“Thank goodness. I felt the same way.” She bit down on her lip. “I only hope Adam won’t feel like I deceived him. I wasn’t truthful with him about my divorce, my job, myfinancial status. I just never thought I’d stay here. I never intended to be secretive. It all just sort of happened, and I loved being anonymous. I was trying on new things to see what felt right. I finally know what it feels like to be me.”
“Adam will understand.” Krissy rubbed her hand across Merry Anna’s back. “I hate that you’re so upset. Why don’t you go on home and talk to Adam? You’ll see. It will be fine. I’ll tell Grady everything when he gets here. Send that picture of Kevin over to me. I’ll give it to him.”
Merry Anna pulled out her phone and sent Krissy the photograph.
“Will you be okay to walk home? I can close up and take you, or, hey, you can take my car. I’ll catch a ride with Grady.”
“No, the fresh air will do me good,” Merry Anna insisted. “I love this town and everyone in it. I’m not going anywhere.”He’s not going to steal my joy.“I’m feeling better. I’m going to call Kevin on my way home and let him know that I will have him arrested if he comes back around.”I don’t care what my folks have to say about it either. This is my life now, and I’m taking charge of it.
28
Merry Anna walked down theblock, trying to shake the heebie-jeebies all this mess with Kevin was giving her. This town and her choice to go simple for a little while had become complex, and it weighed on her heart. She’d never intended to deceive anyone.
Dialing Kevin, she wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer. Controlling her voice, she left a message. “You could at least have the decency to answer. I know you’ve been skulking around, and you going into my house is trespassing. Don’t you think for one minute that I won’t have you arrested. We are not married, and we are not ever going to be anything again. I protected your reputation when we were married, but I’m going to fill in my folks on every bad habit and stupid thing you’ve done over the years. Your free ride is over, Kevin. Stay away from me.”
She ended the call. She wasn’t going to take this from him. For the first time in her life, she knew what happiness was. She knew what it felt like to do something because it was the right thing to do and not just for the money.
She scanned the lot of the Feed & Seed for Adam’s truck. He was parked in a different spot this morning. One near thestairs.Probably for Zan.So much joy flooded her at the thought of them.Kevin, you will not ruin this for me.
Nervous to tell Adam the whole story, she knew that the longer she waited, the harder it would be. She veered from the sidewalk to the parking lot. While walking through the racks of summer flowers and garden tools, she said hello to a woman she recognized as a customer of Hardy House. “How are you today?”
“Doing great. Don’t they have the best plants here?” the woman said.
“I totally agree.” The cowbell on the door clanked as she stepped inside.
A little blond head popped up from the other side of a stack of horse feed. “Hi, Miss Merry Anna! Boo!”
“Did you see me coming?” Merry Anna teased.
“Mm-hmm. I was sitting on top of these bags and saw you walking down the street. I was crossing my fingers and hoping you would come here, and then you did!”
“Well, it sure is good to see you. How has your day been?”
“Very good. I’ve been making some new signs for the store.” She scrambled from behind the feed bags and grabbed a stack of papers. “See, I drew this one for the horses, this one for the dogs, and one for the cats. I tried to do one for birds, but I don’t really know how to draw those very good. They look like bubbles. Now people don’t have to read, and they’ll know what to buy.”
“You are a thinker,” Merry Anna said. “And that is very good marketing. You know, I’ve been painting something lately too.”
“You have?”
“Yes. I’ve been painting a barn quilt. I’ll show it to you sometime.”
“What’s it look like?”
Merry Anna smiled. “At first it was just going to look like blocks of pretty colors. But then I decided to add hearts and birds in the blocks, because this place makes me so happy, and the birds are so beautiful.”
“I think I would like that.”
“I’ll show it to you. I’m almost done with it, and I can’t wait to hang it on my house.”
“Maybe we can make one formyhouse. Will you help me?”
“I most surely will,” Merry Anna said.
“I thought I heard your voice. Hey there.” Adam walked over and slung a casual arm around her waist. “I see my marketing department is catching you up on the new promotion.”
“Yes.” Merry Anna gave Zan a nod. “I see great things for the future of this place.”
“That’s good, because changes are coming.” He slapped his hands together. “In fact, you walked in at just the right time. Could you do me a big favor?”
