18. 18
18
Honey
I t was bad.
It was bad that instead of being my usual enthusiastic self about the Twilight Shop Night meeting, I found myself doodling daisies around the edges of my notebook.
I wished that Ellie-May was here to represent the library but being a Monday morning, she’d have classes of primary school students trickling through the library at least until lunchtime. I’d been able to afford to open the store a couple hours late so I could attend. Normally the Twilight Shop Night was an event I was excited to plan every year, but this year, with all the drama circulating, I wanted nothing more than to be snoozing behind my counter with Duke. In fact, it was a struggle to get out of bed at all nowadays. The snooze button on my alarm seemed to be getting hit more often, and I was scrambling out the front door in a disorganised mess. I shaded another petal of a daisy on a page which was normally filled with colour-coded and sectioned notes.
‘Honey, I’m assuming you’ve ordered the decorations for the shopfronts?’
I snapped my head up. The shire president was looking at me, along with the other shop owners. Shit. No. I would have to get them express, even if it cost me hundreds. ‘Yep. The supplier sent them just the other day!’
He smiled appreciatively. ‘Excellent! We can always count on Honey to keep us organised.’
Thankfully after we all agreed we’d be using local talent for live music, the meeting adjourned to gather again next week, just one night before the festival. I snapped my notebook shut and jammed it into my bag before practically sprinting from the shire offices. How could I have forgotten about the decorations? If the supplier didn’t have a rush option to put our cardboard cut-outs of stars to the front of the production line, then we were stuffed.
I gasped and huddled back behind the corner of the building I’d just rounded when a familiar rumbling filled my ears. Colton’s ute was reversing from the library across the street before tearing out of town. I had to work better at avoiding him. If that meant throwing myself into a thorny rose bush as he walked towards me, then so be it. I had to prove to Beau that there was nothing to worry about. That he was the one I wanted to be with and that I wasn’t like a moth to a flame when it came to his younger brother.
With Colton definitely gone, I resumed my path whilst tapping away on my phone. My heart sunk at the blue text bubbles which were yet to be answered by Beau. How many I’m Sorrys , hugging GIFs and heart emoji could a girl send before she was forgiven? I’d really blown it this time. I tapped into my emails, waiting for them to load as I continued walking towards the shop. I had to email the decorations supplier pronto. The new emails flooded my inbox. My eyes skimmed across them. Suppliers for the shop, sales, Kimberley Sparks …
I ground to a halt, my heart thudding in my throat as I clicked into the email Ellie-May had been praying for.
Hi Honey and Ellie-May (cute names by the way!). I apologise for my delayed response. Book tours are crazy. I’m so glad that the both of you enjoy my books so much and I’ll be sure to check out The Queen Bees Book Club. I’ve researched your adorable little town, Gumtree Valley, and after discussing it with my publicity team they’ve agreed that it would be a good opportunity for me to research my new contemporary romance which has a small-town trope. I know it is short notice but I would only be able to come for a few days next week before I jet back to the USA. Would this be okay? — K.S. xx.
‘Oh my god,’ I murmured quietly before my excitement grew with realisation. ‘Oh my god!’
I spun on my heel and ran to the library like a child who’d just won the golden ticket, the soles of my boots slapping loudly against the brickwork and echoing into the verandah.
Ellie-May jumped when I barged through the library, puffing and red-faced. Thankfully the next class of students were yet to come to pick out their weekly books.
‘Kim …’ I wheezed. How did I get so out of shape? ‘Here … phone … read.’
‘Damn, girl.’ Ellie-May plucked the phone out of my hands cautiously. I rummaged through my handbag and gulped down mouthfuls of water as she read from my screen. By the end of the email, her mouth was agape. ‘Is this a joke?’
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. ‘No! It’s a reply from our email. The Kimberley Sparks is coming! Here! To Gumtree Valley!’
Ellie-May squealed and we jumped in circles together until the water sloshing around in my stomach caused a stitch.
‘She’s going to be here when the Twilight Shop Night is on. We need to be bigger and better!’
‘We need an itinerary!’
I clicked my fingers. ‘Yes! You brainstorm things to do and I’ll get a spreadsheet going.’
Ellie-May rolled her eyes. ‘Trust you to kill the joy with a spreadsheet.’
***
I couldn’t remember the last time I had Ellie-May in my bedroom with wrappers of Cadbury Favourites and Allen’s lollies strewn about. I was at my desk, tapping away on my laptop to create a spreadsheet. She was propped against the pillows on my bed, designing catchy graphics for our social media announcement that the Kimberley Sparks was coming to Gumtree Valley. It felt like we were teenagers again. Thankfully this time, though, we weren’t fawning over boys as we scrolled through Instagram but mature, sophisticated businesswomen doing adult life things.
‘I dunno what would cause more excitement,’ said Ellie-May, sliding her reading glasses onto her head and rubbing her eyes. ‘Having Thunder From Down Under come to town or Kimberley Sparks.’
I clicked save on my colour-coded spreadsheet and turned in my chair to face her, the amount of screentime also making my eyes bleary. ‘Either way, sex toys will be getting dusted off and husbands will be running scared.’
Ellie-May giggled, just as Granny came into my room with a tray of tea.
‘I thought I’d provide you two hard-working girls with some midnight oil.’ She placed the tray at the foot of my bed. ‘Although from what I just heard, I’m wondering what type of work it is that you’re doing.’
I grinned, moving over to pick up the warm mug of tea.
‘How did you hear that, Granny Beauregard?’
‘Ellie-May, how old do you think I am? I can hear those pesky fruit flies buzzing around my orchard before they can even take a bite. My hearing is just fine.’ Granny playfully swatted at her.
Yep, just like when we were teenagers.
‘You have to come to the book event, Granny. The more numbers the better!’ I plopped back down in my office chair. ‘It’s vital for small businesses to support one another.’
‘I do support you. I put a roof over your head—free of charge!’ She waved her hands around. ‘Besides, isn’t this Kimberley Sparks bit of a brave writer?’
‘You never know, Granny Beauregard, you might learn a few things!’ Ellie-May gave her a playful wink.
‘You’ve only grown cheekier with age.’ Granny waggled a finger at my best friend but she was grinning. She loved to be livened up by the younger crowds. ‘Anyway, I’m off to bed. Don’t stay up too late!’
‘We won’t!’
I gave a yawn and placed my tea down so I could get back to my spreadsheet. The letters, numbers and colours were beginning to swirl together but if I could get the final touches done tonight then it would be one less thing on my list for tomorrow. I glanced to the messages icon at the bottom of my screen, hoping to see an alert. Still no word from Beau. I sighed and continued punching away at my keyboard while Ellie-May moved around my room. Once her reading glasses were on her head then she’d clocked off for the day.
The working bubble I’d submerged myself in began to feel claustrophobic, so I clicked save and shut down my laptop. Ellie-May was by my dresser, most likely trying on the small amount of jewellery I owned despite her owning enough rings and bangles for ten caterpillars. I leant back in my chair and took a sip of my tea, which was now lukewarm. I was exhausted but satisfied. Kimberley Spark’s itinerary was complete to showcase everything local. She wanted small town inspiration? Then I would give it to her in spades. I was hoping her visit would also pull in a lot of tourism from readers who weren’t able to attend her big city events. I could already imagine them coming to town a few hours earlier to suss out the local gift shops while stuffing their faces with our bakery’s pies and carting around takeaway cups of coffees from Phoebe’s. Having Kimberley Sparks here meant so much more than some randy wives getting their borderline porn signed.
‘You kept both ?’
Ellie-May’s incredulous voice had me turning in my chair then almost choking on my final mouthful of tea when I saw the velvet boxes in her hands. ‘What are you doing with those?’
She shrugged. ‘I wanted to see if you’d stopped wearing the nanna knickers and switched to G-strings. Kudos to you for sticking with comfort, by the way.’ Her eyes returned to the two engagement rings. ‘You’re like some serial killer who keeps trophies of their victims.’
I flinched at her words but found myself moving over to where she stood, stepping over a dozing Duke to gaze down at the sparkling rings. I could feel her eyes follow my every move as I gently took them from her and lowered myself onto my bed. One was a three stone on a silver band. A sapphire was centre stage in all its dark blue glory. The other was a solitaire gold band. Simple but elegant. One I’d looked at the first time with fear but happiness. The other … well, I still didn’t know. I felt the bed sink beside me.
‘You know, I know which one Colton got you,’ said Ellie-May gently. She pried the three stones from my fingers. ‘Sapphires are your favourite and you always regretted telling Colton this because of how expensive they were.’ She frowned at the other ring. ‘You don’t like gold jewellery.’
‘One proposed on horseback and the other at a candlelit dinner.’ I frowned down at the solitaire.
‘Yet the one who wants to spend the rest of his life with you doesn’t seem to know you at all.’ Ellie-May’s arm came around my shoulders, her head resting against mine. ‘You’ve got yourself more tangled than a calf in a roping final.’
‘If only I was small and adorable with big, wet eyes.’ I snapped the lids of the boxes shut and placed them back into the shadows of my drawer. What did one do with old engagement rings? If I sold them, I felt guilty and believed it passed on some sort of bad voodoo to the next owner. Beau wouldn’t take it back, wanting me to think it over. Giving it back would mean I had my answer. As for Colton, I hadn’t had a chance to even take it off my finger before he hightailed it to the Delta Airline flight.
‘I’m worried about you,’ said Ellie-May when I laid back on my bed. ‘You can’t just stay in a toxic relationship because you want a family.’
‘I know,’ I said quietly.
My best friend sighed and laid next to me. Straight black strands swirled with humidity-frizzed blonde curls. ‘Colton came to work today. As much as I hate the guy for what he did to you, I feel bad for him.’ She rolled her head to look at me and I closed my eyes against what was coming. ‘You need to tell him, Honey. There’s no excuse of distance anymore.’
Tears, ones which I’d wished to come at the sight of my unanswered messages to Beau but never had, pricked at the corners of my eyes.
‘I know.’
I numbly reached for my phone when it chimed with a message, gripping the edges tightly when I held it above my face.
Beau: Hey. Leaving for a horse sale tomorrow. Be gone for two days. See you when I get back x
No more lines of over-the-top emojis. And why wasn’t I sadder about my boyfriend suddenly leaving town for two days? Why was I more determined to stay here with Ellie-May rather than rush over to Double Q Ranch and spend time with Beau before he left? I stared up at the ceiling fan with Ellie-May, the whirring blades turning to a white noise in my ears. Was this a sign? Some strange chance to tell Colton what I had to without the fear of Beau seeing us together?
Make lemonade with lemons, is what Granny would say. Although I wasn’t sure she’d approve of me applying it to my love triangle situation.
‘Tomorrow,’ I said to Ellie-May. ‘I’ll tell him tomorrow.’