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“I can give you a few, but if I see Lily at that used car lot again, I’m stepping in.”
“Got it.” I ground my teeth together. I didn’t have much time. It seemed like there was no way to escape Lily, but I didn’t want her to buy a new vehicle, either.
“I always liked Dottie. When I ran into her at the store, she’d always talk about one of her granddaughters loving flowers like her. I’m guessing it’s this Lily.” Nana reached over to cover my hand with hers. “You should help her.”
“I’ll think about it.” I always wanted to please Nana, and I remembered the pain in Lily’s voice when she talked about her grandmother and that van. I’d have to be heartless not to see how much it meant to her. Plus, I loved the challenge of a good restoration.
I could just see Lily riding around town in her refurbished VW van, her hair flying in the wind. I was wrong when I first ran into her on the side of the road—Berta was worth saving. I knew more than anyone how important your past was, and if Lily had a good one and wanted to memorialize it, who was I to say no?
I still needed to think it over for a few days. The thought of making a quick decision would send my heart racing. I needed to mull it over. See if I felt differently in the morning.
Maybe in a few days, I’d feel better about Ryan taking the lead on this one. I doubted it. But anything was possible.
Five
LILY
Interactions with my mother never failed to unsettle me. I was proud that this time she’d motivated me to do something about my business. I walked into the small yoga studio just off Main Street with an old, rolled-up mat.
I wanted to check out the studio, the teachers, and hopefully, the owner. It was a networking opportunity. If I wanted to invite them to hold classes on my property again, I needed to get to know them.
I was late, so I took the last open space in front of the instructor, a blonde woman, who seemingly bounced on her toes with energy as she made her way around the room, talking to the students.
I unrolled my mat and sat on the end to wait for class to start.
Within a few seconds, the instructor brought me a blanket and a block. “You own Petals.”
I glanced at her in surprise. “That’s right. I’m Lily.”
The instructor grinned. “I love your little shop. It’s exactly what this town needs.”
Warmth spread through me at her words, even if it didn’t seem to be true. “Thank you.”
“I’m Remi. I attended that yoga class on your farm.”
“I loved that class. I’d like to host more events like that.” I remembered Remi from the Shops on Main meetings. Her store, Remi’s Juice Shop, was off Main Street, closer to State Circle, on the north end of the historic area.
Since I’d moved to town, I’d been reeling from my grandmother’s death and staying busy with my business. I’d been to a few Shops on Main meetings where I’d met the other shop owners, but I hadn’t gotten particularly close to anyone yet.
“Have you practiced before?” she asked, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder as she lowered her voice.
“Just in my living room,” I said apologetically.
“That’s good enough for me. Any injuries?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Perfect. Just holler if you have any trouble.” Remi moved away from me to the front of the room.
Sitting cross-legged on her mat, she read a quote from a card resting on the ground in front of her, then asked us to set an intention for the class. My goal was to get through class without injuring myself.
She led us through a series of poses, and I quickly forgot about the reason I’d come. It took all my concentration to hold the poses. I felt a little clumsy compared to the other students, who looked like they’d been doing this forever.
By the time class was over, I was sweating, and my muscles were aching. It reminded me that I didn’t do any sort of exercise on a daily basis.
Everyone busied themselves rolling up their mats and returning the studio’s equipment.
Remi approached as I rolled my mat. “How did you like it?”
