“You have,” Sienna said immediately, her heart aching to see the other woman so sad. In the past couple of weeks, Paige had become a true friend. They’d spent hours sitting on the front porch at night, and Paige had been infinitely patient listening to all of Sienna’s worries. Paige had seemed so settled and sure, and it was a shock to hear about her illness and the uncertainty surrounding her mother and the inn.
“Not quite. I should have known better than to share my problems with her. She’s always treated me like the sick girl I used to be, even after I wasn’t sick anymore. It’s part of the reason I wanted to open the inn. I wanted to prove to her and to myself that I could succeed in something big. I can work hard and it won’t hurt me.”
“You’re doing great,” Sienna insisted. “Invite your mom up, and we’ll make sure she changes her mind.”
“Maybe I can introduce her to your mother,” Paige said with a slight smile. “They can compare notes on their wayward daughters.”
Sienna grabbed a coffee mug from the counter. “My mom won’t be here long enough for that.”
“Are you going back to Chicago with her?”
“She definitely thinks so. I managed to convince her I couldn’t leave until tomorrow at the earliest. But we both know I can’t ignore my life forever.”
“But this is your life, too.” Paige handed her a carton of creamer as she poured coffee into the mug. “Maybe it’s time to think of making some permanent changes. You have to claim the life you want to live.”
Sienna lifted a brow. “Like you’re going to claim the inn?”
Paige drew in a tremulous breath, like the question had knocked the wind out of her. Then she pulled two plates from a cabinet, porcelain clattering as she placed them on the counter with unsteady hands.
“French toast first,” she said with a too-bright smile. “No one should take back her life on an empty stomach.”
Sienna nodded. “I’ll get the syrup.”
