by Susan Sands
“No, it’s not alright, at least not yet.” He said.
“What’s up?” She asked, her tone neutral. From experience, his calls could either be really good news or not.
“The network is not happy about your refusal of their offer.”
“Sorry I made them cranky, but I’m not committed beyond my original contract.”
“Cammie, they have a counter offer.” His words made her heart rhythm increase very slightly.
“You know my stance on moving.” She managed to maintain her cool.
“Hear me out.” Her breathing hitched slightly, as she tried to control her mounting excitement and anxiety. Bruce continued, “They’re willing to film on location in Alabama. Everything else about the offer stays the same. If you have any possible sites that come to mind for filming, get some photos.”
“Oh. Wow.”
“Let it sink in. Talk to whomever you need, and call me back in twenty-four hours.”
“This is—wow. Thanks, Bruce.” She hung up. Her first impulse was to call Grey immediately and share the good news. But instead, Cammie wanted to let it marinate for a while, figure out how it might affect all their lives. Bringing a daily, nationally televised show to this town, to her family, would have impact—possibly huge and negative impact on everyone she knew. Especially to those she cared about.
She and Grey had decided to hold off on announcing their engagement until he’d had an opportunity to discuss the idea with Samantha. Getting married too quickly might be a disaster for his daughter’s emotional well-being. They would give her as much time as she required to accept Cammie as a permanent part of her life in the role of Grey’s wife.
Cammie understood that she could never replace Deb as Samantha’s mother and wouldn’t want to try. But she sought to help Grey raise Samantha and be a part of all her days from here forward—the important ones and just the every days. She wanted to share Grey, not take him away. Hopefully, Samantha would see it that way.
Epilogue
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Grey’d been thrilled over the counter offer from the network. “The farmhouse is perfect. I can start the renovations as soon as I finish at Evangeline House, since filming won’t begin for another several months.” Grey had been hired to restore the old courthouse in Greenville next year. It was a huge job that would take upwards of two years and a full construction crew.
Alabama had no shortage of aging historic structures. Of course, he hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with Cammie about how successful his firm was. They were responsible for major restorations throughout the Southern states. He had several crews, each led by an historical architect, working on projects scattered about. His time so far in Alabama had been somewhat of a sabbatical, a time to refurbish his family.
“You don’t have to do it all yourself, you know,” Cammie said.
“But I want it be exactly how you envision it.”
“I appreciate that.” She smiled. Her tummy did a little flip. This was true happiness. So far, so good. Yes, they would have arguments, ups and downs, and hopefully more children. It wouldn’t be perfect, but their happiness was borne of imperfection, so unrealistic expectations didn’t factor into this real life.
Bringing the world into their home might not be the best way to begin a life together. If filming inside her own kitchen became a problem, she would recreate the kitchen in the barn outside. The farmhouse had to be renovated anyway; might as well try it inside first. It would be her dream kitchen, thanks to Grey and her new job.
The job and the media attention it would bring was part of accepting such an offer. She’d sat down with both Grey and Samantha to discuss what the likely downsides might mean. After weighing everything, they’d come to the conclusion that Cammie should go for it.
In an obvious attempt to overshadow the media attention Cammie’s upcoming cooking show had garnered, Jessica Greene held her own press conference.
“Turn it up,” Cammie said to Grey, who held the remote.
The woman did do drama. To keep peace and her job at the same network, she was required to play in the same sandbox. “I’ve done this poor young woman a wrong turn. It’s come to my attention that Cammie Laroux wasn’t at fault for setting my hair ablaze, people. She was a victim, and she deserves this second chance.” She paused, hand over her heart for effect, “She took the blame for someone else’s mistake—she took the fall, y’all”
Each word was deliberate and uttered with perfect evangelical intonation. She’d intimated that she, Jessica Greene, was giving up her own spot in the line-up in martyrdom for Cammie. What a load of horseshit.
A member of the press asked about the accusation of the recipe theft, to which Jessica Greene replied, “A pure misunderstanding.” And waved her chubby hand as if a fly were buzzing around.
“Misunderstanding, my as—”
“Easy. You know she’s not going down without spinning her own special sauce on this. The network is a hundred percent behind you.”
The ads were airing next week, touting Cammie’s show, Down Home with Cammie. It would be an all-out media blitz. Cammie had filmed ad spots all over town, introducing Ministry to America. The ads would continue airing until the season began in a few months. It really was all good. Amazingly, she’d made a meteoric jump back to town celebrity, as opposed to town embarrassment. Jessica was simply someone she’d have to smile and endure.
Howard and Mom were getting married on New Year’s Day in a couple weeks, so their wedding was top priority right now. The siblings were on board, even Emma. Howard, they’d discovered, was pure gold. He’d won them over with his obvious love for their mother and newfound excitement at a ready-made family. You’d have thought he’d just discovered they were all his biological offspring the way he wallowed in his new family. His obvious enthusiasm for getting to know them all was truly irresistible. He refused to miss a single football or soccer game, not to mention Suzy’s dance recital.
Grey hadn’t given Cammie an opportunity to change her mind. They’d tied the knot in a small, family-only ceremony at Evangeline House within days of Grey’s Thanksgiving announcement. They were living temporarily with Grey’s father because he’d insisted they stay until the closing on the farmhouse. It was working out well enough that they would wait to move until the renovations were complete.
Cammie had come back to Alabama, wanting nothing more than to escape the past misery this town and Grey Harrison represented. But as her sneaky, but wise siblings had predicted, she’d rediscovered her roots by making peace with the one person who’d been able to truly heal her heart. Alabama was now her happy place—again.
Discussion Questions
Again, Alabama
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1. Would you run if you found out your boyfriend cheated and got someone pregnant or would you wait for an explanation?
2. Would you be willing to take someone back after he cheated?
3. How would you feel about raising someone else’s child?
4. How would you feel if you found out the man you thought was your father really wasn’t your father?
5. How would you feel if you found out your mother wanted to get back together with a man she almost married before marrying your father?
6. If you were Cammie, could you forgive Grey and forget, or just forgive?
7. Do you think Cammie’s reasons for coming back to Alabama were good ones? Why or why not?
8. Who is your favorite character in this story? And why? Your least favorite?
9. What do think about Cammie’s relationship with her siblings? How did these relationships help flesh out Cammie’ character?
10. Does the woman on the front cover fit the vision of Cammie you have in your mind? Why or why not?
About the Author
Susan Sands grew up in a real life Southern Footloose town, complete with her senior class hosting the first ever prom in the history of their tiny public school. Is it any wonder she writes Southern small town stories full of porch swi
ngs, fun and romance?
Susan lives in suburban Atlanta surrounded by her husband, three young adult kiddos and lots of material for her next book.
Visit her website at SusanSands.com.
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