Page 37 of A Package Deal

“What if I want him to?”

Nelie’s stomach plunged at Suzanne’s bold statement. She’d just gotten used to the idea of telling Chet, but everyone? The grapevine would shine a spotlight on them, and she hated being the center of attention.

“What are you saying, Suzanne?” Mrs. Hart asked in a nonchalant tone, like they were discussing pork chops versus chicken thighs for dinner. Like it was six of one or half a dozen of another. Like the outcome wouldn’t matter.

“I want a fresh start, and the only way to do that is to force Franklin’s hand. He’ll have to decide if he loves me, or the me I’ve become.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Mrs. Hart asked.

“Then I’d like to stay. Here in Haven. Maybe join the family business…or something else?” Suzanne sounded hopeful and Nelie saw a spark in her eyes that wasn’t there before. Nelie’s stomach flipped. Nelie didn’t want her family to be the gossips’ center of attention, but in the long run, it might be the best thing for Suzanne.If Suzanne can be brave and face the grapevine, I can, too.

“Doing what?” Mrs. Hart sounded alarmed.

“I’m an excellent party planner, or maybe I could work at the Galley. I waitressed there for a few summers, remember Gus?”

“Oh, yes. Hard to forget,” Gus said. Suzanne looked at her mother as if the issue was settled while Gus shook his head at Nelie mouthing a silentno. Nelie cleared her throat to stifle her giggle.

Mrs. Hart stood. “You tell Chet, and in the meantime, the three of us”—she pointed at the others—“will work on how to handle the announcement. It will be better if we control the narrative.” She sounded like a public relations pro.

“After all, we created this mess. We should be the ones to clean it up.” Gus patted Nelie’s shoulder. “But we’ll run it by you, Jackson, and Pris first.”Cold comfort, Nelie thought. But they were right. The more people who knew, the greater the chance their secret would get leaked and spread. Miller, Rica, and Croix already knew, and Nelie trusted them, but it didn’t take much for information to leak. After all, she was the leak that broke Emily’s pregnancy story a week before the election.

“Thanks, Dad, Suzanne.” Nelie nodded at each of them, stopping at Mrs. Hart, ready to ask for her next want. “I’m not sure what to call you anymore. I’m comfortable calling Suzanne by her first name since she’s someone who’s breezed in and out of my life, although it was always Mrs. Wyatt then, and Stella will always be mom to me.” Suzanne nodded and Nelie knew she hadn’t offended her. “But you’ve always been here, and you’ve always been special to me. Calling you Mrs. Hart feels wrong.”

“Call her Rosemarie,” her ever-practical dad said, cutting a caramel roll in half.

Mrs. Hart shrugged. “Or Grandma or Gram, as Jackson says. Whatever you are comfortable with is fine with me.” The older woman’s eyes shone, and Nelie knew she’d been right to ask. They both wanted a close family relationship.

“I never had a grandmother, so I might try a few names first to see which one sticks.” Nelie hugged everyone before she left, lingering longer in their embraces than she usually did. Mrs. Hart made her a to-go plate and told Nelie to eat it when she was home now that all the drama was over with. She winked and Nelie chuckled. Nelie’s dilemma may have looked like a molehill to Mrs. Hart, but to Nelie, she’d just climbed Mt. Everest. She’d taken a major step in getting what she wanted. Chet.

She pulled out her phone as her car warmed up.

Nelie:Can I stop over tonight?

Chet:Dinner?

Nelie:I’m MOD over the dinner rush. After?

Chet:I’ll leave the back door unlocked.

Chapter 21

Chetpulledthetowelsfrom the dryer, shaking each one violently. He should have dealt with them last night, but they were just towels, right?No harm in letting them sit,he’d thought when he’d tossed them into the dryer last night. Except now they were a wrinkly mess. He shouldn’t have cared, but he did. The wrinkles felt like a report card on his ability to single-parent. It was harder than he’d thought it would be.

It had only been a few days since he’d given Nelie that stupid ultimatum, and since then, everything had gone to hell in a handbasket. Nothing tragic or life altering, but everything was harder.

Ava’s grumpiness was grumpier. Piper’s chatter was never-ending. He couldn’t push last night’s heavy snow with a shovel, and it had clogged the snow-blower. He’d had to scoop and toss the dense white mess and had pulled a muscle in his back. Chet had forgotten to add dishwasher detergent to the grocery list, so he’d washed today’s dishes by hand until Ava had nudged him to the side, telling him she’d finish it. “I know how. Nelie showed us,” she’d said, clearing the dirty dishes from the sink before rinsing it and filling it with hot soapy water.

Was he wrong to give Nelie an ultimatum? He’d second-guessed his way into a corner and didn’t know which way was up. He missed her. The girls missed her.

She’s probably coming over to break up, he thought, folding the kitchen towel lengthwise in thirds and then in half, the way it was supposed to be done. Heather had always folded them willy-nilly, causing a mess in the drawer.

Chet and Nelie hadn’t been apart long enough for her to miss him and see what she’d be walking away from. He should have been more patient with her. And even though he and the girls were a package deal, he shouldn’t haveincentivizedher by withholding contact with Ava and Piper. He thought it waslove me, love them, but it felt more likelove them, tolerate me.

At least the women in his life would have been happy. And in time, he would have figured out how to live in the same town as her. To let the girls spend time with her, while his heart slowly bled out. Future dating was out of the question. Nelie was The One.The One and only,he thought as headlights appeared in his driveway. But he needed to stand his ground. If Nelie was in, he needed her to be all in. No more secrets.

Her boots crunched on the sidewalk.Be cool, he told himself. He grabbed another towel and frowned.Yeah, ’cause nothing says cool like folding wrinkled towels. Nelie knocked and waited a few seconds before letting herself in.

Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were rosy, and the cold air hit him from across the room. “Cold enough for ya’?” he asked. Nelie’s lips lifted at the familiar winter greeting.

---