Page 1 of Sultry Nights

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Hanna browsed the aisles of the resale store hoping to find the perfect bathroom vanity. It irked her that she had to purchase a fixer-upper, because of circumstances out of her control. But she was making this little place her own. One no one else would be able to take away from her. She worked damned hard; at the bakery by three a.m. every morning and working well into the evening to get the bakery ready for the next day. She mopped herself out of the door each evening only to start all over again, day after day.

She stopped in front of a vanity. It didn't have a top, so she'd have to find one for it. It had a few scratches in it. Running her finger along the scratches, she decided they weren't too deep to worry about. She'd sand it and refinish it, anyway. Leaning forward she picked up the bright yellow tag to see the price. She blew out a breath before turning her head to see another vanity.

Stepping to the second vanity, she noticed it was slightly larger. Bonus. She stooped and bent to see the sides. No scratches. Nice. She ran her fingers along the finish and smiled at the smoothness. Turning the tag, she noticed it was less expensive than the other one, and this one had a pretty faux granite top. Her brows furrowed slightly and a male voice asked, "Can I help you with something?"

She jumped and turned to see an older gentleman wearing one of those bright green shirts with a name badge. Frank. "Oh..." She swallowed. "I was just...no, it's alright."

"Well, that doesn't sound very convincing. Tell me what I can do for you."

She felt her cheeks and her chest warm. "Oh." She took a deep breath. "I was trying to figure out why this vanity is less expensive than that one over there." She pointed. "That one has scratches on it. This one doesn't."

The man nodded and chuckled. "That other one is a name-brand vanity. It has dovetail joints. This one is glued and tacked."

She nodded. "Okay. Well, this one fits my budget better, so I'd like this one, please."

He chuckled. "Aren't you Hanna from Mae's Bakery?"

Her cheeks burned a bit brighter. "Yes. I am." She swallowed to remove the lump that had formed in her throat and took a deep breath to calm her excitedly beating heart.

Frank nodded. "The missus and I love your cinnamon rolls. It's our special treat for certain days."

Hanna smiled. His brows were thick and needed a trim, but his eyes were kind. Fading blue and surrounded by the wrinkles of time.

"Thank you so much. It's my grandmother's recipe. I'm so glad you like them."

Frank chuckled. "I'd eat them every day if my wife, and my doctor, allowed me to."

She grinned. "Doctors and wives always spoil a good thing."

Frank laughed and nodded. "You've got that right. But it doesn't completely stop me from enjoying them. Hang tight for a minute and I'll go get a dolly and bring it up front for you."

"Thank you. "

He limped away and her heart hurt a bit for him. He seemed happy enough and as he moved toward her, pushing a low dolly with old orange shag carpeting wrapped around it, he smiled brightly. He stopped the dolly near the vanity and she stepped forward. "Let me help you."

"No, it's fine. I'm okay. I know I don't look like much these days, but I can handle this."

She wanted to ask if he was sure, but didn't want to offend him. She steadied the dolly as he lifted the vanity and set it on the carpeted area. He smiled brightly, "See? I can still do some things."

"Oh, I don’t want you to think I didn't think you could."

He chuckled and waved her off. "I didn't think so. I have an old war wound in my hip. I'm an Army veteran and proud of it. But this old body is feeling the effects of some of the battles I bore."

Hanna's eyes watered slightly. "Thank you for your service, Frank. I appreciate it. My father and brother both served in the Army as well."

"It's my pleasure, little lady. It was my honor to do so."

She wanted to hug him but refrained. He began pushing the dolly with her vanity perched on it, and she followed behind him, chastising herself for feeling sorry for him and herself earlier. There were many folks out there who had it worse than she did.

She sucked in a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back. She found a vanity and her little bungalow was coming along. She still had her bakery, and she was starting a new life. Things could be worse.

Frank parked her vanity near the register. "Do you need to do any more shopping?"

She smiled at his sweet face. "No, this is it for today."

"Okay. Shirley here will ring you up, and I'll help you get this in your car. Or truck. Which is it?" He twisted and looked out of the glass door to the parking area.

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