Page 149 of Rags to Royals

“Yep,” Ruby says. She scowls, “So, damn right I’ve been telling people about it at the bar, down at the café, when I get my nails done, anywhere I go. I even had fliers printed up.” She takes another drink of her tea. “So, Hannah is right that I am spreading news about the city and the church. But it’s not gossipy lies. “

I am suddenly filled with rage.

It flows through me like a shot of tequila, starting in my chest but quickly spreading through my body, igniting all of my nerve endings.

All this time, I have been living here in this town, keeping quiet, trying to stay out of the way, trying to live a simple life so that people will see that I’ve changed, that I’ve become “a good person”, so that I will get forgiven for past sins. All this time I’ve felt like the best thing for everyone would be to just stay out of the way and not rock the boat. Not call attention to myself or the rift between me and the church. Avoid my father and just live my life separately, live well, let people draw their own conclusions about the two of us.

“They are never going to let me be happy here, are they?” I ask Ruby.

She sets her glass down. “Who are we talking about?”

“Hannah. Dad. The church. All of those people that I was with before.

“Well,” she says carefully. “No. They’re not gonna go out of their way to make you happy. But, Scarlett,” she says, leaning in to rest her arms on the table. “No oneletsyou be happy. Only you can do that. You can also keep yourself from being happy.”

She’s completely right.

And what makes me happy is helping other people. Knowing that there can be a ripple effect like there was with Diane. Knowing that talking about people and what they need and brainstorming how to meet those needs, can turn into amazing things. Sometimes small, amazing things like a meal program. And sometimes huge, amazing things like an entire charitable foundation.

But neither of those things came about because I stayed quiet. Neither of those things happened because I was staying out of the way.

They’re never going toletme be happy here.

So, I’m going tomakemyself happy.

Right. Fucking. Here.

“I think I need some coffee,” I say, getting to my feet.

Ruby looks startled by the change of topic. “Okay.”

“Walk with me down to the coffee shop.”

She nods. “Okay.”

That’s Ruby. She’ll always be by my side, no questions asked.

She starts to walk past me, I assume to get her shoes, and I reach out and grab her arm. I pull her in and wrap my arms around her, giving her a huge hug.

She only hesitates for a moment before she hugs me back. “What is this for?”

“For making so many things possible for so long,” I tell her. “All that time I spent in church, listening to Dad and trying to do what he wanted me to do, and you’ve been out here living a good life all along. Taking care of others, loving unconditionally, forgiving me over and over.”

She squeezes me tight and then pulls away. “You’re my sister. There was never another option.”

“Not for you there wasn’t,” I say. “Because you are one of the very best people I know.”

She laughs and squeezes me again, then goes to get her shoes. She really doesn’t know how incredible she is.

We’re headed down the sidewalk toward downtown when she asks, “Why are we really going to the coffee shop?”

“Do you know what happens at the coffee shop on Thursday afternoons?” I ask her.

“Delicious biscotti and decadent lattes?”

“That, and men’s Bible study.” I let that sink in. “Because you can’t have Bible study at the church. You have to have it out in public where everyone can see you doing it.”

“And let me guess,” she says. “Our dad and the mayor both attend the Bible study.”

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