Page 62 of Sugar Coated Secrets

A thought forms in my mind.

“Derek?”

“Yeah?”

“Do I have room for another sponsor?”

“Of course.”

I stare at Dulce’s number on the folded piece of paper and smile. “Good.”

20

DULCE

The cleaning crew had finished by the time Ford drove me to the bakery. I was down a prep table and still needed to go by Trent’s garage to see about the van, but it was late. Katie dropped me off at home in time to relieve Mary and prepare my grandmother’s bath and dinner.

“There was a rat in the bakery,” my grandmother says, surprise etched in her voice.

The bakery never had rats. We cleaned thoroughly every day and followed guidelines, but I couldn’t tell her the rest or how we found the rat. There was no way I could tell her anything. She had enough to deal with.

Yes, but we've already addressed it. I have to replace one of the prep tables.”

“I heard you left with Ford Keller?” she says with a knowing smile.

“News travels fast.”

“I called the bakery, and Katie told me.”

Dammit, Katie.

“It was nothing. It was to give me a ride out of town to look for a new prep table,” I tell her.

“And?”

“And I didn’t find one.”

“You know your cheeks go pink when you lie, just like your mother.”

I sigh. “Fine, I let him think that.”

I can’t lie to you about everything. Every time I lie, it consumes me deeply.

Every day, I can see it in her eyes. Her time is coming to an end. She’s exhausted, and there is nothing anyone could do. She's stage 4 and on hospice. I’m surprised she can talk to me, given her constant pain.

Katie must have told her who else was there. Since the police were still investigating, I told Kaite not to tell anyone about the details of finding the rat.

“I wanted to make a point.”

“To Danny?”

Busted.

“Yes,” I admit.

“So you used Ford to get Danny off your back.”

I close the drawer with her pj’s in hand and look over my shoulder. “You figured me out, Grandma.”

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