Chapter 13
13
H anna's morning flew by. Customers came in steadily. And her baked goods were coming out of the oven perfectly.
Her mom stopped in for a little while, around ten-thirty, and helped her get the case refilled. She did a few miscellaneous things in the kitchen. And Hanna always appreciated that so much.
"I really do thank you, for doing the dishes, Mom."
Her mom chuckled. "It's all right, dear. The warm water helps my hands feel a little bit better. So I don't mind doing them at all. And besides, you're doing a fantastic job here, and I love watching that. And this gives me a little something to do, but not on a schedule. So it works out perfectly. Also, I can be here when your dad takes you over to see Grant today."
"Thank you, Mom. Daddy said he would be here at three o'clock, so you don't have to stay the whole afternoon. But if you want to come back with him, I sure would appreciate it. That way, I don't have to close the doors. And I'll have some bread in the oven that you can pull out by then."
"Sounds good, honey. Now you go on out and do what you need to do. I'm fine here in the kitchen."
The bell over the door rang, and Hanna hurried out to see who had come in. And there stood Tisha.
Hanna hadn't seen her since that day at the thrift store.
She had those light green eyes, those thick dark lashes. Her hair was cut in such a severe, bob. Straight bangs, and then straight to just below her ears. The light color of her hair did nothing to soften the look.
It was severe looking and she couldn't help but think that Tisha would probably look more welcoming with a softer haircut.
But she seemed to like this aloof and unapproachable demeanor she wore. Maybe it was her armor. Maybe after getting a divorce, she needed something to make her feel empowered and maybe her hairstyle was it.
"Hi, Tisha. How can I help you today?"
"Well, I actually came by to see if you'd like to come to my place for lunch. I have some flooring I'd like you to look at. I have it left over, and I wondered if it would work for your house. And I would like you to see a couple pieces of furniture that I'm ready to get rid of in case you need them."
"Oh, wow. That's really so sweet of you. Thank you so much. I don't want you to feel like I'm a charity case or anything. It was just a mix-up at the thrift store."
Tisha shook her head and held her hand up. "No worries. I don't think you're a charity case. My son loves your cinnamon rolls, by the way, and talks about them all the time. And I remember meeting you and thinking that we are in somewhat of the same situation. Both of us divorced. Both of us have exes that leave a lot to be desired, if that can be said."
Hanna chuckled. “That can be said. That's actually the nicest thing that could be said."
Tisha nodded. “Perfect. Can I expect you at noon? I’ll have something made, although it probably won't be nearly as delicious as what you can make. But I will have lunch so that you can eat. I can show you the flooring and the kitchen table that I have. And I have a couple of other little, small things, and then I'll let you get back to work."
Hanna swallowed. "Thank you, Tisha. That's really very nice. I'll see if my mom can watch the bakery for me for about a half hour. Would that be enough time? I'm not even sure where you live, to be honest."
Tisha's smile crawled across her face. It was almost a little eerie. "I don't live far out of town."
She pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from her purse, and she scribbled down her address, then handed it to Hanna.
"I have a sign out front that says, 'Home of the Barkley’s.' Once you see that sign, you know you're at the right place. It'll only take you about five minutes to get out there. So don't worry about having to leave for too much time, and I will see you at noon."
"Thank you so much, Tisha. Thank you."
She swallowed. If her mom couldn't watch the bakery, maybe Jalyn could come over for a half hour. She watched Tisha's straight, rigid actually, back as she retreated. She almost glided across the floor and out the door.
She climbed into a Lexus, not the pickup truck she drove the other day .
Hanna sighed. Tisha Barkley was way out of her league. What was she even doing, having lunch with her?
It seemed like they were on two very different playing fields. But maybe she needed a friend. So Hanna would go. She stepped into the kitchen and saw her mom putting the pans away.
"Mom, are you able to watch the bakery around noon for half an hour? I've been invited to lunch."
"Oh, a date?"
"Well, not a date, like date date . It's a lady that I met at the thrift store the other night. She was actually bringing a beautiful bathroom vanity in to sell when I was trying to buy mine. And she gave it to me. And she stopped in just now. She wants to have lunch with me. So I thought I would go.”
"Oh, honey, that's really nice. Yes, of course. I can make time to watch the bakery for you. I love seeing you getting out and being social. Now, if you only could find a nice man to have a date with."
Hanna's cheeks burned brightly. She wasn't ready to tell her mom about Quinn. I mean, what could she tell her, anyway? They were just having their second dinner together. And that was it. They hadn't even kissed. So there was really nothing to tell her. And she sure didn't want to get her hopes up. My goodness, she was so excited for her to be with anyone other than Isaac.
At about five minutes to twelve, Hanna climbed into her car and headed toward Tisha's house. Her mind had waffled all morning. Should she go? Should she cancel? Should she go? Should she cancel?
In the end, she decided she needed to go. She had accepted an invitation. And by now, Tisha had probably put effort into making a lunch. So, as her parents had always taught her, follow through with your commitments. And she had committed to lunch. So she would follow through.
The drive just out of town was very pretty from the town limits. As soon as you exited the town proper, the scenery turned into farmlands, lush landscapes, and cows grazing.
It was nice. And it was pretty. She saw the road, according to Tisha's map, and she turned right onto that road. About a half mile down that road was the sign that said Welcome to the Barkley's . And she knew she'd found the right place.
She pulled into the tree-covered driveway. Foliage blocked the view of the house, but as soon as the trees cleared away, she saw a magnificent looking home. It was all brick and stone, two stories. The beautiful lanai on the front was welcoming. Four rocking chairs, set in twos with a table in between on one side of the lanai, and two with a table in between on the other.
There were floral arrangements on the tables, and the home was inviting, but it looked expensive. Once again, the thought that Tisha was way out of her league raced through her mind, and she got a little nervous before exiting her vehicle.
She strolled up the sidewalk from her car, trying not to look like a total newbie who'd never seen a beautiful home before, in case Tisha was watching out the window.
Before she got to the front door, it opened and Tisha stood, always with her back ramrod straight, and her shoulders pulled back. But the semblance of a smile on her red-painted lips was welcome.
"Thank you for coming out to the house, Hanna. Come on in, please. "
Tisha stepped back, and Hanna entered a huge foyer area. Bright, light-colored walls, a round mahogany table sitting in the middle with a beautiful floral arrangement gracing the center.
That was one of the things she'd always wanted, a large enough foyer to have a floral arrangement in the middle greeting her guests as they walked in.
"Well, your home is beautiful, Tisha."
Tisha looked around as if she hadn't seen it in a while, and then nodded. "Thank you. I've worked very hard. My ex was never home. It was all on me. He would, of course, write the checks for anything that I wanted to have done, but he didn't really care about what I did. So this is all my design idea."
Hanna felt sorry for her. She seemed lonely.
"I have lunch set up on the back patio. If you'd like to join me."
Hanna followed Tisha through the foyer and to the left. They stepped into a beautiful kitchen. My gosh, there was even a brick fireplace in the kitchen. Hanna's eyes lovingly caressed the fireplace. It was a beautiful, big, open-arched fireplace. The logs that were sitting in the grate were never used, and of course, positioned perfectly.
The cabinets were a dark, rich mahogany. The granite countertops were light, with mahogany-colored swirls running through. Everything matched perfectly. There were light fixtures over the counter, which screamed money. It made her nervous for some reason.
There was a table sitting across from the counter that also had a beautiful chandelier hanging over it. And then she saw the glass door that led out onto a small sun porch.
Tisha opened the door and held her hand out for Hanna to precede her. "I made a pitcher of lemonade. I hope you like lemonade."
Hanna smiled. "I do. Thank you so much."
"Please take a seat."
Tisha sat uncomfortably in her chair across from Hanna.
Hanna sat perched on the edge of her chair, not sure what to think of this whole lunch thing now that she was here. Tisha did not exude warmth. That was a fact.
"Well, thank you for inviting me over here, Tisha. I'm so happy to see your home, and it's really nice to be able to get to know you a little bit better."
Tisha smiled. "It's nice to get to know you a little bit better too, Hanna. My son, as I've said, loves your cinnamon rolls, and he speaks so highly of the bakery. So I thought the least I could do was come in and see it for myself and then invite you to lunch. So here we are."
She lifted the lid on a container, which held a variety of sandwiches. "I had these made up this morning for us at the deli. I have tuna, smoked chicken, smoked turkey, and roast beef. Please help yourself. I wasn't sure what you would like."
"Oh, thank you so much. I'll take a turkey."
Hanna reached in and pulled a turkey club sandwich out of the container. Tisha pulled one out for herself and then closed the lid.
She poured them each a glass of lemonade and then stared at Hanna. For her part, Hanna set her sandwich on her plate and waited to see what the protocol would be. She also wasn't sure what to say. If she should start to eat, was there going to be a prayer? She folded her hands in her lap .
Tisha nodded. "No, no, please, go ahead. I was waiting for you to take the first bite."
She swallowed. "Oh, I'm sorry." Hanna picked up her sandwich and gently bit into it. She was relieved when Tisha picked hers up and did the same. Weird.
Hanna nervously asked, “Are you from Blossom Springs?”
“Not really. I was born in New York. My parents moved to Tampa about thirty years ago. I followed them there because I hadn’t selected a college yet and wasn’t sure what I was going to do. My father is an investment manager. He started his business after moving to Tampa and still lives there today.”
“Do you get to see him often?”
Tisha sniffed lightly and shifted in her seat. “Not that often. We don’t always see eye to eye, and I like to avoid the arguments.”
“I understand that.”
Hanna focused on finishing her sandwich and drank her lemonade. Tisha stood abruptly. "Let me show you the flooring that I have here, to see if you'll like it."
She pushed in her chair and followed Tisha out of the sunroom and through the kitchen to a small pantry-type room off the kitchen. There were building supplies and things stacked neatly in various places. On the floor was a stack of flooring and it was beautiful dark hardwood with graining in it.
"This is the flooring I have. My son tells me there is enough here for an 8x10 room. I'm not sure if one of the rooms that you’re fixing up is that size or smaller, but you are certainly welcome to have this if you'd like. Otherwise, I'll have my son pack it up and take it to the thrift store."
Hanna knelt down and touched the wood. The satiny finish was soft to the touch and truly much nicer than she’d have ordered for her little house. The graining in it had light golden strands through it. She stood and brushed her hands on her thighs. Her cheeks were warm. She felt a little embarrassed, kind of like a charity case. But she smiled brightly and said, "I love it. It's beautiful."
"Perfect. I can have my son take it to your place today. You'll just need to give me your address. And then I have this table over here." She stepped over to a table that was sitting alongside the left wall. "This table was a kitchen table that we had in our house for years. My ex has proclaimed that he does not want it and to be perfectly honest with you, neither do I. You are welcome to it. It was very expensive. It's very sturdy, and it's in excellent condition. But I'm just ready for a change."
Hanna looked at the pretty table. It was lighter wood than the flooring, but it was in perfect shape. A nice round table. The chairs matched it. It would look elegant in her little bungalow. And she didn't have a table. "So thank you. I'd love this. Are you sure I couldn't give you something for it? You don't have to just hand me things."
"Nope. It's yours if you'd like it."
Hanna thanked her again. And then Tisha stood stock still.
Hanna wasn't sure what to do. She cocked her head to the side and looked Tisha in the eye.
"Is everything all right, Tisha?"
She saw Tisha's lip quiver slightly and then she inhaled a deep breath. "My ex-husband… who owns a business and whom I was married to the entire time he was building said business, has cut me off. I have no more alimony coming in and I am not sure that I'm really cut ou t for work. Not anything that I would be able to find in town here. And I'm not sure what to do."
Hanna's heart hurt for Tisha. She was out of her element. You could tell she had always had money, and she wasn't used to working. That was obvious from the manicured nails to the makeup to the expensive clothing that she wore.
"I can't believe if you've been married for a long time and your husband built a business the entire time that you were married, that you don't have some ownership in that business."
Tisha squared her shoulders back. "Yes, that's what I thought was weird, too. But my attorney did not feel as though I had any stake in the business because I never worked it."
Hanna cocked her head to the side. "I think you need a new attorney because I have a friend who went through the same thing, and from what I'm told, that because her staying at home and raising the children and keeping the house allowed the husband to go off to work and build that business, she was entitled to 10% of the profits for the rest of the life of the business. So I encourage you to find another attorney."
Tisha's head cocked, and she studied Hanna for a long time, almost to the point that Hanna felt a little uncomfortable. "Is that so? You know, Hanna, I think you're right. I don't think the attorney that I hired did me any justice. So I'm going to take your advice and I'm going to find another attorney. A female attorney. Thank you."
Hanna nodded, "You're welcome. We women have to stick together, don't we?"
"That we do."
Hanna concluded her lunch with the promise that Tisha's son would be bringing the flooring and the table and a couple little pieces of pottery that Tisha said she no longer wanted over to Hanna's house tonight.
Hanna had a date though, so she was going to have to ask her neighbor, Tim, to let Tisha's son in to drop the things off. That should work out just fine.
Now she could look forward to her date.
But she still had an attorney meeting to get through, and that could prove to be trying.