Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2)(91)

"I hadn't realized there was someone else, but I guess I should have known. You're too amazing to be alone. I apologize for bothering you. Good-bye, Lina."

"Good-bye, Scott," she said to his retreating figure as he walked away from the bakery. Feeling seventy-three instead of forty-three, Lina slowly reentered the bakery. Anton, Dolores, and just about every other face in the store looked up at her expectantly, but when they saw that she was alone, they looked quickly away.

"I think I'l cal it quits early today," Lina said.

"Oh, no problem, boss lady." Anton smiled at her and gave her arm a motherly pat.

"Yeah, we can take care of locking up," Dolores said. "You need some time off. You've been working real y hard."

Anton nodded. "Why don't you sleep in tomorrow, and then go for a nice massage and a facial. You know, from that place you found a few months ago. Remember, you said that they knew how to treat you like a goddess."

"Want me to cal and set up an appointment for you?" Dolores asked.

"No, I'l be fine," Lina said, grabbing her purse and her jacket, "but you're right. I think I need to sleep in tomorrow." She tried to smile at them, but her lips didn't form much more than a grimace.

"Oh, by the way, we're almost out of the ambrosia cream cheese. You better make some more soon. Or... you could let us in on your secret recipe," Dolores said, waggling her eyebrows at her boss.

"Yeah, we've already promised not to sel it to terrorists, or to Hostess, even though it would breathe new life into their dreadful Twinkies." Anton shuddered dramatical y. Lina ral ied her sense of humor. "A girl has to have some secrets of her own." She winked at Anton and slung her purse over her shoulder. "I'l see you tomorrow afternoon, and I'l have a new tub of ambrosia cream cheese with me." She tried to swing jauntily through the door. Her employees watched her go. As soon as she was out of sight, they met behind the counter and put their heads together.

"Something's wrong with her," Dolores said.

"Wel , of course there is, she broke up with that young stud," Anton said.

"It's more than that." Dolores sighed. "She liked Scott, but I never got the feeling that he meant more to her than a good time. Breaking up with him shouldn't make her this sad." Anton thought about it and nodded. "You're right. It is something else. She's not herself - again. Remember how weird she acted last spring?"

"Of course I remember, but she was worried about losing the bakery."

"Wel , she saved Pani Del Goddess, and it did her good. She changed her whole image. She bought different clothes, started rol er skating along the river. I swear she lost ten pounds." Dolors nodded. "She even changed her hair."

" And she started dating young men. Adorable young men," Anton said.

"So, what's the point? That's al old news. What does that have to do with what's going on with her now?" Dolores asked.

Anton shrugged his shoulders. "Could be some kind of delayed stress reaction. Or maybe a tragic split-personality syndrome that is manifesting in her middle-age." Dolores rol ed her eyes at him. "You've got to stop watching so much Discovery Health Channel. How about this: it could be that she worked herself too hard and now she needs a vacation."

"Oh, poo! You always spoil the dramatic effect," Anton said.

"Let's just agree to keep an eye on her and take as much work off her shoulders as we can. Okay?"

"Okay."

Chapter 26

" Yes! Yes! Yes! I know - I love you, too." Lina struggled to get in the door, past her overenthusiastic, slobbering bulldog. "Edith Anne, wil you behave? Let me take off my coat and put down my purse." The bul dog backed off half a step, stil whining and wriggling. Patchy Poo the Pud jumped down from his perch on the chaise and was rubbing himself against her legs, complaining in indignant meows that she wasn't giving him enough attention, either.

"Crazy animals," she muttered, hanging up her coat. "Okay, come here." She sat in the middle of the hal and let Edith climb into her lap while she scratched Patch under his chin. The bulldog licked her happily. The cat purred. Lina sighed. "Wel , at least the two of you missed the real me." Her pets looked as well -fed and healthy as they had the night before Demeter had transported her away, but from the moment she'd reappeared in the middle of her living room, the two of them hadn't wanted to let her out of their sight. They fol owed her from room to room. Patchy Poo the Pud had even gone as far as to sit outside of the bathroom and yowl if she didn't let him in with her. "You two need to relax," she told the adoring creatures. But secretly she liked it that they were so pleased that she was back. At least she wasn't a disappointment to them. Everyone else kept looking at her like she'd suddenly grown a third eye. No, that wasn't it. People didn't treat her like she was doing anything weird, they were treating her like she wasn't doing something, like they kept expecting more from her. How had Persephone been more like Lina than Lina was like herself? She sighed and gently pushed Edith Anne off her lap. Persephone was a goddess. Of course people wanted Lina to be like her. Who wouldn't rather be around a goddess?

Hades... Her thoughts whispered his name before she could stop herself. Hades had liked being with her more than he had liked being with any goddess.