You Belong With Me (8 page)

              “Well, he can’t have her,” she said in a voice as sharp as a blade, looking up at her sisters.

              Kit sighed in relief and tried to smile. “You know, you might have trouble with good looking harmless men, but when it comes to men like Alex Foster, you sure come in handy. I was so glad you got here when you did Layla. You walked in and took one look at that guy and knew what he was immediately. And he knew it too. I think you scared him off Layla,” she said hugging her sister hard. “Come on Jane, let’s go finish cleaning up,” she said and walked out of the room.

              Jane paused by her sister before following. “Kit’s right, Layla. You might not like men very much, but that’s because you’re so good at spotting the bad ones. You just have to admit that there are a few good ones too,” she said with a squeeze on her arm.

              Layla sighed and walked to the window, peeking out again. Alex’s car was gone, but she had a feeling that Kit was wrong. She hadn’t scared off Alex. She’d just made the game more exciting for him. A man like that enjoyed a good challenge and putting up a few barriers wouldn’t put him off. But what Alex didn’t know, was that Layla had been one of the toughest social workers Seattle had ever seen. She’d burned out fast and hard, but when it came to protecting and defending, she’d go down fighting every time. She let the blinds fall close and walked over to grab Bubba’s leash. He’d worn himself out and was sleeping with his head on his paws now. She looked over her shoulder one more time before heading upstairs. Alex Foster had no idea who he was messing with.

Chapter 7 – Tears

              The next week passed by quickly as Max worked them hard every day starting at 5 in the morning. Kit and Jane both complained of the hours, but as soon as they put their aprons on, they were all business. Layla smiled and joked around with her sisters and gave it her all, but underneath all the smiles and laughter, she was worried. The more they learned about running a bakery, the more she realized how completely out of their element they were.

              Layla sent Kit and Jane to the store for groceries while she stayed in the kitchen with Max. She watched Max pull a batch of croissants out of the oven, as she frowned worriedly.

              Max pulled off her oven mitts and threw them on the counter before grabbing her water bottle. “Spit it out.”

              Layla shook her head and grinned at the belligerent, in your face, rough baker and had to admit that Max was growing on her.

              “
Fine
, here it is. Please don’t leave. Don’t retire yet. We’re just not ready. Kit and Jane think we are, but you and I both know we’re not. There’s just so much we still don’t know. We need at least a year of experience before we should be left on our own.”

              Max took a sip and grinned at Layla, leaning against the counter tiredly. “You got that right. I told Belinda she was crazy thinking three girls could take over not knowing a blasted thing about baking, but she was a stubborn old witch. I promised her one month Layla. That’s it. As much fun as it’s been watching you three blunder through every recipe I have, it doesn’t hold a candle to taking my grandkids to the zoo or the swimming pool. My time here is over little girl. Learn fast or sell it to that weasel Alex.”

              Layla stared broodingly at the older woman and sighed as she looked at her feet. “I’d die first before I sell it to him. He’s an evil little snake,” she said wearily.

              Max paused and put her water bottle down, looking at her considering. “Now, how did you know that? What, you’ve met him,
once
?”

              Layla looked at Max and shrugged. “It’s my special little gift in life. I can spot them and then I
used
to do whatever I could to bring them down. I was given the hardest cases because I never backed down. I was never afraid,” she said frankly.

              Max nodded, frowning. “And now you’re here. What happened?”

              Layla looked at her starkly, shaking her head. “Sometimes you get there too late. And sometimes you don’t get there at all. And the souls of those children you didn’t get to in time weigh on your heart so heavily that you might as well be dead too.”

              Max winced and bit her lip. “
Dang.
Belinda showed me a newspaper clipping about you last year. Something about you testifying against that sex offender. That young man you saved ended up killing himself, didn’t he?”

              Layla closed her eyes as the familiar slash of pain ripped through her heart.

              Max blew a loud breath of air out of her lungs. “Well, you’re right about Alex. He’s no good. His wife ran off a few years ago with their two little girls and they haven’t been heard from since. I know he sent private investigators out looking for them, but there’s no trace. If you ask me, she’d been planning it for a long time. She must have had fake I.D.’s and everything. For a woman to go to that effort, there has to be a reason. A good one,” she said darkly.

              Layla bit her lip pensively. “There usually is. He wants Jane,” she said, saying it out loud.

              Max looked horrified for a moment and stood up straight. “Don’t you let him get near that sweet little thing. He’d chew her up and spit her out and there’d be nothing left of her,” she said angrily.

              Layla looked at her feet. “Don’t you think I know that? I sent him packing, but he’ll be back sooner or later.”

              Max stood up and walked over to the window. “You’re stronger than him Layla. You’re made of steel. I’m not even worried for Jane. She has you. Who do
you
have?”

              Layla frowned and looked at Max’s back in surprise. She’d always been the one to look out for her sisters and everybody else for that matter. She’d never needed anyone to look out for her.

              “What do you mean?” she finally asked, because for the life of her she couldn’t figure it out.

              Max turned back to face her. “You’re tough Layla, but you’re wounded. You’ve been hurt one too many times. You’ve seen too much and you’ve bled out inside. If someone doesn’t start looking out for you, there won’t be anything left.”

              Layla blinked back the sudden tears and looked away. “That’s why I’m here Max. I got away from it. I’m here to heal and get better. I’m going to bake and hang out with my sisters. I’m going to be
fine
.”

              Max studied her sadly and shook her head. “Nope, you’re still bleeding Layla. The only cure for dying inside is letting love in. Take it from someone who knows.”

              Layla closed her eyes and listened as she heard Max walk out of the kitchen and outside to her car. After she heard the car door slam, she turned around to lean her head on her arms as she felt a deep harsh sob rise up in her throat. Her whole body shook with the grief and pain that would never leave.

              She heard Max walk back into the kitchen but couldn’t stop the sobs now that they’d started. It seemed as if she’d been holding the pain back for so long, that now that she was finally allowing herself to feel it, she couldn’t stop the avalanche of emotion. She felt a comforting hand on her back and shook her head. If Max hadn’t wanted to see this, then she shouldn’t have ripped her chest open, revealing all the wounds that now lived where her heart used to. She gripped her hair in her hands as horrible, wrenching harsh sounds continued to well up inside of her spilling over into the quiet kitchen.

              The hand, rubbed slow soothing circles on her back and she was surprised to feel a degree of comfort seep into her. She felt two arms gently pull at her shoulders and turn her so that she was now being held firmly against a strong chest. Minutes passed as she continued to cry, letting every tear she’d ever held back in the homes, hospitals, courtrooms and police stations finally free. As her shaking and sobbing subsided, she realized something strange. Max was a lot taller and harder than she looked.

              Layla pulled back from the arms holding her and wiped her eyes, now feeling embarrassed at having cried for so long. “Sorry about that,” she said, in a hoarse, husky voice as she opened her eyes.

              She was not looking at Max.

              She was looking at Michael Bender.

              He was staring down at her with sad, worried eyes. Layla’s mouth fell open and she stumbled backwards, gripping the counter with her hands as she stared at Michael, aghast and horrified at what he’d just witnessed.

              “I thought you were Max,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hands and turning away in mortification.

              Michael stepped forward, taking her hands in his and lowering them, forcing her to look up into his face.

              “Don’t be ashamed about your feelings Layla. You just had too many of them. It was good that you let all the sadness out. If you don’t, it just eats at you,” he said as if he knew somehow.

              Layla shook her head and shut her eyes “I don’t know how to get rid of the pain. It just stays and stays and never leaves.”

              Michael stepped closer and wiped the tears off her cheek as gently as if she were four years old. “I go sailing. The water helps for some reason. I like to go hiking too. Sometimes when I reach the top of wherever I’m trying to get, I just scream until I can’t scream any longer.”

              Layla opened her eyes and blinked at him, not even pushing him away when he pushed her hair back from her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

              “I’d like to try that someday,” she finally said, her throat hurting after all of her sobbing.

              Michael smiled down into her face and nodded. “I’ll take you hiking with me next time.”

              Layla closed her eyes and took in a deep shaky breath, still trying to gain control. She was surprised when Michael sighed and then pulled her into his arms again. She shocked herself even more by putting her arms around his waist as he held her tightly and more tears seeped out of her eyes, wetting his dress shirt.

              When she finally pulled away, he let her go slowly. “Is there something I can do? Has someone hurt you or upset you?” he asked, his eyes going hot and dangerous.

              Layla shook her head, smiling as she moved away from him so she could grab a towel to wipe her eyes. “No, not really. It’s nothing like that. Well, yes and no, I guess. I um, used to be a social worker before I came here. I had a really rough year and I burned out. Max was kind enough to rip open a few unhealed wounds just now and you walked in at the wrong time. Sorry,” she said, looking away, feeling awkward.

              Michael frowned and stepped toward her, taking her shoulders in his hands. “Don’t be sorry,” he said softly shaking his head at her. “Just let me help.”

              Layla looked up at him and dabbed at her eyes again as they refused to stop leaking. “You don’t even know me Michael. Why in the world would you want to help me?” she asked, trying to grip the shreds of her dignity together and put a little distance between them.

              Michael frowned down into her eyes as he looked deep. “Let me in Layla. I’ll help you heal and maybe you can help me heal. And in the end, we’ll both be better.
Friends
?” he asked with a slight smile around his mouth.

              Layla blinked in surprise and bit her lip. Helping each other heal? Friends? “
No
,” she said automatically.

              Michael grinned down into her eyes, making her heart catch. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he said and then leaned forward a few inches and kissed her softly.

              Layla jerked back in surprise, but he held her firmly in place, tilting his head to the side in order to kiss her more fully. Layla felt light headed and her sore heart started beating faster as her hands reached up to push at his chest. He moved to her cheek and her temple, kissing her softly and she found instead of her hands pushing, she was grasping onto him, as if she didn’t, she’d fall.

              He pulled back and stared down into her eyes. “That’s a good start,” he said with his crooked smile.

              Layla licked her lips and started to say something, but she heard the front door bang open and her sisters return from the store. Michael looked up at the sound and moved back a few steps right as Kit and Jane breezed in holding bags in both arms.

              “Hey Layla, we’re back,” Kit said with a smile and then noticed Michael standing in the kitchen. She turned with raised eyebrows to look at Layla, but then frowned and hurried to her sister’s side, practically throwing the bags on the counter.

              “
Layla
! What’s happened? Tell me!” Kit ordered throwing her arms around her sister’s shoulders.

              Jane stood just inside the kitchen, holding her bags and looking unsure and upset. She looked at Michael suspiciously. “Michael, what’s going on here?”

              Michael walked over to Jane and took the bags out of her hands. “I’ll let Layla explain it to you. I just stopped by to see if I can bring Stella over later this afternoon. She’s been after me for days to drop by for another treat and I thought I’d better ask before we barge in on you,” he said, looking at Layla with soft worried eyes.

              Jane walked over to Layla who was blotting her eyes again. Layla looked at Michael over Kit’s shoulder and nodded. “Please bring her Michael. I could use a little sunshine today if you don’t mind.”

              Michael nodded and walked out, leaving the sisters alone in the kitchen. Jane walked over to Kit and Layla and threw her arms around both of her sisters at the same time.

              “I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s killing me,” Jane said, with tears in her voice too.

              Kit nodded and pulled back, with tears on her cheeks. “If you cry, we all cry,” she said with a wavery voice.