Page 18 of Beck & Coll

Two Weeks Later

Back in Chicago

I walked around the space with my realtor, DeeAnna.

“As you can see,” she said, “it’s set up for you to have five styling stations. You have five stylists, right?”

“Had.” I corrected her. It had been almost six months since Posh Moments went up in flames. All of my stylists had moved on. I didn’t blame them. They’d offered to wait for me. I told them not to.

“There are five washing stations. The owner recently had both the electrical and the plumbing updated. She had big plans for this place.” DeeAnna looked wistful. “She really hates that she has to sell it, but she’s in a bind, which is why I can get you such a good price on it.”

“Why is she selling it?”

“Oh, her fiancé was offered a great job opportunity in Colorado. He’s going to be the CEO of the public transportation company in Denver or Colorado Heights or something out there.

I can’t remember. But the pay is crazy. It’s like a quarter of a million a year or something.

There was no way he could turn it down. That’s where they’re gonna make their life, so she needs to get rid of this place.

She already found a new space in Colorado.

” She paused. “It’s bittersweet. She hates to leave this place, but she has one hell of an adventure waiting for her in Colorado, right? ”

“Right,” I agreed, even though my head was spinning.

The owner of the salon had just dumped probably thousands into it to get the electrical and plumbing up to par.

And now, she was leaving it to follow her man?

Talk about a story hitting close to home.

“Well, I guess if I planned to marry dude, I would move too.”

“Me too. For sure. I mean, I do pretty well, but if babe was bringing in a quarter of a million a year by himself… I would chuck those deuces in a heartbeat. I’ve lived in Chicago my entire life, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live somewhere else, to have the adventure of learning a whole new place with its own culture and vibes. ”

“I think it would be scary.”

“But exciting too. Right?”

I couldn’t answer her. Being in Jackson Falls had been exciting, and it hadn’t been scary at all. But maybe because I knew it was only temporary.

“I would keep my house here, though,” she continued, oblivious to my distraction.

“I mean, if I didn’t like the new city, I would just come home.

That’s one thing about doing real estate.

I can do it anywhere. I’d just have to get licensed.

” Her eyes lit up. “Ooh! Then I’d be dual licensed.

I could sell property in two states. It’s like you, Collins.

You can do hair anywhere, right? You would just have to get licensed in that state. ”

DeeAnna took me to see three more options before I tapped out on her. I drove straight to my mother’s house because she had called a Kingsley meeting and wanted us to have dinner while we talked.

I was the last one to arrive, which wasn’t surprising because Perkins lived with her, and Bailey and her husband lived a few blocks away.

Church lived with four roommates, worked part-time, and often struggled financially.

It wasn’t unusual for her to show up at our mother’s house from time to time.

I piled my plate with spaghetti, salad, and a garlic bread stick then took a seat at the table between Church and Perkins’s oldest daughter, Harlowe.

“Let’s bless the food,” my mother said. “Xander.” She deferred to Bailey’s husband because he was the only man in the family.

“Bow your heads,” Xander told us.

He was so rude. He couldn’t even say please.

“Lord, thank you for this food. Bless it for the nourishment of our bodies, and bless the hands that prepared it. Amen.”

“Amen.” We all echoed.

“So, what’s up, Mommy?” Church asked, before taking a long sip from her drink.

“I’ve never lied to you girls, and I’m not gonna start. I’m also not gonna beat around the bush or take commentary from any of you on how I choose to live my life. Everybody in this circle is an adult. When you girls were little, I lived for you. As I said, you’re grown. Now, I can live for me.

“I turned in my letter of resignation at work today. I’ve done my time and can begin to pull down my pension if I choose to do so.

I don’t think I will, but I will no longer be an employee of Chicago Transit Works.

I will give two weeks, and after that, I will start preparing to relocate to Jackson Falls, Oregon. ”

Mouths dropped around the table, and gasps rang out into the atmosphere. I sat silently.

Our mom continued, “Anybody who wants to can come with me.” She cut her eyes at Bailey.

“Except you, Bailey. You’re a wife. You have to discuss those kinds of decisions with your husband.

He’s your closest family now. But if any of the rest of you want to come with me, you’re welcome.

You have three weeks to wrap up your business here in Chicago.

I suggest you start as soon as possible. ”

“You’re moving to Oregon to be with that ni?—”

Alisha’s eyes burned with the heat of annoyance. “I’mma caution you to be easy, Perkins. I am your mother and your financier. Temper your words and your attitude before you speak to me, little girl.”

Perkins took a deep breath. “We live with you, Ma. Where are me and my kids supposed to go if you relocate to Oregon?”

“There is no if about it. I’m relocating to Oregon. In case you missed it, I gave my letter of resignation to HR today. I have two weeks before I am no longer an employee of Chicago Transit Works.”

“Well, I can’t just pick up and move. I have three kids to consider. They’re in school. They have their friends.”

“You can live in my house,” I volunteered, my mouth saying the words, before my mind could stop me. “It’s small and only a two bedroom, but?—”

“No,” Alisha interjected. “You can stay here, Perkins. I’m not selling the house. This house will always be a Kingsley house. You and my grandbabies don’t have to uproot yourselves. You can stay here.”

“Then I’ll sell my house. I’m moving to Jackson Falls. I never should’ve come back here,” I admitted as tears pooled in my eyes. “I let fear dictate my decision.”

“You got it honestly, Toots. I’ve spent a lifetime letting fear dictate my moves.

I clung to men who were unworthy of me. Gave babies to men that I shouldn’t even have given my phone number to.

They were unworthy, and the only good thing the four of them ever did was give me you all.

But I’m not gonna let fear keep me from trying with a man who is everything my past denied me.

This man wants to love me, and dammit, I’m gonna let him. ”

“Get out of my head,” I told her, half laughing, half crying.

Beckham wanted to love me. Why was I so scared to let him?

“I’m going,” Church announced. “I’m going. I’ll let my job and my roommates know tomorrow. There is nothing keeping me in Chicago.”

“You’ve never even been there, Church,” Perkins reminded our youngest sister.

“So what? My mom’s gonna be there.”

“Where are you gonna work?”

“At the salon,” I suggested. “I’ll be an owner. If you want the receptionist position, it’s yours.”

“I want it,” she told me with a child-like grin.

“So, everybody’s just picking up and moving?” Bailey finally spoke. “Everybody’s just leaving me and Perkins here to fend for ourselves?”

“You’re not by yourself,” Perkins reminded her, jabbing her finger toward Xander. “There’s your ‘better half’ right there.”

Alisha turned to her daughter. “Bailey, I’m sorry for just dumping this in you all’s lap like this.

I’m sorry that it seems like it’s coming out of nowhere.

I’m sorry it caught you off guard. But I can’t apologize for needing to live whatever life I have left.

I can’t apologize for choosing me and for choosing love and happiness.

Bayliss makes me happy. He makes me smile.

He takes care of me, even from 2,000 miles away. He’s?—”

“A literal stranger,” Perkins cut in. “You’ve known this man for weeks, and you’re quitting your job? Picking up your life and moving?”

“You don’t have to understand, Perkins.” Alisha’s voice was quiet and calm. “You don’t have to like it, or even accept it. But you will have to deal with it because it’s happening.”

My head spun with all of the signs I received that day. First, DeeAnna telling me the story of the salon owner, and then my mom announcing that she had given her resignation and was relocating.

“I’ve spent so much of my life scared. Scared that no man would love me.

Scared that a man would leave me. Scared that I would never find a job that paid as much as driving a bus.

Scared that I wouldn’t be able to raise you girls to be upstanding, outstanding women.

And what I realized is that I was always scared, but I had no choice but to keep going.

I did everything scared, but I still did everything I needed to do.

Now, I’m doing this scared, but there’s not a devil in hell that’s gonna stop me from doing it. ”

She was right. I was scared, but I was still moving to Jackson Falls. I was going to do it scared.

About Five Weeks Later

Thanksgiving Day

Mr. and Mrs. Strong’s house was the perfect place to hold the joint family Thanksgiving. It was large but still homey. Brewer had made most of the food, and everything tasted as good as it smelled. I sat between Beckham, and my sister, Perkins.

She’d been resistant to come at first. Apparently, she was still in her feelings about our mother choosing to relocate.

Initially, both she and Bailey were determined to host their own little Thanksgiving in Chicago.

Then Xander convinced Bailey that it was stupid to turn down a free trip and the opportunity to eat food prepared by a professional chef as opposed to eating Perkins’s dry turkey.

Once Bailey was on board, Perkins really had no choice unless she wanted to spend the holiday alone.

I leaned over slightly and bumped her shoulder lightly with my own. “I’m glad you came. I’ve missed you and the kids so much.”

“I’ve missed you, too… surprisingly,” she joked, before dissolving into giggles. “And it’s hard being there without Ma.”

“Would you ever consider moving here? There’s jobs at the lodge, and the cost of living here is so much cheaper. The school district is good.”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to leave Bailey. Xander will never leave Chicago. He’s told Bailey that about a million times. He’s never leaving Chicago.”

I nodded.

“Is Church doing good? She never calls me anymore.”

We both cut our eyes across the table, where our youngest sister was engaged in a conversation with one of Beckham’s younger cousins, a handsome and intelligent guy who seemed to be a good influence on her.

In Chicago, she’d been floating through life, not really sure what she wanted to do or how she expected to get there.

In Jackson Falls, she seemed more grounded.

“I think so. She’s back in school. She enrolled in the local community college, and you know she works at the salon. I’m proud of her.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Beckham said, standing beside my chair. “You ready to head out?”

I nodded. “I’ll see you back at the house,” I told my sister.

She’d opted to stay at the three-bedroom house that my mom, Church, and I shared. My mom and I weren’t there nearly as much as Church was. She spent a lot of time with Bayliss, and I spent as much time as possible with Beckham.

“Sure you will.” Perkins twisted her lips to let me know that she didn’t believe me. We both laughed.

At Beckham’s house, we ended up on his back deck. The temperature was in the upper forties, so we had the fire pit going as we sat side by side on the outdoor sofa.

“When my ex, Shandi, was acting up and showing her ass, I never really got where she was coming from. I mean, I understood that she was disappointed that our relationship was coming to an end. I got that she felt… blindsided. I can’t say I felt blindsided.

I knew what it was, even when I felt myself falling for you.

But the pain of you leaving and going back to Chicago…

that shit had me out here sick. If I made her feel the way that I felt, I owe her a bigger apology. Thank you for coming back to me.”

“You’re welcome. And thank my mom. I told you it was her, her courage, her decisiveness, and her declaration that she wasn’t going to deny herself Bayliss and everything that he is.

I decided right then and there that I wasn’t denying myself you either.

” I stretched out on the sofa, resting my head in his lap.

He played with my hair. “The salon is closed tomorrow?”

“Yeah. The Kingsley girls plan to spend the day together. We’re going to the spa, and I heard that Bayliss is renting a private jet to take us to Vegas.”

“I heard that, too,” he confessed. “You’ll be back in time for all of your Saturday appointments?”

“I guess so. Besides, I can’t stay away from you too long. You know I hate sleeping alone now.”

“And you know as long as I’m around, you’ll never have to.”

“Beck, you think we’re gonna end up getting married?”

“I know we’re gonna end up getting married. I love you. I think I’ve loved you since I watched you tumble down that mountain and hit your head on your first wilderness adventure.”

“Shut up!” I laughed.

“Nah, but I knew I loved you when you fell into the creek. My heart damn near stopped, and all I could think about was getting you out of there and warming you up. I just wanted to protect you.”

“And you have. You’ve protected my body from physical harm. I appreciate that. But what I appreciate even more and what makes me love you the way I do, is the way you’ve protected my heart.”