Page 71 of No Such Thing as Serendipity

“I exercise,” I protested.

“One out of three ain’t good,” she said, bastardizing a line from one of the songs Mom played on repeat.

I took a sip of my coffee, deciding not to engage.

It wasn’t long before Robyn closed the double doors, separating us from the rest of the bookstore, and stepped to the podium. “Wow. We’ve got a full house,” she said. “Welcome and thank you for coming. I guarantee if you’ve never heard Mary Lou Chambers speak, you’re in for a treat.” Robyn let out a small chuckle. “Well, you’re also in for a treat if you have heard her speak.”

I glanced around the room at the eager faces as Robyn ran through Mary Lou’s impressive bio. For some reason, my mind flashed to my last board meeting at Fortitude. Wouldn’t they be shocked if they could see me now? I could give Terrence a thousand guesses—hell, a million—of where I was right now, and a bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin, getting ready to listen to a talk on an unknown topic wouldn’t make his list.

“Without further ado,” Robyn said, “please, put your hands together and welcome Mary Lou.”

The women let out an enthusiastic cheer. This crowd could get wild. I laughed to myself at the thought.

A tall, slender, frizzy-haired woman stood from the front row and walked to the podium. She wore a flowing dress, much like Katlynn’s. I couldn’t help thinking I was seeing what Katlynn might look like in twenty-five years.

Mary Lou gave the group a warm smile. “Thank you for the welcome. We’ll see if you feel the same once I’ve finished speaking.”

The group chuckled.

“Seriously, this topic can be challenging for some people.”

What topic?I wanted to yell.

“I’m gonna start you off with a little quiz. It’s simple.” She pointed a clicker at the café menu, and it magically transformed into a PowerPoint presentation.

Impressive.I’d noticed the rest of the store, despite its quaint feeling, had an abundance of hidden technological features. It was something I should remember to ask Robyn about, but now I’d better listen to Mary Lou.

The slide showed six words:

Your health

Your relationships

Your reputation

“I ask you, which of these things do you have control over?”

I frowned and shot Emma a look. Mary Lou had used the dreaded C-word. Control.

Emma’s smile broadened, and she whispered, “Keep an open mind.”

Several women shouted out answers, while I glowered. I damned well had control over all these things. Every fool knew that. Personal responsibility. I hoped this wouldn’t be another “nothing is your fault” presentation.

Once the answers dwindled, Mary Lou said, “Do you really? Let’s think a little further about this.”

Emma elbowed me. “Stop slouching. Just listen.”

I sat up straighter but refused to let go of my frown.

“Please, for me,” Emma said.

Damn it.She’d played the one card I couldn’t resist, so I sat up fully and focused my attention on Mary Lou.

“What do you do to control your health?” Mary Lou asked.

Mary Lou nodded as the answers poured from the group.Diet. Exercise. Sleep. Vitamins. Preventative care.

“If you do all those things, can you still get cancer? Have an aneurysm?”