Ginny rolled her eyes and pushed into the empty kitchen but could hear the bustling of the shop at its busiest hour just beyond the swinging door. “Gross. Is he in the shower?”
“Well, he’s not anymore,” Sadie said with far too much appreciation in her voice.
Ginny blanched. “Sadieeeee,” she whined. “How many times do I have to ask you not to answer or call me when Dakota is in any way indisposed? It's a disturbing line between friendship and sisterhood.”
“I mean, I wasn’tinthe shower with him, Ginny, so I’m not sure what the problem is.”
“It's nakedness by association, Sadie, and I don’t want any part of it.” Ginny flicked her eyes around the room, looking for snacks.
“Alright, alright. No more shower convos by proxy.” Sadie shut a door behind her—hopefully the bathroom’s—and jumped right back into conversation. “So, are you gonna do it? Oh my goodness, girl. This is huge. What if it’s someone you already know. Or someone famous, and he’s trying to keep himself on the DL?”
“In Honey Hill?”
“It could happen. Oh!” Sadie said, and Ginny could almost imagine her totally cool nonchalance, even in the midst of her excitement. “Or… what if it’s Danger?!”
“It’s not Danger.” Ginny spotted a pile of scones on the butcher block in the center of the room.
“It could be Danger. You don’t know.”
“He doesn’t sound like Danger. And I know for a fact that man does not have good taste in music. He once tried to convince me to see Nickelback in concert.Nickelback,Sadie. There’s no way he’s Melody Man.” Ginny grabbed a pistachio scone sitting on a plated pile in the center of the kitchen and took a nibble. Next to oatmeal raisin cookies, these were her favorite. Joan Remillard was a genius.
Just then, her mama popped her head in from the swinging door that led into the heart of Good Start, “I saw that, Virginia Maple!”
Ginny jumped, screamed, and threw a hand over her heart. The precious piece of pistachio flavored heaven nearly toppled from her hands. “Mama! Good gracious, you startled me.” She huffed, catching her breath. Her mama was a silent, ninja genius.
“Stop prowlin’ about and ya wouldn’t be so jumpy.” Her mother used a dry cloth to wipe invisible crumbs off the counter and then swatted it at Ginny’s backside.
“I’m not prowlin’, Mama. I live here.” She winked and grabbed another scone, quickly wrapping it in a cloth and shoving it into her bag. “And I’m on the phone with Sadie.”
“My Sadie?!” Ginny rarely saw Joan Remillard happier than when her children were together or interacting or on the marriage market. Sadie had been a family favorite from the beginning, and her mama had quickly taken pride in her as if she were one of her own.
“Nope,” Ginny said, hearing Sadie’s chuckles. “This can’t be your Sadie. Has to be a different one. This one…” she held up her phone and wiggled it in the air, clearly showing Sadie’s caller ID image: a photo of Dakota and Sadie holding a donut in each hand while wearing matching International Donut Day t-shirtsthat readGo Nuts for Donuts, “is married to some stinky Florida boy.”
Her mom smiled wide. “Tell Sadie Girl I love her.” She kissed Ginny’s cheeks and ran a hand over her curls, something she’d done ever since Ginny could remember. “And I love you, Virginia. Don’t forget about dinner Sunday night after your practice. We’re havin’ pot roast and apple pie.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be there.” She kissed her mama goodbye and dashed through the door of the kitchen before her extra scone could be confiscated.
“Okay, so… what's the plan?” Sadie asked as soon as the sound of the coffee shop dwindled and Ginny made it into her car. “Are ya meetin’ him or not?”
“I think… yes? Maybe? I dunno,” Ginny answered, her voice totally non-committal. “I mean… we’re friends, and it’d be cool to put a face to the letters.”
“And…?”
“And… I like making friends.” Ginny turned off of a festively decorated Main Street, making the short drive over to the elementary school to bring Danger lunch. It was still hot and humid by midday in Georgia, but at least the autumn had been a colorful one. Even with her AC blaring, Ginny couldn’t help but enjoy the red maples and changing leaves of oak trees bracketing the roads.
Sadie sighed. “And you like the idea of this dreamy man writing you pretty words.”
“Pretty is as pretty does, Sadie Girl.” Ginny pulled into the lot and shut off her car. “But, yes, I like his pretty words, okay? Am I crazy? Is this whole thing insane?”
“I think it’s just crazy enough, Gin. What if God has this great man for you, whether he just ends up bein’ a friend or not? I don’t think you should waste time not knowin’ him better.”
“Yeah, me neither. I think I’m gonna do it! I’ll write him a few more times just to be sure.”
Sadie yelled her celebration and announced to a hopefully, fully-clothed Dakota, “Babe! She’s gonna do it!”
“There she is!” Danger said, jumping up from his desk and wrapping Ginny in a friendly hug. It felt like being enveloped by the arms of the Jolly Green Giant, as she barely came up to his sternum. He pulled away and went back to his seat, gesturing for her to take her usual chair across the desk. “You look pretty today, Virginia. Any special occasion?”
“Me? You’re the one in the button down and tie, Mr. Fancy Pants.”
