My Bittersweet Summer Read Online Free

kid. Sometimes they were the only things I could keep down with my stomach issues back then. Maybe if I played my cards right and got on her good side, I’d figure out her secret to making my ultimate comfort food.
    Checking for traffic, I crossed the small width of Main Street and opened up the elegantly frost-framed door to the bakery. Looking around, the interior had gotten a sleek new update, with pale gray fern leaves winding their painted way across icy blue walls, and two white, floral-themed cake tables in the window, but the feel of the place was the same, courtesy of the luscious scent hanging in the air, and likely permeating the wooden floorboards. It smelled of espresso, butter, and sugar.
    It smelled like comfort.
    The bell on the door jangled as I closed it behind me, and a woman popped up from behind the glass bakery case, a touch of powdered sugar clinging to the end of a dark blonde lock of hair hanging in front of her ear.
    “Good afternoon,” she said warmly, brushing her hands against the skirt of her gray apron. “Welcome to Edelweiss.”
    “Mrs. Plummer?” I asked, double-checking I had the right person.
    “That’s me. What can I help you with, young lady?”
    I eyed the case as I approached, excited to see my favorite treat sitting on the top shelf. “I’m Margaret Walsh. My mom sent me to pick up some boxes?”
    Her blue eyes widened. “Margie?”
    My cheeks flushed at her reaction. “Yes, ma’am.”
    With an excited squeal, Elena Plummer hurried out from around the counter to hug me tightly. “Oh my goodness, you’re so grown up! Look at you!” She pulled away from me, beaming. “Destiny will be so excited you’re here for the summer. We weren’t sure you’d come.”
    “Well,” I grinned, sheepish, “here I am.”
    She squeezed my shoulders and retreated to the back. “Wait one minute. I’ll get Janet’s order.”
    As she collected whatever it was, I hovered over the bakery case, gazing at the snickerdoodle cupcakes with their dusting of sugar crystals and cinnamon. I suddenly regretted my decision to leave my purse at home, but I hadn’t considered I might want to buy something.
    “Here we are,” Mrs. Plummer said, setting two foot-long boxes on the counter, a third smaller square one on the top. She pulled out a scrap of receipt tape and handed it to me along with a pen. “If it’s okay, could you leave a phone number for Destiny? She’ll be upset with me if I don’t at least ask.”
    I smiled. “Oh, sure.” I scribbled down my cell number. “Tell her she can text me or whatever, tonight if she wants.” Writing my name over the number, I added a little smiley face after, hoping it would encourage her to get in touch. Destiny had been one of the very few people I remembered fondly from my childhood, mostly because whenever she was around the other kids mostly left me alone. Unlike me, her parents had no qualms about letting their daughter throw a punch when the situation required it. Only two kids had to learn that the hard way, the rest didn’t need to be told.
    I handed over the paper and smiled as I picked up the boxes, noting a very familiar scent of snickerdoodle cupcakes wafting from the smallest package. “Thanks, Mrs. Plummer. Good to see you again.” I opened the door, stepping back out onto the breezy street.
    The van wasn’t far, and I stashed the boxes in the back, cramming them in between the other stuff my parents had to take to Le Beau Tournée. Locking it behind me, I headed down the street to offer opinions on napkins to my mom.
    Halfway to the linen shop, I jerked to a stop. A sleek black car pulled up to the curb, a uniformed driver exiting to let the rear passengers out. Three guys tumbled out the back, laughing loudly at some inappropriate joke one of them told seconds before. Panicked, I ducked into a tiny space in between two shops on the pretense of adjusting my sandal buckle. I wasn’t completely sure, but those guys looked familiar