Page 34 of Wedding Season
“I don’t know. I never considered having her in my life, you know? I have a hard enough time not screwing up romantic relationships and friendships. What if I mess up things with her? She’s so normal. I was never normal. I craved normal.”
“Normal is cool,” Emma agreed. “I didn’t have normal, either, although I’m not complaining. Neither should you. Everything you went through made you into who you are right now.”
“God help us all.”
“I think you need to give her a chance if she wants one, or even better you can offer an olive branch. At least let her know that you’re receptive to having a relationship. It might be good for both of you.”
The inn’s front door opened, and a moment later, Ethel, Emma’s rescued dog, came barreling into the front yard. She trotted between Emma and Mariella, her tail wagging.
“One of the guests is asking about recommendations for a spa in the area,” Cam said from the doorway. “Hey, Mariella.”
“Hey, Cam. How’s it hanging?”
Emma snorted out a laugh.
“To the right,” he answered without missing a beat.
The small inside joke relaxed Mariella for a moment. It was just the reminder she needed that she had friends. She’d built a life where she could even have private jokes with people. This was her town, and she didn’t want to leave it behind. Her home. As much as she wanted to right the wrongs of the past, she wouldn’t relinquish it to her daughter or Alex or some disgruntled mother of the groom.
She’d more than paid her dues. If only it were so easy to remember that in the moments when she had trouble quieting her mind.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” she told Emma with a gentle nudge. “I need to open the store.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you right away about the article.” Emma gave her a tight hug. “We are partners and that’s not going to change.”
Mariella nodded. “No matter.”
“And you are going to help with the Magnolia Blossom Festival?” Emma smiled hopefully. “Maybe that would be an easy way to get to know Heather?”
“I don’t think anything about getting to know Heather is going to be easy, but I’ll help with the festival,” Mariella promised.
Emma hugged her again. “Perfect.”
“Nice to see you, Cam,” Mariella called before scratching the dog between the ears.
“You, too. You know Meredith was here with a couple of her new rescues yesterday. We’re doing a new program where guests can spend time with her animals on their vacation. Adopt a dog for a day. You should think about adopting one yourself. You’d have a running buddy.”
Mariella shook her head. “No, thank you. Millie is the only buddy I need. And don’t tell me that a fish doesn’t count because Millie is the best.”
“I wouldn’t dream of arguing.” Emma waved another farewell and then climbed the steps of her house.
Mariella wasn’t sure the child she gave up would appreciate it but she felt a strange sense of calm, and she could use all the calm she could get in her life.
“HOWDIDTHEmeeting go?” Alex asked Heather as she entered the office that morning. He’d just made a fresh pot of coffee in the staff lounge, wishing he’d put in an order for pastries from Sunnyside. Maybe tomorrow he’d pick some up on his way in.
The girl gave a noncommittal shrug. “To start, Luann crashed it.”
“What do you mean she crashed it? Luann doesn’t get out of bed before eleven most mornings.”
“I mean she showed up at Sunnyside and plopped herself at the table to be part of the meeting. I think mainly she wanted to talk to Mariella.”
“Is she still insisting that Mariella take over her creative role in the company?”
Heather nodded. She was the only other employee Luann had shared her plan with, and Alex was grateful to have someone who understood. “We didn’t really talk about that,” Heather admitted, “or the plans for the festival because everything got sidetracked.”
“Sidetracked?” he repeated. He should have poured an extra cup of coffee for himself. He studied the girl more closely. “Are you okay? Did something happen to upset you?”
“Nothing upset me.” The girl sounded completely unconvincing. “Other than the fact that people are such jerks.”
