Chapter 16 Make Way For The Future
MAKE WAY FOR THE FUTURE
“Do you want me to run over and get the platter and bowl from the mill?” Reenie asked a little before three.
The last of the customers had left twenty minutes ago and she’d just cleaned all the tables and put the last chair on top so she could mop the floors.
“I can run and get them,” Brooke said.
“Nonsense. You’re getting dough ready. I’ll run over as soon as I mop and then it will dry and I can put the chairs down when I get back.”
“I’ve learned not to argue with you,” Brooke said. “Not when your mind is set.”
Reenie grabbed the bucket in the back corner next to the closet holding all the cleaning supplies.
She was up front and pushing the stick around, the curly thick material sloshing as it went.
There was something oddly calming about cleaning a floor. Most people wouldn’t understand, but to her, watching the dirt vanish and the surface shine again felt symbolic, like restoring order to chaos.
Wiping away the past to make way for the future.
Or so she liked to tell herself.
She could push aside all the filth she’d lived with as much as she wanted, but it never completely disappeared.
Would she ever be clear or clean of her past?
She wasn’t sure that was possible.
It’s as if it was baked onto her skin at birth. A brand telling her she’d never be enough.
“I’ll be right back,” Reenie shouted the minute she was done with the floor.
She ran out the door after flipping the closed sign, hopped into her car and drove to the mill past the cafe.
Clay had liked one of her fliers. He’d had several that she’d emailed him printed locally and they were to be posted around the area. She’d gone to his social media page and did some work there posting things too for him.
She’d been surprised he’d given her access since she didn’t have her own accounts, but she was trying to prove herself to him, that she wasn’t here to take advantage of anything.
She opened the door to the mill, smelled the powerful scent of apples and alcohol.
“Hey, no one is supposed to be back here.”
She spun quickly to see one of the guys that was with Ford when she walked in earlier. “I’m just picking up the remains of lunch.”
“Oh, sorry.” He moved forward. “I’m Rod. I didn’t recognize you, just saw someone that wasn’t an employee.”
She pointed to her shirt. “I am one.”
“Yeah, I know. Ford gave me a hard stare when I said you were good looking.”
“He’s protective,” she said.
“Nothing more than that?” Rod asked. “Are you related to the Ridgeways?”
“She’s not,” Clay said, moving in. “And you’ve got work to do.”
Rod smirked. “I was running to the bathroom and thought someone was trying to break in.”
“I can handle anyone that messes with me, my property or my family,” Clay said.
He was staring at her when he said it.
She’d never be able to earn this brother’s trust.
Any childish hopes that she had of a future for her and Ford wouldn’t happen.
Brooke was sweet to her, still taking her in like a daughter.
Callum was too. Even showed her how to gather the eggs from the chickens one day when she asked how it was done.
Though Clay was giving her tasks to do with his business, it wouldn’t change the way he felt about her.
She wasn’t sure why she cared so much either. Okay, yeah, she knew, but she wasn’t going to let herself hope for too much.
She turned her head and piled the platter and bowl back in the box along with the small bowls of condiments.
“Everyone was hungry today.”
“The crew came in and finished the rest of the sandwiches. Thanks for bringing them. I could have brought it all back.”
“It’s fine. I just mopped the floors and ran over while they dried, then I can finish cleaning. Your mother was busy prepping for tomorrow.”
She finished piling everything in the box without looking at Clay. Too bad he was blocking her way when she went to leave.
“Thanks for everything you’re doing with my mother.”
Those words surprised her. “I like your mother a lot. You guys don’t know how lucky you were or are to have her in your life.”
Clay smirked. “We know. She reminds us daily.”
“Never take it for granted. I need to get back.”
Clay didn’t move. “You’re a hard worker.”
“I am.” What was his deal? This was so uncomfortable.
“It doesn’t mean I trust you, but Ford does.”
“I’m not here to cause harm to you or your family.”
“You can’t harm me,” Clay said.
“There you go.” When he didn’t move, she said, “You’re blocking me.”
He stepped aside slightly. “Thanks for the fliers and getting the word out on social media. I need to spend more time on that shit.”
“You’re welcome. I don’t mind doing it. It’s not as if I’ve got much going on when I’m not working and I’m barely working forty hours a week at the cafe. Not even every day.”
“My mother has you working what she feels is a fair trade for the cabin and the costs associated with it. Which I heard was your negotiations.”
“I’m not here to take advantage of anyone or anything.”
“Until you’re gone?” Clay asked.
She lifted her eyes to his. The same dark eyes as Ford, but Clay’s were much more serious. “I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
She elbowed him out of the way and all but rushed to her car, threw the box in the front seat and returned to the cafe.
“What’s wrong?” Brooke asked when she came in the back door as if there were monsters on her heels.
“Nothing,” she said. “Just wanted to get out of your way.”
Brooke stared at her the same as her children all did. As if they didn’t believe the words out of her mouth, or wanted to see through her for the truth.
“Enjoy the rest of your day off,” Brooke said.
“I will. I’ve got some work to do.”
“Life isn’t all about work,” Brooke said.
“That’s funny coming from someone who is working eleven hours a day.”
Brooke winked at her. “I don’t consider it work when it’s what I love, but it is nice to have a day off.”
“Any time you want to take a day off and think I’m ready to do the baking, I will.”
“I’ll think about it,” Brooke said. “Normally I do a bunch of baking the day before if I’m going to take some time off.”
“I can help you do that too so you know I can handle it.”
“We’ll talk about it more next week when it’s slower. But you’ve got the weekend off, though I heard you’re helping in the barn on Saturday.”
She shrugged. “There is no reason to sit around if I’ve got nothing going on. I like to stay busy.”
“Maybe someday you’ll be able to relax. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Reenie wasn’t sure if she’d ever fully be able to relax. What would that even feel like?
She drove to her cabin, parked in the back, grabbed her purse and unlocked the door, then locked it behind her again.
The minute she was in her room to get a change of clothes to shower, she noticed something was off.
She stopped and looked around. It was a feeling more than anything. As if someone had invaded her space.
It had happened too many times in her life. Peace would vanish in an instant, replaced by anxiety so heavy it nearly swallowed her whole. She knew Oliver was looking for her… but had he actually found her?
Nothing looked out of place as she walked around the cabin.
She shook her head, opened a drawer, and then noticed her shirt was not aligned as usual. She was a fanatic about those things. One corner of a shirt in the middle was tucked under as if someone was lifting them to see if there was hidden treasure between.
It broke her heart that Ford might have come back here when she was working and gone through her things to see if she was lying. No way it was Oliver. He would have trashed the place.
Her shirts weren’t like this when she left.
She opened another drawer to see if she was losing her mind and her jeans were off center some.
The more she went through her things, the more she knew someone else had too.
If it wasn’t Ford, then she’d bet it was Clay. He’d made no secret that he didn’t trust her.
She couldn’t say anything because she didn’t want to cause problems between the brothers.
This wasn’t her property, it was theirs. They had a right to enter when she wasn’t around.
It wasn’t something she should get upset about. Hadn’t Clay come over and put a new lock on the door when she wasn’t here? And there’d been other supplies left on the table when she’d been working too.
Ford even looked in her closet when she was showering the first day.
She had no rights here and she didn’t know why she thought she did.