Married Before Midnight by Sienna Quinn - Chapter 18

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Married Before Midnight


Chapter 18: A Helping Hand and Hidden Schemes


The early morning sun had barely risen over Maplewood when Eleanor Carter wiped the flour from her brow, her hands trembling slightly from exhaustion. The success of Sweet Beginnings Bakery had come faster than any of them had anticipated—orders from The Oak & Ivy Café, a steady stream of takeaway customers, and now, the relentless demand for home deliveries. What had once been a hopeful venture now felt like an unyielding tide threatening to pull them under. Olivia, ever the practical eldest, had been the first to voice what they were all thinking. "We can't keep this up," she said one evening, her voice hoarse from lack of sleep. "Between school and the bakery, we're running ourselves into the ground."


Hannah, perched on the edge of the kitchen table with a ledger in hand, nodded. "We need help. Real help. Someone who can take some of the weight off Mom’s shoulders." And so, the flyers went up—neatly handwritten, promising fair wages for honest work. Applicants trickled in over the next few days, but none seemed right. Mrs. Langgey was too frail to lift the heavy flour sacks, Mr. Dobbs had shifty eyes that made Lillian uneasy, and poor Mrs. Hargrove had nearly set a tray of cookies on fire within minutes of stepping into the kitchen. Then, on a drizzly Thursday afternoon, Lucas Scott walked in. At sixteen, he was tall for his age, with broad shoulders and calloused hands that spoke of a life already hardened by hardship. His dark hair was tousled, his clothes worn but clean, and his eyes—sharp, wary, but undeniably kind—locked onto Eleanor’s with quiet desperation. "I saw the flyer," he said, his voice rough but steady. "I’ll work hard. I don’t mind long hours."


Charlotte, ever the blunt one, crossed her arms. "You’re just a kid." Lucas didn’t flinch. "I’ve been on my own since I was ten. I know how to work." There was something in the way he said it—no self-pity, just fact—that made Eleanor’s heart ache. She exchanged a glance with her daughters, seeing the same reluctant sympathy in their eyes. Hannah leaned forward. "Can you bake?" Lucas hesitated, then shook his head. "No. But I can learn." And that was that. By the end of the week, Lucas had proven himself invaluable. He hauled sacks of flour without complaint, scrubbed pans until they gleamed, and even mastered the art of kneading dough under Eleanor’s patient guidance.


The girls, initially wary, warmed to him quickly—especially Emily, who at six was fascinated by the "big brother" she’d never had. One evening, as Lucas helped Olivia pack the last of the delivery orders, she glanced at him. "You don’t talk much about yourself." He shrugged, sealing a box of pastries with careful precision. "Not much to tell." "You have to have some family," Lillian pressed, peering at him from across the counter. Lucas’s hands stilled for just a second before he resumed his task. "Don’t remember them." Eleanor, watching from the doorway, made a decision then and there. That night, over a dinner of warm bread and stew, she placed a hand on Lucas’s shoulder. "You’re part of this family now," she said softly. "If you’ll have us." Lucas’s throat worked, his eyes suspiciously bright. He nodded once, unable to speak, and Emily cheered, launching herself at him in a hug that nearly toppled his chair. But while the Carters celebrated their newfound unity, trouble was brewing elsewhere.


Sweet Haven Bakery Brenda Miller smoothed her perfectly coiffed hair as she slid into the booth across from Mr. Thompson, the owner of Sweet Haven.


The diner was nearly empty, the clatter of dishes and low hum of conversation providing the perfect cover for their hushed discussion. "You’ve seen how busy they are," Brenda said, her voice dripping with faux concern. "Eleanor’s little home bakery is stealing your customers." Mr. Thompson’s lip curled. "She was my employee. Now she thinks she can compete with me?" Brenda leaned in, her eyes gleaming. "We could remind her where she belongs." A slow, calculating smile spread across Mr. Thompson’s face. "What did you have in mind?" Brenda lowered her voice further. "Their delivery service is their biggest advantage. What if something… disrupted it?" Mr. Thompson chuckled darkly. "I like the way you think."


Back at Sweet Beginnings, the Carters had no idea of the storm gathering on the horizon. As Lucas helped Emily with her math homework at the kitchen table, and Charlotte regaled them with a dramatic retelling of her latest schoolyard triumph, the family was blissfully unaware. But trouble, as it often did, was coming.