Page 124 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
“Six.” Sara smiled.
He clapped his hands together, rubbing them back and forth. Gigi held out the box but before he could reach it, she snatched it back.
“We stay as long as Emmeline wants,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“She starts to get tired, you’re out,” Nick said.
“Agreed.”
I’d never had one of Tina’s famous rolls before and I wasn’t able to eat much, but every bite was delicious. The rolls were warm and gooey with the perfect mixture of cinnamon spice, sweet caramel and flaky bread.
Nick demolished the other five rolls. When he stuffed the last piece in his mouth, I looked at him with wide eyes.
“What?” he said with a mouth full of food.
I chuckled and winced. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“Wa-rry,” he apologized.
I rolled my eyes and looked to Gigi.
“So what’s the Kidnapping Club?”
“Exactly that. You, me and Maisy are the only members. Maisy really wanted to see you but she won’t set foot inside this building so Sara is her club proxy. We’re here to do your initiation.” Gigi smiled.
“But I wasn’t really kidnapped.”
She waved a hand in the air. “Close enough.”
“Okay,” I drawled. “There’s an initiation?”
“You’re freaking her out, Gigi,” Sara said. “Don’t worry, Emmeline. I was there when she and Maisy invented this ‘initiation’ twenty minutes ago. It’s nothing serious.”
“Your initiation to the club requires only one thing. You have to sign our contract,” Gigi said.
Out of her purse, she produced a folded piece of paper and handed it to me while she fished for a pen.
At the bottom, Gigi and Maisy had signed their names.
For the few moments I had been trapped in the back of Jinx’s van, I had been certain that I wasn’t strong enough to survive an abduction. That it would break me. I realized now that I didn’t have to be strong enough to endure it on my own. I could rely on my friends for support.
My friends.
Not just Nick’
s. These women had fully embraced me and pulled me into their lives. For that, I was grateful.
“May I have the pen, please?” I scribbled my name next to theirs.
Gigi leaned down to give me a hug. “The next month will be the worst. Lean on Nick. And me. And Maisy. We’ll be here. Don’t try and go it alone.”
My nose stung as tears pricked my eyes. I sniffled and nodded.
“All right, we have to get to work,” Sara said.
“Thank you for the visit. And the beautiful flowers.”
“And breakfast,” Nick said.
