Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
A udra finished combing Kerilyn’s hair into long twists and snapped a clip at the end of the last one. Her daughter was excited that she would be spending time with her cousins on their farm. She loved feeding the chickens, milking the cows, and chasing the goats around the yard. For her, the experience was an adventure—something different from the norm. For them, managing the farm was work, which had expanded beyond their roadside stand selling fruits and vegetables.
In recent years, they had added a petting zoo, the option for guided tours, and a small store that sold baked goods made from their yield. In the fall, they offered wagon rides throughout the property and allowed people to pick their own apples for a fee.
Kerilyn hopped up from the ottoman and took a look in the hand mirror.
“I look pretty,” she announced with a smile.
“Yes, you do. Always,” Audra said. “Time to get dressed. Cousin Joe will be here soon to pick you up.”
Kerilyn scampered away and raced up the stairs ahead of Audra. In her pink-decorated room, Audra added a few more items to her daughter’s small suitcase before zipping it shut.
“That’s everything?” she asked Kerilyn.
Her daughter nodded.
“You’re sure? You won’t be coming back before the weekend is over.”
“I’m sure.”
“You’re not taking any stuffed animals this time?”
Kerilyn shook her head. “I don’t need them.”
The doorbell rang.
“That’s Cousin Joe. Let’s go,” Audra said.
At the top of the stairs, they saw Cousin Joe—a couple of years younger than Audra—being welcomed inside by a member of the household staff. Joe worked on the farm with his parents and younger siblings and was dressed in overalls and a baseball cap, looking every bit like a country boy.
“Hey, Joe,” Audra called as she carried the suitcase down the stairs.
“Cousin Joe!” Kerilyn raced over and gave him a big hug.
He embraced her and patted her back. “Hi, Keri. I hope you’re ready, because we have a lot of work to do,” he warned in his slow drawl.
“I’m ready!” Kerilyn straightened up like a soldier, indicating she could handle whatever he tossed her way.
“She’s been talking about this weekend ever since you called,” Audra told him.
Her mother walked into the foyer carrying a paper sack with a handle, a local boutique’s name emblazoned on the front.
“Hi, Aunt Rose,” Joe said.
“Hi, Joe. How are you?”
“Getting by. This heat ain’t no joke.”
“You’re not working too hard, I hope,” Rose said with sympathy.
He laughed easily and placed a hand on Kerilyn’s shoulder. “Nope. I leave that for the younger ones.”
That wasn’t entirely true, but Joe was the kind of person who didn’t like to toot his own horn. He was the main reason the family had expanded beyond the stand and now included other ways to make money from the farm. He had suggested adding strawberry picking for next year, which would be another stream of income for the family.
Rose handed over the bag. “This is for your mother. It’s that new hand cream she wanted.”
He took the package. “I almost forgot she told me to make sure I brought it back.” Grasping the handle of the suitcase, he gazed down at Kerilyn. “Ready to go?”
She nodded, and Audra and her mother watched from the doorway as they descended the stairs and climbed into Joe’s truck. As they drove away, Kerilyn waved, her smile as wide as her entire face.
Rose shut the door. “She gets so excited about these trips, doesn’t she?”
“She loves the idea of working on the farm. If she had to do it for real, I doubt she’d have the same enthusiasm. Joe said they might have her help at the roadside stand this time—handing over purchases and taking money—that kind of thing.”
“She’ll learn a lot, that’s for sure.”
“I think she’s more excited about seeing her cousins and running around the property,” Audra added.
“You kids were like that when you were little too. You loved being on the farm.”
“I remember.”
Rose’s eyes narrowed. “Everything okay?”
Her mother was very perceptive, but Audra tried nonetheless to hide her feelings. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
“You seem rather quiet lately, and you didn’t go to work yesterday. You’re not sick, are you?”
She had skipped work, unable to deal with all of her emotions and knowing she needed to make a decision about her and Damon before he returned to Atlanta.
“I’m fine. I…” Audra’s voice faltered. The concern in her mother’s voice and face was too much. Why fight it? She needed someone to talk to. Her shoulders drooped lower. “Can we talk?”
“Of course.”
Rose ushered her through the arches that led to the rear of the house. Leading the way into the great room, she sat on the sofa, and Audra settled beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Rose asked, her voice gentle.
“Promise not to say I told you so?” Audra asked with a self-deprecating laugh.
“Never,” Rose said.
Audra pulled air into her lungs and launched into the story about Kerry sending her the photos of Damon and Nami.
When she finished, Rose said, “That’s why you’ve been so quiet.”
“Yes,” Audra admitted. “I should have known better,” she said in a sullen tone.
“Has Damon tried to explain at all?” Rose asked.
“Yes, but I’m not sure I believe him.” She told her mother about their phone conversation.
Since then, Damon had reached out a couple of times, but she ignored his texts. She had meant it when she said she wanted time to think without him influencing her decision-making.
“I know he swears the situation with Nami was nothing more than a publicity stunt, but how many times did Kerry tell me some groupie was his friend or that I was misreading a photo of him in an intimate embrace with a ‘fan’? I don’t want to deal with those feelings anymore. He turned me into someone I didn’t like—angry, bitter, hurt . This situation with Damon has me headed in the same direction.” She swallowed and shook her head. “I-I really liked him, Mom.”
Rose’s eyes were sympathetic. “You more than liked him, didn’t you?”
Biting her bottom lip, Audra nodded.
Rose stroked her hair. “I know. I could tell.”
“I can’t avoid him forever, but he won’t be back for a couple more days. That gives me time to figure out what I want to do.”
“What happens when he comes back?” Rose asked.
“I don’t know,” Audra said, head bent as she picked at her thumbnail. “I have to talk to him at some point. I’ll… wait until I absolutely have to, I guess. Or maybe he’ll give up.”
Rose covered Audra’s hands and gazed into her eyes. “Say the word, and your father will make sure he doesn’t come anywhere near you if that’s not what you want.”
Benicio would probably hire a bodyguard or take some other drastic measure to keep him away.
“I know. I’ll let him know if I need help,” Audra whispered, grateful that she had support if she needed it. “How could I have been so wrong again?” She didn’t really expect an answer but hoped her mother would have advice to help her feel better.
Rose squeezed her hand. “Love is always a risk, no matter who you fall for. Taking a chance on love takes courage, and you’re not wrong to open your heart to someone.”
A tear rolled down Audra’s cheek, and she angrily swept it away. “But my relationships keep ending in heartbreak. Maybe I’m not meant to be with someone else.” Her shoulders slumped.
Looking deeply into her eyes, Rose squeezed her hands again. “Don’t you dare believe that. There’s much more in store for you than this moment of pain. Sometimes the wrong person has to come along to make you aware of what you truly deserve, and then you find the right one, and poof! Everything makes sense.” She smiled gently. “It’s okay to grieve and cry and get it all out, but don’t lose faith in yourself or in love. When the right man comes along, he’ll show you through his actions, not just his words—how important you are to him and how much he loves you and wants to be with you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Later, lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling, Audra made a decision. It was time to move on from Damon, but the two of them needed to talk.
When they did, she would let him know how much he had disappointed her, and then she’d walk away.
To be free for the right man to come into her life.