Page 29 of Beneath Southern Stars

I snicker as Honey guides Ms. Linda out the door while being chastised the entire time. Silence settles over the table; Pepper having given up on my lack of attention and climbing to the seat vacated by Ms. Linda. Today her hair is pulled into two fluffy pigtails. Her curls make them like little pompoms. It’s freaking adorable.

“Do you want to join me?”

Ryan’s smirk has morphed to a full smile and he pulls the chair out across from me and settles in. From my peripheral, I see Pepper move and look in her direction and start laughing. She’s up on her knees with elbows on the table, her chin resting on folded hands watching us like a tennis match.

Instead of giving her attention I turn back to Ryan. “Did you place an order? Liv is a phenomenal baker. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.”

“Nah, we just left Sugar Rush and were taking a walk through the Jubilee market when we spotted you in the window.”

“Did you get something yummy at Sugar Rush?” I ask Pepper.

Her eyes sparkle and she nods her head vigorously, but it’s her father who answers. “My little chocolate lover removed the head off her chocolate reindeer in one bite. A little barbaric but I had a sample and can’t say I blame her. Decadent. I wassurprised to see you sitting here like a customer. Seems when I run into you in town, you’re working somewhere. I’m not sure I’ve met someone with so many jobs.”

Silence falls between us, not awkward but it is filled with something. Questions, maybe.

Ryan leans back in his chair, fingers tapping on the table. “Okay, Laney Ann Whitfield, why do you work so many jobs?”

Pepper, obviously bored with the conversation, slips from her seat and moves to the display case. I watch as Roxi talks to her. When I glance back to Ryan, he’s watching me watch his daughter.

“Magnolia Grove is a tight-knit community built on family-owned businesses. Sometimes those business owners need a little help. Being my own boss gives me the freedom to help out when necessary. Plus, it’s a great excuse to sample ice cream, nab the first copies of new book releases, or just see different townspeople while answering phones at the doctor’s office or even slinging coffee at Jitterbug.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

Embarrassed at his praise, I dip my chin and push hair behind my ear then pull it back. “Not really.”

“Hey,” he says, reaching across the table, palm up. It’s an invitation. A statement. Ms. Linda’s words from earlier come back to me. Slowly, I rest my palm on his. Ryan exhales. “Whether you want to believe me or not, the fact of the matter is you are an amazing person. You give back to your community and ask for nothing in return. You welcomed both me and Pepper into your home and went to bat with the town to keep our identity under wraps. Selfless, kind, and in a word—amazing.”

My instinct is to shrink into myself and brush off his words. Instead, I recognize how much I like them. Not the words themselves but the way he speaks with such heartfelt conviction.

“Thank you.”

Ryan squeezes my hand and then, like he knows how sexy it is, he lifts the cap from his head and runs a hand through his hair before sliding the hat back in place. Yowza.

“Are we still on for ice skating Wednesday?”

I scrunch my nose. “Can’t we do something else? Maybe muck the stalls for Santa’s reindeer?”

“No can do. You promised me the entire Magnolia Grove Holly Jolly Jubilee experience, and nothing says holiday cheer like ice skating.”

If by cheer he means me falling on my butt then sure, yay.

Chapter Eighteen

Ryan

When we return to Nashville,I’ll miss this deck. Sitting out here each day with Dixie perched on my lap, I’ve felt more at peace than the last several months. My fingers strum the chords, a tune I’ve been messing with coming together. Sitting alone is something a lot of people take for granted. I know I did. Since losing Katie, all of my time has been with Pepper and other family members. Time for myself took a back seat. When Laney texted this morning—because yes, we finally exchanged numbers—asking if Pepper could come over and work in her garden, I only paused for a beat. That brief hesitation speaks volumes of how much I trust Laney.

A sweet peal of laughter from next door brings a smile to my face, and I begin humming. Lyrics evade me but I feel the hint of them with each chord. Steve barks and the giggles get louder. I want to glance into the yard, see what is happening, but I also love just listening to my daughter and her healing. Our therapist said yesterday that each word spoken, and with each interaction with someone other than me, is a step in her process as she works through her grief.

My phone rings, drowning out the happiness next door. I’ve been avoiding Gordon’s calls and half expect him to pull up inthe driveway at some point. Prepared to decline the call, I am relieved to see it’s Cora.

“Hello?”

“Hi friend. How are you? How’s my girl?”

Cora has been such an amazing support system for me this past year. Her daughter and Pepper are best of friends and while Katie never fully accepted that my best friend is a woman, she was grateful in the final weeks because she knows in addition to her grandmothers, Pepper will have a strong female role model in her life.

“Switch to video,” I instruct.

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