Page 111 of Tangled Up In You

"Neil said he knew it was over with Jackie, but he didn't break it off until after he met you. It would have been nice to have that information, because Jackie owns the shop next door and has been a bitch to me since I arrived."

"She was a bitch to me, too. Don't let her get to you. She's just a petty person."

"Actually, she's more than that. I've gotten to know her a little, and Phoebe left some notes about her background. Neil also told me she lost a child and then her husband left her. Did you know that?"

"I heard something about it. But I didn't break Jackie and Neil up." Her mom paused. "Did they get together after I left?"

"No. Or if they did, they're not together now."

"Then they weren't meant to be. Things happen for a reason, Molly."

She let out a sigh. "I need to go to bed."

"Really? I thought we could get in our PJs and watch some old movie together."

"I can't have a slumber party with you, Mom. I have to work in the morning."

Her mother gave her a disappointed look. "This is what I worry about, Molly—you getting stuck in a life that will hold you back. I know this is a cute town with lovely people, and it's fun for a while, but it's too small. There isn't enough here for you. Do you just want to run a little shop for the rest of your life? Do you want to see the same people day after day, the same mountains, the same lake?"

"Maybe I do. Staying somewhere would actually be the most different thing I could do."

"You'll get bored. It might not happen right away. But one day you'll wake up and wonder where your life has gone."

"How do you know that would happen? You never stayed anywhere. You never woke up one day and wondered where your life went."

"I have friends who married their high school boyfriends, others who moved to the suburbs or a small town like this one, thinking they were going to live some fairy-tale holiday movie. And maybe it's good for some people. But why would you want to settle when there is so much out there for you to experience? You're young. You're single. You're free." Her mother gave her a sharp look. "Or perhaps you're not as free as I think. Are you falling for Adam?"

She slowly nodded. "Yes."

Her mother sighed. "Well, he's handsome and hot, so I can't blame you. Does he want more than to be a small-town cop? Does he ever want to live in a bigger city?"

"I think he's happy to be here. I might be happy to be here, too." She wished she could be more definitive, but her mom had swirled up some of her doubts.

"You shouldn't stay because of a man."

"And I shouldn't leave because my mom wants me to be her wingman."

"I want you to be happy."

"What if being happy means I stay here?"

"I would hope for the best," her mom replied. "But I can't help reminding you that it's not Paris."

She groaned as her mother repeated the phrase she'd been saying all evening.

"Whisper Lake isn't going anywhere," her mom said. "Neither is Adam. But you could at least take a couple of months and have an experience you'll never forget. Just think about it, okay? Promise me you'll do that."

"Fine. I promise." She got to her feet. "And now, I'm going to bed. Do you need anything else?"

"I'm okay, but could we throw a towel or something over the urn?" her mom asked. "Phoebe never liked me that much, and I feel like she's staring at me with annoyance. She wouldn't be happy I'm trying to get you out of Whisper Lake."

"She probably wouldn't." She moved into the kitchen, grabbed a dish towel, and dropped it over the urn.

"Thank you," her mom said. "Sleep well, Molly."

"You, too, Mom."

"I love you, sweet girl."

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