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

  “What did you do to him?”

  “It was a queen, and her name is Precious. But she was anything but precious, and I didn’t do anything to her. She just didn’t like me.”

  “That’s where we differ, Langston. I happen to like cats because they are quiet and independent.”

  He speared a forkful of beets. “You like cats and I prefer dogs. Does this mean you are not in the running?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying, Mr. Cooper.”

  “What if I decide to take a liking to cats?”

  Georgina shook her head. “Oh no, Langston. You’re not going to pretend to like cats on my account. And besides, I don’t have time for a boyfriend.”

  “Why not, Georgi?”

  “Because right now I have much too much on my plate. I work seven days every other week, I’m moving and I’m working on samples to exhibit once I open my shop.” Georgina closed her eyes, groaning. “Oops! I shouldn’t have said that,” she whispered.

  Langston realized she’d made a faux pas, but it was too late for her to retract it. “You’re going into business for yourself.” The question was a statement. She opened her eyes, nodding. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

  She exhaled a breath. “Only if it doesn’t go beyond this room.”

  He gave her a long stare. “Any and everything you tell me is off the record.”

  Chapter Five

  Georgina didn’t want to believe a slip of the tongue would result in her revealing her plans to a man who made a living disseminating information. But she had to trust him, because he’d given his word. He would keep her secret.

  “I decided to go into business for myself once my father downsized and then eliminated the store’s arts and crafts section. I boxed up all of the merchandise and rented a storage unit.”

  “You’re that proficient that you’ll be able to give instructions?”

  “Yes. My grandmother taught me to knit, crochet, quilt and the rudiments of embroidery and needlepoint.”

  Langston’s expression brightened. “I remember visiting my maternal grandmother in South Carolina during the summer recess and at the end of the day she’d sit on the porch and knit sweaters for me and my sister. Every Christmas she would send us knitted socks, gloves and scarfs.”

  “Handmade garments are a dying art, so that’s why I want to open a shop catering to those who want to learn, and others that still knit, crochet and quilt.”

  “Will it be here in the Falls?” Langston asked, and she appeared startled by his query.

  “Yes. I discovered there were a few vacant storefronts on Sheridan Street. I’ve already signed a lease with the landlord and submitted an application to the town’s housing department for a permit for occupancy.”

  “How long do you project you’ll have to wait for their approval?”

  “I was told two months. What I don’t understand, Langston, is why it takes so long for the town council to approve startups.”

  “There’s a lot of bureaucratic red tape involved with a new company because of an intensive background investigation. I went through the same thing when I offered to buy the paper. What the council doesn’t want is for someone to use a business as a front for illegal activity. Before I left for college I’d overheard my parents talking about the guy who’d opened the shoe store to launder money for a cousin who was trafficking in drugs and needed somewhere to hide his money. The IRS caught up with him when it was apparent he was depositing a lot more money than his reported income, and that alerted the mayor and the members of the town council so they decided not to fast-forward any future applications for new businesses.”

  Georgina angled her head. “I do remember the notice posted on his door because of a tax lien, but I can assure you I will not be laundering money for anyone.”

  * * *

  “Do you feel confident running your own business?”

  Georgina gave him a death stare. Did he believe because she was a woman she would fail? “What do you think I’ve been doing the past fourteen years? I can tell you off the top of my head every piece of merchandise we stock in this store. I’m also familiar with accounts payable and receivables, payroll and employee benefits. Every item has been scanned digitally with a barcode and I’ve developed a computerized inventory program with alerts when to reorder. So to answer your question, yes, Langston. I feel very confident running my own business.”

  He held up both hands in supplication. “I’m sorry it came out like that. What I meant to ask is do you think you’ll get enough customers for it to remain viable?”

  Her attitude changed, becoming more conciliatory. “Yes. When we had the arts and crafts section in the store they sold well, but then my dad decided to expand sporting goods with the increasing popularity of soccer. And there’s talk the school’s athletics department is forming a soccer team.”

  “How does he feel about you leaving Powell’s?”

  “He doesn’t know yet.”

  “What!”

  Georgina bit back a smile. Langston looked as if he’d been stabbed by a sharp object. “I’ll let him know once my permit is approved.”

  “But doesn’t he depend on you to help him manage the store?”

  “Yes, but I’m not going to leave him without a backup, Langston. I’ve asked my cousin Sutton Reed to take over for me.”

  Langston leaned forward. “Has he agreed?”

  This time she did laugh when she saw excitement light up his eyes. “Yes.”

  “Hot damn! Your father better get prepared for the groupies hanging around just to get a glimpse of Sutton.”

  Maybe because he was her cousin Georgina did not see Sutton like that. Yes, he was gorgeous, a baseball phenom who’d become rookie of the year, won several gold gloves and a batting crown title, World Series ring and two homerun derbies. His image had also appeared on several sports magazines during his celebrated career. He’d married his college sweetheart, but the union ended due to irreconcilable differences after eight years.

  “I’m certain Dad won’t mind more traffic if it translates into higher sales.”

  Langston smiled. “Whatever works. Maybe after he’s settled in, can you ask him if he’s amenable for me to interview him for the ‘Who’s Who’ column?”

  Georgina nodded, smiling. The media loved Sutton because not only did he make himself available to them, but he was also extremely photogenic and articulate. “Of course.”

  “When do you expect him to come back?”

  “Not for another month. He’s waiting to close on his Atlanta condo.” Whenever Sutton returned to the Falls to visit with his aunt Evelyn, her mother came alive, lavishing him with attention.

  Several minutes of silence passed before Langston said, “If you didn’t work here, would you have left the Falls like so many other kids when they graduate high school?”

  “Like yourself?”

  He stared at his plate. “Yes, like myself.” His head popped up. “Once I was hired as an intern at the news station, I couldn’t come back because there was no way I could compare working for a local paper to an award-winning all-news cable network.”

  Georgina took a sip of water, meeting Langston’s eyes over the top of the bottle. “If I’d had a choice I would’ve left to go to art school.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “You wanted to be an artist?”

  “An illustrator,” she corrected. “I wanted to go into animation. The other alternative was to become a court artist.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “My brother died.”

  Langston sat straight. “How did that stop you from going to art school?”

  She took another sip of water, and then told him about how Kevin’s passing had impacted her family, watching intently as myriad expressions crossed his features. “My mother agreeing to go to Hawaii for
a couple of weeks shocked me and Dad. I’m certain my decision to move out temporarily jolted her out of her malaise, but knowing Mom it may not last long. She has good and bad days.”

  “Do you believe she’ll come back to work here?”

  “I don’t know,” Georgina said. “I suppose we’re going to take it one day at a time. I never had a child, so I don’t know what it is to lose one, but I’d believed my mother would eventually accept the fact that Kevin was gone and never coming back.”

  “Grief affects everyone differently. Whether it’s losing a loved one, or a divorce, those who are involved will never be the same.”

  “Please don’t get me wrong, Langston. I miss my brother and there isn’t a day when I don’t think about him, and while it took me a long time, I had to resign myself to the fact that he wasn’t coming back.” Georgina didn’t want to talk about her brother or the impact of his death on her family, when it appeared as if a modicum of healing had begun with her pronouncement that she was moving out. Now Evelyn would be forced to lean on her husband for companionship and emotional support rather than her daughter.

  “Do you still draw?”

  She didn’t know why, but Georgina felt as if Langston was interviewing her for his “Who’s Who” column as he continued with his questioning. However, he’d promised everything she told him was off the record—none of which would appear in the biweekly.

  “No. It’s been years since I’ve picked up a sketch pad. I did a lot of sketching when I was on the high school’s newspaper committee. If you search the archives, you will see some of my caricatures.”

  “You must have joined the newspaper club after I’d graduated.”

  “I did,” she confirmed. “I waited until my junior year to get involved. But I must admit as the former editor of The Mountaineer you were a tough act to follow. Mr. Murray reminded us constantly that you had set a high bar when you were the editor, and that some of our articles were so sophomoric that he was ashamed to put out the issue.”

  “Murray fashioned himself a slave driver. He said the same thing to me and the others in the newspaper club, and it wasn’t until I got into journalism school that I realized he was a pussycat compared to some of my professors.”

  Propping her elbow on the table, Georgina rested her chin on the heel of her hand. “Don’t be so modest, Langston. I’d read some of your articles and they were exceptional. Just accept that you’re a gifted writer. And when news of your first book was published, Dad ordered several cartons and convinced everyone who came into the store to buy a copy.”

  “I’d heard he was offering a fifteen percent discount on their total purchases if they bought the book.”

  Georgina made a sucking sound with her tongue and teeth. “Whatever works. I’m certain we sold enough copies to boost your sales, so you were able to make a bestseller list. You can’t say the Falls’ folks don’t stick together.”

  “That was one of the several reasons why I’d decided to come back here to live.”

  “Why did you come back?” Georgina asked him.

  Langston chose his words carefully when he said, “I wanted to go to bed and not wake up to the sounds of honking horns, the wailing sirens from emergency vehicles, explosions or the exchange of gunfire. I believed I’d gotten used to the noise and hustle of New York City when I went to college, but it was nothing compared to covering a war as a correspondent.”

  Georgina lowered her arm. “How long were your assignments?”

  “Too long, Georgi. Now I know how soldiers feel when they’re deployed. The only thing you look forward to is the next sunrise.”

  She blinked slowly. “Do you have PTSD?”

  Langston stared over her shoulder at the countertop with a microwave, single-serve coffeemaker and toaster oven. “Yes.”

  “Have you seen a therapist?”

  “Yes,” he repeated. “The flashbacks don’t occur as often as they had in the past. I’ve had only two since I’ve been back.”

  “Hopefully, one day they’ll disappear completely.” There was a hint of wistfulness in her voice.

  “That’s what I’m hoping,” he said, although he doubted whether certain atrocities he’d witnessed he would ever forget.

  “You stay and finish your dinner while I pull up an ad for you.”

  “Do you need my assistance?”

  She stood. “I don’t think so. I save all of our ads on the computer so I just have to find a file with Easter items and revise or update it.”

  Langston rose with her. “If you don’t mind, I’ll clean up here.”

  “I don’t mind. Just scrape and rinse the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He waited for Georgina to leave to clear the table. It was the second time they’d spent time together and just her presence reminded him how long it had been since he was able to have an intelligent conversation with a woman with whom he’d found himself interested.

  When she’d suggested he get a girlfriend his intent was to tell her she would be his first choice. Langston told her a woman’s looks did not matter because he didn’t want her to think of him as shallow.

  He was transfixed by Georgina’s bare face with a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and her hair fashioned in a single braid, and equally enthralled with the transformation with a subtle cover of makeup and the absence of curls in a sophisticated twist.

  She’d shocked him when she’d revealed she was opening a business in the Falls. Georgina would become the second woman in less than six months who would become a business owner, of which there were too few in a town of more than four thousand residents.

  Dr. Henry Franklin retired from his family practice and it was now run by Philadelphia transplant Dr. Natalia Hawkins-Collier. Pastry chef Sasha Manning had returned home to open Sasha’s Sweet Shoppe to much success. Bessie Daniels owned Perfect Tresses, and now Georgina would be added to the list of women business owners when she opened her craft shop.

  He’d left Wickham Falls at eighteen to attend college and had returned at thirty-six and only a few things had changed during his absence. His parents retired, sold the pharmacy and moved permanently to their Key West vacation home.

  His parents said repeatedly that they had the best boss in the world—themselves. After graduating with degrees in pharmacology, his father went to work in a hospital pharmacy, while his mother got a position with a chain store pharmacy. After several years they’d decided to go into business for themselves, which allowed them to make their own hours and control their future. It had taken Langston many more years than his parents had, but he was now his own boss. Jacklyn had also followed in their parents’ footsteps when she left teaching to become a writer. He had finished cleaning up the break room at the same time Georgina returned.

  She handed him a printout of the ad. “I just downloaded a copy to the paper.”

  A chuckle rumbled in his chest before it exploded in an unrestrained laugh. “This is incredibly cute.” The ad had tiny bunnies, and baby chicks spelling out the department store’s logo and bold lettering advertising pre-Easter discounts on candy and decorations.

  Georgina flashed a smug grin. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Did you design this?”

  “Yes.”

  He gave her a sidelong glance. “I thought you said you didn’t sketch anymore.”

  “I don’t. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I have templates of all kinds of images and I highlight what I want and then transfer them to an ad or flier.”

  Langston wanted to ask Georgina who was being modest now. Not only did she have an exceptionally creative mind, but she also had an incredible eye for detail. “This is the most eye-catching ad you’ve sent us.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No, Georgi, thank you. You’re very talented.”
<
br />   She exhibited what passed for a smile. “Well, this very talented tired shopkeeper is about to head home so she can get some sleep before getting up to come back to this rodeo.” Georgina pointed to the containers on the table. “Please take those with you.”

  “What if I leave them for your employees?”

  “What if you don’t?” she countered. “The ladies are on restricted diets and I don’t want them to accuse me of trying to sabotage them.”

  “I can’t eat all of this food.”

  “Now you sound like me. What if I come to your house tomorrow after I close, and I’ll help you put a dent in this mini banquet?”

  Langston felt as if he’d won a small victory. He hadn’t invited Georgina to his house to come on to her but to prove to himself that he could regain a sense of normalcy that had evaded him far too long. Before moving back to the Falls he’d closed himself off from friends and former colleagues who he’d meet after work for happy hour or invite to his condo during football season.

  His therapist had recommended he get out of his apartment or invite some of the guys who worked for the station over to watch a game, but he had resisted because he feared having them witness a flashback. None of them were aware he was afflicted with PTSD. Inviting employees to his home was not an option, but Georgina wasn’t his employee but someone with whom he felt comfortable enough to be forthcoming.

  “Text me and let me know when I should expect you. Now, I’ll wait for you to lock up and then we’ll leave together.”

  * * *

  Georgina did not want to think of going to Langston’s house to eat as a date, but based on her experience with men it was to her. She couldn’t keep a steady boyfriend once they discovered she still lived with her parents. Her relationship with Sean was the exception because she always drove to Beckley to see him. Perhaps she’d been naive when she had overlooked the signs that told her Sean wasn’t what he presented. Most times he paid for their dates, but occasionally, he’d claim he’d overspent and asked her to cover the check. However annoying, it hadn’t happened so often that alarm bells went off in her head that her boyfriend had a problem managing his finances. She’d continued to see him because he’d charmed her parents, and her father liked the fact that she was dating a man whose family was also successful business owners.