I keep myself busy in the kitchen to avoid having my nails painted again. This is going to be entertaining. I welcome the distraction, knowing that once they leave and Annabelle is in bed, my mind will be wandering back to its usual dark spiral.
Chapter Fourteen
Now
Raine
An early two-thousands pop song is blasting from the yellow cylinder speaker that sits on top of Olivia’s kitchen counter. Beside me, Olivia is singing along to the music—off pitch, but I will never tell her that—and dancing while stirring a bowl of dough. I watch her for a moment, amazed that this is how she chooses to work, and can’t contain my smile as she looks over at me and begs me to join her.
“How do you work in these conditions?” I yell as I try to pull my hand away from her, but her grip is strong. She spins me around and forces me to jump up and down with her. Her bright-red hair smacks me in the face, making me laugh. I give in and sing along with the lyrics.
After a few minutes, the music changes into a soft R&B song. She reaches over and turns the music down a few notches, which I’m thankful for because my head is beginning to pound but so is my heart in the best of ways. There is something about being around your soulmate, or soul sister as Olivia calls us, that’s the best cure for depression.
I’ve been staying with Olivia for the last two days, and shehas been putting me to work. She and I were able to prepare double of her orders and deliver hergoodies,as she calls them, to the local businesses who wholesale with her, as well as personal orders. I asked her if she would ever want to open up her own bakery, but she told me she loved working from home and having the opportunity to help other businesses out by wholesaling to them.
She receives custom orders from clients, but if anyone wants to grab one of her amazing muffins, scones, and other tasty baked goods, they have to visit the local coffee shop or a few other businesses in Covewood. I admire her hard work and how she always finds a way to help out the community. My best friend really has grown into an amazing woman, and seeing it all in person has made me emotional.
Since I’m still on bereavement leave from my job in Rockdale, working with Olivia these past few days has been the breath of fresh air that I needed. Yesterday, we had a photoshoot to update her headshots for her website and social media accounts as well as photographing her while she was baking in her kitchen and taking staged photos of the baked goods she offers.
Thisis the type of work I’ve been aching to do.
“Don’t judge the process, my friend. Judge me by how amazing these macarons turned out,” she says, taking a bite of a blueberry-lavender macaron before shoving the rest into my face. I take a bite and hum in approval after the flavors hit my tongue. Who knew lavender mixed with blueberries in a macaron form would be so heavenly? The woman is a genius.
“This is so good,” I say through a mouthful.
“It’s doubly good because it’s delicious and nutritious all in one. You can thank Ryland for that.”
His name sends a zing throughout my veins. I perk up, raising a brow in question. She smirks at me, still dancing around to the music.
“Thank him for what?”
“Since becoming a dad, he’s cared more about ingredients. He’s started ditching as many processed foods as he can and makes a lot of things from scratch. One time, he made a honeysuckle lemon pound cake with all organic ingredients, and it was one of the best pound cakes I had ever eaten. It inspired me to do my own research, and now I want to make sure I provide healthier but still delicious options for my clients.”
“Honeysuckle?” I whisper, a faint memory of Ryland and me picking honeysuckles together plays in my mind. I wonder if he thought of the same memory as he made the cake.
She gives me a shy smile. “Yeah. I found that cooking and decorating with botanicals also helped my business to grow. People loved what I was making and appreciated having healthier options.”
So many thoughts are running through my head right now. There is a new version of Ryland that I know nothing about, and I feel this tug within my heart, urging me to get to know him again.
My heart begins to shift at this moment. For the first time in ten years, the thought of being back in Covewood doesn't repulse me. Especially with knowing that Davis isn’t returning and Luke can make sure of it.
It finally feels safe and I’d like to stay longer. I'm just not sure how.
Olivia’s dance halts as she glances over at me, her expression going from playful to worry in an instant. I feel guilty for dampening her mood.Do I do this to everyone?
“What is it?” she asks, searching for answers that I’m quickly trying to hide behind a mask.
“It’s nothing.” I smile and point behind me, where Olivia’s next-door neighbor lives in a little light-blue townhouse. “I was just wondering about Edna. She doesn’t mind your loud racket?”
She doesn’t look convinced at my change of subject but answers anyway. “She doesn’t mind it. Edna can hardly hearwithout her hearing aids. If I get too loud, she just takes them out. Sometimes, she even comes over and joins me for dance parties. She says I help keep her young.”
I begin to clean up the mess we’ve made, attempting to distract myself from the sudden jealousy I feel for a seventy-something-year-old woman.
“Thank you for your help these past few days. I can’t wait to work on revamping my website and posting new photos on social media.” Olivia practically skips toward me, and the scent of her wraps around me like a warm hug—cinnamon, lavender, and her expensive all-natural shampoo. “You know, you’re really good at what you do.” She sneaks beside me and bumps her hip into mine. “I think you could make a career out of this.”
“This?” I ask, raising a brow and handing her a plate to put away.
“Working with small businesses. It’s something that you complained about not being able to do in Rockdale. You should quit your job and start your own photography business.” She smiles.
