The Promises We Keep (Made for Love Book 1) (73 page)

“
How did today get away from us?
”
Dottie moans as she bags up two chocolate croissants for me.
“
Tomorrow, just before we open. Got it? With my new cranberry-orange loaf!
”

“
Deal,
”
I say with a grin.

It
’
s my last week working with Dottie before I start getting ready for fall semester to begin. We realized that this will probably be my last week working with her
ever,
as next summer I could be anywhere. We
’
ve been talking about a celebratory/farewell moment
—
with just the two of us and a slice of bread to commemorate the occasion
—
but we haven
’
t gotten around to it yet. I keep trying to remind her that we
’
ll still see each other at church every week, and any other time I feel like dropping into the shop, but she insists that it won
’
t be the same. I have to admit, I know she
’
s right.

Dottie. She
’
s so sentimental. I love it!

“
Are you really going to go stand out in this drizzle for the rest of the afternoon?
”

I look behind me, out of the big store front windows, and my smile slips. It
’
s been cloudy and overcast all day and it looks like
now
the rain is finally going to come. It
’
s only sprinkling, though, so maybe it will hold off for a little while longer. I giggle when Daphne appears at the front door. Her hands are full with our coffee from Little Bird and she holds them up and flashes me a cheesy grin as she bounces up and down, indicating her excitement.

“
I take it
that
is my answer,
”
says Dottie, amused.

“
Daphne said rain or shine, we can
’
t miss this band. Thanks for the treats! I
’
ll see you tomorrow.
”

“
Don
’
t catch pneumonia.
”

“
Don
’
t worry, mom, I won
’
t,
”
I say with a wink before heading for the door.

This summer has gone by faster than I ever imagined possible. It
’
s like three months just disappeared. The only proof that I have of its existence are the memories I
’
ve stowed away in my heart. Daphne has definitely been my second favorite part of the summer. Ever since that concert at the Golden Brew, she
’
s been inviting me to any and all live music events around town
—
and sometimes out of town. While I haven
’
t been able to make it to all of them, and while I haven
’
t
enjoyed
all of them, I have gotten a kick out of getting to know Daphne. I didn
’
t really expect for our friendship to blossom the way that is has, but I
’
m so glad that she
’
s a part of my life.

Of course, having Daphne as a part of my life sometimes means hanging around Logan, which is not my preference. But, just like Daph told me, I
’
ve gotten used to her and her flirtatiousness. It's still annoying, especially the way she is around Hammy, but what can I do? I'm just grateful she's toned it down with Sonny. Sadly, it's not just her flirtation that rubs me the wrong way. She's just one of those girls that doesn't like other girls. At least, that's the impression I've made over the past dozen weeks. How she and Daphne are so close is still a mystery to me.
No. Not just a mystery. Considering how they met? It
’
s more like one big fat mind numbing conundrum.
I actually only heard that story a couple weeks ago.

The tale behind her phoenix tattoo wasn
’
t what I was expecting. After having heard it, I understand why she doesn
’
t like to discuss it.
It
’
s a painful memory.
Even though she found me to be a trustworthy keeper of such history, she still managed to leave out a ton of details. When she told me, I left with a lot of questions; but I refuse to press for any answers. I
’
m grateful for what she gave me and the best way for me to show my appreciation for her confidence is to let her hold onto the bits that hurt too much to divulge.

So, the Reader
’
s Digest version? She trusted someone who didn
’
t deserve it; she said yes because she couldn
’
t find the will to say no; the consequences were more than she thought she could bear; the decisions she made as a result were the ones she was taught; and in the end, the people who taught her judged and betrayed her. She hasn
’
t been back to church since. It breaks my heart that her church family would treat her the way they did. I wish I could fix it, change her mind about
God
’
s people
, but I know that I can't.
I mean, come on, if Roman
—
the brother she adores
—
can
’
t change her mind, how can I?
But just because I can
’
t heal the scar that others made, that doesn
’
t mean there
’
s
nothing
I can do. I can be her friend. I can love her just the way she is. With Daphne, that
’
s not hard. Not even a little bit.

Speaking of love, hanging out with Daphne frequently translates to hanging out with Trevor, too. Now
him
, I like! He
’
s a tough guy; I can see it in his eyes. He
’
s been through something
…
but he
’
s always so tender with Daph. He's older than us by a few years, but he doesn't seem to mind it when all of us youngsters get together. I still don't know his story, but I know he
’
s in a different place than Daphne is. He doesn
’
t hate the church. In fact, he goes from time to time. He and Roman actually attend the same place when Trevor feels inclined to go. That fact alone encourages me to keep praying for Daphne. If she loves Trevor, maybe one day she'll learn to love God again. And love Trevor, she does! He feels the same way
—
it
’
s so incredibly obvious.
Then again, I suppose they never try and hide it. They just don't act on it.
Watching them, I now have an idea of how everyone felt watching Sonny and me.

Only, our stories cannot
really
be compared. Theirs is full of heartache I know I
’
ll never understand.

“
I know I'm a knock out, but you really can't stand on the other side of that door gawking at me for the rest of the day.
”
I laugh my way out of my reverie at her comment. Now that I'm back in the present, standing in front of the door that separates me from the dreary weather and my friend, I see she's just as unprepared as I am for the possible downpour that could wash away our afternoon plans. She's in a pair of converse sneakers, cut-off shorts that show off most of her trim legs, and a plain white t-shirt, with what appears to be a pink bra underneath.
Well, if it rains, at least people will know her underwear matches her hair
.

“
Get your ass out here. You won't melt!
”

As I step outside, a cool breeze wraps around my bare legs. I, too, am in a pair of shorts that I changed into a few minutes ago. The clothes I shoved into my purse this morning were picked without checking the weather.
There was no way I could have predicted rain at five thirty in the morning. I can barely predict the sunrise that early!
I would have left my jeans on, but they are definitely a casualty of my clumsy morning at work and covered in lemon glaze. At least my simple baby doll t-shirt isn't white and the maroon color will keep the sky-blue bra I
’
m wearing underneath my little secret!

Ha.
Little
. No pun intended.

“
See? It's not that bad! A few drops, but it's still warm. Now let's get going.
”

We don't have far to go as the outdoor venue
—
or, rather, street corner turned venue
—
is only a block away. All summer long, Old Town has been buzzing with fun things to do. There are food events and bicycle parades, fairs and
—
of course
—
beer festivals. This weekend is the
End of Summer Music Jamboree
. For the next three days, every nook and cranny of our cute little downtown will be hosting mini concerts. Saturday and Sunday will be crazy with more popular bands, street closures, and all out dance parties in the middle of the parking lots. Tonight, though, is more of a warm up.
Thirsty Thursday
, meant to wet people
’
s appetites. The local talent Daph wants me to see is one of the first to kick things off. They play at four, which was perfect timing for both of us; we were off at three, giving us time to meet up and walk over.

“
Man, the next few days are going to be
pure
bliss
. You'll know where to find me if you need me.
”

“
Oh, I know
—
wandering up and down the streets checking out every single show.
”

“
Not
every
one,
”
she says, fighting a smile and feigning a nonchalant shrug.
“
Just the good ones.
”

“
Except for Saturday night, right? You promised you
—”

“
I'll be there. Chill, little one, I'm a woman of my word.
”

“
In that case, here is your croissant!
”

“
Oh, goody. Here
’
s your coffee
—
with non-fat milk and a dash of sugar.
”

I accept the beverage gratefully and slow my pace so I can sneak a taste.
“
Mm,
”
I hum as I sip.
“
That memory of yours is a thing of beauty.
”

“
What can I say? It's a gift.
”

Just as expected, we reach our destination in no time. With twenty minutes before the band goes on, we snag ourselves a great spot as people are just now beginning to trickle their way into the growing crowd. Prepared for the possible rain, the stage is covered by a tent; and while it is sprinkling pretty steadily, I don
’
t mind that I don
’
t have a covering. This feels like one of those moments that is meant to be embraced. Daphne makes me feel like that a lot, as she
’
s always introducing me to new things and encouraging me to just
ride my way through the experience.