7. Scarlett
7
SCARLETT
I t was bitterly cold for just a few days before Christmas and it wasn't just the weather. Nellie had been distant with me, answering in one-word responses and avoiding eye contact. When I got to the bakery to help her finish up the baking that was originally my responsibility, she was like ice. I had totally forgotten she was supposed to have plans, which we'd previously discussed but I'd forgotten. I felt horrible for dumping everything on her and let her go home in spite of needing her help.
The rest of the night was exhausting. I got no sleep and my ovens were baking all night long. I was running on fumes, and coffee time with Nick was looking more and more like a pit stop in the Daytona 500. I needed that coffee and a chance to sit down; I just hoped my eyes didn't shut prematurely. I still had to take the afternoon shift here at the Christmas market booth to relieve Nellie, who asked for the morning shift so she could do some last-minute shopping this afternoon.
I set the last tray of muffins on the shelves in the back of the booth and turned to Nellie who had her back to me. I could tell she was angry, and she had every right to be. It was obvious to me that I needed to hire more help, but I couldn't afford it. I wasn't one of those shop owners who refused to pay her people and kept all the profit. I just didn't have very good health insurance and with Ethan's hospital bill looming on the horizon, I just couldn't hire more help.
That left me in the lurch when he had appointments and especially when he was in the hospital. Nellie understood it, but it was cramping her style. I was the business owner, so naturally I assumed responsibility for long hours and late nights, waking up at two in the morning after a few hours of sleep to bake all the day's prep before rushing home to get Ethan off to school, then coming back only to catch a twenty-minute nap before working ten hours.
Nellie had spent too long experiencing what it was like to be the owner without getting to enjoy the benefit of knowing she was in charge. She wasn't, and I didn't know how to make it up to her.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the envelope I had scrawled her name on. It held five hundred dollars cash, which was nothing compared to her sacrifice to help and support me. But it was a token of my appreciation, and I hoped it helped her forgive me for leaving her hanging all week.
"Hey, can we talk for a second?" I asked her. I had already checked on Ethan and knew he was doing well with the sitter this morning. He was upset he couldn't come but with the weather I didn't think it was a good idea.
"Yeah, what's up?" she asked, but not in her normal cheery tone. She turned to face me and I saw the fatigue in her eyes.
"I wanted to give you this and thank you for working so hard for me. I know it hasn't been easy with me missing work so much these past few weeks. And I'm really sorry about your plans last night." She never told me what those plans were, but given her frustration and the negative response, I figured they were pretty important.
Nellie took the envelope and narrowed her eyes at me in confusion, then folded it open and peeked into it. Her eyebrows rose in surprise, and she said, "What's this for?"
"I know I can't buy your loyalty and service, but I know how stressful this job is. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to help you more this week. I want to say I'm sorry. Please forgive me." I kept my shoulders held tense until she nodded, but she didn't smile. We'd had some tough weeks over the past eight years, but this one topped them all. I'd really done it.
"I forgive you." She sighed and stuffed the envelope into her apron pocket and frowned. "Unfortunately, I can't get time back, Scarlett. Money can never replace lost time…"
"I'll make it up to you…?" I said, hoping we could work out a truce.
"I have to have Easter weekend off. My family is going out of state…Make that happen for me and we're good." The first hint of a smile curled the corners of her mouth and I grinned.
"Deal!" I gave her a quick hug and said, "I'll be back. I have to get to my coffee date. I'll be back in an hour and then you can have the rest of the day off, paid."
Nellie smiled at me and turned back to her task as I untied my apron and tossed it onto the back table. I had to get across the square to meet Nicholas, and now that the hard part of my morning was over, I was ready to tackle the next bit. I was nervous but excited. Nick and I had really hit it off back in the day and I hoped we'd have that same chemistry, but I was still guarded.
When he pulled me aside at that appointment and asked me directly if I was the woman he slept with years ago in a one-night stand, I couldn't lie. I wasn't a liar. I had been so panicked too, but only because I thought he was going to ask me if Ethan was his son. When he didn't, I felt so at ease in his presence I swooned.
Now I felt nervous butterflies at the idea of seeing if there was still a spark between us, even if the town did talk about us. What happened eight years ago was old news. I was willing to put it behind me and see if we had a shot if Nick was, and though it might draw some gossip, I knew my bakery was doing well enough now that even the rumor mill couldn't bring us down.
I checked my makeup in the mirror of a large panel van before strutting up to the coffee shop. Nick stood with two cups of coffee in his hands. Steam rose from the cups inviting me to take one, but not as inviting as his smile.
"Hey," I said, reaching out to accept the paper cup he offered me.
"Good morning. I hope you like hazelnut." Nick flashed a smile at me and the same warmth I felt when we flirted at that party years ago came back to fill me with electricity.
"It's Christmas and you pick hazelnut? Not peppermint, wintergreen, or even pumpkin?" I chuckled and he shrugged a shoulder.
"I'm more of a black coffee guy, myself." He nodded at an empty table and we walked over and sat down. I'd forgotten how tall he was, towering over me, but I didn't mind being the short girl. I also didn't mind how attractive he was. His black trench coat didn't have a stray hair on it, and the red scarf he had wrapped around his neck made the blue color of his eyes pop.
"So you own that bakery?" he asked me with confidence. I was glad he'd started with the topic of my job.
"Yeah," I said smiling. I noticed a few people staring at us, giving me dirty looks, but Nick just ignored them. I didn't know if he didn't see them or if he'd just gotten used to it over the years. "I've owned it for eight years." Thinking about my journey to being a business owner only reminded me of why I'd avoided him to begin with, and I felt my cheeks warm as I became more conscious of the people around us staring.
Nick glanced around too, finally taking note of the gawkers. I wondered if this was how it was for him all the time, if people stared and whispered everywhere he went. It amazed me that people were so cruel.
"Look," he said, sighing, "I just want to get off on the right foot and you're probably feeling uncomfortable." His eyes flicked around then met my gaze. "This happens all the time; people stop and stare. They talk about me, and sometimes they even talk right to me and they're mean."
"It's okay," I told him, touching his hand softly as I spoke. "You don't have to give me an explanation. I know how rude people can be."
"I know the reason you used a fake name and never spoke with me was because of the scandal, and I just want to set the record straight. I never did a single thing they accused me of, and while the medical review board couldn't find proof—which was why I kept my license—I did lose my job, and that tanked my entire practice. I've only just reopened it after years of struggling. I did not kill that man, Scarlett. I took an oath to protect people and help them, and that's what I do."
The earnest look in his eyes moved my heart. I could see how passionate he was, and part of me believed that I might be the only person in the world who even tried to see things through his eyes instead of making him the scapegoat.
"You don't have to explain, Nick. I believe you." His shoulders relaxed and his face softened, and he never looked away from me again.
"Sometimes I feel like the only way to escape is to pack up, move away, and start over. It's just the thought of leaving my parents' family home. I promised them I'd take care of it, but I just don't know if it's worth it anymore." He looked sad and my heart went out to him.
"I don't think you have to do that. I feel like there's more than enough Christmas magic to change all of it if you're patient." I pulled my hand back and took a sip of my coffee and the conversation started to shift.
We talked about the bakery some more, then Ethan and how he was doing. In the interest of keeping this a personal visit and not talk too much about Ethan's diagnosis, I asked him how his practice was doing, and then how he'd been faring emotionally the past few years after his split with his ex-fiancée. There were a few tense moments, but by the time our hour was nearing an end, we found a sweet spot discussing how we both loved children and hoped to have a family one day. It felt awkward given my secret, but it was good to know he wanted kids.
"Could I walk you back to your booth?" he asked as he stood and took our empty cups. I smiled and thanked him.
"I'd like that."
I hooked my arm around his and we strolled across the court square, drawing more nasty expressions from folks around us, but I was on cloud nine. Nick and I discovered we both liked concerts and music in general, and there were a few dates in the future that we both looked forward to.
"If we make it through the holidays," I told him, chuckling. My work stress was getting to me and I couldn't wait for the holiday baking to be over.
"Ah, you'll do great. If you weren't such an amazing baker, people wouldn't demand your products." His lighthearted smile warmed my heart and I stopped to face him.
"I am sorry I never called you eight years ago. We have a lot in common and I really enjoyed coffee with you." My eyes dropped to his lips then rose back to meet his gaze. The chemistry between us was electric.
"Then you'll have dinner with me soon, maybe tomorrow? We can do it at my place so you don't have to put up with the stares."
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" I heard and I looked around to see a few children, no more than ten years old, chanting over and over.
When I looked at Nick, he was staring up at a sprig of mistletoe hanging above us. He smirked at me, and shrugged a shoulder, so I draped my arms around his neck and rose up on my tiptoes. His hands braced my lower back and helped me balance as I pressed my lips to his in a searing kiss that made warmth pool in my belly.
The chanting turned to cackling and laughter, and I smiled as I pulled away and lowered to flat feet. If people in this town were going to talk about us, they had a lot more to talk about now.
"I think dinner sounds wonderful," I told him, but in the back of my mind I was already trying to figure out the logistics of making that happen within my busy schedule.
"It's a date," he said softly, and he kissed me one more time before we heard a very hateful comment about Dr. Scandal Claus scarring children.
Nick's hand shot to the small of my back, and he led me away from the mistletoe. I didn't think I'd ever get used to being talked about like that, but I could definitely warm to the protective way Nick handled me. I loved a man who took charge, and I was already looking forward to having more alone time with him.