Chapter 17
Emma
Standing on the edge of the street with Rhonda, I’m watching as the sale pending is being placed on the for sale sign in front of the building. My building. But that’s just it. It isn’t my building at all. It never was, and probably never will be. I wonder what will be there.
Rhonda hooks her arm with mine and rests her head on my shoulder with a sigh. “You’ll get your bakery. It’s your destiny. I can feel it in my bones.”
I smile, briefly resting my head on hers. “I’m being tested. I know I am.”
Now, I’m guessing I need to start hoping to win the competition simply so I can pay my rent every month. I’m just glad I’ve saved up over the years, and still have a little money from my grandmother. I’m thankful I listened to her strict instructions that I only touch the money if there’s a major emergency. While I’ve been tempted to cash it out for a down payment, it wouldn’t have been nearly enough to last for the next couple of months, and even I can’t say that buying this building would constitute life or death.
“Come on,” I say, pulling Rhonda along. “Staring at that place is like rubbing salt in a very sore wound.”
“I get it,” Rhonda says. “And I am really sorry. So is Philip. But you’ll figure it out. That’s what you do.”
I smile at her. She’s such a good friend. I can honestly say I’d be lost without her. “Thanks.”
“So, where to now?” she asks as we continue down the sidewalk.
I consider her question, then give her a lopsided smile. “Feel like shopping?”
Rhonda halts, her eyes wide. She covers her mouth with her hands. “Don’t. Don’t do that to me. Don’t you tease me like that. Just don’t. You know what that ‘s’ word does to me.”
I laugh, grasping her hand in mine. “I mean it. Besides, I feel like hitting that new kitchen store in the Surrey shopping center outside of town. I heard they had cute gadgets, and I want to get new utensils for the competition.”
Rhonda shrieks, hopping up and down as if she was a child. I keep laughing because it’s a sight to see.
Before I realize what she’s doing, she’s on her cell phone. “Guess what, Philip? Emma’s taking me shopping! She’s taking me. Can you believe it? Of course we’ll have fun! It’s shopping! I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
When she pockets the cell after ending the call, she squeals again. “You’ve officially made ‘best friend of the year.’”
“Funny,” I tell her thoughtfully. “I thought I was already best friend of the year.”
“Don’t worry. You forever hold that title.” Rhonda winks at me.
I laugh. “Good to know.”
We stop at my apartment so I can get a few things, then head over to Rhonda’s house. She packs a few water bottles and snacks for the trip. The Surrey Center is almost two hours away. I rarely go over in that direction, but Rhonda can drive there with her eyes closed and both hands tied behind her back. She’s never without drinks and snacks when she goes out of town.
After she finishes loading a cooler, she tells me she’ll be back in a minute. Rhonda disappears upstairs and while I wait for her, I play a game on my cell phone, hoping to distract my mind from thinking about things I shouldn’t.
A few minutes later, I hear Rhonda’s footsteps on the hardwood floor.
“Ready to go?” I ask her.
“Yes, but first I want to give you something. I was saving this for your birthday, but I want to give it to you now.” She holds up a wrapped gift.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait?” I ask.
She nods. “Nothing wrong with an early gift. I have a million other ideas to give you later.”
I chuckle as I take the present. “I won’t say no to a house. You don’t even have to wrap it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I start to peel away with the wrapping, careful not to tear it.
“It’s funny how we do things the same way our parents did, isn’t it?” Rhonda asks with a soft laugh. “I remember your mom unwrapping gifts the same way.”
“I never realized I did. But you’re right. I used to think she was weird in that way.” Finally, I free the dark green box from the paper. I open it, widening my eyes at the silver necklace. A whisk is dangling on the end. “Oh my goodness, this is so adorable, Rhonda.”
“You like it?” she asks.
“Very much. Thank you.” I take it out of the box and put it on.
“I saw it a few weeks ago when I was shopping. It’s a birthday present and a ‘good luck with the competition’ present. You know, since they’ll be happening almost at the same time. I want you to know I’m proud of you. It doesn’t matter if you win or not, you’re still trying. Not many people work so hard to achieve their dreams when they’ve had the kind of setbacks you’ve dealt with recently.”
Tears well up in my eyes. I know Rhonda. She doesn’t do things cheap. Yet, she also knows that her friendship is the most precious gift to me. Our bond was never about the price tag.
I pull her into a tight hug. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s go shopping. That’s your gift to me.”
I laugh. A true statement, if I ever heard one.
It’s a beautiful day, so Rhonda takes off the convertible top, then slips on big sunglasses. I don’t know how those sunglasses can make her look so elegant and classy, when on me, they seem to swallow me whole.
“Ready?” Rhonda asks.
“Definitely,” I tell her with a smile. This will be nice. It’ll be a nice change of scenery for me. An entire day of forgetting everything that’s been going wrong in my life. No thinking about losing my job. No thinking about Alex.
As Rhonda pulls out of her circular driveway, I close my eyes, letting the wind slap against my face as she flips through the satellite menu for a music station to listen to.
But as we drive toward the town’s exit, I’m realizing I have a major problem.
Alex’s face refuses to fade into the background. It’s not just the memory of his apology or the way his concern seemed genuine when he spoke of the misunderstanding that had everyone in an uproar. It’s the small moments that keep replaying in my mind—laughing with him, the accidental touches, and the way my heart inexplicably soars during even our briefest interactions.
Despite the anger and the hurt, a part of me longs to understand him, to peel back the layers of the man who walked into Elmwood Falls and inadvertently changed the course of my life. It’s a conflict that tugs at the very core of me, battling between the resentment for the challenges he’s presented and the excitement from the bizarre draw I feel toward him.
I try to focus on the music, the conversation with Rhonda, and the anticipation of discovering new kitchen gadgets that might give me an edge in the competition. Yet, Alex’s words linger, his expressions haunt me, and the unresolved tension between us is flooding my every thought.
The realization that I’m still deeply entangled in the web of emotions surrounding Alex is unsettling. It’s not just about the competition or my thwarted dreams anymore. It’s about how, despite everything, he’s become someone I can’t easily dismiss from my mind—or my heart.
And it’s likely to drive me nuts.
“This is cute.” Rhonda holds up an apron that reads “Cooking Up a Storm”in hot pink. “It’s definitely me, isn’t it? Think I should get it for the bake-off?”
“Why not?” I say with a shrug, eyeing one that reads “Too Cute to Cook Alone”. I’m wondering if Alex is a good cook. And now, I can’t stop thinking about nights of us cooking together. I let out an inward groan.
“What?” I notice Rhonda narrowing her eyes. “You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s cute,” I say.
“You groaned.”
“I did?” Great. I meant to keep my frustration to myself.
“You’re not still thinking about Alex, are you? He’s so not worth your anger. He proved that when he first came into town and wrote that article.” Rhonda rolls her eyes. “And suddenly he’s judging the bake-off competition that you’re entering? Sketchy much?”
“I told you, he has no choice in that,” I say.
“Well, I think the sooner Alex Carter leaves our town, the better. Hasta la vista, Mr. Cynic.”
My heart feels like it’s just hit the ground. Alex will eventually leave Elmwood Falls. I knew it before, but now that the words were spoken, it hits me like I ran into a tree. I know I should want him to leave. So, why don’t I?
I decide to move on from the aprons and look at the baking utensils, but my mind’s not focusing.
“You like him, don’t you?” Rhonda says quietly.
I look up at her, meeting her gaze. Slowly, I nod. “I can’t explain it. But I feel…”
I trail off, thinking about when I stumbled in the park and he helped me home. He didn’t have to do that. He did it because he was concerned.
“I feel like there’s something there,” I finally say. “And I think he feels the same.”
“Has he said anything?” Rhonda asks.
“No. But he doesn’t really have to. I mean, some of the things he does are thoughtful. And when I’m in the same room with him, my heart feels like it’s…”
“Beating so fast it’ll send you into the sky?” Rhonda says, raising a brow. “That’s how I feel about Philip. So, I get it.”
“You don’t think I’m being crazy?” I ask.
Rhonda puts a hand on my shoulder. “Not at all. If you feel something, you should tell him. But be careful, Em. I don’t want you to get hurt. Don’t forget what everyone said about that girl. If he has a girlfriend, you don’t want to be mixed up in that.”
I shake my head. “He said they used to date, and he broke up with her without telling her face to face. She only came to find him to clear the air. I believe that.”
Rhonda rolls her eyes. “Yeah, that adds to his not so charming way, doesn’t it? I think you deserve to be treated better.”
“I don’t know,” I say with a sigh. “I feel like he’s changing or something. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy. I mean, we don’t really actually know him. Know what I mean?”
I’m trying to untangle the whirlpool of thoughts swirling inside. My mind’s a complete mess. If Alex were just another passerby, we would’ve rolled out the red carpet, welcoming him into our tight-knit community with open arms. But his arrival came with a heavy dose of judgment and criticism that didn’t sit well with many of us. I have to admit, myself included.
His editorial left a sour taste, putting me and my skills under a less-than-flattering spotlight. That kind of thing sticks with you, bruising your ego more than you’d like to admit.
But then there’s this inexplicable pull toward him, a curiosity, or maybe something deeper, that I can’t quite shake off. The more time we spend together, the more I find myself wanting to be around him. It’s confusing, to say the least, and it’s driving me absolutely bonkers.
“You know,” I start, trying to sound nonchalant as I grab a mug off the shelf to inspect it, “the library’s hosting that movie night tomorrow. Maybe I can invite him to that.”
Rhonda raises an eyebrow. “The town’s pretty much turned its back on him, you know. I’ve heard a lot of talk about how Alex’s been keeping to his room in the inn. Madison says he’s ordering mostly room service. And I’ve heard people talking about being glad they don’t have to deal with him. How do you think inviting him to movie night will play out with everyone else?”
I sigh, setting the mug down with more force than intended. The sales woman behind the checkout counter narrows her eyes at me. I ignore her, meeting Rhonda’s gaze. “That’s exactly why I should invite him. It doesn’t feel right, the way he’s been ostracized for what he wrote—or didn’t write, for that matter. Everyone deserves a second chance, and maybe, just maybe, this could be his. I see something in him, Rhonda. Maybe there’s a side of him that’s kind and gentle.”
My friend smiles at me. “You’ve always seen the good in people. I wouldn’t expect anything less. And you’re probably right.”