Charming by Haig Moses (1st Draft)

Chapter Thirty-Three

WELCOME TO GREATWOOD

What is he doing here?" Danielle's eyes swam through the kitchen and to the boy who sat idly with Walter as they watched the college football game with fever.

    I shrugged my shoulders, for all I knew Alex had unexpectantly shown up and I had yet to explain his appearance at this house. And while I didn't to mind him being here, I did want to know how exactly he knew where I lived. Unsure if Tatiana had shared with him my address or if it was somehow obtained from the school. "I have just as much idea as you do," I exhaled my hands needing the pie crust before rolling it out with he pin.

    Mary Ann Sheffield had been the pastry chef to tech me everything I knew about baking. The delicacies and intricacies that it took. She would always tell me that unlike cooking and chocolate, baking was the one thing whose recipe needed to be followed religiously. In my youth she would place me on the counter and allow me to watch as her nimble finger kneaded dough and mix large bowls of batter. Occasionally she would give me a taste of the icing or allow me to nibble off the cake scrapes she would've thrown away as she worked. Mary Ann and her husband was one of the good foster parents, though despite there being talks about adopting me, I always got the sense that the hesitation came from Mary Ann. Unlike her husband, she had taken the longest to warm up to my presence and I got the feeling that children were never in her future which was why there wasn't really a surprise when the topic of adoption changed to divorce and Martha showed up on their doorstep a few weeks later.

    "Well, if you're not going to figure it out for yourself," Danielle chided before calling out his name. "Oh, Alex!"

    I felt the chagrin rush into my body as I mentally pleaded with Danielle to stop an send him back into the living room. Though, the devious smile on her face told me that she had a plan and was going to instate it as soon as possible.

    Before I could even open my mouth, he was standing before us in the kitchen. His sea green eyes on me as a smile played on his lips. "Is there anything I can do for you ladies?"

    Danielle swooned at his accent and I rolled my eyes. "Actually could you take over for me here," she said as I shot her a wild glare. "I'm such a mess I want to clean myself up before it gets too late."

    "I don't think I'd be much help if I did that."

    "Nonsense," Danielle said waving him towards her. "Trust me when I say you'll be doing better than me, besides if you need any help just ask Harriet here. She's practically the baking queen. You're in good hands." Then without another word, she teetered off upstairs leaving me to deal with the Brit behind me.

    I exhaled and turned to see him smiling at me coyly. "So... what do you need me to do?"

    "Wash your hands first," I said watched as he quickly turned to the sink and scrubbed his hands clean. "Take that knife and peel and cut those apples in quarters and then in slices." I myself had started fitting the crust into the five pie pans. For the county fair tomorrow we'd be doing a blueberry, cherry, pecan, key lime and of course apple.

    Alex stood just inches away from me at the island peeling the apple quicker than I'd given him credit for and setting them in the bowl. We stood in the silence of cluttering knife and steady work until Alex opened his mouth. "Where do you learn to—"

    "Why are you here?" I cut him off, unable to hold the words back. I knew it was rude and brash to just explode with my question, but I needed to know.

    "What?"

    "Why are you here?" I repeated. "How did you even know where I live?"

    Alex's eyebrow raised. "Do you not want me here?"