The figure in the grotesque mask brandished a knife over Alyssa’s head, who gasped and cringed away from him.
“NOOOOOOOO!” Bradley lunged to the screen as if he could somehow save her.
Ava covered her eyes, and I watched in shock as the knife disappeared between her ribs. I felt my heart beating in every vein beneath my skin.
“Oh, God, no,” I whispered. Wait. Hold on a second. I stopped and stared, tilting my head toward the screen, and squishing my eyebrows together. Something was off.
I noticed Bradley and Ava stood at attention too.
“Oh, my God what is happening?”
“What’s going on? I can’t see anything.”
The frightened voices of the students jumbled together. I had permissions set to microphones only—they could hear one another but only see Ava and me, so they could see us panicking but couldn’t understand why.
“Alyssa?” I asked, tapping my fist against my lips in nervous anticipation.
“Are you kidding me!?!” Alyssa screamed, standing up and reaching up to hit the masked man in the head.
“GOT YOU!” A man’s voice boomed as he pulled the mask off, revealing thick brownish hair with red tints in it.
“Tad, you are so dumb!” Alyssa laughed nervously.
“What’s happening?” Darla, the dark-haired beauty asked.
“I have no clue.” I sighed and snapped the stove off, realizing no cooking would get done today.
“This is my boyfriend. He’s an actor. He is always trying to freak me out!” Alyssa said, swatting at him. “I’m in the middle of an online course, Tad.”
“Sorry,” he mumbled, grinning and sweeping his floppy hair back off his eyes.
The other students began to realize it was a prank, chattering and laughing with relief..
I was not happy to say the least. I don’t know what expression I had on my face, but my face felt flush and I felt my fist squeezing so tightly that my nails were digging into my hands. Normally Ava had zero fear when it came to me, but she must have sensed my outrage.
“Class dismissed. We’ll pick back up at same time next week. Alyssa, Jolie and I need to discuss what happened here. We will get back to you.”
Alyssa began to protest, but Ava clicked out of the program and closed the laptop.
“That little JERK!” Ava’s lip curled as she pounded a fist on my kitchen cabinet.
Frantic meowing came from behind the door to the living room, and little paws scrabbled underneath.
“Bradley, will you unlock the door so the cats can come and go as they please?” I asked. I had a swinging door from the kitchen to the living room, but to do this course, I decided to have a latch temporarily put on so the cats couldn’t get in the way or jump on the counter.
“The students are just dumb kids,” Bradley said, shaking his head and unlatching the door.
“Do you think Alyssa knew he was going to do that?” I asked. I wanted to believe in her innocence.
“I don’t know, but I didn’t appreciate that little snide reaction as I was closing the session,” Ava huffed.
“Do we need to set more ground rules? I sent a set of rules out through email about paying close attention, taking it seriously, and I had them all sign forms protecting us from things like food allergies or injuries per Niko’s suggestions.” Niko Mercurio was Leavensport’s local attorney and source of information for all things legal.
“Maybe we should check with him. I say make an example of her and refund her fee and then remind the others of the rules and the reasons for them. They’re all adults—we aren’t their high school teachers, after all,” Ava said.
“She’s got a point,” Bradley said.
My heart sank. Alyssa was the one I liked the most. She had researched us as a successful business model. Uh! “Let’s sleep on it first then revisit it in the morning.”
Carlos had come in early the next morning to make a few suggestions for the day’s menu, since it was his newfound Mexican theme special.
“So, how’d it go yesterday while Ava and I were gone? Any issues with closing?” I asked.
“None at all, Miss Jolie.”
“Carlos, you have worked here for a good while now. You have earned that promotion to assistant manager. Ava and I both have complete trust in you. There is no need for you to call either of us Miss. We are co-workers and friends. Please call me Jolie or I will begin calling you Mr. Carlos.”
Carlos laughed and his Woody Woodpecker tee jiggled with glee. He was known to wear nothing but cartoon T-shirts, because he learned to speak English watching cartoons as kid. He still loved to watch them. The kids that came into our restaurant loved his shirts and Carlos was absolutely amazing with the little ones.
“Okay, I call you Jolie and Ava from now on.”
“Thank you. Now, you worked all afternoon and all evening yesterday. You didn’t have to come in this morning. I could have figured something out.”
“I meant to leave notes but forgot. I brought a few recipes that have been popular for you to choose from. I did double-check to make sure we had all the necessary ingredients. Also, I wanted to let you know that I put an order in for Adam’s Brew and condiments because we are running low on both.”
Man, I don’t know how we ever survived without Carlos. He worked so hard and was so passionate about doing a good job. I felt like he put me to shame with his work ethic.
“Hey, Carlos, what is happening?” Ava and Carlos did their special greeting, fist bumping and then a executing a complicated handshake with back-and-forth hand-slaps, finishing with finger guns.
“Hi Miss Ava—er—I mean Ava. I am heading out but wanted to let . . . Jolie know how last night went.” He waved and walked up front to head out.
“Whoa, he called me Ava. Is he mad at us? Did something bad happen last night?” Ava asked.
“No, he’s fabulous is what’s up. I told him he’s management now and we trust him. He is our friend and needs to call us by our first names.”
“I’ve always thought that.”
“Me too.” I said. “I’m not sure why I didn’t insist before now, but he is blowing me away by how great the work he does is. He cares about the business as much as we do.”
“Well, we needed some other people to help us out with all this extra stuff we’ve been taken on the last year,” Ava said while checking her phone.
“Waiting on a call?”
“No, I got my new website up and running for the part-time PI work. Bounty-Full Investigative Services Food and Felony Fixes with Sass!” Ava snapped her fingers and shook her head in rhythm while saying the title.
“All of that is the title?”
“No silly, don’t you know anything about marketing? ‘Bounty-Full Investigative Services’ is the name of our little company. ‘Food and Felony Fixes with Sass!’ is the tagline. You have to have a tagline!”
“My bad! S-O-R-R-Y! And what exactly do you mean by our little company?”
“You’ve been my sidekick this entire year, so of course you’re a part of the business. I’ve got your name listed in the service section with your contact information. I’m checking to see if we’ve got any bites yet because I ran an ad on the web locally and had Bradley advertise it in The Village Herald,” Ava said nonchalantly.
“What? You added my information and advertised it without telling me? Are you insane?” I yelled.
“I didn’t think you’d have a cow!”
“Why are you using mom language?”
“I didn’t know you would act nuts!”
My shoulders turned to knots. I took a breath. “You know what, if anyone contacts me, I’m directing them to you.”
“That’s fine for now, while you get the hang of it all. Geesh!” Ava rolled her eyes at me.
Sometimes I felt like my head would explode. Fighting Ava was a losing battle.
“Oh, I need to run into the city soon,” Ava added. “Do you remember Peggy, from Peggy’s Pies and Purses?”
“Yep.”
“Her neighbor has a business called Gemma’s Bohemian Jewelry and I guess Gemma is a whiz at marketing. Peggy told me I should meet her to get some great tips on marketing for the new business. I figured we could drive up that way together and maybe get some info that can help with Cast Iron Creations, too.”
“I don’t know that we need to waste money on advertising, Ava. We’re in a small town and have a regular customer base. Plus, we do so much cross-selling and now starting this online cast iron course—that’s advertisement in itself.”
“Hey, we’d get to enjoy some good pie, check out purses and jewelry, and get some free marketing advice.”
“You’re right, sounds like a fun afternoon!”
Ava headed to the office to set up our marketing outing and I grabbed some to-go boxes to take up front for the baked goods we had prepped for that day.
Lydia walked in, sporting black leggings and a short-sleeved green maternity shirt. I hated to admit it, but pregnancy looked good on her. Lydia was short with straight, shoulder-length blonde hair, bangs, and sparkling eyes that always had fire in them. She always looked ready to rumble, especially with me.
I watched her bend down to pet Spy, chatting with Mirabelle for a few minutes. Lydia was a beautiful woman and while we didn’t always see eye-to-eye, she was a decent person.
“Hello, Jolie,” she said crisply, strolling to the counter.
“How can I help you today?” I was completely professional while trying not to stare at the baby bump as I wondered if she had slept with Meiser.
“Well, me and little Micky here have a craving for some of those cast iron donuts you fry up. Can I get a dozen to go, please?” She looked down at her belly, rubbing it affectionately.
“You already know the sex of the baby?” Ava asked, walking out from behind the kitchen door, and putting a hand on my arm. She had obviously heard the “Micky” comment.
I sucked in a lot of air and hadn’t exhaled yet.
“Yes, we just found out the other day. Isn’t it wonderful?” She giggled, continuing to rub her tummy.
“Who is ‘we’?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Well, I don’t think I’ll gossip about it.”
“You look like the cat that just ate the rat!” Ava bellowed.
“Canary,” I said.
“Huh?”
“You mean I look like the cat that ate the canary,” Lydia agreed.
“Why would a cat eat a canary that is tiny and no meat on it when it could just as easily eat a big fat rat?”
My head started to hurt. “You get her drift, Lydia. You’re goading me. I heard the gossip that was spreading around at my birthday celebration. It’s either Keith’s, Bradley’s, or Mick’s—and you just said the name of the little boy. So, either you are blatantly lying to get a reaction, or you and Mick went together to find out the gender.”
Lydia grinned.
Ava pulled out her phone and started dialing.
“What are you doing?” Lydia demanded with puffed-out red cheeks and fire in those sea-green eyes.
“I’m calling Meiser right now to ask him if he went with you,” Ava said, dialing.
I smirked to myself. I wasn’t going to stop her.
“Put it down,” Lydia slapped at Ava’s phone then bent over and yelled in pain, grabbing her side.
“I’m not buying it!” Ava yelled.
I didn’t want to chance it. “Hang up, Ava.”
Waddling to a table, Lydia eased herself into a chair with a worried look on her face.
“Do you need me to call someone?” I asked.
Lydia glared at me. “I can’t control if you call Mick.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “That’s not what I meant. I can call your doctor. I was just trying to help you, Lydia.”
She looked down at the floor. “I just need to sit here a minute. He’s kicking, that’s all, but he’s kicking hard.”
Just then, who would walk into the restaurant, but Mick. He was smiling and walking toward me until his eyes focused on Lydia hunched over in the chair. “What happened?” He moved quickly to her, kneeling beside her.
“I came in to buy some donuts, and Ava and Jolie ganged up on me about the father of the baby. Ava went to call you and I started cramping or he started kicking. Anyway, I just had to sit for a minute. I’m fine now.”
He stood and held a hand out to help her up. I was speechless, and my mouth was hanging open.
“We ganged up on YOU?” Ava asked incredulously.
“Not the time, Ava,” Meiser said flatly.
Ava had that look. I grabbed her arm, knowing we would not win this battle. Mick had his arm around Lydia as he led her out the door.
At that moment, my phone buzzed. I looked down to see a text from Delilah.
If Ava is there, please don’t let her know it’s me. Can you come to the arts-and-crafts room so we can talk without Ava knowing?
“Is that Mick apologizing?” Ava grunted.
“It’s family. I have to go out for a few minutes. I’ll be back soon,” I said, not wanting to lie to her and considering Delilah family—so, it was a small fib.
Ava grabbed my elbow with a worried look. “Anything wrong?”
I shook my head, thinking of a quick excuse. “Not unless being annoying counts. Just the usual.”
She smirked. “Well enjoy.”
Delilah was pacing in her tiny office when I walked in and one of her staff pointed to where she was. This felt off.
“What’s up?” I asked, concerned.
“I need to tell you something.” She took a deep breath. “I know this isn’t fair, but I don’t want you to tell Ava. So, if that will not work for you then I’ll keep it to myself.”
I hesitated to think about that. While Ava and I acted more like siblings (and at times sibling rivals) than best friends, the thing that made our relationship work so well is that we have always been brutally honest with one another.
“You are like family now. I want to help, but what you tell me will help me determine what is best for Ava. While I love you too, my loyalty is to her first. And I’m sorry if that is hurtful.”
Running her delicate hand through her long wavy locks, Delilah looked tortured in what to do.
“Seems like you should tell me, and I can help decide if Ava should know or not,” I prompted.
Taking a deep breath, Delilah blurted quickly, “You know Thiago paid everyone back from the blackmailing in the DR—me included. He even wrote me a beautiful letter welcoming me into the family, and apologizing for meeting me under such horrible circumstances and putting my business in jeopardy. I tried to use that money to buy back my shares of the gallery from Nestle, but he refuses to sell. I don’t know why, but I have a strong feeling it is not for a good reason. I’m worried.”
“Wow, what is this guy’s problem? It’s like he’s out to destroy our town. Why are you afraid to talk to Ava about all this?”
“You know Ava is not one to get embarrassed, but she hates it when anyone brings up last February. I think she feels ashamed, which is ridiculous. Plus, I’m worried what she may do about Nestle. That is my biggest concern. I get the feeling he is not one to mess with. You know as well as I do that Ava will try to go head-to-head with him.”
Giving that some thought I said, “Okay, I agree for now we don’t let Ava in on it. Let me do some looking into him and see if I can get an idea of why he is doing this. We are going to tell her, though. We just need more information first.”
I sat in Tabitha’s office, sharing more about what I’ve learned the last several months, especially after being in the Dominican Republic for a month. I stared at the new piece of art Tabitha had on her wall—a rendering of a woman in boxing shorts and a sports bra, working out with a kickboxing bag. The entire piece was done in charcoal, except the bag which looked like red oil paint.
Besides being a rough-around-the-edges, at times brutally honest therapist, Tabitha was also a powerhouse kick boxer. I wasn’t thrilled with her at first, but with time, I grew to respect and appreciate her unique perspective as a therapist and have found how well it works for me.
“It seems like the time away from Leavensport really gave you a different perspective. You have grown more in a few months than the entire last year we’ve worked together. Do you agree or disagree?” Tabitha studied my face.
“Both. I did learn a lot about myself, what I want moving forward, and that I am the one who needs to make things happen. It’s difficult to figure out exactly how to do that, though.” I frowned.
“Why?”
“Maybe that’s not the right way to say it. It’s not difficult for me to figure out what I want and how to do it in my head, but when it comes time to do it—put it to action—that is when it is difficult.”
“Example?”
“Meiser and I. We talked on the phone the entire time I was there. We said we’d talk when I returned. Just the two of us. I got back, saw him with Lydia, and then he disappeared. He returns and we are right back to being awkward and avoiding each other while still running into each other and being vague about things.”
“Life doesn’t work the way we see it in our heads, Jolie. Life is chaotic and messy. You can’t categorize life and separate the good and the bad. It all rests next to each other—the ugly things and the great things sit right next to each other and cozy up to each other.”
“But you’ve been telling me to figure things out. I have to do it in my mind first.”
“Most people do. You aren’t wrong. It looks one way in our mind—most of the time like a good book or a TV show. Doing it is an entirely different story.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. It won’t end up the way I want it to.”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know anymore. I wanted to have that talk and be completely honest. I wanted to start dating again. I wanted for us to get married, then to start a family. I figured that all out in the DR and I was excited to get back to start a new life.”
“Then life threw you a curveball,” Tabitha stood up and moved to her desk, opening a drawer.
“Exactly, and yes, I can now tell him I want to talk, but I don’t feel the same about him that I did before. At least I don’t think I do anymore.”
Tabitha handed me a book. I looked at the cover. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis.
“This is a great book,” Tabitha assured me. “The author talks about what she wants, and how she has felt like everyone but her has their lives figured out. She opens up about the messiness of her own life while pushing through to get where she wants to be.”
“Thank you, sounds a lot like me.”
“It’s a bestseller because so many women relate to this, Jolie. You are right in that you have an ending in your head, but the universe, life, a higher power—whatever you believe, may have a different path for you. Life is about adjustment and choices. You have little control, but you always do have choices for navigating life.”
“Wow, this has all been eye-opening. I will be reading this soon.”
“We’ll talk more after you read it.”
Heading to my car, I saw Bradley and Keith in what looked like a heated argument. It was safe to assume it was about Lydia. Unfortunately, I was about to find out firsthand, since they were standing on the sidewalk right next to my car.
“Why don’t you get it through your thick, brawny jock skull that you shouldn’t have gone after my girl? I’m a nerd? If I’m such a nerd, then why does Mr. Stud Muffin have to chase after my leftovers?” Bradley’s face was beet red and spit was flying out of his mouth as he screamed in Keith’s face.
Keith lunged forward and simultaneously made a fist, pulling his arm back to swing.
Instinctively, I shut my eyes tightly and did a scootchy walk in between the two men who towered over me in anger. I flailed my arms around my head, yelling, “Not my face, boys! Don’t hit the money maker!” I cringed, waiting for an accidental punch, but continued to scoot and flail with eyes closed.
Nothing. I stopped and hesitantly peeked out of one eye on the side of Keith who was standing dead still, smirking.
I opened both eyes and Bradley had air puckered up in his cheeks. He looked at Keith, and they both exploded in laughter at the same time.
“Oh, okay, I get it. I’m the court jester. So extremely happy to entertain you both!” I stomped to my car. I unlocked it and was halfway inside when I stopped mid-squat, and yelled at the two laughing goons, “AND, YOU ARE BOTH WELCOME FOR STOPPING YOUR BRAWL!”