Free Sweet Dreams (The Bakery Romance Series Book 3) by Cecelia Dowdy Page A

their trek to the rented car. The humid Florida heat sweltered around them. Sterling unlocked the car doors, wiping his brow. “It’s hot out here.” He rushed over to her side of the car and opened her door for her. Misty hesitated, studied him. Her heart skipped a beat. This was the first time a man had ever opened her car door for her. But, Sterling had taken her to work and urgent care the other day. Had he opened the door for her then? He probably had, but, she’d been so ill that she had not taken note of his kind gesture.
    He gestured toward the open door. “What’s wrong? Are you upset about me taking you to your mom’s?” He actually looked worried, as if his actions would upset her. She needed to make sure her reaction didn’t make him feel uneasy. She wanted him to feel as comfortable as possible while they drove to her mom’s.
    “Don’t pay me any attention. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” She got into the car and strapped her seatbelt. She continued to peer at him while he buckled his seatbelt. He no longer looked worried, and that was a relief.
    When they were comfortably situated in the vehicle, he started the engine and fiddled with the GPS. “What’s your mother’s address?”
    She recited the address and he entered the information. “You should rest while I’m driving.” He turned the radio on. “Do you have a favorite radio station?”
    She shook her head. “Anything you want to play is fine.” She closed her eyes as the soulful sound of gospel swirled through the car, the harmonious voices of singers praising Jesus soothing her soul. She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until a gentle hand nudged her shoulder. “Misty, we’re here.”
    She forced her eyes open. Tears slid down her cheeks when she spotted her mom’s familiar house. After getting out of the car, she rushed to the small white structure, receiving a sudden burst of energy. She swung the door open and scampered through the living room toward the sound of Jennifer’s chatter in the kitchen. She rushed into the room. Her mom and her daughter sat at the table. Jennifer sat in a booster seat, eating a cup of fruit cocktail. Her heart thudded as she ran to the table, swiping her daughter in a huge hug. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she kissed her daughter’s hair, enjoyed the wonderful scent of baby powder and lotion. She sniffed, running her fingers over Jennifer’s kinky hair.
    “Mommy! You’re squeezing me too tight.”
    “I’m sorry, baby. I missed you so much!” The nightly phone calls were a poor substitute to having her baby in her arms. She sniffed, setting her back into the chair.
    Misty’s mother pulled her into her arms. “Hi, Honey.” 
    She shared a hug with her mother and they sat at the table. “Where are Lisa and Kim?” She asked about her two older sisters.
    Her mother rolled her eyes, as she got up from the table. She started a pot of coffee. “Where do you think? Both of them were gone all night last night with their boyfriends. They still haven’t come home.” She shook her head. “They both should be back later because I know they’ve got stuff around here to do before they go to work in the morning.”
    Misty sighed. Her sisters’ behavior started to bother her after she’d accepted Christ, and she didn’t want to raise Jennifer in a house where her sisters were always bringing home different boyfriends and staying out all night.
    Her mother’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Lisa’s only known this dude for two weeks and she’s already talking to him every day, staying at his house most of the weekend.” Her mother shook her head, as if saddened by the news. “Like usual, he’ll probably dump her before long. I just wish that I’d had a father around to raise you girls better—”
    She placed her hand on her mother’s arm, halting the speech she’d grown tired of hearing over the years. “Mom, don’t. You did the best you could and we’re fine.”
    Her