Bob shook his head. “Nope. I thought she’d laugh you out of her shop. Maybe you have a smoother tongue than I thought.”
“Maybe. Just drive before she changes her mind.”
Chapter 24
Senna
Lily had been napping in the back room of the shop when Zach dropped in to visit, and it was a good thing. Had she been awake, there would have been no way I could have said no to his offer or taken the time to consider whether it was a good idea after he left.
I spent forty-five minutes mulling it over and was torn right down the middle.
Letting a man take me on a trip—a man who clearly wanted something from me at the end of this—seemed like a very stupid move. Despite the fact that we’d hadn’t discussed the issue, he still wanted my signature on a forfeiture form. It seemed especially stupid to get my daughter more involved with him as well.
I’d only known him for a couple weeks. I couldn’t rightly say I trusted him.
But for some reason, I did. Completely.
I was fairly certain that he had the best intentions in offering to take us on vacation, but my judgement might have been cloudy. I’d just had sex with him, after all, and those memories were playing in my mind over and over again like a movie on repeat.
I needed advice.
Heading next door to Edith’s shop, I saw she had a girl on staff, so I asked to steal her away for a minute. Edith followed me back into my store, and we sat in the chairs outside the changing rooms.
“What’s up?” Edith asked.
“Zach just stopped by.”
“Yeah, I saw his SUV outside. What did he want?”
I rubbed my lips together. “He wanted to ask me something.”
“Which was? Girl, don’t keep me waiting. You know I hate it when you do this.”
“He wants to take me and Lily on vacation next week. He said he’d cover the costs of closing my shop while we were away. More than the costs. Double.”
“Double?” she asked in awe.
I nodded.
Edith shrugged her shoulders. “So what do you want from me?”
“I want to know what you think.”
My friend laughed at me. “You want to know what I think about a sexy, rich, and charming-as-hell guy inviting you and Lily away for a fully paid one-week vacation?”
I nodded.
She scowled at me. “I think you suck, and I would give anything to trade places with you.”
I ran my hand down my face. “That’s not helping.”
Edith slumped in her chair. “Well, if I was in your shoes, I’d jump on it. And on him. I mean, what do you have to lose? If he’s going to pay you to go away with him, how dumb would you have to be to decline?”
“You don’t think it’s a mistake? That it might be taking things too far?”
“How do you mean?”
“He’s the same guy who’s trying to close our stores, Edith. Remember? We were supposed to stay away from him. We were supposed to—”
“We? This is not a we thing. This is a you thing. I steered clear. Not by choice, of course. If he was into me instead of you, I’d be all over it. But he’s not. And you’re single. And he’s fine as hell and just as nice. You should go.”
“You think?”
“Yes. Without a doubt, you should go.”
I still wasn’t convinced. This was the sort of thing a younger, more reckless version of myself might have been interested in, but I was a mother now. I had to make smart decisions for myself and for my daughter. What was the risk involved with this?
For starters, there was the chance that everything Zach had done up until now was all just for show, and he was really a villainous snake trying to get me alone.
I shook my head. The thought was preposterous. Zach was not a bad man. I knew that for certain. He just happened to be in a not-so-good career, at least from where I was standing. I could recognize my own bias where that was concerned.
Secondly, it might drive away the very few customers I had left when they found my shop closed down for a whole week. There wouldn’t be many people popping by, and they would likely understand if I left a note on the door that I would be back to work the following Monday.
It all just seemed so irresponsible. And selfish.
Very, very selfish. Who was I to up and leave on a spontaneous vacation simply because I was invited? I had responsibilities. I had to be a good role model for Lily. What would I be teaching her by following a man on a plane and closing up shop?
“You’re overthinking it,” Edith said, crossing one leg over the other and letting her foot bounce to the slow and steady rhythm of the music playing through my shop speakers. “What was your first impulse when he asked you?”
“Honestly? That he was insane.”
“Okay, fair. And then?”
I stared at my hands in my lap. “That it might be nice to get away for a few days.”
Edith sat up a bit straighter and pointed her index finger at me like I’d just had the most significant epiphany of my life. “Exactly! There you go. You have to take him up on his offer.”
“This means I have to pack.”
“Then close up early, and go home and pack! Gosh. I can’t wait to see Lily’s face when you tell her. Is she still in the back?”
I nodded.
“Well go wake her up!”
I couldn’t contain my grin. Excited butterflies took flight in my stomach, and I pushed myself to my feet before giving Edith a decisive nod. “Okay. You’re right. This isn’t indulgent. I need a break. It’s been a long time.”
“Years, Senna. It’s been years.”
I turned on my heel and marched down the hall to the back room. I knocked softly on the door and pushed it open. Lily was right where I’d left her, snoozing in a pile of blankets under my desk. I pulled my office chair back and crouched down beside her.
“Lily?” I said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Lily, it’s time to wake up. Momma has news for you.”
She stirred awake and rubbed at her eyes before yawning. “What is it, Momma?”
“Auntie Edi is out front. She wants to be there when I tell you. Come on. Up and at ‘em.” I offered her my hand. Lily took it, and I pulled her free of the jumble of blankets under my desk. She yawned again, and I scooped her up to carry her back down the hall.
I sat back down in my seat beside Edith. Lily was becoming more alert with every passing second. She smiled at Edith and then looked at me, resting her hands on my shoulders. “What did you want to tell me?”
“Well, I have some good news.”
Lily waited patiently.
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You and I are going on vacation tomorrow morning. On an airplane. With Zach.”
Lily’s eyes doubled in size. It was impossible not to laugh at her shell-shocked but elated expression, and Edith and I both fought to contain ourselves.
“Where?” Lily asked, looking back and forth between me and Edith.
“Well, Zach wouldn’t tell me. But it’s someplace warm. And knowing him, it will be somewhere fun, too.”
Lily bounced up and down on my lap. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and soon, I was wondering how on earth I’d originally wanted to turn down Zach’s offer. The joy it brought my daughter was well worth any downside.
I put Lily down and told Edith I was going to do up a sign to put on the front door to let customers know we would be closed for the week. She offered to try to cover for me and put her girls on some shifts, but I didn’t want to go through the hassle of trying to schedule everything out and worry about giving someone my shop keys. I didn’t have any scheduled deliveries next week, either, so this was the perfect time for me to step away.
Well, close to perfect.
I went to the back and wrote up the sign. Then I taped it to the inside of the door. I turned toward Lily, who was gushing about how excited she was to Edith, and put my hands on my hips. “All right, bunny. Time to
get your stuff. Let’s head home and start packing.”
Lily launched herself down the hall to the back room.
Edith stood up and stretched. I heard her back crack from where I stood at the door. She came over and gave me a knowing smile. “You’re going to have the best time. I can feel it. Just don’t get in your own way, okay?”
“Okay.”
She gave me a hug, and she hugged Lily when she came out as well. “Have a spectacular trip. I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back.”
“I’m sure we’ll have stories to tell,” I said.
“Only good ones,” Edith said before slipping out the door and heading back to her store.
Lily stared up at me. “Are we going now, Momma?”
“Yes. Just wait one second. I have to count the register and close up shop. Did you get everything? Lunch box? Dolls? Water bottle?”
Lily nodded along until I said water bottle. Then her eyebrows drew together. “Um. Be right back.” She ran back down the hall, her heels stomping on the hardwood as she went.
Smiling to myself, I went behind the counter and opened the register. I counted out my float and my deposit. We would have to hit the bank on our way home to drop the deposit off. Then maybe we would swing by Via 313 to really kick this vacation off on the right foot. We could eat pizza, pack, and watch a movie in our pajamas.
Lily came back, and I ran the idea by her. “What do you think, bunny?”
“Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!” She ran around the shop like a maniac.
“Pizza it is, then.” I chuckled as I bumped the register closed with my hip. “All right, silly girl, let’s go. Bank first. Then Via 313. Then home. Sound good?”
Lily nodded and waited for me at the door. We stepped out into the warm summer evening, and I locked up. Then Lily took my hand, and we made our way down Apricot Lane toward the bank around the corner and two blocks down the street.
Even though I was apprehensive about this whole thing, I was still excited. Excited for Lily and for myself.
I hadn’t taken time off from my business since I’d opened. And with the mall being built, the stress had been building and building. The thought of having a whole week where I didn’t have to worry about sales and paying bills was extremely appealing.
It didn’t hurt that I’d be spending my time with a very handsome, very charming man who, despite all my efforts, had managed to find his way into my heart.
Chapter 25
Zach
Bob and I showed up at Senna’s house at eleven in the morning. The front door was wide open when we pulled into the driveway, and as I got out of the car, Senna stepped outside, dragging a suitcase behind her. It hopped and wobbled over the doorframe, and she swept her black hair off her forehead.
She looked beautiful.
Her short hair was half-pinned back, secured by a silver pin that stood out against her jet-black locks. She was wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans with a bunch of tears in them that showed her tanned legs. White sneakers matched her loose white tee, and a dainty silver necklace hung around her neck.
She looked up when she saw me coming and smiled. It was a radiant smile that caught me a little off guard. I was so used to being greeted with a scowl from her. It was a nice change.
I reached for the handle of her suitcase. “Morning. You girls ready to hit the road?”
Senna nodded and leaned through the open door. “Lily! It’s time to go!”
Lily called back that she only needed another minute to find her shoes.
Senna sighed and grabbed a second suitcase from the hall. This one was small and purple with a neon yellow zipper. Lily’s suitcase, I assumed.
“Let me help you with those,” I said, taking both bags and wheeling them out to the Land Rover. Bob popped the hatch, and I put the suitcases in the back.
By the time we were loaded up, Lily came outside to sit on the ground and put on her sandals. She was dressed similarly to her mother, in blue jeans and a white shirt with a flower on it. She stood up, brushed off her rear end, and grinned up at me. “Hi, Zach.”
“Hey, kiddo. Are you ready to go?”
She nodded. “Yep! Ready!”
Senna carried Lily’s car seat out to the car and clipped it into the backseat before putting Lily in it. Once she was buckled in, I got in the passenger seat, and Senna climbed in the back to sit behind Bob and beside her daughter.
“Are you willing to tell me where we’re going yet?” Senna asked.
I turned around and gave her a sheepish smile. “When we get to the airport.”
Lily swung her legs and chattered on about how excited she was, and the three of us entertained her for the duration of the thirty-minute drive to the airport.
When we pulled up at the terminal, Bob lifted the luggage out of the back. We all took our bags up onto the curb, and I told Bob to enjoy his week off and to turn off his phone. He laughed, clapped me on the shoulder, and told me to enjoy myself.
Then he pulled away, and the three of us faced the doors to the airport. “Let’s do this,” I said.
The girls followed me inside. The airport was grand—bright and modern. The high-gloss tile floors reflected the sunlight streaming in through the glass ceiling three stories above, and our shadows danced across the floor with every step we took.
We made our way down the line of check-in counters until we reached our airline. Then we got in line, and I pulled up our boarding information on my phone. We inched toward the front, and when we finally checked in, it was impossible to hide our destination any longer.
I looked down at Lily. “Do you have any guesses where we might be going?”
She shook her head.
“Should I tell you?”
She nodded eagerly.
“I don’t know,” I said, hesitating. “Maybe I should wait—”
“Tell me, please!” Lily cried.
I caught Senna giggling out of the corner of my eye. I grinned. “All right. Drum roll please.”
Senna drummed her palms on her thighs. I followed suit. Lily did too, and her eyes remained fixed on me as I said, “We’re going to Orlando!”
Lily let out a shrill shriek and threw her arms around my waist. It surprised me. I laughed nervously and patted her back. “Is this a good thing?” I asked Senna.
She nodded.
Lily pulled away. “Thank you, Zach. I can’t wait.”
“You’re very welcome,” I said. Then we moved up to the counter, and the attendant checked us in for our flight. We checked our luggage and made our way through security and to our terminal, where we found a seat. I wandered off and bought two cups of coffee and a chocolate milk for Lily. I remembered how much she had liked hers at Via 313 and suspected it might be a special treat and, therefore, the perfect thing to start the trip on the right foot.
I rejoined the girls at our gate and took a seat beside Senna. “For the record, this is strictly a business trip.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Sure, it is.”
“I mean it. No fun at all. Just work.”
She chuckled. “Sounds fine to me.”
“I thought it might.”
We didn’t have to wait long at our gate. Maybe forty-five minutes or so. When they made the announcement for business-class boarding, I got to my feet and pulled our boarding passes out of my back pocket.
“Where are you going?” Senna asked.
“It’s time to board the plane.”
“Business class?” she asked incredulously.
“Of course. What, did you seriously think I would fly economy?” I put a hand on my chest. “I’ll have you know I’m much more sophisticated than that.”
“Uh huh, and full of yourself,” she said, getting to her feet and adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. She took Lily’s hand as the little girl slid off her seat. “I suppose the people in economy are better off not having to deal with you in their cabin.”
“You’re exactly right,�
� I said.
We got in the short line for business-class boarding. Then we entered the tunnel and headed toward the plane. Lily asked five dozen questions in the short walk from the gate to the aircraft.
“How do they make this? Where are we going? Why does the ground sound hollow? Is that the airplane? Why is it so loud? Do airplanes take gas like cars? How many people are on a plane? Do we get to meet the pilot? How many planes have you been on, Zach?”
“Hundreds,” I told her.
Lily gasped. “Really? That’s a lot of planes.”
“It is,” I agreed. “I have to fly a lot for work. I get to go all over the place. Sometimes, it’s nice. Other times, I wish I could stay home.”
“I’ve never been on a plane before,” Lily said.
“Never?”
She shook her head.
I looked at Senna. “And you? Have you flown before?”
Senna gave me a sad smile. “No. Not because I haven’t wanted to. Circumstances have just made it hard, you know?”
“I understand.”
We arrived at the door to the plane. Two flight attendants directed us into the business-class cabin. The seats were leather and luxurious with plenty of leg room. There were personal TVs mounted to the back of the seats in front of us.
I shimmied Lily into our row and directed her toward the window seat. “Yeah. You sit there, Lily. Then you can look outside when we take off. It’s a very cool view, and you can see Austin get smaller and smaller as we go higher in the sky.”
Lily claimed her seat. Her legs dangled at least a foot off the floor, and I leaned across her to buckle her in. She asked me why the seatbelt was so weird, and I told her it was a special seatbelt made for flying, not driving.
That seemed to appease her curiosity well enough, and she immersed herself in peering out the window at the tarmac below and watching the men loading everyone’s luggage onto the aircraft.
I turned to Senna. “Are you nervous about flying?” I made sure to speak quietly so Lily wouldn’t overhear us. I didn’t want her thinking there was anything to be afraid of.
“More curious than nervous.”
Good Luck Charm: A Single Mother Romance Page 15