Starting Over In Wickham Falls (Wickham Falls Weddings Book 9) Read online

The fragile rein Georgina had on her temper when interacting with her mother snapped. “That’s not going to be much longer,” she spat out. She hadn’t planned to inform her parents she was moving until she found a place to live.

  Evelyn looked as if she was going to faint. “What!”

  Georgina pressed the button on the coffeemaker harder than necessary. “I said I’m moving out.”

  “What about the store?” Bruce questioned.

  She smiled at her easygoing father. He’d lost most of his bright red hair and now at fifty-nine was left with a fringe on the crown of his head. There were times when she wondered how he had put up with his controlling wife, but it was apparent he was either used to or ignored most of her complaints.

  “I’ll still be working in the store.”

  Georgina didn’t have the heart to tell him that she wasn’t certain how long that would be. She’d contacted her first cousin, Sutton Reed, who had not renewed his contract with a Major League Baseball team after he’d suffered a season-ending injury. He had promised to let her know when he would return to Wickham Falls to help his uncle manage the store for a year while he contemplated life after baseball. Other than Sasha, only Sutton knew she wanted to leave the department store to go into business for herself.

  Bruce exhaled an audible breath. “That’s good to know.”

  “But she can’t leave!” Evelyn screamed.

  “Yes, she can, Evelyn. Have you forgotten that our daughter is thirty-two years old and she should’ve lived on her own years ago? It’s you who doesn’t want her to leave.”

  “I lost my son and now I can’t bear to lose my daughter.”

  Georgina rolled her eyes upward as she ignored her mother’s forced tears. “You’re not losing me, Mom. I’m moving out, not away.”

  “I’m still losing you.”

  She’d had enough of the theatrics. Georgina poured the coffee into a travel mug, added a splash of cream, secured the top and walked out of the kitchen. She wasn’t about to get into an argument with her mother because there would be no winners, only losers. And while she’d always bitten her tongue or walked away before she said something that would completely fracture her relationship with the older woman, Georgina knew she was through being diplomatic. Come hell or high water, she was moving.

  * * *

  Georgina parked her car in the space designated for guest parking at the antebellum-designed B and B. It was the largest and most impressive house in the town and had been known as the Wolfe House, the Falls House and now currently the Wickham Falls Bed-and-Breakfast.

  Her contact with Viviana and her brother Leland was nearly nonexistent when growing up because they’d attended a private boarding school. When Viviana married New York City-based developer and real-estate mogul, Noah Wainwright, some of the locals were grumbling that money begat money. There were three other cars in the lot beside hers, and she hoped Noah would be available to talk to her.

  After walking up the front steps to the mansion, Georgina opened the front door as a chime signaled someone had come in. Viviana appeared as if out of nowhere, and Georgina smiled at the tall, slender woman with a wealth of black, curly hair framing her face and cascading down her back.

  She extended her hand. “I’m Georgina and—”

  “I know who you are,” Viviana said, cutting her off and taking the proffered hand. “Even though we live in the same town I rarely get a chance to leave this place. Is there something I can help you with?”

  Viviana was right, because she’d had very little interaction with the woman who’d occasionally come into the store to buy yarn or fabric. She noticed the circle of diamonds in the eternity band on Viviana’s left hand. “First, congratulations on your marriage.”

  Clear, toffee-brown eyes in a flawless golden-brown complexion crinkled when she smiled. “Thank you. I’m still attempting to get used to introducing myself as Wainwright rather than Remington.”

  “I’m certain a lot of newlywed brides have the same problem,” Georgina said.

  “Even though all of the guests haven’t come down for breakfast I could get the cook to fix you a plate.”

  “Please, no. I came to ask your husband about the homes that are being built on your land.”

  “Noah’s in New York, but maybe I can help you. Come into my office so we can talk in private.”

  Georgina followed Viviana through the grand entryway to a room where the proprietress had set up her office. “This place is magnificent.”

  Viviana waited for her to sit before taking a matching needlepoint chair opposite her. “You wouldn’t have said that if you’d been here almost two years ago. Thanks to my brother, I was able to make repairs and restore the furnishings to where they are almost new. This place was a boardinghouse before I converted it to a B and B. Half the bedroom suites are set aside for the business and the other half for personal living. I know I’ve been running off at the mouth when you want to know about the houses that are under construction.”

  “Yes. I’d like to know if any are completed and up for sale.”

  “Only the model homes are completed. It will be at least another six to eight months before the rest of the structures will be ready for sale and occupancy.”

  Georgina schooled her expression not to show her disappointment. “I’m planning to move out of my parents’ home, and I was looking for something here in the Falls either to buy or rent until I decide on something permanent.”

  “I have two vacant fully furnished guesthouses on the property you can rent.”

  How much Viviana was going to charge her to rent the guesthouse wasn’t a deal breaker because Georgina preferred living in the Falls. And the last time she went through the classified ads in The Sentinel there was one house for sale and listed as a fixer-upper. She had no intention of investing her money in a property that needed extensive repairs even before she could move in.

  “Is this a good time for you to show them to me?”

  Viviana smiled. “It’s perfect.”

  * * *

  When Viviana tapped the key card and opened the door, Georgina couldn’t stop grinning. Her eyes lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning when seeing piles of gaily wrapped gifts under the decorated tree. The guesthouses were far enough away from each other and the main house to ensure complete privacy, and the interior claimed two bedrooms with sitting areas, flat-screen TVs, and there was a loft with a king-size bed overlooking the living/dining area. It also had a galley kitchen and full bathroom with a freestanding shower. A stackable washer/dryer unit was concealed in a closet off the bathroom.

  The furniture was contemporary, upholstered in red, brown and green, and was a colorful contrast to the lemon-yellow walls. A desk, worktable and chair positioned in a corner under a window was the perfect spot for her to set up a computer program for her business. She could use the extra bedroom to store her inventory rather than continue to pay a storage company. A wall of French doors spanned the rear of the house, allowing for unlimited light during the day.

  “As a guest you’re entitled to a buffet breakfast from seven to ten. Cordials and desserts are served in the parlor at 8:00 pm, and the entire property is wired with cable and Wi-Fi. You’re entitled to daily housekeeping services, and if you need clean linen then leave the placard on the bed.”

  “It’s perfect for my needs,” Georgina told Viviana. “Is it possible for me to rent it until the houses are completed?”

  “Yes. The rental rates vary for month-to-month, or three, six, nine and twelve months. If you decide to rent for six months, then you will get a twenty percent discount than if you decide for three.”

  She thought about the projected two-month minimum wait for the approval of the permit to open her shop. “What if I rent the guesthouse for three months with an option for an additional three?”

  A pregnant silence ensued as Vi
viana appeared to be deep in thought. “If that’s the case then I’ll charge you the six-month rate, which should allow you a greater discount. And if you move out before six months, then I’ll prorate the difference. I can’t have folks who live in the Falls talk about me cheating them. Even though Leland and I are Remingtons, people seem to get a kick out of reminding us that our mama was a Wolfe and Daddy was a junkie.”

  Georgina had grown up eavesdropping on conversations between her mother and other women whispering about Emory Remington. His military career ended when he was wounded during a deployment, and his dependence on prescribed meds segued into addiction to heroin and subsequent imprisonment for armed robbery to get money to support his habit. And anyone claiming Wolfe blood was reviled because of their corrupt, immoral ancestors.

  “And the same hypocrites have so many skeletons in their closets that if you open them, they would rattle like dice.”

  “I agree with you,” Viviana said. “It’s always the ones with the most to hide who are always beating their gums about something. Let’s go back to the house and I’ll review the rates with you.”

  * * *

  An hour after Georgina walked into the B and B, she left with a rental agreement and a key card for her new residence. The moment she handed Viviana her credit card she realized although she’d lived in Wickham Falls all her life, it was if she was starting over.

  Renting a fully furnished house was convenient, because she didn’t have to buy furniture or kitchen items. All she had to do was pack her clothes and personal items and shop for groceries to stock the fridge and pantry. Although she could take advantage of the B and B’s buffet breakfast, Georgina planned to prepare her own meals.

  Her father’s car wasn’t in the driveway, which meant he was probably at the store. She went into the house and found her mother in the family room watching her favorite televangelist. The Sundays she was off, Georgina had invited Evelyn to attend church services with her, but when her mother appeared to be mute, she’d stopped asking. Georgina knew it wasn’t healthy for her mother to stay indoors for weeks on end and had stopped attempting to devise scenarios to get Evelyn to leave the house.

  “Mom, did you eat breakfast?”

  Evelyn glanced at her. “I had toast and coffee.”

  “I’m making an omelet. Do you want one?”

  “No, thank you.”

  “What about fruit? There’s still some cantaloupe and honeydew left.”

  “I’ll have fruit.”

  Georgina found it hard to believe Evelyn had agreed to eat more than her usual toast and coffee. Perhaps announcing that she was moving out had penetrated her mother’s shroud of self-pity, and awakened the reality that she could no longer depend on her daughter for companionship when she had a husband who loved her unconditionally.

  “Do you want to eat in the family room or in the kitchen with me?”

  “As soon as my show is over, I’ll join you in the kitchen.”

  She went into the kitchen to make her Sunday breakfast favorite—an omelet, fresh fruit and wheat toast. Sundays she didn’t work, she usually cooked different meats and side dishes to last for several days. Georgina had defrosted pork chops, a couple of pounds of large shrimp and a roasting chicken. She’d also planned to make a black bean soup with andouille sausage, baked macaroni and cheese, corn muffins and cranberry bread pudding with bourbon custard and cranberry sauce.

  Whenever she cooked, Georgina felt as if she was paying homage to her Grandma Dot. Growing up, she’d believed there wasn’t anything her grandmother did not do well. She was an incredible cook and was disappointed that her daughters were less than enthusiastic about following in her footsteps. However, Dot’s faith was restored when her only granddaughter inherited her love of cooking and needlework. And once Georgina exhibited a talent for drawing it was Grandma Dot who’d encouraged her to become an artist. She missed her grandmother but knew she would be proud of her once she opened the shop that she planned to call A Stitch at a Time.

  Georgina had just finished chopping the ingredients for the omelets when she noticed Evelyn standing at the entrance to the kitchen. “Please come in, Mom, and sit down.”

  “So you’re really serious about moving out?” Evelyn asked as she entered the kitchen and sat on a stool at the cooking island.

  “Yes.”

  “When?”

  “Sometime this week. I’ll start loading up my car in a few days to begin moving my clothes and other personal items.”

  Closing the storage unit and storing the boxes in the smaller of the two bedrooms in the guesthouse had become Georgina’s priority. And although she had to wait for the town’s building department to approve the permit for her to open the craft shop, she felt confident it would become a reality. The landlord had renovated the space and added a bathroom after the last tenant vacated, brought everything up to code, and it was now turnkey ready.

  She had also ordered shelving, reception-area furniture and chairs and loveseats for an area she’d planned to set aside for her customers to relax while working on their handmade projects. There would also be a refreshment station with water, coffee, tea and baked goods from Sasha’s Sweet Shoppe.

  “You’ve found a place.” Evelyn’s query was a statement.

  “Yes, Mom. I’m renting one of the guesthouses on the Remington property.”

  “Do you really want to get involved with those people?”

  Georgina glared at her mother. “When are you going to let it go that Viviana and her brother aren’t responsible for how the Wolfes treated folks who worked in their mines?”

  “Never,” Evelyn said, frowning. “The Wolfes fired my grandfather after he was diagnosed with black lung disease. They claimed it had come from his smoking cigarettes, and I still remember his having to drag around an oxygen canister to help him breathe. He died cursing the Wolfes once they’d begun closing the mines one by one because the bastards didn’t want to comply with the government’s safety regulations.”

  “Mom, you have to forgive what happened over which you had no control, even if you choose not to forget.”

  “Like that boy who tried to extort you for money to pay his gambling debts?”

  Georgina regretted telling her mother why she’d stopped dating Sean Bostic despite promising him she wouldn’t tell anyone, yet she hadn’t wanted to lie about why she’d abruptly ended their eight-month relationship. Instead of being supportive that a man had attempted to take advantage of her daughter, Evelyn appeared to celebrate the breakup because it meant Georgina wasn’t going to get married and leave her.

  “There’s nothing to forgive because I didn’t give Sean any money. But I did learn a lesson about not ignoring the signs whenever a man talks about money, whether it’s his or mine.”

  “You have to know that a lot of men these days are looking for a woman to take care of them. A prime example is my sister Michelle. Once Sutton’s father discovered she’d inherited some money from our Daddy’s life insurance he latched on to her like a leech, while sweet-talking her into buying him a new car and whatever else he wanted. And, when the money ran out, he also ran out, leaving her practically barefoot and pregnant.”

  Georgina remembered her aunt Michelle cackling like a hen laying an egg when she’d revealed to her sister that Sutton’s father came skulking back like a whipped dog after the news that his son, whom he’d never met, after graduating college had become a first-round draft pick for a major league baseball team. The first-base, homerun-hitting phenom who’d signed a multimillion-dollar, four-year contract wanted nothing to do with the man who’d deserted his mother when she’d needed him most.

  “Aunt Michelle may have had to raise her son as a single mother, but in the end, she came out the winner and her baby daddy the loser. What was one of Grandma Dot’s favorite sayings?”

  Evelyn’s eyebrows lifted questioningly
. “Which one? She had so many that I couldn’t keep track of them. Like ‘what doesn’t come out in the wash will come out in the rinse.’ Or ‘she took the rag off the bush.’”

  “It’s the one about getting by but not getting away. In other words, karma is always waiting at the end of the road before she decides to punch your expiration ticket.”

  Evelyn flashed a rare smile. “I’ve lived long enough to see folks reap what they’ve sown, and most times it’s not a good deed.”

  “You’re only fifty-nine, so you’re not that old.”

  “There are times when I feel so much older,” Evelyn admitted.

  “That’s because you spend so much time alone in the house. You should ask Dad to take some time off and go somewhere exotic where the most strenuous thing you’d have to do is raise your hand to get the attention of the resort employee to bring you something to eat or drink.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “And why not, Mom?”

  “What about the store?”

  Georgina narrowed her eyes at her mother at the same time she pressed her lips together to stop the acerbic words from coming out. Evelyn was the queen of excuses. And if she said it, then she tended to believe it. “Do you really think the store is going to close its doors if Dad isn’t there for a week? Remember when he came down with the flu a couple of years ago, and I took care of everything? Powell’s may not be as large as other department stores, but we’ve been in business for more than one hundred years, and chances are it will continue long after we’re gone.”

  “You know there’s an unwritten rule that the store has to be managed by a family member, so what’s going to happen if you don’t get married and have children?”

  “I don’t have to be married to have children, Mom. I could always adopt. And don’t forget I’m not the only Powell. Dad still has a brother and sister who both have kids.”

  “Paul just retired from the army after twenty-five years, and there’s no way he’s going to give up living in Hawaii to come back to the Falls. And forget about Donna. She’s never going to leave Alaska, her husband, children, grandchildren and her beloved sled dogs.”