Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2)(2)

"She is a Goddess."

"She wil not like it."

I set my already firm jaw. "Persephone wil obey my command." Eirene opened her mouth as if she wished to speak, then seemed to change her mind and instead drank deeply of her wine.

I sighed. "You know you may speak your mind to me."

"I was just thinking that it would not be a matter of Persephone obeying your command, but rather..." She hesitated.

"Oh, come! Tel me your thoughts."

Eirene looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Demeter, you know that I love Persephone as if she were my own child." nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes. Of course."

"She is delightful and full of life, but she has little depth. I do not think she has enough maturity to be Goddess of the Underworld."

A hot retort came to my mind, but wisdom held my tongue. Eirene was correct. Persephone was a lovely young goddess, but her life had been too easy, too fil ed with cosseted pleasures. And I was at fault. My frivolous daughter was proof that even a goddess could make mistakes as a parent.

"I agree, my old friend. Before Persephone can become Goddess of the Underworld, she must mature."

"Perhaps she should spend some time with Athena," Eirene said.

"No, that would only teach her to pry into the affairs of others."

"Diana?" Eirene offered.

I scowled. "I think not. I would someday like to be blessed with grandchildren." I narrowed my eyes. "No, my daughter must grow up and see that life is not always fil ed with Olympian pleasures and luxury. She needs to learn responsibility, but as long as she can draw upon the power of a goddess, as long as she can be recognized as my daughter, she wil never learn - " Suddenly I knew what I must do.

"My Lady?"

"There is only one place where Persephone wil truly learn to be a goddess. It is a place where she must first learn to be a woman."

Eirene drew back, her face taking on a horrified expression as she began to understand.

"You wil not send her there!"

"Oh, yes. There is exactly where I shal send her."

"But they wil not know her; they do not even know you." Eirene's deeply lined brow furrowed in agitation.

I felt my lips turning up in one of my rare smiles. "Exactly, my friend. Exactly."

Chapter 1

Oklahoma, Present Day

" No, it's not that I don't 'get it,' it's that I don't understand bow you could have let it happen." Lina spoke slowly and distinctly through clenched teeth.

"Ms. Santoro, I have already explained that we had no idea until the IRS contacted us yesterday that there had been any error at al ."

"Did you not have any checks and balances? The reason I pay you to manage the taxes for my business is because I need an expert." She glanced down at the obscene number typed in neat, nononsense black and white across the bottom of the government form. "I understand accidents and mistakes, but I don't understand how something this large could have escaped your notice." Frank Rayburn cleared his throat before answering. Lina had always thought he looked a little like a gangster-wannabe. Today his black pinstriped suit and his slippery demeanor did nothing to dispel the image.

"Your bakery did very well last year, Ms. Santoro. Actu-al y, you more than doubled your income from the previous year. When we're talking about a major increase in figures, it is easy for mistakes to happen. I think that what would be more productive for us now is to focus on how you can pay what you owe the government instead of casting blame." Before she could speak he hurried on, "I have drawn up several suggestions." He pul ed out another sheet of paper fil ed with bulleted columns and numbers and handed it to her. "Suggestion number one is to borrow the money. Interest rates are very reasonable right now."

Lina felt her jaw clench. She hated the idea of borrowing money, especial y that much money. She knew it would make her feel exposed and vulnerable until the loan was repaid. If the loan could be repaid. Yes, she had been doing well , but a bakery wasn't exactly a necessity to a community, and times were hard.

"What are your other suggestions?"

"Wel , you could introduce a newer, more glitzy line of foods. Maybe add a little something for the lunch crowd, more than those..." He hesitated, making little circles in the air with one thick forefinger. "Baby pizza things."

"Pizette Florentine." She bit the words at him. "They are mini-pizzas that originated in Florence, and they are not meant to be a meal, they are meant to be a mid-afternoon snack served with cheese and wine."

He shrugged. "Whatever. Al I'm saying is that it doesn't draw you a very big lunch crowd."

"You mean like a fried chicken buffet would? Or maybe I could even crank up the gril and churn out some burgers and fries?"

"Now there's an idea," he said, total y missing the sarcasm in her tone. "Suggestion number three would be to cut your staff."

Lina drummed her fingers on the top of the conference table. "Go on," she said, keeping her voice deceptively pleasant.

"Number four would be to consider bankruptcy." He held up a hand to stop her from speaking, even though she hadn't uttered a sound. "I know it sounds drastic, but after those expensive renovations you just completed, you real y don't have any reserves left to fal back on."