Page 12 of The Prince Who Loved Me

“Honey, we haven’t done that for a month or two now. I wanted to slow down, and Wendy and I talked it over. We may offer it again for special occasions, but hiring a chef would be too much hassle.”

Especially since Jordan’s boyfriend had turned down the job, staying with her in Macon. Which they knew would happen, but tried anyway. Since Josh was one of the few chefs Eulalee trusted in her kitchen, it was easier and less stressful to stop offering Fountenoy Hall’s culinary creations.

“Oh, don’t you have a date tonight, Brandi?” Eulalee asked. “Which one is this, your second since you stopped seeing Andy?”

Third, but who was counting? “I canceled it.” Trying to find someone to connect with, who appreciated her mind instead of her body, had been an ordeal. Her first date after Andrin had gone well, until he had asked to wash her hair. She hightailed it out of there without even saying goodbye. The second one wasn’t much better. He had spilled water all over her shirt and had tried to help mop it up. Out of instinct, she hoped, but that was the end of that.

“Haven’t I taught you anything, baby? Call him back,” Carolann said. “What if he’s The One and gets snatched up because you weren’t there? Besides, with all the traveling I’ve done today, I’m sure I’m going to crash early.”

The words hit her stomach like a line drive. “If you’re sure.”

“Well, I’m off to meet the girls for knitting at Cuppa Joe’s.” Eulalee gave Carolann a kiss on the cheek and headed toward the office door. “See you at dinner.”

“Anyway.” Carolann stood up and smoothed out her skirt. “Let’s share a room while I’m here. It will be so much easier to catch up that way.”

“Sure.” Brandi’s heart lightened and eagerness spread through her. Her mom wasn’t running out this time. They’d be able to spend time together, just the two of them. “I’ll get your suitcase. Can you take off your shoes?”

Carolann rolled her eyes but obliged. Brandi picked up the luggage instead of ruining the floor more with its wheels. Crumbs. The suitcase was a carryon. Maybe Carolann wasn’t planning on staying all that long.

Brandi led her down the short hallway to the lobby, then through the doors to the dining room and kitchen toward the servants staircase.

“This place hasn’t changed a bit.” Carolann ran her hand over the island. “I loved when your grandma made breakfast for me. When I was pregnant with you, she made me anything I was craving. Especially those cinnamon rolls that were as big as your face, and the peach glaze to go with it.”

“I miss her breakfasts.” More than that. Grandma has provided a safe haven for Brandi in high school, saving her from constantly moving around, giving her the opportunity to discover softball and make friends that lasted longer than a school year.

“Yeah, me, too, baby.” Carolann stepped on the first step and peered down at Brandi. “Did I see that prince of yours here earlier?”

“Mom!” Brandi looked around out of habit, even though there were no patrons skulking around. “Don’t call him that.”

“What, prince?” She laughed and began the climb. “Or yours?”

“Either. And we’re just friends.” Even as she said it, a small part of her brain perked up at the thought of having Sebastien as hers. “Besides, you just told me to uncancel my date tonight.”

It would never work. Their friendship mean too much to her to even pretend. And he was so much more than she was.

“Well, if you don’t want him, can I have him?” Carolann grinned as they passed the second floor landing.

“Mom, ewww. And what about Grant?”

“I’m just kidding, baby. He’s too young for me. Though not too rich. He has older brothers, right?”

Getting to her bedroom couldn’t come fast enough. Brandi opened the door and stepped back to let her mom in. “Here we are.”

Carolann strolled in, dropping her shoes by the closet door. “This place is so you.”

Yeah, ten years ago when everything had to be pink. She had been thinking about painting it, but Belle’s and dating took up much of her free time. “It’ll do.” She put the suitcase on the bed. “The bed’s kinda small, so I’ll grab one of the rollaways.”

“No, baby, I don’t want to put you out.”

“Please, Mom. I want to.” Brandi opened the closet and pushed her clothes to one side, then moved to her dresser to clear out some space. “I’ll leave you to unpack. I have to call TaxGuy and see if he made other plans, then do a brief checkin at work.” What she actually had to do was call some local farmers to come pick up the grains left over after the mashing and sparging.

Carolann folded her arms and tapped a long, pink manicured fingernail, her brown eyes narrowing. “You and Wendy are supposed to be equal partners, Brandi. You tell her you’re taking time off to spend with your mom. I guarantee she’s taking time with Leslie.”

She might not be, considering Leslie often called Wendy and had been by to visit a few times in the past nine months while Carolann had been in the wind. “It’s complicated, Mom. With only the two of us here, I can’t take off when I feel like it.”

“What about Eulalee?”

“She doesn’t do lobby work anymore, Mom. She stays mostly in the kitchen.”