Chapter 5
5
By the time Tracey started work the next day she was out of her funk and ready to look forward. She’d taken a day to mourn the end of her marriage but had woken up feeling light and free. The inn was all hers. Bernard had no say in her life anymore. That was worth celebrating. After making sure the cleaning crew had handled the rooms and that the guests were taken care of, she sat down with Shirley to look over the menu for a wedding scheduled a few weeks out. Shirley had met with the bride the day before to discuss the menu while Tracey was out.
Tracey glanced over the list, frowned, and then looked up at Shirley. “They want spaghetti?”
Shirley shrugged and shook her head. “As an option for the kids in attendance.”
“But we don’t serve spaghetti.”
“I know, but I can make up a little bit. You got the attendee list, right? There aren’t a lot of kids coming.”
Tracey sighed and opened the portfolio on the large granite-topped island in the kitchen. She scanned the attendee list. “There are about eight, I think.”
“I can make enough spaghetti for eight kids.”
“What about the other stuff they want for the wedding?”
“Piece of cake. They’re doing heavy hors d’oeuvres. It really won’t be a problem.”
Tracey rubbed her temple. “It can’t be that easy. I feel like something will go wrong. If we do a special order for one wedding we’ll have to do them for multiple.”
Shirley placed a comforting hand on Tracey’s back. “Nothing is going to go wrong. Special orders aren’t a bad thing as long as we can handle the request. This isn’t our first wedding, and it won’t be the last.”
“I should have been here. I feel like I’m not on top of things like this. If I’d been here we could have told her no spaghetti.”
Shirley patted Tracey’s back. “You’ve got a lot going on right now. You’re still on top of things. And, seriously, spaghetti won’t kill me. Now, if we can get Jessica on top of things, then we’ll really be in good shape.”
Tracey groaned. She’d gotten an email from her other desk attendant complaining about Jessica the night before. Jessica had spent half the night acting as if she didn’t know how to handle customer requests and the other half disappearing to talk on her phone. Something else that wouldn’t have happened if Tracey had been there. Jessica at least tried to pretend to care when Tracey was around.
“I’ve got to do something about her, don’t I?”
Shirley nodded. “Eventually, you do. You can’t keep doing her job and yours.”
“I know. It took a long time to find someone, before she was recommended. Who knows how long it’ll take to find a replacement?”
“Having nobody fill the position is better than a person who isn’t even trying.”
The sound of heels in the hallway preceded a woman’s low-pitched voice calling, “Tracey? You back there?”
Tracey closed her eyes and suppressed a groan. Her mother. “Why is she here?”
Shirley gave one more pat on Tracey’s back before pushing away from the island. “Probably because she wants to check on you.”
“I don’t need checking up on,” Tracey shot back.
Shirley gave her a doubtful look. “You may not think so, but I think you deserve a little checking on.”
Tracey’s mom stopped at the door of the kitchen. She spotted her daughter, frowned and put her hands on her hips. “Tracey, you heard me calling you. Why didn’t you answer? Hey, Shirley.”
Her mom threw up a hand at Shirley before coming farther into the kitchen. Loretta’s eyes skimmed over Tracey from head to toe. Her mom looked great, as usual. She guessed happiness did that to a person. Her dark brown skin was slightly lined, and thanks to a late-in-life discovery of a love for CrossFit, of all things, her curvy figure was snatched in just the right spots. Well, thanks to CrossFit and laser liposuction paid for by her latest boyfriend.
“You knew I was back here.” Tracey leaned forward to accept her mom’s quick hug. “No need to go shouting through my place of business. I do have guests staying here.”
Her mom placed a manicured hand over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s Thursday, I didn’t think anyone would be checked in until later.”
“You know people don’t just stay here on the weekends, right?”
“I guess you’re right. Anyway, Tracey Denise Thompson, why didn’t you call me yesterday and tell me what happened at the settlement?” Her mom’s eyes narrowed. “That bastard didn’t get his hands on this bed and breakfast, did he?”
Tracey shook her head. “No, he did not. Thankfully, the judge realized his claim on The Fresh Place Inn was as bogus as his regret over the end of our marriage.”
Her mom squealed and held up a hand. Tracey slapped palms with her mom. The corner of her lip lifting slightly. Despite wishing her mom hadn’t just popped in on her, today she was ready to celebrate her divorce and Bernard not getting his trifling hands on her inn.
“Thank the Good Lord above,” her mom said and crossed her heart and then looked to the sky. “You know, Raymond and I prayed for you every Sunday.”
Tracey held up a hand. “I really don’t need your boyfriend praying for me.”
Tracey accepted that her parents were never going to be relationship models, but she also wasn’t going to cuddle up to Raymond, her mom’s boyfriend, as if he were her stepdad or something. She didn’t understand her parents’ relationship. They kept claiming they would get a divorce but never actually did the paperwork. Their current separation was going on two years, and her mom had been with Raymond since before the split.
Her mom cocked her head to the side. “Don’t be like that. We both wanted what was best for you. Especially when it came to that damn Bernard. I told you that man wasn’t any good for you.”
“You’ve never thought any man was good enough for me, Mom.”
“That’s because I know men ain’t shit most of the time. Your daddy is proof of that.”
Tracey held up a finger. “No bashing Daddy.”
Her mom rolled her eyes. “I’m not bashing him. I’m stating nearly thirty years of the truth.”
“He’s sober now.”
Her mom raised a brow. “For how long? I’ll believe it when I see it consistently.”
Tracey took a deep breath. “He’s sober for you.” He’d stopped drinking eighteen months after her mom left this last time. She was hoping this time would stick.
“I don’t know why—I’m not going back to him.”
“Then, you should try this magic thing called a divorce,” Tracey said with fake enthusiasm. “I just did it, and it works out fine.”
Her mom cut her eyes. “When he pays for it, I’ll get it.”
Tracey shook her head. Her dad wasn’t going to pay for a divorce. He still thought his wife would come home. Why shouldn’t he? She’d stuck around and come home all those years before when he’d been drunk and unreliable most of the time. He didn’t realize that this time was different. Raymond’s wife had passed, and Raymond had moved her mom in six months after that. Tracey’s dad still held out hope that his wife was coming back to him, but she wasn’t sure if there was any love left on her mom’s part.
“Whatever. You and Daddy’s messed-up relationship is yours.”
Unfazed by Tracey’s words, Loretta continued. “What are you going to do now? You about to get back out there?”
“For what? I’m trying to focus on my business. Not get back out there.”
Her mom shook her head. Eyes filled with disappointment. “That’s your problem.”
“I don’t have a problem.”
“Yes, you do. You left my house, went to college and only dated that damn Bernard. All because he was the exact opposite of your daddy, when I could tell he wasn’t worth a damn when it came to the long game. You never figured out who you were and what you liked. You just lost yourself in that man.”
“I didn’t lose myself.”
“Yes, you did. And I know why. I get it. Me and your dad were not the picture of a perfect relationship, but, Tracey, no relationship is perfect. You were trying too hard to be what Bernard wanted when all he wanted from the get-go was to walk on the wild side with you.”
Tracey fought not to flinch. Her mom’s words hit the sore spot Bernard’s accusation the day before had created. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Yes, it was. He was so uptight even when y’all were in high school. I’ve been the wild side for enough men to know when that’s what they’re looking for. You were his, and when the ride wasn’t as fun, he moved on to another ride.”
“Mom…”
“I’m just being real. Don’t cry any tears for him, and don’t let what he did keep you from going out there and living your life how you want to now.”
“We just finalized the divorce.”
“So? He just had a baby with another woman while you were still married. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks. You may not have liked the way I lived, but I hope it taught you one thing. Worrying about being what other people want you to be will only make you miserable. You’ve only got the one life. Go out there and figure out what you want yours to be. Have fun. Make the gossips talk. Create a scandal. At the end of the day, it’ll be alright.”
***
Brian got home after seven. They hadn’t been too busy at the nursery, with just a few locals coming through looking for some items to spruce up their yards, but steady enough to make the day go by quickly. The spring rush was ending, and the closer they got to summer more people were either done with their yard projects or the weather was getting too hot for them to want to work outside.
The day may not have been bad, but he was going to feel the effects. His back was sore from pretending he was still as flexible as he’d been in his twenties when he’d tried to lift a potted shrub without help. He’d never do that again. His arms itched from the sand that had spilled out of a torn bag onto him when he’d loaded it on the back of a truck.
The minute he’d crossed his threshold, dreams of a long shower, clean clothes and a hot meal had filled his head. Shower and clothes he could handle; the hot meal on the other hand was a problem. He had nothing in the house to cook, and he did not feel like grabbing a bag of greasy fast food. He was running through his options for supper after his shower when his cell phone rang.
Smiling when he saw his mom was calling, he answered the phone. “What’s up, pretty lady?”
His mom chuckled on the other end like she always did. Gretchen was a lady of grace and character. He didn’t know how someone as beautiful, sweet and kind as her had ever had a kid like him. Everyone said Brian was more like his dad. Brian couldn’t argue with that. Growing up he’d heard over and over again how he was the spitting image of his father. His father had been his hero, but his mom was more than that. All he ever wanted was to never disappoint her and to make her proud. He’d fallen short for a little bit after college, in his eyes at least. But his mom, saint that she was, would never agree with him.
“Are you just getting home from work?” she asked.
“I am. Just got out of the shower. Now I’m trying to figure out what I want to eat for dinner.”
“I made a pot of turkey neck bones and rice today.”
Brian immediately perked up. His dinner problem was solved. He didn’t make it a habit to eat at his mom’s house every night, but he wasn’t going to turn down a perfectly good meal when she offered. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
His mom laughed. “I’ll have your plate ready.”
Twenty minutes later he was sitting at Gretchen’s kitchen table with a plate of perfectly seasoned turkey neck bones and rice in front of him. Even though it was nearly eight, his mom was still dressed in a pair of light blue slacks and a matching top. He’d bet his business she’d changed from a housecoat to what she now wore when he said he was coming over. If he hadn’t been so hungry that his mind was only focused on food, he would have told her not to make a big deal. Not that she would listen. His mom liked to be presentable even around friends and family.
“Mom, sit down. You don’t have to hover,” Brian said with a grin. She stood next to him, watching expectantly for him to take a bite.
“I want to make sure you’re good before I get settled.”
Brian took his mom’s hand and gently pulled her into the seat next to him at the table. She gave him a What am I going to do with you look before sitting down. Since his older brother, DeWayne, stayed in Atlanta, she liked to spoil him.
“It’s delicious as always. Now, have a seat. If I need anything I’ll get it.”
She gave him an approving nod before settling back. Brian had only taken two more bites before she spoke again. “Renee called today,” she said politely.
The delicious food stuck in his throat. He wanted to curse but refused to do that in front of his mom. “Why is she calling you?”
“Because she wants to talk to you.” His mom’s tone remained sweet and calm, but he could feel the judgment just as much as he felt the fork in his hand.
His mom might not say she was disappointed, but Brian could always tell by the expression on her face and the tone of her voice. She’d used the same calm half smile in high school when the principal called because Brian had been caught making out with a girl in the bathroom or the basketball coach called because he’d skipped practice to go partying at the lake. His mom never had to say anything. That look said it all.
Unlike those times before, guilt didn’t hit him. Not on this. “We’re divorced. I don’t have to talk to her.” He took another bite of food.
“You were once married, and now she’s reaching out to you. I don’t think she’d do that if she didn’t really need to talk to you.”
“You don’t know Renee like that,” he mumbled. The last time he’d seen her after their divorce, she’d played with his emotions, and it was the absolute end of the phase in his life where Renee could manipulate him.
“Well, whose fault is that?” Again, his mom’s voice was Southern-belle sweet, but this time the words cut like a razor.
Brian flinched. He hadn’t brought Renee home to meet his mom. Their relationship had been a whirlwind that kept him from finishing his college degree. He’d met Renee at a party, and the sparks had been more than hot. They’d been explosive. They’d hooked up that first night, and their relationship had been nothing but fireworks ever since.
They eloped in Vegas the summer before his senior year of college. He’d moved to Southern California with her instead of taking an internship in Atlanta that would have set him up for a job after graduation. While his brother had been in graduate school earning an MBA, Brian was telling his parents over a video call that he was married and moving.
Brian had called home at first, but both his brother and his dad hadn’t held back telling him whenever they spoke that he’d made a mistake. Brian hadn’t wanted to expose Renee to their negativity, as he’d viewed it, and on the rare times he visited he didn’t bring Renee with him. He’d told himself he was protecting her, but honestly, he was afraid that if he went home with her, his family would see just how toxic their relationship really was, and he hadn’t been ready to face that himself.
“All I’m saying is that she doesn’t know you well enough to call you,” Brian argued back with a little heat.
“You may think that, but I was her mother-in-law.”
Brian twisted his lips and raised a brow. His mom lifted her shoulders. “What? Just because I only talked to her over video calls doesn’t mean I wasn’t. Divorce broke you two up, but I’m still like a mother figure. If she needs help, I can’t turn her away.”
Brian dropped his fork onto his plate and placed his hands over his eyes. “She has her own mom that she can call. She’s only calling you because she knows that I don’t want to talk to her. What does she want? Did she call and ask for money?”
His mom placed a hand on his forearm. He dropped his hands and met her eyes. “She didn’t ask for money. Just for me to ask you to call her. She and her husband are having issues. I think he may be leaving her.”
“Again, not my problem. She cheated on me, Mom. Remember? I don’t owe her anything.”
A small frown creased his mom’s delicate brow. “Who knows why people do things like that.”
Because they’re heartless and thrive on drama instead of stability. The bitter thought rang through his head, but he didn’t vocalize it. His mom combated bitterness with Bible verses. He did not want to hear about forgiveness when it came to Renee.
“I don’t care why,” he said instead. “I don’t owe her anything.”
“She’s hurting, and if she’s calling us that means she knows you really cared. I’m not asking you to go back to her. I’m just asking you to be a friend.”
He wanted to roll his eyes but couldn’t do that with his mom. “We’re not friends.”
“You liked her enough to marry her, so at least answer the call.” She patted his arm. “Finish eating, okay?”
That meant the conversation was over. He’d been given his marching orders and was expected to comply. Damn! He cursed in his head then picked up his fork. He didn’t want to deal with Renee and her problems anymore. When they’d gotten divorced her problems were no longer his. But that’s what she did: found a way to manipulate a situation to her advantage. It’s why he’d married her and moved to Southern California to pursue a modeling career, of all things.
“What are you doing this weekend?” Gretchen asked.
“Saturday I’m helping Tracey with a wedding. Nothing on Sunday. Maybe play basketball with Cyril and Quinton. Why, do you need me to do anything?”
She shook her head. “No,” she said and sighed. “Poor Tracey. Divorced like that.”
His hand froze halfway to his plate. The memory of Tracey drinking alone at the bar in Augusta drifted to his mind. He’d never wanted to ditch a date so much in his life. The need to stay there and keep her company had outweighed the lukewarm attraction he’d felt for the woman he’d been with. But he knew Tracey wouldn’t have wanted or appreciated his efforts. She’d view his offer as pity, and she didn’t like pity.
“Bernard didn’t deserve her,” he said.
His mom nodded. “I agree. He hurt her badly. After all she went through with her parents for him to do that was cruel.” His mom studied him. “Be nice to her, okay?”
Brian frowned, surprised and a bit offended by the comment. “I’m always nice to Tracey. She’s the one most likely to rip my head off.”
His mom’s lips twitched before she got serious again. “I mean…you’re a little, shall we say, loose when it comes to the women you’re around.”
Brian blinked and sat up straight. Heat filled his cheeks. He wasn’t a saint, but he’d tried to keep his devilment out of Peachtree Cove so his mom wouldn’t hear. “Huh?”
She patted his arm. “I don’t judge. You’re getting your wings back after Renee, but be careful with Tracey. She’s been through a lot. It’s best if you don’t go there, and let her heal.”
“Mom, I don’t like Tracey like that.” He did. He would pursue her in a heartbeat, if he ever thought she would be interested. But she wasn’t. Plus, she deserved better than Bernard—and better than him. He wasn’t relationship material. He was one-night stand material.
His mom gave him a W hatever kind of smile before patting his shoulder. “If you say so. Just remember what I said.” She pointed to the plate. “Finish eating.”