charity event, explaining everything that happened, including bits of what had gone before with the fire incident. I skim over the sexy bits, but they get the gist, anyway.
Toward the end, when I explain what I overheard, Granny stops me. “Eavesdroppers never hear anything good of themselves. And eavesdropping is a dick move.”
“Granny!”
“I’m telling you, girl, you should have let him explain.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I defend myself. “I was going to let him explain and then I heard the conversation. Besides, he didn’t want to explain.”
She puffs out a short laugh. “Of course not, not after you were ready to bolt at the first sign of conflict.”
I’m shocked into silence.
“I didn’t bolt at the first sign of conflict. There was the whole, oh yeah, I’m married thing, too.”
“He explained that, and you forgave him.”
“And?”
Granny taps my hand. “You can’t keep bringing it up if it’s forgiven. That’s not fair. You want to believe he’s like that Bruce Conway, but he’s not.”
I bite my lip. Is she right?
Reese takes a more diplomatic approach. “He said he was working on something else, right?”
“Yes, but I don’t know what it was. He never bothered telling me.”
Reese and Granny exchange a glance.
“You’re supposed to be on my side!”
“We are on your side,” Reese says. “Why don’t you just talk to him? And let him explain everything?”
My eyes fall shut and I lean forward, head in hands. “I’ve waited too long. He won’t talk to me.”
“You have to at least try,” Reese says. “Worst case scenario, you’re right, and then you will have lost nothing.”
Nerves flutter in my belly at the thought of reaching out to Guy. I don’t know if I could handle it if he gave me the cold shoulder or dismissed me out of hand.
Not to mention the one thing I should be more concerned about: my business and what I’m going to do with For Goodness Cakes after the holidays. What if it fails?
“What if I have to close down the truck?”
“No,” Reese’s denial is instantaneous. “You’ll think of something. You always do.”
Granny puts her hand over mine. “Every storm runs out of rain.”
“What if I’m too afraid to even get wet?”
Granny shakes her head. “You got soaked the second you walked out of this town and didn’t look back. The problem is you’re afraid of failure, but the real fear should be regret. You won’t fail. You can’t because you have everything you need inside you, and no one can take that away unless you let them.”
I blink at her. It’s like Guy said, I am enough. And they’re both right. I will find somewhere else to sell my cakes and make people smile. I will continue to grow my catering business. This isn’t the end, it’s the beginning.
Granny continues, “And you should listen to me because I’m old and ornery and if you don’t, I might shoot you.”
Reese and I laugh, but Granny doesn’t.
“Come on,” I stand up. “You’ve listened to me whine and complain long enough. Let’s go join the others.”
But I don’t go into the living room right away. They go, and I stay in the kitchen and try to call Guy before I chicken out.
The call goes straight to voicemail. I hang up without leaving a message. This doesn’t feel like something I want to get into with a recording. I power my phone off. I don’t want to be distracted when there’s not much I can do about the Guy situation. I’ll enjoy the limited time with my family and worry about Guy when I get back to New York tomorrow.
Chapter Twenty-One
He who eats alone chokes alone. – Arabian Proverb
Guy
Christmas is one of my favorite days of the year. Not so much because I enjoy it myself, but because there is nothing like witnessing the joy and wonder of Christmas through a child’s eyes.
Emma pokes me in the cheek and lifts her iPad for me to see the display. She’s brought up pictures of breakfast with Santa at Rockefeller Center from last year. It’s a tradition.
“We’re leaving soon,” I tell her. I booked us for the 8:15 time slot, knowing we would be up early already. Neither of the girls can contain their excitement over the holidays. They woke me up at five this morning, jumping on my bed and laughing with eagerness.
They’ve finished opening all their presents and watching them shriek with glee at their gifts fills my chest with the glow of happiness. It’s almost enough to fill up the hole in