“You are a survivor, dear, and you’re stronger than you think. Look what you’ve done with this bakery. Opening up your own business is not for the faint of heart.”
“But my business is only sixteen days old—not exactly enough time to judge my character or my strength.”
“Oh, hogwash. You just think about what I’ve said.”
“I will.” She stood then, feeling more lighthearted than she had in days, and held out her arms to Maeve. “But first, you need to help me make some sticky buns. Thanks to your longwinded pep talk, we’re behind,” she said with a wink.
Her grandmother placed her hand in Kendall’s and squeezed. “Don’t you worry; with me as your second in command, we’ll have sticky buns aplenty. From now on, as long as we have each other, we’re a team.”
Kendall smiled at that. They did make a good team. And as she led Maeve into the kitchen, she realized it was already a good morning.
Georgie made her way over to her cash register with a wide grin. “Hey, Kendall, what brings you by? Shouldn’t you be at the bakery?”
Kendall raised a fist to her lips and covered a yawn. “I’ve been baking since two this morning. I need a break. Besides, Grammy canceled her traveling plans and is going to help me out this summer. So, before I go take a nap, I figured I’d stop here first and drop off these ads. There are coupons for buy one, get one doughnut muffin on them.”
“Oh, sure. No problem.” Georgie took the handouts and placed them with the other brochures on the prescription drop-off counter. “Dee will make sure they’re handed out to each and every customer.”
Kendall beamed at her friend. “Thanks. You guys are the best.”
“By the way, how is everything going?” Georgie asked.
“Well, so far, so good. The seven-to-nine morning business has been pretty steady.”
Georgie bit her lip. “That’s good. But I was interested in your
personal
business. With my brother. Normally, I wouldn’t ask, but he’s been so testy. More so than usual. He came over for Sunday dinner with the biggest stick up his—”
“I get it,” Kendall blurted, holding up her hand.
Georgie shrugged a shoulder. “Well, he did. Did you guys have a fight or something?”
Or something,
she thought sadly. “Well…” She cleared her throat. “Brad and I…well—”
“Hold it right there,” Georgie said. “You don’t have to say another word.”
Kendall blinked. “Why?”
“When an answer starts with that many
wells
, I already can tell the situation is far from well.”
Kendall sighed. Georgie was right. The situation wasn’t well, but she figured her friend deserved an explanation. “I’m not really sure how to tell you this.” She took a deep breath and tried to explain it in terms she felt more comfortable with. Like baking. “You see, there are special nooks and crannies that go into making a good dessert. The same could be said of making a good relationship too. So it can get complicated when…”
Dee walked over then, making a face. “Oh, please. It’s
his
nook and
your
crannies. What’s so complicated?”
“Dee!” Kendall threw her hands in the air. “There’s more involved than just…
that
.” She turned to Georgie beseechingly. “Georgie, you know how highly I think of your brother, but I don’t think I’m the woman for him.”
“What?”
Georgie suddenly grabbed her middle and winced.
Kendall reached out and placed a hand on Georgie’s arm. “Are you all right?”
Georgie’s lips thinned, and she seemed paler than usual, but she waved away the concern. “I’m fine. Must be all the quinoa I’ve been eating,” she panted. “Tell me about you and Brad. When did you guys break up?”
Kendall hesitated. “Last Monday.”
“Monday? I—” Georgie’s mouth dropped. “Oh my gosh! You
dumped
my brother while he was in the hospital. Kendall, how could you? After he was knifed and had to get his hand stitched, you had to go in for the kill and break up with him on top of all that?”
Kendall’s eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was in earshot. “Jeez, Georgie, lower your voice,” she whispered heatedly. “You make me sound like some sort of mercenary. And for the record I did
not
break up with your brother while he was in the hospital.”
“Thank heaven for small favors,” she muttered.
“I broke up with him right after he was discharged.”
Georgie grabbed her middle and winced again. Kendall’s shoulders slumped—Georgie was taking this worse than she thought. Not that she blamed her. She felt like the worst friend ever.
“I’m so sorry, Georgie. I never
ever
would intentionally hurt Brad. I hope that makes you feel somewhat better.”
“Not at all,” Georgie groaned.
“I really am sorry. I kind of freaked out when Walt called you and said Brad had been injured. All those memories of Jake came rushing back, and I just got so worried for Brad. You know how I am with hospitals. I couldn’t face going back there, even knowing that Brad was all right. I—I panicked.”
Dee closed a file drawer and came over to stand next to Georgie. “And so you broke up with him?”
She nodded. “But now I’m even more miserable. Every time the door to the bakery jingles, I look up, hoping it’s him bringing me my favorite sandwich or trying to convince me to sneak off and take an extra-long break with him. Whenever the phone rings at night, I hope it’ll be him asking me about my day or how the business is doing. Even Deuce sits at the door as if willing Brad to walk through it at any minute. It’s kind of funny. Brad is alive, yet I miss him as if he weren’t.”
Georgie moaned. “This is so not good.”
“It’s not?” Dee shot Georgie a disbelieving look. “I thought you always wanted Kendall and Brad to be together?”
Georgie shook her head. “No,
that’s
good. Very good.”
Kendall’s heart leapt. “You think Brad and me being together is good?”
“Yes, but
this
,” Georgie said, pointing to her middle, “isn’t good.” Then she doubled over, taking in several deep breaths through her nose.
Kendall and Dee looked at each other in alarm. “Oh my gosh!” Kendall exclaimed. “Do you think you might be in labor?”
“I think so,” Georgie murmured, leaning against the counter. “I don’t feel well.”
“I’ll call Walt,” Dee said, grabbing the phone.
Somewhat blindly, Kendall stumbled behind the counter to Georgie, her pulse skyrocketing. She didn’t know what she was getting so worked up about. People had babies all the time. But her friend looked so pale and fragile.
Oh, please, let her and the baby be okay
, she prayed.
“I’ll take her to the hospital,” Dee told Kendall.
“No,
I’ll
take her,” Kendall said, surprised at her own words.
Dee’s eyes widened. “You’ll go to the hospital? Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I want to.” And she found she really did. If she ever wanted to fight to get Brad back, she would have to fight her fears first. “My car is right out front. You stay here in the pharmacy. Call Walt and Brad; let them know what’s going on.” She took hold of Georgie’s arm and began leading her out.
Georgie leaned heavily on her, and Kendall almost was afraid she wouldn’t be able to support her weight. “Everything’s going to be fine, Georgie,” she told her in a soothing tone. “You and the baby are going to be fine.”
They just had to be.
Chapter Eleven
Kendall paced the delivery room. A tight knot within her begged for release so she kept moving. She had prepared herself for bad news on the way here, but thank goodness everything with the baby seemed to be fine. Kendall wrung her hands. She hoped Walt arrived soon or he was going to miss the main event. If it were her lying in the bed, grimacing and groaning in pain, she’d be frantic waiting for Brad to arrive.
Brad
.
She missed him so much. Just thinking of him had that knot in her stomach growing tighter. He must hate her for what she did to him.
She was about to start her fifth lap around when Walt came bursting through the door. Her shoulders sagged in relief. “Oh, Walt, thank goodness you’re here.”
Walt had no idea the comical picture he made, clutching Georgie’s pink overnight bag to his chest with his hair all in disarray. She had to stifle a giggle.
He glanced worriedly at Georgie, lying with her eyes closed and hooked up to an IV. “Is she okay?” His voice was low but it still held a frantic note to it. “Is the baby okay?”
“They’re both fine.”
Kendall watched the series of emotions that traveled over Walt’s face at the news and realized that no matter what job a person had, there was always a risk that something could happen to the one you love. She’d been a fool to think she could avoid it. A fool to think she could have pushed Brad away because of it.
“Georgie’s just a little dehydrated.” She gently pried the bag from his hands and set it on the floor. “Apparently she’s been doing a lot of heavy breathing today at work. She’s exhausted. She was in labor most of the morning and didn’t know it.”
Walt let out a relieved breath. “Leave it to Georgie to not know she’s in labor.”
“Well, she’s been experiencing a lot of back pain and assumed it was gas. Fortunately, the nurse thinks she did most of the work at the pharmacy, which means Georgie should have the baby quickly.”
“Preferably not before I have my epidural!” Georgie called out with one eye open.
Walt laughed and walked over to her bed. “That’s my brave girl.”
Georgie scowled. “You try delivering a baby and see if you don’t want any pain relievers coming to you.”
Kendall walked up to Walt and leaned in. “I wouldn’t argue with her on this issue,” she whispered.
Walt took Georgie’s hand and squeezed. “Whatever you want, you can definitely have.”
“Wise words,” Kendall murmured. “She hasn’t been a very good patient so far.”
Walt made a
tsk
-
tsk
sound. “I’m not surprised. She doesn’t have a high pain tolerance.”
“She’s been very demanding too.”
“Uh,
she
is lying right here!” Georgie said with a huff. “So stop ganging up on me like I’m invisible. Just because I’m having a baby doesn’t mean I’m deaf.”
Walt laughed. “Sorry, sweetie.” He bent over and kissed his wife’s forehead. “With your brother not around, I feel it’s my duty to give you a hard time.”
Georgie frowned. “Hey, where is Brad anyway? Did you call him, Kendall?”
Kendall swallowed hard. “Dee called him.” She looked away, hurt to think that if she had called Brad herself, he might not have answered the phone. “He’s on duty, but I’m sure he’ll be here as soon as he can.”
“Will you stay long enough to see Brad, to talk to him?” Georgie asked, worrying her bottom lip.
“I’m staying for the duration,” she told her friend. “But not so I can talk to Brad. I’m staying for
you
.”
Georgie winced for a brief second, then rubbed her abdomen. “Are you sure?” she panted. “I mean, are you okay being here, you know, in the hospital? The memories…”
Kendall grabbed Georgie’s arm. “I’m fine, really. Grammy was right when she told me that I’m stronger than I think.” She grinned. “Besides, you know how impatient I can get. I’m not going to be able to wait until you’re discharged to get my first look at your baby.”
Georgie settled her head back into the pillow with a contented smile. “Thank you.”
“Sure. I’ll be in the waiting room,” she said, jerking her thumb behind her. “Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?”
Georgie’s expression grew thoughtful for a moment as she held her stomach. “Yes, actually there is. The best thing you can do for me is to tell my brother that you love him.”
Kendall’s pulse quickened at the word
love
. But there was no question about it. Yes, she did love Brad. She’d known it for so long yet hadn’t been able to admit it. But now, seeing Walt rush to Georgie’s side, she didn’t want to miss out on another second of the moments she could share with Brad. Whatever quantity of time they could have together far outweighed the quality of time without him. She loved Brad and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
Now, she just needed to tell him, even if he no longer wanted her, even though their future was uncertain. She’d risk it. Her grandmother was right—she would never regret having had Jake in her life for as long as she had him. Life was too short as it was, but here she was, getting a second chance at love with Brad. A second chance to live.
And now she was going to grab that chance with both hands.
“I can definitely do that,” she answered. She was confident she was a stronger person than she was a few months ago. But now that she had found the courage, would it be enough?
Kendall took her time walking through the corridors. For the first time in her life she noticed something different in the hospital besides sickness and death. She noticed the people, dealing with everyday life. They were talking, and some were laughing and hugging. No matter what was going on in their lives, family and friends were there supporting one another.
She’d had that support but was too blind to notice it until now. Too blind to fully accept it. Now, she wanted to be there for Georgie, the way she also would for her grandmother. And the way she wanted to be there for Brad.
If he’d let her.
A hand on her shoulder had her whipping around. “Oh!” she let out.
“Ooh, you’re a jumpy one, aren’t you?” an older woman said, looking surprised herself. She smiled and dropped her hand. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you, but you had that look my grandson has when he first wakes up—minus the drool.”
Kendall blinked at the woman.
“My grandson is nine months old,” the woman added with a grin.
“Oh, of course,” she said with a light laugh. “Sorry. I guess I’m a little slow from lack of sleep. I’m, um, looking for the maternity waiting room.”
The woman turned and walked into the room behind her. Kendall followed. The woman picked up her knitting, gesturing to the seat next to her. “This is it. Maybe you should sit down. Babies can take a while to be born, you know,” she said with a wink.
Kendall nodded and sat down beside her. The waiting room was cold—like the temperature of the hospital in general—but the murals of children playing on the beach managed to bring about a different kind of warmth.
“I’m Elinore, by the way,” the woman said, not looking up from her knitting.
“I’m Kendall.”
Elinore tipped her chin toward the door. “My daughter is in there having her fourth.”
“Fourth? Wow, that’s wonderful. My friend is having her first.”
Elinore stopped knitting and gave her a look of admiration. “Well, that’s very nice of you to sit and wait here. I bet she really appreciates your support. Hospitals can be such dreary places.”
Kendall studied her hands folded in her lap. She swallowed hard at the memory of when she was last here, almost two years ago. But now she was able to focus on the good times she and Jake had shared instead of the future they’d lost. It filled her with a sense of peace.
She looked up and managed a small smile. “They can be dreary. I normally avoid them.”
“Hmm, good for you,” Elinore said with a nod. “I haven’t been so lucky. Between my daughter and my husband, I seem to be here monthly.”
“Your husband? Is he sick?”
The woman shrugged. “He has asthma that he can’t quite seem to get under control. And now with me running the air conditioner more, he’s been having bloody noses. I told him he was the only person I know who could get a bloody nose worth getting rushed to the hospital for.”
Kendall bit her lip. “Is he all right?”
“Oh yes, he’s fine. And like I said, we’ve become such regulars that they treat us very well here.”
“I’m sorry about that. I’m not sure I could take coming to the hospital so much.”
Elinore stopped knitting and looked at her. “You get used to it. I’m so glad they’re able to help him when I do bring him in that it makes it all worth it. When you marry someone it’s for better or for worse, right?”
Kendall looked around the room and took in a deep breath. “Yes, I guess that’s true.”
“Are you married then?”
“No,” she said softly. “No, I’m not.”
“Well, you’re too pretty not to have a boyfriend. You’ll see. You’ll be surprised what you won’t do or put up with when you fall in love.”
She thought about that and what she was now willing to face in order to have more time with Brad. Any time together would be worth having. But would Brad even trust her feelings now? “You’re right. I was surprised. But I might have found out too late.”
“It’s never too late for love.”
That comment tore at her insides, and she sighed. “I’m not so sure. I’ve already put him through too much.”
“A sweet girl like you? I find that hard to believe.”
“No, it’s—”
“Kendall?” a familiar deep voice said.
Kendall glanced up and her heart lurched madly when she saw Brad in full police uniform standing before her. “Brad,” she whispered.
Elinore elbowed her, lowering her voice. “Is this him?”
Too shaken up to answer, she quickly stood, almost falling into him with relief. “Thank goodness you’re here. Walt’s in the delivery room now.”
He smiled, but there remained a certain tension in his stance. “I figured. As soon as my shift ended, I rushed over.”
She nodded, feeling suddenly awkward and uncertain around him. Did he still love her? Did he hate her? She had so much she wanted to say to him and so much to share she didn’t know where to begin. That’s when she noticed he was carrying a handful of pink and blue balloons in one hand and a vase of multicolored flowers in the other. A box of chocolates was tucked under his arm.
“I see you came prepared,” she said, gesturing to his arms. Brad was caring and thoughtful to bring all those gifts for his sister, to rush right over from work. She realized now how foolish she’d been not to trust someone like him with her heart from the very beginning.
He shrugged sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess I went a little overboard. Practically cleaned out the gift shop downstairs.”
“That’s sweet. Oh, but Georgie hates cordials,” she said, pointing to the chocolates.
He frowned. “Those aren’t for her. They’re for
me
. I figured I’d need a snack while I waited.”
Elinore cleared her throat. “I love cordials.”
Brad shot Kendall an amused look, before addressing Elinore. “By all means, have some,” he said, opening up his arm and letting the box fall into the woman’s hands. “Looks as if we all could use some chocolate right about now.”
“Oh, thank you,” Elinore said. She looked up at Kendall, beaming. “Don’t let him get away, hon. Anyone who shares chocolate is a keeper.”
Kendall let out a nervous chuckle and turned back to Brad. He looked about to share her mirth, but then he gazed into her eyes and his face grew serious. “I’m surprised to see you here, Kendall. I know how hospitals make you uncomfortable. You don’t have to stay. Georgie will understand if you want to go now.”
“I’m sure she would understand, but I need to be here for her. For me.” She hesitated. “For us.”
Brad’s brows drew together. “For us?”
Kendall glanced over her shoulder and noticed she had the full attention of Elinore and the two front desk nurses. She turned back and swallowed. She had already faced one of her fears. She figured it was about time to face another. “Yes,” she answered. “For us.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, I didn’t either. Not at first. But then Georgie had me thinking. She rambled a lot as I brought her to the hospital. Do you know what she and Walt plan on naming the baby?”
“No, I don’t.”
“She told me that if she had a girl, she would name it Rose, and if she had a boy, she would name it John.”
Brad’s confused expression softened. “After our parents,” he murmured.
Kendall nodded. “Exactly. It made me think how life does go on after people die. At least, it should. But for a long time it seemed as if after Jake died, I was the one who’d stopped living.”
“Kendall—”
A nurse popped her head into the waiting room and smiled at Elinore. “Mrs. Benson? Your daughter had her baby. She’d love for you to come in now.”
Elinore frowned. “Tell her I’ll be there in a minute,” she said, shooing away the nurse. “They were just getting to the good part.”
The nurse’s eyes widened as she shot Kendall a stunned look. “Good part?”
Kendall gave her a feeble shrug. “It won’t take long.”
“What won’t take long?” Brad set down the flowers and tied the balloons to the armrest of a chair. “Look, Kendall, maybe we should—”
“No. Please, hear me out. I have to tell you that I’ve missed you.”
Brad let out a large sigh as if he’d been holding his breath. “Me, too. So much,” he added softly.
“I’m so glad to hear you say that. I was afraid I ruined our friendship forever.”
The movement of his throat suggested he was finding it difficult to swallow. When he finally did speak, his voice held a gravely edge to it. “But it’s not that simple. I’ve been thinking about this for the past week, and I’ve realized that I can’t be just your friend anymore. I can’t watch you shut yourself off from living. I can’t watch you bury yourself in your bakery business, or watch you go out with accountants and plumbers and bankers and whatever other ‘safe’ men you think are out there. I won’t do that to myself. I hope you understand.”