Baked with Love by Peggy Jaeger

Author:Peggy Jaeger [Jaeger, Peggy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Weddings; RomCom; Small town; Inn Owner; Family; Loss of a Twin; baking;
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2020-10-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

When Eileen got sick and I found myself getting annoyed at something family related, or irritated about a problem concerning the inn, I’d try to remember to take a deep breath and ask myself, “In five years will this still be a concern, and am I going to even remember why I was angry?” Ninety-nine percent of time the answer was a resounding no on both counts. Helping my twin get through her chemo treatments, deal with the hair loss she experienced, and manage her perpetual pain became my new normal. Her plight was so much more devastating than any little aggravation that popped up.

Like when the contractor we’d hired to install new bathrooms in each of the suites suddenly ghosted us after cashing our check. I took a breath and left the legal stuff in Cathy’s hands, told myself it was a lesson learned, and cared for Eileen.

On opening weekend when we had most rooms booked and the electricity decided to go out the day before our first guest arrived, I contacted every electrician listed in the telephone business directory while simultaneously driving Eileen to her treatment.

And when our parents moved away immediately after we buried my sister, claiming they couldn’t bear to stay in the house she’d grown up in, I told myself the hurt of their abandonment would ebb away and be forgotten. They would come back again, or at least visit as soon as their grief was under control.

They hadn’t, and now, more than three years later, they’d only returned once, for Colleen’s wedding. They blew into town late Friday night, missing the rehearsal dinner. Saturday morning, Cathy, Nanny, and I were the ones who got Colleen ready while my mother pleaded a headache and said she’d meet us at the church. My father walked my sister down the aisle with a stoic expression on his face and then sat next to my mother who wore dark sunglasses throughout the ceremony.

The reception had taken place at the inn, thereafter. My parents had stayed for the first course, then claimed they’d been forced to book a late flight home due to airline scheduling concerns. Before the cake was served, they were on their way.

Slade had tried to joke Colleen out of her disappointment by telling her at least he didn’t have to worry about meddling in-laws.

When Cathy set the date of her marriage to Mac, my mother emailed and stated they wanted me to save them a room for two nights again, which I’d done. The plan was they’d arrive Friday and leave Sunday morning.

When they hadn’t arrived by Friday lunchtime, I texted my mother.

When I got no response, I texted my dad.

And when four o’clock rolled around and I was finishing up some last-minute decorating to Cathy’s cake and giving Robert another piping lesson, my phone finally buzzed.

—Call me—my father had texted.

“Uh-oh,” I said when I read it.

“What’s uh-oh?” Lucas asked as he walked into the kitchen, his gaze immediately going to me.

“Maureen got a text,” Robert said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.