Chapter 23 Caroline
CAROLINE
Caroline rested her head back against the seat in Justin’s truck. Between the darkness and the quiet, her eyes thought it was bedtime.
Justin reached over and threaded his fingers with Caroline’s. “Do you ever compete in the competition?”
She chuckled. The cookie decorating competition was a town favorite every Christmas.
Teams of two were given royal icing and shortbread cookies to decorate however they wanted.
It was an event that funded the kids’ meal program every year.
“No. I don’t think that’s fair since I decorate cookies for a living. I just donate the cookies and icing.”
Caroline’s phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Hey, Mom. Everything okay?”
“Yes, but were you able to bring the extra icing? We’ve had a bunch of last-minute entries.”
“I have it with me. Justin and I will be there in about two minutes.”
“Okay, sweetie. See you soon. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
“They still haven’t heard from Chuck yet?” Justin asked.
“Not a peep. You think he changed?”
Justin’s dad had spent so much time terrorizing her family. It was odd to think about Chuck without a gripping worry in her chest. After Jordan and Alicia bought his land that bordered Taylor Ranch a few years ago, it was as if Chuck had forgotten all about them.
Justin’s features glowed in the light from the dash. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard from him either. Should I reach out to him, or do you think that’ll just stir things up?”
“What would you say if you contacted him?”
She’d often wondered about her own words for the man. Not that Chuck would have ever cared about what she had to say. Everything about him shook her up in ways no one else did. He’d hurt her family and the man she loved more times than she could count.
It was hard to imagine what Justin might think of his dad. She couldn’t comprehend that level of hurt.
“I forgave him,” Justin said.
Caroline turned in her seat to get a better look at him. Even in the dim light, there was no doubt that Justin was serious. “You did?”
“Well, I forgave him for what he did to me. I don’t know how to forgive him for what he did to your family.”
“What does that even mean?” she asked.
“It means I searched for a way to get him off my mind and the hate I felt toward him. I knew it wasn’t right to keep letting that rule me, and the only way to do that was to forgive him, whether he has remorse or not.”
“Wow.” The word was little more than a breath, but Justin had shocked her socks off.
“That doesn’t mean I’m ready to let him back into my life.
Not that he’s tried. I used to hate him, but now I just feel sorry for him.
” He sighed. “Maybe I should be reaching out. Maybe I’m supposed to make amends with him or tell him about Jesus.
I know he wouldn't have listened back then, but things might have changed.”
Justin was a bigger man than she realized. He was breaking generational curses and building blessings.
Caroline’s phone rang as they pulled into the parking lot. She checked it and frowned at the screen. “It’s Mom again.”
“Hello.”
“Are you close?” her mom asked quickly.
“Yes, ma’am. We’re parking now.”
“Hurry inside, please. We have a problem.”
Caroline’s heart pounded. She couldn’t handle anything else this week. “On my way.”
Justin released her hand. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know yet. Let’s go.”
Justin grabbed the extra icing from the back seat and followed Caroline. Her feet pounded on the pavement until she burst through the side door of the church leading to the fellowship hall.
Caroline’s mom and Cassie Keen stood over an open box of cookies. Both women wore the same tense expression.
“What’s wrong?” Caroline barely had the words out of her mouth before she saw the problem.
The cookies were burnt. Not just a little overdone. They were scorched brown and crumbling.
“What happened? These aren’t the cookies I dropped off.”
“I figured they weren’t,” Caroline’s mother said. “Someone must have either replaced them or stuck them in the oven.”
“But who would do that?” Cassie asked.
Caroline pushed her hands into her hair. “Are they all like this?”
Her mom rubbed a hand on her back. “Every box.”
Hundreds of cookies were ruined, and the competition started in just a few hours.
Justin set the box of icing on the counter and reached for Caroline. His arm gripped her shoulder, pulling her to his chest. “Does the church have any video surveillance?”
Caroline’s mom shook her head. “Not that I know of. I don’t know who would have come by. Who would do this?” she asked again.
Wasn’t that the question of the month? Whoever was trying to ruin her business was doing a fantastic job of it. “I don’t know, but I have to get to work on more cookies.”
“What can I do to help?” Justin asked.
Caroline stepped out of his embrace, already headed for the door and calling Skye. “Get me back to the bakery as quickly as possible.”
If things like this kept happening, her small business was going to crumble like one of the charred cookies.