“Thank you, dear, and do call me Sue. Pull the doors shut behind you, please.”
Everyone piled into the room and got comfortable. Tricia thrust a bowl of cake and ice cream into Clara’s hands. “It’s too early for day drinking,” she joked. “Food it is.”
“And you don’t want to drink while you’re carrying a baby either,” Clara whispered.
How had all this happened? One minute she was drinking coffee and trying not to cry, wishing she was numb to pain and hurt. The next thing she knew she was surrounded by family who were dead set on bringing her comfort. When had her life turned around?
She’d gone from an only child, estranged from her father to part of a dynamic family full of love and caring. She was blessed. If only Zane was part of the mix.
“I gave Sue the lowdown on your problems to save you the trouble of retelling them. I hope that’s okay.” Honey said, squeezing Clara’s hand.
“And I filled in my daughters.”
Everyone fell silent and focused on their treats. Finally, unable to stand the tension building in her heart, Clara spoke. “Why are you here?”
“To help you, of course,” Amy said. “To bring comfort and let you know that no matter what happens with Zane, you’ve got family who love you.”
A trickle of warmth seeped into her heart. This was the sense of belonging that was missing from her life. A loving, caring family with all their quirks and support.
“I don’t know what to do,” Clara whispered, her voice shaking as bad as the hand holding her spoon. She swallowed hard and tried again. “I don’t know what to do. I love him, but…”
“Don’t even say it,” Sue warned. “Sometimes I’d like to take a horsewhip to your father. The man is a jackass. I cannot believe he filled your head with such nonsense. I get it, he was hurting because your mother died, but that doesn’t make it okay to belittle a child and shatter her dreams. Frankly, I’m impressed that you persisted with the piano despite his complaints. Very wise of you. Clearly, music is your gift, as is dealing with people. Not everyone could turn a broken-down inn into a beauty like this. And filled to capacity as well. I’m proud of you. You’ve done well. You should be proud of yourself.”
Her cousins chimed in their agreement.
With an inaudible snap, the bands constricting her chest broke free, and Clara gasped. Sue was right. She’d done something amazing here. The inn was a success. Her music sales were taking off. She had achieved a lot in a short time. She was making her life a success.
Maybe Zane would be part of it, maybe he wouldn’t. But she was going to stop being afraid to move forward with him. She was going to take the risk. If their relationship crashed and burned, she’d land in the comforting arms of her family.
“You know what? IAMproud of myself. I’m making a success of this inn and my music. Maybe this isn’t what I thought my life would be, but I’m proud of it. And if Zane doesn’t think that’s good enough, that I’m not good enough, he can go sit on a stump.”
“He doesn’t think that,” Honey reminded her. “I’ve seen him look at you. He’s in love with you. I’m sure there are details to work out, but I firmly believe that you and Zane can have a happy life together.”
“Just don’t make it easy for him,” Amy chimed in. “Give him a challenge, make him chase you a bit. It’s time he proved himself worthy of you. You’re a special woman and you shouldn’t settle for less than the best that’s out there.”
Clara laughed, suddenly feeling free. “You guys are the best. Wait, why is Tricia here? Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”
Tricia laughed, a light trickling sound. “Nope. We’ll go during the summer when I don’t have to teach classes. We were going to get married in the spring, but this little bundle put a rush on things.” She stroked her nearly flat tummy.
“As it should,” Sue chided. “No grandchild of mine is going to be born out of wedlock. Well, except Daisy, but Riley didn’t know about her.” She pinned every woman in the room with a stare.
Everyone laughed but their agreement showed in their eyes and smiles. Nobody argued with Sue Flint, not even her husband. The woman was solid steel over a marshmallow heart.
Peace and contentment washed over Clara. She had the sudden epiphany that everything was going to be all right. Her life was going to turn out fine. With or without Zane Ryder. Of course, if he was willing, she might just indulge in a bit of naughty behavior. With protection, of course. Maybe he wasn’t in it for the long haul, but she was. She’d make a few steamy memories and if he moved on, she’d be fine.
Somehow, she knew things would work out. Even if she had to chase him down.
