Chapter 19

Nineteen

Lily

J ake towed the GTO to his garage this morning. I didn’t need to be there, so I’d gone into work, wondering when he’d have a chance to look at it and give me the estimate for the restoration. No matter what Jake said about helping me, I didn’t want him to do any more favors.

He might have agreed to a relationship last night, but I wasn’t sure it was permanent. He’d get tired of helping me out.

The mailman walked inside to the ring of the bell over the door. “Morning,” he said as he dropped the small stack of envelopes onto my counter.

“Morning, Brian. It’s a beautiful day today, isn’t it?” It was the perfect spring day. Warm, but not hot. Sunny with a few clouds to break it up.

“It is, Miss Lily. Enjoy your day now.” He left with a wave of his hand, and I sorted the mail.

It was mainly advertisements and flyers for local businesses and restaurants, but there was one official-looking envelope with my name written in calligraphy. The return address was my parents’. This had to be the invitation to my sister’s grand opening.

I wasn’t sure why an invitation was necessary. As a family member, I was expected to be there. I wanted to support my sister, but I wasn’t looking forward to my parents bragging about her and my mom insinuating it was what I could accomplish if I just did what they said.

My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I used a letter opener to break the seal of the gold-foil envelope. Nothing but the best for my sister. I pulled out the embossed invitation. It was fancy enough to be a wedding invitation, but instead, it was for the opening of a doctor’s office.

I’d make an appearance, congratulate my sister, and leave as soon as it was polite. Maybe even sooner. I placed it on the corner of my desk, then recycled the other junk mail I’d received.

My phone rang a few hours later when I was deep in the analysis of my website traffic. I’d gotten a few customers who’d signed up for the monthly subscription option. It was encouraging, but I needed more ways to get the word out.

My phone buzzed. Seeing it was my mother, and knowing what it was about, I took a deep breath and answered. If I didn’t, she’d only call back until I did. It was best to get it over with, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

“Mom, how are you?” I asked, keeping my tone cool. I wouldn’t let her know how her support of my sister’s business bothered me.

Now that I was on the phone with her, I wondered how my sister could afford to open the business, even with partners. Were my parents funding it? It figured they’d support her but not me.

“Lily, dear. Did you get the invitation?”

I barely suppressed an eye roll. “I did. Came in the mail today.”

“I trust you’ll be there and dressed appropriately.”

“I’ll be there. Not sure about the second.” I’d never figured out my mom’s dress code for events like this. If she wanted me to wear a fancy dress, I didn’t have one.

“I’ll send over options from my stylist for dresses.”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that.” It was unlikely her stylist would take into consideration my tastes. Only my mom’s.

“You have nothing that will work for this.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom,” I said with uncharacteristic snark.

“Where is this attitude coming from?” Mom asked.

“I don’t know.” But I kind of liked it. Was it Jake rubbing off on me? He was serious about his business but was relaxed about most other things. I admired that about him.

“It’s very unladylike.”

I snorted. “I don’t think anyone’s ever mistaken me for a lady.” As a child, I’d loved wearing dresses, but I almost always came home covered in mud. I loved to run barefoot, wading through the creek and exploring the plants I’d find there. I’d bring some home and try to replant them, only to have my mother throw them out after she’d declared them weeds.

“Truer words have never been spoken.”

“Is there something else you need?” I acquiesced to attending the party. There was no other purpose to this call besides to chip away at my self-confidence.

“I just wanted to impress upon you the importance of behaving at this event. Dressing appropriately, showing up on time, and supporting your sister.”

I didn’t respond because it was ridiculous. I was an adult, not a child.

“Is it possible you’ll bring a date? I told your sister it was unlikely.” Mom loved when my personal life backed up her view of me as a failing business owner who couldn’t find the ideal man. Of course, her perfect guy for me was a suit who worked in an office and was only concerned about how much money he earned.

Could I bring Jake? He’d said last night he was my boyfriend. I knew without even asking him, he’d hate it. But if he wanted to be in a relationship, this was part of it. It was a good test for him and us. “I’d like to bring my boyfriend.”

Mom sucked in a breath. “You’re seeing someone? Who is it?”

“Jake. He owns the Harbor Garage & Service Repair Center.”

My mom was quiet for a few seconds before she said, “You can’t be serious. He’s a mechanic.”

I massaged the tension invading my neck muscles. “He owns the garage.”

“So, you’re saying he doesn’t repair cars,” Mom said, already knowing my answer.

“Why is that a bad thing?” I shouldn’t have asked because I knew Mom didn’t respect blue-collar workers, even if they owned the businesses they ran.

“You can’t bring him as your date.”

“That’s ridiculous, and you know it. He’s the man I’m seeing.” I wasn’t ashamed of him. Yet, at the same time, was it a good idea to bring him when he already had some issues with feeling like he wasn’t worthy of me? I wasn’t anything like my mother. I shouldn’t expose him to her, but if we were going to be in a relationship, he’d meet her eventually. Why not get it over with?

“I would think you could see how ridiculous it would be. He won’t fit in.”

“It’s a grand opening party of a doctor’s office. I’m going to support my sister. She won’t care who I bring as my date.”

“You better not embarrass her.”

“I won’t.” My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached.

“What’s this flyer I’ve seen around town for Petals?”

“Oh, I’m offering a subscription service. Customers can sign up for a monthly delivery of a bouquet.” Mom’s circle was actually the perfect demographic for this. Her approval and word-of-mouth referral could help.

“Is that really necessary? It sounds a little desperate.”

I sucked in a breath. I hadn’t thought a marketing offer could be considered desperate unless I was offering it for free, but even then, that had value too. “It’s part of my marketing plan.”

“And I’m hearing you’re holding a wedding at the farm.”

Mom always hated the farm, even though she’d grown up there. She didn’t like to admit her roots were anything but posh. “It’s for my friends, Zoe and Max. He owns Max’s Bar & Grill in town.”

“So, you’re not planning on renting out the property for events?”

Was there any point in telling her no when it was the truth, and clearly, it had already been the subject of small-town gossip? I didn’t want to admit I needed the money. “It’s a beautiful location for it.”

Mom wouldn’t want anyone to remember she grew up on a farm. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Mom, you don’t like anything I do, and honestly, I don’t think you ever will. This is my life and my decisions. I don’t need your input.” In fact, I felt awful even talking to her. How many times had I gotten off the phone and felt less than or slightly ill after talking to her?

I needed to start avoiding her calls.

“It’s so difficult to talk to you these days.”

I smiled at that because I usually agreed with her to get her off the phone. If I was difficult, it was because I wasn’t making the decisions she wanted me to. I was done with her making me feel this way. “I have to get back to work. I’ll talk to you at the party.”

I wanted her to know I wouldn’t be entertaining any of her calls about the unsuitability of my clothes or my date. I clicked off before she could say anything else.

When would I learn? I kept subjecting myself to her over the years because I was her daughter, and it was the nice thing to do. But she didn’t give me anything in return. She didn’t support me. She didn’t love me for who I was. Maybe she thought she did by her controlling ways. But not when she was trying to change me or mold me into the person she wanted me to be.

The next time the bell over the door rang, my stomach was rumbling with hunger. I came out of the backroom, my hands raw from cutting and arranging flowers for the displays. Sometimes it felt pointless, when so few people came into the shop.

I smiled as I entered the front of the shop, hoping this person was a paying customer. Instead, it was Jake. He stood by the door, looking out of place in his Harbor Garage T-shirt, worn jeans, and work boots. To me, he’d never looked better.

“What are you doing here?” I crossed the room to stand in front of him.

“I brought lunch.”

“Thank God. I’m starving.” I flipped the sign from Open to Be Right Back , grabbed his hand, and led him to my office.

The white walls were covered with framed pictures of flowers I’d taken over the years. I wasn’t a photographer, but I loved being surrounded by them. A fresh bouquet of flowers sat on the corner of my desk, and I moved it so he could set the take-out bag on it.

“It’s just sandwiches.”

“I’m so hungry, I could eat anything.”

He pulled out one wrapped sandwich, handing it to me. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like. It’s turkey on rye with pickles and mayo on the side.”

I smiled at him as I unwrapped it, adding the pickles and the mayo. “This is perfect. Thank you.”

He tossed a bag of barbecue chips next to me before sitting down to unwrap his sandwich.

Noting the logo on the side of the to-go bag, I said, “I love this new deli. It reminds me of a place my grandfather took me as a child.”

“Was that here in town?” Jake asked as he tossed a jalape?o chip into his mouth.

“Yeah, he’d take me when I’d visit in the summers.”

I couldn’t explain to anyone else how a turkey sandwich from this deli was so much better than one from anywhere else, but it was. “Maybe it’s the pickles.”

“There is something special about the pickles,” Jake said with a grin.

We ate in silence for a few minutes with nothing but music from my playlist playing.

“What are you listening to?”

“Oh, it’s a local cellist, Alex St. James. He’s a doctor, but he plays on the side to raise money for his patients. I think it started out as a hobby, but it’s taking off for him.” I followed his social media pages, and he’d been asked to play in larger venues.

“I like it.”

At my surprised expression, Jake added, “You didn’t think I’d like string music?”

I laughed. “No, but I guess I should be used to you surprising me.”

“I’m not a cliché.” Jake said it lightly, but I could tell it bothered him.

What would he think of what my mother had said? He’d hate it.

Jake gathered his trash and held up the invitation to Cora’s grand opening. “What’s this?”

I shrugged. “My sister’s having a party to celebrate the grand opening of her new practice.”

“Are you going?”

I grimaced. “I’m expected to go. Not that I don’t want to support Cora. I do.”

“But you’d rather avoid your mother.”

Thinking back to our conversation today, I nodded.

“Do you want company?” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. His stance was casual, but his question wasn’t.

“I wasn’t sure you’d want to go.”

He tipped his head to the side. “That’s what good boyfriends do, don’t they?”

“I’m not sure I’ve dated any of those.” None of my exes would have been met with my parents’ approval, not that they would have gone anyway.

“I want to change that.”

I reached over to cover his hand with mine. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” I was beyond used to boyfriends saying it wasn’t their scene.

“I want to be there for you. Something tells me you need backup with your mother.”

“I do.” The problem was, he might need the support more than me once my mother got done with him. “I don’t know if I want to subject you to my mother. She can be a lot.”

His jaw tightened. “I’ve dealt with worse than her.”

“Are you talking about your mother?” I asked gently.

“And everyone who judged me for not having a mother present in my life.”

I swallowed down my pity, knowing Jake wouldn’t appreciate it. “I’d love to have you by my side, but don’t feel like you have to. My mom can be brutal.”

“She doesn’t approve of me?” Jake asked.

I laughed without any humor. “She doesn’t approve of me.”

His brow furrowed. “So that’s a yes.”

“You still up for going?”

He nodded. “I want to be there for you.”

I had a feeling this party would make or break our relationship. I hated giving my mother that kind of power, but unless I completely cut her out of my life, I had to deal with her.

“After this thing with your sister, maybe you should think of distancing yourself from her.”

“Trust me, I’ve had the same thoughts.”

“I always thought everyone else’s family situations were perfect. All I knew was that I didn’t have a mother who was present in my life, and when she was, she wasn’t worried about me. She only ever cared about herself.”

“I’m sorry, Jake.” I hated that for him.

“But I’m starting to realize everyone has their own troubles. Having a family doesn’t mean they’re perfect.”

I stood, rounding the table to hug him. His arms came around me, and nothing had ever felt so good. I brushed a hand over the stubble on his chin. I was falling in love with this man. Despite his history, or what my parents would think, he was perfect for me. “Thank you for supporting me.”

“I want to be what you need,” he said simply before lowering his head to kiss me.

But what if what I needed destroyed him?