m sorry.” She hung her head, pushing tears from her eyes. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

“What’s wrong Raven?” Rhea softened her voice. Maybe Raven would finally confide in her.

Raven swiped her tears. “Nothing. Would you please go to the grocery store for me?”

She still didn’t want to talk about what was bothering her? “I’ll go to the store for you, but, I don’t have any money.”

Raven handed her a card, sniffing. “Here’s my debit card. Use this to get my groceries. You can get whatever you need, too. And take those cupcakes with you. I won’t be eating them.”

Rhea left the cupcakes on the counter and took the list. Leaning over, she hugged he sister.
Lord, I don’t know what’s wrong with Raven. Please help her. Amen.

While at the Maple Grove Mart, Rhea stopped by their bakery, eyeing their desserts. She cringed. Their pastries were much cheaper than hers! She purchased some donuts, wanting to see how they tasted. She munched on the donuts while shopping for Raven, frowning when she saw what Raven had on her list.

All Raven wanted was a bunch of those low-calorie frozen meals, diet sodas, and a few fruits and vegetables. Rhea shook her head. Raven needed to be eating other things besides frozen meals. She stopped, the thought of Raven’s tears and sadness going through her mind. Once, when Raven had been in the hospital because of her cancer, she had not been able to eat, throwing up constantly. Once the treatments were over, her appetite had returned a little, and their mom had made spaghetti and meatballs, hoping to fatten up her undernourished sister. It had been the first time in months that Raven had a decent appetite.

She had to make Raven feel better. She grabbed the ingredients for Raven’s favorite dinner—spaghetti and meatballs. Rhea then selected enough groceries for herself to last her for two weeks.

After she’d paid for the purchases, she drove back to Raven’s. She carried her own perishable items into Raven’s house, placing them into the refrigerator. Hopefully, she wouldn’t forget them when she left.

Glancing on the kitchen counter, she spotted the check for the funds Raven was loaning to her.
Thank goodness!
Now she could pay her rent and the rest of her bills. If Martin wasn’t able to fix the mixer, she’d probably have enough money left over to get that repaired, too.

After stuffing the check into her pocket, she entered Raven’s bedroom and found her sleeping, her leg propped up. Rhea sighed with relief. At least Raven was getting some sleep.

Now to get started on the spaghetti and meatballs. When Raven woke up, she could eat her lunch.

Dirty clothes littered her bedroom, so Rhea gathered the garments and threw them into a pile.

She opened the closet. Raven had a bad habit of dumping dirty clothes in the back of her closet. She found a few items on the floor, tossing them out of the closet so that she could wash them. Finding a few stray socks, she threw them out of the small space before she looked up and spotted a large white hanging plastic garment bag.

A small gold imprint of two kissing doves emblazoned the upper right corner of the bag. The doves served as the logo for Lover’s Lane, a prestigious bridal shop in Maple Grove.

“What in the world?” This must be a bridesmaid’s dress. But, why hadn’t Raven mentioned that one of her friends was getting married? Well, maybe Raven didn’t want to mention it because it made her feel sad, having another friend to get married while she remained single. Rhea slowly unzipped the bag. Bridesmaid dresses could be so colorful and it’d be so much fun to see the style of the dress. Maybe if Raven was in a better mood, she’d ask her who was getting married and when the wedding was.

Rhea gasped. This was no bridesmaid gown! Why did Raven have this in her closet? She fingered the smooth, cream-colored silk and delicate lace decorating the beautiful bridal gown.

Why did Raven have a wedding gown? Was she crazy enough to purchase this in hopes of marrying Martin?

Chapter Eleven

Raven continued to sleep, so Rhea did all of her laundry while she fixed spaghetti and meatballs. The wonderful tomato scent of her homemade sauce filled the house. Hopefully, the delicious smell would awaken her sister. When Raven continued to snooze, Rhea left her a note about her lunch on the stove. She also wrote a thank-you message for the loan. After grabbing her groceries from the refrigerator, she rushed outside into the warm day, anxious to get back home.

When she finally arrived home, it was afternoon, and Rhea’s stomach rumbled with hunger. Focusing on food would be a good way to forget about her problematic visit with Raven. After snipping off some cuttings from her small kitchen herb garden, she pulled grilled chicken and veggies out of the fridge. Mixing everything together, she created one of her favorite healthy meals – grilled chicken salad.

She drizzled some of her homemade buttermilk dressing over her food. After making herself comfortable at the table, she bowed her head.
Lord, please help Raven. I don’t know what’s bothering her, but, please help her heal, both mentally and physically. Lord, please help me. I still have mixed feelings about Martin. Is it wrong for me to be attracted to him, knowing how Raven feels about him? I’m anxious to talk to him, Lord, and for the first time since Stan’s death, I find myself thinking about another man. I don’t know if that’s good or not. Please lead me and help me, Father. Amen.

She opened her eyes when her cell phone buzzed. Martin’s name appeared on her phone, and her heart skipped. He’d called her! She blew air through her lips, dropping her fork before lifting the phone. She couldn’t let him notice her excitement. He was just calling to be sure they were still meeting tomorrow to fix her mixer, and that was it. There was no need for her to get excited. She leaned back into her chair, placed the phone to her ear. “Hi, Martin.”

“Rhea, hi.” His deep, voice made her stomach rumble with pleasure. The joy from hearing him speak made her believe that everything was going to be okay. What would happen if she made a habit speaking to him, every day? Would she begin looking forward to his phone calls while she rehashed her day at the bakery? Would he continue giving her friendly advice about her bakery once it was turning a profit?

“I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“You shouldn’t be. It was too bad we had to cut our appointment short last night so that I could study.” His deep voice softened. “I didn’t want to let the day go by without talking to you.”

She swallowed, attempting to clear her suddenly dry mouth. She sipped from her glass of water. Grinning, she clutched the phone. “How are things at the church?”

“Not good.”

“Oh?”

“We have to have a committee meeting later this week.”

“Is the meeting about the pastor position?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I’m at the church now. There’s a lot going on, and I’m very busy, plus, I’ll be up late studying tonight.” Anguish filled his voice. “I just wanted to make a quick phone call to hear your voice and to ask if you saw your sister.”

They needed to talk about Raven. She wasn’t sure how much Martin really needed to hear. He already sounded agitated, talking about Raven might make his mood worse. “Yes, I saw Raven.”

“You sound mad. You’re probably sitting there, worrying and frowning right now.”

“It was awful.” She didn’t want to tell him about her visit right now since he didn’t have a lot of time. “I’ll let you know all about it tomorrow when you come and fix my mixer.”

“Okay. Did she loan you the money?”

“Yes, thank God. Now I can catch up on my bills.”

“That’s a relief. Besides getting the mixer fixed, do you have other plans tomorrow? I thought we’d meet for lunch.”

Rhea grinned, her heart thudding. So, Martin wanted to share lunch with her tomorrow? A warm, wonderful feeling enveloped her body, like rich chocolate sauce covering a decadent dessert. Closing her eyes, she imagined sitting in a nice restaurant, feasting on wonderful food, maybe sharing a dessert. Reality crashed on her and she opened her eyes. There was no way she could meet up with Martin for lunch tomorrow!

“Hello? Rhea, are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m still here.”

“So, did you want to have lunch? I really want to see you. I could fix your mixer after we ate.”

“I can’t.”

“That’s too bad.” Voices sounded in the background. “Hold on.” She heard bits and pieces of a conversation before Martin came back on the line. “Rhea, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back later tonight.”

After saying goodbye, she pressed the END button on her phone. She ate her salad, enjoying the crunch of the veggies and herbs. If she ever shared lunch with Martin, what did that mean? Was he interested in her? Did he want to get to know her better? Still munching on her salad, she glanced into her living room and stared at her wedding photo. What would Stan think about her attraction to Martin?

*

Rhea crawled into bed that night, exhausted. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have a lot of trouble falling asleep. Martin hadn’t called her back, so she figured he’d been too busy to phone, or maybe he’d forgotten. Her cell phone buzzed, and she spotted Martin’s number on the caller ID. So, he’d called after all. Chuckling, she answered the call.

“Hi, Martin.”

“Hi, Rhea.”

Grinning, she tightened her grip on the phone. “How’s your studying coming along?”

“Okay.” The phone hummed with silence for a few seconds. “You’d mentioned you couldn’t do lunch tomorrow.” He paused, clearing his throat. “I just wondered…”

Was he wondering why she couldn’t meet him for lunch? Since they barely knew one another, perhaps he felt strange asking about her whereabouts. “Yes?”

“Well, just wanted to be sure everything was alright. I know you were worried about some things during the retreat.” His deep tone, etched with concern, made her smile wider.

“Things are about as fine as they can be. I need to go to the rental office to pay my rent. It’s due tomorrow.” She burrowed further into the blankets, still gripping the phone. “I also have a job interview.”

“A job interview?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes, I don’t have a choice. My sister-in-law--”

“Sister-in-law?”

“Yes, my deceased husband’s sister. She owns a temp agency. I’m hoping to get an assignment so that I can make some money.”

“But…what about your bakery?”

“I’m going to have to let Candy run it by herself over the next few weeks, if I can get an assignment.”

Martin was quiet for a few seconds. What was he thinking? “Anything the matter?” she asked softly.

“I didn’t realize things were so bad for you. Taking a second job, while trying to keep your business open…that’s a lot to manage. Are you sure you can do all of that?”

“I have to. Even though Raven gave me a loan to catch up on my bills, my bakery is still in the red. I need the money to keep up with my day to day expenses. Within the next few weeks, I’ll need to buy groceries again and I’ll need gas for my car.” She grumbled. Did Martin think she was complaining too much? Did he think she sounded ungrateful for the blessings that she
did
have? “I only have two pairs of shoes and one pair has a hole in it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I had twenty dollars, so, I went to the shoe store and purchased a cheap pair of shoes to wear on my interview tomorrow.”

“Rhea, I’m sorry.”

She frowned. Why was Martin apologizing for something that wasn’t his fault? “But, it’s not your fault.”

“I know, but, I wish there was something more that I could do to help you.”

Why did he feel as if he had to help her? The question burned on the tip of her tongue, but, she just didn’t want to ask him that right now. Just knowing that he cared, wanted to help her as much as he could, created a warm cocoon of happiness. She smiled, relishing the wonderful feeling of speaking to Martin on the phone. “I appreciate your concern.” She bit her lip. “It means a lot to me.” Silence hummed on the phone for a few seconds. “So, about my job interview, there’s no way around it. I don’t want to be indebted to Raven for too long, so I need to start planning to pay her back.”

He paused, cleared his throat. “You never told me how things went with your sister today.”

She closed her eyes, cringing when she thought about the unpleasant morning she’d spent at Raven’s house. She didn’t want to ruin her conversation with Martin by talking about Raven. “I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.”

“Why wait until tomorrow?”

She didn’t know how much to reveal to Martin about her visit with Raven. What would he think if she told him about the wedding dress? 

She yawned, fatigue enveloping her body. “I need to go to sleep right now. I didn’t get much rest last night.”

“Really? Were you up half the night worrying?”

“Something like that. Good night, Martin.”

“Good night, Rhea.”

She disconnected the call, burrowing further underneath her blanket. She was going to see Martin tomorrow! She gripped her sheet, anticipation swelling within her.

*

Thoughts of her phone conversations with Martin hovered in Rhea’s mind as she pulled into the parking lot of the Morrison Temporary Agency in Baltimore. She entered the reception area. The deep burgundy carpet and sparkling glass doors created a cool, professional ambience for the office building.

A large, vibrant green plant rested on the floor beside the front desk. The receptionist had just finished a call and she hung up the phone, giving Rhea a bright smile. “Good morning, how can I help you?”

She swallowed, taking a deep breath. Could she really go through with this? “I’m Rhea Morrison. I have a nine o’clock appointment with Mary.”

“Oh. Of course.” She pressed a clipboard and a pen into Rhea’s hands. “Fill this out. Mary will be with you shortly.”

Rhea concentrated on completing the forms, still thinking about her appointment with Martin later. What would happen when they saw each other? Her attraction to Martin couldn’t be ignored. Thinking about him all the time and talking to him on the phone – she almost felt that something could grow between them. But, how would this affect Raven? Her sister’s unstable, emotional outbursts proved unsettling. “Ms. Morrison?” Rhea jumped at the receptionist’s interruption.

“Yes?” She stood, still holding the paperwork.

“Mary will see you now.”

“Thanks.”

“First door on the right.”

Rhea walked down the hallway, taking deep breaths. She stopped at the door, took a few moments to calm her nerves. She opened the door and Mary stood, coming toward her. “Rhea…”

She wore a tight ivory skirt and short-sleeved blouse that molded to her rail-thin body. Her large blue eyes, so much like her brother’s, were touched with sadness. Her blond gleaming hair, also so much like Stan’s, was evidence of her Scandinavian ancestry. She briefly shook Rhea’s outstretched hand. Her skin was ice-cold, and blue veins peeked beneath the pale skin on her wrist.

Was she sick? Stan had confided to Rhea that Mary had suffered from anorexia several times over the years. Rhea assessed Mary. She’d lost a lot of weight since the last time they’d spoken. “Mary, thank you so much for seeing me.” She released her hand, and Rhea gave her the clipboard.

Mary appeared to be assessing her as well.  “You’ve gained lots of weight.”

Rhea gritted her teeth. If she lost her temper with Mary, would Mary be callous enough to not give Rhea a job? Instead, she inwardly sighed, taking several deep breaths before she looked directly at Mary. “Yes, I have.” She continued to stare at Mary, refusing to look away, until Mary’s skin reddened and she gestured for her to sit in the white office chair.

“Now, how can I help you?”

Rhea bit her lower lip, pausing. “Well, I need a job, a temporary assignment, if you have one.”

“Is your bakery failing? I told you not to use Stan’s life insurance money for something so stupid.”

Rhea winced. How she’d despised that slightly husky, superior tone of Mary’s voice. While she’d been married to Stan, Mary had made a habit of giving Stan unsolicited advice in her haughty tone. She acted as if her brother didn’t have the brains to figure things out on his own. The unwelcome thoughts slammed into her, souring her mind like spoiled milk. She took a deep breath. “Somebody else is running the bakery during the day.” She wasn’t telling Mary about the problems she’d been having.

Mary flipped through the papers Rhea had filled out. “So, you’re only qualified for secretarial and clerical jobs?”

What did she mean by
‘only’
qualified? Mary had a habit of belittling others to make herself look better. Just another bad routine that Stan’s sister had that grated on her nerves.

“As the application indicates, those were the only jobs that I had prior to marrying your brother. Will that be a problem?” Mary’s head snapped up at Rhea’s terse tone.

She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Don’t get upset. Your experience puts limitations on the jobs that I may have available.”

When Rhea had graduated from college with her general studies degree, she’d worked as an administrative assistant before marrying Stan. Afterwards, Stan had insisted she quit her job. Her duties as first lady of his church were to take priority over her career. She’d loved him so much that the sacrifice had seemed minimal.