Page 23 of Make You Mine

“Right.” He cleared his throat.

“I mean, on second thought, we could go there. You’d love it. Everyone does.”Second thought?I barely even had the first one.

I watched as he hesitated, his eyes searching mine. The moment stretched, hanging in the air between us.

Awkward. Confused. Weird.

Totally like me.

“We could try another place. That would probably be more comfortable, uh, you know, considering everything—” he offered, breaking the silence.

“No, really. It will be fine. The food is awesome. The ambiance is cozy and warm. I can reserve one of the corner tables. It will be quiet and private. My family will be cool—probably.” Lie, my family was never cool. Our baseline was overly friendly with a side of blatant meddling. Whatever, they would be nice to him, and that’s all that really mattered.

But now I was starting to freak out, thinking maybe he wanted to keep this a secret in town.

His smile returned, genuine this time, and he nodded. “Okay then, the Honeybrook it is. I’ll text you tonight.”

As he walked out, I felt a weird mix of relief and anticipation. This was probably my dumbest idea ever, but I was excited all the same. I thought about calling Paige, but rejected the idea. Asking her opinion would make this even weirder.

I sat still for a moment, taking a deep breath to let the decision sink in, and wondered if I should call it quits.

No, it would be fine.

I had to stop overthinking everything. Besides, it was just dinner. A chance to get to know each other better, which was vital if we wanted anyone to believe our scheme.

Restless, I stood.

I needed to do something. Anything was better than this anxious silence that descended after Ren left.

I decided to walk to the bakery to plan the opening festivities there. Maybe I’d get inspired if I was surrounded by what I was supposed to be happy about. I stuffed my notebook into my purse, hollered goodbye to the cats as I locked the door, and then headed around the corner and down the street toward Something Sweet, determined to reclaim my freakin’ joy.

Sycamore Street was the heart of Honeybrook Hollow. It was lined with small businesses, each with colorful flower boxes and cute window displays that changed with the seasons. The street used to be paved with cobblestones, but they’d since been replaced. Vintage street lamps were hung with planters stuffed with flowers spilling over their sides, and big pots packed full of small evergreen bushes and flowers were placed here and there.

The town square was the preferred gathering place for most of the town’s activities. A winding walking trail encircled the area, and people loved to walk or jog amongst the flowers liberally planted along the sides. The trail led to a gazebo, its white pillars and roof festooned with climbing roses and ivy. It was a favorite spot for small weddings, birthday parties, and other community events. Nearby, the playground was buzzing with the sound of children playing, and the dog park was also buzzing, but with barking and excited yips. Too bad joy was not actually infectious because I was not feeling any of it. I missed my dog, damn it. I needed a plan to get him back. I was even willing to get nefarious, as Paige suggested.

The smell of grilled onions and bacon wafted from Pennywhistle Pantry, the small diner directly across from the park. I was tempted to cross the street and stop in for a bite. But I had too much to do, so I kept walking, or really, I was mainly stomping and muttering to myself under my breath. I’d slipped into a bad mood after Ren left, and I knew it was written all over my face. Anyone who caught a glimpse of me could probably tell how I was feeling, which was probably why no one had stopped me to chat or say hi. Oh well. I had time to feel better later. Right now, I was grumpy, and that was okay.

Something Sweet was just up ahead. It was part of a small group of businesses that formed a little strip mall. We’d painted our storefront a pale pink and added a magenta and white striped awning over the door. The place was small, but we didn’t need much space for what we wanted to do here. The sight of it should have filled me with pride, but instead, it only heightened the turmoil currently roiling through my brain.

As I approached, I saw Dana sitting at a table inside, and my heart sank even further. I wasn’t ready for this confrontation. I tried to compose myself, but my bad mood was already gnawing at my patience.

How could she sit there all calm and collected as if she didn’t wreck all our plans with her selfish choices? Dana was beautiful, a petite brunette; she was pretty much my exact opposite. She was dressed in all white, with a pink and white striped apron, just like a baker straight out of a movie.

The sight of her made me so mad. I probably should have stopped to eat. I could feel myself turning into someone else, and seeing her forced all the anger I’d been stuffing down to the surface. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the spikes of rage clawing at my chest, but it was no use. I felt like Madeline Kahn inClue.

Flames…

This was happening. Now. Richard wanted the two of us to talk? We were about to freakin’ talk.

I hesitated for a moment, trying to summon the strength to engage in another difficult conversation. This place had been our shared dream. Dana would be here for the day-to-day operations, while I would be here to do what I loved: elaborate, showy, special orders. We’d nurtured it together with countless late-night and early-morning planning sessions. Now, it felt like something teetering on the edge of collapse. How could I keep the peace and work with her?

“What are you doing here?” My voice was sharper than intended as I threw open the door and stepped inside.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, feeling the weight of everything that happened pressing down on me. The room shrank as the walls closed in. The tension was unbearable. I felt like I would snap.

She looked up, surprised. “I was making a list of things we may need for the opening. I wanted to help.” A small flicker of hope shone in her eyes.

Unbelievable. “I do not need your help.”

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