Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Audrey
What a day.
A really good day.
Audrey couldn’t keep the grin from her face as she sat down in one of the chairs, looking at the now-empty and gleaming display cases.
She’d sent Alexis and Ashley home, with her thanks, and a bunch of tips for Alexis—who had tried to refuse them, but both Ashley and Audrey had pressured her into taking them.
Ashley didn’t need them, and it wouldn’t be right for Audrey to take them.
Besides, she didn’t need them right now.
Maybe one day, but not right now. Hopefully, not ever if things kept up the way they had today.
Sitting back in the chair, peace settled over her as she lifted her feet to rest on the seat across from her. The chairs were plastic, so they weren’t as comfortable as an armchair, but there wasn’t anywhere else she’d rather be right now.
My bakery.
All hers.
Pride and happiness welled up inside her, and tears stung at her eyes. She blinked quickly, raising one hand to wipe them away. She just couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this happy.
Which, of course, meant that was when her mother called. Impeccable timing, as always.
Staring at her phone screen, Audrey made a face.
She didn’t have to pick up. But she should.
She’d been dodging her mother’s calls most of the week.
Her parents knew her bakery was opening today.
At some point, her mom was going to throw a fit if she didn’t start picking up the phone.
The longer she waited, the worse it would be.
Might as well get it over with. She was in a great mood, so that was better than trying to talk to them when she was in a bad mood, right?
Audrey swiped the call button, rolling her shoulders back as she tried to reduce the sudden tension between them.
“Hello?” She did her best to sound chipper, upbeat, and hide the exhaustion. Her mom didn’t need any ammunition when it came to her choice to open a bakery.
“Audrey! Finally! Why haven’t you called me back?” Her mother’s tone was unusually strident, and it made Audrey wince.
“I texted you that I was overwhelmed with getting the bakery ready to open,” she reminded her mother and got a snort in return.
“Texts. That’s hardly a respectful way to interact with your own parents. You should have called us back. Or, at the very least, picked up the phone one of the many times that we called.”
It had only been three times, but a bit of guilt lodged in Audrey’s chest, knowing she could have called back.
She just hadn’t wanted to.
Which was why she’d texted. She knew her mother wouldn’t text back.
So, guilty as charged. The tension between her shoulders was getting worse and working its way up into her neck.
She switched sides for where she was holding her phone and rolled her head around, putting one hand on the back of her neck and digging her fingers into the muscles to try to loosen them.
“Well, I picked up now. I just finished up the grand opening of the bakery.”
“I see. Does that mean you’ll be less busy in the future?”
Audrey didn’t know why she’d hoped for a ‘congratulations’ from her mother, but some part of her had, and it hurt not to receive it.
“Probably not. There’s going to be a lot of long hours until I can afford to hire more employees.”
“What on earth are you using your trust fund for if not to make your bakery a success?”
“That’s exactly what I’m using it for.” Audrey didn’t bother to try to explain to her mother—again—that she wasn’t spending it all at once. Her mother knew how businesses were run, but it felt like she’d been encouraging Audrey to spend as much money as possible, as quickly as possible.
Probably because her mother spent money like that, but also possibly because her mother realized that if she overspent and ran out of her trust fund… she would need her parents’ help.
“Were you calling about something in particular, Mother?”
No ‘mom’ or ‘mama’ for Francie Bowers. She only answered to ‘mother’. Audrey couldn’t even remember calling her ‘mommy’ as a child.
“What, I can’t call to congratulate my only daughter on the day she opens a new business?
” The strident tone had given way to a more tearful one, quick as a snap.
Even though Audrey knew that her mother could turn it off just as quickly, it always made her heart squeeze.
“I’ve already a son who refuses to take my calls. Now, I’m going to lose you, too.”
“You’re not losing me, mother.” She softened her tone because that had sounded like sincere upset on her mother’s part. “I just needed some space.”
“Space from your own family?”
Audrey didn’t point out that she’d moved closer to two of her family members. Her mom didn’t consider Grandma to be part of their family.
“Space from Philly,” Audrey explained gently. “Space from the social scene. I wanted to do my own thing. I promise, it was something for me, not against you.”
Although technically, moving away from her parents’ influence had been for her. But she really wasn’t doing it to spite them or because she didn’t love them. She’d just needed to get away from the way they tried to control what she was doing and the constant pressure to get back together with Cash.
Her mother’s hints that Cash was going to propose in order to win her back had been the final straw.
“Well, when are we going to see you again?”
“I can’t leave any time soon after just opening the bakery… would you and Dad like to come visit me here? Maybe we could even have a meal with David.” Audrey crossed the fingers of her free hand that her brother wouldn’t explode at hearing that she’d suggested such a thing.
“I’m not having any meal with that boy until he apologizes for the absolutely disrespectful way he treated me and your father.” The sharp anger in her mother’s voice was cutting. “We raised him. Fed him. Clothed him. Gave him whatever he wanted and needed. And how does he repay us?”
He joined the army instead of going along with their life plan and taking over their father’s business.
Audrey inwardly sighed. Time to change the subject before her mother could really get started on a rant.
More than her shoulders and neck were hurting now, all the joy from the day being sucked away through the phone.
“I’ll be home for Thanksgiving, but I probably won’t be able to get away before then,” Audrey said, rather than answering her mother’s question.
“So now, we’re only going to see you on holidays?” Her mother’s voice was becoming rather shrill.
“No… I just…” The sound of someone tapping on glass made Audrey’s head jerk up.
Mason was on the other side of the front window.
He raised one eyebrow at her and tilted his head toward the door.
“Mother, I’m so sorry, but I have to go.
Someone I need to speak with just showed up outside the bakery. ”
“Of course, because everyone else is more important than your own family. Good night, Audrey. I hope you don’t one day have cause to regret treating your own mother like a second-rate citizen.” Her mother hung up before Audrey could respond.
The peace of her empty bakery had been shattered, but strangely, she didn’t feel as bad as she normally did after speaking with her mother.
Maybe it was because there hadn’t been time to talk to her father, too, and get the double guilt trip.
Or maybe it was because starting off from a place of happiness meant she didn’t end up as low.
Or maybe it was because there was a hot man standing outside her bakery door waiting to speak with her.
Audrey’s feet and legs protested as she stood, but she smiled anyway and didn’t even need to force it as she went to let Mason inside.
The night was dark, lit up only by the streetlamps, and he was finally wearing a coat.
The black material blended with the darkness around him.
If she didn’t know who he was, the effect would have been dangerously intimidating.
As it was, she felt her cheeks flush with heat in reaction to how sexy he was as she opened the door to greet him.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Casual. Good. That was casual. Nonchalant. She definitely didn’t sound like she wanted to throw herself at him the day after he’d gone through a breakup.
He shifted his arm, holding up a box that had been tucked underneath it. The box was also black, which was why she hadn’t seen it before.
“Camera. I figured I’d walk by and see if anyone was here tonight, and if not, I’d come back tomorrow.
” His gaze swept over her, and she had the unsettling feeling that he could see far more than just what she was wearing.
“If you’re too tired, I can either do this and lock up for you after, or I can come back tomorrow. Whatever you’re more comfortable with.”
Audrey only hesitated for a moment.
“I would like to have the camera up tonight, if that’s okay. I’ll probably sleep better. And I don’t mind staying. I don’t have an extra key for you to close up with because I gave them to Ashley and Alexis, but I’m aiming to be the first one here tomorrow.”
“Got it.” He flashed her a smile as he stepped inside, and Audrey felt her pulse pick up as she realized she was now going to be alone in the bakery with Mason.
Down girl. He’s not here for you; he’s here to set up a camera.
Mason
Close proximity to Audrey was only making his attraction worse. Knowing they were here alone…
He should have waited until tomorrow.
But it had made sense to stop by and see if he could do it now. After all, if he waited until tomorrow and someone left another note tonight, he’d be kicking himself for waiting. Plus, he’d been nearby. It was on his way.
It had nothing to do with wanting to see her again, unless it was to ask how the first real day had gone.
Which was exactly what he did once they figured out where she wanted the camera located and what she wanted it to pick up—basically the whole front window and door.