Georgia Sweethearts. Missy Tippens

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      A spark of irritation flashed in her sister’s eyes. Good. Irritation was better than the recent sadness.

      “It’s more than just this place,” Jenna said. “My husband left me. He left me. And he’s already insisting on spending time with our child.” She let out a quiet sob. “I can’t bear thinking of our lives turning into a shared custody agreement.”

      “You told him to leave.” She said it softly, tenderly. “He’s apartment hunting. It’s time for you ask him to come home.”

      “Easy for you to say. You’ve never been married and had to worry about someone you love leaving and breaking your heart.”

      Lilly’s heart squeezed in pain. She’d quit her job and sold her condo to follow her fiancé, Clint, across the country, willing to move even though she’d promised herself she would never move for a man. Only to discover he was uprooting them to hide a fling with a married coworker.

      She’d been too humiliated to tell her own sister. Jenna thought Lilly had broken the engagement over the move.

      So no, she had never married. But she knew about the loss of hopes and dreams, knew the pain of betrayal and a broken heart.

      Lilly pushed away the painful memories. “I may not know exactly what you’re going through, but I know your son needs you. And I need you. So you can’t let this knock you down. I raised you to be stronger than this.”

      Jenna mumbled something about Lilly not being her mother as she busied herself straightening the yarn bins.

      “Now, little sister, I suggest you go after your husband and work out your problems. Before he leases that apartment. Because, I tell you what. The man looked miserable today. He misses you.”

      Jenna glanced up, stricken. “Does he really? You’re not just saying that?”

      “He really does.”

      Jenna pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “I doubt he’ll answer if I call.”

      “You won’t know until you try.”

      “You’re right. Maybe I’ll talk to him when he brings Will home.”

      “Good for you. Now...I came in here to tell you Ann is only willing to teach one class a week. So I think we should honor Aunt Talitha’s promise to rent the basement to the church.”

      Jenna’s green eyes looked huge in her pale face. “Lilly, are we going to make it? The shop, I mean. Because I can’t bear to think we might lose it.”

      They wouldn’t lose it if Lilly could help it. Determined to use her good business sense, and not the emotions that seemed to have taken over since Daniel first walked through the door, she made a vow to put the shop first. “We’ll be fine if we rent to Daniel’s church. He’s even offered to have his church members begin refinishing the basement, taking expenses for supplies out of the rent money. Using volunteer labor.”

      “Sounds like it’s a deal we can’t refuse.”

      “I agree. And if we ask for a security deposit, maybe we’ll have enough to pay the supplier, or at least get him off our back.” As much as she’d like to resist having him around, and resist changing her plan for the basement, she needed to make wise choices.

      As Lilly dug through boxes of Talitha’s records for the next few hours, she considered her options for marketing the store. Daniel had been right. She needed to make the shop more visible. Needed to consider inexpensive and free advertising. With his office in her basement, she’d have easy access to his advice...should she choose to take it.

      Daniel. She couldn’t shake him from her mind.

      The man sat at the hospital in an impossible situation with that poor family. They probably hadn’t had dinner. And he would need a ride home.

      This is not good. She had to quit thinking about him. The man was too attractive for his own good. For her own good.

      And he was kind and good and, she suspected, trustworthy. All dangerous, because those qualities made her want to know him better. To spend time with him.

      She should call and offer to take by some sandwiches. See if he—they—needed anything. To try to be a friend to him—them.

      Or course, anything beyond friendship wasn’t wise. Because once she and Jenna revived the business and sold it into capable hands, she would be taking her half of the proceeds and returning to Kentucky to follow her own dream. Of starting work as a freelance photojournalist.

      Once the terms of Talitha’s will were fulfilled, she intended to leave Corinthia—with her heart intact.

      * * *

      Nothing in seminary had prepared Daniel for sitting in an ICU waiting room with parents whose daughter—and unborn grandchild—might die.

      But, praise God, they’d survived.

      “So they think Cricket will fully recover?” Lilly asked as she drove him back to GranAnn’s house, her presence easing his earlier despair.

      “The antidote they administered was successful. The main worry now is the possibility of long-term effects of the acetaminophen overdose on the baby. Won’t know anything until after he’s born.”

      “Scary stuff.” She glanced his way, light from streetlamps flickering on her face. “It’s a boy?”

      “Yeah. We’ll keep praying.”

      Her gaze darted away like it did anytime he mentioned prayer. He wished she would talk to him about what had happened that turned her away from her faith.

      As they neared his grandmother’s house, he spotted his dad’s car. Daniel dreaded what would undoubtedly end up as a confrontation.

      Lilly parked but left the car running. He hopped out and walked around to the driver’s side. Opened her door and held out his hand, hoping she’d join him under the beautiful blanket of stars.

      She hesitated but ultimately turned off the car and stepped out.

      “Thanks again for offering to bring dinner tonight. The Quincys were grateful.”

      “No biggie.” She glanced away as if embarrassed.

      “Seems you’re good at being thoughtful, taking care of others.”

      With a shrug, she proved she had trouble accepting praise.

      “I’ve just always stepped in when needed.” Her quiet laugh hinted at hurt.

      “No, it’s more than that. I suspect it was in your nature all along.”

      Cold, brisk wind whipped her hair into her face. She cinched it with her hand into a ponytail and held on. She looked into his eyes, and he felt the same connection he’d felt when he’d first met her, as if something simmered below the surface. Something neither of them was willing to examine.

      “Thanks for bringing me home,” he said.

      “No СКАЧАТЬ