As I drive to Sally’s condo, I ponder what’s coming up. Only one more week, and I’ll be going to Sally’s reunion with a different title—Sally’s fiancé. I wonder how folks will treat me as an almost family member.
Sally is standing outside waiting for me. I appreciate the fact that she rarely makes me wait. She hops into the truck, gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, then buckles her seat belt.
“How was your day?” she asks.
I shrug. “Just like every other day at the bank. Some people open accounts, other people apply for loans, and some just want to come in and talk about doing one or the other.” I reach over and squeeze her hand. “How about you?”
She opens her mouth, but then her phone rings. After a quick glance at caller ID, her eyebrows shoot up. “I need to take this call. It’s Granny Marge.”
I nod. I know that Jay and Marge Bucklin carry a lot of clout with that entire family, and I would never expect Sally to ignore a call from one of them.
I listen as she talks. “Really? Are you sure she’d be a good fit?”
When we pull up to a red light, I glance over at her and see her eyebrows knit in consternation. Must be a doozy of a conversation, but so far, it’s been mostly one-sided.
I hear her say, “Yes ma’am, I will,” “When should I talk to her?” and “Do you want to be there?” Finally, she gets off the phone and sighs.
“Is everything okay?” I give her a quick glance before turning my attention back to the road.
“If you’re not in the mood to talk about it, I understand.” I chew on my bottom lip as I try to figure out a way to be supportive of whatever it is that’s bothering her. “But you know I’m a good listener.”
“I know you are. It’s just that—” She cuts herself off.
“Just that what?”
“I can’t see myself in business with Marybeth.”
“Marybeth? As in Bucky’s wife and Julius’s mother?”
She nods. “Yes, that’s the only Marybeth I know.”
Now I’m completely confused. “Why would you say something like that?”
“Granny Marge thinks she’d be a good fit as a partner at the Chef’s Skillet.”
“Wait a minute.” I spot a shopping center and pull into the parking lot, put the car in Park, and turn to face her. “What’s that all about? I thought you and Mavis were partners.”
“Mavis said she doesn’t want to do it anymore.”
“I thought the store was doing great.” I turn to face her directly. “Why wouldn’t she want to do it anymore?”
“She doesn’t like it. She said that if I don’t buy her out or find my own partner to buy her share, she’d find someone herself.”
“That could be a disaster.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you talk to me about this?” I ask.
“I just found out today, and I didn’t want to bother you at work, so I went to see Granny Marge to ask if she had any ideas or suggestions.” She gives me an apologetic look. “I thought I’d talk to you about it later.”
I’m hurt, but I’ll get over it. My main concern is Sally and how this is affecting her. “Would you like me to see if I can buy her out?”
She slowly shakes her head. “No, I need someone to work it with me—someone who is passionate about cooking and has a desire to help other people learn how to use all the stuff we sell.”
“I wonder why your grandmother would suggest Marybeth.”
“She said that Marybeth needs something to keep her busy and to feel like she’s worthwhile.”
Sally nods. “Yes, in fact, she’s a great cook.”
“Well …” I give her a half smile. “I’m not sure if this is what you want to hear, but maybe your grandmother is onto something. Now that Julius will be graduating from high school—” I stop and think. “He is graduating, isn’t he?”
She nods. “Yes, he’ll be walking with his class.”
“Then maybe she needs to do something that is productive.”
“That’s what Granny Marge said. Apparently, she is about to go crazy sitting around that big old mansion all day. She’s already started looking for a job, but no one in Pinewood will hire her.”
“I wonder why.”
She makes a face. “Could be any number of reasons.”
I laugh. “At least you know she has the money to buy Mavis out.”
“I know, but what if we don’t get along?”
“Have you ever not gotten along with her?” I tilt my head toward her and hold her gaze.
“Not that I can remember. But she is quite a bit older than me.”
“So is Mavis,” I remind her. “And y’all get along just fine. Why don’t you give Marybeth a chance?”
“Seriously, Nate? Whose side are you on?”
I lean back but never break our gaze. “I didn’t realize this was a battle and I had to pick sides.”
“It’s not.” She lets out a long sigh. “I’ll have to give this some serious thought before I agree to anything.”
“It might not hurt to talk with Marybeth before you make any decisions. Find out how deep her interest is and what she has in mind if she does buy into it. Tell her you want to have a no-commitment talk before either of you makes a decision. Let her know everything about the business—both the good and the bad.” I shrug. “Who knows? Maybe she’ll say it’s not what she thought … or you’ll find out that she has some great ideas for the business.”
Sally gives me one of her heart-stopping sweet looks as she puts her hand on my cheek. “You are so wise, Nate. Thank you.”
“I love you, Sally.”
“I know, and I love you too.” She fidgets like she always does when she tells me she loves me. I get it. She’s not used to telling guys that, which makes me feel mighty special.
As always, we have a wonderful night out. I’m about to ask for the check for our meal when her phone rings again. She looks like she’s going to ignore it, but I point to her purse. “Why don’t you at least see who it is?”
She pulls out her phone and frowns. “It’s Mavis.”