Page 6 of Beautifully Broken Control

I’d blown through most of my reserves to make my way west. I’d landed in Portland, but it had taken me less than a year to realize that I’d never make it in a big city. With the prices on apartments, food, everyday living expenses, I’d known I needed to find a smaller town.

But I’d waited too long. My checking account down to the piddliest amount, I’d done what any person at their wits’ end would do: I left it up to chance. I pulled up a bus schedule at the library and studied how far one hundred dollars would get me.

I had three options. I played eeny, meeny, miny, moe. And when I landed on Sutter Lake, I’d herded my dog back into his carrier and prayed that no one on the bus would notice him.

Looking back on it now, I realized that it was insane. I could’ve ended up in a town with only a mini-mart and a gas station. Instead, I’d ended up in a place that was just what I needed. The peacefulness of the lake. The vastness of the forest surrounding the town. The quaint shops dotting the streets.

Chuck and I had made it. And I was grateful every day that fate had landed me in Sutter Lake. I had a job and a place to stay. I was safe, warm, and mostly happy.

Chuck let out an especially loud snore from the couch, and I laughed. I bent down and ruffled his floppy, brown ears. He opened one eye. “You gonna be okay while I’m gone?”

He let out another snore, even though he was technically awake, a little bit of drool slipping from his mouth.

I grinned. “I’m taking that as a yes.”

I straightened from my crouch. Crossing to the bathroom, I paused for a moment in front of the mirror. My auburn hair was swept up in a loose bun atop my head today, and my green eyes seemed to stand out in stark contrast to my pale skin, the freckles scattered across my nose no longer hidden under perfectly applied foundation.

I smoothed out invisible wrinkles in my shirt. The material was wearing a bit at one of the seams, but I could still get at least another month out of it. Thankfully, there was a wonderful Goodwill store down the street that had all sorts of hidden gems.

I turned away from the mirror. I still wasn’t quite used to my new appearance. So long, pearls and designer blouses. Hello, t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. But there was still a small part of me looking over my shoulder, waiting to hear my mother’s disdainful tone whip out about what I was wearing or my lack of makeup. It never came.

I slipped my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and headed for the door of my studio. “Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone.”

Chuck just kept snoring away. I hadn’t figured out if he truly was going deaf or if he just had selective hearing.

I locked the door and jogged down the stairs just as the back door of the building opened, and a dark head appeared. “Morning, J.”

The olive-skinned beauty smiled up at me. “Morning, Kenz.”

I loved seeing that bright smile on her face. She’d been through so much, but things had turned around for her. And that gave me hope for my own future. “How are Noah and Tuck?”

She chuckled as she headed into the kitchen and hung her bag on a hook. “I left them practicing a fight sequence fromThe Karate Kid, so I’d say they’re doing fine.”

I let out a laugh. “I’m sure Noah’s putting Tuck through his paces.”

Jensen went to the sink and began washing her hands. “I swear that man is a ten-year-old at heart.”

I smiled as I stuck my hands under the warm water after her. “So, what’s on the list this morning?”

“It’s going to be a doozy today. We’ve got a couple of special orders on top of the regular fare.”

I nodded, drying my hands on a towel and reaching for my apron. You’d think a job in a tea shop would be a pretty easy gig, but I worked myself to the bone most days. I was sure it didn’t help that I still hadn’t quite gotten used to the baking aspect of the job. “What do you need first?”

Jensen wrapped the strings of her apron around her waist. “Why don’t you grab all the ingredients for scones.”

“Got it.” I moved quickly through the now-familiar space, pulling things from the pantry and fridge, lining them up on one of the counters. I could prep the ingredients no problem, but something happened when I tried to put them all together. My forays into baking always ended in disaster.

Jensen kept me on anyway, that was just the kind of woman she was. Always reaching out a hand to those in need. Doing whatever she could to help. Like giving me a place to live, pretty much for free, above the Tea Kettle. So, I’d do whatever I could to be the best employee possible, even if I lacked the necessary baking skills.

We worked mostly in silence for the first hour, moving in the coordinated pattern we’d perfected over the past few months. Then Jensen eased on the music—low at first, then louder. By the time customers arrived, we’d be energized and ready to go.

A timer dinged, and J moved to one of the ovens, removing perfectly golden-brown scones. She glanced over her shoulder at me. “Want one?”

I grinned. “Like you even have to ask.” The perks of working at a tea shop with a bakery meant my choice of treats whenever I wanted.

J quickly but methodically moved the scones to a cooling rack. “Give them a minute or two to cool.”

I measured out flour for our next batch. “You know that’s torture. I’ve been smelling them for half an hour.”

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