Chapter Nine

Skye watched Jared walk out of the bakery and felt hollow inside. Her emotions were all over the place, and it made it hard to concentrate on just one. The strongest feeling she had was remorse after seeing how the women treated him and how he shut down right before her eyes.

The clearing of a throat got her attention back to the women. Although she wanted to lambast them, this was business. She could separate herself from thinking of Jared for the moment.

"How may I help you?" Skye said.

By the end of the day, she was exhausted. She knew some of it had to do with the hours she spent at home in bed staring at the ceiling when she should have been sleeping. Skye found it hard before when he was away to keep Jared off her mind. Now, it was impossible.

The other part of her tiredness was trying to keep up a cheerful persona when she wanted to scream in frustration or bark at the customers.

Leslie, her boss, wrapped an arm around her waist after the last group of people left.

"Why don't you head home?"

Skye shook her head. "I'm not going to leave you."

"All the cleaning in the back is done, thanks to you and your nervous energy. Besides, we close in ten minutes."

Skye frowned.

Leslie snorted. "Look. I know something is going on with you, and now that I've seen the man making you stare off into space, I understand it. The man is a one hundred percent pure dominant, hard male, but hot as hell."

Skye's eyes widened before she burst out in laughter. "Leslie, I didn't know you noticed things like that. You've always been standoffish with men."

"Because I'm close to seventy years old, honey. Maybe I'd be interested if I found the right man, but I haven't found him so far. The other men around here don't interest me, even though a few are downright handsome."

Skye grinned.

Leslie patted her on the shoulder. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

Skye hesitated. "I think I would like to talk about it. I'll lock up first."

Leslie started wiping the counters down and putting the cookies and cakes on rolling trays to put in the refrigerator for the night.

Skye pulled off her apron and hung it up.

"Come over here. I've got some tea for us."

Skye nodded and sat down at one of the front tables. She picked up her cup and hummed at the citrus-smelling tea.

After setting her cup down, she looked up at Leslie. "I'm not sure where to start."

"At the beginning is always the best route, I feel."

Skye inhaled and started to tell her about high school and how she'd been attracted to him for a long time. She told Leslie everything, even the night before he left. She could feel her face heat talking about sex, but she wanted Leslie to understand the situation clearly.

Skye waited as Leslie took in all the information.

"You still care for him?" Leslie asked.

Skye sighed and nodded. "I can't seem to get over him."

"Does this have anything to do with your mother?" Leslie asked.

"No. I don't think so. I don't want her to be any part of my life."

"I don't blame you," Leslie said.

Skye hadn't thought about her mother in a while, but she would never get rid of the scars from the damage her mother had caused through her emotional abuse. The day after she graduated, her mother told her to get out.

Skye had been shocked at first, and then her common sense took over. Her mother had threatened to kick her out many times, but Skye knew this time was different. Her mother couldn't disguise the hatred she had for her.

"I want you gone by the time I get back."

Skye stood before her with her arms crossed and her chin up. She wouldn't give her mother any satisfaction seeing her scared or upset.

"Goodbye, Mother. I hope we never have to see each other again."

"You ungrateful bitch."

Skye snorted. "What should I have been grateful for?"

"That you had a roof over your head and food in your belly."

Skye tipped her head forward. "I'll give you that, but I'm not going to bow down to you because of it. You're a hateful, fucked-up woman, and you should have never had kids."

Her mother laughed. "You think I wanted you? I never wanted to have a baby."

"So, I was an accident?" Skye asked.

"Not really. It was the only thing I could think of to keep your father from throwing me out."

Skye tried to hide her shock. She knew her mother was a fucked-up bitch but not to the extent she actually was.

"Why didn't you get rid of me after Dad died?"

"Your father put a stipulation in the will that you were to be taken care of until the day you turned eighteen and graduated. I've been looking forward to this day for years."

"Who is the lawyer that took care of the will?"

Her mother looked shocked. "Why?"

"I'd like to see the will myself."

"Now, why the hell would you want to do that?"

"Because I don't trust you, and the sudden anxiety you're showing tells me I'm right not to."

Her mother sneered. "There's nothing you need to know about in the will."

"We'll see," Skye said. "Don't you have a luncheon to get to?"

Her mother looked at her watch. "Yes. Remember, I want you gone by the time I get home."

"I heard you the first time, Mommy Dearest." Skye watched her mother's lips thin, and her face flushed from anger before she turned and walked out of the house.

Skye listened as her car left the driveway before heading up to her bedroom. She knew she had to stay busy, or she'd break down and cry.

She didn't have much left to pack since she knew this day was coming. She'd been socking away as much money as possible and packing and buying the things she thought she'd need.

Her friend Callie had shown her a small, affordable house she could rent. She called them and told her friends what was going on. They immediately raced over with cars and called a few people with trucks to help her move. The guys took apart the bed and moved it and the other furniture in the room. She also went through the house and took heirlooms and anything else she wanted.

One of the last things she wanted to do was get into the safe in the office. Her mother didn't know she had the combination. She just had never been curious before to look inside.

Skye took the picture down that hid the wall safe her father had put in. It was only eighteen inches square, but it was really deep.

The first thing she saw was a stack of cash. She counted it out and then divided it in half. There was the jewelry her grandmother had given to her father to hand down to her. Skye was a bit surprised she hadn't sold it, and it looked to be all there. Next, she went through the papers, and as she hoped, there was a copy of her father's will. She shoved that into the bag with the rest of the things. Her heart lurched in her chest when she found an envelope with her name on it written in her father's handwriting. As much as she wanted to tear into it, she needed to get out of there.

Skye caught her friends walking out of the kitchen with bags of food.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Your mom doesn't eat, so she doesn't need all this food."

Skye laughed. "Let's get out of here."

Her friends helped move everything into the house she was renting. The women cleaned and moved the furniture around until it fit the room while the guys brought everything in. The house had a small table, two kitchen chairs, and a sofa and chair in the living room. It wasn't much, but it was all hers.

Everything fell into place. Skye waved at the guys before shutting the door.

She looked around as a smile brightened her complexion. She hadn't realized how much energy it took to live in a house with her mother.

Callie walked to her and hugged her. "Are you sure you're all right here alone tonight?"

Skye nodded. "Yes. I promise."

"Call us if you need anything," Rachel said.

"I will. Thank you so much." Skye hugged them one more time before locking the door after they left.

Later, in bed, she realized she was making a life for herself. She was living in a house by herself and had a job she loved. The fact that the bakery would eventually become hers when her boss retired made it even sweeter.