Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
A part of me knew I should feel bad for my mother, but I couldn’t make myself feel that way. She had slept with my aunt’s boyfriend, gotten pregnant, then married the guy.
“I’m so sorry, Opal.”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t the one who lost the baby.”
“But you lost the love of your life because of your sister.”
Nodding, she replied, “That is true, but Karma has hit your mother in the end. Time and time again, if I’m being honest.”
“What happened to Jake?”
“Your mother told him she didn’t love him and loved Doug. They got an annulment, and a week later, your mother was married to Doug, and eight months later, Macy was born.”
I closed my eyes. “So she got pregnant with Macy while still married to Jake. So, you see, your father isn’t exactly an innocent party either.”
“And we’re sure Macy is Dad’s?”
“According to your mother, Jake and she never slept together except for that one night.”
Opal nodded. “Jake stayed in New York City, opened that art studio, and did well. My dreams took me back home to Moose Village when my mother decided to retire from the café. I thought it would make the perfect bakery, and I was right. The last time I saw Jake was when he packed a bag and headed to the States to marry my sister. That is, until today.”
I rubbed my temples and asked, “Wait, so Dad knew about Jake? Well, obviously, he did if Mom got pregnant. Had he met Jake before?”
Opal gave me a weak smile. “Yes, he had met him.”
I slowly shook my head. “This explains so much about their marriage. I’m so sorry, Aunt Opal.”
She waved off my concern. “Don’t be. My life turned out exactly how it should have. I’m happy, and your mother…well…she got what she deserved in the end.”
“But what about kids? Did you never want to get married and have kids?”
“It was a dream once upon a time. And I was pregnant once. I lost the baby, though, and it was for the best. The man I was dating at the time wasn’t the man for me.”
“Did you never get married because of Jake?”
She exhaled. “I’m sure that is part of it.”
“Did she ever apologize to you?”
Opal laughed. “This is your mother we’re talking about.” She exhaled. “No, she didn’t and we didn’t talk for about a year. We made up for the sake of our mother. It killed her knowing her daughters were at odds. Or course, she didn’t know the whole reason why.”
With a shrug, Opal let out a bone-weary sigh.
“Why had no one ever told us this story?”
“It doesn’t impact your lives, so I’m sure that is part of the reason, and the second, your mother likes to keep it a secret. But I’m getting old, Kian, and I’m tired of carrying secrets. Seeing Jake today made me realize I needed to let go of the anger I still held for your mother. Don’t get me wrong, she still pisses me off for a large number of other reasons.”
I laughed.
The light knock on the door had us both turning to look at it. “Come in.”
Cadie peeked in. “Would you like me to lock up and turn off the lights?”
Opal stood. “No, you go on home; I’ll take care of locking up.”
Smiling, Cadie replied, “Sounds good.” Her gaze met mine. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Kian.”
“You as well, Cadie, with a C.”
“And a D.” Frowning, she laughed. “I spell my name C-A-D-I-E.”
“Wow, that’s different.”
“I guess my mother liked to be different.”
As if realizing she said something personal, the mask quickly came back down. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
She turned and left. Once we heard the back door shut, Opal turned to look at me. “That was the first time she mentioned her mother or any family member. Maybe it was your charm!”
“Or maybe she isn’t hiding her past, and everyone is reading into it too much. I must admit, I got caught up in all the gossip and started asking her questions.”
Opal shook her head. “The moment that young woman stepped into this bakery, I knew she was lying.”
“Lying?” I asked in a shocked voice.
With a nod, she said, “Lying, indeed!”
I watched as my aunt left her office. Why would my aunt hire someone she was suspicious of to work for her? And why in the world would Cadie be lying, and what was she lying about?
Cadie
I was staying at the Moose Village Inn while trying to decide if this was where I would stay. Some part of me said to keep moving on, but I would get tired of the constant upheaval at some point. The other part of me said I was safe here. And if I was being honest, I really liked this little town. I just knew in my heart that no one would come looking for me in a town called Moose Village. At least, that was what I was hoping for anyway.