Flowers on Main by Woods Sherryl

Author:Woods, Sherryl [Woods, Sherryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
ISBN: 9781426832109
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2009-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

13

B ree kicked her shoes off and put her aching feet up on the porch railing. Standing for so many hours during the open house had been exhausting, though not half as tiring as trying to maintain a smile and engaging in chitchat with people she hadn’t seen in years or barely knew. Though she’d been forced to do something similar at the after-parties following the opening nights of her plays, she’d never become comfortable with making small talk. She wondered how she’d endure it on a daily basis.

Meantime, though, she had reason to celebrate. Other than the encounter with Jake, the evening had gone well. Beside her, Abby poured glasses of wine and passed them around to her and Jess.

“Here’s to a spectacular debut,” Jess said when they each had their drinks. “Congratulations, Bree!”

“I’ll second that,” Abby said just as the door to the house opened and Megan peeked out.

“Is it okay if I join you?” she asked hesitantly. “I don’t want to intrude, but I’d love to help you celebrate.”

“Sure, Mom,” Bree said, surprised by how pleased she was that her mother was here to share in her success. It felt right to be enjoying this moment with her sisters and her mother, almost as if they were a real family again, rather than women who’d been splintered apart by divorce and their various lifestyle and career choices. Connor had gone off with his buddies after the opening, but he wouldn’t have wanted to be a part of the traditional party post-mortem anyway. It was a woman thing.

“Where’s Gram?” she asked Megan. “She should be here, too. After all, she’s the one who taught me everything I know about flowers and gardening.”

“She was exhausted, so she went straight to bed as soon as we got back here,” Megan replied, accepting her glass of wine from Abby.

“And Dad?” Bree asked.

To her surprise, her mother looked vaguely guilty. “I suggested to him that this should be a girls’ night. Do you mind?”

“Works for me,” Bree said. “Though Dad really did play a big role in tonight’s success. He built all the custom cabinetry in the shop. People were raving about it.”

“He’s really trying to find a place for himself with all of us,” Abby said. She gazed pointedly at Jess. “Don’t you think so?”

“I guess,” Jess said without enthusiasm.

“Come on,” Abby chided. “He did as much as you’d let him do at the inn. He made an effort. Give him credit for that much, at least.”

“True,” Jess admitted grudgingly. “I think he’s just trying to impress Mom, though.”

Bree immediately shook her head. “I don’t think so. He was helping you before Mom even came down here for the inn’s opening and he had no idea she was coming when he started working on stuff at my shop.”

“Well, I think he wants his family back,” Abby declared, then glanced pointedly at Megan. “All of us. So what about it, Mom? Are you going to give him another chance?”

Even in the shadows on the porch, Bree could see the color climb into her mother’s cheeks.

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