The Icing on the Cake (14 page)

She smiled as she turned to the young
man.  “I really like it.”

“Would you like to take it then?”  He
filled her in on the rent and fees.

“May I have a night to think it over?”

“Sure.  It’s not as if we have people
lining up to rent.  Small town,” he offered, by way of explanation.

He escorted her out and she returned to
her car.  After considering the address of the third place she was scheduled to
see, she made the decision to cancel.  The appointment wasn’t until mid-evening
and she decided if she were to move, she would choose the second place.

She checked her watch.  It was early
yet.  She made a quick decision to drive into Ridgeway and do some shopping. 
Anything was better than heading home and facing her mother and sister.

After arriving at the mall in Ridgeway,
she parked and spent a leisurely afternoon strolling from one end to the
other.  She entered several stores, considering what sorts of items she’d be
needing when she made her move.  She also remembered she had never gotten Devon
the promised Spiderman game, and quickly purchased it at the toy store.

Soon, she decided to grab a bite to eat
and found herself in the food court.  She purchased a taco and a soda and sat
down with a sigh.  She felt bone weary all of a sudden.  She also felt alone in
the world. 

She was just about to bite into her taco
when her cell phone trilled.  She snatched it out of her purse—was Devon all
right?  To her surprise, it was Joe.  She hesitated to answer, but something
told her she needed to take the call.

“Hello.”

“Krissy?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I don’t
have anywhere else to turn.”

“What is it, Joe?”

“I just got a call from a hospital in
Norton.  My dad’s been admitted.  Anyway, as you know, Norton’s a three-hour
drive.  I have no idea why he…”  He sighed, worriedly.  “I was wondering if you
could…  Listen, I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think you could stay at my
place for a few days? I wouldn’t normally ask, but I can’t leave Gracie…”

Kristine heard both the fear and
desperation in his voice.  But why hadn’t he asked Lori to stay over?

She immediately knew the answer to her
own question.  Lori didn’t like animals.  She hadn’t hidden that fact from
Joe. 

“Uh, sure, Joe,” she said, though she
felt entirely uncertain about the situation.  But his father was hospitalized. 
He needed her.  She couldn’t say ‘no.’  “I’ll do it.  Is your father okay?  I’m
mean, of course not.  He’s in the hospital.  Is there anything I can do for
either of you?”

“You’re doing it,” he said.  “I really
need to know Gracie is being taken care of.”

“Okay, sure.  Give your father my best. 
I’ll keep him in my prayers.”

“Thank you.  Oh, before I let you go,
you’ll find a key to my place under the second stepping stone in the pathway
through the flower bed—just to the right of the front corner of the house.  Be
sure you’re facing the front…”

“Okay, I’ll find it.  I hope everything
goes well in Norton.”

“Me, too,” he said.  “Me, too.”

After Joe ended the call, Kristine sat
quietly for a moment, contemplating what had just happened.  Joe had asked her
to stay at his place, in order to care for Gracie in his absence.  His timing
couldn’t have been worse, from the standpoint that her heart was breaking over
him, but couldn’t have been better in that it afforded her an opportunity to
live apart from her family—at least for the time being.

Should she run by her home and pack a
bag?  Still uncomfortable about seeing her sister and mother, she made an
impromptu decision to do some real shopping at the mall.  She hadn’t bought
herself any new clothing for several years.  Since she spent so much time in
her white baker’s attire, she just hadn’t seen the need to own an extensive
wardrobe.  Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to pick up a couple pair of jeans and a
few tops to tide her over, she headed for a department store.  After making her
selections, she paid and then headed to a nearby pharmacy.  She purchased
several toiletries, and then carried her bags to her car.

Before driving off, she quickly called
the young man who had showed her the duplex and told him it would be several
days before she could make a decision as to whether or not she wanted to rent
it, due to a family emergency.  It was true.  She had definitely had a family
emergency when the bakery had gone up his flames.  And since she cared for Joe,
his family emergency was hers, as well.

She ended the call and left the mall. 
She had somewhere to go now.

Kristine arrived at Joe’s home
mid-afternoon.  As she approached the front of his house, she quickly diverted
to the flower bed and found the stepping stone under which he’d hidden his
key.  She glanced around her nonchalantly, hoping no one was around who might
see her retrieve it.  Regardless of whether or not someone happened to see her,
she intended to suggest Joe move the key to a new hiding place.

She knelt down and lifted the edge of
the stone.  She immediately spotted the small metal box that housed the key. 
After snatching it up, she rose and walked to the front door. 

She let herself in and moved past the
foyer and to the wide hallway leading to the family room.   She paused and
glanced around the space.  She hadn’t paid much attention to the décor when
she’d visited previously, but Joe had done a wonderful job furnishing the
room.  Comfort seemed to be the predominant theme.  A large sectional lined one
wall and curved around a half-wall that divided the large space from the
kitchen.  A plush recliner, as well as a wooden rocking chair, leant additional
seating.  The walls were neutral, though his wall art featured splashes of
color, as did the comfortable pillows along the back of the couch.

Kristine crossed to the French doors and
opened them.  A cool gust of wind struck her and she felt slightly chilled. 
She’d intended to retreat to the family room but she heard Gracie whining. 
Apparently the pitsky had heard her open the door.

Deciding to look in on the dog, she
walked briskly toward the dog run.  Gracie stood near the door.  She watched
Kristine approach and began wagging her tail.  “Hello, Gracie,” Kristine said. 
“How’re you doing, girl?”  The dog whined louder and moved around, as if
agitated.  “Do you want to come into the house with me?”

She opened the door and Gracie dashed
out and leapt at Kristine.  “No, girl!” she said firmly.  She knew Joe was
attempting to break her of the habit.  To her credit, the dog immediately
calmed down and walked with Kristine into the house.  She charged to her empty
dog bowl, which was in the kitchen area, and sniffed it.  

“Are you ready for dinner?” Kristine
asked.

Gracie let out a pitiful whine and began
walking in circles.  “I’ll take that as a ‘yes,’” she said, as she glanced
around the room.  Where was Gracie’s food stored?

As if reading her mind, Gracie led
Kristine to a pantry in the kitchen.  She pawed at it and then turned to
Kristine.  She laughed.  “Good girl,” she said, as she pulled open the door. 
Sure enough, she found a clear container filled with dog food.

She reached for a scoop that was perched
on the top and scooped out a generous portion.  She dropped the food into
Gracie’s bowl.  The dog dug in.

Kristine returned the scoop to the
cabinet and then turned in a slow circle, unsure what to do next.  Suddenly,
her eyes widened as she remembered she had yet to speak to either Minnie or
Mitch about the fire and what it meant for their continued employment.  How
could she have been so insensitive?  Although it was no excuse, she’d been
focused on her own troubles.

She left Gracie to finish her meal and
went into the family room.  She took a seat on the couch and dialed Minnie
first. 

“Hello,” Minnie answered.  “How are
you?”

“I should be asking, how are you?  I’m
so sorry, Minnie.  I should have called you sooner.”

“Kristine, it’s okay.  I read about the
fire in the paper, of course.  And your mother called me this morning.   She
spoke to Mitch, as well.”

“Oh, okay.  That’s a relief, I guess.”

“Kristine, I’m so sorry about the
bakery.”

“Thank you.  I just can’t believe it
happened.”  She drew silent.  “It’s my fault.”

“Your fault!?” she gasped.  “You didn’t
set the place on fire.  You weren’t even there at the time.”

“I know, but I shouldn’t have thrown a
fit and stayed home from work.”

“Well, I guess it’s my fault the place
burned down too then,” Minnie said.

“What?”

“Yes, yes, it’s true.  If I use your
logic, then I’m as culpable as you.  I played hooky and left your mother and
sister to their own devices.  If I’d stayed…”

“Okay, Minnie,” Kristine said, “I get
what you’re saying.”

“One thing…” Minnie began.

“Yes?”

“I hesitate to suggest this, but do you
think…?”

“Think what?”

“Oh, I’ll just say it.  Do you think
your mother and sister torched the place?  You know they wanted out from
underneath it.  Your mother mentioned to me this morning that she was almost
relieved the fire happened.  She said it was going to force you all to make a
decision once and for all about the future of Branton’s.”

Kristine’s eyes widened with shock.  It
had never occurred to her that her mom or sister might resort to such extreme
measures to sever ties with the bakery.

“I don’t think…   I mean, no, of course
they wouldn’t…”  Her words trailed off.  “Would they?”

“I’m just speculating, and I’m sure I’m
wrong,” Minnie said.  “And I should probably ask your forgiveness for even
suggesting it, but yesterday, they were bantering back and forth about the pros
and cons of keeping the place and I think it was Lori who joked about setting
it ablaze.”

Kristine felt sick to her stomach. 
Surely her sister hadn’t done something as reckless and irresponsible as
setting a fire.  The whole block could have gone up in flames under the right
conditions.  They were fortunate the fire department was only a couple blocks
away.

“Oh, wow,” Kristine murmured.  “Wow.”

“I’m sorry, Kristine,” Minnie said.  “I
know how much the bakery means to you.”

“Minnie, what are you going to do until
we get this mess sorted out?”

“I’m going to take a break,” she said
brightly.  “Spring is just around the corner…  I’m going to do some gardening. 
I may even sit around and eat bon bons.  I’ve earned a break, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Have you spoken to Mitch?”

She seemed to hesitate to answer.

“Minnie?” she prompted.

“Yes, I spoke with him this morning.  It
turns out he’s been weighing a job offer from an in-store bakery in Ridgeway.”

Kristine felt awful at the prospect of
losing a talented baker, but the reality was, she no longer had a bakery. 
“That’s good,” she said sadly.

“It is good,” Minnie said too brightly. 
“Since he lives on the outskirts of Cooper Glenn, in the same direction as
Ridgeway, he won’t have too bad a commute.  The pay is actually better than…”

“Oh.  Okay.”  She forced herself to
sound happy and positive when she spoke.  “I’m thrilled for him.  I’ll miss
him…”

“I know you will.  So will I.  But
things have a way of changing, whether we like it or not.  And we just need to
learn to roll with the punches.”

“True,” she agreed.

“What are you doing right now?” Minnie
asked suddenly.  “Are you and the family getting along any better?”

“No, not really.  I, uh, spent part of
my day talking to an insurance adjustor and the other looking for a place to
rent.”

“You’re moving out?” Minnie cried.

“I feel like I have to.  This morning, I
came downstairs and Mom and Lori immediately lit into me.  They were furious
that I’d taken Devon around Joe.”

“I am so confused,” Minnie admitted.

Kristine filled her in on discovering
Joe waiting with Devon after she had dropped her off at school.  She told her
about him picking up lunch and taking her and Devon back to his house.

Minnie weighed the information.  “I
don’t even know what to say.  I guess if Lori believes Joe belongs to her, she
thinks she can will it to happen.”

Kristine sighed.  “She and Joe had lunch
together today, in order to ‘sort things out,’ Lori told me.  I happened to see
them walking along the sidewalk together.  They looked … happy.”  She sighed
again.  “They make a beautiful couple.”

Minnie laughed at that.  “No, you and
Joe make a beautiful couple, and frankly, Kristine, until Joe defines his
relationship with Lori, if he actually has one or intends to, I wouldn’t
believe a word out of your sister’s mouth.”  She sighed this time.  “Kristine,
I’m really sorry.  I shouldn’t disparage your sister or mother, but frankly,
I’m tired of watching them push you around.  You deserve so much better and I
can’t stand by and see you needlessly hurt—family or no family.  You know Lori
has always played by her own set of rules.”

“I appreciate that, Minnie.  But I did
see them with my own two eyes.”

“And looks can be deceiving,” she
reminded her.

“That’s true,” she mused.

“Hey, where are you right now?  Why
don’t I pick you up and we can go to an early dinner?”

Kristine chuckled uncomfortably.  “Well,
I’m at Joe’s house.”

“What?”
Minnie cried.  “Now I am thoroughly confused.”

“I also spent part of my day at the mall
in Ridgeway, in order to put some distance between me and the family, but
anyway, while I was there, Joe called and…”

“Go on,” she urged gleefully.

Kristine chuckled at her enthusiasm, but
sobered when she remembered why she was at Joe’s house.  “Apparently Joe’s dad
was admitted to a hospital in Norton.  I don’t know any of the details, other
than Joe was heading there and expected to be away a few days.  He asked if I
would stay at his house and keep an eye on Gracie for him.”

“Ohhhh,” she said, drawing out the word.

“It doesn’t mean anything, Minnie.  He
was desperate for help and thought of me.  It’s not as if I have anything else
to do, in light of the…”

“Why didn’t he call Lori?”

“She doesn’t particularly like Joe’s
dog.”

“What’s she got against the dog?”

“Long story.”

“She’s never cared much for animals, if
memory serves.”  Minnie’s voice held a decidedly reproving note.  Kristine knew
her friend was an animal lover who distrusted those who weren’t.

“True.”

“You know, my friend, Joe could have
called any number of friends to help him out.”

“He doesn’t know many people any more,
since…”

“Not true,” she cut in.  “Joe kept up
with many of his friends when he was away.  My point is, he called
you
.”

“His timing was good,” Kristine
admitted.  “I wasn’t certain if I was ready to sign a lease on an apartment, or
rather, duplex, but I do know I need some space from Mom and Lori.”  She
emitted a beleaguered sigh.  “I am worried about Devon.”

“I know you are.  I’m just glad he’s
older now and isn’t still in an infant seat.  Remember all the times they…”

“I’d rather not think about it,”
Kristine cut in.  “He’s going to be confused as to why I’m no longer at home. 
He actually likes me,” she said with a humorless laugh.

“He’s a good little boy,” Minnie said. 
“Oh, hey, Ralph just pulled up…  Wait, you didn’t give me an answer about
dinner.”

“Well, since your long-haul trucker
husband just arrived home, after days away…”

Minnie chuckled.  “Thanks for
understanding.”

“You bet.”

The two signed off and Kristine turned
her attention to Gracie, who had just walked up and rested her head on her
knee.  “Let’s let you outside,” she said.

She opened the back door and let the dog
out.  Gracie immediately dashed to the back of the property and did her
business.  Kristine watched her play for a moment.  The dog was clearly
delighted to have such a huge backyard.  She ran in tight circles that widened
to the width of the lawn by the time she was done.  After, she began dancing
after a butterfly and then to Kristine’s dismay, she shot toward the fence and
sailed right over.

“Gracie!” Kristine cried, and this time,
it was her turning in a tight circle, unsure what to do.  Finally, gathering
her wits, she ran to the fence and looked over.  She spotted Gracie at the back
door of the home next door, pawing at it. 

Soon, an older woman opened the door
with a big smile and promptly bent to give Gracie a hug. 

“I’m so sorry,” Kristine called.  “I’m
dog watching and that
dog
,” she said, enunciating the word, “just leapt
over a six-foot fence.”

The woman, older with graying hair,
laughed.  “Yes, Gracie is uniquely talented when it comes to jumping fences,”
she said, now lavishing Gracie with kisses on her head.  “Isn’t she beautiful,
though?” the woman gushed.

“She really is,” Kristine agreed, now
smiling at the canine escape artist.  “She’s a stinker, but beautiful.”

“I’ll meet you out front,” the woman
called as she urged Gracie into her home.  Soon she and Gracie joined Kristine
out front.  The woman thrust out her hand.  “I’m Maeve Johnson,” she said. 
“And you are…?”