“Sheree!” Grams cried, “Why didn’t you ever tell me this? I could have helped! I could have—”
“It's ancient history,” my mother said quickly, and I could tell she regretted letting so much slip in front of Grams. “It happened right after Daisy was born. We might not have had to leave town for so long if it hadn't been for that.”
Maybe I was bitter about my parents' frequent absences. I tried not to be. I tried to focus on everything I had instead of the things I was missing, but I couldn't help thinking that if Prentice Sawyer had swindled my father out of money it was probably done before my father could swindle him out of the same.
For the life of me, I couldn't imagine any business Darren Hutchins could have with Prentice Sawyer that was aboveboard. Possibly because I'd never known my father to have any business that was aboveboard. Except the one he'd pitched to get my money.
I tamped down the sick feeling that rolled in my stomach, the revulsion at hearing my mother complain about being swindled out of money when she and my father had done exactly that to me.
I wanted things to be simple. I just wanted to love her and have her love me and leave it at that.
I couldn't help resenting the easy way she slipped through all of it.
How could she stand here and look me in the eye knowing we were both lying to Grams? Knowing she and my dad had effectively stolen from me, stolen from Grams?
If I managed to pin her down she'd just wiggle her way out, telling me to talk to my dad, that it wasn't what I thought, that nothing was what it looked like, and everything was okay.
I wasn't going to confront her about the money, not with Grams right here, but I couldn't ignore her comments about Royal.
“Mom, I get why you think you have a reason not to like the Sawyer family. That's your business. But Royal is a good man, and I'm not going to listen to you say otherwise. If he breaks my heart, feel free to call him all the names you want. Until then, I don't want to hear it.”
I squirmed under the pitying look in her eye. Her phone beeped just as she started to say something else. Snapping her mouth shut, she looked down at the screen and everything about her changed. Her eyes brightened and her smile stretched wide. It was as if a sunbeam cut right through the ceiling of Sweetheart Bakery and illuminated my mother.
Shit.
She stood there, her face wreathed in smiles, eyes glowing, and all I felt was dread. I knew what put that look on my mother's face. I wasn't ready.
Deciding to take a page from her book, I shoved my misgivings away and looked at Grams. “What did you want to talk about when you came in? I was distracted, and I wasn't really paying attention.”
Grams shot a concerned look at my mother, then shook it off. “I wanted to know if you're ready to talk about the next lunchtime pop-up. I can't believe how fast we sold out of those grilled cheeses. I was thinking it would be fun to do chili with bread bowls. Though that's really more of a winter thing. Or Paninis! We could have two or three options and put the press behind the counter. What do you think?”
My mother slipped out to the front of the shop, leaving us to strategize. I decided not to worry about what she was up to and told Grams my latest brainstorm. “Do you remember me telling you that I had a picnic with Royal the other night? Well—” Ignoring the flush that hit my cheeks at the thought of that picnic, I told Grams all about the single serving quiches Royal's chef had prepared.
“It's in our wheelhouse considering it's basically a pie. It's easy to keep warm without drying out and cook ahead of time. We can have samples outside like you did with the grilled cheese.”
“Oh, Daisy, you're brilliant. I love it! I'll do some research and come up with a few options. We can try them out and decide which ones—”
The door between the shop and the kitchen swung open with a flourish. My father strode through, arms spread wide.
My heart swelled and my stomach sank. He was here, finally.
Maybe now I’d get the answers I needed.
Maybe, but I doubted it.
Chapter Eighteen
Daisy
My father's grin matched my mother's. “My girls! I have all my girls together. I've missed you so much.”
I was struck dumb by his presence, by the sheer force of him and, uncomfortably, by his resemblance to Royal. Just like Royal, he filled the room. All that charisma wrapped around us as he pulled Grams into a hug and rocked her back and forth, half-dancing her across the kitchen until they reached me.