Naturally, my luck ran out when I got to the counter and Jodi herself came out of the back.
“Devon?” Her forehead crinkled.
Shit. I gave her a tentative smile as I handed over my card to pay for the order. “Jodi. Hey.”
A huge smile broke across her face. “Oh my goodness, it is you! Get over here!” She beelined to me, wrapping me in her arms before I could process what was happening.
I stiffened, surprised at the contact. But as she tightened her embrace, I relaxed and and reveled in the familiar closeness. As the hug kept going, I laughed. “You’re not mad at me?”
She squeezed me closer. “Are you kidding? I could never be mad at you. I’m so excited you’re here!”
She eventually let go of me and pulled away, but kept her hands on my arms. We stared at each other and smiled, and a weight lifted off me.
“You look amazing.” She’d been her brother’s opposite their whole lives: fair-skinned where he wasn’t and redheaded to his nearly black hair. Even their eyes were different, hers an almost turquoise to his deep brown. Her red hair flounced in a ponytail at the top of her head, and was tied back with a sky-blue kerchief. She wore a chambray shirt and jeans with a simple black apron on top, and checkered red and white Vans on her feet.
She waved the compliment away, her eyes sparkling. “Oh my goodness, it’s been so long! How are you? Your hair! Here, come sit.” She grabbed my hand and led me to a table, waving at someone to bring my coffee over. “Tell me everything.” She smiled broadly and gestured for me to speak.
“I—”
“I was so sorry when Gigi passed.” She lay a hand on mine. “You know she came here every Sunday. She’d buy a hot chocolate and a lemon-raspberry scone and we’d catch up.”
“Really?” I beamed. Of course Gigi did; it was exactly the kind of thing she did.
She nodded. “Yeah. She was a big help for me at first, helping me figure out what would sell here, that sort of thing.” She squeezed my hand. “But go on.”
“Well, I—”
“You know I bought this place, right?”
I laughed.
Jodi steamrolled on. “Like, that’s why Gigi would come. She was always like another grandma for me, especially after you left. I think I reminded her of you, which is weird because we’re nothing alike. Guess it was a grandmother thing. But she was great when my Dad left, and when Jess left…anyway.” She gestured at me.
I tried not to wince at all the leaving Jodi had endured. “So it’s just you and your mom here?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, but enough about me. We’re talking about you!”
“Right. Gigi left me her house.”
Jodi grinned as she nodded. “I heard! I didn’t think you’d come back, though.”
My smile dimmed at the stab of guilt her words shot through me. “The house has always been in my family, so….”
“Oh my gosh, that means you’re moving in? That’s amazing! It’ll be like you never left and—”
I hurried to stop her. “Jodi, I’m not staying.”
She went quiet and her expressive eyes searched mine. “You’re not?”
I shook my head. “Not past the six months. It’s too hard,” I said, swallowing hard. “Even just now, outside…well. It’s too hard.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Oh.”
My heart squeezed. She’d been like a little sister to me for so long, and when I bailed on this town, I bailed on her. And clearly I wasn’t the only one. The fact that she was even being nice to me was proof of how wonderful she was. “How…”
She looked at me expectantly.
“How did you do it?” I looked around the shop to gather my resolve before turning back to her. “Move on, I mean.”
“Ah.” She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “One day at a time, Devon. I missed him—I still do—but I had to pick myself up and keep going. Especially after Dad took off and Jess went to Nashville. So, I didn’t really have a choice.”
“You could have fled like the rest of us.”
She pursed her lips. “Someone had to stay with Mom and keep this town in line.”
I looked at her in wonder and shook my head. “You’re a badass, you know that? So much stronger than us mere mortals.”
She shrugged. “Stick around, kid, and I’ll teach you my ways.”
I laughed. “I’m older than you, you know.”
She waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, but I’m the one who’s the most emotionally healthy. Not just in my family, either,” she said pointedly.
I winced. “Damn, woman, you aim straight for it.”
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re right. You’re absolutely right.” A piece of my heart clicked into place.
