Page 64 of Inevitable Love
Chapter Twenty-Five
Maggie
The front bell jingling at Sticky Sweet interrupts my instructions to LaTisha for what to restock and what to package for delivery to Jules’s shop. Automatically, she turns to greet the new customers with a smile.
“Hi, welcome to Sticky Sweet.”
She’s been a great hire, personable and friendly. She’s like a shot of sunshine, and I don’t mind returning to the task at hand and letting her handle the foot traffic. Having her on board for the few weeks since the reunion means I’ve been able to expand providing baked goods to some other nearby businesses and have more time off for myself. Already, I’m dreading her going to college full-time next year, but according to her, she’s going to commute to the nearby campus for at least two years. If things keep going well, I’m going to start showing her more of the business side of things, give her something to strive for.
There’s a pause after her greeting, and I turn to see whois being so rude to my girl. All the blood drains out of my head, then returns to my cheeks with a vengeance.
“Hello, Magnolia.”
My mother’s tone is short and reserved, just like the woman herself. She gives my shop, and me, a once-over, and the judgment in her expression makes me feel like I’m the teenager in the room. Her lips flatten as her gaze skims the new strip of blond color I added to the underside of my hair, which is clearly visible with my hair pulled up. Then that pinched expression grows as she scans my outfit and the body I’m not bothering to camouflage anymore. If anything, being with Jackson helped with my body-image issues.
“Mother.” Ugh, why’s my voice got to be all mouselike in front of her? I am a smart, successful businesswoman, but her presence in my shop turns my insides to jelly.
She glances at the nearly empty case and the stack of boxed orders LaTisha and I have been working on for a special order. I have no idea why she’s here. She’s never set foot in my shop before. She’s standing stock-still, just inside the door, so when it opens behind her, I can’t see who comes in.
“Ah, you beat me here,” my sister says, addressing my mother as she steps around her. “Hey, sis.” Savannah heads to the corner of the display case and reaches for me like she’s going to hug me or something.
“Uh, hi?” I stammer as she leans in and presses her cheek to mine. What the hell is even happening right now?
“We had a client meeting nearby, and I thought we’d stop in and say hello. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to try your treats at the reunion a few weeks ago.” She glances over the case, a slight frown marring her face. “It looks like I may have missed out on those special muffins again.”
“Oh, we have a batch coming out of the oven injust a few minutes, if you’d like to wait,” LaTisha says. Bless her for allowing me a split second to gather my composure.
“We really don’t?—”
“That’d be great!” Savannah exclaims over my mother’s dismissal. LaTisha checks in with a look, like she’s asking if I’m okay.
“Um, Tish, why don’t you go check the oven.” I glance at my watch like it’s got the timer on there. It doesn’t, but they don’t know that.
“Sure.” LaTisha dips out quietly, probably relieved to escape the tension in the store.
Savannah ushers Mom to a four-seater table, tossing me a look over her shoulder and giving a jerk of her head like she’s ordering me to join them.
Shit. I don’t want to do this today, but I go through the motions of taking their drink order. I remove my apron and grimace. This was not the day to wear my “Stick It in My Mouth” T-shirt.
Mom sits down gingerly, brushing her hand over the top of the table like she’s looking for dust or dirt. The rebel inside hopes she actually finds something; the repressed child waits in agony. But the business owner side of me takes over, and she’s pissed. I cleaned these tables myself, not that she’s going to notice while sitting there sniffing like she smells something bad.
“So why’d you really stop in?” I ask Savannah as I slide into the seat next to her.
“Honestly? I realized at the reunion that it’d been way too long since we’d seen each other. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity to see you.”
Her reply shocks me. It’s not like we’ve ever truly been close, not like Alice and Jackson were. If anything, my sister and I are about as close as Jackson and Alice are with theirabsentee brother. But I can’t deny that I sort of like the idea of spending time with my sister, maybe even being friends with her. I’ve always felt like a fish out of water around my family, and it’s touching that Savannah is making this effort.
“We don’t have long, Magnolia.”
I fight a cringe under the weight of my mother’s disapproval. “I’m sure LaTisha will be over in just a moment.”
“Mom, chill,” Savannah warns. It’s probably the first time I’ve ever heard her use that tone of voice with our mother. Mom’s lips thin, but she does in fact chill.
“How are things in the corporate legal world?”
“Boring as ever.”
“Savannah…” Mom chides, the familiar tone one that would have me folding under the weight of it.
