Page 113 of Love Without Control

His eyes found mine, and I set down my fork, my stomach bubbling with nerves. Hopefully, he wasn’t firing me from Sweet Heaven. I loved being at the bakery. It was my happy place… when I wasn’t with my wife.

“Okay, Charles. What is it?” I asked, hearing the strain in my voice.

“You know I’ve had to slow down at the bakery since the doc cut off two of my toes.” I nodded, a pit forming in my stomach as he continued. “Well, we were thinking it might be time for me to retire.”

“You’re closing?” Eden asked, putting voice to my fear.

The older couple looked at each other and shared a smile. “Not exactly,” Charles replied. “We were hoping you’d want to take over, Dane. You’re already there and managing things practically every day.”

The bubbling in my belly eased, and I felt my shoulders relax. “Of course,” I said, bobbing my head up and down. “Whatever you need.”

“Also, I want to sign over ownership of the business to you,” he said, and I almost slid right out of my chair and onto the floor.

“But… it’s yours. You’ve worked for years to build it up.”

“I’m aware, but I’m old as hell, and to be honest, I’m tired. It’s time for the new generation to take over.” As I sat in stunned silence, he reached behind him and pulled a manila envelope from a drawer before sliding it across the table. “I had my lawyer draw up some papers. As long as Mimsy and I are alive, you’ll pay us a salary, based on profits. Then when we pass on, it’s all yours, free and clear. You and Eden will be the owners.”

I was stunned into silence, my mouth agape as Eden placed a comforting hand on my thigh beneath the table. “What about your children?” she asked, and Charles scoffed.

“Psshh, they want nothing to do with it. They only come to visit us every couple of years, and neither of them want to move down here to run a bakery. They have their own lives.”

“Joseph and Jennifer would sell it, and then god knows who would own it or what they would do with it,” Mimsy said with a shake of her gray head. “They could tear it down and turn the property into a condo or something.”

Eden’s hand squeezed my leg, encouraging me to speak up as my eyes flicked to the envelope on the table and back to the couple across from us. “Wow. I’m not sure what to say.”

“You both have been so good to us,” Mimsy said kindly. “Dane, you’ve kept the business running and growing while Charles has been dealing with his diabetes issues the past few years. And sweet Eden cooks dinner for us at least three times a week. You have no idea how much that means to us.”

“It’s no problem,” my wife said, a sappy look on her pretty face. “It’s hard to cook for just two people, so we always have plenty.”

“Oh, stop blowing smoke up my tailpipe,” Charles said, waving a large hand at her. “We all know you’ve been cooking up diabetic friendly dinners because of me. Mimsy and I feel like you’re our adopted children with the way you take care of us, and we adore you both.”

“The feeling is mutual,” I replied, my voice swollen with emotion. “This place wouldn’t have been home if we hadn’t met you two.”

Mimsy’s grin broadened over her lined face. “And to think, you two came down here for your honeymoon six years ago and never left.”

“We love it here,” I said, meeting Eden’s eyes and giving her a soft smile, which she returned. We stared at each other for a long moment before Charles started talking again.

“No pressure at all, but we wanted to at least offer you the chance. Otherwise, we’ll just shut down. Kevin and Barry are good workers, but they’re just that. Workers. Neither has the gift for management like you do, Dane.”

“That’s really nice of you,” I said, pulling the envelope toward me and resting my palm on top. “I’ll take a look at this. Is it okay if I take a few days to mull it over?”

The old man nodded approvingly. “I’d expect nothing less. You’ve got a good head for business, son.”

That last word hit me directly in the chest.Son.I wished like hell he’d been the kind of father I’d grown up with.

But at least I had him now.

SIX MONTHS LATER

My heart ached as I wrapped my arm around my wife in front of the double grave site. She sobbed against my chest while I did my best to rein in my own sorrow.

“I can’t believe they’re both gone,” she sniffed, taking the linen handkerchief I offered her to dab at her face.

“At least they went together,” I said. “I couldn’t imagine either of them without the other.” Though the comfort of that was minimal, it did help a bit.

Charlisse approached in a black dress, holding Cooper’s hand. He was ten now and was dressed in a solemn little charcoal-gray suit with a navy tie. The women hugged, and I squatted down to the boy whose chin was trembling with his mighty effort to hold back his tears.

“Hey, bud. You look sharp today. How you holding up?”

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