After a few seconds of disorientation, she realized she’d dozed off while taking a bath. She shivered and climbed out of the tub, wrapping herself in a towel. The room smelled like baking bread, a mixture of rosemary, Italian seasoning, and maybe a sprinkling of mozzarella. She tugged on her clothes and opened the bathroom door. Anna found Lily sleeping on the couch, her head leaning against the back cushions and her legs still stretched on the coffee table that was empty of everything. The living room felt too humid and sticky. The odor of a hot oven hung in the air like low-lying storm clouds. Someone had put the mugs in the kitchen sink. Tessa appeared to have gone home. When Anna turned from the sink, she noticed the door to the staircase leading to the bakery was open. She stepped to the door to close it, but the lights in the bakery’s kitchen were on. That’s when Anna heard someone moving around downstairs. Her breath caught in her throat. Had Eli returned? She rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping over her bare feet as she stumbled down the last few steps.
