She smiles, covering her mouth to hide her missing tooth.
He points his fork at her. “The first thing we’ll do when we get to Nashville is take care of that tooth.”
“What about this?” She waves her cast at him. “Who will take this off when the time comes? My doctor is here.”
“That’s no big deal. We’ll find an orthopedist in Nashville.”
They eat for a minute in silence. “I would at least like to take my sewing machine and clothes.”
His mom has a closet full of classic, never-go-out-of-style clothes she’s created out of fine fabrics she saved her money to buy. Sadly, Everett has never seen her wear a single one of those outfits.
Everett’s face grows serious. “You can take whatever you want, Mom. If we need to hire movers, we will. However, I had in mind for the two of us to go on an adventure. We’ll sell your minivan. It’s probably worth about ten grand. And we’ll load whatever will fit in the back seat of my truck. We’ll donate everything else to Goodwill.”
"Have you spoken to Carla yet? You can’t leave Atlanta with that business unfinished.”
“I’m aware. I’m still trying to decide how to handle it.”
With a look of reproach, Mary says, “There should be no decision, son.”
Her reprimand stings, and they eat in silence for a few minutes.
Finally, he says, “We’re in no hurry to get to Nashville. If you want to make a detour to Charleston or New Orleans or Disney World in Orlando, we can.”
“Or to Hope Springs so you can see your girl,” she says with a wide smile, this time not bothering to hide the gaping hole in her mouth.
He loads up a chip with guacamole. “What girl?”
“The one who has stolen your heart,” she says. “Don’t bother denying it. I’m your mama. You can’t lie to me. You hide it well, but I’ve noticed a faraway look in your eyes.”
Everett takes a long drink of margarita, wishing it had tequila in it. His food goes cold while he tells his mom about Presley. About how her gray eyes twinkle when she laughs, and her hair is the color of sugar maple leaves in the fall. How she’s funny and smart and how he wants to be around her all the time.
“She sounds lovely,” Mary says in a soft voice. “What happened between you two?”
He explains about Carla showing up at the homecoming party and Naomi accusing him of stealing money from the inn.
“Son.” His mom reaches for his hand. “You’ve never known true happiness, and I want that for you. I’m the wrong person to offer advice on romance, but if you think she may be the one, don’t let Presley get away. As for Stella, you must clear your name with her as soon as possible. The last thing you want is an allegation hanging over your head as you start your new career. Such a thing could come back and bite you in the rear end.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. I have every intention of clearing my name. I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet.”
Everett takes his plate to the microwave and waits for it to reheat. When he returns to the table, he asks, “Have you ever known true happiness, Mom?”
“Every single minute I spend with you.”
This chokes him up, and he pauses a minute to steady his voice. “I mean with Dad. Did he ever make you happy?”
“For about a day when we first met.” She drags a chip through the guacamole, but she doesn’t eat it. “The truth is, we were happy for a long time. And I loved him with all my heart. That’s why I stayed with him all these years. I took my vows seriously when we married, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. And he was sick, Rhett. Not just the diabetes, but the alcoholism.”
“If you move with me to Nashville, I vow to help you find that happiness again.” He chucks her chin. “I want that for you.”
28
Presley
Presley spends most of her time at work with Lucy on Thursday and Friday. They compose the wine list for the official Thanksgiving feast Cecily is planning at Jameson’s and brainstorm ideas for the art show/wine dinner auction Presley has scheduled for the first weekend in December. Presley has plenty of opportunities to break the news to Lucy. But she doesn’t share Rita’s optimism that Lucy will be overjoyed to learn Presley is her biological daughter. And the now-familiar fear of rejection holds her back.
Her days are meaningful, packed with planning sessions for the upcoming holidays, but unbearable sorrow fills her nights. She misses Everett like crazy. She cries herself to sleep and wakes feeling drained. While she’s furious at him for lying to her, she’s also devastated by the hole he left in her life. Her apartment that had begun to feel like home now feels desolate. She envisions Everett everywhere. In her bed with his arm propped behind his head. Leaning against the kitchen counter, sipping on coffee. Sitting next to her in the open window. Eating pizza on Big Blue. Reminding herself that she doesn’t need his kind of problems does little to comfort her aching heart.
She works from home less than before and spends more time at the inn, which is now buzzing with activity. Jameson’s is booked every night and room reservations are on the rise. When Presley tells Stella about Emma, Stella says, “By all means, hire her! An intern is just what we need. We’ll pay her something, although it probably won’t be much. If things continue to go well, we’ll go on a hiring spree after the holidays. One of those positions will be a full-time assistant for you.”
Presley relishes the idea
