Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
He slams the car door shut, and I watch him hurry to the teacher standing by the entrance, then gasp when I see that he’s wearing one white and one yellow sock.
“At least he’s wearing socks,” I mutter as I wave and pull away. “Mother of the year, right here.”
The school is only about four blocks from downtown Cunningham Falls so he won’t have far to walk. I love my town. I was born and raised here, and I always wanted to stay. A glamorous life in some city somewhere was never my dream.
That was Max Hull’s dream, and that’s why it never worked out between us.
I wanted to be here, in our sleepy town, with a husband and babies. I wanted a business. I wanted to be part of the PTA, the booster club, and I wanted to spearhead charity drives for the food bank.
And I have and do all of those things, minus the husband.
I pull into my parking space behind my store off the alley then gather my purse, coffee mug, and laptop, and make my way inside, disabling the alarm with just my pinky.
I’m a mom. Performing tasks with my hands full is my superpower.
I have two hours before I open, so I head up to my office and get busy taking inventory of the merchandise that was delivered yesterday, putting it on hangers and racks, ready for steaming.
I’ll have Krista, my part-time help, steam the new clothes when she gets here this afternoon.
Before I know it, my phone pings, alerting me that I’m only five minutes from opening time. So, I grab my mug of now-cold coffee and head downstairs. Once the door is unlocked, and the Open sign is lit, I pop a pod into the Keurig at the coffee station behind the lingerie and brew a fresh cup.
Much to my surprise, Cary did have a life insurance policy. Apparently, he took it out after we found out that I was pregnant, and I’ve been diligent about where I’ve allocated the money. I socked some away for Alex’s college, made a lot of repairs and upgrades to our house, and I took a year off of work when my little Alex came so I could get my feet under me.
Finally, about six months ago, I opened my own dress shop after working for someone else for way too long. Dress It Up is the other half of my heart. I carry smart, sexy, and beautiful clothes. Trendy pieces. Shoes that satisfy even the most discerning customer. And, yes, I serve coffee, wine in the evening, and when I’m feeling extra sassy, champagne.
“Willa,” my best friend, Jenna, calls from the front of the shop. “Where are you?”
“Getting coffee,” I call out. “Want one?”
“No, thanks.”
I weave my way through the racks and meet Jenna at the checkout counter in the middle of the store. “Hey. You look…frazzled.”
“Crazy morning,” I reply and take a sip of coffee. “Alex was trying my patience.”
“I think it’s his official job to do that,” she says with a smile. Jenna Hull is one of the sweetest people I know, and I’ve known her most of my life. Despite the history I have with her older brother, we have never let that get in the way of our love for each other.
She’s also maybe the most gorgeous woman in the world, with classic Grace Kelly beauty. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Killer figure.
If I didn’t love her so much, I’d hate her.
And when she takes a drink from her to-go cup from Drips & Sips, her engagement ring sparkles.
“How’s Christian?” I ask, still stunned that my best friend is engaged to the hottest actor on the planet.
“He’s amazing,” she says with a grin. “He has business calls this morning, and I am running some errands for Hannah. I can’t believe the wedding is this Saturday already.”
“Time flies,” I agree. “Is there anything I can do today? With the holidays over, I haven’t been as slammed in here.”
“I don’t think so, but I’ll keep you posted,” she says with a sigh. “My big brother is getting married.”
Brad Hull is the oldest sibling and the chief of police in Cunningham Falls. He fell head over heels for Hannah, an OBGYN who moved to town about five years ago. The man adores her, and I can’t wait to see them get married on Saturday. I was honored when Hannah asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, along with Jenna, and Hannah’s cousin, Abby.
“There are about twenty RSVPs out there in the universe that never made their way back,” Jenna says with a sigh. “Why don’t people just send back the damn card? It even has a stamp on it!”
“Because they’re mysterious,” I reply with a wink. “And if they’re local, I’d plan on them being there. This wedding is a big deal.”