Chapter 15
Faith
I felt bad as soon as Jasper pulled away from the curb. It wasn't fair of me to use Brenden's generosity just because I was flat broke. He mentioned the 'cottage' so casually that I knew it was just another in a long list of properties that he owned. I had wanted a weekend away to focus on schoolwork, but as soon as I hit the sidewalk, my mind had settled the figures and I knew I couldn't afford it. I should have turned around and gone to work, but I knew that Brenden was there and I was curious to see what would happen when we ran into each other again.
The connection was immediate. And his concern for my well-being was so sweet. I was still embarrassed by the run-in with Jake, so it was nice to show him that I hadn't fallen completely apart. Then he had accepted my need to get away with instant understanding. Jake had always needed an hour's interrogation before he allowed me to go off without him.
I fidgeted my fingers in Brenden's hand but he didn't clench up. His warm grasp was light and casual. He didn't hold on too tight or drop me as soon as I needed to move a little.
I kept my hand in his.
It felt comfortable and supportive. I believed Brenden completely when he said the use of his cottage came with no strings attached. He seemed as curious but cautious as I was about where our relationship was headed.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and Brenden gently released my hand. He reached for his phone too and smiled at me. Then he dove into work emails and left me to check my phone in private.
I glanced at my phone's home screen and tried to hide a frown. Why was Jake texting again? Hadn't he already expressed his irritation at not finding me pining away for him?
Three more text messages popped up from Jake and I had to read them. The first message was expecting that we'd get together in the next twenty-four hours to talk over what had happened. Jake always did put an ultimatum in every conversation.
I hesitated before checking the next message. Where was the apology for attacking Brenden?
The next message was a long rambling explanation of why he'd left me in the first place and how it was all my fault. Jake was willing to try again and he was angry that I wouldn't meet him halfway.
Halfway? When Jake had walked out of my life he had made it very clear it was over. How was I supposed to know he would appear one random day?
I cringed but opened the most recent text message. It read: I think we deserve another chance, Faith. We were in love. Think about that before you become a gold digger. Do you even know what it takes to love someone?
He’d managed to insult me, completely dismiss Brenden, and break my heart again all in a few lines. He was angry and hurt and he'd never been good at expressing himself. It opened up a whirlpool of emotions inside me.
I dropped my phone and closed my eyes. Brenden noticed and shifted in his seat but said nothing. He was true to his word and didn't expect me to explain myself. There was still hope that I could spend a peaceful weekend trying to get my thoughts in order.
I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry Jake tried to punch you last night."
Brenden shook his head. "Not as sorry as I'm sure he is. Jasper's not known for a gentle touch."
Jasper gave me a look in the rearview mirror. He wasn't about to apologize for neutralizing Jake. The older man was clearly devoted to Brenden and felt it was his responsibility to notice what Brenden did not. I felt Jasper's stern appraisal but somehow I passed.
"I hope I did not cause you any problems, Ms. Faith," Jasper said.
"Please, it's just Faith." I studied Jasper while he drove. "And you did the right thing."
Brenden's loyal driver nodded but continued driving with pursed lips. I felt a kick of instinct in my gut. Jasper was hiding something from Brenden. My stomach flopped as I remembered that I was, too. Had Jasper seen the same closeness between Darin and Rachel that I had witnessed?
I tucked my phone away and wondered if I should tell Brenden. He deserved to know that his best friend was involved with his ex-girlfriend, but what was the best way to find out? I didn't know Darin well enough to hope that he'd come forth with the truth eventually. It wasn't my place to say anything, but I decided I would mention it to Jasper the first moment we had alone.
"You seemed pretty surprised to see your ex," Brenden said.
I felt no pressure to answer but I didn't want to keep secrets from Brenden. "I was surprised. It had been a long time and we didn't part on the best of terms."
"Contentious break-up?" Brenden's comment was sympathetic.
I scoffed. "Not really. He just announced we were done one day and was completely gone within a few hours. He dropped me flat so I wasn't really expecting him to pop up ever again."
"Really? No explanation, just done?" Brenden asked.
I slumped back in my seat and looked out the window. "Jake said I was boring and I was holding him back. He wanted to look for someone better."
"What a moron," Brenden snorted. Jasper grunted his agreement from the driver's seat. "Guess he found out pretty quick that you were the only woman nice enough to give him the time of day."
That made me laugh. "And now he's all bent out of shape because I have no time to give him at all."
Brenden found and patted my knee. "Double-shifts, school work, and men popping up out of nowhere - no wonder you needed a weekend getaway."
"Well, at least I don't mind the first two," I joked. "The double-shifts pay for business school and business school is going to free me from double-shifts. It'll all work out."
Brenden was not at all insulted by my teasing. He seemed to know that running into him was the highlight of my day. Maybe it was because he felt the same way. The tightness in my chest loosened a little under the warmth of that hope.
"So, tell me about the business school dream. You don't strike me as a woman who works without a solid goal in mind," Brenden said.
I twisted my fingers together as I thought about the available shop front. I had looked over all the pictures Jeanne had sent over and the place was just perfect. Now, more than ever, my dream was a detailed vision. I'd already rearranged the little shop's kitchen and decorated the cafe area in my head.
"It's more than a goal," I admitted. "What I really want is to open a place that supports the community. I love to bake but I live alone and every time I bake, I think about all the families that don't have time to make fresh bread or healthy sandwiches. Everyone's so busy that I figure if what I love to do is baking, I should be able to do it for people who don't have the time."
Brenden nodded. "Fresh bread is amazing. Anything baked is automatically comfort food to me."
I sat up, warming to the conversation. "Exactly. I always imagine someone just like me, running home between shifts with one hundred things on her mind, but she also has a family to feed. How great would it be if someone like that could swing through my store and pick up a chicken pot pie to satisfy her whole family?"
Brenden gave a happy sigh. "Chicken pot pie. Yum. I can't remember the last time I had one, but you are right, they are pure comfort food."
It felt good to talk to someone who was enthusiastic about the idea and not merely poring over the figures. Business school was great, but it tended to skip the big picture and hammer out the details.
"I could bake fresh fruit tarts in the summer and mini-quiches for people rushing to work," I said.
He gave a dreamy smile. "I'd like to spend my mornings in a place like that. Just the heavenly smells would be enough!"
"You could," I said. "The shop front I found isn't that far from the coffee shop where I work."
Brenden turned to me. "You've got a location? That's great! I can't see the paint colors but I'd love to swing by and get a feel for the place."
I had spoken too soon and now had to explain. "Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. That's another reason I needed to get away for the weekend."
"You're running away from the perfect shop front?" Brenden asked.
"Yeah, kind of." I bit my lip and promised I wouldn't let the stress make me cry. "I can't afford it yet. I have nothing saved for my start-up costs so I don't even want to tour the shop front. It would hurt too much to fall in love with it and then lose it."
"Don't you have a business partner or someone to help cover the costs? Investors?" Brenden asked.
There, at least, I was resolute. "No. This is something I want to do for myself."
Brenden shook his head. "If you're the talent and the one that will be there for all the day-to-day operations, then you can't be expected to foot the entire bill. There are plenty of investors looking to put their money toward community development projects like yours."
"Angel investors." I had heard the term in business school but all my instructors had warned they were rare. "I don't really have time to hunt one down and convince them I have any talent at all."
"Tell me about the shop front," he said.
I sighed. It was dangerous talking about it too much because I could already feel myself becoming attached. But it was so perfect!
"It used to be a toy store with a small cafe. The couple that ran the place for years are finally retiring to Florida. It's right across from a family park and there's tons of foot traffic year-round. There's even the most delightful front windows that I could decorate with the seasons," I told Brenden.
"So it would be cozy, inviting, and festive all year? Sounds perfect. And I bet all the good baking scents will pull parents and kids alike," he said.
"And dog-walkers! I have these great recipes for organic dog treats and I've always loved when shops put dishes of water out for thirsty dogs."
Brenden nodded as if that decided it. "You have to lease this place. You have to make this bakery heaven happen."
I slumped back in my car seat. "There's only about a million problems. The biggest one is that the couple wants everything wrapped up soon. As in two weeks. I can't do anything in two weeks, especially not when finals and everything are coming up!"
"Terrible timing. It seems to be going around lately," Brenden said. He found my hand and gave it a sympathetic squeeze.
"It's okay. I know there'll be another place. It never pays off to be impatient and I can't really jump headlong into starting a business before I officially earn my business degree," I told him. "I guess it's enough to know the perfect shop front is out there."
I looked out the window for a mile or two while Brenden listened peacefully to the whirring tires. Jasper was a seasoned city driver but now that we were on the outskirts of the suburbs, he was relaxing a millimeter or two. We barreled along just over the speed limit in companionable quiet.
Brenden was working his way up to asking me something but his phone rang before he had a chance. "Sorry, it's my buddy Darin. I kind of left him in a bind last night and I feel like I should answer."
"No problem." I leaned towards my window to give him a little space.
"Hey," Brenden said. He hit speaker phone and waved his hand when I sat up. "You're on speaker phone--"
"Why the hell did you cancel the one o'clock meeting?" Darin interrupted him.
Brenden's eyebrows raised up, amused. He shrugged and let the time for my introduction pass. "Just a change of plans. Surprising how easy it is now."
"Yeah, great. That's nice for you but--"
"I already rescheduled. There's a whole email chain saying how much better the new time is for everyone. Relax, Darin." Brenden shifted in his seat. "Are you all right, man?"
"I know about the emails, Brenden, thanks. The new schedule isn't perfect for everyone." Darin's voice was clipped.
"So, it sounds like I owe you one?" Brenden asked. "How about dinner, your choice. Middle of next week?"
"Middle of next week? What, your social schedule is already full?" Darin asked.
Brenden smiled but I saw him stiffen. "As a matter of fact, yes. In fact, I'm heading out of town with a lovely someone right now."
He mouthed an apology at me and I patted his hand to signify I understood. Brenden didn't know it but I wasn't a huge fan of his underhanded friend. The image of him kissing Rachel so passionately was seared into my brain. So, if Brenden had a chance to take the air out of Darin's tires, I was all for it.
There was some sort of commotion on Darin's end of the phone. A voice suddenly joined his, unaware that he was the phone.
"Rachel?" Brenden sat forward. "Darin, is that Rachel?"
"What? No. Shhh. Talk to you later, Brenden." Darin hung up the phone.
I wanted to tell Brenden immediately about what I had seen in the courtyard. He deserved to know that Darin and Rachel were intimate behind his back. Especially now that he'd almost caught them! I opened my mouth to bring up the painful but important subject when I spied Jasper's eyes in the mirror.
He didn't judge me, he just watched. I realized his immediate concern was for Brenden. I sat back. Jasper knew Brenden a lot better than I did and it was not my place to give Brenden additional pain. And if Jasper had reasons for not saying anything, then I wanted to know them before I made any decisions myself.
Jasper looked away, satisfied that I was keeping my mouth shut for the time being. He swung the sleek sports car down a wide driveway and through a stone archway. The decorative carving read: The Cottage.
I couldn't have said anything even if I wanted to; my jaw dropped as I saw a mansion. Not a cottage but a sprawling Victorian palace right on the bay.
"See?" Brenden joked. "You can truly have a weekend to yourself if that's what you want. We won't even have to see each other!"
I lost count of the windows and couldn't even imagine the number of rooms under all the towers and spires. And then I spied the wildflower gardens, the topiary, and the trimmed hedges of the formal gardens.
"Plus there's about fifty or so acres of shoreline, woods, and private trails. There's also a small stable, if you ride." Brenden opened his car door and got out.
I let him open my door for me as my fingers felt weak. It was like climbing out of a car and into a fairy tale. I grabbed my laptop and bag and tried to keep my feet on the ground as Brenden led me up the front steps and welcomed me home for the weekend.