Chapter 5
brOOKLYN
“Why? Why do they even make these things? Why does this even exist?” I gagged, once again washing my hands and trying not to throw up.
The sticky residue had formed a filth on my hands, and no amount of soap and hot water would remove it without scrubbing off a layer of my skin.
“It’s not worth it. I just need to throw them away.”
But I wouldn’t throw them away because they were new, and I had just bought them accidentally.
I glared at the beeswax bowl covers for my sourdough, and rued the day that I clicked the wrong button for add to cart when I was replacing my old covers.
I had tried moving a different direction, using Saran wrap, a towel, and even a regular lid.
But because I lived in Denver, the Mile High City, elevation baking meant I needed to be a little more calculated.
My sourdough didn’t like any of the alternatives.
They liked a cover. And I missed the cloth ones my grandmother had made.
I know if I asked, she would make more. Or rather, she would teach me how to make some of my own.
But after I had worn out my other ones, I thought I could just buy some more and get through the day.
After all, I had four bowls on my counter that would bulk ferment for the day while I was at work, and I would come home, shape, add inclusions, and stick them in the fridge overnight. Then, I would bake in the morning.
I needed extra things because I enjoyed baking when I was stressed, and one of my cousins needed three loaves for an event.
They hated baking, so I was there for them.
They could go to one of my aunt’s shops and buy a loaf of bread, or even the grocery store, but I loved giving them things that I made by hand. And they liked my bread.
But beeswax anything? Worst invention ever. Who thought about making beeswax bowl covers? Now they were making beeswax bags to carry the bread in and keep it fresh apparently. That sounded like my personal nightmare.
I didn’t usually have sensory issues, but apparently, I’d found my weak spot. After all, I usually had my hands in dirt, rather than dough, but apparently this was my last thread.
I washed my hands once again, grateful that I could finally feel my skin rather than the wax, and went to clean up.
I was a decently clean baker, but there was always a handprint of flour somewhere when you were baking and dealing with your starter.
I fed Jane Dough, marked my line to see how she would do during the day, set her up by the window so she could get some heat, and went to get ready for the day.
I had to work on some paperwork that I wasn’t in the mood for, and I wanted to check out a new plant shop that had opened recently.
I liked working with three local ones, but I couldn’t always get what I wanted for this area.
I preferred going native with plants, and each one of the original nurseries that I had used since we’d opened the business had changed ownership.
Things weren’t the same, and it was grating.
It didn’t help that all three were owned by men who looked down on me for being the owner rather than someone who should just be playing with cut flowers.
I heard this nursery was owned by a woman, and I was going to lean into women power at this point, because being called little lady was the final straw for me.
I showered, blew out my hair, and quickly added a little bit of makeup, but not much really. Mostly just tinted moisturizer with sunscreen, and mascara. I would be digging in dirt for most of the afternoon, and I wasn’t going to look fantastic by the end of the day.
Of course, nothing was going to cover those dark circles under my eyes. I hadn’t slept well the night before, and who could blame me?
I had no idea what had pushed me to drive all the way to Reece’s house and barge in as if I had a right to be there.
We were barely friends, and he annoyed me to no end most days—just like my cousins did—but he was a good man who looked scared as hell about becoming a father overnight. Especially to a nearly teenage girl.
I liked Bella. She had an attitude, but who didn’t at twelve.
I knew that her words and actions were more of a shield to protect herself, and I hoped Reece did too.
She was scared. She had lost her mother, and I wasn’t even sure if she had fully grieved or begun her grieving.
I didn’t know what would happen when it came to Reece, but I had seen the way he looked at his daughter as if she were a breath of fresh air, and the most magical thing in the world.
In that moment, everything had clicked for him, and I knew he would burn down the world to protect her.
Even if he had no idea how to talk to her or what to do with her.
It was kind of nice seeing the sure and growly Reece who always knew what he was doing—even if he told me what to do at the same time—look out of his depth.
Maybe it was wrong for me to get any satisfaction out of that, but maybe Reece deserved it too.
I knew I would be seeing Reece today at the project site, though I didn’t know if Bella would be coming with him, or if she would be at the Montgomery daycare.
She wasn’t old enough to be alone, and honestly, I didn’t think it would be good for her to be alone at Reece’s house when he was at work.
While we had offered for him to take as much time as he needed, he was the only person who could work on this particular project.
Stepping back now would derail everything, and we would lose tons of money.
Frankly, I knew my cousins and I didn’t care about that.
We’d find a way to make it work, but Reece wouldn’t let us flounder.
So we weren’t going to let him do so with Bella.
And why was I spending my morning thinking about Reece?
Or the way that he always crowded around me? Or the way that I couldn’t stop thinking about him at the most inopportune times?
I put my hand over my heart and let out a deep breath.
I didn’t need to think about him. I had to think about Duke.
And the fact that he had left me. He’d left us all.
I looked down at my vanity and opened the small box next to my jewelry.
He used to leave little sticky notes around the house.
Reminders of where we were going, little moments of thinking of me.
He had been so sweet with notes like that.
That he hadn’t left a note when he had decided that it was all too much.
And Chelsea hadn’t gotten back to me yet.
His sister and I hadn’t been close, but we had always spoken to one another.
We’d always answered each other’s emails and phone calls and texts.
And it wasn’t as if I was trying to bother her.
I had a serious question about the upcoming gala, but she didn’t want to talk to me.
I couldn’t blame her. Duke was gone. And I wasn’t part of the Rochesters anymore.
And here I was, fussing and turning all night thinking about another man. I slammed the box shut and picked up my phone.
“Time to go to work.”
I checked on my sourdough one more time, grateful that my stretching and folding was done. I would deal with it when I came back. As my house was decently cool, it would take a long time to ferment.
My phone buzzed as I got in the car, and I looked down at the screen.
Dash
I will meet you at The Plant Nook.
I scowled and called him rather than text since I needed to drive.
“Hey there, Brooklyn.”
“Dash. Why are you going to The Plant Nook? I can handle an introduction to a new nursery on my own.”
“I’m sure you can. But Jake said the owner was hot, and well, I can’t just leave you alone with a hot woman.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“Of course I am,” Dash said with a laugh.
“I have no idea if she’s hot or not. I don’t even know her name.
But I want to check out the new nursery before we head to the project site.
You’ll do all the talking, I’ll just be there.
I promise, I won’t step on your toes. But the place looks nice.
And frankly, I don’t want you to go to a new place alone. ”
I sighed, wondering how my dumbass cousin could be so sweet and so stupid at the same time. “I’m going to be fine. We’re not going to Landry’s Nursery again.”
“Because the new owner touched you,” Dash growled.
“The new owner tried to kiss me, and he put his hand on my side. He also got a knee to the balls. I handled it on my own.”
“You shouldn’t have had to.”
“And there’s my overprotective cousin. You do realize that I have two older brothers, right? The twins are just as pushy as you are. I don’t need any more older brothers.”
“Technically, you’re older than me.”
“Therefore I don’t need a pushy younger brother.”
“I’m going, and you can’t stop me.”
I sighed, knowing it was true. And I hated the little part of me that was glad he was going to be there.
I could take care of myself and I did so often.
But the weirdness of what had happened at Landry’s Nursery had been a shock to all of us.
I hadn’t pressed charges, because there really wasn’t anything to do about that, but we had closed all of our contracts with them.
I just had to hope that The Plant Nook had what we needed.
I pulled into the nursery, which seemed to be hopping even though it’d only been open for twenty minutes. A smile played on my face as I looked at all the plants behind the gated area and through the glass of the green houses.