The bell on my shop door jingles, indicating someone’s come in. I’ve been expecting Kat and Nico; today I’m showing them the samples of their dining table centerpieces.
I look at the clock, wondering why A.J. isn’t here yet. He confirmed just this morning he’d be here, and he’s not one to be late. He said he had a meeting with his manager at ten o’clock, but that was hours ago. A twinge of worry pinches my stomach, but I push it aside.
“Gotta go, Mom. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
I hear the sound of a kiss through the phone. “Take care of yourself, darling.”
“I will. Bye.”
When we hang up, I cross my fingers that Nico and Kat will like their samples. Trina and I spent all morning setting up two square banquet tables in the shop so they could see how the final table setup would look a
