Page 6 of When You Saved Me

Most of the night was spent tossing and turning from images of a distant past. There were so many questions I wanted to ask Deacon. Too many unknowns that made my stomach buzz. At the same time, his standoff attitude made me feel thankful for our separation. The last thing I wanted was for his foul mood to put a damper on the excitement I had for my new home.

Taking a deep breath in, I lowered my shoulders and forced a smile onto my face. My mother always taught me that happiness was a smile away and even now, I knew it was true. In my darkest moments, I would push myself to grin and found that within a few seconds my mood would lighten, and the gloom would dissipate.

With a renewed pep in my step, I crouched next to the loveseat where I’d placed Casper’s bed and gave him some snuggles. “I’ll be back in a little bit, buddy. Hold down the fort for me, will you?” His eyes narrowed into slits; a loud purr vibrated his throat.

Grabbing my keys from the counter, I headed out the door to explore my new hometown.

The back seat of my car was filled with art supplies and various wall paints. A few bottles of red wine were stuffed between everything. I had every intention of breaking in my new little home with some pinot noir, Ludovico Einaudi blasting, and my paintbrush in hand tonight.

But first, I needed sustenance. It probably would have been the wiser decision to stock up on groceries before filling my car to the brim with art supplies, but a girl loves what she loves. Plus, it gave me the perfect excuse to stop by Sarah’s Bakery,that I saw on the drive through town.

“This is so cute!” I said to myself as I stood in front of the bakery. White and pink stripes on the awning made it feel like I was transported to a quaint café in Paris. Sweet notes of powdered sugar, fruit, and cinnamon hit my nose when I walked inside.

Dozens of eyes shifted toward me as the door snicked shut behind me. A small smile pulled at the corners of my lips, as I took in the patrons circled around small tables. Children, adults and elders were all gathered together sharing in what appeared to be hot chocolate and delicious pastries.

The scene before me was exactly what I pictured when I set my sights on living in a small town. Kiddos darted from table to table like they knew every person in here and felt safe enough to do so. Adults seemed to be holding multiple conversations at a time, many of them speaking to people at other tables from time to time.

Charlotte was very much a Southern city, but I had often felt lost in the hustle and bustle. People didn’t wave to me when I walked on the sidewalk to work. Baristas at my local coffee shop hardly knew my name, even though I’d gone there almost daily for several years. There were almosttoomany people. It was easy to just keep to yourself and not work toward getting to know anyone else.

Pebble Brook Falls was different. Even though I’d only been here a day, the place seemed to warm my heart. I was excited to get to know everyone and for them to get to know me.

When I made my way to the checkout counter, the crowdwent back to their eating and conversations, paying me no more attention.

“Hi!” I said to the young woman behind the counter. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with ringlet curls draping over the side of her shoulder.

“Hi,” she beamed at me.

“Can I get a chocolate croissant please?”

“Of course.” Tapping the screen in front of her, she entered my order. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

I peeked at the glass display case. “Um…maybe half a dozen of the chocolate muffins. Those look divine.”

“They’re one of my favorites. You definitely won’t be disappointed.”

“Awesome! I can’t wait to snack on them later.”

As she entered the rest of my order, another woman came through what looked to be the back kitchen door. With similar dark brown hair and a button nose, I wondered if the two were related somehow. She peered into the back side of the glass case and took inventory of the treats.

I looked back to the cashier and extended my hand to her. “I’m Charlie by the way. I just moved into town.”

Taking my hand and shaking it, she responded, “I’m Stephanie. It’s nice to meet you, Charlie.”

When our hands parted, she asked, “Where are you moving from?”

“Charlotte, North Carolina. I just got in yesterday.”

“Did you buy a house in town?”

“Actually, I’m staying in Badger Creek Cabin. It’s a rental out in the country.”

The other woman behind the display case popped her head around the corner. “Badger Creek Cabin?”

“Mmhmm.” I nodded. “Do you know it?”

Wiping her hands on her apron, she rose to her full height. “I helped the owner renovate it. Deacon’s one of my good friends. I didn’t realize you had already moved in.” She walked up next to Stephanie, and we shook hands. “I’m Sarah, it’s nice to meet you, Charlie.”

“Sarah, as inSarah’s Bakery,Sarah?” My brows shot up.

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