Page 6 of The Promise in Poppies
“Okay, I’m ready to hear your big news, Penn.” Eliza plopped onto the chair next to Penny, nearly spilling her tea and plate of snacks in the process. “I had to pull a tray of cappuccino truffle cookies out of the oven, but Ryder said he’d get the next one. Although, he may eat them all before they make it to the display case.” She tossed an affectionate smile over her shoulder at their part-time employee who happened to be “sampling” one of her mocha almond scones at that precise moment.
The husky senior had the typical bulky build befitting his defensive lineman position on the high school football team, and he packed away more baked goods during his four-hour shift than his paycheck could possibly cover. But his cheery, affable disposition made up for the constant trail of crumbs, and they were grateful for the help.
“What are you drinking?” Penny, an avid tea lover and aficionado, sniffed the ribbon of aromatic steam curling from Eliza’s cup. “Raspberry leaf and… nettle?”
“Good nose!” Eliza applauded Penny’s olfactory prowess. “And red clover.”
“Interesting combination.” Penny eyed Eliza’s odd culinary assortment, adding, “And speaking of interesting… What are you eating?”
“Let’s see, I have lentils, sunflower seeds, quinoa, pineapple, and liver.”
Penny wrinkled her nose, and Cassie fought back a sudden wave of nausea. So far, her morning sickness had been mild, but certain smells triggered an immediate adverse reaction. She could now add liver to her list of foods to avoid, along with scrambled eggs—poor Luke had to sacrifice his favorite breakfast—tuna fish, and, sadly, the bergamot perfume he’d given her for their last anniversary.
“Feel free to help yourselves.” Eliza nudged the plate toward the center of the table, and it took all of Cassie’s self-control not to scoot her chair away.
“Tempting,” Penny said with a teasing smile. “But I think I’ll grab one of those scones before Ryder polishes them off.” As she stood, the skirt of her vintage peasant dress swung around her ankles. “Cass, can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you,” she said, before considering the implications.
“Nothing?” both of her friends asked in unison, clearly surprised.
Cassie glanced at the bare tabletop in front of her, realizing her critical error. Whenever she sat down to chat with friends, she at least had a cup of coffee, if not one or more of Eliza’s delicious desserts to go with it. A bit impulsively, she’d decided to avoid caffeine and sugar as much as possible during her pregnancy, despite her doctor’s assurance that both were safe in moderate amounts. How would she explain her new dietary restrictions? In hindsight, she should’ve made herself a decaf latte as a decoy. “I’ll, uh, get something later.”
Luckily, Penny didn’t press further and turned the attention back to Eliza when she returned with her scone. “What’s with the strange smorgasbord?”
“They’re supposed to help with fertility.” Eliza shoved a pineapple spear into her mouth, licking the juice off her fingertips as she added, “I figured I’d give this a try before being stabbed by a thousand needles.”
“You mean acupuncture?” Cassie hid a smile at Eliza’s exaggerated description. She always did have a flair for the dramatic.
“Tomato, tomahto.” Eliza waved her hand before snagging another spear. “It’s torture, however you say it. But we haven’t had any luck for almost a year, so I’m desperate enough to try anything.”
“I’m so sorry, Liza.” Penny placed a hand on Eliza’s arm in a show of sympathy, but Cassie sat frozen, guilt gluing her in place. How was it fair that Eliza, who wanted another child more than anything, couldn’t get pregnant, while it had happened to her unintentionally?
“Thanks.” Eliza’s petite shoulders slumped forward as if she was unburdening herself of a massive weight. “I’ve been trying to stay positive, because I know how much this means to Grant, but there are days I worry it won’t happen for us again.” Unshed tears illuminated her large chocolate-brown eyes, and Cassie could tell she was exerting a great amount of effort to keep them at bay. Sniffling, Eliza asked Penny, “What about you? Have you and Colt thought about having kids yet?”
Cassie squirmed. Somehow, she needed to derail this line of questioning before it became her turn.
“Once or twice,” Penny admitted. “But honestly, I can’t see it happening any time soon. Colt spends every waking second at the restaurant.” Her sweet, soft-spoken voice trailed with a twinge of sadness, which surprised Cassie. Penny always seemed so happy and content, blissfully enjoying married life—they’d tied the knot shortly after Cassie and Luke—and running the quirky antiques store she’d inherited from her late father. “Don’t get me wrong,” Penny added. “I’m happy he’s found his calling and finally settled into something he loves. But…” She chewed her bottom lip, searching for the right words. “He doesn’t seem like himself. He’s gone from being spontaneous and carefree, always whisking me off on wild adventures, to living in the kitchen, pouring all his creative energy into new recipes.”
“We’re talking about Colt Davis?” Eliza asked in disbelief. “The same Colt Davis who barely graduated high school because he kept ditching class to pull some kind of prank? Colt Davis, who’s never kept the same job for more than six months?”
“That’s the one,” Penny conceded with a sigh. “I swear, Kat sees him more than I do.”
Cassie offered a small, sympathetic smile. When Colt first accepted the position as head chef at the Whispering Winds Inn—a luxury inn run by Penny’s half sister, Kat Bennet—Colt’s family couldn’t have been more proud… and relieved. He’d had a habit of gallivanting around the globe, running from responsibility, and pushing the limits with one extreme sport after the next. But they’d only wanted him to settle down—to plant roots—not alter his entire personality. What had spurred the sudden change?
“Wow.” Eliza expelled a breath of incredulity. “I never thought I’d see the day when Colt became a workaholic.”
“He’s probably just excited to finally have a career he’s passionate about,” Cassie said, hoping to ease some of Penny’s concern. “It might take time to find a healthy work-life balance, but he’ll get there.”
“You’re probably right.” Penny attempted a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Shall we get to our main topic for today?”
“Yes! I’m dying to hear about this diary.” Eliza sprinkled sunflower seeds and quinoa on a slice of liver—presumably to get it over with all at once—and crammed the hefty bite into her mouth, making a face as she chewed.
Poor Eliza…A few days ago, Cassie would have traded places with her friend in a heartbeat, gladly handing her the baton of motherhood. But now? Cassie subconsciously rested a hand on her stomach. Now, she wasn’t sure what she wanted.
Penny pulled a laptop from a worn leather briefcase, her eyes brightening. “I’ve been brainstorming ideas for a special exhibit piece for the library, something that would draw interest. And I remembered my dad talking about a diary written by Lydia Burns.” Turning to Cassie, she explained, “Lydia was the wife of the town’s founder and first mayor, Chadwick Burns. Her diary documents the early days of settling in Poppy Creek, first the gold mining camp, then constructing the town.”
“Sounds fascinating. And the perfect item to showcase for the fundraiser. Maybe we could even auction off the chance to read it?” Cassie wouldn’t mind bidding on it for herself. She’d always been intrigued by the town’s history. “Where’s the diary now?”
