The Baker's Man (9 page)

“I love working in the bakery and being a part of Grandma’s life,” she said. Then she tugged her hand out of Eli’s grasp. Touching him shoved aside the chaos in her mind and set her at ease, but he crept into all the empty corners of her and made himself at home.

“She’ll always be a part of you no matter where you live,” Eli said.

“Mystic Water needs me here. They depend on the bakery.” She rolled off the bed and walked to the window to watch the fierce rain slap the panes.

Eli sat up and slid to the edge of the bed. “Those sound like your mother’s words, not yours. I think everyone would survive without your chocolate chip cookies. People adapt.”

“The town loves this bakery almost as much as they loved Grandma. It’s what they want—to have it open and me running the place, keeping it alive.”

“What do
you
want?”

No one had asked her what she wanted in a long time. Anna fell silent. After a time, she said, “I want to hear the sound of waves rush the shore.”

“And drag your feet through the sand?” Eli asked.

She turned around and smiled at him. “Yes.”

“Me too,” he said.

The smile slipped from Anna’s face. Of course, Eli wanted the same things she did. She would have bet the bakery if she asked him if he loved the smell of the ocean breeze, he’d say yes.

“I can’t leave Mystic Water,” she said. What would she do with Eli if she left? What was she going to do with him
now
? Anna pulled clothes from her dresser and headed toward the bathroom so she could shower.

“You’re right,” Eli said. “No one would ever forgive you, and the beach is a lousy place to live. Hurricanes are bound to strike. Wildehaven Beach is a dump. Entirely too much sand and sun.”

Anger flared inside Anna. She pointed a finger at him. “You’ve never even been there,” she argued. “Wildehaven Beach is beautiful. It’s the perfect seaside town, and the bakery is on the boardwalk right on the beach.”

Eli tapped the side of his head. “I have a mental picture in here. I don’t remember it being that great. You’ll never be able to get the sand out of the bakery. Your cookies will be gritty, but maybe beach bums like dirt in their food.”

Anna glared at him. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Eli leaned lazily back onto the bed. “You must really like the place.”

“I love it,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Maybe you should move there,” Eli said.

“Maybe I will.”

When he grinned at her, Anna realized he’d been pulling the truth out of her. In her frustration, she threw her clothes at him. Eli laughed and tossed the clothes back at her. He spun her underwear around his finger and smirked.

“You might need these.”

Anna’s face burned. She crossed the room faster than a breath and snatched her underwear from his finger. Then she marched into the bathroom and slammed the door. She pressed a hand to her chest and felt her heart pounding beneath her fingers. She’d never admitted to anyone how much she loved Wildehaven Beach. Now that the truth had been released, she felt unable to pull it back in.

7
Blueberry Pie

Anna hustled down the stairs into the bakery. The kitchen smelled of hazelnut and sugar cookies. Eli was bent over looking into the oven. He stood when he heard her enter. His hands dwarfed the pink mug he cupped. Anna hugged a recipe book to her chest. “You’re drinking coffee?” she asked.

He nodded and sipped. “I prefer French vanilla.”

“I don’t like coffee.” She laid the book on the island. “Why do you like coffee if I don’t?”

Eli chuckled. “I’m only allowed to like what you like?” He moved across the room to stand near her. The warm aroma of hazelnut and cream swept over her, and she inhaled.

She looked up at him. “Aren’t you?”

He laughed again, and the bell jingled. He walked out of the backroom and wished good morning to the first customer of the day. Anna released a shaky breath.

“Grab the sugar cookies, will you?” Eli called from the front. The bell jingled again.

Anna brought the warm cookies to the display case. “You didn’t wake me up,” she whispered.

Eli waited for the customer to leave before he refilled his coffee. “I can get things started without you. You tossed and turned all night. I thought you could use the rest.”

“How would you know that?” she asked. At bedtime, Eli had grabbed a quilt and pillow and slept on the couch.

“I heard you.”

Anna watched Mr. Jones park in front of the bakery and climb out of his burgundy Lincoln. “I’m not used to having someone stay at my place,” she said. She smoothed her hand down her hair and thought of Baron. He hadn’t called since he’d first arrived in California.

“What about Baron?” Eli asked.

Anna turned to look at him, surprised by the way Baron’s name sounded acidic on Eli’s tongue. “We always stayed at his place. He said it was easier.”

“He said that because he’s selfish and lazy.” Eli looked away from her and greeted Mr. Jones.

Anna felt the urge to defend Baron, but the truth of Eli’s words stung. Together they prepared Mr. Jones’ usual order, and she watched Eli closely. He was different, edgier. Mr. Jones left, and Anna busied herself wiping off the clean tabletops. She didn’t want to admit that Baron was self-centered because she would have to admit that he never put her first. She would have to admit that she’d settled for less than she deserved. Anna sighed heavily and stared out the front windows. Wet maple leaves lurched across the street in the October wind.

She knew Eli was behind her when she breathed in the spicy scents of chiles and chocolate. She squared her shoulders but didn’t turn around.

“You’re mad,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? The truth?” She laughed, but her throat was tight, and the sound squeezed out, pathetic and broken. When Anna pushed past him, Eli grabbed her arm.

“What I said hurt your feelings,” he said. “I’m sorry for that.”

Anna wiggled out of Eli’s grasp. The air in the room chilled her skin, and she shivered as she walked away.

“He’s an idiot,” Eli said.

Anna finally turned to look at him. She blinked her eyes a few times to clear her vision. “Knowing that doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

Eli walked to her, and the magnetic pull between them intensified. If she’d been wearing roller skates, Anna knew she would have zoomed straight into his arms. She wanted to be wrapped up in him, to hear his heartbeat, to have him eradicate the hollowness and sadness. The front door opened, and Evelyn walked in. She looked tailored and classy as always. Anna always wondered how such a beautiful, perfectly manicured woman could have a daughter like her, who was presently wearing a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt advertising Coca-Cola.

“Good morning,” Evelyn said. She adjusted her diamond stud earrings. “Charlotte is going to let us have a look at the house this morning. Grab your purse, and let’s go. Tessa is meeting us there.”

As the fog shifted in Anna’s brain, she babbled a few incoherent words in surprise. Then she said, “Mama, I can’t leave the bakery. I have to work today.”

Evelyn nodded toward Eli. “You have help. Eli, you’ll be fine for a couple of hours, won’t you? You can run this place without Anna, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered. “Anna, it’s fine. I have everything under control.”

“I can’t leave Eli alone in the bakery,” Anna argued.

“What am I gonna do, eat all the brownies?” Eli teased. “I’ll try not to blow the place up.”

Evelyn made a shooing motion with her hands. “We’re wasting time. Thank you, Eli,” she said and smiled.

Anna grabbed her purse and tossed her car keys on the island in the bakery’s kitchen. She ripped a flap off a box of butter and scribbled her phone number on it. Eli stood in the doorway and watched her.

“Forgive me?” he asked.

Anna made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

He stepped into the room. “Is that a yes?”

She heaved a sigh and wanted nothing more than to ask him to just hold her until she didn’t feel so tangled up inside. But thinking of holding Eli caused a whole new set of problems. “Of course. I have to go. My mama is about as patient as a three-year-old waiting for cookies to bake. You call me if you need
anything
. If there’s an emergency, you know my car is parked in the back,” she said. She hurried to meet her mama outside, but she stopped abruptly at the front door. “You know how to drive, right?”

Laughter burst out of Eli. Anna stared at him and smiled involuntarily. She wanted to stand there and hear it again and again. It loosened the tension caught in her chest. “Get out of here,” he said. “You have about five seconds before your mother calls you from the car.”

Anna hesitated and then rushed out.

˜˜˜˜

A low, wrought iron fence separated the Victorian garden of the Clarke House from the sidewalk. Anna pushed open the gate and walked up the long pathway leading to the house, which was settled back from the road. Anna loved the mansard tower that was squared on four sides, the lacy trim, the bay window.

The carved wooden front door with inlaid glass panels opened. Tessa stepped onto the porch. “Good morning.” She tugged at the bottom of her gray suit jacket. “I’m so excited you’re going to put in an offer on this house.” She pulled Anna into a quick side hug. “I’ve always thought this house suited you. I told Mrs. Evelyn it
looked
like you.” Tessa gave Evelyn a hug while wishing her good morning.

“I’m here to
look
at the house,” Anna corrected, “not buy it.”

Confusion flickered in Tessa’s eyes. She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Mrs. Evelyn said you were interested in purchasing it.”

Before Anna could argue, Evelyn ushered everyone inside the house. “Let’s have a look at the house, Tessa,” Evelyn said. “No reason to spend all our time on the front porch.”

The foyer ceilings were high and arched. A hook hung from the main archway, left behind from the days when a kerosene lamp lit the entryway. Thick, decorative crown molding traced the top of every wall. They stepped into the parlor, and Anna
oohed
over the original iron mantle and fireplace. She smoothed her hand over the cool top. Sunlight poured in through the bay window.

The sitting room had been turned into a library with built-in shelves. The thick, wavy antique glass on the windows made everything on the outside look like a dream. Anna walked to the windows and pressed her fingertips to the glass. The trees swayed against the blue sky, making it appear as though a wonderful Dr. Seuss world waited for her on the other side.

“The kitchen is this way,” Tessa said. “I know that’s the most important room to you. Mrs. Clarke recently updated all the appliances.”

Anna and Evelyn followed Tessa down the hallway. Stained glass transom windows invited rainbow light into every room they passed. The house smelled like warm gingerbread and sweet icing.

“Wow,” Anna said as she walked into the kitchen.

A vase of white daisies had been placed on the counter. The size of the kitchen was unusual for an older home. Anna assumed that at some point in its history, the Clarke House owners had decided to expand their cooking and eating area. The expansion alone made the house worth buying. There were two stainless steel wall ovens. The double refrigerator had been faced with a walnut panel so that it blended in with the cabinets, as had the dishwasher. Anna walked through the kitchen, her fingers brushing across the cabinets and appliances. The almond enamel gas range was shiny and wide with four burners, a large burner in the center, and a removable grill top. There was a warming cabinet set into the bottom and two smaller ovens. A lot of simultaneous baking could be done in the kitchen.

Tessa clapped her hands together and smiled. “I
knew
you’d love it. It’s gorgeous. Look at the light in here. And the walnut cabinets. I’d
die
for a place like this.”

Anna examined the farmhouse sink. She smoothed her fingers over the wide basins. “You love your condo.”

Tessa rubbed her fingers across the smooth granite countertop. “But this place is perfect for a family.”

Anna frowned. “I’m not moving in here with my parents.” She stepped into the breakfast nook. Spring roses would bloom outside the kitchen windows. Anna imagined hanging a hummingbird feeder right outside so she could watch for their fluttering wings.

Tessa worried a button on her jacket. “I just meant eventually. I know Baron wants kids—”

“Baron is gone,” Anna said and walked out of the kitchen. Her mama called her name, but she kept walking. She felt irritated with herself for wanting to cry. She had dreamed of being in this house with Baron, but those dreams were swept far away, carried out to sea.

The wide, spiral staircase was half suspended from the ceiling and curved like a seashell as it disappeared into the second floor. Anna grabbed the walnut railing and climbed. She peeked into the first bedroom, which was obviously the master. Light reflected off the cornflower blue walls, and a large canopy bed dominated the center of the room. Anna walked through the ensuite bathroom, admiring the tiles and claw foot tub. On her way out of the room, she paused. For a moment, she imagined herself curled in the gigantic bed, flipping through a cookbook.

The second room was smaller and painted lavender. Sunlight slipping through the lace curtains cast intricate designs on the hardwood floor. A queen-size bed positioned between two large windows was centered across from an antique dresser with an oval mirror. The final bedroom had soft yellow walls, a twin bed covered in a cream-colored quilt, and a walnut dresser with a large framed mirror. There was another full bathroom in the hallway, and Anna admired the octagonal black and white tiles.

When she reached the end of the hallway, she stepped into the tower room. The small room had no useful purpose. It was much too cramped for a bed or even a table. The ceilings were low, and anyone taller than Anna would have to hunch. Two long windows allowed in plenty of sunlight. She noticed a slender door on the opposite wall. Anna opened it and revealed a narrow, wooden staircase.