“What do you think?” Mick asked, standing beside her. “Is it what you had in mind?”
She turned and threw her arms around him. “It’s perfect, Dad. Thank you so much. I can’t believe you were able to create that from the scribbles I gave you.”
He laughed. “Believe me, it wasn’t the scribbles. It was the way you described what you needed for it to be functional. Running over to Ted Jensen’s place one morning helped, too. I figured after all the years he’s been in business, he’d know what you’d need.”
“Since he’s closing down, I probably should have bought his furnishings instead of having you go to all this trouble,” Bree said.
“Absolutely not,” Mick countered. “You’re starting out fresh. Everything should be top-notch. I did make an offer on his coolers, though. Told him I’d need to run that by you, but they’re in good condition and it’ll save you some start-up money.”
Bree bristled that he’d done such a thing without asking her, then realized she was being silly. He’d left the final decision to her, after all. If Mick had made a contact that could save her money, she needed to consider it. “I’ll go and take a look later today,” she promised.
“Okay, then, let’s take another look at this floor plan,” Mick said. “I want you to show me again where you think the front counter ought to be.”
They started into the front room just as the door opened and Megan stepped inside. Bree wasn’t sure which of them was more shocked, her or her father.
“Megan!” Mick said, his face lighting up. “I wasn’t expecting you. Bree, honey, did you know your mother was coming?”
“No,” she said tersely, watching as Mick crossed the room and pressed a kiss to her mother’s cheek.
“How could I stay away when I heard about your new business, Bree?” Megan said, giving Mick a pointed look that Bree couldn’t quite interpret.
“Well, I’d stay and show you around,” Bree said, “but as you can tell, there’s not much to see and I have to drive over to Myrtle Creek.”
She was almost out the door, when she realized Megan was on her heels.
“Why don’t I ride along with you,” Megan said, her expression suggesting she wasn’t about to take no for an answer.
Bree gritted her teeth. “Up to you,” she said and went to her car. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather get settled after your trip down from New York? You’ll be staying at the inn again, right?”
“I’m thinking about staying at the house, but I need to discuss that with your father first,” her mother replied. “You don’t have any objections, do you?”
Bree shrugged. “It’s not my house.”
“It is your home,” her mother corrected. “And your opinion does count with me.”
“Then I think you should stay at the inn, assuming Jess has a room available. It’s been very busy. I’ll call her and check.” She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, flipped it open and dialed.
She ignored the hurt in her mother’s eyes as she waited for her sister to pick up. “Hey, Jess, this is Bree. You’ll never guess who’s here.”
“Mom,” Jess said. “Abby called me about an hour ago and told me she was coming.”
“Do you have a room available at the inn? I can bring her by right now.”
“Sorry. We’re fully booked. I told Abby the same thing. She said Mom could stay with her and the girls.”
“Perfect,” Bree said eagerly. “I’ll tell her. I can run her over there.”
“Not now. Trace is in New York for a few days, so Mom won’t be able to get in until Abby gets home from work.”
Which meant Bree would be stuck with her for the rest of the afternoon. “Wait, doesn’t Gram have a spare key to Abby’s?”
“Of course,” Jess said. “I don’t know why Abby didn’t think of that.”
“I’ll run by the house and pick it up. Bye, Jess.”
When she disconnected the call, she saw her mother regarding her with a bland expression.
“Have you palmed me off on Abby now?” she inquired lightly as Bree whipped her car out of the parking space.
“It’s not like that,” Bree said, but of course it was exactly like that and they both knew it. “I’m sorry if it sounded that way, Mom. It just seemed to make sense for you to stay there.”
Because she felt guilty, she turned toward Myrtle Creek rather than going straight to Gram’s. It wouldn’t kill her to be polite to her mother for an hour or so.
“Since Abby’s made peace with me and the rest of you haven’t, that’s what you mean, isn’t it?” Megan said. She met Bree’s gaze. “Did you know your father came to see me in New York a couple weeks ago?”
Bree swallowed hard and shook her head. “I had no idea.”
“He wanted me to come back with him then.”
“Why?” Bree blurted. Was Gram right? Were the two of them getting back together? Bree didn’t even want to consider the possibility. Unlike her younger siblings, she’d never longed for a reconciliation.
“He wanted me to come here because of you,” her mother said.
“Me, but I didn’t …” Her voice trailed off.
“You didn’t want me here,” Megan finished for her. “I can see that. Your father seemed to think you might need me, whether you want me around or not. After we spoke the other day, I sensed the same thing.”
“Mom, it’s a little late for you to pop up and want to have heart-to-heart chats with your daughters. We all grew up without you. Gram did a good job filling in for you.”
“I know that. Believe me, no one is more grateful than I am that she was here. And I don’t expect any of you to bare your souls to me, but I am older and perhaps a bit wiser. I’m also a good listener, if you need to talk. Most important of all, I love you and I’d never judge you. You can tell me anything.”
Bree gave her a bewildered look. “What do you think there is to tell?”
“Was there a man who sent you fleeing from Chicago?” Megan asked, her tone gentle. “Someone who broke your heart?”
“There was a man in my life there, but he’s not the reason I left.”
Her mother regarded her calmly, her expression patient.
“At least not the whole reason,” Bree amended. “And I really do not want to talk about Marty or Chicago. I have a whole new life stretched out in front of me. That’s what I’m focusing on.”
“And I applaud you for that. Sometimes, though, the past has a way of catching up to you.”
“Tell me about it,” Bree murmured, thinking not of Martin Demming, but of Jake.
A light sparked in Megan’s eyes. “Now, there’s definitely a story behind those words.”
“Mom, let it go, please. I don’t need or want your motherly concern. I don’t need advice. I’m handling everything.”
“If you say so,” Megan said quietly. “But I have to wonder.”
“Why? Why can’t you just believe me and drop this?”
“Because we’re halfway