by Nia Arthurs
Trapped between two worlds, she’d spent her life trying not to stand out too much on either side.
Was it tiring?
Yes.
But the last thing Jo wanted was to say or do anything that made one side of the family feel that she respected or loved them less. There was enough bad blood between the Lees and the Gregorys.
Neither of her grandmothers had approved of her parents’ marriage. Her Creole grandmother hadn’t even shown up to the wedding. Halmoni—her Korean grandmother—still held a grudge.
Jo was the only thing holding the generations of women together.
She couldn’t mess this up.
And she couldn’t quit her job at the grocery store either. Even if it wasn’t her dream. Halmoni believed her place was with the other grandchildren, working to expand the Lee franchise.
Jo knew she shouldn’t complain. In this economy, having a secure and stable job was a blessing, not a curse. But she didn’t see herself bagging groceries at Halmoni’s store forever.
With a sigh, Jo said her goodbyes to Sky and drove north.
Ten minutes later, she parked in front of the massive grocery store and grabbed her purse. The moment she hopped out of the car, the heat rammed into her. She hustled through the wide double doors and spotted her cousin Jenifer sitting behind the counter.
Jen tapped her watch, small eyes narrowing into slits. “You’re playing it close.”
“Is Halmoni here yet?”
“Nope.” Jenifer tossed her an apron. “I signed in for you. Act busy.”
“You’re the best.” She grinned.
Jenifer waved her away. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”
Though Jo had many cousins on the Lee side, she wasn’t close to any of them. Apart from the fact that most of her cousins were shy and—okay—maybe a teeny bit snobby, the issues ran deeper than that.
Most of her aunts and uncles were very traditional. Her mother’s decision to find love outside her race didn’t just break her relationship with Halmoni; it destroyed the link between her siblings too.
Jo was a walking, talking offense to the Lees. Though the ties of family were strong in their culture, her extended family could never quite hide their discomfort.
She sighed as she tied the apron around her waist and headed into the storeroom to restock the shelves.
Jo and her cousins handled the day-to-day functions of the store, while the adults dealt with the administrative tasks. They’d all grown up here within the grocery store aisles.
Since Jo was eleven, she’d been stocking shelves and manning the cash register. It was why she handled Sweet Treats so well. Twelve years of prep had made her a beast with ringing purchases.
A few of her other cousins greeted her on the way. She waved at them, but didn’t stop to chat. Halmoni would know if she slacked off and there was no mercy then.
The storeroom was empty save for her cousin James, who smiled shyly at her and returned to his task.
James was the quiet type—shy, not very friendly. Jo just wiggled her fingers and didn’t take it personally when he ignored her.
Grabbing the nearest box, she grabbed her pocketknife from the case that she kept around the loop of her jeans and broke the tape. The work was mundane and repetitive so she hummed under breath to pass the time.
A melody had been running through her head for a while and she itched to get it on paper and flesh it out. How many hours until lunch again?
After a few minutes, Jo finished with the boxes and stood, stretching her back. Her phone vibrated. She took it out and saw Halmoni’s name on the screen.
She stiffened and picked up immediately. “Hello?”
“Come to my office.”
Click.
Halmoni was always abrupt but… yeesh. That was new.
As Jo strolled through the shop to the stairs, she spotted Jenifer stacking papayas in the display crates.
“Psst.” She pulled her cousin aside. “I got a summons from Halmoni. What’s up?”
Jenifer shook her straight black hair away from her oval face. “I don’t know. She didn’t say anything to me.”
“When did she get here?”
“Mm?” Jenifer glanced up. “A few minutes ago, maybe?”
Jo winced. “You don’t think she found out about my leaving early for singing gigs, do you?”
“No. Definitely not.”
Jo let out a breath. “Well, guess I have to face the music.”
“Fighting!” Jenifer fisted her hands and pumped them in encouragement.
Jo bounced up the stairs to her grandmother’s office. Halmoni stood at the window overlooking the street. She wore a silky blue shirt and matching turquoise pants. Her fluffy grey hair was cut bluntly to her chin.
Timidly, Jo knocked on the door. “Halmoni, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes.” Her grandmother turned around. She had a wide face with half-moon eyes, a blunt nose and thin pink lips. Halmoni had a resting Cindrella-stepmother face and it used to freak the hell out of her.
Now, it was just disquieting.
“Are you still working at that bakery?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Did you know that café is supporting Joon Gi Kim, the man who caused an uproar in the news a few months ago?” Halmoni’s sharp eyes cut straight through her. “Did you know the owner is dating him?”
“Well…”
“I want you to quit working at that store.”
Jo wheeled back. “Halmoni—”
“You shouldn’t be associating with people of such low character.” Her frown firmly in place, she threatened, “Leave that place or...”
“Or what?” Jo frowned. “You’ll fire me?”
Halmoni’s expression remained stony and Jo knew that she would.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Get Another Sweet Love Story Free!
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
A Word From The Author
Also by Nia Arthurs
Sneak Peek
Chapter 1
Chapter 2