by Debby Mayne
“What do you plan to do once the shop sells?” her mother had asked.
Cindi had no idea. Her business degree had given her the basic knowledge she needed for the shop, but it was too general to give her any specific idea for later. For the first time in her life, she was acting out of character and doing something on impulse. She knew she needed a plan, but since all she’d ever wanted was to be in the bridal business, nothing had come to mind.
During the next several days, business was steady, but nothing major happened. Every day they had new brides-to-be coming in with stars in their eyes, and it took everything Cindi had not to squelch their enthusiasm.
“Where’s Jeremy?” Elizabeth asked when they hadn’t seen him in a week.
Cindi shrugged. “I guess he finally got the hint.”
❧
Jeremy had been called to Savannah, where he closed on a couple of restaurants and a tour business near downtown. He’d been trying to sell all of them, but the market had been soft until recently, so he was glad to be done with them. Even though he had someone running the places, there was always the risk of having to go back.
Now that he had them off his mind, he could concentrate on what he really wanted—Cindi. Because of Cindi’s reluctance to sell to him, he had to figure out a different excuse to come around.
He left behind what had been his favorite businesses when he’d decided to return to Atlanta. As much as he loved being a part of people experiencing the dolphin cruise and a carriage ride through the old part of town followed by a good old-fashioned Southern meal, he was ready to settle into a new life—one that involved being immersed in church and his family. He wished Cindi was part of that equation, but unless something major happened, he didn’t see that in his near future.
After he finished his business in Savannah, he let out a sigh of relief. When he reached the parking lot of his parents’ condo, he sat in his car and stared at the dashboard. He knew there would be questions he wasn’t in the mood to answer as soon as he went inside. His bank account was padded with the proceeds of the businesses, so at least he could go looking for a place of his own now. He loved his folks, but he needed his own space.
To his surprise, his mother greeted him with nothing more than a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I cooked spaghetti for supper, and I put the leftovers in the refrigerator if you want to heat them up in the microwave.”
His dad had already gone to bed, so he thanked his mother and fixed himself a quick dinner before going to the guest room. Once there he made a list of things to do the next day, which included a brief stopover at Cindi’s shop.
He got there before she did the next morning and was waiting for her by the front door.
“What’re you doing here so early?” she asked.
“You didn’t think I’d give up, did you?”
After she rolled her eyes, Cindi unlocked the door and stepped inside. Jeremy followed right behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Would you mind flipping the light switch by the door?”
He reached over and did as he was told. She still hadn’t commented on the flowers in his hand, but he’d seen her glance at them.
After she had everything set up and turned on, she walked over to him. “I’ve been thinking about our talk the other night. Maybe it’s not such a good idea for you to keep coming around.”
“Cindi,” he said softly, taking a step toward her. “I’d really like us to get to know each other better. As adults. I want you to see me in a different light.”
“You know how I feel, Jeremy.”
“No, I really don’t. All I know is that ever since I’ve come to Christ, my whole perspective has changed. I feel I’ve been led here, and I’m not about to turn back now.”
“But—” She paused and widened her eyes. “Stop it right now, Jeremy. Whatever you’re up to isn’t right for me.”
❧
He’d mentioned his new faith in Christ, but how could she tell if he was being honest with her? All she knew for certain was that he’d stop at nothing to get what he wanted. He’d started out wanting her business and finally seemed to give up on that, so he must not have wanted it all that badly. Either that or he had a new tactic that involved a bluff. After the pain he’d caused so many years ago, how could she trust that he wasn’t pursuing her business through her heart?
Six
She had to turn away quickly or she feared she might buckle under the temptation to get emotional about Jeremy. Old feelings flooded her.
“Like I told you, we have some unfinished business,” he added.
She squared her shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. “The only business I have is this one, and I need to get back to work.”
Jeremy glanced down at the floor and sighed. He looked sad, but she wasn’t sure if it was sincere or part of an act. Whatever the case, she needed him to leave.
“Okay, I’ll go now. But you need to understand I don’t give up easily.” He took a step toward the door, pivoted to face her, and added, “On anything.”
Elizabeth came in as he walked out the door. She lifted an eyebrow. “Looks like a man on a mission.”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Cindi agreed. “He says he’s not going to give up.”
“Just remember how he broke your heart back in high school. I’m not saying he hasn’t changed, but be careful, okay? I’ve always thought Jeremy was charming, but I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
Cindi pulled out the two appointment books and handed Elizabeth’s to her. “Yes, of course.” She flipped hers open. “I have back-to-back appointments until about three. You have a final fitting at ten; then I need your help. My eleven o’clock is the entire wedding party.”
“Is this the Myers group?”
“That’s the one,” Cindi said with a snicker. “I told Lynda she needed to give me a final count on the number of bridesmaids, but she keeps adding them.”
“How many is she up to now?”
Cindi pulled out the Myers file and glanced at her notes. “Last I checked, eleven.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “She might as well make it a dozen.”
“Yeah, why not? It’s good for business, right?”
Elizabeth glanced up from her appointment book and studied Cindi. “You sound cynical.”
“I can’t help it with all the broken hearts and shattered dreams in the world today. Weddings aren’t what they used to be. I know I sound like a broken record, but I remember thinking it was a wonderful celebration with family and friends witnessing the union of two people before God—promising to love and respect each other until the end.”
“That’s still what it’s supposed to be,” Elizabeth reminded her. “Are you okay? I can handle everything if you need to go home.”
Cindi shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I guess I just needed to vent. Let’s set up for the first appointment. The bride said she wants something simple. It’s a church wedding, and she only has two bridesmaids. Her father is deceased, and her mother is walking her down the aisle.”
The discussion quickly turned to what they’d show the bride and her mother. Cindi was relieved they’d moved on from talking about Jeremy, who’d taken over most of her thoughts when she wasn’t at work.
The first appointment didn’t take long. As soon as the bride tried on her third dress, she made her decision. “I’ve never been much of a shopper,” she said. “This is what I want, so there’s no point in trying on more.” She picked the dresses for her two bridesmaids then left.
“She must not be from the South,” Elizabeth quipped.
Cindi laughed. Leave it to Elizabeth to crack a joke like that. “Actually, she’s from Macon.”
“I bet her parents are from up North.”
The next appointment took almost three hours, causing Cindi and Elizabeth to skip lunch. They had to take turns working with a conflicting appointment to keep from backing up the rest of their schedule.
By late aft
ernoon, they were exhausted. “One more bridal party this afternoon; then we can coast,” Elizabeth commented.
The next day, they both arrived at the shop at the same time. Elizabeth had to work on alterations, while Cindi needed to prepare for the day’s appointments. They both looked over their schedules and worked up a plan to handle all their tasks.
Then Jeremy walked in. Elizabeth took that opportunity to go to the sewing room. “If you need me, I’ll be in there,” she said.
“So,” Jeremy said when they were alone, “is there any way I can convince you to go out with me tonight?”
He obviously meant what he said when he told her he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “You really don’t give up, do you?”
“Not often,” he admitted.
“Tell you what,” Cindi finally said. “Maybe later. I’m busy today.”
He lifted his hand in a wave and moved toward the door. “At least you didn’t say no this time. See you soon.”
As soon as he left the shop, Cindi headed straight for the sewing room. “I can’t believe the nerve,” she growled.
“Um, what did you expect? He’s obviously a man in love.”
Cindi narrowed her eyes. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“I don’t have to give up my romantic outlook just because you’ve become cynical.”
“True.” Cindi moved a few things around on the counter for something to do with her hands. “Just don’t get those romantic notions about Jeremy and me.”
“Sometimes I think he’s changed, but I agree. You were hurt too badly to go there again. No point in taking any chances.”
“We’ve both seen him at church. I think he’s changed,” Cindi admitted, “at least a little.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Elizabeth continued as she closed the gap between them. “I like Jeremy. Deep down, I think he’s basically a good guy. It’s just that there’s an edge to him that we’ll never understand.”
“That’s probably why he’s been so good in business.”
“Don’t forget you have one of the most successful bridal shops in the Southeast. You’re good in business, too.”
“I’m sure some people would argue that point.”
“You can’t control what other people think, Cindi. This shop means a lot to you, no matter what you say. Even now. Look at you.” Elizabeth gestured toward her. “The very thought of someone coming in here and doing anything to hurt what you’ve built has you in a total tizzy.” She paused then asked, “Have you figured out what you’ll do once you sell?”
Cindi didn’t want to think that far into the future, so she avoided answering the question directly. “So you think I’m making a mistake?”
Elizabeth tilted her head and offered a pitying look. “I don’t want to tell you what to do.”
“I’m not saying I want you to tell me what to do. All I’m asking—”
A walk-in customer arrived, cutting their conversation short. The rest of the day was busy, so they didn’t have another chance to talk.
After work Cindi went to her car and found a note stuck to the window. She didn’t have to look at it to know whom it was from; his handwriting hadn’t changed since high school.
Cindi, give me a call after you get home. Here’s my cell phone number: 555-3738. Love, Jeremy.
She started to crumple it up but changed her mind. She folded it instead and dropped it into her purse. She’d decide later if she should call. After dinner.
Cindi made a stop at Publix for some quick and easy food from the deli, then headed home. Her stomach growled and her head ached. It had been a very long day.
As soon as she got inside, she kicked off her shoes and headed straight for the kitchen, where she dropped the grocery bags and her purse. Most of the time she turned on the TV to watch the news while she ate, but not tonight. She had some serious thinking to do.
She prepared a plate, carried it to the table, sat down, and said her blessing. The food tasted good, but after a couple of bites her stomach ached from anxiety.
Elizabeth had challenged her decision and given her quite a bit to think about. And now Jeremy wanted her to call. She felt torn. There were so many angles she hadn’t thought of when she’d abruptly put her shop on the market. With each new event, she realized her issues were deeper than she’d originally thought.
As an adult child of newly separated parents, Cindi still had a hard time getting over feeling betrayed. How long had they been thinking about splitting? Was there anything she could have done to keep them together? Her brother had long since been gone, and when she’d contacted him with the news, he didn’t even offer to come home. His techie job was demanding and he was up for a promotion, so he couldn’t come home to help her talk some sense into their parents. That bugged her, but she couldn’t control him. So she’d set out to talk to them on her own. Her father avoided her, and her mother didn’t understand her reasoning—that they were supposed to stay together through the good and the bad. Besides, from her vantage point, how bad was their life, really? Her mother claimed her father never listened to her, and when she called her father, he said her mother didn’t support him. Weren’t those both typical problems they could talk through?
The most upsetting aspect was they’d gone to church all her life, and now they rarely went. Her mother said they’d attended church for the children, and her dad said he was too busy. This confused her. Their reasoning sounded silly and selfish—the total opposite of how they’d been during her childhood.
What really baffled her was how lightly they seemed to take the split. Her mother told her it had nothing to do with her. They’d both moved on with their lives, and they said they couldn’t understand why she refused to do the same.
Her throat constricted, and a knot formed in her stomach as she thought about it. Her parents were no different from anyone else, it seemed.
When she couldn’t eat another bite, she scraped the contents of her plate into the trash and stuck the plate in the dishwasher. Then she opened her purse and pulled out Jeremy’s note. If she called him, she might have to answer questions. However, if she didn’t call him, he might stop by unannounced and ask questions anyway.
She finally sucked in a breath, grabbed the phone, punched in his number, and exhaled. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to talk. She could only hope. . . .
“Jeremy?” she said as soon as he answered.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t call.”
“What did you need?” she asked.
“I don’t want to discuss it on the phone. When can we get together?”
“I don’t know, Jeremy.”
“Sorry if I’m annoying you, but I need to explain some things, and I won’t give up until we have another chance to talk.”
Cindi decided it was time to give in. “I’ll look at my schedule and let you know, okay?”
“Sounds good,” he said. “I’ll see you soon, okay? My mom wants me to help her with something, so I need to run.”
“Okay, fine.”
She needed to go to bed early because they were booked full the next day. However, it took what seemed like hours to fall asleep. She was glad when daylight finally came so she could get busy and not have her head filled with so many thoughts of Jeremy.
Their first appointment arrived right on time, with Jeremy right behind them. The young bride and her mother were deep in discussion as they entered. Jeremy stepped off to the side so they could assist their customers.
“I’ve changed my mind,” the bride said. “I hope you haven’t started altering my dress yet.” She’d chosen one of the samples on sale, and it needed to be taken in a few inches at the waist.
Elizabeth shook her head. “I was going to do yours next, so you’re okay.”
Cindi pulled out the checkbook. “I’ll write you a check for your refund. Good thing you’re backing out now rather than after the wedding.”
The bride’s mother laughed. “Oh, that’s not what she meant. She’s s
till getting married, but she decided to go with the other dress.”
Cindi felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “I’m so sorry I assumed—”
The woman laughed again and waved her hand. “I certainly understand. Don’t worry about it.” She turned toward her daughter. “Do you remember which dress you liked? I sure hope they still have it.”
“We do,” Elizabeth interjected. “In fact, it’s right here.” She crossed the room and lifted a dress from one of the racks. “Why don’t I set you up in the second fitting room so I can pin it?”
The bride and her mother went into the room, and Elizabeth followed right behind them with her pincushion. Cindi stayed behind the counter, still embarrassed by her faux pas.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Jeremy joined her at the counter. “It was an honest mistake,” he said. “Don’t worry so much about it.”
“I’m not worried,” she snapped.
He grinned and winked. “Sure you’re not.”
Elizabeth ducked her head out of the room. “They want another opinion, Cindi. Would you mind taking a look?”
“Sure.” Cindi darted into the room to help out, leaving Jeremy behind in the showroom. As soon as she saw the dress on the young woman, she gave a thumbs-up. “Gorgeous! I agree this one is much better.”
Elizabeth circled the stand. “It doesn’t need much alteration, either. In fact, she could actually get away with only one small tuck.”
The mother-of-the-bride had wandered over by the door and was looking out into the showroom. She stepped back in, looked directly at Cindi, and said, “Do you think your husband would mind giving us a man’s opinion?”
Cindi shot her a curious look. “Husband?”
“Yes, that young man you were talking to when we arrived. He is your husband, isn’t he?”
“Uh, no, he’s not my husband.”
The woman shook her head and smiled apologetically. “I’m terribly sorry. I was just telling my daughter what a cute couple you were.”
Cindi was rendered speechless, and she glanced over in time to catch Elizabeth silently snickering. Her voice caught in her throat, and she couldn’t speak.