The smell of roasting turkeys in the kitchen makes her mouth water when she enters the kitchen at the inn early that afternoon. Cecily puts her in charge of setting the community table. After helping Katherine fashion a cornucopia centerpiece, she returns to the basement storage closet where she found the Christmas ornaments and remembers seeing boxes labeled Holiday China. Opening a few, she discovers a gorgeous set of plates with colorful turkeys in the center surrounded by a decorative brown-and-white border.
On her cell phone, she searches the internet for turkey china patterns and identifies this one as Johnson Brothers’ Woodland Wild Turkeys. She loads the three boxes of china onto a luggage cart and rolls it up to the kitchen. After gingerly hand-washing each piece, she sets the table and stands back to admire the effect. Everything looks splendid and is ready for the guests who will be arriving soon.
“Now, that’s a perfect Thanksgiving table if ever I saw one.”
Presley places a hand over her racing heart, startled to find Stella and Jazz standing next to her. “Thank you. I’m pleased with the way it turned out. Katherine deserves the credit for the centerpiece.”
“I’ll be sure to compliment her.” Stella’s wide smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Something is troubling her.
Jazz tugs Presley’s hand. “Guess what, Presley. I’m going to be living with Stella from now on.”
“You are?” Presley looks to Stella for confirmation. “Really?”
Stella nods. “If all goes well in juvenile court tomorrow.” She cuts her eyes at Jazz. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time.”
“Is Naomi . . .”
“No longer employed here,” Stella says in a curt tone.
Presley does a mental victory dance around the restaurant. She’s sorry Jazz has to suffer, but the child will be much better off living with Stella. She offers the kid a high five. “I hope that means I’ll be seeing a lot more of you.”
Jazz grins at her in return.
The sound of voices draws their attention as guests begin to file into the restaurant. Brian and Opal. Katherine and Dean. Lucy. Jack and Cecily’s fiancé, Lyle. When Everett and Mary arrive, Presley goes over to greet them. Despite being shy, Everett’s mother is delightful as she peppers Presley with questions about Nashville.
“Mom’s a seamstress,” Everett explains. “She made the dress she’s wearing.”
“It’s stunning,” Presley says of the simple but elegant burnt-orange wrap dress. “I’m impressed.”
Pink dots appear on Mary’s cheeks. “In Atlanta, I had my own alterations business. I’ll be starting over in Nashville.”
Everett rests a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Maybe Presley can pass along your contact information to some of her friends who might need alterations.”
Presley nods. “And my mom’s friends as well. Although, if you’re looking for a change, you might shop around before you jump back into alterations. Nashville has an incredible number of live shows. I’m sorry. I’m overstepping—”
“Not at all.” Everett winks at his mother. “That’s exactly what I’ve been telling Mom.”
When Cecily announces dinner, Stella makes a brief speech, thanking everyone for their dedication these past months, and follows it with a sweet blessing. They load up their plates from a smorgasbord of Thanksgiving dishes concocted with Cecily’s unique flair. Brian heads up the table at one end and Stella the other. Presley is seated in the middle, sandwiched between Everett and Mary, and Lucy is to Brian’s right. Lucy totally has a crush on him, and Brian appears eager to return her flirtation.
Presley hasn’t spoken to Lucy since she confronted her on Wednesday. Yesterday, at the wine tasting, they proved they can work together despite their differences. But it’s not the same as it was. They were only friends a short time, but Presley misses that friendship already.
A festive mood falls over the table while they eat. They talk about the upcoming holidays and the steady rise in business.
“Last I checked, room reservations for the New Year’s weekend are nearing capacity and Christmas isn’t far behind.” Stella’s gaze shifts to Everett. “If you have any interest in working over the holidays, we could really use your help in managing the bars. I will comp you a suite in the carriage house. I would love to have you and Mary as my guests.”
Everett looks questionably at Presley. “Should I?”
Presley doesn’t hesitate. “I’d like that.” Decision made. She wants nothing more than to give him another chance.
Everett looks around Presley at Mary. “What do you think, Mom? Should we come back for Christmas?”
Mary casts a tentative glance at her son. “If I don’t go to Texas to visit my family, I would love to come.”
Everett smiles at Stella. “Count me in. And I’ll be in touch about Mom’s plans.”
“Be sure to bring your guitar. You can entertain our guests in Billy’s Bar. We’ll even advertise, our very own up-and-coming country music star.”
“I’m gonna be a big star, too,” Jazz says, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m dancing one of the leading roles in our Christmas program.”
All eyes shift to the sweet little girl as she tells us about her part as Clara in The Nutcracker. If she’s upset by the recent drama in her life, she doesn’t show it.
The table lingers over coffee and caramel pumpkin cheesecake. When they finally disperse, Presley is walking toward the front entrance with Everett and Mary when Lucy pulls her aside.
“I wanted to talk to you about your biological father. Despite what he did, he wasn’t such a bad guy. I was crazy about him, actually. He had a winning personality, and he was a true leader amongst his peers. He was a star athlete in high school. He was handsome and intelligent. He planned to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a lawyer. He—”
“Stop!” Presley quiets her with her hand. “You don’t have to sell me on him, Lucy. My adoptive father was a wonderful, loving man. I only regret that he died too young. But his memory lives on in my heart. I’m sorry for what this other man did to you, for what you went through because of it, but if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be here.”
“That’s very true.” Lucy loops her arm through Presley’s, and they drift through the lounge to the entryway. “We can’t change the past, but we can do something about the future. I don’t know how to be a mother to a thirty-year-old woman.”
Presley places a hand on her arm. “Then don’t try to be. How about we go back to being friends and see where that leads us.”
Presley waits by the front door while Everett walks Mary to her room. When he returns, Everett asks, “Can we go to your apartment?”
Looking up at him, she says, “Don’t hurt me, Everett.”
Taking her by the shoulders, Everett presses his lips gently against hers. “I won’t, babe. I promise.”
Hand in hand, they walk as fast down Main Street as Presley’s heeled boots will allow. At her apartment, they make crazy love, first on Big Blue before moving to her queen-size bed. Their passion is tender one minute and bestial, like on their first night together, the next.
Around midnight, with Everett wearing his boxer shorts and Presley his blue button-down shirt, they go to the kitchen for a snack. Seated at her island, a pint of cookie dough ice cream between them, they talk about everything that has happened in their lives since he left for Atlanta. She tells him about Lucy and Rita, and he tells her about his decision to be a father to Carla’s baby.
“You made the right decision. You’ll be an excellent father.” Presley stabs at the ice cream with her spoon. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why did your mother stay with your father?”
He drags his tongue up the back of his spoon. “I don’t mind you asking, but I don’t know the answer. She loved him once. I think she felt sorry for him. And I guess she was scared of being on her own.”
“What about her family in Texas? You wrote about them in the song, and at dinner, she me
ntioned she may visit them for Christmas.”
“Mom grew up in a modest but respectable Catholic family. Her parents had their hearts set on her marrying a close friend of the family’s son. When she fell in love with poor white trash, they disowned her.”
“That’s a shame. I don’t understand why some parents feel the need to control their children like that.”
“Sadly, in her case, they were right.”
“Why aren’t you going with her to Texas? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled you’ll be here with me.”
“I’ve never met her family. It will be less awkward if she makes this first trip alone.”
“Right. I guess that makes sense.”
Presley sets her spoon on the counter and wipes her lips. “I’ve been thinking, why don’t you and Mary live in my mother’s house? We’re not closing until mid-January, which will give you plenty of time to find your own place.”
“I couldn’t,” he says, although Presley can tell her offer intrigues him.
“Why not? You’d be doing me a favor. I worry about the house being empty. You know, because of busted pipes and break-ins and stuff like that.”
Spoon in mouth, he stares up at the ceiling as he considers the idea. “I’d rather not waste money on a hotel room, and it would only be for a couple of weeks . . . if you’re sure.”
“I’m positive.” Presley puts the lid on the ice cream and returns the carton to the freezer. “If your mom ends up going to Texas, you’re welcome to stay with me when you come for Christmas.”
He stands to face her. “I would like that very much.”
“Understand that I’ll expect sexual favors in lieu of rent.”
In a deep husky voice, he says, “That’s the least I can do.”
Throwing her arms around his neck, she pulls him down and makes love to him on the kitchen floor. Being with Everett feels right. She will live in the moment and see where their relationship takes them. They will work together to show each other the way.
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Other Books in the Series
When one young woman summons the courage to take a chance on life, she discovers the career and man of her dreams
Merriment and mayhem collide for a chaotic holiday season at the Inn at Hope Springs Farms.
Also By Ashley Farley
Hope Springs Series
Dream Big, Stella!
Show Me the Way
Mistletoe and Wedding Bells
* * *
Stand Alone
Tangled in Ivy
Lies that Bind
Life on Loan
Only One Life
Home for Wounded Hearts
Nell and Lady
Sweet Tea Tuesdays
Saving Ben
* * *
Sweeney Sisters Series
Saturdays at Sweeney’s
Tangle of Strings
Boots and Bedlam
Lowcountry Stranger
Her Sister’s Shoes
* * *
Magnolia Series
Beyond the Garden
Magnolia Nights
* * *
Scottie’s Adventures
Breaking the Story
Merry Mary
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Acknowledgments
I’m grateful to many people for helping make this novel possible. Foremost, to my editor, Patricia Peters, for her patience and advice and for making my work stronger without changing my voice. A great big heartfelt thank-you to my trusted beta readers—Alison Fauls, Kathy Sinclair, Anne Wolters, and Laura Glenn. And to my behind-the-scenes team, Kate Rock and Geneva Agnos, for all the many things you do to manage my social media so effectively.
I am blessed to have many supportive people in my life who offer the encouragement I need to continue the pursuit of my writing career. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my advanced review team, the lovely ladies of Georgia’s Porch, for their enthusiasm for and commitment to my work. To Leslie Rising at Levy’s for being my local bookshop. Love and thanks to my family—my mother, Joanne; my husband, Ted; and the best children in the world, Cameron and Ned.
Most of all, I’m grateful to my wonderful readers for their love of women’s fiction. I love hearing from you. Feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] or stop by my website at ashleyfarley.com for more information about my characters and upcoming releases. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. Your subscription will grant you exclusive content, sneak previews, and special giveaways.
About the Author
Ashley Farley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her bestselling Sweeney Sisters series has touched the lives of many.
Ashley is a wife and mother of two young adult children. While she's lived in Richmond, Virginia for the past 21 years, a piece of her heart remains in the salty marshes of the South Carolina Lowcountry, where she still calls home. Through the eyes of her characters, she captures the moss-draped trees, delectable cuisine, and kindhearted folk with lazy drawls that make the area so unique.
Ashley loves to hear from her readers. Visit Ashley’s Website @ashleyfarley.com
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