“I could bake for the cafe. I certainly know Grandmother’s recipes.”
“But…”Heather’s face held a puzzled expression.
“I think I might like it. I do love to bake.”Evelyn glanced around the cafe but avoided looking directly at Heather.
“I know you do, Aunt Evelyn. And you’re a wonderful baker. But this would be a full-time job and—”She wasn’t certain if her aunt was joking…or what was actually going on here.
“Yes, I do believe I’ll take this job.”Evelyn nodded confidently.
“Are you sure?”Olivia hadn’t known her aunt to ever work. Then again, she had taken the job planning the grand opening of The Cabot.
“I’m sure. The gala event for The Cabot is next week. After that, I’ll be free and clear. How long until the cafe is ready to be opened?”
“I was hoping by the end of the month.”
“Perfect timing, then. I’ll finish up the gala, and in the meantime I’ll drop by tomorrow. We’ll start a list of ingredients to order. I’ll bring my ideas on what items we could serve. I’m thinking we’ll vary them each day?”
“Yes, whatever you think.”Relief rushed through Olivia, but there was still the tiniest bit of apprehension that Aunt Evelyn would change her mind.
“Okay, then. See you tomorrow.”Aunt Evelyn turned and left.
Heather sank onto a large crate.“I don’t understand. Mother has never worked. Ever. And she took that job planning the gala for The Cabot, but I thought that was just this one-time deal because it sounded like fun to her. But now…she wants a full-time job?”
“Who wants a full-time job?”Donna entered the cafe.
“Aunt Evelyn just said she was going to take on being the baker for the cafe for Livy.”
“No. She didn’t say that.”Her mother frowned.
“Yes, she did. Insisted she wanted the job.”Heather got up and paced the floor.“I don’t understand it. She just…doesn’t work.”
“Something is going on with her. I just know it. She’s acting…different.”Her mother’s brow creased.“I think I’m going to head over to her house in a bit and talk to her.”
“Good luck with that. Mother is never very…forthcoming.”Heather picked up her purse.“I’m going to head out. I hope this works out for you with Mother taking the job. I just don’t want you to get hurt or get left stranded.”
“I’m sure it will be fine.”But Olivia knew that was a lie. She wasn’t certain at all.
Donna headedout a few hours later, determined to talk to Evelyn. As she walked out of Parker’s she spotted Jackie and Jillian approaching. Unfortunately, they saw her and waved before she had a chance to duck back inside the store.
“Oh, Donna. There you are.”Jackie hurried up to her with Jillian just steps behind. Both sisters’faces were flushed and Jackie was out of breath.
Although most people said they had a hard time telling the twins apart, she never had any trouble. Well, no trouble with telling them apart, just trouble with…them. And their gossip.
“So, how is the expansion going?”Jillian asked.“We tried to get into the new side, but Olivia chased us out. Said it wasn’t safe to have people in there yet with all the work going on.”
Olivia probably had just wanted to find a reason to shoo them out the door…Donna pasted on a smile.“Things are going great. Just great. Should be ready to open soon.”
“Really? That’s quick. I sure hope this whole expanding Parker’s works for you. I mean, it’s not like you were that busy anyway, were you?”Jackie shook her head.
“Business has been good. Great, actually.”She didn’t know why she was defending her store to these two, but if they were going to spread gossip, it might as well be gossip that Parker’s was doing fabulously. Even if they were just doing…okay. And she hoped this expansiondidn’ttax their finances too much. But the Jenkins twins didn’t need to know that.
“So…”Jackie leaned forward and lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper.“I heard that Evelyn has been talking to Steve Anderson, the new realtor in town.”
“I wonder what she was talking to him about.”Jillian added, her over-dyed locks of midnight black hair bobbing along with her head.“Do you think that she and Darren are looking to move? Though I can’t imagine ever wanting to leave their gorgeous house. Right there on the harbor. It’s lovely. And I’m not sure there’s a larger, nicer house in Moonbeam to buy.”
“She’s probably just checking out the market value. She likes to keep up on those types of things,”Donna said quickly. There was no need for the Jenkins sisters to know that Evelyn never cared about those kinds of things. At all. She let Darren deal with all things financial.
Jillian looked disappointed.“Oh, I guess that’s probably right.”
