Sweet Dreams (The Bakery Romance Series Book 3) (19 page)

Chapter 27

He had to remain calm.
Sterling clenched his teeth, focused on Nate. Good thing Nate was sober. He then studied Misty. She scratched the back of her neck, refusing to look at him.
She folded her thin arms in front of her chest. She was upset. Was she upset with him for interrupting Nate’s visit, or, was she upset with Nate?

He spotted the flowers on the kitchen table and a new doll for Jennifer lying on the floor. It looked like Nate wanted to reconcile with his family. He needed to talk to Misty about this. He needed to say something. Nate had asked what he was doing here. He might was well answer. “You attacked Misty the last time you were here. I just came to see if she was okay.”

A horn honked from the street. Nate peeked outside. “That’s Mike.” He focused on Misty. “I have to go.” He glared at Sterling before leaning over, taking Misty’s hand and kissing her cheek. Sterling’s stomach soured. Misty didn’t even try to discourage Nate’s kiss! Nate rushed outside, slamming the door behind him.

“Misty, we need to talk.”

“No we don’t. Sterling, I already told you at the ice cream parlor that we were just friends. I’m not ready for a relationship.”

He blew air through his lips. He wouldn’t accomplish anything by getting angry. “I know Nate wants to get back together with you. Do you feel the same way?”

“This whole conversation is making me sick. Would you please leave?”

“Misty, I’m worried about you. You don’t want Nate coming around here acting up like he did the last time he was here.”

She dropped onto the couch. “I don’t know if he’ll act that way anymore.”

He plopped onto the couch beside her. He wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts. He needed to be patient, be there for her as a friend. He needed to ignore the attraction he had for her and just focus on listening to her, offer her advice the same way he’d offer advice to a platonic friend. “I promise not to get mad. I think you know me by now. I always tell the truth. I’m your friend and I want to help you.”

She shook her head. “Nobody can help me now, except Jesus. I don’t think talking to anybody will help me.”

“Why don’t you confide in me? If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, then you could confide to Adrian. She seems level-headed to me.”

She glanced at him for a few seconds, chewed on her lower lip. She sighed. “Do you promise not to get mad?”

He nodded. “I promise.”

Taking a deep breath, she told him all about Nate’s visit. When she mentioned his salvation, Sterling inwardly cringed. Once she was finished, she finally looked at him again, her beautiful dark eyes full of worry. “I honestly don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I should believe him.”

“If he’s really telling the truth, do you think you’d go back to him?”

She sighed, stared at the floor for a few seconds. “I honestly don’t know. I know that I have to let Jennifer see him since he is her father. But, otherwise, I just don’t know.” She paused for a few seconds. “Nate thinks that God would want us to be together so that we could raise Jennifer as a family. What do you think I should do?”

He balled his hands into fists.
Stay calm. He needed to stay calm and not break his promise.
What would he say if he were not attracted to Misty? How would he advise her as a friend? Thoughts of eternal life, accepting Christ, filled his mind. What Nate claimed he’d done, accepting Christ’s gift, was a phenomenal thing, and he had no right to scoff at Nate’s proclamation. “This is what I think you should do. Before you decide about accepting Nate back into your life, you need to determine if he’s really telling you the truth. I’d wait at least a year before making a final decision.” He couldn’t believe what he was saying.

Her mouth dropped open. “A year?”

He nodded. “There’s no guarantee that he’ll return to his old way of life, but, a year should at least indicate if he’s telling the truth.”

She leaned back onto the couch, stared at the ceiling. “That’s such a long time.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he quickly amended. “But, I’m just forcing myself to advise you the way I’d advise a platonic friend.” He didn’t think it was wise to remind her of the deep attraction he had for her. He was falling for Misty, badly. He honestly didn’t know what he’d do with himself if Nate moved to Miami and reconciled with her. He could imagine looking across the street at Adrian’s house, spotting Nate at the front door, taking Misty on a date.

He could further imagine spotting Nate and Misty, sharing a long kiss after one of their dates. If Nate had accepted Christ, then Misty and Nate would be attending church together. Wouldn’t they? How weird it would be to see Nate and Misty entering the church together, holding hands, dropping Jennifer off at the church nursery. He’d never heard Jennifer call Nate
Daddy
, but, he’d imagine that she’d eventually grow fond of her father.

How would he fit into all of this? Would he continue to be platonic friends with Misty if she reunited with Nate? Would he still be able to visit Jennifer if Nate was around? Would Nate object to his friendship with Misty? He shook his head. Of course he would object. Nate had only seen him a few times and it was obvious he felt threatened by his presence.

“You look like you’re getting mad.” Misty’s dark eyes were full of concern.

He shrugged. He might as well be honest with her. “I was just thinking how hard it would be to see you with Nate as a couple. That’s all.”

She shook head. “Well, don’t think about that too much. Right now, I don’t want to see Nate romantically, but, I do think it’s a good idea for Jennifer to spend time with her father.” He could understand that. It made sense for Misty to feel that way since she never had a father in her life. “Adrian made a big batch of fried chicken. Did you want some?”

“No thanks.” The delicious scent of cooked meat and grease filled the air. He highly doubted that food would help get rid of the dark thoughts hovering in his mind.

*

Over the following week, Misty thought about her conversation with Nate, as well as Sterling’s advice. Each night, she continued to cook something for dinner. One night she made a roast. The roast had been a bit tough and flavorless, but, at least it was edible. She studied the cookbook that Latisha had given to her. Focusing on her cooking gave her something to do while she figured out how to handle Nate.

Adrian had noticed her despondent mood, and she’d finally told her cousin about Nate’s apparent salvation. Adrian had been joyous about the news, and surprisingly, she’d given the same advice as Sterling. She’d advised Misty to wait at least a year to determine if Nate were serious about his feelings for her.

Misty found herself praying about her situation with Nate whenever he crossed her mind. Did the Lord truly want them together as a couple? She recalled the good times they shared, and about his new devotion to Jennifer. He called every night, but, instead of talking to Misty, he spoke to Jennifer for a few minutes. It was difficult to have a long conversation with Jennifer. She was almost three years old, but, she still didn’t have a lot to say to her father. Misty figured that would change once she’d gotten used to Nate. Nate insisted that he just wanted Jennifer to hear his voice.

In spite of her confusion regarding Nate, Misty couldn’t ignore her attraction to Sterling. Whenever they happened to cross paths, he’d wave. He mowed Adrian’s lawn and would drop off tasty treats for them to enjoy. He’d dropped off a delicious chocolate tart the other day. She, Adrian and Jennifer had enjoyed the tart after they’d eaten her tasteless roast. However, in spite of his treats and kindness, he’d grown a bit distant toward her. The last time they’d gone to the soup kitchen, he’d been quiet during the entire journey. Afterwards, he’d dropped her off at Adrian’s, still silent. He’d said good night, but, she could tell that something was bothering him.

The following week proved to be stressful. Misty had to work overtime and she’d had to make special arrangements for the daycare to keep Jennifer late. She couldn’t volunteer in the soup kitchen that week. Adrian had also had to get a ride from her coworker because of Misty’s extended hours that week. The extra hours had been a blessing, in spite of the inconvenience. Misty’s next paycheck had included the time and a half for the extra hours. The funds were an added treat to her exhausting life. She could make an extra payment on her maxed-out credit card, and that was a bit of a relief.

She continued to watch the dates on the calendar, knowing that Juliette’s would soon let her know if Jennifer had been accepted. She continued fantasizing about Juliette’s as she got ready for bed that evening. She imagined Jennifer wearing the Juliette’s gold and green uniform with the distinctive white crest. Her first day at the school would be a huge event, a big step in both her and Jennifer’s lives. She’d take pictures and start a photo album of Jennifer’s time at the prestigious school.

Once Jennifer was accepted, this would be the second step to a better life for her daughter. Misty planned on reviewing elementary schools in the area. She needed to be sure that Jennifer attended the best, most prestigious elementary school. Maybe her daughter could even attend an Ivy League college. That would be so wonderful!

She yawned and blinked, struggled to stay awake. It was a bit too soon to day dream about Ivy League colleges. Right now, she needed to focus on the scholarship application. Exhaustion consumed her that night. Fighting to stay awake, she again went online and accessed the Sarah Wilkin’s Scholarship website. Yeah, she knew that the application period didn’t open up for another couple of weeks, but, she just wanted to check to make sure they hadn’t changed the application dates. Yeah, she was being paranoid, but, she didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her chances for applying for this scholarship.

She again reviewed the requirements, even though she knew them by heart. She’d already started her application online, but the system would not let her submit it to the scholarship board for a couple of weeks. Well, when the application period opened up, her application would be one of the first ones they received.

She already had her letter from a staff member of the Lehigh Acres soup kitchen. The letter confirmed that she’d served in their soup kitchen for two years. She’d scanned the letter and had attached it to the scholarship application. She’d answered all of the questions on the application. The only missing piece was the letter from the soup kitchen in Miami, attesting that she’d been regularly volunteering. She figured she’d call the director of the soup kitchen tomorrow to ask about his writing her a letter. Once she received the letter, she’d scan and attach it to the application.
Lord, please help me to get my daughter into Juliette’s. If it’s Your will, please let her to get into this school, and please help me to win this scholarship. Amen.

*

The ringing phone shattered the silent house. Misty groaned, spotting it was one in the morning. She eyed the Caller ID, realized it was her mom’s phone number. Her heart skipped and her hands shook as she lifted the receiver. “Mom?”

Deep sobs carried over the wire. “Misty…you have to come home…” Her mom’s tears made it difficult to hear the rest of her words.

“Mom, slow down. Stay calm. What’s the matter?”

“Honey, it’s Nate.”

“What about him?”

“He’s dead.”

Chapter 28

Her mouth quivered as she clutched the receiver. “What happened?”

“His friend Mike was having a party and you know what kind of low-life people Mike hangs out with.”

Tears slid down her cheeks. She took deep breaths, tried to calm down. “But, Nate said he’d stopped hanging out with that crowd.”

Her mother took a deep breath. “He’d left his Bible at Mike’s house. He’d gone back to get it. There were some drug dealers there and apparently someone had tipped off the police. Nate was accidentally shot by one of Mike’s friends.” Her mom’s crackly voice sounded over the wire. “The person who shot Nate was then shot and killed by the police. Oh Misty…”

Her mother’s cries carried over the wire. Misty’s heart thudded, tears coursed down her cheeks. Once she’d ended the call with her mom, she laid in the bed, thinking.
Lord, I’m so confused right now. I’m feeling shook up, sad, and despondent since Nate is gone. Jennifer was just learning to connect with her daddy, and now this had to happen. Why did this have to happen, Lord?

Unable to sleep, she turned on her light, spotted her Bible on the end table. She lifted the book, flipped the pages. No, she didn’t feel like reading God’s word right now, but, she had to. She had to do something to make herself feel better. She stroked the cover of her Bible, recalling Nate’s determined vow that he’d become a Christian. He’d claimed that he’d read the entire New Testament in a week. Was that really true? He’d left his Bible at Mike’s house? Was he trying to get Mike to come to church and accept Jesus? The whole scenario was just the total opposite of what she’d observed in Nate since she’d known him.

A loud knock sounded on her door. “Misty? Is everything alright?”

“Come in, Adrian.”

Adrian opened the door, slowly walked into the room. “Why is your mom calling you in the middle of the night?”

She swallowed, her heart thudding. “Nate’s dead.”

“Oh my goodness!” Adrian plopped onto the bed beside her, felt around the bed until she found Misty’s hand. She squeezed Misty’s fingers. “What happened?”

Struggling to keep calm, she relayed what her mom had told her.

“So, he returned to get his Bible?” Adrian’s voice was full of disbelief.

“Apparently. So hard to believe.”

She’d been with Nate for four years and now he was gone. So many things were spinning in her head that she didn’t know which to focus on first. “Did you want me to sit up with you?”

“No, go back to bed. I’ll be okay.”

“Just wake me if you need anything.”

She couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night. She paced her room, laid down for a bit, recalled the first time she’d met Nate. They’d met at a party. He’d had a terrible reputation and Misty found his rebellious nature appealing. She’d been eyeing him for weeks, and she’d also caught him staring at her a few times, too. He’d kissed her for the first time that night and she’d felt so connected to him. She wiped her wet eyes. The sun was just coming up. Hopefully, she’d be able to function at work that day.

The following day at work, Misty moved like a robot. Carmen asked if she were ill, but, Misty simply told her that some things were happening at home. She was determined to prove herself at this job. This was her first professional position and she wanted to make sure she did everything right. She didn’t want Carmen to think that she was a high-maintenance employee. Her cell phone buzzed late in the afternoon. Seeing it was her mom, she answered the call. “Hi, Mom.”

“Misty, Nate’s family is anxious to get him buried. The funeral is this Saturday.” Her mom told her the time and place. “They really want you to bring Jennifer and they want both of you to sit with the family.” Misty inwardly cringed. It would seem dishonest for her to sit with the family since she’d separated from Nate months ago. “Mom, I don’t know.” Jennifer had never attended a funeral before.

“Honey, just do it. Think about what it would mean to Nate’s family if you came to the funeral with Jennifer.” Her mom hung up the phone, bringing an end to their conversation.

She leaned back into her chair, stared out into the busy Miami street. A man pushing a portable hot dog cart walked by and the scent of cooked hot dogs wafted into the building. She glanced at her phone. Three o’clock. She hadn’t had lunch and the scent of cooking hot dogs curdled her stomach. Food was the last thing on her mind, she was so upset.

Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the display. Sterling.

She finally answered. “Hi Sterling.”

“Misty, you sound horrible. What’s the matter?”

She told him about Nate’s death, but, before he could comment, Carmen approached with some files she needed to discuss. “Sterling, I have to go.” She ended the call.

Over the next couple of days, Misty could barely sleep. She’d even stopped at the drug store to get sleeping pills. Some of Nate’s family members called, leaving messages, wondering if she’d bring Jennifer to the funeral. Sterling called, a lot. She knew he cared and that she should really talk to him, but, she just didn’t have the energy.

On Friday morning, she awakened, still feeling groggy. Thankfully, her job was closed that day because the law office was having their annual picnic for employees. She finally told Carmen about Nate’s death and revealed that she’d be attending a funeral that weekend, so, she would not be attending Friday’s picnic.

She stumbled into the kitchen. Jennifer was still asleep and Misty was half asleep herself. It was just four AM. Coffee. That’s what she needed. She had so much to do today if she were going to take Jennifer to the funeral tomorrow. Adrian came into the kitchen, sat at the table. “Smells like you’re making coffee.”

“Would you like some?”

“Sure.”

Misty poured two generous cups of coffee. The chicory scent of the steaming brew smelled wonderful. She cradled the cup in her hands, took a few sips.

Adrian sipped her coffee. “I’ve been worried about you.”

“Don’t. I’m sure I’ll be okay after the funeral.” She just needed some time to digest all that had happened.

Adrian set her coffee cup down and felt around the table until she found Misty’s hand. “You haven’t been sleeping very much. Are you sure you have enough energy to drive to Lehigh Acres?”

“What kind of a question is that? I’ll just make sure I rest before I leave.”

“Misty, people are here to help you, if you’ll just accept it.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been upset since you found out about Nate. Sterling is your friend. You’ve been ignoring his phone calls.”

“But, Nate’s dead, Adrian. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

She continued to hold Misty’s hand, cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure that you weren’t still in love with Nate?”

She pulled her hand away, gazed into her coffee cup, as if the steaming brew held all the answers to her life’s problems. “Of course not. I’m just sad that…well, Jennifer won’t get to know her father. He’s gone.”

“I know but, shutting Sterling out is not an option either. He’s worried about you. He told me so.”

“Adrian, I’ve been in a rotten mood. I don’t think Sterling would want to visit me when I’m feeling this way.”

“He asked me if there was anything he could do to help you. You’ve been so frazzled and tired, why don’t you let him drive you to the funeral?”

Was she kidding?

“Why?”

“Look, he doesn’t have to go to the funeral, but, I think you need somebody to help you drive down there. You’ve been so wired up and upset, even Jennifer notices that something is wrong with you.”

“Adrian, that is so selfish. I can’t ask Sterling to take off from work on Saturday to drive me to Lehigh Acres.” However, the thought of having someone drive her there was appealing. She pushed the thought from her mind. “I can’t ask him that.”

“He asked me if you’d be okay driving home by yourself. I’ll bet he’d be willing to drive you. Since he’s hired a second assistant, his schedule is not so tight. He’d probably be glad to help you. Sterling is falling in love with you Misty. I don’t know why you can’t see that.”

She shook her head. No way could that be true. “No he’s not. Adrian, you’re imagining things.”

“Misty, I admire how determined you are. I like that you’re taking care of your daughter by yourself, got a nice, professional job at the law practice. You’re determined to raise your daughter in a better environment, and you want to do this alone. I get that. But sometimes, God has other plans. You’ve barely slept in three days and I’m worried about you. At least ask him, it can’t hurt. He’s always told you to let him know if you need anything. I think it’s hurt his feelings when you didn’t want to accept his help in the past.”

A knock pounded on the front door. Misty’s heart jumped. “Who in the world would be coming by at four in the morning?”

Adrian chuckled, standing up. “If it’s my guess, it’s probably Sterling on his way to work. He probably saw our kitchen light on and wants to know if you’re okay.” Adrian didn’t even answer the door. She walked back to her room and closed her bedroom door.

Well, looked like she had to face their early morning visitor by herself. She opened the door, turned on the outside light. Sterling was certainly a sight for sore eyes. He sported a simple white tee shirt and denim shorts. His dark eyes peered at her, and he frowned. “You look terrible, Misty.” He pulled her into his arms. She leaned into his massive chest, took a big whiff of his intoxicating cologne. Being in his muscular arms felt so nice. He finally released her, continued to study her with his mesmerizing dark eyes. “Misty, I think we need to talk.”

*

Misty looked horrible. She looked so…so tired. She had dark circles beneath her eyes. Adrian had said she hadn’t been sleeping and Sterling now saw that was true. Was Misty suffering like this because she was still in love with Nate? Could that possibly be?

His heart thundered when she boldly took his hand, led him into the kitchen. He spotted the pot of coffee and checked his watch. He could spare a half hour before he left for work. She dropped his hand and fixed him a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, just as he liked it, left it on the table. She gestured toward the table. “You’re right, we do need to talk. I haven’t been in a very good mood and that’s why I’ve been avoiding your phone calls. It’s nothing personal.”

Well, that was a relief. He dropped into the chair, sipped his coffee. “Sterling, I haven’t been sleeping well, and Adrian implied that you might be willing to help me out.” She bit her lip, took a sip of her drink. “She said you might be willing to drive me to Lehigh Acres tomorrow.”

This was surprising. She was actually asking him to help her? “I’d be happy to.”

“Great. You don’t need to go to the funeral. I figure we could stay at my mom’s—”

He shook his head. No way was he staying at her mom’s house when Jennifer’s father was being buried. “I’ll stay at a hotel. You can keep your car while you’re at your mom’s and come get me when you’re ready to come home.”

She blinked, her pretty eyes confused. “You’d do that for me?”

I’d do just about anything for you, Misty.
The unwelcome thought popped into his mind. Goodness, she looked so small, fragile, and beautiful. All he wanted to do right now was take her into his lap and kiss her sadness away. But, he couldn’t let his imagination run away like that. Would she even want him to kiss her? Before he let his emotions spin out of control, he needed to be honest with her.

“I was wondering if you were upset about Nate’s death because you still had feelings for him.”

Her pretty mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. “Oh. I had feelings but, not like that.” She looked down into her coffee cup, so he took her chin, gently forcing her to look at him.

“You’ve barely slept in three days, you’ve been crying. That sounds like somebody who is still in love.”

“No, I wasn’t in love with Nate. My feelings were more or less nostalgic. He was my first real boyfriend. We had a daughter together. I dated him for four years, and we have a history together. He’s been a part of me for so long that it’s just a shock to find out that I’ll never see him again, neither will Jennifer. I also feel kind of mad at myself.”

This was a surprise. “Why? Nate’s death was not your fault.”

“I know. It’s just that, when he initially told me about his newfound faith, I laughed at him. Me, a Christian, laughing at somebody who says they’ve found Christ.” She shook her head. “I’ve been feeling horrible about that since Nate died.”

“Honey..” the endearment rolled off his tongue before he could stop it. “You told me about Nate’s constant lies. I didn’t believe him either. Don’t beat yourself up over that. I’m sure both the Lord and Nate have forgiven you.”

She nodded, seeming to accept his advice.

After they’d planned on when they’d leave for Lehigh Acres, he stood up, kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”