Page 3 of Love's Bloom
It took a moment for Misty to catch her breath.
Her mind raced.
She knew who’d written those nasty words. Her ex-boyfriend. Tears blurred her vision as she picked up her beloved book with two fingers and dropped it into the box holding the trash. Vince Tucci was such a pig.
Thinking of him, Misty felt a shiver run across her shoulders. She hurried outside onto the deck, where she could inhale fresh air and feel the sun's warmth. She’d told her sister about most of what had happened. But even with the help of a therapist, she couldn’t describe the feeling of being treated worse than an unwanted animal. Angry, taunting words and sneers hurt worse than the punches. When she’d gathered her strength, she’d sneaked out of her apartment in the middle of the night and come home to Lilac Lake, where she felt safe.
She was still standing on the deck when she heard someone come into the house. She whipped around and then relaxed when she saw it was Whitney Gilford Woodruff carrying a basket.
Misty went inside to greet her. Whitney was, at one time, a famous actress who’d given up that life to live in Lilac Lake, a beloved summer retreat for her while growing up.
“I’ve brought a basket of goodies to help stock your pantry and add to your refrigerator,” said Whitney cheerfully as she walked into the kitchen. “I know Melissa is making dinner for you, and Crystal, Dani, and Taylor are doing other things.” She stopped talking and studied her. “What’s wrong?”
Misty pointed to the box of rubbish. “In there. Check out the book.”
Whitney lifted the book out of the box and placed it on the counter. “What am I looking for?”
“Just open it. You’ll see,” said Misty.
Whitney did as she was told and jumped at seeing the scrawled words. “My word! Who did that?”
“My old boyfriend, the bastard,” said Misty, clutching her hands.
Whitney frowned. “Has he come around here recently?”
“No. That was done in the past. I didn’t see it until today.”
Whitney hugged her. “Crystal made sure that Nick was aware of your past, and she asked him to keep an eye out for your ex-boyfriend. If you don’t mind, I will tell him about this and ask him to remind his staff to be alert to seeing or hearing about strangers asking for you.”
“That would be great,” said Misty. “The last I heard, Vince was living with his new girlfriend.” She eagerly changed the subject. “Let’s see what’s in your basket.”
“A little bit of everything.” Whitney showed Misty the three cheeses she’d brought, several kinds of crackers and cookies, olives, a small box of chocolates from Petals, pear jam, and a marinade for chicken.
“This is like Christmas,” gushed Misty, touched. “I’ve got the basics, but this is a whole lot more fun.”
“I’m glad you like it. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Misty shook her head. “I’m just taking care of the last details, and that is something I need to do myself. But thanks.”
“Okay, then, I’ll see you later. You know who to call if you ever need help with your ex. Even though he’s my husband, I say Nick’s the best chief of police Lilac Lake has ever had.”
“Yes, he is. We all know that. He’s been superb.”
The two women hugged goodbye, and feeling better, Misty went into her bedroom to make the bed. She’d bought a new bedspread and two new pillows, and she couldn’t wait to see what it looked like.
A short while later, she stood back to assess the queen-size bed and admired the linen quilted spread in a soft gray that was lighter than the dark gray walls. Sitting between the two white pillows was the brown teddy bear that had been a huge comfort to her through the years. Tattered and mended, she kept it as a reminder of how far she’d come in her life. Crystal had wrapped it up for her one Christmas, telling her it was from their mother, which Misty knew wasn’t true. It was the thought behind it that made the bear special, proving the loving connection she had with her sister.
She heard someone at the door and, after opening it, found Melissa holding a couple of insulated food carriers.
“Hi, I hope you’re hungry,” said Melissa. “I got carried away, but then I thought this would be enough food to carry you through a couple of days.”
“Thank you.” Misty ushered her into the kitchen.
After Melissa had set the carrier down on the counter, Misty hugged her. “It sure smells delicious, whatever it is.”
Melissa unzipped the bag. “I’ve made my favorite lemon chicken casserole, fresh tomato spaghetti sauce, a green bean salad, cold chicken salad, fresh boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce, and my special salad dressing. I’ve put in fresh, clean lettuce and pasta for you to use.”
Misty chuckled. “Thanks. I guess you miss cooking in the restaurant, huh?”
