The Icing on the Cake (22 page)

She smiled brightly.  “Remember, I
mentioned before wanting to travel…  Well, I’ve decided I’m going to do just
that.  I’ve wanted to for so long but never felt I could.  If the bakery is
yours, and the house Lori’s, I’m … free!”

Kristine smiled.  “Where are you going
to go first?”

“Somewhere tropical,” she said, wrapping
her arms around herself.  “Somewhere warm, but breezy, with turquoise waters
and…”

“May I come too?” Kristine interrupted.

Her mother chuckled.  “You have an open
invitation,” she assured her, but then pinned her with a look.  “My suspicion,
however, is you’re not going to be particularly inclined to leave Cooper Glenn
anytime soon—especially when Joe comes home for good.”

Kristine couldn’t help smiling, though
she suspected she and her mother were getting ahead of themselves.  There was
much to do before the bakery could belong to Kristine, and much to settle with
Lori before her mother could head off to parts unknown.

Kristine sighed as reality reared its
ugly head.  Her mother noticed her frown.  “What is it, Kristine?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about how much
we have to accomplish before I can move forward in my life, and you can set off
to a tropical locale.” 

“You’re right,” Ruth acknowledged.  “I
just hope the insurance company calls soon with good news.”

“I hope so,” Kristine mused.

When Kristine returned home, she hurried
to check out the condition of Joe’s couch.  To her absolute relief and delight,
it was fully repaired and there was no sign it had ever been anything but.  She
smiled as she hurried to the kitchen to begin assembling the ingredients she
needed in order to teach Maeve how to bake her favorite cake.

She had already printed out the recipe,
from her assortment of tried and true recipes from generations of bakers at
Branton’s.  As she studied this particular one, her heart gave a tug.  She
suddenly realized just how much she missed the bakery.  It had been such an
important part of her life.  She desperately wanted to return and continue the
Branton’s tradition of baking the finest cakes, fritters, and pastries
available.

As if on cue, Maeve rang the doorbell. 
Kristine hurried to answer it and smiled when she spotted Gracie beside her, so
well mannered and obedient.  Gracie seemed to love Maeve and the feeling was
clearly mutual.

“We two girls have had such a wonderful
afternoon,” Maeve told Kristine, as she followed her into the kitchen.  “Gracie
and I sat out back, enjoying the sun.”  She giggled.  “I tossed a ball for her
and she brought it right back to me and dropped it at my feet.”  She cocked her
head in thought.  “I’ve never played ball before, with anyone, but I sure enjoy
it with Gracie.”

As if understanding Maeve was singing
her praises, Gracie sidled up to her and pressed her head against her hand. 
Maeve began stroking her head.  “I love you too, sweetie,” she crooned.

Kristine smiled and sensed that Gracie
was filling a void in Maeve’s life.  She had lost her husband and had to be
lonely.  “Do you have children, Maeve?” Kristine asked.

“I’m afraid Ken and I weren’t able to
have any kids,” she said with a resigned smile.  She shrugged. 

Kristine nodded and decided to change
the subject.  She hated that she might have brought up a subject that might
cause Maeve discomfort or pain. 

“Hey, I have all of our ingredients
assembled,” she said cheerfully.  “Oh, by the way, thank you, thank you, for
having your friend fix the couch.  I can’t tell you how relieved I am.  And you
do have to allow me to pay for the fabric and repair.”

“Nonsense,” Maeve said, and then watched
her with mock-suspicious eyes.  “You’re not backing out of our arrangement, are
you?  You’re not going to withhold that recipe, because we had a deal, you
know.”

Kristine laughed.  “I wouldn’t do any
such thing.  I was also going to let you look through the Branton’s recipe
collection and pick out as many as you’d like.”  She passed her both the recipe
card for the strawberry cream cake, as well as the entire book of Branton’s
recipes.

Maeve’s eyes widened with wonder.  “Are
you serious?”

“Very,” Kristine said, smiling into her
eyes.  “You can hang onto it for a couple days, but promise me it’s for your
eyes only.”  She wagged a warning finger her way.

Maeve promptly began looking through the
book.  A smile spread across her face.  “I predict I’m going to have tired
fingers from all the writing I’m going to do.”

“I’ll tell you what.  Mark the recipes
you want with sticky notes and I’ll print them off for you.”

Maeve grinned.  “I can’t tell you how
happy you’ve made me.  I’ve never been much of a baker—well, much of a cook,
either—but I aim to improve my skills.”

“We’ll have to make an ongoing
appointment to bake together,” Kristine said, happy to spend time with a woman
she sensed was really missing her husband.  After having seen the suffering her
mother had endured, she understood Maeve’s pain.  She was obviously a strong
woman, but she detected a lingering sadness in her.

“Would you really consider meeting
occasionally to bake together?” Maeve asked, as if daring to hope.

“I think we should set a date once a
week,” Kristine said.

“That would be great,” Maeve enthused.

“Shall we get started on the strawberry
cream cake now?”

“Absolutely.”

***

After a fun afternoon baking with Maeve,
Kristine accompanied her home.  She carried the cake, while Maeve carried the
thick recipe collection from Branton’s.

She followed Maeve inside and her eyes
widened.  Her home was beautiful, stunningly decorated and boasting a terrific
floor plan.  “Your home is gorgeous,” she gushed.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling, as she
led Kristine into the kitchen.  She put the book on the counter and reached for
the cake.  “Ken and I drew up the house plans together.  It was supposed to be
the dream home in which we were going to grow old together.”  She sighed. 
“Well,
older
, I should say.”

Kristine smiled and wrapped an arm
around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze.  Maeve smiled gratefully for the
support.

“Would you care for a tour?” she asked.

“Sure.”

Maeve showed her the entire home, which
was an expansive, one-level ranch.  It was breathtaking, with every modern
amenity.  “Beautiful,” Kristine said, after seeing the entire home.

“It’s nice,” Maeve acknowledged,
glancing around.  “Big, silent, but nice.”

Kristine’s heart broke for her.  It had
to be difficult, making a big move away from family and friends, with the
intent of living out retirement with her beloved husband, only to lose him
within a short span of time.  Watching her mom mourn her father, and now Maeve
her husband, she vowed never to take her future husband for granted.

She suddenly envisioned Joe in the role
and dared to hope things might work out between them.

“What are you thinking, Kristine?” Maeve
asked.  “You just got the most wistful expression on your face.”

She shook her head and smiled
self-consciously.

“You were thinking about Joe,” she said
knowingly, her eyes twinkling. 

She didn’t bother denying it.

“You have feelings for him.”  It was a
statement, rather than a question.

Kristine nodded.

“Well, he obviously cares about you
too.”

“I hope so, but…  Well, it’s
complicated.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

She hesitated, but opted to share, deciding
it might be helpful to gain some insight from a person of a different
generation.  “My older sister dated Joe years ago, when they were in high
school.”

“Oh,” Maeve said with a wince.  “Is she
unhappy about…?” 

Kristine nodded.  “She’s not happy about
Joe and me, or rather, the potential that there might
be
a Joe and me.”

“But…  Well, I know Joe is thirty-two,
so high school was some time ago.  I would think your sister would be okay with
the two of you dating, unless…”

Kristine nodded.  “She regards him as
the one that got away.  My mother tells me she cared deeply for him and still
may.”

“Oh, hmmm,” she said.  “I’m not sure
what to say.  No, no, I do know what to say.   I do believe the heart wants
what the heart wants, and if you and Joe are well suited—and I think you
are—then you’re entitled to a chance for happiness together.”  She smiled
sadly.  “It’s a shame if your sister doesn’t see it that way, but life is
short, Kristine.  And they dated a long time ago.  They were children.  It
would be different if she and Joe had just broken up, after having been
involved in a torrid romance as thirty-two-year-old adults.”

“I see your point,” Kristine said, but
decided to say nothing further.  The fact was, the situation was far more
complicated than she wished to say, and filling Maeve in would involve going
into depth about her sister’s character.  As much as Lori aggravated her, she
hated to be disloyal to her.  It felt wrong to disparage her, even if she felt
the inclination at times and succumbed to it.

“Oh, well, let’s talk about something
else,” she said.

Maeve nodded with understanding, and
then chuckled when she heard Gracie howling next door.  “She misses me,” Maeve
declared with a smile.

“She does,” Kristine agreed.  “It’s
funny, but when she jumps the fence, it’s always into your yard.”  She stroked
her jaw, as if sleuthing some hidden truth.  “Maeve, when Gracie’s here, do you
ever leave her out back by herself?”

“I do,” she said, frowning.  “Shouldn’t
I?”

“Does she ever jump the fence?”

She shook her head.  “No.  She usually
does her business, walks around for awhile, smells my roses, and then paws the
back door to come back in.”

“Interesting,” Kristine said, eyeing the
older woman thoughtfully. 

“Why?  What happens when you and Joe
leave her outside alone?”

“She jumps the fence into your yard.”

Kristine arrived back at Joe’s, after
having visited with Maeve for a few more moments.  She hurried outside to get
Gracie, and then watched the dog thoughtfully as they walked back to the house.

“So you only jump into Maeve’s yard,”
she observed, narrowing her eyes at the dog.

Gracie emitted a whine as she dashed off
to do her business.  She returned, but Kristine was certain she had given
Maeve’s backyard a yearning look.

Back inside Joe’s house, she sat down on
the couch and pulled a throw pillow to her chest.  She suddenly realized
Maeve’s friend had repaired it too.  She studied the workmanship, impressed
this was the same pillow Gracie had torn up a couple days before.  She would
have to remember to thank Maeve for the repaired pillow.  She also needed to
pick Joe up a new pair of slippers at the first opportunity.

Gracie, from her doggie bed, watched
her.  “Come,” Kristine said, and the dog instantly leapt to her feet and crossed
the room to her.  “You are a good girl, aren’t you?” she said, petting the
dog’s head.  “You won’t chew up the couch again, or the pillows, or Joe’s
slippers, will you?”

The dog whined in response and she bent
to kiss her.  Gracie returned the affection, kissing her soundly on the cheek. 
Kristine laughed and gave her a hug. 

Finally, unsure what to do with the rest
of her evening, Kristine opted to shower early, dress in comfortable pajamas,
and join Gracie in the family room for a movie.

 She did just that.  It had been a leap
of faith leaving the big dog alone with the couch and all its pillows, but
Gracie hadn’t disappointed her.  Everything was as she’d left it.  “Good girl,”
Kristine praised, as she settled onto the couch.

Gracie leapt onto the sofa and settled
in beside her.  Kristine considered making her get down, but just didn’t have
the heart.  Instead, she wrapped her arm around her and stroked her softly with
one hand as she aimed the remote at the TV with the other.

She selected a movie and settled in to
watch.  A few moments passed when the phone rang.  Kristine rose to answer it. 
“Hello.”

“Hello, Krissy,” Joe said.

She could hear his affection for her in
his voice.  She smiled.  “Hello.  How’s your dad today?”

“Remarkably well,” he told her.  “I’m
really surprised at how well he’s doing.  The doctor says he’ll be out of here
in no time.”

“When can he come home?  He does live in
Cooper Glenn?”

“Actually, he lives in Norton,” he
answered.  “It’ll be a week or two before I can bring him home,” he said.  “And
I’ll be bringing him to my house so he can do most of his recovering there.” 
He chuckled.  “He isn’t pleased that I’m telling him what he will and won’t be
doing, but that’s too bad for him.  I don’t want a repeat of his heart troubles.”

“I can understand that,” she said.  “And
I’m so glad he’s doing so well.”

“And you?  How are you?”

“I’m doing fine.  I had lunch with my
mom today and then spent several hours with Maeve after.  I’m giving her some
baking tips.”

“Oh, she’s gotta love that,” he
enthused.  “She absolutely devours your strawberry cream cake.”

“She devours it, huh?”

“You probably shouldn’t repeat that to
her,” he said with a chuckle.  “But she is a super fan.”

Kristine laughed at his terminology. 

“Did you save any cake for me?” he
asked.  “Maeve isn’t the only one going through sugar withdrawals.”

“What would you like me to bake for
you?” she asked.

“I love it all, so feel free to bake whatever
you’re inclined to.  I promise, I’ll eat it.”

“Will do.”  She drew silent.  “I’m looking
forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

He was also silent and she sensed
something was amiss.  “Krissy, about that…  I’m afraid I can’t make it
tomorrow.  I’ll do my best to come home as soon as I can.”

“Oh, okay, that’s fine,” she said,
trying desperately to hide her disappointment.

“I’m sorry.  I’m disappointed too.”

***   

Kristine busied herself the next morning
by tidying up Joe’s place.  By mid-morning, she was bored and considering her
options for the rest of the day.  She wished Joe was able to make it home, but
there was nothing she could do about that.

She decided to take Gracie for a long
walk and after, headed back to the house and did a load of laundry.  After
awhile, bored with chores, she decided to drive into town.  She placed a quick
call to Minnie and asked if she could meet her for lunch at the café.

“I’d love to join you,” she said. 
“There’s uh, something I need to talk to you about.”

Kristine heard something in her tone
that made her heart give a thump.  “Is something wrong, Minnie?”

“Let’s just talk at the café,” she said.

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

Kristine put Gracie in her dog run and
then drove into town.  She worried the entire way in.  What news did Minnie
have for her?

When she arrived at the cafe, she
spotted Minnie at a corner table.  She hurried to join her, her brows furrowed
with question.  “Is everything all right?” she asked, now worried for her
friend.  “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured her.  “It’s…”

A waitress appeared at the table.  A
long-time resident of Cooper Glenn, she smiled sympathetically at Kristine. 
“I’m so sorry about the bakery,” she said.  “I miss those fritters so much.”

“Thank you,” she said, attempting a
smile.  It was difficult.  Minnie’s facial expression was so troubled, she
couldn’t help but be fearful.

“Can I get you ladies a beverage?” she
asked.  “Water, soda, coffee?”

“Water for me,” Kristine said.

“Me too,” Minnie said distractedly.

“Do you know what you’d like to order?”

“I’ll have the club sandwich,” Kristine
said.

“Cheeseburger and fries for me,” Minnie
said.

The waitress nodded and hurried off to
tend to their order.

“Minnie, what is it?” Kristine asked.

She sighed.  “Well, it’s probably
nothing, and you may already be aware of it, but Joe came into town today…”

“Wait,” Kristine interjected with a pronounced
frown, “that can’t be.  I mean…”  She blew out a breath.  “He told me he was
coming into town, but then he called yesterday evening to cancel.”

 Minnie’s face fell and she shook her
head sadly.  “He was here.  I saw him,
here
,” she said, enunciating the
word. 

“Here?  At the café?”

“Yes.”  She leaned forward in her seat
and sought Kristine’s eyes.  “He was with Lori.”

Kristine shook her head, confused. 
“What time?” she clarified.

“Around seven, I guess,” she answered,
trying to remember.  “Yes, that’s right.  I was up early because I needed to
drop some things by my sister’s place.  Anyway, I drove by and spotted them.”

“Could you be mistaken?  I mean, if you
were driving by, it might be easy to confuse someone else for them…”

“I saw them outside the café, just as
they were walking in.  It was them,” she said adamantly.  “Joe, always the
gentleman, was holding the door for Lori and then walked in after her.”

“But…”  Kristine’s face fell.  Joe had
lied to her.  He said he couldn’t make it today, yet he was able to meet up
with Lori.  Had he been ‘meeting up’ with Lori all along?  She remembered the
day at the hospital, when she sat with Joe during his father’s surgery.  Lori
had called and said Joe was meeting her late that evening.  She hadn’t believed
a word of what Lori had told her, but now…  She remembered the other occasion
in which she’d spotted them together.  Was Joe playing her for a fool?  Was he
pitting the sister’s against one another?

She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. 
She cared deeply for Joe, had fallen irretrievably in love with him.  She’d
been so stupid.  How could she have been so gullible?

Minnie reached across the table and
squeezed her arm.  “Honey, I’m sorry.  Maybe I shouldn’t have told you, but, I
just felt like you needed to know.”

“No, I do need to know,” she assured
her.  “I’m glad you told me.  It’s better I know Joe is apparently toying with
both of us.”  She shook her head.  “I really believed he was a good guy,” she
said, sighing.  “I thought…”

“I know, sweetie.  I know.”

She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. 
She had essentially chosen Joe over Lori, her own sister.  Despite the fact
that Lori hadn’t been particularly good to her, she had behaved badly too.  She
should have believed her own sister—or at least, given her the benefit of the
doubt.  And now, thanks to her, her own mother doubted Lori too.  She felt
awful. 

When their food was placed in front of
them, Kristine could only stare at her meal.  She wasn’t hungry anymore.

***

“Maeve, could you possibly keep an eye
on Gracie for Joe?” Kristine asked.  “I’m afraid I can’t house sit or pet sit
for Joe any longer.  Something has, er, well, something’s come up.”

Maeve eyed her speculatively, but
nodded.  “Of course.  May I bring Gracie here?”

“I’m sure that’s fine,” she said.  “But
if she gets to be too much, don’t hesitate to put her in her dog run.”

“Okay.  Was there anything else?” she
asked with concern.

“No, I think that’s it,” she said too
brightly.

“Okay.”

Kristine could see Maeve was disappointed
she was leaving.  “Oh, I need to exchange phone numbers with you,” she said. 
“We have more baking to do.  Are we still on for next week?”

Maeve nodded, clearly relieved. 

“Okay, great then,” she said, after
they’d shared their numbers.  “I’ll see you soon.  Please call me if you need
anything in the meantime.”

“You mean, if my sweet tooth starts
acting up?” Maeve clarified with a smile.

“Anytime,” she assured her.  With a
smile and a wave, she climbed into her car and drove away. 

A part of her was hesitant to go home,
but since she and her mother had been on good terms these past few days, it
seemed the prudent thing to do.  Besides, she didn’t have anywhere else to go.

When she arrived home, her mother
definitely seemed pleased to see her.  She greeted her with a hug.  “I’ve
missed you,” she said.  “And not just because you’re a superb cook.”

“Well, thank you,” she said.

Her mom pulled back and stared intently
into her face.  “What’s wrong?”

Kristine forced a laugh.  “Nothing,” she
said.

“No, no, something’s wrong,” her mother
insisted.

“May we talk about it later?” she asked.

“Are you home for … good?  Or are you
going back to Joe’s?”

“I’m home—for the time being anyway,”
she said, and with a bleak smile, headed upstairs to her room.

There, she felt oddly out-of-sorts.  The
room felt foreign to her, as if she hadn’t lived here for years.  It was
disconcerting.  This was home.

She began unpacking her bag, when Lori
suddenly popped her head into the room.  “You’re back?”

She nodded.  “I’m back.”

She watched her for several seconds. 
“Have you heard anything from the insurance adjustor?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Lori nodded.  “Will you let me know when
you do?”

“Sure.”

She was about to step out of the doorway
when Kristine said, “Lori, did you see Joe today?”

She hesitated slightly, but then shook
her head.  “Nope.  I didn’t see him.  Why do you ask?”

Kristine knew she was lying.  The slight
hesitation in her response time was a clear indicator.  But why was she lying? 
Why wasn’t she rubbing her face in the fact that she and Joe were running
around behind her back?  Lori would have taken absolute delight in that fact
only days before.  What had changed?

“Well, welcome home, Kristine.  I’m glad
you’re here.”

Kristine was taken aback.  Lori had just
told her she was glad she was home.  She was uncharacteristically gracious. 
She suddenly felt as if her world had gone topsy-turvy.

After spending a moment or two sorting
through her clothing and hanging up her clean garments, she sat down on the
edge of the bed.  With a sigh, she fell back, hitting the mattress with a
pronounced thump.

She lay still, staring at the ceiling. 
Her heart was breaking.  She’d finally allowed herself to feel something for
someone—a man—and look where it had gotten her.  She was back home, in her
childhood bedroom, and wondering what the future might hold for her.

Did she even want to stay in Cooper
Glenn now?  Could she bear to see Lori and Joe together?  It would be awkward
for the lot of them.  The town was small and tongues wagged.