Chapter 22
Josie was so happy to get back to her hotel room. It wasn’t much, but it was quiet and a good place to think. She was going to call Walker after she had something to eat. She had already texted with her daughter several times—Kendra wasn’t much for talking on the phone. Teenagers were all about texting.
She lifted the top of the silver tray that room service had brought up. It was very fancy for someone who was just going to be eating a hamburger and a bag of chips. She took the first bite, a pickle falling out of her sandwich and slapping onto the plate below. Never had she been so happy to eat something after a day of finger sandwiches.
With her other hand, she opened her laptop so she could check her email. After that, she checked her social media, curious to see if anyone she knew was doing anything interesting. Usually, the answer was no.
Just as she was about to close her computer, she noticed something strange. One tab that was open didn’t belong to her. It was a Google search for Dan. The same Dan that had been the bane of her existence while she was growing up. The same Dan that had extorted money from her grandmother.
For a moment, she sat there trying to figure out how she could’ve done a search and not remembered it. Had she just completely blacked out? Nobody else had access to her computer other than Kendra, and she would never do such a thing. She didn’t even know Dan’s last name.
In fact, there were only three people who knew his last name—Josie, Adeline, and Diane.
She sat there, frozen to her seat, another pickle falling from her hamburger and making a slapping sound against the plate. Her mother? Why would she have been looking for Dan?
After all, Diane had said that she wanted nothing to do with him. She had spent so many years trying to stay away from that man, and she was well aware that he would be a trigger if he ever came back to town.
After a few moments of letting it sink in, she realized it had to have been her mother searching for him. It made her stomach twist into a knot. How could she do that? Why would she do that?
Josie decided not to mention it until she got back home. She needed her mother to be in her right mind while she ran the restaurant and looked after Kendra. Getting into an argument with her would only make Josie feel more anxious, and she didn’t need that right now.
She had important decisions to make. If her mother had started the process of getting Dan back into her life, Josie would not stay in Happy Harbor. She would not put herself through that again. And the likelihood of Diane leaving town just because Josie asked her to would be pretty slim.
She closed her laptop and drew in a deep breath before blowing it out. Maybe there was some logical explanation. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself and letting the past wrongs her mother had done affect her thinking now.
She took the last couple of bites of her hamburger and slid it across the table. Grabbing the bag of chips and kicking off her shoes, she climbed up into the bed and leaned against the pillow, the back of her head pressed against the wooden headboard.
Her phone rang beside her, and she looked down to see Walker’s name.
“Hello?”
“Hey there, beautiful.”
That made her smile, even if just for a moment. “How are you?”
“Not as good as I’d be if you were still here. Coming home tomorrow?”
Josie paused, unsure of how to break the news that she wasn’t. “I’m actually staying for another day or so.”
There was silence from the other end. “Staying? I thought you wanted to get back as quickly as possible?”
“I do. I did. It’s just that something has come up that I need to deal with while I’m here. Do you mind helping my mother watch Kendra while I’m gone?”
“Kendra has a better head on her shoulders than all of us,” he said, forcing a laugh.
“Are you mad?”
“No, just disappointed. I was hoping to cook dinner for you tomorrow night.”
“Well, just give me a rain check, okay?”
“Okay. As punishment, you have to make the dessert.”
“Trust me, that’ll be more punishment for you.”
* * *
As Josie approached the door to her old office building, she felt butterflies in her stomach, but not in a good way. She had a lot of bad memories from her last day on the job, and they were all flooding back into her mind and body.
She walked through the lobby and rode the elevator to the third floor. When the door opened, she was right back in the last place she’d felt like a failure.
“Josie! I’m so glad you agreed to come,” Sandra said, a big smile on her face. Josie knew it was fake. Sandra didn’t want to work with her any more than she wanted to work with an angry wolverine. But she liked money and keeping her company open, so Josie was her only option, apparently.
“I told you I would.”
“Melody wanted to be here, but she broke a crown overnight and had to go to the dentist.”
Just great. It had been good to see Melody the day before at her bridal shower, and Josie had really hoped she’d be there now.
“The place looks the same.”
“Well, we haven’t exactly had the money to do any major renovations,” Sandra said, forcing a fake laugh.
They walked farther down the hall to Sandra’s office. She closed the door behind them, and Josie sat in the same chair she sat in when she was fired.
“All right, let’s get to it. What exactly do you want me to see?”
“I have totally restructured the team you worked with last time. Some people were demoted, some were promoted. Everyone knows you’re coming back, and they are all okay with it.”
“I didn’t say I was coming back.”
“I know. But I’m hopeful. There are some things that Human Resources would require us to work on, given the history you have with some of the other employees.”
Josie sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “And what would that be?”
“Well, the head of HR said that you would have to go through some sensitivity training.”
Josie laughed loudly. “Sensitivity training? What exactly would that entail?”
“I think just teaching you how to be understanding and kind to your fellow employees.” Sandra kept a smile on her face the whole time, which only made her look like a psychopath.
“Believe it or not, I’ve mellowed out since you saw me last.”
Sandra looked at her carefully. “I believe you. The Josie I knew would have bitten my head off rather than come back here and sit in that chair.”
“I’m not the same Josie anymore. I’ve seen and experienced some things in the past few weeks that have really changed how I see the world.”
“Like what?”
“The value of community, for one thing.”
“How so?”
Josie smiled and shook her head. “Let’s not get off track. I said I’d come here and give you input, so tell me what you need input on.”
Sandra nodded and picked up a folder. “The Carlton file,” she said, handing it to Josie. “Do you remember this one?”
Josie opened the file and immediately recognized it as one of the biggest accounts in the whole company. “April Newton was working on this one.”
“I let her go. She wasn’t getting the job done. The client wants you. They’ll leave our firm if I can’t get you back.”
“Surely you don’t expect me to uproot my life again just for one file?”
“Of course not. You’ll have all your old clients. And you can choose to work alone, or you can hire your own team.”
Josie stared at her. “I thought you didn’t want me to work alone?”
She nodded. “I want you to come back and be effective at your job, so if that means working alone, then so be it.”
Josie looked down at the file again. “You know, the main issue with the Carlton file was outreach. April was never good at putting plans together for outreach.”
Sandra started writing. “Tell me all your thoughts.”
She stifled a grin. “Hope you’re ready to write.”
* * *
Josie stood at the corner of Bill’s desk, staring over his shoulder as he looked at a file.
“You’re not going to throw this in the trash when I’m done, are you?” he asked, only partially joking.
She chuckled. “No, and I’m sorry. I really am. I shouldn’t have done that.”
He slowly turned in his chair and looked up at her. “Really?”
“Of course. When you work with people on a team, you have to support each other. I wasn’t being a team player.”
He stood up. “I do hope you’ll come back then.”
“I’m considering it. I mean, it’s an enormous opportunity for me, but I also want to make sure I can live up to the job and what Sandra needs.”
He stared at her. “You don’t even sound like the same person.”
“I’m not.” As she said it, she realized it was true. She wasn’t the same person anymore. What if she needed to go back and use what she’d learned in Happy Harbor to build a better life?
As if he was sensing her thoughts, Josie looked down and saw Walker calling.
She didn’t answer the call. He would have questions she couldn’t answer right now. When was she coming back? Was she staying in Happy Harbor? She needed time to reflect, to figure out what she wanted in her life. Hearing his voice would only make her want to rush back to Happy Harbor.
“We’re going out for lunch,” Sandra said, walking up beside them. “Want to go?”
“I’ve got some calls to make, so I’ll take a rain check,” Bill said, sitting back down.
“Where?” Josie asked.
“The Pillar on Peachtree, of course.” The fanciest restaurant in town, The Pillar had amazing peach margaritas and the best grilled chicken salad in the city.
“Then I have to go. Let me grab my purse,” Josie said. She ran into Sandra’s office and picked it up before following Sandra and three other women to the elevator.
They packed into Steph’s SUV and headed toward the restaurant. As they moved down the road, Josie listened to them talk.
“Did you know that Devon from accounting is having an affair?” Lydia asked.
“No! Really? And her husband’s pretty hot!” Kira said.
The office gossip mill hadn’t changed a bit.
“We shouldn’t gossip, but I have to say one more thing,” Lydia said, whispering like the car was bugged. “Do we all agree that Bill got hair plugs?”
The three women, including Sandra, cackled with laughter. Josie felt uncomfortable.
“Maybe he just wanted to feel better about himself,” she said without thinking.
The laughter immediately stopped.
“You’re probably right, Josie,” Sandra said, a tone of warning in her voice.
The rest of the drive was awkward and quiet, and Josie wondered why she stopped them from talking like that. She’d always been in the middle of gossip when she could, always finding humor in knocking other people down. It was one of her worst traits, but she did it all the time.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Sandra asked for a table. They only waited a few minutes before they were seated. Sandra, Lydia, Kira, and Steph all ordered margaritas. Josie ordered a glass of sweet tea.
“You’re not drinking a margarita?” Steph, one of the office receptionists, asked.
“It’s not even noon yet,” Josie said, laughing.
“Yeah, but you always drank them when we came here for office meetings. I’ve never seen you not drink one,” Lydia said, almost scolding her.
“Ladies, it’s fine if Josie doesn’t want to drink. She probably has the right idea,” Sandra said, desperately trying to be on Josie’s side so she’d take the job.
“I’ve just developed a love for sweet tea since I left, I guess,” Josie said, laughing.
“So, what do you do in such a small town, anyway?” Kira asked, wrinkling her nose like it was the worst thought imaginable.
“Well, I run my grandmother’s restaurant, and I live in a historical home where we sometimes give tours.”
“Sounds awful,” Kira said, sticking her lip out.
Josie thought for a moment. “It’s actually not. The people there are so nice, and they’ll do anything for each other. My daughter is thriving there. I’ve met someone too,” she said, then wished she could take those last words back.
Lydia giggled loudly. “Oh, I see! A handsome cowboy?”
“Cowboy? I didn’t move to Texas. He’s a boat mechanic.”
“Yikes. Quite a demotion from Craig, huh? You need to get back here, girl! So many eligible, successful men!” Kira waved her hand at Josie.
Josie’s stomach churned, but she didn’t feel angry. She didn’t feel much of anything. The old Josie would’ve at least had an urge to reach across the table and smack Kira. Instead, she felt sorry for these women.
“Not a demotion at all. Have you ever had a man move heaven and earth to help you?”
“My old boyfriend Ken sent me flowers once when it wasn’t even Valentine’s Day. Does that count?” Steph asked.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Can I take your orders, ladies?” the server asked.
“Actually, I’m going to go,” Josie said, standing up.
“Give us a minute, please,” Sandra said to the server, who walked away. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” Josie turned and walked out the front door. Sandra chased after her.
“Josie, what’s wrong? Why are you leaving?”
She turned to face Sandra. “This isn’t my life anymore. My life is in Happy Harbor.”
“Please don’t say that. I need you here.”
“No, I have people who love me who need me there. And I have a family legacy there. That means something to me.” Even saying that was a surprise to her.
“You’d make six figures next year, Josie. Six figures! I know how much that would change your life. And Kendra’s!”
Josie laughed and threw her hands in the air. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I don’t care about the money!”
“You’ve really changed. The Josie I know wouldn’t give up an opportunity like this,” Sandra said, seething.
She smiled. “The Josie you know is dead and gone. This is Josie 2.0, and she doesn’t want this life anymore. She wants a caring community, a family, and a man who adores her. She wants peace and quiet, not traffic and road rage. Goodbye, Sandra, and good luck. I think you’re going to need it.”
Without another word, Josie turned and walked up the sidewalk toward her hotel. She was heading home to Happy Harbor as quickly as she could get there.
* * *
As Josie threw all of her belongings into her small suitcase, she heard her phone buzzing on the small bedside table. Of course, it was Walker again. She decided to answer and let him know she was on her way back home. The trip would take almost six hours, which would put her getting home after dark, but it was worth the effort.
“Hey there! I’m actually about to get in the car now?—”
“Josie, listen to me and try not to freak out, okay?”
“What’s wrong?” She could feel her heart pounding in her chest like a jackhammer.
“Kendra’s in the ER. She’s going to be okay, but she got stung by a wasp and had an allergic reaction. She broke out in hives and couldn’t breathe.”
“Oh my gosh!” She started moving faster, sure she was going to leave half her things in that hotel room. “I’m coming!”
“Calm down, Josie. She’s in excellent hands, and she’s fine. I’m here at the ER with her. You have a long drive ahead of you, and I don’t want you to have an accident, okay? Just breathe for me.”
She stopped long enough to take his advice. She sat on the edge of the bed and took a couple of deep breaths. “What are they saying?”
“She’ll need to carry an EpiPen with her from now on, just in case, but she’ll be okay. They’re giving her medication now, and her hives are going away.”
“And her breathing?”
“Much better.”
“Where’s my mom?”
He paused for a long moment. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“She didn’t show up for work this morning. Nobody knows where she is.”
In a flash, Josie’s mind went to dark places, especially since she’d seen the search on her computer. What if her mother had reconnected with Dan? Even after everything he’d done? She decided not to muddy the waters by telling Walker. Her focus was on her daughter.
“I’m leaving right now. You call me if anything changes or if you find out anything about my mother, okay?”
“Do you want me to go look for her?”
“No! You stay with Kendra. This isn’t the first time my mother has done something like this. I wish I could say I was surprised.”
“Josie, you’re not going to leave town because of your mother, are you?”
She sighed. “I can’t promise anything, Walker. I care about you a lot, but I won’t live in chaos ever again.”
“Be safe driving.”
“I will.”
As she dragged her suitcase down the hallway and headed for her car, so many things were running through her mind. Would her daughter be okay? Where was her mother? Would she have to leave Happy Harbor? Was there any more forgiveness in her heart? Had she really changed enough to love her mother, no matter what? That last one didn’t seem likely.