Healing Her Soul (Mayflower Series #2)

Chapter 3

The day felt long as Julia sat there behind the counter, snacking on her dinner whilst daydreaming about a certain officer. What? Just because she turned him down or that he irritated her, didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate god’s creation. She was still a woman after all.

Although she enjoyed her daydreams, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of dissatisfaction. Okay, that was putting it very lightly. Ryder had looked crestfallen as he left, and the image had stuck to her. It constantly played on repeat throughout the day, and she felt the remnants of guilt at the bitter words she had spoken.

“What a day!” Breathed Maria as she passed through the kitchen doors and slumped down on a chair by the wall, breaking Julia from her thoughts. Her clothes were covered in flour and her apron dangled loosely from her neck as though untying it from her waist had already taken the life out of her. Her golden blonde hair, Sinclaire’s signature feature, sat atop her head in a messy bun that looked like it had endured a hurricane.

Julia automatically made them both tea and placed Maria’s cup in front of her, “Good job today, boss!”

Maria yanked the apron off her neck and tossed it onto the next table. She took a deep breath and sighed as she slumped back down in her seat. Suddenly, she sat upright, her eyebrows raised as she scanned the bakery. Julia could sense what she was scanning for and she almost rolled her eyes. She could see the small hint of disappointment in Maria’s eyes before she gestured for Julia to take a seat.

Resisting the urge to narrow her eyes at her boss, Julia slid into the chair across from her, quietly sipping her tea.

Maria took a sip from her own cup and hummed in appreciation. She is a natural beauty even if she was covered in flour. Maria had come from a very influential family, and as such, even her mannerisms were sophisticated without her realising it.

Julia admired Maria’s strength to stick to the bakery even when it clashed with her family’s wishes. Maria hardly ever talked about her past and her family, but Julia could tell it had been dark times for her. She knew the 'look' very well.

“So…..Ryder came by today, huh?”

Julia nearly spat out her tea, but instead, settled for choking. She had been hoping all day that Maria was less of a busybody than Ellen.

“How many times did he visit today? Just the morning? Or did he come by during lunch too?” Maria asked innocently, although there was nothing innocent about the smug look on her face.

“Good god, what is with you and Ellen?” Questioned Julia with a look of irritation. These cousins were peas in a pod. “There is nothing going on between me and Ryder.”

“So just this morning then?” Maria teased before sipping innocently on her tea.

Julia glared at her before getting up to grab a cloth to wipe the mess.

“Oh come on,” Maria whined, “It’s been a long day. Just humour me.”

“Well….Fine,” Julia muttered, giving into her whiny boss, for whom she had a soft spot for. “If you must know….. He visited in the morning. That’s all.”

“He did!” Maria squealed in excitement.

Sometimes Julia wondered if they were truly the same age, because surely, girls their age should be over ‘boys’ by now. Right? But… Maria’s excitement tended to be infectious and it did send the tiniest of smiles onto Julia. No harm talking about boys now…was there?

“And… Yes, he asked me out again,” she mumbled.

“Oooohhhhhhhhhh!!!! A date!!!!”

Julia immediately dropped the cloth in her hand and covered her ears. Where did all that energy come from? Maybe serving her tea wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“I said no. And no, I don’t want to talk about it,” she rushed out the moment the ringing in her ears had stopped.

Instantly, Maria’s excitement died off. She let out a small huff and quickly finished her tea in one gulp. Good, operation ‘shut-Maria’s-unwanted-imagination-down’ worked.

“Fine. Be a spoiled sport,” pouted Maria as she got up to clear her cup. “As punishment for ruining the fun, I’m not going to accompany you until it’s time to lock up.”

“You going on a date tonight?’ Julia teased, only to receive Maria’s mischievous smile. “With a certain farm hand?”

“Not going to spill if you don’t,” Maria winked as she hung up her apron and grabbed her bag from behind the counter. “I’ve cleaned the kitchen so be sure to lock up the place properly. Good night!”

“Good night!” Julia called after her as she left.

Maria may seem bold and confident, but Julia knew how shy she became when it came to actual talks about Noah, the farm hand at the Smiths' farm. They were both shy beings when it came to matters of the heart. They had feelings for each other and it was plain as day, but neither were willing to take that first step. Thus, the world around them could only watch as they danced around each other like some Korean drama.

Julia sighed as she began washing the cups. It was a few more hours before she could close the shop. Maria had given her a choice of swapping some nights with Ellen, but Julia needed the money. After all, Maddie’s school fees weren’t cheap, and every cent counted.

A few lazy hours passed by until, finally, Julia ushered the final customer out and began closing up the shop. She did her usual routine of sorting the accounts, locking up the day's earnings, and arranging the tables and chairs. As she reached for a bag in the cabinet, ready to call it a day, she heard the beep of her phone.

She pulled out her phone. It was a message from an unknown number.

‘Hi.’

Strange. It was a local number, yet she did not recognise it. She did, however, hear of a recent rise in scam calls and messages in the news lately. Shrugging it off, she blocked the number and shoved her phone back in her pocket. There was no way she would bother with such scams.

She swiped her keys off of the counter and shut off the lights.

The cool night air hit her as she exited the bakery. After locking the doors, she turned around to face the road and took in a deep breath of the cool air to clear her mind. The night was calm and quiet. She felt at peace as she took in her surroundings. Life was good. Yes, there were frustrations here and there, but compared to her life before, it was…good.

What if she could forget her past and officer Judy altogether? She could live here for the rest of her life. Maybe one day she will get to play with a niece or a nephew if Max and Maddie ever decide to have kids. Who knows, maybe one day she could even say yes to having a man in her life again.

Somehow, the longer she stayed in Mayflower, the more she could see the possibility of staying. With a tiny smile etched on her lips, she took a step forward, ready to go home.

Julia strolled along the sidewalk as her mind wandered. Would Ryder visit the bakery tomorrow? Somehow her rejection felt a little different. She had never used the word ‘never’ before. Could this time be the last straw for him?

Suddenly, she felt the hairs along the back of her neck begin to stand. Something felt off. She looked around, only to notice how oddly silent the night had become. Was she overthinking? Maybe she was, yet she could not shake the feeling of being watched.

That was when she heard it; the distinct sound of tyres moving ever so slowly against the bitumen road.

She turned her head toward the sound, only to spot a black SUV a distance away moving at an oddly slow speed. Its windows were tinted, and the new polish reflected against the light of the lampposts along the road. Was it just her imagination or was the SUV following her?

It was probably all in her mind, because she had obviously spotted it yet the car kept at a constant speed. Surely, if it were following her, it would have sped off or stopped to not arouse suspicion, right? Turning back around, she began walking a little faster, just to be on the safe side. All the while, trying her best to ignore the anxiety she felt. However, with each step, she felt herself begin to panic. What if it was indeed following her?

The louder the tyres sounded, the more she could hear the soft purr of the vehicle engine. Alarm bells rang off at the back of her mind. It was getting closer. Good god, it was getting closer to her.

Nope. Nope. No no no. She was not ready for this. This cannot be happening.

Immediately, her instincts took over. She would make a run for it. She would sprint for her life if she had to. Did it make sense? Who cares? Without a second thought, she took a giant leap forward.

Blinding lights and a blazing horn filled the air. Julia felt the air in her lungs disappear as her defence mechanism kicked in. She crouched down in an instant, with her eyes tightly shut. She shifted her arms over her head to hug it tightly and protect it. She could see nothing nor hear anything. All she could focus on was the pounding of her heartbeat as she sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening up there for her to survive through this moment.