Imani’s tears glistened on her brown cheeks. “I want you to be my mom. Love is all I want and need. We can live with Memaw and Pops. I don’t mind. And we have my money—
“Absolutely not. That’s for your future.” She’d work ten jobs to give them a home before dipping into Imani’s account. “If you want a broke, failed actress who lost her last dream of owning her own place in a swindle, you can have me. I want you as my daughter. And I promise”—Gemma crossed her heart—“as soon as I get back, we’re making you officially mine. Then you’ll really be sorry.”
Imani laughed but the truth was a boulder on Gemma’s shoulders and back. A burden of her own doing.
“Bring me a souvenir.”
“I will. And I’ll call and text.” Gemma started down the hall to the kitchen where her luggage waited by the back door. “Maybe I’ll talk to Scottie on the way over. See about a job at O’Shay’s Shirts.” The idea of a nine-to-five about choked her. She’d have to start in the factory, running a machine or inspecting shirts, but if it provided benefits and a steady paycheck—
She’d hate to leave The Wedding Shop, but the time for dreaming, the time for having it her way was over.
“We have to give away the animals?” Imani said.
“We can bring the five dogs and maybe a puppy, but the others need more than Mama and Daddy’s place can provide. Doc’s already sending me names of good candidates.”
“Justin and Penny want a puppy.”
“Good. You’ll see them all the time.”
A horn blast was followed by a knock on the kitchen door. “Got to go, baby.” Gemma hugged Imani one last time.
“Why can’t things stay the same?” Imani said softly in Gemma’s ear. “Why do they change? Why do people die?”
“That’s life. But we can’t sit still and do nothing. We have to live, overcome fear, and fight for the good sent our way.” Nice sermon, Gemma. If only she believed it. “Granny Stone used to say fear will never steer you right.”
When Gemma was in the hospital with a broken and bruised body, Granny’s words whispered through her almost every night. The little lessons she preached while baking cookies together or going on country walks had not been in vain. Despite being the Yoda of Guilt, Granny was the Skywalker of Wise Sayings.
“W-what about the prince? I mean what if—”
“Hey, Miss Worrywart, get offWhat-If Avenue. It’s a dead-end. Here’s another Granny saying. ‘What ifare the two most dangerous words in the human psyche.’ She’s right. Any decisions I make will involve you. Furthermore, there’s not a snowball’s chance Prince John of Lauchtenland and I will be an item. I’d not allow it.”
“What do you mean you’d not allow it?”
A second knock rattled the back door, followed by a male voice in the kitchen. “Ms. Stone? We must get going.” The driver reached for her luggage.
“I’ll be back in a week.” Gemma kissed Imani’s cheek then hooked her travel backpack—a splurge from the new Mass General store—on her shoulder. “Mama and Daddy will be here this afternoon. I’m sure you’ll be playing cards all weekend. You’ll hardly miss me. Now, walk me out. Oh, remember to change the rabbit cages. We didn’t do that last night.”
“Why won’t you allow the prince to fall in love with you? He already does, you know. Love you. Even Justin noticed.”
Gemma’s purposed laugh floated in the evening air. “You’ve been reading fairy tales.” She passed her backpack to the driver who stowed it in the trunk. Then she hurried to the barn, slipped the sleeping Chandler into a crate, and walked back to the car.
Imani knelt before the cage door. “I’ll miss you, Chandler. Remember I love you.” Then she stood and hugged Gemma one last time.
“I love you, Imani. If I’ve not said it enough, I’m sorry.”
“I love you too.” Imani stepped back and wiped away the fresh tears. “Pops is organizing a guitar pull and barbecue for Saturday night. Justin’s playing.” She peered into the crate. “Tell the prince to send us pictures of him sometimes.”
“I will. Now let me go.” Gemma held off on a final warning about Justin, but Daddy was on the ball. Imani would be fine.
“Gemma, if he does love you—” Imani said just before Gemma climbed into the wide back seat of the limo.
“That means the world started spinning in the opposite direction. All this love talk doesn’t matter. I don’t love him. I’d never say yes to him.”
Imani’s hazel eyes popped wide. “Because of me?”
“No, because of me.”
They were well down the road before Scottie spoke.
