Chapter 10
10
HOLLY
I shake my head, realizing I’ve been staring at the clock on the wall I use as a timer without really seeing it.
Crap.
Sliding the cinnamon buns out of the oven, they’re overbaked. Only by maybe thirty seconds, but still. I hate when things could have been perfect but aren’t.
Like…sigh…me and James.
I wait for a minute, then begin moving the buns gently to the cooling rack so they’ll be ready for the icing drizzle. The repetitive motion lulls me back into a reverie.
James and I are pretty close to perfect. If only I were a bit older, and not a…well, drifter is a bit harsh. So is shiftless . A sometimes baker, sometimes crafter, with no home and no direction… I’m not sure what the word for that is, but it’s not the sort of woman James needs.
He’s the ultimate upstanding citizen. The old-fashioned police officer who rescues kittens from trees and helps sweet little old ladies with their groceries. To be honest, I’m genuinely glad that he ended up in a town with almost no crime. Or is it that there is no crime because he’s always around?
Either way, I’ll bet these cinnamon buns that the entire town has an idea about what sort of woman he should end up with, and it’s not a weird little outsider who just wants to bake and make candles.
It’s actually no wonder I crave a wholesome home life, since Mom and I moved around so much. She was always chasing a better guy, even if she used the excuse of changing jobs. Or craving better weather. Or needing to “start fresh”…again, and again.
Now that I’m starting to settle into the vibe of Old Hemlock Valley, I’m pretty sure I’d be happy here forever. Okay, everyone says that January is pretty brutal, weather wise. Still, I don’t think I’d mind, especially if I could snuggle up with James in front of that cozy fireplace with a mug of?—
My hand shakes and a cinnamon bun hits the floor. Dammit . I flip it into the trash, then take a slow breath, trying to focus.
Somehow I get through the morning with no more pastry casualties. My head shouldn’t be this foggy: the bakery opens late Friday mornings, because they stay open later in the evening when people are stocking up for the weekend, so I was able to sleep in until seven-thirty. Of course, sleeping in the arms of my sexy new boyfriend meant it wasn’t exactly restful sleep. I was too revved up.
Last night was incredible. I couldn’t have wished for a more amazing first time. It felt like James and I were truly bonding, and?—
Dammit! The bread!
I save the loaves just in time, then call out to Gabe, “I’m taking my break now. The oven is all yours.”
“Thanks, Holly!”
Sneaking out behind the front counter, I’m able to splash two inches of coffee into my mug before the front bell rings. I duck out of the way so that Lizzie can serve the tall, ripped, kind of glamorous man who strolls in. He’s wearing a very fancy watch, and his button-down shirt clings to his frame in a way that suggests it’s custom-made.
Lizzie is always a smiley person, but there’s an extra twinkle in her eye as she pulls out a special order that has been set aside. The man waves goodbye and leaves, then Lizzie turns to me with a grin as she jots down a note in the green ledger I’ve noticed under the counter.
“Just as an FYI if you ever end up on counter duty, a lot of the Wolfes run a tab and just pay monthly. That was Kaden. They’re all tall and gorgeous. You’ll learn who’s who.”
“I’ve heard about the Wolfes.”
Lizzie nods. “Yeah, their family kind of…well, not runs the town…but they have a ton of land and businesses all around this part of the mountain. They don’t expect special treatment or anything, but…” She shrugs. “You know.”
“Yup. Got it.”
I grab my coat and head out to the benches between the parking lot at the back and the sidewalk out front. It’s a great little nook where you can get some fresh air, while still being sheltered from the wind thanks to the adjacent building.
I check my phone and see a message from my mother to call her back immediately. Normally my shoulders would slump at that information, but they’re too stiff from being hunched over baking the past few days. I crank the volume and call Mom on speaker so I can stretch out my shoulders and wrists.
“Hi, honey, how are you?”
“Pretty good. Just got a job at a bakery.” There’s never any point in telling Mom where I am, and she never asks. She’s off somewhere with the latest boyfriend. Come to think of it, I don’t really bother asking their names, same as she doesn’t ask where I am.
“That’s nice. You always did love working with your hands.”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
She sighs heavily. “I just thought you should know that your father is up for parole again.”
My arms freeze mid-stretch. “What?”
“I said?—”
“No, I heard you. I just thought his sentence was for at least thirty years.”
Mom sighs again. “Yes, but apparently prisons are overcrowded or something. I don’t know. I just thought I should warn you that there is a small chance that he might be up for parole in the next couple of months.”
“You haven’t given him my contact information, have you?”
“Of course not.” There’s a sharp inhale. “And I couldn’t, could I? The only information I have for you is this cell phone number.”
“Well, what do you expect?” I hear my voice getting higher, more agitated. “With my mother racing all over the world with the boyfriend of the week and my father in prison, I don’t exactly have a home base, do I?”
A pebble scuffs across the end of the alley, and I snap my head around to see a man turning away. All I see is his pant leg before he steps around the corner.
My heart sinks into my boots. Every single man in town wears jeans, some clean, some faded and worn. There’s only one man who wears navy slacks with a blue stripe down the side.
“Mom, I have to go.”
“Wait, honey. At least tell me you’re somewhere safe?”
“I’m in one of the safest places imaginable. Talk in a few weeks. Bye.”
Maybe if I sit perfectly still and just concentrate on breathing calmly this sick, tangled feeling in my gut will settle down. Nope. After a full minute, there’s no progress.
I walk to the street, looking around for James. There he is – two doors away, talking to that Wolfe guy. They’re laughing about something, then he claps James on the shoulder and strides away.
James sees me out of the corner of his eye and rushes over. “Holly, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your phone call.”
What a polite way for him to confirm that he heard part of it. Every single person in this town has impeccable manners. It’s like they all went to flipping charm school together or took a course online or something.
I might as well be as open as he is. “How much did you hear?”
His mouth is set in a straight line, and I can’t quite read the expression in his eyes. Concern, definitely, but mixed with something else. “I’m not sure?—”
His phone rings, and his jaw tightens. “I’m really sorry, I have to go. We’ll talk soon, okay?”
“Sure.”
Watching him hurry away, it genuinely feels like my heart is being squeezed to death. He didn’t say that we’ll talk “tonight”, or “later”. “Soon” means when he’ll get around to it.
I can already picture the conversation we’re going to have. He cannot risk his job. It’s part of who he is. And if the Wolfes see him with a criminal’s daughter, that will be the last straw. That’s even worse than me being too young for him. It’s…not wholesome. Which is the entire point of his job here.
Shuffling back into the bakery, I knock back the last of my coffee, which has gone as cold as my heart.
Somehow, even at a distance, my family has managed to ruin my life yet again.