Page 195 of As They Are
“But the diner?—”
“I’ll watch it,” Kelsey said. “You two go.”
“Are you sure, kid? It’s busy.”
“I’ve worked here before, and I was looking for a job.” She shrugged. “Might as well help out while you two go talk some sense into my new sister.”
“Sister?” I asked.
“Mom’s been talking about Wren since she got here. I knew I’d be welcoming someone into the family.” Kelsey held out a hand to Tammy. “Give me your apron, Mom. I’m about to ruin Dad’s whole day while you’re in Nashville.”
“Thanks,” Tammy said. “I’ll be sure she knows she’s coming back. Henry, we’re taking my car.”
“I can drive.”
“You strike me as a slow-ass driver. I’m not wasting any time.” She dragged me out the door without another word.
I didn’t have time to say that I wasn’t going to waste a second either, but with the dangerous mix of emotions, I didn’t need to be behind the wheel anyway. There was no way I could focus on the road when all I could think about was how awful Wren must be feeling.
And I knew I had to make sure she didn’t stay that way for long.
36
WREN
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Tammy Jane: If you see this woman, she is BANNED from the diner.
Comments:
Atticus Thompson: That’s Wren’s mom. I knew I had a bad feeling.
Henrietta Brown: Is Wren okay?
Jade Clark: I heard she’s not, and that she left. I saw Henry at the diner. He went off on her as he should have, but it was intense. I can’t imagine how he has to be feeling right now.
Kerry Winsor: No! I loved having her here! What kind of mother upsets her daughter that much???
Jade Clark: Maybe she didn’t feel like a part of the town? I know she was so cool that I struggled to talk to her.
Kerry Winsor: And I only talked to her about the show. There must be something we can do so she knows how much we care!
The houseI was working on made me jump for joy when I saw it in pictures months ago. It was an old four-square design with white siding and black mulch. I could tell even then that the outside was original.
The inside was too. It should have been perfect.
But nothing felt perfect. In fact, everything felt ... wrong.
Getting out of the car felt like a chore. Much like getting to Nashville had felt the evening before.
I’d had to fight myself every mile I drove. I didn’t want to be back here, even for a house I thought I was excited to work on. I wanted to be with Henry and Mollie and everyone I’d met in Strawberry Springs.
But there was no room for me.
I kept my phone off, certain that Henry would call and try to convince me that he was fine. He always did that. He was fine until he wasn’t. Just yesterday, he’d been pushing back on his own needs over and over. Just for me. I couldn’t ask that of him, because I knew how it ended. One day, he’d wake up and resent it all.
It was easier this way. Cleaner.
