Chapter 33—Andi

Andi had no idea how they’d done it, but The Cozy Cup was full of baked goods once again. The women Tess had gathered all contributed a batch or two of their favorite holiday treats for Jackson to give away to people, and Andi had baked a hearty number of pastries and other items for the shop to sell. And there were hundreds of tiny gingerbread house pieces just waiting to be assembled.

Not only had the chocolate company contributed their kitchen, but they’d also donated sprinkles, frostings, and even some candies to the contest. Allison had somehow negotiated that Christmas miracle. All Andi knew was that the event was now sponsored in part by The Williams Chocolate Company—including the syrups and supplies that Jackson was off picking up from wherever Tess had sent him.

The bakery case was stocked. Once Jackson got back with supplies, everything would be ready for tonight. Customers were filling in at a steady pace as it neared noon, and she’d finally gotten a chance to go up to the apartment and shower while Tess took a shift helping Eric.

But when she emerged from washing the pounds of powdered sugar and flour off of her, Tess greeted her at the foot of the stairs in a near-panic.

“Andi,” Tess hissed. Andi grabbed at her chest.

“Tess, you scared me,” she said.

“Sorry. I’ve been waiting for you,” the woman said. She held her open palm out. On top of it lay the broach Andi found in the basement on the day she went down to look for supplies.

“Eric said I’m wearing one of your usual aprons. I found this in the pocket.”

“Oh,” Andi said, feeling relief wash over her. “That’s just an old piece of costume jewelry that fell off a shelf in the basement. I stuffed it in an apron pocket. I was actually going to give it to you. I just forgot all about it after I stuffed it in the apron pocket.”

The intense expression on Tess’s face didn’t dissolve at Andi’s words.

“Andi, dear, where exactly did you find this broach?”

Andi looked around. Was this a joke? “In the basement,” she said slowly. “I was pulling a box of cups or napkins or something down from the shelf and I must have knocked that off the shelf, too. Jackson said there was a bunch of trash down there that Zack was supposed to clean up but never did.”

“Can you show me where?” Tess asked, her icy blue eyes sparkling.

“Yeah, sure,” Andi said. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t want to say anything for sure, but I think Demetri might have been onto something.” Andi had no idea what Tess meant, but she led the woman down the stairs anyway.

***

Less than half an hour later, when the two women came up from the basement, the whole world had a different light to it. Andi’s pulse raced—it felt like an electrical current was running through her.

“Do you really think that’s what it is?” she asked Tess before they were in earshot of anyone else in the shop.

Tess nodded. Her eyes were still alight with excitement.

“I used to walk past the jewelry store every day when I was a little girl. This broach was always in the display window. I used to stand there and marvel at it. I loved it so much. I wanted it more than anything. And one day, it was just gone. I didn’t know it at the time, but the jewelry store was robbed. They never caught the person who did it. They got away with lots of expensive pieces—but none more valuable than the ruby and emerald broach. I remember even in my teenage years, Mr. Cyprus, the owner of the jewelry store, offering a reward for information. He got his insurance payout, but I think he just always wanted to know what happened to the jewels. We all figured they were off to a big city somewhere.”

“How do you think they got down there?” Andi asked.

“I have a feeling Demetri’s grandfather would know,” Tess said with a knowing smile. “That has to be what he was talking about all those years ago when he told Demetri about the treasure in the basement of this place.”

“So, how do we find out? Is Mr. Cyprus still around?”

“He is,” Tess said. “He’s in his 90’s now, but his son and grandsons run the store. They would know if these items were what I think they are. I’m going to call and see if I can meet up with them before the—”

Before Tess could finish, a voice boomed from the front of the shop.

“Aloha, and Mele Kalikimaka!”

Andi and Tess both looked over to see a man with shaggy, fiery red hair and a freckled face. “Where’s Jackson?” the man asked. He was still standing in the front of the shop—he seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting by yelling things from the front door. Instead of looking happy to see the man, Eric just stood there with his mouth agape. His brows furrowed in what Andi thought was confusion—or maybe anger.

“Who's that?” Andi whispered to Tess.

Tess made a noise that sounded almost like a growl. “That is Zack,” Tess said.

Andi examined the guy again. She leaned toward Tess. “That’s Zack?” Andi asked. Her breath became more rapid. “The business partner? He’s back?” How could he just walk back into the place after everything he’d put Jackson through?

“It would appear that way,” Tess said, shaking her head. Her gaze was narrowed so acutely that Andi briefly wondered if Tess was trying to shoot something at Zack from her eyes. The thought made her chuckle despite the tension in the room.

“I thought Zack was gone for good, and I thought it was the best possible thing that could have happened to Jackson.” Tess looked at Andi in a way that she didn’t quite understand before adding, “Well, almost the best thing.”

Andi looked down at her hands nervously until her cheeks stopped feeling so warm. “Do you think he’s back for good then?” Andi asked Tess. She kept an eye on Zack. Jackson was going to be back any minute. Would he be happy to see his friend? Or angry?

She wondered briefly if this was how Jackson felt when Tim showed up last night. Both of them were acting as replacement parts for the other. But now, both the real pieces were trying to come back. Did Jackson know she’d sent Tim away? Did it matter? He’d told her before that if Zack came back in time to right the ship, he’d probably let him back in. And here he was—just in time for what was sure to be a very successful night. Thanks to her and the people in town who loved Jackson.

“I hope not,” Tess replied. She was still burning a hole in the man with her stare.

“Me, too,” Andi muttered, feeling suddenly deflated.

Her phone rang then, and she looked down to find it was her mother calling. She almost did her usual thing and sent the call the voicemail. But maybe that wasn’t the solution this time. Maybe it was worth having an actual conversation. What did she have to lose? Everything was already gone.

“Hey, I have to take this,” she said to Tess. She stepped back toward the staircase that led to the apartments. “Hello?”

“Andi, It’s your mother.” Who else would call from her number?

“I know, Mom. I’m a little surprised to hear from you, though,” Andi said.

“Can we please talk?” Her mother’s tone was soft—pleading, even.

“Sure,” Andi said with a sigh. “I know you probably have a lot to say—”

“Not on the phone, Andrea. I want to talk to you—face to face.”

They hadn’t left yet? Andi assumed they would be at the airport by now at the very least. It hadn’t even occurred to her that they would still be at the hotel. She felt a twinge of guilt for not even checking. She’d been so self-absorbed. Well, to be fair, she’d been Jackson-absorbed.

“Okay, sure,” Andi said. “Should I come to you at the hotel?”

“No,” her mother said. “I’d like you to meet me somewhere else. I’ll text you the address.”

Andi ended the call with her mother. She was both confused and terrified about what was about to happen, but it needed to happen if she was ever going to find a way forward with her parents—or with herself.

“Tess, I have to go,” she said, touching Tess’s arm as she passed. She stopped then, thinking she might not see Tess again before the day was over. She wrapped both arms around her and gave her a squeeze.

“Merry Christmas,” she said to Tess. “Just in case I don’t see you before then. And thank you for everything. You’ve been amazing. I can’t ever repay you. But I’m coming back very soon to buy you a cup of coffee.”

“Wait,” Tess said, pulling Andi away from her, but not letting go of Andi’s shoulders. “Where are you going? Aren’t you coming back for the festival?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Andi said with a shrug. “I don’t think Jackson needs my help anymore.” She nodded toward the kitchen, where Zack was putting on an apron, and appearing to make himself right at home.

Tess glanced in that direction and scowled.

“Tell Jackson I’ll come back to get my things from the apartment later.”

As she rushed down the sidewalk toward the address her mother sent her, she bumped into someone and nearly fell flat on her butt. A pair of hands grabbed ahold of her waist and steadied her.

“Jackson,” she said when she was standing straight again. She wasn’t prepared to see him just yet. Especially with Zack prancing around in the kitchen like he owned the place again.

“Andi—I—can we talk?”

“Later,” she said. “You’re going to want to get in there.” She gestured toward the shop.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Just go,” she said. “You’ll see.”

“Andi, wait,” Jackson called after her.

But she’d already started walking away from him, not wanting him to see if she started crying.

***

The address her mother sent her was the abandoned Cherry Creek bakery. She stood outside of the small, two-story building that sat just on the outskirts of downtown, waiting for her mom to arrive. She paced out in the cold while she waited. Clouds threatened more snow at any moment. She briefly wondered if she might get stuck again. Since the owner of her apartment was back, she really hoped not. Though, the thought of going back to her old apartment wasn’t any more appealing. What a mess.

“It wasn’t this cold when I told you to meet me here,” a voice said from behind her. Andi turned to find her mother, giving her a half-hearted smile.

“It changes pretty quickly,” Andi said. “That’s kind of how I got stuck here in the first place.”

“Maybe some time, you can tell me that whole story,” her mother said with an eyebrow raised. “I would truly love to know how this whole mess unfolded in that mind of yours.”

Andi looked down. Here came the shaming.

“Andrea, you don’t have to make that face. I’m not here to lecture you. You know what you did was wrong,” her mother said in what felt like the beginnings of a lecture, despite what she'd just said.

“I think,” her mother said, “that in some ways, I created this mess we’re in. I put my own regrets on you, and I tried to force you into having a life that I thought was better.”

“What do you mean? What regrets? You’ve got everything you could want,” Andi said to her mom.

“Do I? I have a daughter who was so convinced that I wouldn't hear her when she told me what she wanted to do with her life, that she coordinated a fake fiancé and backstory in a town she doesn’t live in. All because she thought I would take away something that was rightfully hers after she rightfully broke off her engagement to a man that wasn’t good enough for her.”

Andi grimaced. "I just—I wanted you to be proud of me. You seemed so happy when I told you about the engagement.”

“I was happy because you were happy. And I never meant for your inheritance money to come with the caveat that you had to be married. I’ve been looking back and trying to think of why you thought that. I understand now. I was so hard on you...and I talked so much about you getting married before you got the money your grandma left you. But I didn’t mean it like that. I just—I wanted you to have a chance at a good start. A stress-free start. Your father and I had so many years of struggle before you came along—and a while after you came along. I just didn’t want that stress for you. But, if having a bakery is what you want, I want it for you. That’s why I asked you here.”

Andi looked up at the building. She was still numb from trying to process all her mother just said. What was happening?

“I’m so confused, Mom,” Andi finally said.

“If you want a bakery, I will buy you this one. I’ll track down the owner on Christmas Eve and buy you this building with my own money. I want you to know that that’s how much I believe in you. You don’t have to prove anything to me, Andi. You never did. You’ve always been everything I could have wanted in a daughter. I’m sorry that I got caught up in the wrong things and didn’t make sure that you felt the truth of that every day.”

Andi just stared at the woman who was clearly not her mother. She sounded like her mother. She looked like her mother, but the things she said were most certainly not things her mother would say.

“You can’t buy me a bakery, Mom,” Andi said. “That’s too much. And to be honest, I don’t even know if it’s what I really want.”

“Well, what do you want?” her mother asked. “You went through an awful lot of trouble to get that inheritance check.”

“I know,” Andi said with a laugh. “I think I just wanted to feel like I was in charge of my own life,” she said. “Does that sound stupid?”

Her mother shook her head. “Not at all. And it’s okay to not know. But I’d really like to be in the loop while you’re deciding.”

Andi nodded. “I’d like that, too. I’m sorry I lied to you.” Her mother wrapped Andi up in a hug.

“I’m sorry, too, my baby girl.” Andi squeezed back, feeling the weight and the pressure of the last week lessen ever-so-slightly. “Maybe you could keep making chocolates for a while until you decide,” her mother suggested.

Andi pulled away from the hug. “How did you know about that?” she asked.

Her mother just shrugged. “But, whatever you do, please make me two promises,” she said.

“What are they?”

“Give fake Tim a real chance. And please make more of the eggnog cake bombs that you had online last year. I tried to order them this year and they were sold out.”

Andi shook her head, not sure which of those things to tackle first. She went with fake Tim.

“I don’t think Jackson wants me to give him a chance,” Andi said. “And how do you know about the eggnog cake bombs?”

“I have my ways,” her mother said. “And I saw the way you two were with each other. You might have thought you were lying to your father and me, but I’m starting to think you were lying to yourself.”

“You’ve been buying chocolates from me? For how long?” Andi had to stick with one utterly confusing topic at a time.

“Since you opened up, I guess,” her mom said. “You wouldn’t take my money. You wanted to go your own way. I respect that. But you couldn’t stop me from being a customer.”

“But—” Andi was scanning her brain for any time she’d ever seen her mom’s name come through her ordering system. She couldn’t think of once. And there was only a small handful of regular customers. The rest was a pretty random assortment.

“I’m not telling you,” her mother said stubbornly. “You get your secrets and I get mine.”

“You’re Jason Freeman, aren’t you?” Andi thought back to the order she’d dropped off just last week—the order that she remarked would pay their rent. From the customer who always had a big order around the same time every month.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Andi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at all this time she’d wasted thinking her mother wasn’t proud of her. “You were my first customer,” Andi said with a tearful smile. “I had the site up for a full week with not one order. Then Mr. Freeman ordered five boxes of assorted chocolates. I wasn’t sure I could do it until that day.”

“It took a week for me to convince your friend to tell me your website,” her mom said. “Otherwise, I would have ordered on day one.”

Andi swallowed back tears, not for the first time that day. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she said again. And again, her mother wrapped her up in a tight, warm hug.

“Let’s get out of here,” her mom finally said. “Dad’s waiting to get some food before we check out this whole Christmas Eve Festival.”

“You’re staying?” Andi asked.

“Where else would we be, but with our girl?” her mom asked. Her mom looped her arm through Andi’s, and the two women walked off toward the car.

“Now, can we talk about fake Tim?” Andi asked as they walked.

“I thought you’d never ask,” her mother said with a laugh.