don’t pay a bit of attention to the likes of me.”
“I find that really hard to believe.”
“It’s true. Then men around here… they’re not like the men you’re probably used to.”
“What do you mean?”
She looked like she thought she’d said too much, and she quickly replied, “I just mean they like a different type of woman than… than men in the big cities.”
“Sounds like my kind of place,” I chuckled.
“Not mine,” Ivy said glumly. “I want to get out of here so bad.”
“So why not go for it?”
“I can’t. This is my family. They need me.”
“I’m sure they can manage,” I encouraged her.
“Maybe I can’t.”
“I felt the same way when I left home,” I told her.
“Really? What happened?”
“I left Charleston to move to Napa Valley to work for one of the greatest chefs in the world,” I told her. “I was scared to death. I knew I’d miss my mom, and my friends… heck, even my stepdad. I was afraid I wouldn’t be any good at my job and I’d get fired and have to move home. But none of that happened.”
“You moved all the way from Charleston to California?” Ivy asked, seemingly impressed.
“Yup. I got a job offer through a friend I met in culinary school and I just packed up and left the next day. Took a bus all the way across country.”
“Man, I wish I could do that,” Ivy moaned.
“You can.”
“No, not me. I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t. I’m not that kind of person.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“I’m nothing. I never have been.”
What the…
I just couldn’t believe that such a stunningly beautiful young woman could have so little confidence in herself. I could understand my own self-doubt. I grew up bullied for being a chubby kid, and then I got cheated on several times buy guys – usually with thinner women. I’d managed to develop my own confidence as I grew up, but there were some years there when I had practically none.
But Ivy? She was beautiful. She looked like a strong, capable woman. I just couldn’t imagine what could have caused her to have so little self-belief.
“How can you say that? You seem like a really smart girl, and you’re absolutely beautiful.”
Ivy shrugged and pulled her feet up onto the stool, wrapping her arms protectively around her knees. She was still hiding behind all that hair.
“I guess it’s because I’m an orphan and I don’t really belong here.”
“What do you mean?”
Ivy sighed heavily and tucked her chin between her knees. She shook her head slightly and acted as if she were contemplating something heavily.
“I was born in Northern Georgia, but my parents were killed when I was nine,” she explained. “I was really young, but I didn’t want to stay with my relatives, because they weren’t exactly nice to me. So I ran away.”
“Wow, I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and said, “I’m mostly over it now. My parents weren’t the best parents ever. But I didn’t really know how to survive on my own at that age. Caleb found me in downtown Gatlinburg begging tourists for spare change to get something to eat and he took me under his wing. Some of the others don’t like me much, but Caleb’s always been nice to me.”
“So Caleb’s a pretty nice guy, huh?” I asked cautiously, trying not to sound too eager.
“Yeah, he’s great,” she answered. “He’s the only person I’ve ever known who treated me like I matter.”
“Well, you do matter, Ivy,” I told her. “You matter to me.”
“Really?”
I tried to nod, but it hurt too much, so I said, “Yeah, really.”
I saw a slight smile puff her cheeks out behind her hair.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked me.
“No, I’m just enjoying the company,” I told her honestly.
“Me too,” she ginned, peeking out from behind her hair.
“Ivy!”
I cringed at the sound of her voice. Despite having heard it only once, I would recognize that grating sound anywhere. Anna.
“What?” Ivy
“I find that really hard to believe.”
“It’s true. Then men around here… they’re not like the men you’re probably used to.”
“What do you mean?”
She looked like she thought she’d said too much, and she quickly replied, “I just mean they like a different type of woman than… than men in the big cities.”
“Sounds like my kind of place,” I chuckled.
“Not mine,” Ivy said glumly. “I want to get out of here so bad.”
“So why not go for it?”
“I can’t. This is my family. They need me.”
“I’m sure they can manage,” I encouraged her.
“Maybe I can’t.”
“I felt the same way when I left home,” I told her.
“Really? What happened?”
“I left Charleston to move to Napa Valley to work for one of the greatest chefs in the world,” I told her. “I was scared to death. I knew I’d miss my mom, and my friends… heck, even my stepdad. I was afraid I wouldn’t be any good at my job and I’d get fired and have to move home. But none of that happened.”
“You moved all the way from Charleston to California?” Ivy asked, seemingly impressed.
“Yup. I got a job offer through a friend I met in culinary school and I just packed up and left the next day. Took a bus all the way across country.”
“Man, I wish I could do that,” Ivy moaned.
“You can.”
“No, not me. I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t. I’m not that kind of person.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“I’m nothing. I never have been.”
What the…
I just couldn’t believe that such a stunningly beautiful young woman could have so little confidence in herself. I could understand my own self-doubt. I grew up bullied for being a chubby kid, and then I got cheated on several times buy guys – usually with thinner women. I’d managed to develop my own confidence as I grew up, but there were some years there when I had practically none.
But Ivy? She was beautiful. She looked like a strong, capable woman. I just couldn’t imagine what could have caused her to have so little self-belief.
“How can you say that? You seem like a really smart girl, and you’re absolutely beautiful.”
Ivy shrugged and pulled her feet up onto the stool, wrapping her arms protectively around her knees. She was still hiding behind all that hair.
“I guess it’s because I’m an orphan and I don’t really belong here.”
“What do you mean?”
Ivy sighed heavily and tucked her chin between her knees. She shook her head slightly and acted as if she were contemplating something heavily.
“I was born in Northern Georgia, but my parents were killed when I was nine,” she explained. “I was really young, but I didn’t want to stay with my relatives, because they weren’t exactly nice to me. So I ran away.”
“Wow, I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and said, “I’m mostly over it now. My parents weren’t the best parents ever. But I didn’t really know how to survive on my own at that age. Caleb found me in downtown Gatlinburg begging tourists for spare change to get something to eat and he took me under his wing. Some of the others don’t like me much, but Caleb’s always been nice to me.”
“So Caleb’s a pretty nice guy, huh?” I asked cautiously, trying not to sound too eager.
“Yeah, he’s great,” she answered. “He’s the only person I’ve ever known who treated me like I matter.”
“Well, you do matter, Ivy,” I told her. “You matter to me.”
“Really?”
I tried to nod, but it hurt too much, so I said, “Yeah, really.”
I saw a slight smile puff her cheeks out behind her hair.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked me.
“No, I’m just enjoying the company,” I told her honestly.
“Me too,” she ginned, peeking out from behind her hair.
“Ivy!”
I cringed at the sound of her voice. Despite having heard it only once, I would recognize that grating sound anywhere. Anna.
“What?” Ivy
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