“They’ve been married forever. They can’t split up.”
“Mom, you’re missing the point. I never intended to be a divorce attorney. Or to have neighbors suing neighbors over trees.”
“Well, what else can you do here, honey? Kenneville’s small. It’s not like we’d have lawyers who specialize. This way you get a smattering of this and that. It keeps life interesting.”
“Or downright crazy,” Tara told her. The thought of dealing with chronic complaints and grumpy neighbors hadn’t entered her mind when she took up her noble cause three years before. “I’m not out of school yet, and I can’t offer legal advice without actually being a lawyer. It’s frowned upon.”
“Well, folks will take what you say with a grain of salt anyway,” Michelle Simonetti assured her, as if that was a good thing. “Half won’t listen and the other half will disagree. I called to tell you I sent money. I know this year’s tight, and I picked up an extra shift at the diner. I sent you a check that’s good to cash by Friday.”
Tara’s heart went soft. “Mom, I’m fine. I got a great job at a bridal salon, and it works out perfectly because the hours are the opposite of my law clinics.”
“You’re working and trying to finish law school?”
“You’re working full-time at the bakery and waiting tables at night?” Tara replied, knowing her mother would get the point. She did.
“I’m doing this so you and Ethan won’t have to do it,” Michelle retorted. But then she took a breath, and Tara couldn’t miss the pride in her voice. “Good for you, honey. I’m proud of you.”
“Back atcha. I’ve got to go, I’m at work. I’ll talk to you soon and don’t send any more checks. I’m good here. I promise.”
“All right.” Her mother couldn’t quite hide the relief in her voice, and Tara felt good giving her a reprieve. She tucked her phone away and walked into Elena’s. Greg had called a meeting of all the employees, and she’d spent the last six hours wondering what he’d do. Would he close the store? Stay open?
Whatever he did, she prayed he could find peace of mind in the decision. The loss of his mother had blindsided him. To let the business she built slip away had to feel like losing her all over again, and Tara understood how difficult that would be.
The sun broke through the thick clouds about the same time Tara walked through the door, and the combination made Greg feel better about just about everything.
“Tara, sit here.” Maisy patted the seat on the bench she was sharing with Myra and Liz. Kathy smiled a broad welcome, and Donna shook Tara’s hand while motioning to the sleeping babies tucked in a nearby alcove. “I’m Donna, nice to meet you. My husband’s working, but I figured between all of us, we could watch the boys during the meeting.”
Greg watched as Tara’s mouth formed a perfect circle, and then she did that “I love babies” girl thing, oohing and aahing as if they weren’t a fairly common event.
Which they were, of course. The number of strollers and buggies and kid seats on bikes last fall said the majority of double-income-no-kids locals were falling into the “let’s have a baby” trap.
But seeing Tara’s face and the sweet look of interest as Donna talked about the infant boys made Greg wonder what she’d look like with a baby in her arms.
He switched off the mental path-less-traveled and pulled himself back to the business at hand. His life had been nothing but change for the last six months, and offered just as much in the near future, so entertaining thoughts of U-turns didn’t make the short list.
The ladies chattered a moment, then turned toward him, waiting to hear their fates.
He’d walked into the store this afternoon determined to hire a liquidation firm and keep things uncomplicated. Short and simple was best right now. He needed to be at the top of his game at work, and the women here knew that. He’d compensate the staff, they’d apply at the new corporate bridal stores, and while it wouldn’t be the same as staffing Elena’s, it would be a job. And that’s what mattered.
But now? He was face-to-face with the reality of it, with one of Donna’s twins stirring in his little car carrier, and Kathy staring up at him as if she knew what he had to say but longed to hear anything else.
He glanced at Tara.
Her face showed no emotion, but it did show support. No matter what he’d decided, her expression said it was okay.
He cleared his throat, and what came out wasn’t even close to what he’d intended to say. “We’re in trouble.”
The women stayed quiet, their attention trained on him.
“Our appointments are down. Our weddings for this year are fewer than ever, and we need to ramp things up in quick order or close the doors.”