Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Annalee

Twice today someone was feeding me.

Correction, three times, if I counted the lunch that Kati brought me, and I absolutely did. A club sandwich from the Crazy Fox and some chocolate chip cookies from the Wickedly Delicious bakery farther down the street.

I knew as soon as the chocolate hit my tongue that I would be adding that place to my top favorites in no time. Plus, Kati said the owner, Maisie, was one of the coolest women she ever met. I made a note to take an actual lunch break tomorrow and go visit.

People always said that small towns were either very welcoming of newcomers or hated them. I was quickly learning Willow Creek fell into the former category. So far, everyone I’d met was nice and excited to have me here. It was a pleasant change from how my life was going in Baton Rouge.

"You look lost in your thoughts over there."

Owen stood on the other side of the kitchen island at the stove where he was preparing chicken parmesan for dinner tonight.

"Just thinking how nice everyone is here."

Owen chuckled. "Don't let some of them fool you. They’ll be butting into your business in no time."

“Maybe so, but from the little I’ve heard, it always seems to be with a kind heart. There’s nothing malicious with their intentions.”

“If you say so.” Owen shook his head.

"How come no one told me about the mirror? And why do you even have it? It's a little creepy turning around and seeing my reflection all the time."

I couldn't get the stupid thing out of my head after Kati told me about it. I was distracted by all the work I needed to do, but as soon as I had even a moment of downtime, my mind went straight back to it.

"When Mav first designed the office, he wanted a way to see that area without anyone having to actually be out there. I don't think he originally planned to hire a receptionist. It wasn't until he saw how much work it took to run the place that it dawned on him he needed someone a lot smarter than we are. I should warn you, we can also hear what's going on out there. Think of it like an interrogation room. Everything is one-sided."

What. The. Fuck.

"You've got to be kidding me.” I smacked my hands downs on the counter. “So the whole time I was talking to Kati, you heard what I said?"

At least he looked embarrassed by my accusation.

"Yeah . . . And that's how I knew something was wrong at the end of the day. I heard you slam the phone down."

"So you heard my conversation with the lawyer."

"That part, no, but only because I was busy with my own conversation. We don't keep the volume turned up loud, so unless something catches one of our attention, like the front doorbell ringing, we mostly ignore what's happening out there."

That was somewhat of a relief. Although knowing I lived in a fishbowl where everyone could see and hear my every move was a little strange. I doubted it was something I would ever get used to.

"Any chance, now that I work there, that can be changed?"

It was worth a shot. I couldn't be the only one who found it weird to be looking into a mirror all day every time I turned around to access the filing cabinet.

"I can talk to Mav and see what he thinks. I know we would feel better having eyes on you in case anything happens. The security business can be a little dangerous at times."

I didn't think that was true. Especially not in a small town like this. But then again, look at my situation. I was bringing trouble right to their door if Dennis figured out where I was, so maybe having someone watching me at all times wasn't the worst thing.

Two mornings in a row now I’d woken up wrapped around Owen like I was clinging to him for my survival. After our conversation last night about work, the rest of the evening was uneventful. We ate dinner, I insisted I cleaned up since he did the cooking, and then we went our separate ways until bed. I quickly learned that Owen was a lover of romance books and had a nice collection of paperbacks tucked away in his office. He let me borrow one and I read up until it was time for bed.

Just like the first night, I started out practically hanging off the bed, but at some point, my body decided it liked cuddling with him better.

One thing was different today though. I didn't freak out and knee him. I didn't get tangled up in the sheets. I remembered to both lock the door and grab a towel before jumping in the shower, which I even managed to accomplish in a normal amount of time.

Progress.

I could handle days like today when they started out smoothly.

Even my morning at the office didn't have a single hiccup. Sure, I was still sorting out Maverick's messes but I knew that was going to be the case. He wasn't shy about telling me how badly he sucked when it came to paperwork. Knowing what I was getting into made the frustration that much less.

But now it was lunchtime and nothing was going to keep me from walking down to Wickedly Delicious and seeing what other goodies she had to offer.

I knew the second I walked in this was going to be my home away from home. It wasn't October but the entire place was decked out in Halloween decorations.

Actually, no, that wasn't right. It wasn't decked out, that was just the theme of the place.

The dark tones should've made the bakery feel less welcoming but it had the opposite effect. The smell brought someone in, but the warmth of the place was why people stayed.

"Welcome to Wickedly Delicious, you must be Annalee. What can I get for you?"

I laughed. "Nothing gets by people in this town, does it?"

"Ha." The woman actually said the word. "As someone who was the newbie once upon a time, I can tell you for certain, everyone already knows who you are. I have to give Bee credit, she described you perfectly and that's saying something because I'm pretty sure her eyesight is starting to go."

I perused the dessert selection while continuing our conversation.

"How long did it take for everyone to stop making a big deal about it?"

I didn't mind because everyone was so nice, but it would get old quick. I was naturally a private person, and while I had a lot of acquaintances over the years, making friends wasn't something that came easily to me.

"It's like high school. They will stop when someone new comes to town or they have something better to gossip about."

Great. From what Owen said, new people in town weren’t a common occurrence, so that was off the table. At least until Gracie showed up. Maybe someone would do something outrageous and take the heat off me.

"So, tell me what's good. I had your chocolate chip cookies yesterday and they melted in my mouth. Kati raves about this place and I couldn't wait to check it out myself."

"Kati's fabulous and I swear she's one of my best customers. But asking me what's good is like asking me to pick a favorite child. I can't do it."

I laughed. "Fair enough. Okay, how about you tell me what people love the most."

"That would be my coffee cake. It's won me several awards over the years."

Well, that settled it.

"I'll take two pieces of that, please."

I looked at the other desserts in the showcase and picked a few that I wanted to try the next time I came in. I could tell already this place was going to be horrible for my waistline. It didn't matter how good my genetics were, nothing but exercise was going to combat all the calories I planned to eat.

Fortunately, the place I planned to rent was two streets over. I would get some exercise walking to and from work on a daily basis. There was also a nice park the next street over with a short walking trail. According to the town website, there was even a group who walked it daily. I doubted it would fit into my new schedule but during the weekend was always a good possibility.

"Here you go."

Maisie placed the brown bag on the counter with her logo front and center. It was nice to see a bakery without all the frill for once. The knife and skull on the cake were a nice touch. I would never have thought to pair them with a bakery but it was clear the designer knew what they were doing.

"Thank you. I'm sure I'll be stopping in again soon."

The smile on Maisie's face slipped away and a guarded look took its place. I turned around to see what could have caused the sudden change in her attitude. Hendrix walked through the door with the same cocky smirk on his face that had been present when I met him briefly the day before.

I gave Maisie my full attention. "Everything okay?"

She shook off the look and plastered a smile back on her face except this time it was all fake. It was easy to see the difference. "Yup. Have a great day and enjoy the coffee cake. I want you to tell me what you thought the next time you come in."

I took the brushoff for what it was. I didn't know Maisie well enough to call her out on it, so instead I turned around to leave. Hendrix merely tipped his head in greeting as I walked past but I didn't miss the fake chipperness in Maisie's voice when she greeted him.

If Kati came in to visit today, I would have to ask her about it. Meanwhile I had more important things to worry about. Like getting back to the office and checking my email. My father's attorney wasn't the only one messaging me.

My father's best friend wanted me to check in but I wasn't sure I was ready to talk to anyone else about what was going on. Was it too much to ask that everyone just left me alone for a few minutes to sort through my thoughts?