by Debby Mayne
She sighed. “Practically all my life.”
“You make a great team.”
“So we’ve been told.”
Okay, so this wasn’t going well at all. He racked his brain to try to think of another subject. “By the way,” he began, “I’ve been thinking about that day in Fran’s office.”
Elizabeth turned to him, snorted, and shook her head. “Yeah, I think about that day myself.”
“I’m not sure what happened—”
He was cut off when he heard a door close from the back of the store; then Cindi appeared. “Hey, you two.” She glanced over at Elizabeth. “Any calls from the Hansen-Showers bridal party?”
“Not yet.” Elizabeth’s voice was still clipped.
Cindi gave her a puzzled look then turned to Jeremy with a smile. “We used to have a wedding season, but things are changing. There’s almost an equal balance of weddings year-round these days.”
Jeremy could take a hint. She was busy, but she didn’t want to tell him to get lost. “I just wanted to stop by on my way to Fran’s. She’s supposed to line up some other businesses for me to look at.”
He couldn’t help but notice her quick gasp and odd expression. She recovered quickly and smiled. “I hope all goes well. I really need to get to work, though. See you later?”
“Sure.” He lifted a hand in a wave and left the shop. The silence that fell behind him made him wonder what the women were thinking.
❧
“He must want this shop pretty badly to keep coming by like this,” Elizabeth said as they stood in front of the open refrigerator staring at all the food.
Cindi sighed. “I’m not so sure I want to sell now, but if I do, I’m thinking he might be okay.”
“How about that other couple Fran’s supposed to bring by at noon?”
“I don’t know them. I know Jeremy.”
“I thought y’all decided to move on,” Elizabeth argued. “He agreed to look for something else, and you’re not selling to someone who won’t be here to run it. How can you do that?”
With a shrug, Cindi replied, “No one else has made an offer. Besides, Jeremy just might have changed.”
“Don’t tell him that yet, okay?” Elizabeth pleaded. “I don’t want to take any chances.”
Cindi thought about how she had Elizabeth to think about as well as herself, so she shook her head no. “You’re right. I’m not really in that big of a hurry anymore. I’ll give it a little more time. Who knows? I might just keep it a little longer.”
Fran brought the young prospects by the shop at the precise moment a difficult bride went on a tirade about none of the dresses fitting. The expression on the wife’s face was priceless. Cindi wasn’t surprised when the couple politely said they’d talk about it and have Fran get back with her.
“Looks like no sale,” Elizabeth whispered.
“And that’s probably a good thing,” Cindi agreed. “If something that minor turns her off, she has no business owning a bridal shop.”
“So true.”
The next couple of hours were much calmer. Then a few minutes after three o’clock, Christina, one of the brides who’d gotten married a couple of months earlier, came in with her wedding photo proofs. “I wanted you to see how pretty all the girls looked,” she said, “and Jonathan loved my gown. He said it was the prettiest wedding dress he’d ever seen.”
“He would have said that no matter what you wore,” Cindi said as she studied the pictures. “But you do look beautiful.”
“Thanks to you two, I didn’t have to worry about any of the dresses,” Christina said. “I’ve heard some horror stories from my friends who got their dresses elsewhere.”
“So how’s your marriage?”
Christina sighed as a dreamy expression crossed her face. “The best.”
After Christina left, Cindi saw Elizabeth staring at her. “Okay, I know what you’re thinking. This is more proof that I need to keep the shop.”
“You said it—I didn’t,” Elizabeth said. Her expression changed and became contemplative. “I wonder what’s up with your mother.”
Cindi grimaced. “I wish I knew. I’m worried about her.”
“I’ve been praying for your parents. . .and you. I know how difficult this must be.”
“Yeah, when your parents spring that kind of news on you, it’s pretty jolting.”
“Why don’t you go on home now? I can take care of the shop from now on.”
Cindi grabbed her keys and purse and headed home, where she immediately put on a fresh pot of coffee. By the time her mother arrived, the coffee was done.
“Who gave you the rose?” her mother asked as she leaned over and sniffed the single bloom in the vase in the middle of the kitchen table.
“Jeremy.”
Her mom froze, eyes wide. Finally, she raised her eyebrows and said, “Jeremy? As in Jeremy Hayden?”
“The one and only.”
“I heard he was in town. When did you see him?”
Cindi touched a finger on one hand and said, “Yesterday”; then she touched the next finger. “And the day before yesterday, and the day before that.”
“So what’s going on between you two?” Her mother poured herself a cup of coffee then sat down at the kitchen table. “I heard he was looking to buy a business and a house.”
“For such a big city, word sure does travel fast,” Cindi said.
“Well, it helps to know the Realtor’s sister.”
“I’ll tell you all about it, but not until you let me know what’s going on with you.”
Her mother inhaled and then slowly blew out her breath. She shut her eyes for a couple of seconds the way she always did when she needed to gather her thoughts. “Your father and I have agreed to go to counseling. We’re taking things slowly, but we’d like to try working on our problems.”
Cindi’s mood lifted instantly. “Really? That’s wonderful news. When did you decide to do that?”
“A couple of weeks ago he stopped by to pick up a few things. I’d just baked a casserole, and since he hadn’t eaten supper yet, I. . .well, I asked him to join me. You know how much I hate to eat alone.”
“Yes,” Cindi said as she leaned toward her mother. “So he ate dinner with you?”
Her mother nodded and smiled. “We had the best time, too. I’d forgotten what a great conversationalist he is.”
Cindi shook her head. “What do you think happened?”
“I’m not sure, but the counselor I called said it was fairly common for couples to split up once the children are gone.”
“And Daddy agreed to go to counseling?” Amazing.
“Yes, that’s the best part. He said he’d been thinking about working things out, but he didn’t know how to bring it up, and he was glad I took the first step.” She fidgeted for a few seconds then looked at Cindi. “You know how your father’s pride is.”
“Yes, I remember that.”
“I’m feeling pretty good about things. I hope you’re happy.”
Cindi let out a sigh of joy. “You couldn’t have brought better news that would have made me any happier.”
“Please pray for us, honey. I never stopped loving your father, and I want this to work out.”
“Trust me, Mom, I’ll pray night and day. I want it to work out as much as you do.”
“Now tell me what’s going on with your shop.”
Cindi explained how she felt and why she was still selling. The whole time she talked, her mother never interjected a word until Cindi finally said, “What are you thinking?”
“I think you’re making a huge mistake. You’ve always dreamed of running a bridal shop, and you’re living your dream. How many other people can say that?”
“You of all people should understand why I don’t want to perpetuate a myth—a fantasy that marriage is so wonderful.”
“To be honest with you,” her mother said softly, “it’s as wonderful as a couple makes it. If two people keep their focus
on the Lord and their family, they can work through almost anything. Being married to your father was almost like living my own fairy tale until one day everything seemed out of place.”
“I still don’t understand why you split up.”
“Ya know, I’m not sure, either, but maybe we needed a little time apart to realize how good we had it together. The Lord let us separate, but don’t forget we didn’t divorce.”
After her mother left, Cindi cleared the dishes and thought about how quickly things could change. She was relieved her parents seemed to be heading in the right direction.
The next day Cindi told Elizabeth about her parents’ efforts to reconcile. “I feel so much better now,” she admitted.
“Do you feel good enough to keep this place?”
“Maybe.”
The conversation ended quickly when a bride came in frazzled and in tears because another bridal shop had messed up her order. “I have to have something by the week after next. Is that even possible?”
Cindi and Elizabeth exchanged a glance before they turned to her, nodding. “Yes, as long as you keep an open mind,” Elizabeth said. “We can take one of our sample dresses and customize it for you.”
By the time she left, the bride was shedding a different kind of tears—those of joy over the fact that she liked the dress Elizabeth was customizing even more than the one she’d originally found. “I’ll tell all my friends about this place,” she said. “You two are the very best!”
“That does it,” Cindi said. “I think I’ll withdraw my listing. I can’t imagine letting someone suffer like that poor girl obviously was.”
“Attagirl.” Elizabeth grinned and nodded. “Back in the saddle and stronger than ever.”
The rest of the day went smoothly. Cindi was so happy about her decision, she felt as if she were walking on clouds. Elizabeth kept looking at her and giving her the thumbs-up gesture.
On Sunday Cindi arrived at church early and watched for Jeremy. When she didn’t see him by the time the first song began, she focused all her attention on the service. During private prayer time, she thanked the Lord again for her parents’ reconciliation and asked for guidance with Jeremy. Her attraction had only grown stronger, yet she wasn’t sure what to do.
After the closing benediction, Cindi turned toward the exit. That was when she spotted Jeremy, his mother, his dad, and. . .his brother, Jacob? She hadn’t seen Jacob since high school when he’d come home to visit his parents. Jacob was several years older than them. He’d gotten married and moved away, so they didn’t see him often.
Fortunately, Jeremy spotted her, so he waited until she could reach them. Jacob leaned over to hug her. “I heard you were doing great,” he said. Then he whispered, “You’ve got my baby brother doing all kinds of things I never thought he’d do.”
Cindi thought that was a curious comment. “Like what?”
“Like considering getting into the wedding business.”
“Oh.” He obviously hadn’t told anyone his change of plans. And she hadn’t yet gotten around to telling Fran she wanted to withdraw her listing. “I’m not so sure that’s what he really wants.”
Jacob offered a conspiratorial grin. “I’m positive that’s not what he really wants.”
Cindi quickly grew very uncomfortable, and she wanted to change the direction of the conversation. “So how are things with you and your wife?”
He cleared his throat and shook his head. “I’m divorced. I’ve moved back home until I figure out what to do next.”
She felt awful. “I’m so sorry—I had no idea.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. Just don’t make a stupid mistake like I did and think love conquers all.”
Jeremy slipped between them and took over the conversation. “We’re going to lunch. Want to join us?”
“No, that’s okay,” she said. “I have other plans. Let’s talk later.”
The rest of the afternoon, Cindi did a few things she didn’t have time to do during the week. Once everything was finished, she went to visit her mother. Her father had just left.
“I was hoping to catch the two of you together,” Cindi said. “Why isn’t he staying here?”
“We’re taking it very slowly,” her mother replied. “I think he’ll be moving back by the end of the month, though. The counselor has really helped. If you ever decide to get married, I’d highly suggest getting Christian counseling beforehand. That way you can nip problems in the bud before they start.”
“Good thinking,” Cindi agreed. “From what I’ve heard, most pastors do premarital counseling these days before they’ll perform the ceremony.”
“I wish they’d done that back when your father and I got married. We had so many unrealistic expectations that caused problems later on, it’s a wonder we stuck it out as long as we did. We still have a couple more counseling sessions, because there are still some issues we haven’t resolved.”
Cindi heard that, but she chose to assume everything would be just fine. Both of her parents had taken the steps they needed to keep their marriage together, so what could go wrong?
The following week Cindi was faced with all sorts of problems, starting Monday. One of the weddings she’d put quite a bit of time into had been canceled. The groom got cold feet and said he changed his mind, so the bride and her entire wedding party wanted to cancel their orders.
Then the next day one of the brides she’d worked with a couple of years earlier walked in wanting another wedding gown—only this time she wanted tea length because she didn’t think it was appropriate to wear a long white gown for a second wedding. Cindi and Elizabeth listened to her go on and on about how different this marriage would be because they were signing prenuptial agreements and they were each keeping their own residence in case things didn’t work out.
After she left, Elizabeth shook her head. “How sad for her. She still doesn’t know what marriage is all about.”
It seemed as though each day brought even more bad news. Within two weeks, Cindi was once again doubting the business she’d once loved. Her emotions were still on edge and very tender.
“Don’t let it get you down,” Elizabeth said. “Look at your parents. They’re working things out.”
“Maybe so, but they’re still not living together. Apparently my dad isn’t sure reconciling is in their best interest. I think he likes seeing my mom but remaining on his own.”
“That’s silly,” Elizabeth said. “What does their counselor say?”
“I wish I knew. Mom’s starting to get depressed about it. I think she’s even worse off now than she was before they started trying to get back together.”
That night her mother called crying. “This is so hard, Cindi. I can’t go on like this. I hate living in a state of limbo, not knowing if we’ll ever figure out where we went wrong.”
Nothing Cindi said could pull her mother out of her depression. The hope she’d had just a few weeks ago went up in a puff of smoke.
The next morning, Cindi stormed into the shop, dropped her purse into the file cabinet, and slammed it shut. “That’s it. I’m selling this place. I was right before. A good marriage is just an image.”
“Come on, Cindi,” Elizabeth begged. “You can’t really mean it. At least give it another year or two.”
“Nope. I’m getting out while I’m still young enough to find something else, and I don’t want to waste another day.” She paused to take a breath before adding, “I’m calling Fran to let her know Jeremy can have it—that is, if he’s still interested. I might have blown my only chance to get out. At least now I’m convinced Jeremy is on the up-and-up. If he says he’ll personally run the shop, then that’s what I believe he’ll do.”
Eleven
Jeremy pulled the cell phone out of his pocket, saw it was Fran, and answered it. Fran didn’t even bother identifying herself. Instead, she blurted, “Cindi’s changed her mind, and she wants to sell you her shop.”
“She what?”
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br /> “I think you heard right. She said she’ll sell the shop to you, and the sooner the better.”
“Wait a minute—let me get this straight. Just a couple of weeks ago, she wanted to keep it.”
“Yes,” Fran said, “I know. So if you still want the shop, you need to act quickly before she changes her mind again.”
Cindi was an intelligent woman, so something had obviously happened. He told Fran he’d get back to her by the end of the day after he had some time to think about it.
Immediately after he flipped the phone shut, he started to call Cindi. But before he pushed the Send button, he changed his mind. He needed to think before reacting. This situation called for something he could count on. He lowered his head and closed his eyes in prayer.
Lord, give me guidance in what to do about this Cindi thing. Granted, her shop is exactly the type of business I’m looking for, but You know I don’t want to take advantage of a weak time in her life. If she’s meant to keep the place, show her. Make it clear to her. If You want me to have it, then make that clear, as well.
When he opened his eyes, he knew he needed to be patient and pay attention to the answer. The times he’d gone about his business without regard to what he knew the Lord wanted him to do, things had gone awry.
He had business to tie up in Macon, and he wouldn’t be back in Atlanta until late in the evening. The manager of his tire store had turned in his resignation the day before, so he was interviewing new candidates. Fortunately, the two very capable assistant managers could run the place without him, and only one of them wanted the lead position. Jeremy planned to promote him and give the other one a raise for doing such a good job of supporting the business. However, he still had a position to fill, and the candidate pool wasn’t as deep as it had been the last time he’d needed someone.
At the end of the day, he hadn’t found anyone who seemed capable of filling the very big shoes of the assistant manager he was promoting, but he needed to get back to Atlanta. His employees assured him they’d be fine without him, and he had confidence in them.
He left the tire store in Macon at four thirty hoping to get to his parents’ place by dinnertime. Normally the drive back to Atlanta took less than two hours, but traffic was slow. He pulled into the driveway after dark and knew his parents would have finished eating by now. Knowing his mother, though, she’d have a plate filled with leftovers ready for him to microwave.