What? I search for it right away and there it is, the news started circulating today. He was in San Diego when it happened. Interesting. So then, where is the doctor?
“I’m sorry, Mom,” I whisper, instead of asking where the doctor is. “So, the town is mourning?”
“No. Most of the people just want to know what happened. They don’t care if one or all of them died as long as it doesn’t affect them. That is the problem. We don’t know why there was an explosion. And what if we’re not safe. That guy, Vance, was a soldier. If someone followed him here, they could kill the entire town.”
Oh God, the conspiracy theories are crazy. It’s useless to tell her that all of it is gossip, so I just say, “You’re safe.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Mom, it’s Baker’s Creek. You said it was a music studio, right? Maybe the construction company didn’t set up the electric wires right.”
“That’s another problem. Easton, the new contractor, lost a lot of business because of that,” she whispers. “Ever since those kids came to town, nothing makes sense. We have more tourists. The factory is going back to its golden years, and same with The Lodge.”
She goes silent. So much for having Mom cheering me up.
“I hear a but,” I say. “Why is everyone concerned?”
“There’s that rumor going around that they’re here just because William made them. As soon as they receive their inheritance, they are leaving and selling everything,” she finishes, almost releasing a sob. “What are we supposed to do if they sell?”
“It shouldn’t affect you. Your business is one of the most profitable. Who doesn’t love your croissants, pastries, or cookies? Dad’s goat products are popular. He loves to teach. If they sell the mansion, the lodge, and the factory, you should be fine.”
I don’t tell her that there’s no way the school will be affected if the Aldridges sell their assets.
“They are my landlords. What if the new people increase the rent? I can’t afford that,” she says, finally letting me know what’s been bothering her since the six brothers arrived in town.
If things with Randall were different, I’d offer to lend them the money to buy the properties. As of right now, I’m not sure what’s going to happen between us, and I don’t have much savings. Who am I kidding? I don’t have any savings. My salary barely covers half of the expenses in this house. I should’ve kept my mouth shut when he said he’d pay for the rent when we moved in together. Sometimes being independent and self-reliant brings more problems than I care to deal with.
“Mom, you need to stop listening to gossip. If they were just waiting for their inheritance, they wouldn’t have opened a medical practice. You told me they’re building a hospital. There’s the animal clinic. The lawyer also opened a practice. It sounds like they’re settling in, don’t you think?”
“Probably.”
“I’m right,” I say, lying through my teeth. Well, it’s not a lie, but I’m just feeding her bullshit to calm her down. The Aldridges are billionaires. They can afford to open all these practices and close them just the same. If the businesses are well established, they can even sell them and make a profit. Mom doesn’t need to know that.
“Other than the Aldridges, what is the town up to, Mom?”
“Mary Beth is pregnant,” she says. “Her parents sent her to Portland. They said she got a job there, but we know the truth.”
“One of the Marys?” I hate the Marys. They are the queen bees of the town, and they made sure to make my life miserable while growing up. To spice things up–and in hopes that this will circulate around town–I say, “You think one of the Aldridges knocked her up?”
“No,” she says defensively. “They keep to themselves. They are like their grandmother. She always thought we were beneath her.”
She might be right. But, if they’re anything like me, they’re just avoiding being part of the gossip. Everyone is nice and sweet until they have something good to tear you apart.
“How do you even know that she’s pregnant, Mom?”
“Your aunt heard the nurse give her prenatal vitamins and a prescription. She also bought a pregnancy test in the convenience store. A week later, she disappeared,” she mumbles.
Who needs to be in Baker’s Creek when Mom can give me the small-town gossip experience?
“Any wedding news?” she asks, changing the conversation back to me.
“Mom, I’m not ready to get married.”
“He’s almost forty,” she reminds me. What would she think if she knew he’s divorced? “He might want to settle soon. That’s why he gave you that ring.”
Okay, so I told her about the time I caught Randall browsing for jewelry. She assumed he’d proposed. I said no, but he gave me a ring as a Christmas present. It was better than what actually happened, which was him forgetting to buy me something and cut me a check when I gave him a Hermes tie. I bought that ring outside the light rail train. It cost me twenty bucks, but it looks like a million-dollar piece.
“He didn’t propose. It was just a gift.”
“I don’t understand the two of you. You’ve been living with him for years, and there’s no commitment.”
Welcome to the club, Mom.
“It’s Denver, Mom. Things are different when you live in a city. Not everyone gets to marry their high school sweetheart and live happily ever after,” I say, wondering if I’ll ever be as happy as my parents are. “How’s Dad?”
“He’s well. He’s currently making cheese,” she says. “Since the Aldridge ladies got involved in the festival’s board, he has been able to set a booth every week.”
“So things are going well with his girls?”
She laughs. “Yes. I guess the investment is paying off—finally.”
Dad is a chemistry and physics teacher. They don’t pay him much at the high school, but he loves what he does. The day he said, “I’m buying goats so we can make cheese, moisturizer, and soap,” we thought he was going crazy. Randall said, “goats might be better than a mistress.” That’s what his father chose to do when he was in the middle of an existential crisis.
Listening to Mom talking about Dad’s girls and how much he enjoys his hobby makes me want to visit them. At least for the weekend. It makes me want to, but I won’t.
She’ll want me to bring Randall. The town will want to see my ring. They’ll ask about my penthouse. (I’ll remind you we have an apartment.) Mom likes to keep up with the Joneses; she brags about my life and embellishes it as she sees fit.
I can’t bring my fiancé because I’m not engaged. I can’t tell them about my fancy job because the only thing fancy is the title. All I can do is listen to her talk and maybe convince Randall to pay for their tickets so they can come to Denver.
Maybe I need to work on our relationship. I’ll get us back to a happy place, and then maybe we can work on a proposal and a better salary because, even if we get married, I want my independence.
Is this even possible?
Are Randall and I even meant to be together? Do I want to marry him?