She got up and took a shower to wash off the diner smells from her skin and hair. Normally she did that the moment she got off from her shift, but after setting the café in motion she’d needed her caloric comfort. By the time she finished talking with Harper—who, bless her, had agreed to help her with the purchase of #3—her nerves had been shot. And whenever that happened, Little Debbie always came to the rescue.
But the café wasn’t the only thing she was stressing about. Not only was she starting a new career chapter in her life,but she’d be changing her personal life too. Leaving Tanner behind was for the best, especially now that he was getting back with,ew, Heather. But how did someone shut off feelings? Especially when those feelings had apparently simmered unrequited for years? She had to have held the record for the longest case of futile infatuation in the universe. One thing she did know: she was done spending the rest of her life wanting someone who would never want her back. How she’d accomplish that was still a mystery.
Once she finished her shower, finger combed her damp hair, and put on her nightshirt, she cleaned up the wrappers, put the uneaten brownies in the cabinet, and settled on the couch. Desperate for a distraction, she found her favorite TV channel, Animals 24/7. But even the cute little puppies chasing each other around didn’t help, and her thoughts continued to ping-pong between the café and Tanner. She feared that calling Harper on the fly had been more of a reaction to Tanner and Heather than a carefully thought-out decision. Should she call her back and cancel? They’d spoken less than two hours ago, and her friend would understand that six months hadn’t been enough time to consider her plan.
Anita jumped at the sound of her ringtone, a song about letting go, then grimaced. She’d purchased the phone a month ago and thought it would be fun to have her favorite movie song as a ringtone. The fun had lasted about a week, and now every time the phone rang, she promised herself to change the tone—and every single time she forgot, since she communicated mostly by text. In fact, the only person who actually called her was... Uh-oh.
She reached for her cell on the coffee table and looked atthe screen.Mother.Great. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to her or anyone else, and she was tempted to skip the call—something she had done before. But the last time she had, her mother had called and left voice mails every twenty minutes until Anita picked up. She wasn’t prepared to hear her phone ring more than once tonight.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, sweetheart. How are you? I haven’t heard from you in days.”
“I talked to you yesterday morning.”
“Oh? Well, time flies, doesn’t it? I’m just calling to see if you’re coming to brunch next Sunday.”
“I always come to brunch, Mom. Kingston is picking me up.”
“Again? I don’t understand the point of you having a car if you never drive it. Although considering your car, that’s probably a good idea.”
Anita closed her eyes. Her older brother, Kingston, had been taking her to their monthly brunch for the past four months now, unless he was on duty at the hospital. Giving her a ride had been his idea because they were rarely able to spend time together anymore. “I like riding with Kingston,” she said, not bothering to explain the reason. “And my car is fine.” At least it had been up until this morning. Before her shift she had decided to drive to Malvern to check out the two cafés in town. Just for fun. Then she’d discovered her car wouldn’t start. Her mother didn’t need to know that either.
“Very well. But if you ever decide to get a new one, your father and I will be glad to help. We’ve attended several social events with Mr.Cochran and his wife.”
“Who are they?”
“He owns three Ford dealerships. One in Hot Springs, one in Benton, and one in North Little Rock.”
“That’s nice.” Anita pinched the bridge of her nose.
“I’m sure he’ll sell us a nice car at a good price.”
She didn’t miss theusin her mother’s statement. And that was the problem. She didn’t want her parents to buy her a car, or anything else. She might not drive a Lexus like her younger sister, Paisley, or live in an expensive condo like Kingston, but she had bought her car on her own.
“Shall I talk to Nate?”
“About what?”
“Your new car.” Her mother huffed. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Sorry, Mom. It’s been a long day.”
“Did you work a double shift? I told you not to be on your feet so long. It would be a shame if you got bunions at your age.”
“I didn’t work a double, and I don’t have bunions. I’m tired, that’s all.”
“I have the perfect remedy for sleep. First, you brew some organic Provo blood orange tea. Oh, wait, you probably can’t afford that. It’s expensive. I’ll give you a box when you come on Sunday.”
Blood-orange tea? Blech. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Has Paisley talked to you about the bridesmaids’ dresses?”
Her mother could change subjects with whiplash speed, and lately her favorite topic was Paisley’s wedding, even though it was more than a year off. Both Paisley and herfiancé, Ryan, were in their last year of law school in Texas. “Not yet.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to give her a nudge to do that soon.”
“I’m sure she’s been busy.”
