Page 70 of Sweet Little Thing

“It’s Beulah,” I told her.

“Oh good! You must be here with the Chinese food I ordered. You know it’s been three hours. You need to work harder to make your delivery times.” The speaker cut off abruptly, and the gate opened.

My morning was going to start off interesting. Maybe when Geraldine came back around, I could ask if she wanted to join me for a surprise visit to see Heidi later this afternoon. Geraldine needed an outing.

Chapter

Forty-Three

Beulah

It was almost time for lunch when Geraldine’s mind was back in the present. Before that occurred, she thought she was engaged and living in New York City. I wasn’t sure what year that had been, but she was happy and excited about her wedding. She was also very upset I wasn’t the Chinese delivery driver. She had wanted eggrolls and orange chicken.

“Do you feel like going out today? I was thinking I could make some cookies, and we could visit my sister.”

Geraldine was cleaning the makeup off her face that she’d applied earlier to attend a ball with her fiancé. She paused and smiled. “That would be lovely. I’ve heard so many things about Heidi. Meeting her would be a treat.”

Relieved that she liked the idea, I glanced at the pantry. She was stocked with everything needed for baking. “Could I use your supplies to make cupcakes instead? I’ll restock all the items I use.”

Geraldine waved her hand at me. “Don’t be silly! You use whatever you need. I’ll help. It will be fun. I don’t have much of a reason to make cupcakes anymore. Let me get the mixer and measuring cups. You get whatever you need from the pantry.” She clapped her hands together excitedly.

This job was more than I could have hoped for. Geraldine was such a pleasant woman—in her right mind and out of it. My job was just another thing I owed Stone. I often felt like I didn’t do enough to warrant the paycheck. Geraldine was good company, and there was never a boring moment.

Once we had all the ingredients on the counter, we began working together. Geraldine said she was best with the cake batter if I could do the icing. I was fine with that. I had a special way of making the icing that Heidi loved. The pantry was filled with so many sprinkles to choose from, so I had a hard time deciding, but I ended up choosing the sprinkles that sparkled like glitter. Heidi would be amazed at how they shimmered on the pink and yellow icing.

While we were finishing up, I decided to ask Geraldine’s opinion on the best way to handle moving out of Stone’s apartment. She knew him better than possibly anyone.

“I think Stone would enjoy his apartment without me there. With Presley gone, he can have it all to himself.” I stopped myself from saying more. I wanted to see how she responded first.

“If you’re thinking of moving out, I think you’ll have a fight on your hands. Stone will worry. He wants to keep you safe. Having you at his apartment reassures him that you’re okay.”

For Jasper. He wanted me safe for Jasper. I wanted to move on and put Jasper behind me. After yesterday it was even more important that I do that. His visit here had shown me just how important that was. I couldn’t allow Jasper in my life in any capacity. Staying at Stone’s apartment made that impossible.

“He’s helped me so much already. I’m thankful for all he’s done. I don’t think I can ever repay him. But I’m not Jasper’s. He doesn’t have to protect me for him.”

She started placing the finished cupcakes on a platter. “It’s not for Jasper. Stone helps the people he wants to help. When he is sure you’re ready to move on, he’ll make sure you have everything you need to do that.”

This wasn’t how I had hoped this conversation would go. She didn’t understand.

“He has made it very clear that he is helping me because of Jasper. I shouldn’t be his burden. It’s not fair. He needs to be there for Jasper. He wants to help him, and that’s what he should be free to do.”

Geraldine looked up at me then. “Saving Jasper’s ass isn’t what he wants. He feels it’s his job. The boy has so much responsibility he piles on himself. Always has. But he wants to help you. Since he came in here the first time and told me about you, he has been different. When he talks about you, he seems…different. That darkness inside him that he struggles with, well, since you it’s lifted some.”

She didn’t know the side of Stone I did. He loved her and she was special to him.

“I think his darkness being lifted would have been because Jasper and I were done. He was worried about Jasper and I having a relationship. He knew all the lies surrounding us and didn’t want Jasper hurt.”

Geraldine pressed her lips together and almost smirked at my response. “The first time he told me about you was the weekend after he first met you. So that reasoning of yours is incorrect. Now,” she dusted her hands off on her apron. “These cupcakes are finished, and I’m anxious to meet Heidi. Enough of this. Let’s go.”

I stood there mentally going over what she’d just said. Ithought I must have misheard her. Stone wouldn’t have spoken about me after he met me unless it was to complain about my existence.

“Stop frowning. It causes wrinkles. I’ll get my purse, and we can go.”

“He hated the sight of me,” I blurted.

Geraldine laughed then. A loud, amused sound that made her eyes twinkle with delight. “Stone has never once hated you,” she managed to say through her laughter.

I realized talking to her about this was a bad idea. She didn’t live in the correct decade most of the time. She was probably confusing me with someone else in his past. I went to pick up the tray of cupcakes. “I’ll take these to the car.”

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