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“Come on in.” Jan shut the door with a quiet snick.
“What’s this we hear about you running out on Chris?” her father demanded.
Jan looked over her right shoulder, then her left, but there was no one standing behind her. Her parents, the ones who had paid for someone else’s daughter’s wedding on their own daughter’s wedding day were accusing her of running out on the man who was the cause of it? She had to have heard them wrong.
“Really, Bill,” sighed her mother in her usual tone of disappointment. “Didn’t we raise her better than that? Chris supported her in this crazy pie making scheme, and now she’s leaving it all to him?”
How did he do it? How did Chris make everyone rally and flock around him even when his behavior was irredeemable?
“I knew we were right to be worried about her.” Her mother took a tissue from her purse and dabbed at her eyes.
Jan’s own eyes began their telltale tick. But almost instantly it stopped. It wasn’t a tick. She blinked. The rapid opening and closing of her eyes washed something away inside her soul.
It was as though she’d been looking through a foggy glass window. But now, with that one blink, the clouds had been wiped away. Jan saw the world crystal clear.
“She’s just too modern,” her mother was saying. Her mother had just turned fifty last year. “I know women these days can take care of themselves without a man.” Her mother looked skyward as though she didn’t know how that happened. “But how can she expect to do that without a job?”
“She has a new job,” Jan spoke up for herself. “I’ll be a chef in a new restaurant.”
“What is this new restaurant?” asked her father.
“It’s going to be called The Prince’s Palate.”
It was clever. It certainly would bring in more of a draw than Peppers’ Pies. Jan had thought the name of her restaurant was clever, but no one knew who she was. The whole world knew who Prince Alex of Cordoba was. They’d likely be booked solid for months before the doors even opened.
“I’ve never heard of it,” said her mother.
“Where is this place?” said her father.
“In Cordoba,” Jan said.
“Where’s that?” asked her father, looking to his wife.
“It’s an island nation between France and Spain.”
“I didn’t know there was an island between France and Spain?” said her mother.
“It’s where I was a couple of weeks ago. It’s where Esme lives now. Remember, she’s marrying the king.”
“I’ve never heard of this place or any king but the one in England.”
“Mom, there are other kings and queens and princes in the world outside of England.”
“Sure there are. Make believe princesses in Disneyland and Disney World.”
Why was Jan even arguing with them? They’d never believed in her, never supported any of her decisions other than the one to marry Chris. Jan’s clear vision told her that one thing remained the same. It would be a waste of breath to try to explain this to her parents. Their view of her would never change, and there was nothing she could do about that.
“Listen, mom, dad, my business partner bought Chris out, for a very fair amount.”
When she’d told Alex the value of her share, he’d doubled it without blinking. Jan had balked, but not loudly enough to stop him. Her freedom was worth the fat check Alex tore from his checkbook.
“Chris can choose to find someone new—he’s good at that—and keep the shop open. Or he can sell the business and keep all the profits for himself. Either way, I’m leaving.”
Her mother looked as though she were in the depths of despair. “Bill, talk some sense into your daughter.”
Her father opened his mouth, but the doorbell rang. Jan was more than happy to interrupt the conversation that was going nowhere because she had places to be. She opened the door to reveal Alex who was grinning ear to ear.
“Hey,” he said. “You ready to do this?”
