Page 92 of The Promise Of Rain

I pretended I didn’t see the raised eyebrows, hear the whispered comments, or note the curious looks as best I could, grateful Deacon didn’t seem to notice when conversation momentarily stuttered to a halt when he took me to The Loose Moose midweek.

It wasn’t until shortly before closing on Saturday afternoon that pretending was no longer an option.

Two women stood near the front door of my bakery, speaking about me as if I wasn’t there.

As if I couldn’t hear.

I’d never seen either of them before.They weren’t from Moose Lake which only meant the news had spread to Deacon’s circle in Peppergrove.

The blond whispered loud enough the whole store heard her.“Why is he with her?”

My face flamed as I packed up a box of cinnamon buns for the older woman in front of me whose face had taken on far too innocent a look as she tilted her head towards their voices.

“Mary,” her brunette friend huffed.“You know he’s divorced, right?”

“So?That man is a catch.Way above her paygrade.”

I lifted my chin to serve the next woman in line and came face to face with Maggie’s mother.Steam billowed from her ears.

“Hello, Jenny darling.You’re looking as beautiful as always,” she cooed though her face had turned beet red.

I blinked.“Thank you?”

“How’s that gorgeous man of yours?”she asked, her eyes steely.

My lips quirked as I fought my smile, then I thought, why not let it loose and express exactly what I thought of that man of mine?“Wonderful as always, Mrs.Raynor.”

“Good, and it’s Laurie,” she purred, her own smile easing.“I heard you all went to the bonfire with Maggie, Baxter, John, Miller, and the rest of them.That Maxine is a hoot, isn’t she?”

Maxine was far more than a hoot.

You could always prepare your response ahead of time.

“She’s the best,” I replied honestly.“We had a blast.”

“Maggie said Deacon took you to Mistlevale.”She sighed.“I love that place.So romantic!”She winked.“Did you go window shopping?”

I smiled back at her.“He took me to Ayana’s.”

“Well, looks like he’s pulling out the big guns, hmm?Good for him.Now,” she stated, getting back to business.“It’s just about closing time, and I don’t want to hold you up.I’ll take that lovely sourdough, a dozen dinner rolls, and what the heck, give me those two cinnamon buns.”

Maxine and Maggie slipped inside while I packed up the last of Maggie’s mother’s order.

Laurie thanked me profusely, praising the glories of my sourdough bread, then turned around and walked between the two women behind her as if they weren’t there.She stopped to give Maggie and Maxine both a kiss on the cheek, murmured something quietly, and left.

The blond woman, her face pinched, stepped forward and stared at me.Her friend tipped her chin down to look at the floor.

“I’m closed,” I stated quietly, meeting her furious gaze.

“It’s only five to three,” she snapped.

“I’m closed to the likes of you.”

She sucked in a lungful of air as her eyes widened.“You should leave Deacon Raine alone.He’s a good man who needs a good, church-going woman to look after him.”

I saw Maxine’s delight from the corner of my eye.It gave me strength.

“Like you, maybe?”