Page 25 of Rebel Secrets
Rolling my eyes, I shoved a book in an open space and ignored her smirk.
“Fine,” I shoved another book in an open slot then realized the latest Preston and Childs book did not belong in romance.Sighing, I grabbed it back and stalked across the store to the mystery and thriller section.“I’ll be on my best behavior.I promise.”
Rain followed behind me with the cart.“You know I’m just yanking your chain.But seriously, I can’t believe he asked you out.And I can’t believe you agreed.”
I shrugged, slotting the book where it was supposed to go.“It’s just dinner.I’m sure we’ll manage not to stab each other with forks at the table.”
While Rain laughed, my phone vibrated in the back pocket of my jeans.I pulled it out to check the number.
“Shit.”
“Something wrong?”
Sighing, I continued to stare at my phone.“It’s Mom.”
She’d texted, which I knew from experience, if I didn’t answer, she’d call next.And I had to think about when our last call was.And when I realized it’d been more than two weeks ago, I knew I had to be a fucking adult and talk to my mother.
“I can finish this,” Rain said.“Unless you don’t want to talk to her now.”
I glanced over my shoulder and curved my lips in a closed mouth smile.“No, better now than later.”
Later, I could drown my feelings in chocolate cake and alcohol.
“I’m just gonna go in the office.”
Rain nodded slowly, her expression sympathetic as I headed for the small office at the back of the store.It was more of a storeroom than an office.If we had any business, we did it more comfortably in the bakery at one of the tables there.Not in the dark, tight room where we stored the books and where Connie Troutman, who owned the nail salon down the block, said someone had died.She wasn’t sure who and she didn’t remember when, but she knew the police had taken a body out of there in the ’50s.
Connie had been said it so matter-of-factly, I had no reason to doubt her, and the lights were prone to flickering at weird times.
Perfect place to talk to my mom.
My inner rational adult rolled her eyes, but my overdramatic inner teenager thought it was fitting.At least in here, no one could hear me scream after I hung up.
Pulling up her contact number, I hesitated for just two seconds before I hit the little phone icon.Then I took a deep breath and blew it out.
“Hello Erin.How are you?”
“Hi, Mom.I’m fine.”
And then I went into my typical roundup of how great everything was going.Books sales were doing well, prep for the wedding was ramping up, and Miss Raffi and Tressy had loved the sample appetizers.Normally, I wouldn’t have mentioned the newspaper, but the devil on my shoulder told her about the article I did on Sir Fluffy Jack, the alpaca who’d gone on walkabout.
“Well, that all sounds…interesting,” Mom said.“You seem to be keeping busy.”
Busy.That’s what my mom thought about my livelihood.That it was “busy” work.My jaw clenched so hard, I swore the bones fractured.
“Yes, I’ve been busy,” I added a little emphasis on the word and tried not to sound too pissy.“So, what’s up, Mom?”
My mom didn’t call unless she had news or wanted something.Or both.
I heard my mom sigh, very faintly.“I wanted to remind you of the McNamara wedding in August.The invitation was for the family, of course.And your cousin is looking forward to seeing you.We need to order you a dress by the end of the month, if we’re going to get something decent.”
And that right there was exactly how my mother operated.A little nudge.A little guilt.Outright force when necessary.And when that didn’t work… The cold shoulder.
The McNamaras were cousins on my mom’s side.Amanda McNamara, who was just out of college, had bagged herself the rich heir to a cosmetics empire.
And I was being a total bitch.Amanda and I had attended the same boarding school, prep and college.That’s what McNamara-Wrights did.We had traditions.
Amanda had been a few years behind me, so we didn’t exactly mingle, but she’d seemed sweet.I had no idea what she was like as an adult.I hadn’t seen her in a few years.This wedding, unlike Tressy and Rowdy’s, was a command performance for me.And since I didn’t want to argue with my mom, I swallowed down the bitterness and said, “Sure, Mom.Just send me a few links, and I’ll take a look.”
