Page 16 of The Secret to a Southern Wedding

“They’re alright. You want a good breakfast, come here one day. But anyway, if Peachtree Cove is named Best Small Town, then they’ll also name the best place to stay in town. I have got to get the inn on that list.”

“If anyone can pull off being the best at something then I know it’s you. You don’t give up on anything you put your mind to. And I feel bad for anyone who tries to get in your way or say you can’t. Nobody messes with Tracey and walks away the same.”

Tracey laughed. “Lord, girl, I don’t fight like that anymore. Not unless I need to,” she said with a wink. “Come on, let me give you a tour before your mom gets here. Girl, I can’t believe your mom is getting married! I’m so excited for her, and Mr. Dash is the nicest man I’ve ever met. He cuts the grass here for me. Hurry up, let’s start in the kitchen.”

Imani let Tracey pull her toward the kitchen. “Not you, too. Everyone is telling me how nice Mr. Dash is.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing really. I just don’t know him. I’d like to form my own opinion.”

Tracey nodded. “That makes sense. We know him, but this is new to you. Just try not to be too much of a man hater with him.”

“I’m not a man hater.”

Tracey grunted. “Umm, were you not the one who told me I was throwing my life away by marrying Bernard so young and that he was only going to ruin my life?”

Imani flinched. She stopped walking and put a hand on Tracey’s arm. “I never should have said all that. Obviously, I was wrong. You two are still together and I was in a bad place back then after my dad.”

“I knew all that when you said it. That’s why I didn’t go off on you like I normally would. Besides, who knows, the man may still ruin my life.”

“Don’t play like that. You two are the only couple I know still making it work. You’re my last hope that love exists.”

A shadow flickered across Tracey’s face before she grinned and pointed at Imani. “No I’m not. Your mom and Mr. Dash are. Now come on. Let’s finish this tour before the lovebirds get here.”

“You did a great job with this place, Tracey,” Imani said when they finished the tour.

Tracey had shown her first the small dining area located off the kitchen, and the parlor that could serve as a private meeting room or be opened to allow easy flow through the downstairs for other parties. They didn’t go out back to the yard with the gazebo where she held outdoor weddings or other events because that was part of what they’d do when her mom arrived with Mr. Dash.

Imani wasn’t excited about seeing her mom retie the knot, but she was impressed by what Tracey had accomplished in just over a year.

“Thank you,” Tracey said leading Imani down the stairs from where she’d shown her the tastefully decorated suites back to the reception area. “Although business has been pretty good this year, if Peachtree Cove can get the best small town designation and The Fresh Place Inn is highlighted, then that will be even better.”

“I’ve got to ask. You didn’t do Fresh Place as a nod to The Get Fresh Crew, did you?”

Tracey grinned and clapped her hands together. “You know it.”

Imani’s eyes widened and she laughed. “For real? You named it after our silly group name?”

“That name wasn’t just a silly group name. You all were my best friends. We had so much fun working here. You were my safe space away from home, so when I thought of a name I had to go there. That, and we do serve fresh food from local vendors, so if anyone officially asks then I’m going with that story versus me and my homegirls called ourselves The Get Fresh Crew.”

“I don’t know. If you get the best place to stay designation, then that may be worth putting in the story.”

They made it to the reception area and walked over to the front desk. “I could imagine Miriam having the committee she put together for this designation adding that to the write-up.”

“There’s a committee for this?”

“Yes. Miriam is serious. She pulled in the Business Guild, chamber of commerce and town officials to work on the application, which is due in about a month or so. First Travel Magazine has to narrow down the finalists from the list of applications. After that, representatives from the magazine will visit and select the best one. The top fifteen towns will be featured in the magazine, and one will be named the best small town.”

“And she really thinks Peachtree Cove will make the final cut?”

Tracey leaned against the reception desk. “If anyone lives and breathes Peachtree Cove it’s Miriam Parker.”

Imani’s eyes widened. “I’m still surprised she’s back in town. Didn’t she go to Harvard or something?”

Miriam was a year or two ahead of Imani in high school, but she remembered her. Class valedictorian and student body president. She’d been the epitome of the perfect student, and because she was genuinely sweet and wanted to be helpful, everyone loved her. She was the biggest star of their class with her acceptance to Harvard. Everyone in town compared Imani to Miriam and expected her to achieve just as much if not more. The admiration had switched to pity shortly after the scandal with her dad.

“She did. She even got her MBA from Stanford and worked at some large firm in California. Then later, she realized she missed being home. Moved back and made it her mission to revitalize Peachtree Cove. And you know Miriam.”

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