Chapter Five
Bethany swiped a hand across her cheek and eyed the lump of sugar cookie dough she’d dumped on the kitchen worktable. Shouts of laughter rang from the other room.
Mister High and Mighty TV Star sat in her front room chatting with Rosie and the children like he was their hired entertainment.
Bethany didn’t have the heart to tell them they were laughing with the man who might put an end to their free lunches.
She raised her shoulders and let them drop but it didn’t remove the tension that squeezed her aching muscles like a taut rubber band.
Although he’d said he didn’t plan to open a fitness center, Bethany knew his type.
She had almost married one. Desmond Mitchell, her lying ex-fiancé, was a handsome, talented, and well-known chef, but he was also without an ounce of compassion for anyone but himself.
He had known what the business meant to her and Travis and the entire community, but none of it had mattered.
He’d stolen the insurance money she’d been planning to use to pay off the mortgage from their joint savings account.
Then he’d used it to rent a fancy apartment in New York and start his own cooking show.
She picked up the rolling pin and attacked the dough as if she could blot out his memory. It had been twelve long months, but his betrayal haunted her thoughts whenever she was tired or lonesome or missing her parents’ calm advice.
“Can you believe Apollo is eating lunch in our restaurant?” Travis didn’t wait for Bethany to respond.
Good thing because she wasn’t in the mood.
“We should have enough supplies to last the month, and we’ve got plenty of donations.
” He paused in the middle of wiping his hands on his shirt. “What’s the matter?”
Bethany stopped what she was doing and frowned. “What do you mean?”
“If you roll that dough any thinner, we’ll be able to see through it.”
Bethany stopped rolling to eye the mangled dough. “Darn it.”
Travis held out a hand with a grin. “I’ll roll; you watch.”
She sighed and gave up the pin.
He pointed to the stool next to the worktable. “Sit there and do nothing. You’ve been on your feet much longer than me.”
“This isn’t necessary.”
“You don’t always have to play the big sister.
” Travis set down the pin and made a show of washing his hands at the sink and drying them with a dish towel hanging nearby before putting on the plastic gloves they wore to handle food.
“You think I don’t know what today is? I’ve been thinking about them too, you know. ”
That stopped her protests. Because she hadn’t been thinking about the anniversary of their parents’ deaths. Not entirely. No, half of her mind had been on Hank Haverill and how much he reminded her of her thieving ex-fiancé.
Bethany tossed her gloves in the garbage can, then sat and watched Travis roll the dough. “Don’t cut out the cookies. I promised the girls they can help.”
Travis nodded. “How’s the contest entry coming along?”
Bethany rested her chin on her hands. “The cake I made this morning was good. Close to perfect. And I captured some great photos.”
“So you’ll submit your entry? In time for the deadline?”
Bethany drew a squiggle in the flour dust on the worktable.
“I have ’til next Friday at midnight. Then the voting starts.
” Next to the squiggle, she added a swirl.
“I’ve already started posting on our social media to ask for votes, and I want to put together a flyer so we can hand them out.
The top ten finalists move on to the final round. ”
“Think we’ll win?”
Bethany erased her design and let out a breath.
“I know it’s a stretch, but I can’t stop hoping.
Grandma Lou’s has a long history, and we’re known for our baked goods, so I think people in the community are likely to vote for us.
I mean, if we do win, the money will go a long way toward repurchasing this old place.
” She looked around the kitchen. Even if the restaurant hadn’t been a legacy from her grandparents, she would appreciate its rustic charm.
Silver pots and pans gleamed from where they hung from the ceiling.
Old subway tiles ran across the back wall, and the worktable was made of wood that matched the floor.
Another burst of laughter came from the front room, reminding Bethany of all they stood to lose if Hank opened the fitness center.
“Boy, was I shocked when I walked in and saw Apollo sitting there chatting with Rosie and the girls like they were old friends.”
“Yeah.”
“Seems like a nice guy. Once word gets out, it’ll be great for business. Camera crews are all over the place—what’s wrong?”
Bethany busied her fingers, pleating her apron. “He owns the building.”
Travis stopped rolling the dough. “You’re kidding?”
“Afraid not.”
“Since when?”
“I don’t know. His publicist, who was in here earlier, mentioned it.”
“He bought it from the bank?”
Bethany nodded and sucked on her lower lip to keep it from trembling. “It’s undervalued. His investors advised him to make the purchase. They want him to open a fitness center.”
A storm cloud collected on her brother’s face. “Here in Tremont? In our building?”
Bethany moved her head up and down, then returned to drawing squiggles. She kept her face low so he couldn’t see the tears gathered in the corners of her eyes that threatened to overflow.
“Why? He could open it anywhere.”
She pursed her lips. “Beats me.” It was a question she had asked herself.
Travis set down the rolling pin and leaned toward her. “Does he need the whole building? Maybe he’ll continue to let us rent?”
Bethany sniffed and avoided his gaze. “I don’t know, but I’m doubtful.” She could feel Travis’s penetrating eyes.
“You’re crying.” He straightened. “Why the heck are we feeding him?”
She rubbed a hand across her brow and shifted her gaze from Travis to the dining room. “I don’t know. He said he was hungry. He seemed tired. Rosie and the girls like him.” She risked a glance at Travis. His eyes could puncture steel. “I couldn’t just kick him out the door—he’s our landlord.”
Travis’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared.
“What does it matter if he’s our landlord if he won’t let us rent from him?
You’re too nice. But I’m not.” His expression remained hard as diamonds, and he glowered at her, but Bethany knew his anger was triggered by frustration and caring.
For her. Although there were eight years between them, Travis fancied himself her protector after their parents died and Desmond’s treachery.
He had seen firsthand the devastation and heartache Desmond’s betrayal brought her.
Bethany put her hand on his arm and squeezed. “I’m okay, Travis. Please, for my sake, don’t do anything rash. We need to stay calm and learn what he’s planning.”
She hadn’t been the only victim when Desmond stole their savings and fled.
Her brother had looked up to her ex but had been forced to grow up fast when the rat suddenly disappeared, without explanation.
To keep Bethany from falling apart, Travis had taken on the more physically exhausting chores of the business.
Against her objections, he’d also reduced his college load to a part-time schedule, so he could help out during the week.
If he resented the sacrifices he’d made, he didn’t show it.
But Bethany suspected it wouldn’t take much of a spark to ignite his inner Rambo.
“There’s no need to panic,” she said—something she’d repeated to herself continually since Hank entered Grandma Lou’s. “He hasn’t made any decisions, at least not yet. Which is why we should stay on his good side.”
“Maybe he’ll sell to us if we win the contest?”
“Maybe. It’s a stretch to think we’ll win, though, so I’m not counting on it.
But hopefully he’ll let us stay in the building a while longer.
” She rubbed a hand across the back of her neck.
Bethany wished she felt more optimistic, but Desmond had taught her to be wary of handsome, suave men like Hank.
If he tried to use his position as landlord to get in her pants, she would boot him out the door, without hesitation.
As much as she loved Grandma Lou’s, no way would she ever fall for a cheating player again.
The doorbell jangled, indicating an incoming customer. Bethany drummed her fingers against the worktable. “I don’t trust him. I know he’s not Desmond, but I suspect the minute he sees dollar signs, he won’t care about anything else.”
Travis stopped staring at the wall long enough to shoot her a frown. The hard look in his eyes softened to worry.
She swallowed the bitterness on her tongue but couldn’t prevent some of it from leaking into her voice. “His publicist seemed determined to get him to open the fitness center. That’s why news crews are in the neighborhood. They want to interview him about his plans.”
Travis gazed at her with growing horror. “And to think I asked for a selfie.”
Bethany pressed her lips together. “I know. I’m sorry, Travis.” She moved toward the front room. “I’ll see who’s here and get the girls.”