Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Juniper
I never knew the true meaning of hard work until I took over this store and added an evening cup of coffee to my routine.
It’s this special blend from a place called The Nest in a small
Montana town named Heart’s Edge. The owner, Felicity Charter, had a cool puff piece in a women’s business mag last winter about her tiny coffee shop expanding into a proper roastery just to keep up with surging national demand.
And the crazy stuff that went down in her life on the way to fame and big bucks–holy hell. I thought I had it bad.
I thought pulling fourteen–hour shifts without much to show for my work and living in Nana’s shadow was as rough as it could get.
But I don’t have Felicity Charter problems.
I don’t have a mafia princess breathing down my neck or kids to raise or a ginormous husband who looks like a movie star to keep happy.
More importantly, knowing Felicity didn’t quit when the going got tough, how could I?
How could I ever walk away?
At least the shop’s closed for now. I’m into the quiet hours. I stretch my arms out and get ready for another long evening working my way out of this
mess.
I can put on a little classic rock and let myself have a good time while I’m cleaning and preparing for tomorrow. If there’s time, I might even log on and review the store’s insurance policy renewal for next year, praying the premiums haven’t doubled.
If only my feet didn’t hurt so much.
I’m still up in my own head when the bell above the door tinkles and I look up to see Nana.
-If there was ever a day when she didn’t make a striking entrance, I wasn’t around to see it.
She’s had her hair done again, a big fluffy white perm that reminds me of the eighties, but there’s nothing old or out of step about her as she opens her arms for a hug that reaches right to my soul.
“Oh, Junie. You look exhausted!” she tells me as I peck her on the cheek.
“Thanks… I think? Is that a compliment?”
“It’s a reminder that you need a week off. The Sugar Bowl wasn’t meant to chain anyone up, darling.”
“And do what? Hire someone else to take my place as manager? You’re hilarious, Nana.” That reminds me, so I check tomorrow’s schedule.
It’s Sarah and Kiki on the books.
And me, of course, since I’m always on duty.
“Well, there’s no point in working if you don’t have the traffic to warrant it, is there?” She jabs a thumb in the direction of the sign. “How long has our pride and joy been out?”
I suck in a breath and pretend to consider her advice.
I know what she’s going to say next and there’s not a chance.
“Oh, just a couple days,” I say vaguely. “I’m going to get it fixed next week for sure.”
“You’d hire out for that old thing?” She waves dismissively. “I could fix the sign for you tomorrow.”
Oh no.
Suddenly, I see Nana’s prone, broken body on the sidewalk after falling off a ladder. Not a good image and another huge reason to kindly make her
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Love Betrayed: A Journey of Separate pat
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butt out.
“Nana, you’re retired, remember? You can’t come barging in here to fix my store,” I say firmly. “I’ll have someone in next week to fix it. He’s very
affordable.”
And if he isn’t, I think I can cover the repair with a crazy man ordering chocolate croissants and banana pudding cupcakes by the dozen.
“Besides, it’s summer. It stays light through close,” I tell her.
“Fine,” she says with a tone I recognize from when I was smaller. “But only because you run the show now, honey.”
Yeah, badly.
“Do you have a moment?” Nana already knows I do as she bustles through the store like she still owns it, looking fondly at the old mixers. I notice she’s holding a glass container. “I just had to drop by. I tried a new cheesecake recipe this evening and it could be a real hit, if you’d like a sample for research.”
I pin on a smile. That’s my Nana, charitable to a fault.
Ever since she handed the Sugar Bowl over to me, we’ve had the same little dance where I pretend I have a tenth of her success and she pretends she’s not always offering to pull me out of the fire without breaking her promise.
She always swore not to get in the way when the torch was passed to yours truly.
There’s no point telling her I’m supposed to be cleaning now, of course, so I pull the band from my hair and run my hands through it. After a full day keeping this place popping, my feet aren’t the only thing that’s killing me.
“How could I say no to cheesecake?” I call out.
She’s already on her way back to the front with two plates and a fork when the bell dings again.
Ugh. I must’ve forgotten to lock up after she came in.
That’s my first thought, but because fate hates my guts lately, it’s not just a run–of–the–mill straggler looking for a cake pop after close.
It’s Big Fish, and he looks about as pissed as humanly possible for a man sculpted by the gods.
I thought I’d already seen him hit peak grump–mode when I delivered that batch of cakes to his office, but no.
There’s apparently a higher setting where his ragey blue eyes make it impossible to predict if he’s about to chew me out or throw me against the wall and devour me.
Even better, Nana whirls around at the sound and sees him standing there, casually sucking up oxygen like the intimidating mega–prick he is.
I’ve been ignoring him for days. I’m ready for him to let loose and rip into me, to go off, to throw something.
What I’m not expecting is to see his lips twitch as this human dragon
smiles at my grandmother.
Oh, crud.
“Hold up. Are you the famous Jo Winkley? Juniper’s grandmother?” He strides forward, offering her a hand like he’s been waiting half his life. I think I’m traumatized because the room starts spinning. “I’m Dexter Rory. It’s amazing to finally meet you, ma’am. I’ve heard so much–all good things, of
course,”
Oh God, oh God, what is he-
“It’s such an honor,” he continues, still with that serpentlike smile on his lips, “to shake the hand of the woman who put the Sugar Bowl on the map. And, dare I say, who brought Juniper tumbling into my life.”
What the actual hell?
My knees give out.
I have to be dreaming.
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I lean against the table and pinch myself in the arm. Hard.
Bad move. That doesn’t get me anything except a bruise as this smiling maniac sweet talks my Nana with a gentle personality he should win an award for faking.
This is bad. So bad.
Then Nana smiles and breaks into a loud laugh and everything gets worse.
Insanely worse when I recognize that laugh.
I’ve heard it over the years, though it’s not usually aimed at anyone I
know. But right now, it’s a death sentence.
It means she flipping likes him.
“Why, thank you. I didn’t know my Junie made time for charming young men,” she says too loudly, glancing back at me with her eyebrows ready to fly off her face. “How come you hide the nice ones, darling?”
“Juniper–Junie–she’s a funny one. I’m afraid you’ll have to decide who’s the bigger workaholic between us,” he says with a low, almost vicious chuckle. I’ve never heard this man laugh. I didn’t think he could. “Still, we’ve been dating for–what, about half a year, Junie? It’s high time to meet the Sugar Bowl original.”
Dating.
I’m going to kill him with my bare hands.
But Gran gasps even louder than me. “Dating! Oh, my. Oh, Junie, you never said–how could you? Leaving your poor grandmother flapping in the
wind…”
“Um. Um!” My brain won’t work, much less my tongue. Even my lungs are fried. I’m about
to
pass
out.
My palms sweat as I grasp at the counter for more support, the only reason I’m not sprawled out on the floor.
This man–this total dickhead–fried turd–is using my own grandmother against me.
I never fathomed he’d go this low.
And I wonder how long it’ll be until someone comments on my
face turning
a
lethal shade
of red.
“It’s fine,” Rory says calmly, quickly approaching me. Holy shit, no,
he’s going to hug me, and-
And I don’t know wh
to do about it.
There’s nothing I can do when I’m having an out–of–body experience. I just stand there like a scared puppy as he pulls me against him.
Meanwhile, Nana beams over his enormous shoulder like he’s just handed her a seat to my wedding and the whole mess of great grandkids she’s been waiting for since I turned twenty.
All because he can’t just be normal. Oh no.
Dexter Rory just has to be this delicious, smooth–talking, diabolical devil treat that Nana thinks I’ve been hiding from the family.
I hate him.
Like actual hate.
I thought I loathed him before, but this–this is genuine fire–breathing disgust. I just want to rip his cold, dead, still–beating heart from his body and burn it for turning Nana against me.
For making it impossible to erase that hopeful, happy look from her face.
“I can’t believe it, Junie,” Nana trills as soon as Dexter releases me. “And oh, sweetie, you’re redder than a Maine lobster. Is it the humidity? If you need me to look at your A/C this week, I can do that too.”
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Gah!
My eyes whip to Lucifer just in time to catch the tiniest smirk, Yeah, he’s not faking that one.
If justified murder was legal in this state, I’d have pushed his face into a fresh batch of dough and smothered him by now.
“I remember those days,” Nana says absently, oblivious to the river of tension flowing between us. She cups her hand against her cheek and I know exactly what she’s going to say.
No, no, no, please don’t do it.
But she’s going to.
She’s about to reminisce about her perfect romance with my granddad.
And she’s going to compare it to me and this selfish snake I’m supposed to be fake engaged to.
If she mentions Liam, I’ll definitely scream.
“When your granddad and I were dating–after we got married even- he’d just walk into a room and I’d get all flustered.” Nana gives me a look that says finally.
That is not what’s going on here.
“I’m so glad you finally found someone else,” she says to me. “I know getting over Liam-”
“Nope. This conversation is over,” I say, throwing up a hand and trying to hold it without trembling. “Nana, hold on. I think I should probably clear the air before-”
“No need. I’m sorry for skipping out on you last night, princess. Had to work late,” Dexter says. Princess? I glare at him, but he just shoves an envelope into my hand. “That’s why I dropped by. I hope these concert tickets will make up for the change of plans.”
My hand is shaking.
My entire body is on vibrate.
This man is so shameless it’s actually scary. That goes double for how relentless he is when he lies.
Worse, I can’t just tell Nana the truth.
Not when she keeps looking at us like that.
“I’ve got a long night coming up. You know how the market gets third quarter,” he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and giving me another hug that feels too real. As if one wasn’t bad enough. “Sorry to interrupt, but it was great to meet you, Nana Winkley.”
“Call me Jo!” Nana says like the unwitting traitor she is. “Oh, don’t send him home empty–handed, Junie. Do you want something for the road, Dexter? She’s just boxing up today’s leftovers.”
My heart dives. “Nana-”
“Now, you simply can’t send your boyfriend back to work hungry.” Without another word, she opens the bakery case and pulls out a couple muffins, a marshmallow brownie, and an apple turnover. “Will this be enough?”
My brain starts working again. Finally, a chance for revenge.
Not much, but a girl’s got to work with what she’s got.
“Take more!” I urge sweetly, grabbing blindly for more leftover stuff in the display cases. It normally goes to a local homeless shelter at the end of the day, but how can I miss a chance to make him pay?
“The marshmallow brownies are fire today. Why don’t you have one now, sugar?” I snap, loving how startled he looks.
Something flickers in those deep blue eyes, but before I can revel in my win, he grabs a turnover and wolfs it down in three hulking bites.
Damn,
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If eating something he hates to deceive a sweet old lady was a competition, he’d take first prize. For now, he’s winning plenty of new reasons to hate his guts.
“Thanks, ladies,” he says, accepting the box and keeping it at a distance like it’s full of uranium before he gives me a quick wave. “See you later, Junie.”
Nana waves him out of the store, practically jumping up and down, as I sink into a chair.
Well, crap.
I know exactly what’s coming next.
“So,” Nana says, drawing the word out and sitting opposite me. “Tell me all about him right this instant. Dexter.” She says his name like he’s some sort of prize.
If she only knew…
With my face half–covered with my hands, I say, “There’s nothing to tell, Nana. You met him.”
Her face pulls into a frown.
“Juniper Winkley, don’t you dare lie to me. Did you get a look at him? He said you were dating for months and this is the first time I’ve seen hide or
hair of him!”
“Eh, he exaggerates,” I say like it’ll save me. But I’m telling her the truth when I’d rather chew raw cactus, thorns and all, than go on a single date with Dexter Rory. “He’s just persistent.”
“That means he worships you! Oh, Junie…”
Actually, Nana, I’m pretty sure the only thing he worships are dollar signs, but sure. It’s me he wants so his greedy ass can hoard more money.
“Well, when are we having dinner?” She bats her eyes. “We simply must introduce him to the whole family.”
“N–Nana!”
“I’m just saying. It’s high time everybody knows you’ve found someone new after that last little heartbreaking scoundrel–and what a yummy catch, indeed.”
This is it.
This is how I die.
Complete and utter humiliation at the hands of my loving grandmother who doesn’t have a clue she’s pinning her hopes on a human rattlesnake.
“Whatever. If you bring up Liam again-”
“Oh, honey, you know I don’t mean to. I just know how you wound up so hurt, especially when you thought he was so close to putting that ring on your finger. But moving on is the right thing to do. The only thing that’s natural, and bless you for doing it.”
Sigh.
“Nana, I told you before, I’ve been over Liam for a long time,” I say, waving a dismissive hand.
Yet here I am.
Lying through my teeth for another self–absorbed rich jerk just so I don’t have to remember the one who had the audacity to inform me he’d gone as far as buying a ring before deciding I work too much and my boring little life wasn’t enough for him.
Of course, the fact that he told me after he started shopping for a replacement girl on Tinder and I found out when a friend screenshotted his profile was just the rotten cherry on top.
“Yes, yes, I just wasn’t sure,” Nana says. “With how much you practically live at the bakery—”
“I’m still getting my feet wet. And, um, I don’t need a new boyfriend to prove I’m over the last scumbag, thank you.”
“Ah, but now that you have a new man, you really should let your family meet him, Junie.” Nana frowns, the lines around her eyes deepening. It’s easy to forget that she’s old. Fading. Fragile. “Can’t you let an old woman have her silly dreams? All I want is to see you happy and settled before I go. Is that
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Chapter 21
so awful, honey?”
Boom.
Just like that, she smacks my heart down like a kitten with yarn. My heart also lurches, just thinking about the inevitable.
Death comes to us all, eventually, but I want to keep thinking Nana will last forever. She’s too strong to waltz off with any grinning reaper.
“Nana, come on. Don’t be like that.”
“We’re not granted endless time here, Junie. When you’re my age, well, you’ll understand.”
“I know, but-” Ah hell, I’m going to have to give in, aren’t I? Between Dexter and Nana’s pity, I don’t have a chance. “Fine. I’ll speak to him about coming to Sunday lunch. Sometime. But you have to promise not to get too excited, okay? We’re both crazy busy with work and–and honestly, we barely see each other. Who knows, it might not even work out—”
I don’t get to finish.
Not when Nana lays her hand on mine, stopping me in my tracks.
“Oh, Junie. Commitment can be scary, especially when it’s for life,” she whispers, her eyes glowing with empathy. “Just trust me. You’ll never find true love if you hide from it too long.”
“Yeah. Love.” I swallow so hard I almost choke. Yep. Still planning his murder in my head.
I wonder if anyone will notice if I bake a rich real estate guy into a pie one little piece at a time. Hey, it almost worked for Sweeney Todd.
“Yes, yes,” Nana croons, cracking open her glass container and unleashing a heavenly smell. “Now, how about a bite of cheesecake to celebrate?”
