“Shh!” Jesus Christ, did the woman want to alert the entire street?
“Why did you not immediately call me over and tell me over champagne and croissants?”
“Youknowwhy. Scarlett had just died, and celebratinganythingdidn’t feel right. Plus, you and I haven’t had a lot of alone time.”
Indie cringed. “I’m sorry. I haven’t checked in enough these last few days.”
“Don’t apologize. I know you’re going through your own stuff.”
“Still…I should have been there more.” Indie glanced over her shoulder, then back at Clara. “So…how was it?”
“It was amazing. Soft and slow and…it was Holden, you know? So it felt right.”
Indie’s arm tightened around hers. “Does this mean you’re together?”
“Yeah.”
A glimmer of tears shone in Indie’s eyes. “Oh, Clara. I’m so happy for you. You’ve loved him for so long, and you deserve to be happy. So that stuff about being scared—he’s over that?”
“He says he is.”
“But you don’t believe him?”
“Maybe I’m just projecting my fears. I don’t know. But time will tell.”
Indie frowned, silent for the next few steps.
Clara bumped her cousin’s hip. “Say it.”
“I don’t want to project what happened to me onto you, but…be careful. I know how much you love him. And losing someone you love that much hurts.” Real pain wound through Indie’s words.
Clara wanted to tell her friend that she wasn’t scared. But that wasn’t true. Something had changed in her after sleepingwith Holden. Her love for him had deepened, something she hadn’t thought was possible.
She opened her mouth to respond but realized they were at The Tea House. And through the glass, she saw a dozen people. Her family. Clients who’d become friends. Even Mildred.
The Tea House wasn’t even supposed to be open. But there were balloons and streamers and…was that a wall of printed photos?
She stopped and turned to Indie. “You did this?”
“Wedid this. Because you love this place and their almond croissants and sweet teas, and we love you.”
Holden slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her head while her mother gave her a soft smile. “Happy birthday, darling.”
She hugged all three of them, tears in her eyes.
When she finally stepped inside, the entire crowd shouted, “Happy Birthday!”
She laughed and, yeah, she was almost crying. Happy tears, that was.
She went around the room and hugged everyone one by one. When she got to Mrs. Gerald, she grinned. “Thank you for allowing us to do this.”
“Thankyoufor always getting your sweet teas from me. You keep me in business.”
“Not true.Youkeep you in business by being amazing. And even if someone else in town started selling sweet tea, I’d still go to you.”
“You’re too kind, dear.”
Mrs. Gerald got called back to the counter just as Clara’s phone vibrated with a text. She frowned when she saw who it was from.
