by Debby Mayne
“Are you okay?” he asked, hoping she’d let him know what was going on.
Instead, she shook her head. “I almost believed you.”
Fran looked back and forth between Jeremy and Elizabeth, then stood. “I’ll leave the two of you alone so you can talk.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “That’s not necessary. I’ve heard all I need to hear.”
Jeremy stood up to leave. Something strange was happening here, and he didn’t want to make it worse.
As she made her way to the door, Elizabeth turned to him. “Don’t bother following me. I don’t have anything else to say to you.”
❧
Cindi had just taken out the last of the shipment and hung it to be steamed. When she heard the door, she turned and saw Elizabeth moving toward her with a mission.
“I was right about Jeremy Hayden.”
“What?” Cindi said, confused. “What happened?”
Elizabeth was clearly out of breath. She stood there, her chest heaving as she tried to compose herself. Finally, she let out a deep breath and said, “Be careful!”
“You’re not making a bit of sense, Elizabeth. Tell me what’s going on.”
Cindi guided Elizabeth toward the love seat and encouraged her to explain what had happened. Then she listened as Elizabeth told her about the encounter with Jeremy at Fran’s office.
“You were right,” she said. “He was still planning to buy and sell your shop.”
“You’ve been saying that all along, so why are you so upset now?”
“He so much as admitted to Fran that you were getting the wrong idea about his intentions and all he wanted to do was turn a profit after boosting the earnings. He’s playing games with you just to make a buck.”
A sense of dread washed over Cindi. She’d just started letting down her guard with Jeremy.
Elizabeth looked up and shook her head. “He’s super slick.”
“Okay, so what now?” Cindi asked.
“Since he has a history of being too charming for a nice girl like you, I suggest you avoid him at all costs. He isn’t any different now from when he dumped—” She stopped midsentence.
Cindi lifted her eyebrows. “That’s virtually impossible.”
“I’ll tell him to get lost if you want me to,” Elizabeth offered.
“No,” Cindi said. “I don’t want to react to anything he does. That’ll make him think I’m weak. I can still talk to him.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt again,” Elizabeth said softly.
“I realize that,” Cindi replied as she turned to her friend and smiled. “I’ll be careful, but I don’t want to turn my back on him, now that he’s at least going to church.”
Elizabeth paused then nodded. “You’re right. Just remember you can count on me to run interference if needed.”
Cindi belted out a laugh. “I’ve never doubted you’d do that for me. Now let’s get back to work. We have a crazy day ahead of us, and it looks like it might be that way for the remainder of the week.”
Their next appointment involved a family—bride, mother-of-the-bride, aunt on her mother’s side, very young aunt on the groom’s side, her sister, the groom’s sister, and a couple of very wiggly, giggly flower girls from both sides of the family. In spite of the extra time they required, this was one of Cindi’s favorite scenarios. She loved the dynamics of the blended families, and she found the children delightful.
“Mommy, I want this dress!” one of the little girls shouted across the store. “Can I have this dress? It looks like a princess dress.”
The other girl looked at it before turning to Cindi. “I’m a flower girl, and so is she.” The sassiness in her voice was funny, but Cindi could tell this one was a handful.
“How fun!” Cindi said. She looked up at the bride-to-be. “I’ll get Elizabeth to work with the flower girls, and then I’ll help you all. Did you want them in long white dresses?”
The bride glanced at her mother, who nodded. “I’m pretty open.”
Elizabeth grinned at the little girls. “Let’s go try on a bunch of princess dresses, and we’ll see what looks best, okay?”
“Oh, goody! We get to play dress up!”
Cindi asked the bride all the pertinent questions, such as what style wedding dress she wanted and what colors she wanted her bridesmaids to wear. Cindi sensed the bride was overwhelmed by all the choices, so she leaned toward the woman. “You don’t have to make a decision today,” she whispered.
The bride smiled at her and nodded. “Thanks.”
All the pressure had been lifted, so the bride and her entourage finally enjoyed trying on dresses. The women chattered while the little girls squealed and giggled.
Cindi had to rescue a couple of the mannequins from the children, but she didn’t mind. They were excited, and they brought such joy and fun energy to the room. She’d always enjoyed being around children.
“Here are some wedding gown brochures.” Cindi handed them to the bride. When she saw that the other women looked left out, she handed them some brochures from the designer the bride seemed to prefer.
The groom’s aunt looked startled for a split second, then straightened up. “Oh, thanks,” she said as she took it.
Cindi gave the bride her card and told her to call back by the end of the day to schedule the second appointment. As the bridal party left, Cindi glanced at Elizabeth, who made a face and pointed to the corner of the room.
She looked in the direction Elizabeth pointed and saw Jeremy standing there, arms folded, looking amused. How long had he been watching?
Once the women were gone, he slowly ambled to the counter. “You did an amazing job once again, Cindi. I continue to be impressed.”
“Give me a break,” Elizabeth said.
Jeremy and Cindi both snapped around to face her. Cindi realized her friend was feeling protective of her, but she needed to hold back the sarcasm.
“Excuse me for a minute, Jeremy,” Cindi said as she took Elizabeth by the arm and ushered her into the fitting room. Once she had her friend alone, she turned to her. “Let me handle him, okay?”
“It annoys me that he thinks he can wear you down,” Elizabeth argued.
Cindi loved that about Elizabeth, but she could take care of herself. “I know, but remember he can’t wear me down unless I let him.” She looked around the room at some of the mess left behind by the last group. “Why don’t you take care of reboxing those shoes, and I’ll join you to get this place straightened up after I get rid of Jeremy?”
“Be strong,” Elizabeth said as Cindi left the room.
“What was that all about?” Jeremy asked.
Cindi crossed her arms and looked him in the eye. This was no time for mincing words. “She’s trying to protect me.”
“From what?”
“You.”
The expression on his face went from confused to understanding. “I thought she’d finally warmed up to me, but she hasn’t, has she?”
“Not at all.”
“That’s not good.” He looked around the room while Cindi continued staring at him. He looked very uncomfortable. Almost a minute later, he finally settled his gaze on her. “Why don’t we—the two of us—get together and talk?”
“We can talk now,” Cindi said as she glanced at her watch. “I don’t have another appointment for a while.”
The phone rang, so she excused herself to answer it since Elizabeth was still in the fitting room. She answered some questions then turned back to Jeremy.
He tilted his head forward. “I think we need to go somewhere else without the distractions. How about tonight after work. Got plans for tonight?”
“Uh. . .” She didn’t have plans, and she didn’t want to lie, but the very thought of going somewhere alone with him worried her. His mere presence sent her senses into a spin.
“Or another night this week. I don’t want to put you on the spot. I just want to let you know what’s going on with me and what I�
��ve decided. And I think there are a few other things we need to discuss.”
Cindi took a step back and thought it over while he silently waited. It was unnerving having him standing there so close scrutinizing her every move. If going somewhere to talk meant removing the distraction of him always popping in like this, she figured she needed to agree.
“Okay, tonight will be just fine. Want to meet somewhere?”
A smile played on his lips. “How about Chastain Park?”
Suddenly she felt herself go numb. Chastain Park was where they used to go when they were teenagers. And it was where he first kissed her.
“How about someplace else?” she asked.
He narrowed his gaze. “What’s wrong with Chastain Park?”
“Nothing.” She didn’t want to let on how she’d clung to certain memories, so she fidgeted behind the counter, pretending to look for something. “We can meet at Chastain Park if it’s so important to you.”
“How about we meet at the playground by the pavilion?”
She swallowed deeply. That was the exact spot where he first kissed her. Without looking him in the eye, she said, “Okay, we can meet there, but not for long.”
“I understand. You’re a busy woman.”
She couldn’t tell if he was serious or if he was being sarcastic. “I really need to get back to work, Jeremy. Elizabeth is closing up tonight, so I can leave around five thirty.”
“See you at six, then,” he said. “Oh, and don’t make plans for dinner. There’s a wonderful place I’d like to take you.”
Before she had a chance to tell him she wasn’t available for dinner, he left. Elizabeth came out of the fitting room.
“Well?” she asked.
❧
Jeremy was fully aware he had one shot at showing Cindi his integrity after the way Elizabeth had acted. Something new had happened, and he aimed to find out what it was. Also, it was time to let Cindi know what happened many years ago, but he wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear it.
He pulled out his phone and punched in his mother’s work number. She answered immediately.
“Mom, do you mind if I bring a guest home for dinner?”
“Of course I don’t mind. I’m cooking stew in the Crock-Pot, though. It’s nothing special.”
“I think that’s pretty special. I’ll stop somewhere and get bread and dessert. Anything else you need?”
“No.” There were a few seconds of silence before she asked, “Is it Cindi?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good. I like her.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Maybe one of these days you’ll feel like you can trust me enough to let me in on the details of what happened between you two.”
He didn’t feel like explaining anything, so he mumbled a few words then told her he had to run. After he flipped his phone shut, he went back to Fran’s office. She wasn’t in, so he left a message that he’d be in touch the next day.
Jeremy went to his parents’ condo and ran the vacuum. His mother worked hard all day, and he didn’t want her to feel as if she had to do additional work when she got home. As things changed, he wanted to adapt and make the lives of his loved ones easier. He hadn’t always been that way, and he felt the need to make up for those times.
After the place was clean, he ran out for bread, dessert, and drinks. Then he got ready for his date. . . . No, better not think about it that way. For his meeting with Cindi.
❧
Cindi’s nerves were on edge when she arrived at Chastain Park. She parked her car and headed straight to their meeting spot. Not much appeared to have changed since she’d last been here. Chastain Park was huge, and she’d been to a couple of concerts at the amphitheater, but this was the first time she’d been back to this spot. Their spot.
She was a few minutes early, so she hoped she’d get there first. However, once she got closer, she saw Jeremy standing there waiting—a flower in his hand. Her heart fluttered.
Nine
“I remembered how much you like white roses,” he said as he extended the flower.
She hesitated before reaching out to take it. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“How was work since I last saw you? Did you have a calm afternoon?”
Cindi chuckled. “It’s all relative. It was calmer than what you saw, but there were a few tense moments when a bride changed her mind about a dress after it was altered.”
“That’s not good.”
“We’ve had this sort of thing happen before, and you’re right—it’s not a good thing. Once a dress has been altered, most vendors won’t let us send it back, so we’re stuck.”
His forehead crinkled. “So you’re stuck with the dress?”
“Not this time, fortunately. She told us what she wanted different, and we managed to reconfigure the dress to her liking.”
“It’s good you can do that,” he said.
Again, Cindi laughed. “It’s good Elizabeth can do that. Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for her fabulous seamstress skills. She can make almost any alteration and customize dresses so brides feel they’re having gowns made especially for them.”
Cindi wondered when they’d cut the small talk and get to whatever he wanted to discuss with her. Her feelings were mixed. In a way, she wanted to get whatever it was over with, but she didn’t feel like confronting anything distasteful.
She looked up at him in time to see a familiar gaze—identical to the one they’d shared right before he told her he loved her.
“It’s a nice evening, isn’t it?” He reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Yes, it’s a very nice evening,” she said as she looked at the ground. Each time she looked at him in this setting, old memories flashed through her mind.
❧
Jeremy felt Cindi might be warming up to him, but as quickly as she looked up at him, she seemed nervous. “What are you thinking, Cindi?”
Without missing a beat, she asked, “Why did you want me to meet you here?”
“There are some things I needed to explain.”
Cindi took a step back and folded her arms. “Okay, so start explaining.”
He saw the distrust on her face. “Do you remember what I told you the first time we were here?”
She wanted to deny she remembered anything, but she couldn’t. With a slight nod, she sniffled.
“I meant it then, and I mean it now.”
“How can you say that, Jeremy, after what you did to me later?”
He tightened his jaw. This was one of the most difficult things he’d ever done in his life—but still not as hard as letting her go.
“When I told you I didn’t love you anymore, I was lying. I just wanted you to be free to pursue your dreams.”
“So you said. That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” he asked as he lowered his head and held her gaze.
“It makes no sense. We were supposedly in love. Everything was going just fine.”
“For you, maybe. You had colleges begging you to attend.”
She snickered. “Not really begging me. I just got accepted to a few that I applied to.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he said. “I had nothing. No college. No hopes for the future. No dreams.”
“Everyone has hopes and dreams.”
“Trust me when I tell you this, Cindi. I had no idea what I’d do the day after graduation, let alone for the rest of my life. I figured if I didn’t let you go, I’d be holding you back from a prosperous life.”
“You’ve been at least as prosperous as I have,” she replied.
“Maybe. But I didn’t know it would turn out this way back then.”
She shrugged. “Okay, so now what?”
“I’m not sure. But I’d like to find out if we can bring back something we once had.”
She tilted her head and looked at him before her lips turned up at the corners into a smile. “Let me think abou
t it, okay?”
“Fair enough,” he agreed. “Want to go for a walk?”
She lifted one shoulder then let it drop as she offered a slight grin. “Sure, why not?”
They meandered around a small area of the park and talked about anything that came to mind. She was a great conversationalist, something he remembered about her from high school. In fact, it was one of the many things he’d loved about her.
“So tell me more about how you came to faith,” she said.
He told her all about his commanding officer’s gentle witness and how he’d been willing to answer even the most basic of questions. She nodded and interjected a few comments, which let him know she was really listening. He could tell when she softened toward him because she looked at him with more trust than he’d seen since they were teenagers.
“That’s a really nice story,” she said after he told her about his Christian journey. “How about your parents? When did they start going to church?”
“Just recently. In fact, your church is the first one they’ve gone to since I can remember.”
“You’re kidding.” She looked sincerely surprised. “They seem comfortable.”
“Yeah, I noticed that, too.” He stopped walking and reached out to turn her toward him. “Cindi. . .”
A brief look of fear came over her face as she took a step back, so he didn’t finish his sentence. He’d been about to tell her he was comfortable, too—both in church and when he was with her. But based on the look she gave him, now wasn’t the time.
Instead, he chose a different topic. “Are you hungry?”
A quick giggle escaped her lips. “Hungry?” She visibly relaxed, and her fearful look faded. “You’ve always thought about food.”
“Yeah, well, maybe so, but food’s important. I’d like to take you someplace special.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I really don’t feel like eating out tonight.”
“This is sort of like not eating out.”
“You’re talking in riddles, Jeremy. Where do you want to take me?”
“My folks’.”
“Um, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she appeared to grow uncomfortable again.
