We both laugh, and I’m thankful for the happier vibe in the room.
“Fantastic.” Her grin is infectious, her cheeks blushing with color, like she’s holding an intimate secret.
“Where is Justin? Why isn’t he here with you?”
“He is with me. He’s back at this cute little hotel in town we checked into earlier. It’s called the Wild Daisy Inn. There’s also a quaint café with outdoor seating and a delicious-looking menu. We’d love for you and Keri to join us for dinner tonight. Are you familiar with it?”
My mouth tweaks into a half smile. Visions of Keri staring at me that first day from behind the antique glass of Miss Jenny’s come to mind. I’ll never forget it.
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“If Mr. Jardo offers you his campaign, you have to take it!” April squeals.
“No, she doesn’t,” Candace cuts in. “She can say no if she’s not interested.”
I have my friends on a three-way call as I sit on the unmade bed of my apartment. Pageant gowns in all sizes and colors are thrown this way and that, my earlier panic attack causing me to reach out to my besties for their much-needed advice.
“Keri, this is your way out,” April insists.
“But what if she wants to stay, April? She’s torn. If she leaves, she may never come back.” Candy’s words hit me.
Never come back.
“You need to follow your heart,” she says.
I clear my throat. “If I follow my heart, I’ll stay here in Heartsboro and end up barefoot and pregnant.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” Candace says.
“The very place you’ve been trying to leave for the last decade,” April reminds me. “Come on! I can’t believe you’re even thinking about staying. This is a no-brainer.”
“But I’d be with Adam.” My voice cracks.
“Shame on him for dangling this carrot in front of you. I mean, why did he send his agent your photo to begin with, especially if he has no interest in pursuing something this huge?” The tone in April’s voice holds anger. I understand. I’m touched that she’s so adamant about rooting for team-Keri. Everyone should have a friend like April in their lives. Someone who cheers you on to bigger and better things. Someone who dares you to look outside your comfort zone when you’re struggling to make a huge life decision.
“I don’t think he realized this could turn into something this huge,” I reply.
“Is an expensive perfume ad worth the risk of losing the one person in your life who means more to you than anything else?”Candy asks. Of course, it also pays to have an empathetic friend like Candace. Her softer, romantic approach is important too.
“No,” I say immediately.
“Then there’s your answer.”
“Ugh! He’s not worth it, Keri. You don’t even have a ring,” April says.
“Listen, it wasn’t supposed to blow up like this. Adam had no idea the photo would end up in Jardo’s hands. This is a fluke. A fantastic, heartbreaking conundrum, okay?” My mind swirls with pros and cons.
“Take a breath,” April says. “If you stay, how do you know Adam won’t run off again? How well do you really know him?”
I exhale a long sigh and stare out of the two-story window at the scene below as people go in and out of Miss Jenny’s happy yellow front door. I know how I felt when I first laid eyes on Adam at her café. And again, when we spent our first full day in the lavender fields at Jamison Farm. When he held me in his arms as we two-stepped at The Tipsy Daisy. And when he opened up to me, sharing his grief about his lost family. Roasting marshmallows by the creek and spending our first night together in the camper van. Being on his arm at Roxy’s wedding. Traveling across the country, just him and me and Molly.
Being with Adam is the color in my otherwise gray life, the adventure I always craved. We’ve made plans—so many plans.Each one a bold leap into the future. Because of him, I’ve started to believe I’m brave. But this is different. Am I truly bold enough now to step away from his orbit and face the world alone? Or am I fooling myself, clinging to him because I’m terrified to fail by myself?
I can honestly say these last few months have been some of the best days of my life. No pageant crown or first-place trophy could ever compare. Not even a famous French perfume ambassador. I admit, I’m curious about what a global ad campaign entails. But I’ve never been out of the country before. Besides, I know in my heart, I’d never be happy traveling the world without Adam by my side.
“April, do we ever really know anyone?” I ask. “People change. No one’s the same as they were a year ago. Life shapes us, our moods, and how the world sees us. And I’m in love with this man. Isn’t that the deepest feeling you can have for someone?”
