“You sound like Michael.”
“Michael?The handsome man who follows you everywhere?”Shug made a funny face.“I’m on Instagram now.”
“Yes, Michael Cross.My equerry and protection officer.”
“My darling granddaughter, you can deal with people who don’t like you.You’ve been managing that your whole life.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, this girl or that one who didn’t invite you to her party.Or when you made varsity basketball as a freshman and came home crying because all the girls hated you.”
“They did hate me.”Scottie crossed her arms.This was not the memory lane she wanted to travel.“And teen-girl angst is not in the same league as a riotous mob.”
“No, but small trials train us for big ones.When we got down to brass tacks, those girls thought you hated them.You pushed them away before they could push you.”
“How do you have such a great memory?You’re old.You’re supposed to forget things.”
Shug gave Scottie’s shoulder a slight swat.“Watch it, whippersnapper, I know where you sleep.Lucky for you, I don’t forget things.Do you remember how we solvedthatproblem?”
“We had a party and invited everyone.”
“And?”
“Okay, Shug, I get it.We became good friends and as a team, unstoppable.”
“You won a state championship, but more important, you girls are friends to this day, I believe.”
“Yes.And so my life is here, not over there with people I can’t invite to a party.Shug, they chanted ‘No more Americans.Go home, Scottie O’Shay!’I was conflicted when I first arrived, thinking I should’ve stayed with Kate, but now I’m glad to be home.”Scottie headed for the kitchen.“Are we making cookies before jet lag knocks me out?”
Baking always grounded her after she came off the road—or when one of the clothing lines had taken all her wit and strength to launch.
“I’m never going to be a real royal anyway.Lady Royal is a courtesy title.Kate can bring me along because I’m her daughter, but there’s nothing binding me to the House of Blue.My kingdom is O’Shay.”
“Are you going back?”Shug joined her in the kitchen, unpacking eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips.
“I am.I promised Kate I’d be there for the Rose Ball.One of the royal jets is coming for me next Saturday.I do love spending time with her, Shug.She’s fighting GBS, but there are days the virus wins.”
Scottie retrieved the mixer and a couple of bowls.“Oh, I need to talk to Dad.There’s a designer—a clothier, really—who’d love to partner with us to make bespoke women’s outfits to match some of our menswear.It’d be a real boost to her business.But even if that doesn’t work, I could invest in her.”
“I see.”Shug arranged the ingredients on the counter.“You’ve not talked to your dad about O’Shay recently?”
“No, why?He’s not shutting it down on me, is he?”Scottie laughed and popped a handful of chocolate and peanut butter chips into her mouth.“I Zoomed into a meeting on Wednesday, but we agreed if I was going to do this thing with Kate, I needed to be all in, not worried about work.”
“Seems wise.But before you invest in this clothier, talk to your dad.”Shug retrieved her oversize bag and her big book of recipes.“By the way, we’re gathering at our place tomorrow for a cookout and dip in the pool with Remi and her sons.Then on Saturday some of the family want to have a cookout before you go so don’t make plans.”
Scottie stilled.“Does it seem weird to see him with someone?To see him in love?”
Shug sighed sweetly.“A little.But it’s his time, Scottie.And he’s happy.”
“Everything’s changing,” Scottie said quietly.
“Do you remember the first summer we sent you to camp?”Shug asked, handing her an apron.“You were ten or eleven, I believe.”
“I thought you were sending me away forever.”She was still in touch with a few of the girls from cabin sixteen.
“You called after two weeks begging to come home.You didn’t get along with the other girls.Hmm, I’m seeing a pattern.”
“Hush.But y’all didn’t let me come home.”
