by Debby Mayne
Brad approached her, took the box out of her hands, and nodded toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Sherry could tell Brad didn’t like the situation any more than she did, which in an odd sort of way made her feel better. They walked to the parking lot in silence, until she couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Brad, I don’t want you to keep coming around just because you feel sorry for me.”
He set the box on the roof of Sherry’s car and turned to face her. “I’m starting to think this isn’t about us and that you’re still not over Theo.”
“That’s silly. Of course I’m over him.” She paused and carefully organized her thoughts as Brad continued glancing down at her. “I just don’t want to keep making the same mistakes.”
“Life is meant to be lived, not guarded so closely that you miss opportunities to find . . .” Brad closed his eyes for a few seconds before gazing directly at her.
“I . . .” She had to stop and take a deep breath. “I am making changes, but they’re coming at me so fast I don’t know how to handle them.”
Brad took her keys, unlocked her car door, and put the food on the backseat. Then he turned to face her. “I’ll give you all the space you want, but I would like to know what happened Friday night—”
“I don’t want you hanging around just because you pity me. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble to be nice to me after he left. I hate the thought that you felt so sorry for me.”
“Look, Sherry, I’ve always liked you, but Theo was my friend, and friends don’t try to take away each other’s girlfriends.”
“You have? I mean, you really did like me before?”
“Yes, and I still do, or at least I thought I did, but I’m now starting to realize that nothing will ever come of us. You’re too set in your ways, even more than I thought.” He lifted his hands in frustration. “Yeah, I know you’re planning to go look at some apartment, but you’re just going through the motions. You’ll never move out of that house you’ve always lived in, just like you’ll never let yourself fall in—” He stopped and swallowed hard. “You won’t allow yourself to have a relationship because that would mean change.”
Sherry looked down. “I don’t know what to say.”
He gave a half-wave as he turned back toward Naomi’s apartment. “I’ll probably see you around church and committee meetings.”
Sherry stood there and stared after Brad as he disappeared into the building. The jolt from his words, and those he’d left unsaid, flung her emotions into a place she’d never been. She had no doubt that she loved Brad, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to do anything about it.
On her drive home she thought about all the things Naomi and Brad had said. At home she tried to read, but her mind raced with the events of the past week—from what she’d overheard Theo say to the way Gina and Jeremy were adapting to their own personal changes. If they could survive what they’d been through, surely she could adapt and accept what the Lord had presented in her life. She’d dreamed of finding love someday, but she never thought it would happen—and certainly not like this.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Naomi called later that night. Without giving her a chance to say a word beyond hello, she started in on her. “Sherry, you’re way too young to be so set in your ways. Me, that’s different. I’m pushing eighty. But you still have more than half your life left to enjoy.”
“Naomi, I—”
“We don’t know a lot of things, sweetie. Only the Lord does. But that doesn’t mean He doesn’t want us to make the most of all the blessings He lays before us. Looks to me like He’s handing you some great opportunities.”
“You really think so?”
“Yep. On a silver platter. I know you don’t like people telling you what to do, but I think you should take this apartment if you like it.”
Sherry laughed. “Okay, I will.”
“And don’t say you’ll think about it first, or you’ll never do anything. When you look at that apartment tomorrow, try to imagine yourself sitting there having your morning cup of coffee, looking at the lake, relaxing—” She stopped. “What did you say?”
“I said okay.”
“Oh.” Naomi cackled. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“That’s what I thought. Now I have a question for you. Did you have anything to do with this apartment coming available?”
“Why would you ask such a question?”
“Because you have a lot to do with everything going on in my life right now.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Naomi paused. “Oh, before I forget, Pamela is having a garden club board meeting tomorrow night.”
“Where?”
“Since all of our regular meeting places are booked, Bailey managed to get us one of the conference rooms at the Gazette. It’s small, but I doubt many people can come on such short notice.”
“Okay, I’ll be there. What time?”
“Seven. You’ll need to make a committee report on the playground . . . and wear something nice.”
Sherry sighed. This might be another setup, but what could she do? “Fine. I’ll put something together.”
ON MONDAY MORNING SHERRY headed for the Fontainebleau Luxury Apartments with trepidation. She had decided to accept it if she liked what she saw. But what if it turned out to be a disaster? What if she moved out of her house and later regretted it? What if she couldn’t find a buyer for her house? Could she be happy with such a big change in her everyday life? All those questions swirled in her head until she felt dizzy.
Samantha smiled as she walked into the leasing office. “I can’t wait to show you this place. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and the view . . . the view is to die for.”
Sherry smiled. “Let’s go see it, then.”
From the moment they walked into the apartment, with the cheerful lighting, open great room, glistening kitchen, and not one but two large windows that overlooked Lake Bliss—one in the great room and the other in the oversized bedroom—Sherry’s breath caught in her throat. She could so see herself in this apartment. The current resident was obviously neat and had decorated sparingly, so she didn’t even have to look past clutter or someone else’s taste in décor. And from what she could see, not a single door was lopsided, and everything worked.
Sherry inhaled and detected the scent of brand new carpet and fresh paint. “It still smells new.”
“The tenant hasn’t lived here long, and she travels.”
“Oh.” That explained why the place didn’t really look lived-in.
“So . . . do you like it?” Samantha gestured around the room. “It has everything you said you wanted.”
Sherry nodded. “There’s nothing not to like about this place, but I still have the house.”
“I expected that.” Samantha smiled. “Naomi said you might be worried about your house.”
“How long can you give me to get back with you?”
“Since this view is in demand, and we don’t have any more apartments like it, we can’t hold it long. How about until the end of the week? Can you decide by then?”
“Yes.” Maybe she could figure out a way to move into the apartment and get the house ready to sell. At least she didn’t have a mortgage, so she wouldn’t have two payments.
“Good.” Samantha smiled warmly. “If you decide early, give me a call, and I can have the lease drawn up by the time you get here.”
On the way to the shop, Sherry thought of pros and cons of making the move. She loved the view of the lake. All the modern appliances—from the smooth-top stove to the touchpad microwave above it—would be fun to use. The negatives were that she’d have to make a major move, which required a tremendous amount of time and energy. She’d have to tighten her belt on the budget until the house sold. How would she manage everyt
hing with her full-time job, garden club responsibilities, and church? And she’d have to change her entire living routine in the new apartment that was quite a bit farther from work.
Nan greeted her as soon as she walked into the shop. “Hey, Sherry. We’ve had a busy morning.”
“Busy is good.” She went to the back room to put away her purse. While there, she pulled out some boxes to replenish the stock.
“Oh, before I forget, that sweet little Maples family stopped by.”
“How are they?”
Nan shrugged. “They’ve been out house hunting and getting frustrated.”
Before Sherry had a chance to respond, Naomi called the shop. “So when are you signing that lease?”
“I have until the end of the week.”
Naomi made a clucking sound with her tongue. “Don’t let this opportunity go. The apartment you’ve been waiting for is available, and you have me to help you get stuff ready. Absolutely no excuses left.”
“I want to do this. Really. But there’s so much involved.”
“Stop it right now. You get yourself all in a dither, anticipating all kinds of things that’ll prob’ly never happen. It might be a lot, but once you start, you’ll be able to plow right through. If I promise to help make things run smoothly, can you do this?”
A lump formed in Sherry’s throat. “I think so. It’s a tough decision, but I believe it’s the right thing for me to do now.”
“Let me get started then. Gotta run. See you tonight.”
Naomi hung up. No telling what would happen next, but Sherry braced herself for anything.
The shop was slow, so she made a few phone calls to get some ideas for playground property and jotted all of them on a sheet of paper. There were actually more options than she would have thought.
AFTER A QUICK SANDWICH on the run, Sherry headed over to the Bloomfield Gazette, a single-story redbrick building a block off Main Street. Bailey greeted her at the door. “We’re using the first conference room on the right. Go on in and help yourself to some refreshments. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Sherry was relieved to be the first to arrive. It gave her a chance to unwind and find a seat before Pamela walked in.
The sound of footsteps caught her attention. When she looked up, she saw Brad standing at the door looking at her. “Is this where we’re meeting?”
Her lips quivered as she smiled up at him. “This is the place.”
He walked in, paused to look around, and headed toward the other side of the table where he pulled out a chair and sat down. Sherry used every ounce of self-restraint to keep from staring at him. She loved the way his recently cropped hair didn’t lie down straight, his piercing blue eyes narrowing when he focused so intently. His innate gentleness radiated straight to her heart.
The instant Pamela arrived, the tension in the room elevated to a fever pitch. “We don’t have all night. Most of the folks from the garden club couldn’t make it, but they said they’re fine with whatever the committee decides, and they gave me their proxy votes. I just wanted to discuss our plan so I can present it to the city council and get the ball rolling.”
No doubt that they’d get whatever they wanted . . . or whatever Pamela wanted. It was a known fact that the Bloomfield Garden Club carried more clout than any other single group in town. And most city council members were up for reelection.
Without wasting a single second, Pamela dumped the contents of her tote on the table. “We have two choices of location, the first one owned by the city.” She tapped one of the papers. “I even have a map and survey.”
Brad reached for the papers, studied them for a moment, and nodded. “This one looks good.”
“I like it too, but before we make a decision, check out the other one.” Pamela handed him another stack of papers. “The location of the second one is a little bit bigger, but it’ll cost some money.”
Sherry pulled out her paper with the list of properties, but Naomi walked into the room and plunked all her stuff down at the opposite end of the table from Pamela. “So what have I missed?”
Pamela glared at her. “You’re late.”
“Okay, so fire me.” She reached for the papers Brad had just put down and looked them over. “Isn’t this where they were planning to build a new City Hall?”
“It was,” Pamela replied. “But they’ve reevaluated and scrapped those plans. It’s more economically feasible to renovate and expand the current location.”
Naomi tossed the papers onto the table. “Then let’s go for it.”
Pamela nodded toward Brad. “We need to consider the other option before we make any decisions. What do you think, Brad?”
He put down the second stack of papers and turned to Sherry. “I think we should at least ask the committee chairperson her opinion.”
Sherry started to say something, but Pamela interrupted her. “Sherry takes forever to make decisions. We don’t have that kind of time.”
Naomi stood up so abruptly that her chair fell to the floor. “Stop assuming things, Pamela. She can make a decision just fine.” She raised both eyebrows and turned to Sherry. “So tell us what you think.”
“I haven’t seen the options you’ve presented.” She slid her own paper off the table and into her lap.
Pamela grinned. “See? What did I tell you?”
Brad held up a hand and pushed both stacks of paper toward Sherry. “She’s got a point. Why don’t we give her a few minutes to look these over? I could use something to drink.”
“Oh, all right.” Pamela waved her hands toward the refreshment table. “We’ll take a ten-minute break while Sherry thinks about it.”
The pressure was on, and Sherry didn’t want to let anyone down—especially Naomi—so she remained seated at the table, looking through the papers. Her mind swirled with the pros and cons of each location, until Bailey cleared her throat. She glanced up.
“I just happen to know a little something that might help,” Bailey whispered as she leaned over toward Sherry. “The city property is available immediately, and the other land still needs to be rezoned. That could take some time.”
Sherry smiled. “Thanks.”
Bailey glanced at the paper in Sherry’s lap. “What’s that?”
With a shaky hand, Sherry tried to stuff it into her purse. “I found more places we might want to consider, but they don’t—”
“Mind if I take a look at it?”
Sherry handed it to her. As Bailey studied it, Sherry saw her expression change. “This one is excellent. I think Naomi will love it.”
“You do?” Sherry looked at the location closest to the Village.
Bailey gave her a thumbs-up and leaned back in her chair. Sherry was thankful to have someone on her side.
Pamela returned to her place at the head of the table. “Any ideas?”
Sherry nodded. “I made some calls about vacant property in town. Since the city owns this land, and they don’t have any immediate plans for it, I think we should consider it. Another important aspect is its location. We have plenty of room for playground equipment, and it’s close enough to the Village for some of the residents to enjoy the children.”
“Might be too close for some of those old folks.” Pamela scowled.
“Nonsense.” Naomi cast a frown toward Pamela then smiled at Sherry. “I love this idea. That property has been sitting vacant so long I forgot it belonged to the city.”
The look of surprise on Pamela’s face got Naomi tittering. Brad cast a warning glance in Naomi’s direction, so she lifted her hand to her mouth.
“Maybe we can talk to someone from the Village just to make sure,” Pamela said. “We don’t want to jump into something we’re not sure about.”
Naomi’s eyebrows shot up. “Hello. You’re talkin�
� to someone from the Village.”
Pamela didn’t waste another moment before forging ahead. “Okay, so does everyone agree that we should move forward with the city-owned land by the Village?”
Everyone nodded.
Pamela pointed toward Sherry. “Do you care to give a report on the committee’s progress?”
Sherry read her report and glanced up for a reaction. Pamela looked at her with respect. “Good job. Now let me take this information to the city, so we can get started soon.” She gestured around the room. “Anything else?”
Naomi winked at Sherry and lifted her hand. “Sherry has decided to put her house on the market.”
Pamela scowled. “That’s not committee—”
“Of course it’s not, but we’re all friends here,” Naomi interrupted. “I just thought you might be interested.”
Pamela gave a clipped nod. “Fine, now we know. Back to the committee, I need to go home and write my report for the city meeting tomorrow. I want a quick answer; therefore, it has to be good.”
They all agreed as they adjourned. Naomi went up to Pamela and whispered something. Pamela looked at Sherry and nodded.
Pamela held up one finger. “Hey, Brad, Sherry, come here a minute.”
Surely Naomi hadn’t enlisted Pamela in the setup. Sherry watched Brad as he glanced at her with curiosity before he tentatively moved toward Pamela. “What do you need?” he asked.
Pamela looked back and forth between them, a sly smile playing on her lips. “The two of you need to work together very closely. I’m counting on you to make it happen.”
“Oh, it’ll happen.” Brad stepped back and cast a questioning look in Sherry’s direction. She nodded her agreement.
Pamela’s gaze settled on Brad. “It’ll take a well orchestrated effort. I need you two to accompany me to City Hall. Don’t let us down.”
Brad lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, ma’am.”
Pamela laughed. “That’s the spirit.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sherry made a beeline for the door, but Naomi caught up with her. “It’s still early. Mind if I come over?”