Sweet Heart (The Hearts of Sawyers Bend #2) - Ivy Layne Page 0,78

behind the bakery, Royal waiting patiently for me to say something and me silent with shock.

Had I just quit the bakery? What was I going to do? I didn't have much saved and no formal education past high school. My apartment came with the job. I would have said Grams would never kick me out, but she'd cut me out of the bakery, so who knew what she'd do?

Royal reached over and took my hand. “You and I need to switch seats.”

I gave him a blank look. Switch seats?

“You're not in any shape to drive. Switch seats with me.” Numb, I did as I was told. When he was settled in the driver's seat, he asked, “Where to? I can take you home to Heartstone. Or we can track down your grandmother and find out how much of your father's bullshit was true.”

I wanted to crawl under the covers of Royal's bed and pretend the entire day hadn't happened. Since the same problems would be waiting for me when I crawled back out, I chose option number two. “Let's find Grams and see what's going on.”

We found her at home, folding laundry in front of a daytime game show. Seeing both of us, a brilliant smile spread across her face. As she took in my grim expression and Royal's lack of a greeting, the smile faded away.

“What's wrong, baby? Is everything alright?”

She started to set down the shirt in her hands, worry clouding her familiar features. Maybe this was just a misunderstanding. Maybe he'd been lying to make a point. Maybe— “Did you tell Dad that he was going to inherit the bakery? That I was just an employee?”

Grams's face fell in dismay. “No, Daisy! Of course not!” Relief coursed through me for a moment until I noticed the way she was twisting the shirt in her hands, her eyes looking past me but not at me.

“Grams?” I prompted.

“It will all work out right in the end. I'm leaving the bakery to Darren, but he has to leave it to you. So, it's yours in the long run…”

It was a hammer blow right to my heart. I must have made a sound, because Grams flinched and Royal was right there, his arm coming around my shoulders. I could barely force my mouth to form words.

“Why would you do that? When did you decide? Just a few months ago we were talking about partnership papers and— Why didn't you tell me you'd changed your mind?”

“Because I didn't. Not really. This just delays things. Your father thought—”

Of course, it was his idea. “I'm not going to be a partner?”

Grams stood, setting the laundry on the couch. “Let me make some coffee, and we'll talk this out.”

“I don't want coffee, Grams. I just want to get this straight. Were you ever going to make me a partner? Was that ever the plan or did you just tell me that to placate me?”

“No, Daisy, baby, I never lied to you. It's just that your father and Sheree—they need stability. I thought—Darren thought—that if they had something to come home to—”

I sucked in a deep breath. “Since you two are so cozy all of a sudden, did you know he just told Royal I didn't want to see him anymore? And then when I interrupted to correct him, he called Royal a man-whore and me a slut. Is that what you think, too?”

Grams went pale. Her eyes turned to Royal, beseeching. “No, Royal, no. Not at all. I'm so sorry Darren was so rude. I've been thrilled you two are together. Daisy's been so happy—” Her voice faded away, and she looked at the floor. When she raised her head, her eyes were wet. “He's my baby.”

“I thought I was your baby.” The plaintive tone of my voice brought tears of humiliation to my eyes. All my life my parents had ignored me, but it was okay because I had Grams. Except now, it seemed that, in the end, I didn’t have her either.

Grams reached for me. I stepped back. I got it now. My dad needed more, so he got more. All my hard work wasn't worth anything. Taking another deep breath to steady myself, I reached for Royal's hand. His fingers closed around mine, holding tight.

“Just so you know,” I began, “I lent Dad the twenty thousand dollars we had saved for the renovations. He had a business plan and spreadsheets and I truly thought he was going to pay us back. You've