Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1) Read online

  This was the first time she’d been attracted to a man since Stan died. Maybe once the retreat was over, she’d forget about Martin. Perhaps her attraction to Martin was God’s indication that it was time for her to stop grieving and move on.

  “When I returned from running my errand, I stopped at the front desk. There’s a meeting room in the lobby. We can close the door for privacy, but, the room has windows, so anybody walking by can see us.”

  They continued walking. “So, we’re eating dinner in this private meeting room?”

  “Yes-”

  She stumbled on a tree root, falling into Martin’s arms. The brief touch of his muscled arms around her waist caused a delicious, tingling feeling to flow through her. His well-defined mouth was just inches away from her lips. Good gracious, was he going to kiss her? He pulled his arms away, taking a few steps back. “Are you okay?”

  She smelled his intoxicating cologne, leaning against a nearby tree. “I’m fine.” For an insane moment, she actually wanted to stay in Martin’s arms. This was crazy! She needed to stop this silly, juvenile infatuation and focus. First, she needed to speak with Martin about saving her bakery. Maybe he knew some tips that might help her since he’d worked in the food industry. Second, she needed to speak with him about Raven. Did he have feelings for her sister? Chances were, if he did have feelings for Raven, they were superficial because he had not been returning Raven’s phone calls and he’d barely mentioned her during this retreat.

  But, who was she to judge how Martin felt? He may have feelings for her sister and just didn’t want to talk about them with her. Or, if he didn’t have deep feelings for Raven now, it’s possible that his feelings could grow as he got to know Raven better.

  The song “Silver Bells” buzzed from her phone. Seeing it was Candy, she answered it. “Hi, Candy. Is everything okay?” She continued to lean against the tree, her mind still spinning.

  “No, everything is not okay. The mixer stopped working.”

  She gripped the receiver. “Are you sure?” Perhaps Candy forgot to plug it in. This would not have been the first time she’d forgotten to do a simple task.

  “No, I’m not kidding. It smelled bad, like the motor was burning or something.”

  Rhea closed her eyes. The mixer was industrial-sized, and she’d need to call a repair man to fix it, which she didn’t have the money for right now. After she got her loan from Raven, perhaps she’d have enough extra to repair the mixer. “Do you have enough goods to sell for the rest of the day?”

  “Yes, but after today we need to get this fixed.”

  She clutched her phone. What should she do? “I need some time to figure out what to do. I’ll call you back.” She had to skip the next event and go back to her cabin. Once Raven loaned her the money, she still needed to decide how she’d keep her business afloat. She should take the rest of the day to map out a plan for survival. She disconnected the call. Groaning, she jammed the phone back into her pocket and kicked the tree trunk.

  Martin approached. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head, balling her hands into fists. “I’m mad. That was my assistant. Our industrial-sized mixer just broke and I have to get it fixed. I’m hoping…” she stopped, realizing Martin had no idea about Raven loaning her the funds to keep her business afloat.

  “You’re hoping…what?”

  “It’s not important. I need to think about how to save my business and my mixer breaking is just another problem that I have to resolve.” She folded her arms in front of her chest, glaring at the nearby trees. “I don’t need this right now.”

  He squeezed her shoulder. “Just calm down. I’ll help you. I can come to your bakery next week and take a look.”

  “Take a look?”

  “Yes, I might be able to repair your mixer. I’m pretty good at fixing things…sometimes. If I can’t repair it, my cousin’s a handyman and he owes me a favor. He might be able to fix it.”

  Rhea’s awful day brightened. She raised her eyebrows, staring into Martin’s chocolate brown eyes. “You really think you can help?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe.”

  If he fixed her mixer, that’d be wonderful. So kind of him to offer when he didn’t even know her very well. Martin seemed like a busy man – yet, he was taking time out of his schedule to help her. Was he offering because he was just a nice guy, or, was he helping simply because she was Raven’s twin? Either way, his kind gesture just proved another reason why Raven may have fallen for Martin. Raven usually dated men who had a wild streak, but, Martin appeared tame, kind, and caring. Maybe her sister’s taste in men was changing and she was getting more mature in her relationships.

  He looked at his watch. “Since I’m speaking at the next session, I can’t be late. Come and hear me preach--”

  She frowned. “Preach?”

  He nodded. “Yes. What’s the matter?”

  “You just said you wanted me to hear you preach. You say that like you’re a pastor or something.”

  He raised his thick eyebrows. “Yes, I am. Didn’t your sister tell you? That’s why they invited me to this retreat. I thought you knew.”

  She took a deep breath. Whoa, how could she not know about that? Thoughts of the retreat filtered through her mind – Martin’s kind, gentle ways, how he’d failed to come to breakfast because of church problems. Was his church as problematic as Stan’s? Was most of Martin’s time spent ministering to his flock? Now it made sense why she’d been so attracted to Martin – he reminded her of Stan.

  Now that she knew his profession, her attraction to Martin was sure to fizzle quicker than bubbles escaping from soda pop. After her preacher husband was killed almost two years ago, she’d vowed to never get involved with another minister.

  *

  Martin paused, staring at her for a few seconds. What was he thinking? He gestured down the wooded path. “Come on, I have to be on time to speak.” He walked quickly and Rhea struggled to keep up with his long-legged stride. “Slow down.”

  He slowed his pace, giving her a chance to catch up. “Sorry. I can’t be late.” He continued walking. “If it’s okay with you, after my sermon, let’s go to the meeting room in the hotel lobby to start talking about your bakery.”

  “That’s fine.” The previous day, he’d mentioned his strict study schedule. Hopefully, spending time discussing her bakery would not cut into his study time very much. She spotted the large meeting cabin in the distance. Martin glanced at his watch. “Good, we’re here.” Soothing relief filled his voice, making her insides warm. When they entered, Rhea saw that the cabin was half-full of attendees. Zora glared at Rhea.

  Now, the truth slammed into her with the speed of a freight train. Zora was probably attracted to Martin because he was a pastor! Her crazy behavior made a bit of sense, in a weird, haphazard way.

  While she’d dated Stan, she saw, firsthand, how some women seemed to idolize pastors. Why? Rhea had never been able to figure it out. But, as soon as some women heard that a pastor was single, they’d go crazy, wanting to get to know the pastor better, spend time with him.

  She’d often wondered if the women dreamed about becoming first lady, and that was their incentive for capturing the interest of a pastor. Or, if there was some sort of wonderful feeling, being with a man who led a congregation?

  She’d encountered determined women, like Zora, who wanted to be with a pastor so badly, that they made it their mission. Most weren’t as emotionally-distraught as Zora. However, she could imagine, if she were to ever date Martin, that they’d encounter other women, like Zora, who would be steadfast in pursuing a preacher.

  Was Zora upset because Rhea had entered the cabin with Martin? Ignoring Zora, Rhea found a seat near the back of the room.

  Mrs. Barnes, the conference director, stepped up to the microphone. “I’d like to introduce Pastor Martin Lane as our guest speaker this afternoon. If you want to know more about him, be sure to read the write-up in the brochure.” Smiling, Martin
walked up to the podium as Mrs. Barnes went to her chair.

  His eyes swept the room, making eye contact with every attendee. Rhea swallowed as Martin looked directly at her. Her heart thudded, memories of Stan gripping her. Stan used to start his sermons just like this—complete silence for a few seconds as he scanned the room with his eyes, making sure he connected with every person. “Rhea, I want to make eye contact with everybody, let them know I care about their soul,” he used to say.

  Martin smiled at her and her face heated.

  “Let’s pray.” He bowed his head. “Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day. Thank you so much for this opportunity to speak at this retreat. Lord, help us to open our hearts and listen to your word, Father. I want to pray for all the needs for everybody in this room right now. In Jesus’s name, Amen.”

  Rhea opened her eyes and spotted Zora a few rows in front of her, turning to glare at her. She glared back and Zora quickly focused on Martin again.

  “I find that many single people feel unfulfilled and incomplete since they’re not married. I’ve never been married, but just from being the assistant pastor of my church, I can tell you that marriage can bring a whole set of problems. When you pray for a mate, be sure you know you’re praying for another whole set of problems that goes with marriage.”

  Martin continued his sermon, using verses cited from Corinthians, about singleness. Rhea listened to every word, mesmerized. Martin’s voice, his caring nature, the way he delivered his sermon made it seem like he really cared about every person in the room.

  If Martin were married, what kind of husband would he be? Would he always place his congregation’s needs above the needs of his family? What kind of father would he be? What would it be like to see Martin every day, spending quiet time together talking?

  These questions buzzed in her mind like bees to honey. Her thoughts about Martin would not cease. She needed to pay attention to his sermon, and remember the real reason why she was attending this retreat.

  Raven, she needed to focus on her sister. Raven was giving her a loan so that Rhea would not be homeless. Raven’s feelings for Martin may be genuine, and Rhea needed to respect that. She bowed her head, staring at the floor, still listening to Martin’s words about singleness. Raven needed to hear this. Had Martin shared snippets of his sermon with her sister? Raven struggled with her singleness, and perhaps, Martin’s sermon could help her.

  Maybe Raven had fantasized about being married to Martin, just as Rhea had done moments ago. Lord, I’m struggling, right now. I feel as if my thoughts about Martin are making me dishonest towards my sister. After the retreat, what’ll happen? Will Martin and Raven be dating? Should they? Raven’s always been leery of Christianity and religion – is she the right woman for Martin? Please, help me, Lord. Amen.

  “I want to wrap this up by stating this: don’t focus on getting married. Focus on being active, happy, serving the Lord. If it’s the Lord’s will, then you will find a spouse.” He bowed his head, again praying for the needs of everyone attending the retreat. When Rhea opened her eyes, she spotted Martin still standing at the podium. “Let’s sing ‘Amazing Grace.’”

  Martin’s deep voice started the hymn, and Rhea stood with the rest of the crowd, gripping the chair in front of her. That had been Stan’s favorite song and when Martin sang it, his deep voice praising the Lord, he reminded her so much of her deceased husband. Soon everybody joined in, but Rhea couldn’t move her lips, she was so focused on Martin. It was almost as if, she’d been traveling back in time, back to the wonderful days she’d been married to Stan. Although those days had been wonderful, they’d had their share of problems. Martin’s faith, his love for preaching, his caring nature, all of that appealed to her. Even if she never saw Martin after this retreat, she knew he was someone she’d never forget.

  Finally the song wound down, Martin came over to her seat. While Mrs. Barnes stood at the podium, introducing their next speaker, Martin gestured toward the door. Rhea stood, followed him to the exit. Once they were outside, Rhea turned toward him. “I loved your sermon.”

  He gave her a curt, short nod. “Thanks.”

  Birds twittered from the sky and the golden sun shined on his brown arms. She stepped away from him. She really needed to ignore her attraction to Martin.

  Her bakery. She needed to focus on her business. She swallowed, finally finding her voice. “You’d said that you could help me with my bakery.”

  “I think I can. Let’s go to the meeting room that I reserved in the lobby. I think we can come up with a business plan.”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked toward the main cabin. Glancing at his long, muscular legs and strong biceps, she figured she could ignore her attraction, as long as they stayed focused on her business.

  Chapter Seven

  Martin opened the door to the meeting room located in the lobby, gesturing for Rhea to enter first. The small space reminded him of the library study room he’d used while he’d been an undergrad. The only furniture was one rectangular table and six chairs. The long paneled windows provided a nice view of the front desk.

  One of the female cleaning staff was leaving a coffee pot, creamer and sugar at the side counter, just as he’d requested when he’d reserved the room. “Thank you,” he said to the worker.

  She shrugged. Did she speak English? He glanced at her nametag. Guadalupe. “Gracias, Guadalupe.” He gestured toward the coffee pot, smiling.

  Guadalupe grinned. “De nada.” She pointed to an empty tray. “Le gustaría algunas galletas más tarde?”

  Cookies? Later? Sounded like a great idea. He wasn’t sure how long their meeting would last and cookies would be a nice way to take a break. He nodded. “Sí. Gracias.”

  Guadalupe scanned the room, as if making sure everything was in place, before lifting the tray and leaving, closing the door behind her.

  He pulled out a chair for Rhea. “Why don’t you sit down so we can get started?”

  Rhea settled into the chair, resting her chin in her hand, staring at him. He made himself comfortable in the chair beside her, giving her a sideways glance. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.”

  He shrugged. “Lots of people speak Spanish, it’s no big deal.”

  “But, it sounds like you speak it fluently.”

  He shrugged again. “Yeah, so?”

  “How did you learn to speak it so well?”

  “I went to a bi-lingual nursery school.”

  “A bi-lingual nursery school?” She sounded like she didn’t believe him.

  “Yes. My mom wanted me to learn to speak a foreign language. For some reason, it was important to her. I went to private schools after that, taking Spanish every year. We had a Hispanic cleaning lady for years and she only spoke Spanish to me, gave me a chance to practice the language.”

  He took a deep breath. “Knowing Spanish has really helped me with my homeless ministry.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “You have a homeless ministry?”

  “Yes.” Apparently, they didn’t know very much about one another. He still had lots of questions about Rhea’s background, but, he wasn’t sure if she was ready to open up to him yet. Since she seemed intrigued, he decided to tell her more about his ministry. “A while back, I started a homeless ministry in my father’s church.”

  “You mean like a soup kitchen?”

  “No, not really. We don’t work in a building or anything like that. We get sandwiches and coffee from a fast food restaurant and serve them to the homeless.” He took a deep breath. “I noticed a lot of the homeless spoke Spanish, and being fluent in the language has enabled me to reach out to them, share the gospel while I share food.”

  She touched his arm, her warm fingers causing sparks of delight to spread on his skin. “Martin, that is so amazing.” She pulled her hand away, shoving her hands beneath the table, as if ashamed about touching him. What was she thinking?

>   “If you want, the next time we go, you can come with us if you’re not busy working in your bakery.”

  She nodded. “I’ll come if I can.” She sighed. “I just feel kind of bad.”

  “Bad? About what?”

  “Well, I’ve been working in my bakery for two years and never thought to reach out to feed the homeless. Do you know how much food I throw away each year?”

  “Rhea, that’s the way America is. We throw away food every day, yet we have people on the streets with nothing to eat.”

  “That’s true.”

  He cleared his throat. “I’d like to tell you more about my church and my ministry, but, if it’s okay with you, we need to get started talking about your bakery.”

  She sat up straighter in her chair, looking directly at him. “Yes, I’m interested in hearing what you have to say.”

  “Remember I told you that I used to work in a bakery?”

  She nodded. “Yes?”

  “Well, I didn’t tell you everything. I owned a successful bakery. Have you ever heard of The Sugar Train? It was featured on the Food Channel once.”

  Rhea’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes sparkled. She slammed her hand against the table and stood. “That’s where I’ve seen you before!”

  “Huh?”

  “Since Raven showed me your picture, it’s been bugging me because you looked so familiar. Now I know where I’ve seen you.”

  She settled back into her seat. “Stan was still alive when I’d seen your episode on TV. I remember your episode because your bakery featured unique desserts. So, you’re the owner of The Sugar Train?”

  “Former owner,” he quickly corrected. “I’m in grad school full-time right now.”

  She leaned toward him. “You’re in grad school, and you’re a pastor?”

  He paused. “I’m the assistant pastor of my church. I’m in divinity school, too.” He didn’t want to talk about his pastoral duties right now. She obviously had issues with his profession. They’d talk about that later. Right now, they needed to focus on saving her business. “I loved working in my own bakery.”