Claire blinked rapidly at me as my words punctuated, then I watched her try to battle against the truth of them.
But she couldn’t.
Everything I said was true. She’d reveled in her family’s ‘place’ in the town and wasn’t deluded enough to understand that people would be watching, people understood that she was not my biggest fan, and this town would not stand by and watch this woman damage me.
She might’ve said something else, something nastier, and I likely wouldn’t have been able to keep up. There was only so much confrontation I was capable of. But luckily, I had a best friend who sensed my oncoming panic.
“Here’s your coffee, on the house,” Fiona said with saccharine sweetness as she slid the cup across the counter. “You have the day you deserve now.”
Claire looked from me to Fiona then the coffee. Then her eyes went to the coffee machine where Tina was standing with her hands on her hips, staring her down, silently daring her to say more.
Claire was not a woman easily scared, but she was smart enough to understand that she was outnumbered.
She snatched the coffee and stomped out of the café.
“That was fucking amazing,” Fiona screeched.
“I can’t feel my face,” I mumbled, the reality of what I’d just done sinking in.
Fiona chuckled. “Yeah, as impressive as that was, I don’t think you have a future in bitch showdowns, you’re great at them but you’re apt to feel guilty after and send them a fruit basket or something.”
“I would totally do that, except with that bitch,” I muttered. “I’m gonna stick to what I’m good at. Baking things.”
“Yes, I’ll handle all bitch showdowns from here on out,” she promised solemnly.
I shook my head and went back to work, not needing to run into the back the rest of the day as I might’ve needed to do in the past.
Things were changing.
I was changing.
And though it wasn’t entirely to do with Rowan, he played a large part.
Chapter
Sixteen
Recipe: Coconut Thumbprint Cookies
From ‘Dessert Person’
Not long after Claire came in, we had another visitor.
Lori, her head down, her posture meek and guarded.
My heart bled at the way she carried herself, so different than she had six months ago when she’d last worked here. She had never been an extrovert, but she’d had a quiet, confident way about her. Soft spoken but intelligent. Witty with a dry sense of humor.
The changes Ronnie had wrought in such a short amount of time were stark and made me clench my fists at my sides, glad that Maggie had taken a chunk out of him. I wished she had taken more.
Fiona had been restocking the pastry cabinet, going stiff when she saw Lori approach the counter, having heard my story about the scene in the parking lot.
“Lori, how are you, sweetie?” I asked, rounding the counter so I could bring her into a soft embrace.
She was stiff as I put my arms around her, which made sense considering what she must’ve been through. And I didn’t even know the extent of what she’d been through, so people touching her could likely be a trigger. I released her quickly and stepped back, nodding to her brother who was lingering with a watchful eye over his sister.
“I just wanted to come and… thank y-you,” she stuttered, looking down at her feet. I watched her take a breath before meeting my eyes. “After what happened at the General Store. I wanted to thank you. For standing up for me.”
I ached to hug her again, feeling the pain in her voice, knowing that it would take her a long time to heal. That what she’d endured would impact all of her future relationships.
“You have a lot of people in this town who will stand up for you,” I told her, motioning to where Tina and Fiona were standing. “And your family.” My eyes dashed to her brother who was now staring at Fiona. That almost made me want to smile.
Almost.
There were things I wanted to say to Lori. A whole bunch of things. I wanted to tell her that this wasn’t her fault because I could see the blame and guilt painting her face. I wanted to tell her that Ronnie was a weak coward, and that she’d find a man who deserved her, would treasure and protect her.
But it wasn’t the time. Not in the crowded bakery with eyes on her. What had happened wasn’t a secret. Yes, our close-knit town would come together to support her, but they would also give her attention that she did not want right then.
“Why don’t you go and grab some cake to bring home with you?” I offered. “Nothing seems quite as bad after a big slice of cake.” I gave her a wink, and she smiled weakly back at me, nodding then walking to the counter where Fiona was waiting for her with an easy, warm smile.