Page 32 of Finally Mine
Gloria’s eyebrows lifted. Claire’s assumption that she’d turn to violence instead of bursting into tears cheered her considerably. “You weren’t worried that I’d curl into the fetal position behind the register?”
“It took backbone to leave. It took backbone and more than a bit of recklessness to want to confront him.” Claire picked up a thick-stemmed peony. “You’re not some dainty blossom waiting to be crushed, honey. And eventually people will see that. Be patient with them…and yourself.”
“I hate being a victim.” The confession took Gloria by surprise. Apparently opening up to a therapist meant she’d be releasing the kraken to non-licensed listeners, too.
“Then don’t be,” Claire said lightly, jabbing her with the stem. “Be beautiful. Be fun. Be busy. Be excited. Be you. Everyone else will eventually catch up. You just have to give them something else to see.”
“You’re a pretty smart advice-giver, Claire.”
She rolled her eyes heavenward. “Would youpleasetell my children that? They insist on learning everything the hard way.”
* * *
Gloria decidedto take Claire’s advice and get busy. She tackled the back room, determined to restore order to the supplies and tools. With every shelf righted, every cubby organized, she felt calmer. The stainless-steel work tables were next, doused with spray and polished until they gleamed. The half-dozen pairs of shears were collected and hung neatly on the pegboard that appeared to have been abandoned some months before.
She gathered up discarded blooms—peonies and spray roses—scattered about from the centerpieces Della and Claire had worked on that morning and she made her first official bouquet. It was chaotic and ever so slightly misshapen. But she liked it. Things didn’t have to be perfect to be attractive or interesting. She tied it with a shiny ribbon and, after the slightest hesitation, added it to the ready-made arrangement trough without asking for permission first.
Her phone buzzed in her apron pocket, and she fished it out.
Harper: Lunch with me and Soph at the diner?
Gloria considered.
Gloria: Can you guarantee no one will refer to me as “poor little Gloria Parker” within earshot?
Harper: Solution: Sophie and I will talk really loudly so you can’t hear anything else.
Gloria: Good enough for me.
She let Claire know she was taking her lunch and made the two-minute drive to the diner. “Give them something else to see,” she reminded herself before walking in the front door. It smelled of hot roast beef sandwiches and French fries. The floor was the required black and white checker pattern, the booths requisite red vinyl. It was packed. Tables were hard to come by during the lunch rush.
Sophie, with her dark hair tied in a high ponytail, waved to her from the back booth. Gloria slid into the red vinyl next to Harper.
“Gloria, I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Sophie began. “But our lovely friend Harper is still here.”
Gloria looked from woman to woman. “What am I missing?”
“She was going to leave town when Luke deployed,” Sophie said. “Didn’t she tell you?” At the mention of the deployment, Gloria found herself back in her mother’s flower bed, reliving the most amazing kiss of her life. God, she missed Aldo, and she wasn’t even sure she had the right to.
Harper grimaced. “I’m not used to having actual friends, so I’m not great with the communication.”
That made two of them.
Sophie dropped her head back and released a dramatic sigh. “Okay, so Harper and Luke got together because I, a genius, manipulated them into pretending to have a relationship. Of course, per the aforementioned genius,Iknew full well that Luke wouldn’t be able to resist a hot blonde who cruises the kitchen naked—”
“Not true. I was wearing underwear,” Harper cut in.
“Mostly naked,” Sophie corrected. “Fake relationship became real. But these two yahoos thought that the best thing to do would be to part ways when Luke left with his unit. I know, so stupid.”
“You’re a jerk,” Harper laughed, clearly unfazed.
“Fortunately, my mule-stubborn brother—Luke, not James, since there are two—came to his senses and demanded—”
“Asked,” Harper corrected.
“Whatever. Begged Harper to stay.”
Sophie stretched both arms over the back of the booth and looked smug. “The bottom line is, I’m a genius, and Harper and Luke are in a relationship.”
