I blush at his compliment and then send Sarah a text letting her know I’m feeling better.
“I hope Wren and Sarah were okay without me today,” I say.
West pulls out the stool next to me, taking a seat and scooping Pumpkin in his arms. I know she’s only six months old, but in West's arms, she looks tiny. I smile at the two of them.
“My mom stopped by the bakery before dropping off the soup. She said Wren was really enjoying it and that everything was going well.”
We spend the rest of the day enjoying each other’s company, and even though I’m feeling much better, he stays. Around five, his phone rings and he has to leave. I thank him again and close the door softly. Pumpkin begins to meow and scratch at it, as if she is telling him to come back.
“What do you think, girl? You like him, don’t you?” I bend to pick her up, stroking her soft fur. “Me too, girl. Me too.”
The next morning, West drops me off at work, and as a thanks for both the ride and yesterday, I send him on his way with a big box of treats along with his daily coffee, all on the house.
Wren enters the bakery the same time West leaves, and they stop to greet each other. I smile at the memory of yesterday, when West told me he used to help with her hair.
“Good morning, Jade! Glad you’re feeling better,” she says on her way to the counter.
“Morning, Wren. I hope everything went well yesterday?”
“It was great! Thanks again for hiring me. I really needed this job,” she says, and I smile.
“Oh! That reminds me, I made you something!” I tell her, reaching under the counter for the apron I placed there when I arrived. I hold it out to her, and she takes it, smiling.
“Wait. You made these?” she asks. “I was looking at Sarah’s yesterday thinking how cute it was.”
I smile proudly and roll onto the tips of toes. “I did!”
The apron is a light purple, and on the chest I’ve embroidered our shop logo, and on the waist, on each pocket, is a lavender stem.
“No way. These are beautiful, thanks, Jade!” she says, tying the apron around her waist.
“Now, back to you needing this job. It should be us thanking you!” I tell her. “I know you recently moved back, so can I ask where you were before?”
“I was in Hadley. So, not far,” she tells me.
“And what brought you back?” I ask curiously, wanting to know more about her.
Her demeanor changes, and I can tell I’ve made her uncomfortable.
“You know what,” I say. “It’s none of my business.” I wave my hand in the air so she knows I wasn’t trying to pry.
“It’s okay. It was just time for me to come home,” she says, looking sad, and I can feel the pain in her voice. She was hurt. Whatever happened in Hadley is her secret, and I won’t push.
“Well, welcome back.” I smile, getting to work on starting the espresso machines while Wren stocks the display case.
A little later in the morning, Sarah joins us, and we spend the day all working alongside each other, chattering along as we go. Wren is such a great addition to our little group, and I’m glad to have her here. The customers know her, and she’s so good with them.
“So, I’m sorry if I’m overstepping, and I know I said I didn’t want to talk about my brothers, but I can’t help it. I’m curious. What exactly is the deal with you and West? You said you were just getting to know each other, but I think he is in deep with you. Ignoring the scene you two put on during pool, he stayed with you yesterday while you were sick. I think that’s a little more than just getting to know each other,” she says, looking at me with her brows raised.
Nervously biting my lip, I’m not really sure what to say. The truth is, we are really only just starting to get to know each other. We haven’t even had our first official date yet, which isthis coming weekend, but I get what Wren is saying. It feels like more.
“Honestly, I don’t know. We really are just getting to know each other, but he is a very good man and I’m enjoying his company.”
I don’t know why talking about this makes me so nervous. Maybe because I don’t have much experience with this.
“Mom said he asked her to bring chicken soup to your house,” Wren says.
I nod in confirmation. “He did. I already told West, but can you please thank her again for me? She didn’t have to do that, it was incredibly kind of her.”
