Sweet Baklava (13 page)

Nick lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them. "If we were to ever get engaged . . . and I'm not saying we will . . .how about a compromise and go for . . ." He glanced around at the array of rings on display until he settled on a teardrop solitaire flanked by rows of pavé-set diamond chips. "That one?"

An odd sort of serenity crept over her face as she studied the ring he pointed to. "That's very pretty, Nick."

"I know what would look good on you." He tugged her away from the store window. "But I wouldn't want to force you to wear that ring since we're not getting engaged or anything . . . at least not anytime soon." He smiled down at her.

He committed the ring to memory. Somehow, some way, he would slip that ring on Paula's finger— no matter what he had to do to put it there.

y
ou what?" Nick's mother couldn't hide the grin that played on her lips.

"I might not reenlist."

The smug look on her face belied her tone. "But I thought you loved military life."

"I do, but I love Paula more."

Mama put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you do, son, but before you take such a big leap, you better get a commitment from her."

"I'm working on that."

"Any other girl would be putty in your hands. You choose the one who stands up to you and makes you work for her affection."

"I know. Paula has a mind of her own."

"That's one of the things we all love about her. We never worried that she only cared about you for being a Papadopoulos."

Nick chuckled. "As if that carries any clout."

She tossed him an indignant glare. "In Tarpon Springs, it most certainly does."

"I reckon it does."

Mama couldn't hold back her smile anymore. "You reckon? Nick Papadopoulos! I don't think I've ever heard anyone but Paula use that expression."

"She's rubbing off on me, Mama."

"Good. That girl's smart and resourceful. Now what can we all do to help you out? I don't want you to have to do this on your own."

"Oh, trust me, you've all done quite enough."

Her smile faded, but she still held a glimmer in her eyes. "We like to help."

Nick hugged her. "I know you do, and I appreciate it."

"What do you have planned for the rest of your vacation?"

"Paula and I were talking about going to the Clearwater Jazz Festival. Any other suggestions?"

"That's a good start." She shook her head. "Can't think of anything else." Suddenly, her face lit up. "Maybe you can take her to Bern's Steak House in Tampa."

Nick nodded. "I wonder if she's ever been there. The one time I wanted to take her back in high school, she didn't want to go because it was too expensive."

"Oh, I'm sure she's probably been since then. We can ask Stephanie. She probably knows."

"I have a better idea, Mama. I'll ask Paula myself."

Ever since the trip to the mall, Paula felt as though she were walking on air. She wished she didn't feel this way, but she was happy Nick still loved her. When she wasn't with him, however, she remembered his wanderlust and her need for staying put. She didn't want either of them to resent the other, and her business was doing better than she ever expected. She'd worked hard to build something that was just now taking off.

She also knew she struggled to trust other people—even Nick. He'd never given her any reason not to trust him, but after what she'd seen with her parents, she realized that love could turn into something very bad and hurtful. It had been almost twenty years since her parents' divorce, and her mother still hadn't recovered—even after marrying Mack.

The one constant in Paula's life was her business. She'd poured all her money, time, and energy into growing it, and it paid off. Having Alexa working afternoons and nights freed her up to handle the wholesale orders and production, which was going quite smoothly. Alexa's idea for talking to the people at the Senior Center turned out to be pure genius. Paula agreed to pay the center's electric bill and pay wages to the people who did the work. The first batch turned out beautiful. It was good for everyone involved.

Paula was happy to see Nick, and she wanted to hang out with him while he was in town. But she resolved to maintain some emotional distance for self-preservation and sanity after he left. It would be difficult to resist his charms—particularly when he talked about building a life together—but the fact that he had limited time kept her from floating off on a cloud to Neverland. Mom hadn't taught her much, but she did show her how trusting in someone else could backfire.

Paula remembered her grandmother telling her that if an obstacle stood in the way and you couldn't move it yourself, leave it there and walk around it. She'd clung to that philosophy of independence most of her life. She certainly didn't get it from her mother, who never minded asking people for whatever she wanted but wasn't willing to get for herself. Paula suspected the main reason her mother married Mack was to be able to quit her job. She never kept her disdain for full-time work a secret. She'd worked one job after another and always found reasons to leave, sometimes for a miniscule raise but always blaming the former employer for not seeing her value. But, as Nick and his family reminded Paula, her mother did support her until she was on her own. As meager as it was, she always had a place to live and food on the table. She knew it wasn't easy for a single mom to support a child.

Alexa's first few nights of keeping the shop open later astounded Paula. She did almost as much business during the week as she did on weekends. Until now, she didn't realize how many local sales she was missing.

"Want me to open early on Sunday?" Alexa asked.

"No. I don't want you to miss church."

Alexa grinned. "You are the best boss I've ever had."

"Don't say that, Alexa. The only other bosses you've had were your family, and that's really not fair."

"Okay, so they treat me like a child, and you don't."

Paula thought about how much more adult Alexa acted around her than she did with her mother and aunts, but she didn't say that to Alexa. "I'm very happy with your work. You've been a great asset."

Tears sprang to Alexa's eyes, and she quickly turned away. Paula knew she was embarrassed by her emotions, so she walked to the other side of the shop. "How are these fat candles doing?"

Alexa dabbed at her eyes with a tissue before joining Paula. "They're starting to do well. I found a picture in a magazine of some movie stars' homes, and that's what they're all burning these days."

"Good thinking."

"Same with soaps. I read that some of the big stars are using aroma therapy in everything, including soaps, and they're going all-natural."

"It's a good thing you like reading all those magazines," Paula said. "You'll keep us up-to-date on the trends."

Alexa smiled and nodded silently then made her way back to the sales counter. Paula knew this was her way of regaining her comfort zone.

"Anything I need to know about before I take off?" Paula asked.

When Alexa didn't answer right away, Paula stared at her.

"I don't know if I should tell you this," Alexa began.

"Since you've said that much, you better tell me."

Alexa chewed her lip. "Mama and Aunt Ursa have been working on a plan to get you to marry Nick."

"What?" Paula hadn't intended it to come out in a shriek.

Alexa held up her hands defensively. "I know, I know. It's none of their business, but they've never let that stop them before."

"Does Nick know about this . . . this plan?"

"No, of course not. He'd never go for anything so devious or underhanded."

"Any idea what they're planning to do?"

"Not yet, but I'm keeping my ears open."

"You'll let me know, right?"

Alexa frowned. "Yes, but it feels sort of, well . . . I don't know . . ."

"Sneaky and underhanded?"

"Yeah."

Paula thought about her relationship with her own mother and how strained it was compared to the loving Papadopoulos family. She didn't want to create any friction between Alexa and her family.

"Then don't get involved. This is between Nick and me. Even if your mother and aunt try to make things happen, Nick and I are strong enough to do only what's right for us."

Once the words registered with Alexa, she smiled. "Thanks, Paula. You're an amazing person. Anyone else would have wanted me to act as a double agent."

Paula winked and lifted her finger to her lips. "Okay, motor-mouth, time to flip the switch to the off position."

She left the shop to the sound of Alexa's laughter. On the way to the Senior Center, she wondered what the Papadopoulos women had planned. By the time she arrived, she realized how blessed she was that they would go to so much trouble to bring her into the family. They'd always said she was like one of them, and now they were proving they meant it.

As she drove, she thought about what it would be like to be Nick's wife. A smile crept across her face as she realized her resolve was wearing down.

"Paula! I'm glad you're here. We were just arguing over some of these directions. You can settle it once and for all."

"Hey, Mildred, what's the problem?" Paula dropped her bag on the closest chair and joined the line of people making soaps.

"Alexa said we can use the same molds for candles as we use for the soap, and I said they have to be different."

Paula looked at the line of molds on the table. "Actually, you're both right. What you have here is fine. Some of the same molds are in duplicate because we don't want the ingredients from the candles and soaps to cross over."

Mildred, the self-appointed leader, looked at everyone else, and they all nodded their understanding. "Did everyone hear that?"

"Why don't we store the molds in separate cabinets?" Robert said. "That way we won't get 'em mixed up."

"If you have enough storage to do that, it's a great idea," Paula said. "How are you on essential oils? Do you need more of anything?"

Mildred held up the production order. "Looks like Alexa brought everything we need for this batch, but if you get more orders for those Alexa's Almond Cookies candles, we'll need a whole lot more of the almond oil."

Paula had to bite the insides of her cheeks to keep from smiling. "I'll talk to my source and see if I can get a rush order on it. I have a feeling it'll be a big seller."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure," Hazel agreed. "It has such a divine aroma. I'm going to be one of your first customers in the shop."

"You don't have to wait for it to be in the shop. As a perk you can each take your pick of the candles with every order."

Robert's eyebrows shot up. "You mean for free?"

Paula grinned at him. "It's not exactly free. Y'all are working hard on this."

"But you're paying us, so I just figured—"

"Hush, Robert," Hazel admonished. "We don't want her changing her mind."

"Don't worry, I won't change my mind."

Hazel smiled shyly. "Thank you."

Paula walked around and chatted with each person in the line. She was very happy with their work and the fact that she didn't have to worry about their integrity. This was working out better than anything Paula could have thought of herself.

When she finished talking to her crew, Paula went back to her car and jotted some notes about offering bonuses and gift baskets to all her new employees. Then she thought about Alexa and how much she'd contributed to the business. Paula could see that business might double in a year if it continued moving at this pace. It was beyond anything she'd ever imagined. If things kept going so well, she'd need to find more people to work at the shop and behind the scenes in administration.

Her cell phone rang. It was Steph.

"Hey, girl. I miss you."

"Yeah, me too." Steph's voice sounded tight. "I have a huge favor to ask."

"What kind of favor?"

"Before I ask, I need to tell you this wasn't my idea, and I'll understand if you say no."

"Just tell me, okay?"

"My aunt fired me from the bakery this afternoon, and when I showed up at Apollo's, he told me my services weren't needed anymore."

"You've got to be kidding."

"Oh, that's only half of it. When I went home and asked Mama if she had any idea what was going on, she said they thought I should work for someone outside the family for a while."

"Hmm. Any job prospects?"

"That's where the favor comes in. When I told Mama I had no idea where to start looking, she suggested talking to you. Apparently, Alexa has been telling everyone how successful your business is, and she thinks you might need some more help."

"Looks like today is my lucky day," Paula said.

She knew exactly what was going on, but that was fine. So be it if the Papadopoulos family was willing to sacrifice one of their own to get her and Nick together. She could handle that. In the meantime, she had the extra hands she needed to keep her business running smoothly. She wasn't sure exactly how their scheme was supposed to play out, but she'd definitely benefit.

"Your lucky day? Why's that?"

"Can you start tomorrow?"

Steph squealed. "Are you kidding me? I can start right now if you want me to."

"No, tomorrow is soon enough." Paula laughed. "Meet me at the shop at nine o'clock in the morning, and I'll give you a list of things to do."

"Nine?"

"Is that too early?" Paula asked.

"Oh, no, it'll be like sleeping in after getting up at four to go to the bakery."

"Trust me, in my business, there's hardly ever a reason to get up before daylight."

"This'll be a walk in the park," Steph said. "I never knew it would be so easy to find a job."

"It's normally not. You just happened to catch me at the right time."

"I promise I'll do a good job, Paula. You won't be sorry you hired me."

"I know you'll do a good job, Steph. You've filled in enough at the shop when Oria couldn't work that I know how good you are with customers."