To me, he added, “Go work out that mood on some dough. We're low on bread up here.”
I didn't move. Royal waited, not bothering to acknowledge my father's words. After a few seconds of furious thought, I realized I only had one question. “When did Grams talk to you about her will?” Fists clenched at my sides, I hoped he'd say ‘Last year,’ or, ‘A while ago.’
Another of those feline smiles from my father. “We were just talking about it last night, honey.”
I was standing in the middle of the bakery, but in reality, my back was against the wall. I could hardly believe what I was doing as I untied my apron with the big pink Sweetheart logo on the front. Tossing it over the counter, I spoke words I’d never imagined would come from my mouth.
“I quit.”
I closed my ears to my mother's protests, refused to see my father's angry glare. My brain went straight to the practicalities. I needed my purse and my keys from the kitchen. Just as I started to move, Royal took the lead, blocking my parents in behind the register and clearing my path to the kitchen door.
We were through and in the kitchen before my parents could stop us. They followed, my mother pleading for me to calm down and talk this out.
My father shouted, “You'll be back! No one else in this town will give you a job!”
His words chased me out the door.
Chapter Thirty-One
Daisy
We sat in my little beater of a car behind the bakery, Royal waiting patiently for me to say something and me silent with shock.
Had I just quit the bakery? What was I going to do? I didn't have much saved and no formal education past high school. My apartment came with the job. I would have said Grams would never kick me out, but she'd cut me out of the bakery, so who knew what she'd do?
Royal reached over and took my hand. “You and I need to switch seats.”
I gave him a blank look. Switch seats?
“You're not in any shape to drive. Switch seats with me.” Numb, I did as I was told. When he was settled in the driver's seat, he asked, “Where to? I can take you home to Heartstone. Or we can track down your grandmother and find out how much of your father's bullshit was true.”
I wanted to crawl under the covers of Royal's bed and pretend the entire day hadn't happened. Since the same problems would be waiting for me when I crawled back out, I chose option number two. “Let's find Grams and see what's going on.”
We found her at home, folding laundry in front of a daytime game show. Seeing both of us, a brilliant smile spread across her face. As she took in my grim expression and Royal's lack of a greeting, the smile faded away.
“What's wrong, baby? Is everything alright?”
She started to set down the shirt in her hands, worry clouding her familiar features. Maybe this was just a misunderstanding. Maybe he'd been lying to make a point. Maybe— “Did you tell Dad that he was going to inherit the bakery? That I was just an employee?”
Grams's face fell in dismay. “No, Daisy! Of course not!” Relief coursed through me for a moment until I noticed the way she was twisting the shirt in her hands, her eyes looking past me but not at me.
“Grams?” I prompted.
“It will all work out right in the end. I'm leaving the bakery to Darren, but he has to leave it to you. So, it's yours in the long run…”
It was a hammer blow right to my heart. I must have made a sound, because Grams flinched and Royal was right there, his arm coming around my shoulders. I could barely force my mouth to form words.
“Why would you do that? When did you decide? Just a few months ago we were talking about partnership papers and— Why didn't you tell me you'd changed your mind?”
“Because I didn't. Not really. This just delays things. Your father thought—”
Of course, it was his idea. “I'm not going to be a partner?”
Grams stood, setting the laundry on the couch. “Let me make some coffee, and we'll talk this out.”
“I don't want coffee, Grams. I just want to get this straight. Were you ever going to make me a partner? Was that ever the plan or did you just tell me that to placate me?”
“No, Daisy, baby, I never lied to you. It's just that your father and Sheree—they need stability. I thought—Darren thought—that if they had something to come home to—”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Since you two are so cozy all of a sudden, did you know he just told Royal I didn't want to see him anymore? And then when I interrupted to correct him, he called Royal a man-whore and me a slut. Is that what you think, too?”