Before I could offer a proper reply, the bell chimed, alerting the arrival of another customer. As I turned to see who’d entered, I was greeted with the one voice in the whole world that could put a smile on my face even on the darkest of days.
“Auntie Shell, we’re here.” The sweet voice rang out through the whole place, warming me instantly with real joy.
“Benny boy.” I ran out from behind the counter and held my arms open. My ten-year-old nephew threw his arms around me and I wrapped him up in a tight hug, lifting his slim frame up in the air. “Oh, man. You’ve grown.” I set him down and ran my fingers through his shaggy-brown mop. His face split into a wide grin, reminding me of my sister, Zoë. This kid had the same bright-blue eyes his mom and I shared, but unlike us, he had his father’s darker hair.
“Hi, Shelley.” A deep, gravelly voice cut through our exchange.
I looked up and saw that matching hair color paired with deep, dark chocolate eyes.
“Hi, Adrian.” I still clung to Ben, unwilling to let him go. “You’re early.”
“Yeah, traffic was smooth.” He rested his hands on Ben’s shoulders.
I stood there, staring at both of them for a second, taking in the changes from the last time I’d seen them. Sure, Ben FaceTimed me all the time, but I hadn’t really seen them since last Christmas when Adrian had brought Ben to celebrate the holiday with my parents. And Adrian rarely got on the phone when Ben spoke to me. Still, something seemed different about Adrian. I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Well?” Mamie came and stood next to me. “Are you going to introduce me?”
“Oh, sorry.” I shook my head and smiled. “Mamie, meet Adrian and Ben. Guys, this is Renée Dubois, Charlotte’s grandmother. Everyone calls her Mamie.”
“Nice to meet you, Benjamin.” Mamie bent down slightly, peering into Ben’s eyes, a glint of mischief making hers shine. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’m so glad you’re finally here.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Ben smiled back at her, not at all hiding behind Adrian like I expected him to. Mamie clearly made him feel right at ease, like she did most people.
“And you.” Mamie extended her hand to Adrian, offering him a pleasant enough smile. “Not that I can say I’ve heard much about you,” she added under her breath. Luckily, Adrian didn’t hear her muttering.
Even though Mamie wasn’t holding back in the way she was looking over Adrian as if he were a cupcake in the display case, she at least had the sense not to imply anything like she had been with every other male that had walked into the bakery in the past week.
“So.” I clapped my hands together. “When’s your interview?” I knew it was at 2 p.m., but talking gave me something to focus on other than Mamie eyeing Adrian.
“Mamie,” I said, my eyes still trained on Adrian and Ben. “Why don’t you take Ben to the back and get him something to eat?”
“Sure, chérie. Follow me.” Mamie led Ben to the kitchen, prattling as she wrapped an arm around him. She turned back and offered a huge smile.
Once they were out of hearing range, I dived in without preamble.
“Does Zoë know you’re applying for a job here? In California?”
Adrian met my gaze and answered without blinking. “I spoke to her when I e-mailed the company my resume. I explained there was a possibility I might get the job, which would mean a move. But you know Zoë. I don’t think she heard most of what I was telling her. She was up north in Canada when we had that particular conversation. Working for a boat charter company. Some place that takes tourists out to spot the whales or something.”
My sister. She never put down roots or worked the same job long enough to build any type of career. Which was fine when she was eighteen, but becoming a mother should have changed that. Sadly, so far, Ben hadn’t been reason enough for her to change.
“Are you nervous about the interview?” I shifted the conversation, trying desperately to halt my train of thought. I didn’t need to spend any more energy being angry with Zo for leaving Ben when he was a nine-month-old baby. She and I might share the same DNA, but that was where the similarities between us ended. I’d never met anyone more different than me.
“Yeah.” Adrian released his breath in a nervous chuckle. “This could be the real break I need.”
Didn’t I know it. This guy had given up a lifetime dream when Zoë had told him she was pregnant, stepping up and carrying the weight of parenthood from day one. Mostly by himself. He had been working construction for over ten years, doing his best to provide a stable family situation for my nephew, with no help from Zoë. That’s why he deserved this position as superintendent for a prestigious building company more than anyone. It’s why I e-mailed him the info when I heard some patrons talk about it a couple of weeks ago.
“Have you thought about what you’ll do if you do get the job?” I raised my brows, waiting for his reply.
“I’ve been looking into school districts, homes we can afford in those areas, childcare options. I think I have it figured out, mostly.”
I studied this man, wondering how he and my sister ever had a child together. The mention of schools, planning, and living arrangements would have Zo running away a mile a minute. She believed in living life to the fullest. And for her, that meant doing what she felt like when she felt like it. No schedule, no fixed appointments, no rules and regulations tying her down.
Of course, Adrian had been her number-one partner in crime through it all. But Ben changed things. At least for him.
“It sounds like you have,” I complimented him, though I wasn’t surprised. Adrian had this parenting thing down. You only had to look at Ben to see as much. He was amazing.
I reached out and took a hold of his hand. “If you do end up moving, I’ll be here to finally help out with Ben.”
Adrian squeezed my hand and met my gaze. His eyes warmed, causing the tight lines to disappear. “Thanks, Shell.” His touch, although unfamiliar, filled my chest with warmth.
Our eyes stayed fixed on each other until the bell chimed, alerting me to a customer’s arrival.
I shook myself, clearing my foggy brain. Turning to face the new patron, I saw Adrian take a giant step away and pull out his phone.
After serving the young mother and ringing up her order, I turned back to a waiting Adrian. His back was still turned, his hands tucked in the back pockets of his jeans as he rocked back and forth on his heels.
Making my way around the counter, I walked up next to him.
“Sorry about that.” I pasted on a smile.
“No worries. I should probably go and get our things checked in to the hotel. Ben insisted on coming here first.”
A smile tugged the corners of my lips up.
“You’re sure it’s okay I leave him here with you?” Adrian’s head cocked to the side.
“Hey, come with me.” I led him to the window in the door between the kitchen and the shop. “See?” I pointed, guiding his gaze to the scene in the kitchen.
Ben sat on a stool at the end of the long worktable; a plate piled high with cookies sat in front of him, a tall glass of milk off to the side. But what was most remarkable was Mamie. She talked to him animatedly, gesturing with both her hands, while Ben clutched his middle and bent over, shrieking in amusement, tears rolling down his cheeks.