Sydney relaxed into the happiness that warmed her. Yes, making over five hundred chocolate-dipped pretzels was a job, but it had been a labor of love with Bea, RayAnne, Mac, and Seth. She peeked in on RayAnne, who was fast asleep.
Her daughter looked so peaceful there, sleeping in the room that had once been hers. She tipped her chin to the heavens and prayed. Thank you, Gram and Pop. If you hadn’t left this house to me, I really don’t know what I would’ve done. I’m doing my best to stand on my own two feet.
Suddenly the fatigue fell away, leaving her mind clear.
The distance between Hopewell and Atlanta had evened the playing field for her and Jon with RayAnne. Sure, he’d disappointed RayAnne again and, in typical Jon style, left the clean-up of his mess to Sydney, but at least he couldn’t pop in unexpectedly with some elaborate plan or gift to smooth things over. That man thought he could buy happiness.
Sydney was too awake to go to bed now, so she went downstairs, feeling blessed to have made new friends so quickly and to have found the holiday job at The Book Bea.
It really didn’t matter if the store was hers or not. She’d be perfectly happy helping Bea run the place. Her mind raced with ideas.
She got her laptop and sat down on the couch. A few Google searches later, Sydney had found some pretty easy tools to put her ideas to work.
She’d probably regret it by the afternoon if she didn’t get to bed right now, but as she pointed and clicked and watched her idea come alive right in front of her, it was just too exciting to set aside.
A few hours later she sat on the couch, looking at the brand new website she’d just created for The Book Bea.
Pride. Excitement. Feeling like a part of something. It all felt amazing. She’d used the picture she’d taken of the sign at The Book Bea that first day that she’d rediscovered the store as the banner at the top of the page.
She clicked through the website again. Excitement danced inside of her, and she couldn’t wait to show Bea.
She added a page for events. Bea no longer had activities or book signings in the store, something she could easily change.
Some for kids, and some for adults. Crafts and seasonal activities would bring variety to the book focus of the store. It wasn’t about the money so much as folks getting together. Keeping The Book Bea the center of activity in the small town.
In the newsletter signup she added a birthday field so they could build a birthday list. Sending birthday e-cards out to folks was a great way to keep a connection.
“Good morning, Mom,” RayAnne said as she clomped down the stairs.
Sydney turned to see that her daughter wasn’t only awake, but already dressed. “What time is it?”
“Eight-twenty. Jenny’s mom is picking me up at eight-thirty. Remember?”
She’d totally forgotten about RayAnne’s plans this morning. If she’d remembered she’d have woken her up. Her little girl was growing up. She’d gotten up on her own.
Sydney lowered her laptop. She’d love to show RayAnne the website, but with Mac on his way in less than thirty minutes to follow her over to Bea’s she had to get a move on herself.
RayAnne stood at the front window watching for her ride. “They’re here!”
Sydney gave RayAnne a kiss on the cheek as she sent her out the door. “Have a great day.” She dashed upstairs, stripping down as she made the last few steps into the bathroom.
She took a quick shower, pulled her hair into a braid, and dabbed on a little bit of makeup.
Dressed in black jeans, western boots, and a black top, she was feeling very Johnny Cashish, except for the strand of pearls around her neck. She grabbed her black denim jacket from the closet and pulled it on, checking herself in the mirror. Turning the cuffs back on her jacket as she walked downstairs, she heard Mac’s truck rumble into the driveway.
Sydney opened the front door and waited for Mac to come up.
“Good morning.”
“You’re looking pretty this morning,” he said.
“Thanks,” Sydney said. “Do you mind helping me get all of these pretzel treats to The Book Bea this morning?”
“Not at all.”
And she wasn’t going to mind watching him hoist heavy boxes. Seeing him carry that tree last night wasn’t going to be a memory she easily shook, either.
She grabbed her laptop and tucked it into her tote bag next to the door, then strode back to the kitchen.
Their boots clicked off a beat against the old wooden floor.
“It’s chilly in here,” he said.
“It’s so hard to heat. This place is drafty.”
“Old houses. They’ve got charm, and built so much better than the ones they toss up in two weeks tops nowadays, but they aren’t very energy efficient.”
“If I’m going to stay I’m going to have to insulate and get new windows. If not, I could just sell this place the way it is.”
“Sell? So this is just temporary for you?”
Was it? A couple of weeks ago her answer would have been yes. Definitely yes. That she and RayAnne were here during a time of change in their lives. That she was just here to build her résumé and break ties to Jon at the same time. That she might love to live here, but she’d pretty much promised RayAnne a say in their final plan, and RayAnne liked it back in Atlanta.
But now, that wasn’t as easy of a question to answer. “Maybe semi-permanent is more like it. Things got complicated back home. I needed a soft landing place. This seemed to fit the bill.” She looked around. “It’s paid for. Holds great memories. So many great summers.”
“We probably crossed paths at some point.” Mac paused. “Although I can’t believe I wouldn’t remember meeting you.”
“I spent a lot of time here close to the farm with Gram and Pop, except the weekly venture into town for groceries and stuff. That’s when we’d go to The Book Bea.”
“That place holds a lot of memories for a lot of us.”
And I can be the one who carries that on with Bea, Sydney thought. She picked up two totes of the colorful pretzel treats and indicated another box on the floor. “Can you get that for me?”
“No problem.” He lifted the box and carried it out to the truck.
She set the bags in the floorboard of his truck.
“We all set?”
“Yes.” She flipped Bea’s keys in her hand. “Follow me,” she said, then jogged over to Bea’s car and got behind the wheel. The car was clean, no wonder though. The circa nineteen seventy–something vehicle only had 14,212 miles on it.
Mac pulled out of the driveway and waited on the side of the road.
She pulled the huge car out and maneuvered through town to Bea’s house.
She waved, and he rolled down the window. “I’ll be just a minute. I want to check on her real quick.”
“Take your time.”
She felt his eyes on her as she walked up the path to Bea’s house.
Bea opened the door just as Sydney began to knock. Still in her bathrobe, she said, “Good morning, Sydney.”
Sydney dangled the keys. “Brought your car back. How are you feeling this morning?”
“I’m fine, dear.” She squeezed Sydney’s hand. “Thank you so much for last night. This will be the best batch of treats yet. Made with love and fellowship—the most important ingredients.”
“We all had a good time.”
“We did. I’ve got some things I want to take care of this morning. I’ll be in a little later today.”
“If you’re not up to it, you know that I can cover things. I don’t mind at all.”
“Oh, I know you can. You remind me of myself the year my husband died. I had to find my own strength, and when I did I was stronger than ever. I’d been so afraid, but the freedom I found in my independence turned out to be a gift.” She smiled gently. “I’ll be in after I get my running around done.”
“Okay, well, no hurry. But…,” Sydney said. “I have something to show you when you get there.”
“What is it?”
“A surprise. For you. Well, for you and The Book Bea.”
Bea’s face lit up. “I can’t wait.”
“Me neither. I was up all night. I hope you love it.” She hugged Bea and then jogged over to Mac’s truck.