* * * *
Ginny paused on the sidewalk outside her shop, a sense of satisfaction washing through her. Her shop was in what had once been a small, single-story white house with red trim. She had planted a variety of red flowers along the brick path that led to the house. There were large pots of red flowers on each side of the front door.
She had made a success of her business all on her own. It hadn’t been easy. At first, she had been nervous and uncertain, but she had forged ahead, refusing to let her fears hold her back. It had been tough for a while. There had been times when she had been afraid she was in over her head, times when she had feared she might have to go to her dad and ask for a loan. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened.
The bell over the door chimed softly when she opened it.
“Ginny!” Anita smiled broadly as she hurried toward her. Anita Croft had been working with Ginny from day one. Anita stood barely five feet tall. She had a mane of red hair, brown eyes, and a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. “It’s about time you got back,” Anita scolded. “Lord, I missed you.”
“I missed you, too. How did it go with Shipman?”
“Shipman! I swear, doing business with that man is like trying to herd cats!”
“What about the sofa?”
"He had a hissy fit but he finally agreed to take it back. The right one should be here in two weeks.”
“Was Mrs. Howard upset?”
“No, she decided the delay would give her time to repaint the living room.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Anna Mae came in looking to buy a new dining room table, but she didn’t find anything she liked.” Anita shook her head. “You should have seen the dress she was wearing. I swear, that woman’s taste is all in her mouth, bless her heart.”
Ginny grinned. Anna Mae Muggins was the town gossip.
“I tried to call you earlier. Guess what? Miz Greene wants us to redo her whole house, upstairs and downstairs, and even the guest house out back.”
Ginny stared at Anita, but all she could see were dollar signs. Eulalie Greene was married to the richest man in town, maybe the richest man in the whole state. “Do you know what this means?”
“Does it mean I’ll get a raise?”
“Yes, a raise and a partnership.”
“Ginny!” Anita squealed. “Do you mean it?”
“I mean it.”
“Oh! Oh! I don’t know what to say.”
“Do we have an appointment with Mrs. Greene?”
“Not yet. She said for us to call the minute you got back.”
“All right, why don’t you do that now? I’ve got a few things to take of.”
“All right.” Grinning, Anita went into her office to use the phone.
Ginny went into her own office and closed the door. What a great homecoming, she thought as she dialed Jake’s number at the garage. Decorating the Greene house would put them in the black for the rest of the year and then some.
The phone rang five times before he picked it up. “Jake’s Garage.”
Her stomach quivered at the sound of his voice. “Hi, Jake, it’s Ginny.”
“Ginny! I’ve been trying to call you all day. Where the devil have you been? I’ve been all over Norco looking for you.”
“I’m home.”
“About time. Where did go so early? Did you call your assistant? What did she say?”
“I’m not at my sister’s house. I mean my home, in Crystal Springs.
There was an ominous silence before he said, “Oh.”
“I tried to call you before I left,” Ginny said, “but you’d gone to L.A. I tried calling your house, but no one answered and when I tried to call you again, my phone was dead.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“It doesn’t?”
“You’re there, I’m here. Have you talked to Mr. Three Piece Suit yet?”
Ginny frowned, her stomach knotting at the sudden coolness in his voice. “No, why?”
She imagined she could see him shrugging. “Just curious,” he replied.
“Listen, Jake, I had a good reason for leaving.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you did.”
“Fine, believe what you want to believe,” she snapped. She had to break up with Carter and then she had to tell her folks. Aunt Gen was in the hospital, perhaps dying. She didn’t have time for this. “Good bye, Jake.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. She slammed the receiver onto the cradle, sat back in her chair, and let the tears fall.
* * * *
Jake stared at the receiver in his hand. Damn! He couldn’t have handled that any worse if he’d tried. Why had he been so argumentative? Why hadn’t he let her explain? She’d said she had a good reason for going home without letting him know. Why hadn’t he listened? If she’d wanted to dump him, she wouldn’t have called at all.
He swore again. He had a bad habit of letting his temper run away with his tongue. The least he could have done was let her explain.
He dialed her cell phone but she didn’t answer and then he remembered she’d said it was dead. He hung up, then tapped his fingers on the desk. Darn!
He glanced at the clock. She might be at work, but he didn’t have her number there, didn’t even know the name of the place. Exasperated, he pounded his fist on the desk; then, remembering that she had given him her home number instead of Debs, he rummaged through his old receipts until he found hers.
When she didn’t answer, he left a quick message on her machine, telling her that he was sorry and asking her to call him as soon as she got home, no matter what time it was. He told her again that he was sorry, and hung up.
It was up to her now.
He thought about Ginny and their relationship the whole time he was working on Schmidt’s VW and when he finished, he knew he couldn’t leave it up to Ginny.
As soon as Schmidt picked up his car, Jake called Lori Beth.
“I need a favor,” he said when she picked up the phone. “Call your boyfriend and get Ginny’s address for me, then call the airlines and book me a seat on the first flight to Crystal Springs. I’m going to Georgia.”
* * * *
Just when Ginny didn’t think things could get worse, Carter walked into the shop carrying a dozen yellow roses.
Ginny forced a smile. “Hi.”
He offered her the flowers. “Welcome home.”
“Thank you. How did you know I was here?”
“Your mother mentioned it to mine.” He glanced at Anita, who was looking through some fabric swatches. “We need to talk. Can we use your office?”
Ginny nodded. “Anita, hold my calls, will you?”
“Sure thing.”
Heart pounding with trepidation, Ginny led the way into her office. She found a vase for the flowers, filled it with water from the carafe on her work table, and put the vase on top of her filing cabinet.
“Sit down,” she said, gesturing at the chair in front of her desk. She didn’t know what he had come to say, but she was glad he was here, because she had something she needed to tell him, too.
He remained standing. “This isn’t easy to say, Gin.” He cleared his throat. “I know everyone expects us to get married, but…” He took a deep breath. “I’m in love with someone else.”
She blinked up at him. “What?”
He shook his head. “It was the darnedest things, you know? I just met her last week, and I…I asked her to marry me, although she hasn’t give me an answer yet. But I’m pretty sure what it’ll be. I know this is sudden, but…”
Ginny shook her head. “Who…when…how?”
“Her name’s Lori Beth, and …”
“Lori Beth! Jake’s Lori Beth?”
Carter nodded.
Ginny sat down, her thoughts churning. “I don’t believe it.”
“I know. It’s the darnedest thing. I had a couple of days off and I thought I’d surprise you, only I’m the one who got surprised.
I met Lori Beth at your sister’s. We talked. We went out to dinner.” He smiled, remembering. “It was the darnedest thing.”
“Yes,” Ginny said dryly, “so you said.”
“I know you’re upset. Everyone expected us to get married this year…”
“I’m not upset,” Ginny said, relieved that he had called it off first and spared her the necessity. “I think it’s wonderful.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I’m happy for you, Carter, really. She seems like a nice girl.”
“I know my parents are going to be disappointed,” he said.
Ginny shrugged. “Mine, too, but they’ll get over it.”
“Are you serious about that mechanic?”
“Yes, but the question is, is he serious about me?”
* * * *
It was after six by the Ginny left the shop. When she’d left the hospital that morning, she’d had the cab take her home so she could get her car. Now, after locking up the shop, she drove back to the hospital, pleased to see that her aunt seemed to be much better. As she was leaving Genevieve’s room, the nurse took her aside and informed her that they would be moving Aunt Gen to a room on the fifth floor the next day. That was good news and Ginny was humming as she drove to her parents’ home to collect her luggage.
She knew the minute she walked in the door that her mother and father had heard the news of her break-up with Carter. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were not pleased.
Ginny held up her hand. “Don’t start,” she said. “I don’t want to talk about it.” “Princess…”
“Dad, I mean it. I’m tired, and all I want to do is get my luggage, go home, and soak in a hot bath.”
Her parents exchanged looks, then her father went to the wet bar and poured himself a drink while her mother retrieved Ginny’s suitcases from the hall closet.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Ginny said. “Oh, the nurse said Aunt Gen was being moved out of intensive care in the morning.”
She kissed her dad’s cheek, gave her mother a hug, and fled the house.
* * * *
At home, Ginny dropped her suitcases, handbag, and keys on the sofa, then walked through the house, turning on the lights. Her mother had come in to water the plants and collect the mail while Ginny was away. She wasn’t surprised to see that her mother had kept the place dusted, as well. Ginny had always loved her little cottage. Though it wasn’t nearly as big as Deb’s place, it was warm and cozy. The walls were painted in pastel shades, the floors were hardwood. Most of the furniture was white wicker with flowered cushions, although there were a few pieces of antique oak here and there. Her favorite piece was an old hall tree that had belonged to her great grandmother.
Getting a soda out of the fridge, Ginny sat down at the kitchen table and began sorting through the mail, putting the junk in one pile and bills and letters in another. When she finished, she dumped the junk mail in the trash, then went to her answering machine to listen to her messages. There were only a few, since her friends and family had known she was going to be out of town for a few weeks.
She felt a catch in her heart when she heard Jake’s voice. In short order, she called his house and then his cell phone. He didn’t answer at either one. The message on the machine at the garage said he would be closed for the next few days, his cell went to voice mail. She called his house again and then, not certain what message she wanted to leave, she hung up. She would try getting in touch with Jake again later, after she had unpacked and taken a long, hot bubble bath.
* * * *
“Geez, girl,” Jake muttered irritably, “sit still.”
Lori Beth stuck her tongue out at him. “I can’t. I’m too nervous.”
Lori Beth had managed to book the two of them on a non-stop flight out of LAX that would put them in Atlanta at eight thirty-five Georgia time. Jake figured it would take them forty minutes or so to drive to Crystal Springs. Allowing for time to collect their baggage, he should be knocking on Ginny’s door somewhere between nine thirty and ten o’clock that night.
“Yeah, well, me, too,” Jake admitted, “but you don’t see me fidgeting like a mouse in a room full of cats.”
“No? Your leg hasn’t stopped twitching since we got on board.”
“Yeah, well, shut up.”
Lori Beth grinned at him. Carter had called her last night and asked her again to marry him, and she had accepted. She was glad Jake was making the trip with her, in case she needed moral support. “Carter and I decided that as long as I was coming to Georgia, we might just as well get married while I’m there.”
“What about your folks?”
Lori Beth rolled her eyes. “I went to see them last night. We had a huge fight. They think I’m rushing into this marriage. They think I should wait. They think I should give the baby up for adoption.” She placed one hand over her belly. “I’d rather cut off my right arm. Anyway, I told Carter how they felt and he said, well, never mind what he said, but the upshot is, we’re getting married next week. I’m going to call and invite my folks, but I doubt if they’ll come.”
Jake shook his head in amazement. “It’s all so easy for you two, isn’t it?”
Lori Beth shrugged. “I don’t know about that. I haven’t met his parents yet. We may end up eloping.”
“Whatever floats your boat.”
She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “No one is going to make me feel what we’re doing is wrong. Not when I know it’s right. Did you ever get in touch with Ginny?”
“No. I thought she’d have called me back by now, but…” He shrugged. “We can’t settle this on the phone, anyway…” He muttered an oath. “My cell phone! I left it home on the bed.”
“You just said you couldn’t settle this on the phone.”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s just as well. If I don’t call first, she can’t tell me to stay home.”
“Come on, Jake, it’s just a stupid misunderstanding. You’ll be able to clear it up as soon as you see her again. I mean, it’s not like you guys had some knock down, drag out fight. You were just being a jerk and she got angry.”
“Gee, thanks for making me feel better.”
“You know what I mean.” Lori Beth regarded him through serious eyes for a moment. “She knows you love her, doesn’t she?”
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?” Lori Beth’s eyes grew wide. “You never told her?”
Jake dragged a hand over his jaw. “Just never got around to it.”
“Why not?”
“Cause I’m a jerk?”
“We’ve established that,” Lori Beth said dryly. “Geez, Jake, I can’t believe you haven’t told her.”
“I don’t think I knew how much I cared until she was gone.”
“Men! Honestly, you guys really are from Mars. Sometimes I wish you’d all go back,” she exclaimed. And then she smiled. “All except Carter.”
* * * *
Carter glared at his father. “I’m not having this discussion. Think what you want, I don’t give a damn. Yes, she’s a beautician. Yes, she’s pregnant. Yes, I’ve only known her a few days. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. None of it matters.”
Hands spread in a gesture of reconciliation, Winston asked, “Why can’t you wait? If she’s already pregnant, what’s the rush? At least take time to get to know the girl.”
“How do you know it’s the real thing?” his mother asked. “How much can you know about her in a few days?”
“I know all I need to know.”
“It isn’t like you, to go off half-cocked like this,” Winston said. “And what about Ginny Whelan?”
“Yes,” his mother said. “What about Ginny?”
“I’ve already told her. And if you must know, she’s as relieved as I am.”
His parents exchanged glances, then his father went to the wet bar and poured a drink for himself. He downed it in one quick swallow. “You’re a grown man. I can’t tell you what to do.”
“She’ll be here in a few hours. I expect you to make her welcome if you want to be part of your future grandchildren’s lives.”
Chapter 15
Jake and Lori Beth collected their luggage, picked up the rental car, and drove to town. Carter had offered to pick them up, but Jake said he needed to rent a car and he would drop Lori Beth off at Carter’s when they arrived.
Jake whistled softly when he pulled up in front of the Hastings’ home. It looked like something out of Gone With the Wind, complete with a veranda and white pillars. Stately oaks grew on both sides of the house. The lawn looked like green velvet; flowers and shrubs grew in abundance. He saw a small pond and a couple of white-railed corrals in the distance. A sleek black Mercedes was parked next to a silver BMW in the driveway.
Beside him, Lori Beth murmured, “Oh, my. Are you sure this is the right place?”
“Yeah. I knew he was rich, but this…”
“They’re never going to like me.” She looked at Jake, panic in her expression. “Let’s go.”
“Hey, you’re as good as they are.”
“Jake, I’m a beautician. I don’t belong here. Darn it, I wish you had your cell phone so I could call him and tell him I’m sick or something.”
“Too late. Look.”
She followed his gaze. Carter was striding toward her, a smile on his face.
Opening her door, he helped her out of the car, then drew her into his arms. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“You didn’t tell me…I had no idea…”
“What?”
“That you were so rich.”
“I’m not rich. My folks are. Come on, I want you to meet them.” Ducking down, Carter looked at Jake through the open door. “Thanks for dropping her off.”
“No problem. Her bag’s behind the seat.”
With a nod, Carter grabbed her suitcase. “Do you want to come in?”
“No, thanks,” Jake said. “But I’d be obliged if you’d tell me how to get to Ginny’s house from here.”
Carter gave him directions, then took Lori Beth by the hand. “Come on, my folks are anxious to meet you.”
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