Willow swallows. “I am here to say I shouldn’t have gotten in the way. I should have stayed away, but somewhere deep down, I never let go completely of Gunnar. I always hoped we’d get back together one day.”
“Oh.”
“But that was me being selfish. I wanted Gunnar to be a certain way, act a certain way, be around certain people. When he could be himself around you... I realized I had lost him.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
She chuckles. “Oh, but it does. I tried so hard to convince him to take me back, to move back to Chicago with me, but he wouldn’t have it. And as recently as yesterday, he told me he wasn’t leaving Smithville and that I was free to let his little transgression out for the world to see, and that was after I let it slip about seeing the developers here. He didn’t care anymore. I realized then and there that we’d never be able to fix our relationship. We’re too different.”
I sneak a peek at Regina, who quickly focuses on her phone.
“That’s sweet, but this has nothing to do with me.”
Her big blue eyes bore into mine. “Oh, but it does. It’s my fault, you know. I planted seeds of doubt in his mind about you. I reminded him every chance I could that you were only a temporary attraction.” She lets out a dark, unamused chuckle. “I even told him about the developers at your shop, even though I could see it in your eyes the way you soaked in every person in there that day that there’s no way you’re going to sell.”
“I haven’t decided.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m used to getting my way so I used the only thing I could think of that would put a wedge between you two. He loves this town, and I knew how he would react if I manipulated the facts to suit my needs.”
I lean back into the booth, doing my best to analyze the conversation. This is not the Willow everyone talks about. She doesn’t just throw out the white flag and surrender. “I don’t know if I believe you.”
She bats her eyelashes, causing a tear to trickle down. “It’s the truth. That and the fact that if I didn’t talk to you, Jolene was going to kick my butt.” A goofy grin slides across her face. “Apparently, Stanley has cut her off in the bedroom department until I make nice with you.”
I throw my head back and let out a huge cackle. “Now that, I can believe.”
Willow pulls out her phone from her purse and slides her fingers across the screen. She turns it around for me to see. “And if you need more proof, read this.”
My eyes get big as I read the Jacksons’ blog interview with Gunnar. “Oh my stars. He confessed to the entire town?”
“Yep. And that one line at the bottom makes it very clear that even if you are not in his life anymore, he’s done with me. Needless to say, the Jacksons had no problem putting me in my place.”
“I don’t know what else to say.”
Regina slides in next to me. “You don’t have to say anything. Willow finally realizes she can’t control every situation. Right?”
Willow rolls her eyes, and a tear trickles down her cheek. “I really did love him, you know.”
“I’m sure you still do.”
Willow grins. “Yeah. But I need to let go of the fantasy. We’re different people wanting different things. I didn’t want to admit it.”
After a beat of silence, Willow clears her throat. “I’m sorry.”
Regina claps her hands. “Hallelujah! See, that wasn’t so hard.”
Willow blushes. “Don’t get used to hearing those words out of me.” She holds out a hand for me to shake. “Truce?”
I’m not so naïve as to think that she’s a changed woman, but I want to turn over a new leaf and be the better person. It’s on her to keep the truce, not me.
I take her hand, and she chews on her lip. “He’s a great guy. Be sweet to him.”
“No. As much as I’d like for things to be different, we’re not together.”
“Don’t give up.”
I tighten my ponytail. “It has nothing to do with giving up. We said some really bad things to each other, and he doesn’t trust me. It was fun, but it wasn’t meant to be.” I suck at lying.
Willow slides out of the booth and smooths back her hair. “I hope for both of your sakes, things work out because he’s one of my favorite people, and I want him to be happy. You make him happy.”
She motions for Regina to follow her out the door.
“Thank you,” I say.
I think that conversation was more for her sake than mine because I still feel as crappy as before. But for her to accept responsibility is huge, if not for my sake, for hers. I’m still shocked we didn’t bring out the claws and fight over Gunnar. Maybe in the South, they do things more civilized. Besides, neither one of us “gets the guy.” If the church scene is any indication, he’s over me, and I need to get over him.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Gunnar
Last night, I checked her front door after I left the gym. Part of me was happy that she finally remembered to lock it, but the other part was disappointed because it would have given me an opportunity to talk to her. I probably should have called her, but I really didn’t feel like getting hung up on, so I left a note on her car windshield using a page out of my citation book. I’m an idiot. I know that, but I can’t make my feet go over there and talk to her.
Hell, this morning, I’m sitting in my patrol car across the street, watching her wait on tables, chitchat with the customers, and even give the Jackson sisters gentle hugs as she serves them their morning coffee. She scoots around her shop as if nothing ever happened. Her days here are coming to a close, and that must be what’s making her happy. She’s going to leave, and I’ll have to deal with whatever happens to this town.
Yes, she’ll be walking out of all of our lives, but she’ll be taking my heart with her, and I don’t want it back. This is worse than when Willow left me. In all honesty, I built my house as a test to see if she loved me enough to stay here, to change her party-girl ways. And she ran away as fast as she could. She left me in a fetal position for a year, but when I finally got my head out of my depressed state, I realized I’d wanted her to run. There was something niggling at the back of my brain, telling me she wasn’t the one.
I had to do my own whoring around to figure out that wasn’t what I wanted, either. I even had to endure two years of celibacy to realize what I want. And what I want is right across the street, her ponytail swishing around her face. What I want is going to leave this city forever, and I’ll never be the same.
A knock on my window scares the crap out of me. I squint to see Willow standing next to my car, arms crossed over her chest. Through the closed window, I hear her say, “Gunnar, we need to talk.”
I do not need this today, but she’s not going to leave me alone until she says her piece. Well, I have a few things to say to her today. When I get out of my car, I slam the door behind me.
“What do you want?” My jaw is clenched so tight, I’m not sure if she could interpret what I just said.
“What is your problem?”
I storm over to her and get right in her face. “You are my problem.”
She points to In A Jam. “You are making a big mistake.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and count to ten. I have never hit a girl, and I don’t want to start now. “It’s my mistake to make. You’ve caused enough damage. Please go.” And with that, I turn my back on her, rest my arms on the hood of my police car, and rub my temples.
“I know. That’s what I mean.”
“Please leave.” I sneak another peek at Andie, who has now taken up dancing with a broom. God, what a woman.
“Not until you go over there and apologize to her. I did. And let me tell you, I almost chewed a hole in my cheek from biting it so much. I do not admit I’m wrong, and you know that.”
I swing around to make sure there isn’t a smart-ass smirk on her face. She’s dead serious. “What did you do?”
Willow bites on her bottom lip and st
ares over at Andie’s shop. “Well, it was under duress, but I meant every word I said. I told her I fed you half-truths because I know you well enough to know which buttons to push.”
I let out a breath as I stare at my shoes. “Doesn’t matter. I saw the plans she had in her apartment. She’s going to sell.”
Willow stomps her foot. “You saw physical evidence of what you wanted to see to substantiate what I wanted you to believe.”
Her big words make me chuckle. “Did you spout lawyer speak?”
“Maybe, but what I saw, in the shop with the developers, is a girl who was hearing the words from those two men, but... it’s almost like she had a thought bubble over her head because as she took in every single person in the shop that day, I swear I felt her thinking, ‘I can’t leave them.’ Gunnar, things aren’t always what they seem.”
I turn back around to watch Andie as she has a conversation with Mrs. Cavanaugh.
Willow steps up to stand beside me. “Gun, I have nothing to gain from this conversation. I know we’re done and have been for a very long time. But as a friend, someone who has known you almost your entire life, I beg you to apologize to her.”
I agree. She’s right. I have to at least try. “I’ll stop by tonight after my shift.”
Andie pulls out something from underneath the counter and, after she says a few words to Mrs. Cavanaugh, walks to the front of the store. With a tape dispenser in one hand and a sign in the other, she proceeds to tape the sign to the front window. She slides her hand over the sign then nibbles on a fingernail. She pats the sign and walks away, back into the store.
Willow squints to read the sign. “I can’t read it.”
“I have to go.”
I yank the car door open, and before I can get my seat belt on, I have the engine cranked. I pull my patrol car into the street and roll down Main Street to get a better glimpse at what she put in the window. I think a kick to the nuts wouldn’t hurt this much. My heart drops into my stomach, and I bite my lip to keep a tear from escaping when I read the sign again.
For Sale by Owner.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Andie
The blueprints rolled up in the corner of my living room call out my name. They taunt me to take a peek at them. The business card posted on my refrigerator is like a beacon in the night. Every time I get near the kitchen, it catches my eye. I don’t need the card for me to know the developer’s number. They’ve called me ten times this week. They want an answer today, and with each call, they get a little more impatient with me. I don’t know what to do, and I’m sure not going to make a hasty decision. It’s not like I need the money. I’m in the driver’s seat in this deal, so they can wait, or they can move along. Putting the sign in the window was my way of telling a certain someone I’m on my way out of here, no matter if I sell to the developers or not.
Speaking of driver’s seats, Gunnar had the nerve to give me a parking ticket last night. I saw it first thing this morning, waving in the breeze. I tore it up into tiny pieces and threw it in the trash. He can arrest me for not paying the fine if he wants to. I’ve been in jail for far worse things.
Mrs. Cavanaugh has her apron on and is already working on the morning pastries. I don’t think I can take this place away from her. She runs this shop as though it’s hers, and I would have been lost without her. I’ve bent her ear so much, and she listens and only offers advice when asked for it. I love her and know Granny felt the same.
“Morning,” she says without stopping.
From behind, I wrap my arms around her shoulders and hug her as if my life depends on it. She pats me, leaving flour palm prints on my arm.
“You’ve been so wonderful to me. Thank you.”
“Being neighborly. That’s all.”
I kiss her on the cheek. “It’s more than that. I know you loved Granny like a sister, and you wanted me to succeed. I’ll never be able to repay you for your kindness.”
She pats my cheek, and a flash of a memory comes to me from a day when I was little. Granny showed the same expression of love to me.
A tear slides down her cheek. It’s the first time I’ve seen any sadness in her eyes. “Mary Grace was my best friend. Even through all the civil rights mess, she never left my side. She was my maid of honor in my wedding.” She giggles. “That was a sight.”
Thinking about how close they were warms my heart. I bet they ruffled a few feathers. If things were different, maybe Liza, Mel, and even Regina could have been my best friends for life too. “Tell me what to do.”
“I can’t do that, child. Besides, from the looks of that For Sale sign in the window, I thought you had decided.”
I chuckle. “That was all for show. I had all but decided to stay, and then everything with Gunnar...”
She kisses my cheek. “Stay or leave. Sell or keep it. You’ve always got a home here.”
I hug her, and the tears flow again. “Thank you. Can I call you Granny?”
She wraps her arms around me and holds me tighter than I thought she could with those frail arms. “Of course you can, child.”
She wipes my tears, and something clicks in my mind. “If I could ask, what is your maiden name?”
Her eyes twinkle. “It took you long enough to ask. Maiden name is Christian.”
I throw my hands in the air. “Of course. My attorney is your great nephew, isn’t he?”
She giggles.
I place my hands on my hips and give her my smirkiest expression “You are a sly fox.”
“If you had asked, I would have told you.”
I give her another hug. “That’s your answer to everything, isn’t it?”
“Yep. I keep my nose out of people’s business unless they ask.” I grab her purse and pull out her wallet.
“Child, what are you doing?”
She has a ten-dollar bill and two one-dollar bills. I snatch one of the dollar bills out and wave it in front of her face.
“This shop is for sale for one dollar.” I survey the empty coffee shop. “Any takers? Going once. Going twice... Sold to the lovely lady with the silly apron.” I tuck the dollar bill inside my bra and rush over to the window to snatch the For Sale sign. I write SOLD across it, tape it back onto the window, and blow her a kiss.
And like a little schoolgirl, she grabs the kiss out of the air and places her hand to her heart. “And if you ever want to come back home, I’d hire you in a heartbeat.”
MY BAGS ARE PACKED, and I’ve made three tearful attempts to say goodbye to Mrs. Cavanaugh, my new granny. I promised her I would stay in touch, and I will. She’s promised to not work so hard and to hire some extra staff so she can enjoy her life but still be in charge of the shop. I can’t imagine anyone else more deserving of it, and I know she’ll keep my grandmother’s memory alive and do her best to preserve Main Street.
My phone rings. Of course, it’s Tinsley. “Hey, buddy. Miss me?”
His deep, rumbling laugh rushes through my phone. “So, you really are moving back here?”
“Yep. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Can’t wait to see you but hope I never have to take you down to the station again.”
I giggle. “Nope. I don’t even know who that girl is anymore.”
He’s silent for so long, I think we’ve lost our phone connection. “Uh, have you said goodbye to Clooney?”
I promised myself I wouldn’t cry any more tears over him, but dang it, I’m on the verge of another crying jag. “Let’s talk about something else.”
He lets out a deep sigh. “Be careful.”
“Always.”
“Andie, I’m proud of you.”
My phone pings, notifying me of a message. “Thank you. I’ll see you soon. Gotta go.”
I hang up and read the message from Mel. “Check the blog.”
Oh dear. No telling what the Jacksons have to say about me leaving. When I pull up the blog, I can’t get past the first sentence before tears stream down my cheeks.
&n
bsp; “Our little out-of-towner, who crashed into our city a little over a month ago, is leaving today. After the last few weeks, we realized we were wrong about her. We thought she was an insensitive, selfish drunk. She’s none of those things, and we wish her the best in whatever life has in store for her. Andie Carson will always be one of us, a true Southerner with a heart of gold. She’s leaving with more than the well-deserved inheritance. Andie’s taking a piece of us with her. Godspeed, Miss Carson. You passed the test.”
Bless their hearts.
Now it’s on to part two of the hard part: saying goodbye to Liza and Jake. I peek into their hardware store, hoping Gunnar’s not inside. I haven’t seen him or Willow since Sunday, thank the Lord. It’s helped me focus on making the right decisions for me without starting the pain in my chest all over again.
Liza walks from the back room and freezes when she sees me. She walks toward me with arms open wide and wraps me in a loving sisterly hug. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
I tear up, hearing her confession. “Me too, Liza. You’ve been so sweet to me. You didn’t have to. From the very beginning when I had my first leaky pipe, you were more than kind.”
Liza laughs.
“You included me like I had always lived here. You didn’t make fun of me. Well...” I glance over at Jake. “Maybe you did a little bit, but that’s okay.”
He chuckles.
“And when things went south with Gunnar, no pun intended, you were still my friend. I’ll never forget that.”
She hugs me again then pulls away fast. She grabs a pen and piece of paper and hands it to me. “Now, you write down your address. I’m coming to visit you, and we’re going to have one hell of a time in Boston.” She wiggles her eyebrows at her husband. “I might not come back.”
I write down my address, not knowing how long I’ll be there. I don’t know what my plans are for the future. I don’t have to stay in Boston, but it’s familiar. With all the money waiting for me as soon as I meet with Mr. Christian, I will have enough to do whatever I want, go wherever I want to go. I hand the paper back to her. “Here. You have my number, and I would love to keep in touch.”
In a Jam Page 28