Page 38 of Sweet Somethings

"What was the prize again?"

"$30,000. I never imagined I could actually win, but I went through six regional contests before becoming one of three finalists to bake the perfect seven-layer cake on a television food show. And I won. It was shocking and amazing."

"It looks like you put the money to good use and your bakery is successful."

"Customers are coming back, and repeat business is always a good sign. Donavan has been awesome about sending people my way as well, along with selling my baked goods in the coffee shop."

"Donavan has always been a very caring person."

"Yes, she is. Did you know she sends money back to the villages in Ethiopia where her coffee is grown?"

"She mentioned that," he said with a smile. "It actually didn't surprise me."

"There's a fundraiser next week. I'm going to try to go in between my manic baking sessions to get ready for all my Valentine's Day orders, but I'm not complaining. Busy is good."

Juliette was one of the few women he'd met who actually didn't complain much, even though she'd certainly had hard and unfair things in her life to deal with.

She sipped her water, then said, "I know you're going to shut down again when I ask this, but I'm curious…"

"You're always curious."

She smiled. "That's true. My mom used to say it was a sign of an intelligent mind."

"That's a good way to spin it. What are you curious about now?"

"Your mother."

He stiffened. "I already told you that sordid story. There's nothing more to say."

"I'm sure there's a lot more, but I was just wondering—where she is now? Do you see her, talk to her? Has she been in your life at all since you were fifteen?"

"She lives in Los Angeles. She got sober about three years ago. She emails me occasionally, but we haven't actually seen each other since I was taken away from her and brought here."

"Is that her choice or yours?"

He thought about that. "It's probably mutual."

"Really?" she asked doubtfully.

"We're not good for each other. She needs to focus on keeping her sobriety and her mental health, and when she thinks about me, she feels guilty. That's not a productive emotion for her."

"But it's not just about her. How do you feel?"

"I don't really want to see her, either. I tried so hard to protect her when I was a kid. But I couldn't. I failed. And I don't want to get back into that impossible place again. I'm glad she's better. I hope it stays that way. I wish her well, but for now that's as far as it goes. Maybe someday that will change, but it's too soon."

"I understand. I'm happy she got better. I was afraid the story was going to end on a darker note."

"You don't like darkness, do you?"

"No, because I've been there, and it's a scary place to live in. So I choose not to."

As he met her gaze, he realized he'd made a different choice. He'd embraced the darkness so it would feel normal. In the shadows, his life had always looked so much better than it really was. He still had trouble with the light. It revealed too much.

Thankfully, their far too personal conversation ended as the waiter set down their plates.

The sight of his thick, juicy burger made his mouth water. "This looks good."

"Wait until you taste it." She bit into her burger and sighed with delight. "It's better than I remembered."

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