Ignite (Cloverleigh Farms #6)(28)

“Hi, Mom,” I called, entering Plum & Honey and holding the door open for an elderly couple on their way out. Even though she was technically my stepmom, I’d been calling her Mom since she married my dad.

“Hi, sweetie.” She smiled at me from behind the counter. “What are you up to today?”

“Meeting Ellie here for coffee and then we’re going to take a power walk.”

“Nice. Want coffee to go or for here?”

I glanced around. Plum & Honey only had a few tiny tables, but there was one open. “For here.”

“You got it.” She placed two cups and saucers on the marble counter and began to fill them from the pot. “Did you have fun last night?”

Immediately I thought about the kiss, although I knew she was referring to the party. “Yes.”

“Mariah seems sweet.” She replaced the coffee pot in the machine.

“She does.”

“And young.”

“She’s only ten years younger than Chip, Mom. Same as you and Dad.”

“I know.” Shaking her head, she took a couple scones from the case and put them on two plates. “I guess I feel like twenty-four is very young to make a lifelong commitment. You hardly know who you are yet.”

I rolled my eyes. “You were what, twenty-seven when you married Dad?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Okay, twenty-eight. That’s only a few years’ difference.”

“I know, I know.” She laughed at herself. “Maybe I’m just remembering the panic I felt when I thought you were getting married at twenty-two.”

My smile faded. “That’s different. Merrick was obviously not the right choice for a lifelong commitment, but it doesn’t mean I wasn’t ready to make one.”

“I know.” She held up her hands. “And I remember very well what it was like to be young and want to make my own decisions, whether they were mistakes or not. You have to be free to stumble along the path, which is why I didn’t say anything negative to you about Merrick even though I knew all along he was not the one for you.”

“Next time, you could at least drop a hint,” I said wryly, picking up both saucers.

“Deal.” She took the plates with scones on them and came around the counter, following me to the empty table. “By the way, your new friends were in this morning.”

I sat down and looked up at her in surprise. “My new friends?”

“Dexter Matthews and his girls.”

The butterflies returned. “Oh.”

“They came in to grab breakfast before church.” She laughed as she set down the plates. “The girls were looking for you. They thought you might work here.”

I smiled. “They’re so funny.”

“They are. And Dexter seems nice.”

“Yes.”

“And very handsome. I’d never met him before.”

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I guess.”

“His ex-wife Naomi does my hair.”

“Oh really? I didn’t know that.”

She sighed, twisting her fingers together. “I’ve heard her side of things—she definitely isn’t shy about discussing her personal life at work. But her side isn’t the only one.”

“What does she say about him?”

“The usual stuff any ex-wife would say. She doesn’t think he tried hard enough to make the marriage work. She said he was gone a lot when they were first married and that was tough.” My mom shrugged. “She’s called him some names.”

“He’s a good dad,” I said, feeling the need to defend him. “A really good dad. Those girls adore him.”

“I could tell when they were in here. And she never says he’s a bad father, just a shitty husband.” She shrugged. “But like I said, there are two sides to every relationship story.”

I knew she was thinking about my real mom, and how shitty things were for my dad after Carla left. I also remembered very well the things Carla used to say to my sisters and me about our dad, and how upset it used to make me. I’d get terrible stomachaches over it. “I hope Naomi doesn’t say those things in front of the girls.”

“I don’t think she does,” my mom said. “She’s said before that she doesn’t believe in one parent badmouthing the other in front of the kids. I think it’s more like the salon is her safe space to vent.” She thought for a moment. “She’ll often rant for a bit and then apologize and say something like, ‘I’ve known him forever and he’s a good person, but he just turned out to be wrong for me.’ I guess they were high school sweethearts.”

Out of nowhere, a sharp bolt of jealousy zapped me in the gut. “When did they split up?”

“I think maybe a year and a half ago? Two years? I know it’s final though, because she’s already engaged again.”

“Good for her,” I murmured, picking up my coffee for a sip.

“Anyway, it was nice to meet them today. And I’m so glad Luna’s reaction was nothing scary.”

A few customers entered the bakery, and Ellie was right behind them. “I better get back to work.” My mom patted my shoulder. “Thanks for coming in, sweetie.”