Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1) (27 page)

Her sister grabbed napkins from a dispenser, wiped her wet eyes, her shoulders shaking. She leaned over, hugged her, kissed her hair. She pulled away, sat down, gave her some time to calm herself down. “Yes, I’ve been dealing with this for a while. It’s been especially hard since the accident. The way I am, always wanting a good-looking man on my arm, it’s linked back to what happened when I was a kid. Hard for me to explain why, but it is.”

“You don’t have to explain why, unless you want to. We never talk about what happened when we were kids, but, if you ever want to tell me when you feel bad, instead of lashing out at me, I’ll be here.”

Her twin gave a little nod. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

Rhea relished the quiet silence of the bakery, sitting alone with her sister. Raven touched her hand. “So, what else has been going on lately?”

“I’ve been worried about Mary—”

“Mary? Are you talking about Stan’s sister?”

“Yes. She’s been sick and I just worry about her getting well. I don’t want her to die.”

Raven gasped. “She might die?”

“I hope and pray she doesn’t. She had to go away for medical treatment, so I hope she gets better.”

“Hmm. It does sound like you worry more about other people than yourself. I didn’t realize you and Mary were so close.”

Rhea shook her head. “We weren’t. I went to her agency for a job and…well, I don’t want to get into it right now, but, we’re a lot closer now than we were when I was married to her brother.”

“Well, that’s surprising.” Raven folded her arms in front of her chest, eyeing Rhea.

She had to get this off her chest. “We don’t always get along but you are my sister, and I just want you to be happy. You said that I’d married the perfect preacher husband. But, he’s dead now, and I have to move on.” She took a deep breath. “I feel something for Martin. I love him, but I can’t tell him how I feel. I’m too scared.”

“You…you really love him?” Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip.

“Yes, I do. You’re not mad are you?” Even if she were, she knew that she couldn’t let Raven dictate how she lived her life. Raven had obviously moved on, and through her therapy, Rhea hoped that Raven had been honest with herself, realizing she’d never had a romantic relationship with Martin.

“No, I’m not mad. But, Rhea…about Martin.” She paused, chewed on her lower lip. “I’m sorry for slapping you. It was wrong, and mean, and cruel.”

Thank goodness! Raven’s apology was like a splash of cold water on her battered, thirsty soul. She’d thought that Raven would never speak to her again, and now she was apologizing, practically admitting that she had issues which she had to deal with. Perhaps this talk could mark a turning point in their relationship. “I accept your apology.”

“Raven, I also wanted to ask you something else.”

“Yes?”

“Can you admit that you were never dating Martin? It bothers me that he says you were having religious discussions, and you insisted that the two of you were dating.”

Raven dropped her forehead into her hand. “Yes, Rhea, Martin was telling the truth. Our meetings were nothing more than religious discussions. I just hoped that he’d find me attractive and want to take our meetings to another level. But, that never happened.” She sat up, looked at Rhea. “I think you should tell Martin how you feel. I know that he loves you.”

Rhea sat up straighter in her chair. “How do you know that?”

“I just do, okay? You’ve always been an old, mature soul, and I think Martin would be good for you.”

Rhea’s heart thudded. “Are you serious?”

She nodded. “It’ll take some getting used to, seeing the two of you together, but I think I can live with it.”

Rhea pulled her sister into a hug, and Raven melted into her embrace. More tears spilled from Raven’s eyes when Rhea released her. “Why are you crying?”

She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Lots of reasons. Rhea, I’ve been feeling so awful since I slapped you. I’ve picked up the phone to call you so many times, but I always chickened out. I figured you never wanted to speak to me again.” She paused, staring at the napkin dispenser on the table.

“So,” Raven began. “Are you going to tell Martin how you feel?”

Rhea sighed. “I just don’t know. I’m meeting him tomorrow.” After what she’d said to him at the park, she had no idea how he’d react when he saw her again. Perhaps he was giving her one last chance to reveal how she felt, or, he might tell her that he’d be dropping out of her life forever.

Chapter Twenty-six

The following evening, Rhea stood inside the front entrance of the Maple Grove Mall, clutching a large white bakery box. People passed by, toting shopping bags. Her stomach rumbled with turmoil. What would Martin say when he saw her?

She stared at the front door, looking at each person who entered. Had he really ordered the cupcakes just so that he could see her again? Well, if he did, then, she knew she couldn’t flounder anymore. She needed to be straight with him.

Her conversation with Raven had gotten her to thinking. Since Raven had openly gotten help for her issues, then, perhaps it was time for her to do the same thing. Her church offered grief counseling and she’d signed up to go to the next session. She’d tell Martin all about it when he came, letting him know that she was willing to do what she needed to do to move forward in her life.

Perhaps he’d still be willing to give their dating life a chance.

The oblong box, containing the treats, grew heavy in her arms. She continued to stand, clutching the package. She shouldn’t have arrived a half hour early. It was entirely too much time to stand around, building up her anxiety.

Her sleepless night was catching up with her, and to take her mind off of Martin, she walked to the pet store a few feet away. Purebred black-and-white furry puppies scampered in large cages as workers hurried around the shop. One puppy stood apart from the others, gazing at her with sad brown eyes. Her heart melted, and she longed to take the dog home with her. A loud squawk broke her eye contact with the dog, and a multi-colored parrot perched on a stand, looked at her. She laughed as he tipped his head.

“I’m glad to see you’re in a good mood.”

Martin’s deep, alluring voice made her heart skip. She took a deep breath and turned around to face him. What could she say to start their conversation? Their meeting at Monroe Park had turned out horribly, and she wished she could take her angry words back and offer him the love she felt for him in her heart.

They silently stared at one another. Martin sported a white T-shirt, denim shorts, and black sneakers. She took a deep breath, drinking in the scent and sight of him, trying not to stare at his muscular legs. She’d missed him so much! Her heart pounded as he caressed her with his eyes, and his fingers brushed her cheek, making her skin tingle with delight. “H-Hi,” she breathed, finally finding her voice.

“Hi,” he said softly.

Willing her heart to slow down, she pushed the box into his arms. “You didn’t have to buy cupcakes from me as a bribe to meet with you.”

He shook his head, his eyes still locked with hers like two pieces of a puzzle. “It wasn’t a bribe. My sister is having a birthday party tomorrow for her eight-year-old daughter. I told her I’d get the cupcakes for her.”

He could have ordered them from another bakery, but he’d actually chose hers? What a blessing. His unending fountain of kindness continued to amaze her. She met his intense gaze. “Thank you.”

He gave her a short nod. “You’re welcome.”

“Martin, I’m sorry.”

He placed one finger over her lips. “Don’t say anything. I have a lot of things to tell you.” He gestured toward a donut shop a few feet away. “Let’s go in there to talk.”

She longed for him to put his arm around her. However, he kept his hands to himself as they entered the shop.

Ceiling fans blew cool air throughout the room, and they took a seat in the corner. Martin asked her what she wanted, and her stomach grew sour with anticipation. “I’ll just take a cup of hot tea.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else?”

She shook her head. Her tummy tensed with nervous queasiness. She doubted she could keep anything down.

He strolled to the counter and placed their order, returning with two donuts for himself. He placed her tea, lemon slices, and several packets of sugar on the table. “I wasn’t sure how you took your tea, so I brought a little bit of everything.”

“Thanks.” She squeezed the lemon slice and clear juice drizzled into the brown liquid.

“How are things going in your bakery?”

The tightness inside let up with his question about her business. Plus, this small talk could ease the way to the real conversation. “Wonderful. Since yesterday was July fourth, I had lots of customers. I stayed open late because of the crowds in town for the fireworks.” She paused, recalling her wonderful day. “I remember what you told me about having a theme for each holiday. I made a three-layer red, white, and blue cake with whipped cream topping. I sold lots of slices. Several people purchased a whole cake to serve at their cookout.”

“You sound happy about your business. I’m glad things are going well for you.”

“I haven’t forgotten about your fee. We never discussed—”

He touched her hand, spreading heated warmth over her skin. “I don’t want to talk about that now.”

They stared at one another for a few seconds. She had to talk to him, had to tell him how miserable she’d felt.

“I—”

“I—”

Martin smiled. “I guess both of us have a lot to say.”

She opened two packets of sugar and dumped them into her tea. “I guess so. You go first.”

He sighed, running his hand over his head. “I meant what I said in the park. I really do love you.” He looked into the depths of his coffee cup before meeting her gaze again. “It hurt me…you hurt me a lot when you threw my love back into my face as if it didn’t matter.”

Her heart jumped when he took her hand, squeezing her fingers. She closed her eyes and relished the joy, just sitting here with Martin in the donut shop, holding hands. “I love you, Rhea. I’m not infatuated and this is not some kind of puppy-love, schoolboy crush. What I feel for you is real, and it took a lot of courage for me to tell you that.”

She blinked away her unshed tears, not sure what to say. “I know I told you about my two fiancées, but I never told you what I went through in college. I’ve never had what I’d consider a successful relationship before.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve struggled with relationships in the past. When I was in college, I wasn’t the same person that I am today. My parents raised me and my siblings in a strict Christian household. And, at the time, I didn’t see the benefits of being raised that way.”

Why was he telling her about this?

“I was promiscuous when I first left home. I went to a secular college, against my parents’ wishes, and I didn’t have any rules to follow. I did all kinds of things, but when I got one of my female friends pregnant, I didn’t stick by her like I should have.”

“What happened?”

He looked pensive. “She was pretty far along, about seven months, but she was still in school. I stopped dating her after I found out she was pregnant, but she still pursued me, trying to make me accept that I would be a father. She said we’d be connected forever through our child.”

Rhea gripped his hand. “You have a child?”

“It was spring break,” Martin continued speaking, as if he had not heard her, “and I wanted to go away to the beach for a week-long fraternity and sorority party. I was packing my stuff into my car, and some of her girlfriends came just as I was about to leave. They begged me to come to Serena’s dorm because she was having trouble with her pregnancy. I didn’t believe them. I thought Serena was sending her friends just to stop me from going away to Greek Beach Week. I knew she didn’t want me to go since she knew I’d be hitting on other women.” He paused, and a tear fell down his cheek. “When I returned from Beach Week, I found out that she’d had the baby while I was gone. The baby lived for two days before he died. I was a father for a couple of days, and I didn’t even know it. I was too busy drinking, boozing, and sleeping with women on a spring break trip while I let my son die, my innocent son.”

“Oh, Martin, I’m so sorry.” Tears came to her eyes as she looked at him.

“After that, I wasn’t the same. My parents knew something was going on with me, but they didn’t press me for details. My Uncle Jesse saved the day.”

“What did he do?”

“Although Serena would not talk to me, he made me go to her and ask for forgiveness. He also told me to write her a letter and tell her how sorry I was for my actions.” He continued in a low voice, wiping his eyes. “I dropped out of school and took a year off. During that year, I accepted Christ into my heart.”

She gasped. “You had never accepted Christ as your Savior before then?”

“No. I know it sounds hypocritical—I was raised in a Christian home, my father was a pastor, my mother was the first lady of the church, and I’m now the assistant pastor of a church, but I never accepted Christ as my Savior until college. Uncle Jesse baptized me, and he also did a personal Bible study with me.”