Page 87 of Sugar Coated Secrets

He turns his head at my voice and pushes off the car. When he spots me, he doesn’t look pleased to see me.

“What are you doing here, Dulce? You need to go back to the bakery. I’ll meet you there when I can.”

“I heard?—”

He interrupts. “Go, Dulce.”

“I’m sorry, Officer Mays. She wouldn’t listen,” the cop directing the traffic says.

“What happened?” I ask Danny.

“We can’t give out any information. Please, Dulce. I’ll call you.”

“Ma’am…” the traffic cops call out, pointing behind me to leave.

A sports car rumbles behind me. I turn around, and Ford’s Porsche pulls up. The driver’s and passenger doors open. Ford eyes me in surprise, and then Summer gets out. I glance at Ford and notice he’s dressed like he was out on a lunch date. It feels like a kick to the gut.

He looks between me and Summer with a blank expression.

“I guess you’re right, Officer Mays. I shouldn’t be here,” I say and walk back to my van.

“Dulce,” Ford calls out, but I ignore him, blinking back the sting of tears and hating myself for thinking she was lying.

I slam the driver’s side door and fire up the van. Ford knocks on the window, but I ignore him and back out. There is nothing left for me to say.

The familiar tightness weaves its way into my chest as I drive off with tears streaming down my face. Thick, heavy, full of pain for something so close I could touch, yet so far out of reach it’s impossible to keep.

27

DULCE

“It was Ford again,” Mary says, coming into my grandmother’s room with her mouth pulled into a frown.

“Still not speaking to him?” my grandmother says, sounding out of breath while sitting in her wheelchair.

I give her a weak smile. “No.”

It’s been a week since I saw him with Summer on that godforsaken road. I ignore his calls. I don’t answer the door when he stops by.

When he shows up at the bakery, I make sure to remain in the kitchen, making it a point to tell Katie I'm not available. I know I have to talk to him at some point, but I have to accept it.

“You still have feelings for him.”

I shake my head. “I do have feelings for him, but I have to accept that he doesn’t feel the same way. We’re different.”

“I think you’re not giving him a solid chance to explain himself. He’s here for a reason, and that reason has something to do with you. There is no denying that,” my grandmother says.

I tell her about Summer.

It was safe to confess that part to her. She knows I could never compete with Summer. They did go out on a date. Theywere in the car together when they showed up. I don’t know why they would. I didn’t ask, and frankly, I don’t care.

Moody’s attacker could have been anyone. Family of the girl he assaulted. Who knows how many enemies he’s gained over the years? That is probably why he lived out there.

Mary leaves the room for a few minutes and then walks back in and says, “Ford is outside wanting to see you.”

“Talk to him, Dulce,” my grandmother says, trying not to cough.

She’s getting worse. I can see it. Not much longer.

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