Page 3 of Pastries and Promises

She headed into the bathroom where she turned on the shower and let the water heat up while she undressed. She still wasn't used to the small, worn tub in this cottage bathroom, so different from the spacious walk-in shower she and David had cherished at home.

Stepping into the steaming spray, Claire let the hot water ease some of the tension from her shoulders. She lathered her hair with the lemony shampoo that reminded her of summer and washed her body with the vanilla soap that still felt too new. They were scents she was trying out, not ones that she and David would have bought together.

She enjoyed her shower, the old pipes protesting and creaking. She'd come to love the sounds of her house. The sounds of New York City had fallen away quickly, giving way to birds in the morning, Daisy's soft meows, and the old sounds of her house.

After toweling off, Claire pulled on her robe and padded into the bedroom where she pulled a green floral sundress out of her closet. She had ordered it online and hadn't been sure about the pattern when she first saw it on the website, but was now willing to give it a chance. It hadn't been expensive and it did fit well.

The soft material slid over her head easily and Claire looked at her reflection in the dusty full-length mirror propped against the wall. The V-neck showed just the right amount of cleavage and the three-quarter length sleeves hit at a flattering point on her wrist. The skirt swished gently around Claire's knees as she gave an experimental twirl. A small smile crept onto her face - maybe this dress wasn't so bad after all. She wished that she could share it with David. He'd always loved her in dresses.

Her routine was already starting to shift as she learned the pace of Willow Cove. It was slower, quieter. No one rushed. No one honked. There were no sirens at two in the morning, blaring and screeching and waking up the neighborhood.

In New York, her art career had been everything to her. David and her art. She hadn't painted in months. She hadn't even sketched. But the house had a second bedroom and she had already put her supplies in there. They were waiting for her, when she was ready again. Whenever that might be.

Claire sighed and glanced in the mirror. She had bags under her eyes and she hadn't bothered with make up since David's funeral. A little tinted lip balm helped some. It was enough for today.

The nearly constant noise from the town square only a block away had worried her at first, reminding her too much of New York. But then the low hum of the few cars and people walking around had started to fade into the background. Within the first week she had been able to ignore it almost entirely.

Having everything she could need only a short walk away had been one of the draws to this cottage. The square offered her anything she could want, and the grocery store was only a short walk away as well. Though she still had a decent amount of money remaining from David's life insurance payout and the sale of their townhouse, Claire had never been someone who valued flashy material things. Her old car was still running fine, so no upgrade was needed for the time being. She could relax and simply be for a while. Life would be there for her when she was ready again.

She was sure his family hadn't appreciated being given nothing, but he hadn't been close to them and they hadn't reached out since the funeral. His will had been explicit and none of them had been included. The loss of contact with anyone in connection to him had saddened her, at first, but she'd had months to move past their abandonment.

Daisy wound her way figure eights between Claire's legs, meowing softly for some morning attention. Claire bent down to scratch under Daisy's chin, eliciting a rumbling purr.

"We need a little food," Claire said softly, and the cat's ears pricked forward. "But let's take it easy this morning. We are still getting used to this new place, remember? I'm going to go to the cafe down the street and I'll bring you back some treats on the way home. Sound good?"

Daisy's eyes stared into Claire's and she could almost swear the cat understood her words. She'd had a lot of practice speaking to her. She picked Daisy up and put her back on her sunlit spot, giving her one last kiss for the morning.

Claire made her way back down the hall, stopping to slip her shoes on at the door. "See you soon, love," she called out to her as she left her house and stepped out into the garden.

It was wild and wonderful, with flowers everywhere and a small stone bench to sit and rest at. Someday she imagined she would be sketching on that bench. Maybe not today, or even this week, but her art wouldn't stay dormant for long.

She took out her phone and took a picture of one of the roses for her little sister, Julia. She lived just a few towns over, only about twenty minutes away. Much closer than the hours that had been between them before.

You are going to make this the best garden, Claire! I can't wait to see it when I visit soon, Julia texted back.

Claire smiled down at her phone. I can't wait for your visit, either.

They had been close growing up, the best of friends, but their lives had drifted apart when Claire had gotten married. For ten years they'd barely seen each other. Now she wanted to make up for lost time, for neglecting her sister during her marriage. She was looking forward to rekindling their once close bond.

She touched a few of the flowers, admiring the bright colors and their fragrance, before leaving through the small gate that let out onto the sidewalk. Daisy's meow reached her from inside the house and she looked back to see her cat sitting in the window. She waved at her cat then headed down the street, toward the cafe for breakfast.

Chapter Three

A high pitched singsong voice calling out "Hey there, neighbor!" broke through Claire's thoughts as she stepped outside of her garden and onto the sidewalk. She looked over to see a woman around her own age smiling and waving at her from the porch next door. The woman spoke again, "I'm Abby, I just wanted to come introduce myself since I noticed you moving in last week. I would have introduced myself sooner, but I work a lot and this is the first morning I've had off. My husband, Peter, is usually around. And if you need anything, please let us know. We're always happy to help a neighbor."

Claire gave a small smile in return. "Hello, I'm Claire. It's nice to meet you."

Abby crossed the small yard. "Welcome to Willow Cove! Everyone here is so warm and friendly, we're like one big family. You'll love living here."

"That does sound lovely," she replied softly.

Abby looked curiously back at Claire's house. "So, are you married? I just noticed you moving everything in by yourself last week. Well, you and the movers."

"Oh. Uhm..."

Abby's face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry. It's just, this is such a small town, so everyone knows everyone. I just figured... never mind, it's none of my business."

Claire hesitated a moment before replying. "My husband died a few months ago."

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