The Best of All

The waitress brought their drinks to the table and set a glass of orange juice in front of Surry and Danetta and then handed Ryla a glass of apple juice. Surry lifted her orange juice and toasted her friends. “Congratulations to both of you. Noel and Marshall must be over the moon.”

“They’re excited, all right. Marshall already went out and bought cigars.” Danetta laughed.

“And having the kids at the same time is going to be wonderful, because they will be able to do play dates together,” Surry said.

“We just need one more baby for the play date to be complete,” Danetta said with a pointed stare at Surry.

Shaking her hands vigorously, Surry said, “Don’t look at me. I don’t have time for a man or a baby. But I’ll tell you what Aunty Surry can do. I’ll design them some baby clothes.”

“Oh, Surry, that’s awesome! I’m picturing a whole new line of sleek and stylish Designs from the Motherland for babies.”

Surry held up a hand. “Hold on there, Ryla. I was just talking about a few outfits for Danetta’s and your babies. I have way too much on my plate to work on a kids’ line. If this new contract goes through, I will be working night and day finalizing everything.”

“Why are you even allowing if in your mouth? That is such a negative and faithless word. You need to take back your power on that one,” Danetta said.

“Everybody can’t walk on water, Danetta. Some of us normal human beings sink when we try that stuff.” In the past year, Danetta had been such a powerhouse of faith that she didn’t doubt God on anything. Surry was having a little more trouble. Her business was all she had, and if she lost it, she had nothing. She’d be just another loser added to the long line of losers in the McDaniel family.

“Did you call Ian like I suggested?” Ryla asked as she accepted her platter of eggs, bacon and hash browns from the waitress. The waitress then set a smaller plate of pancakes and a bowl of grits in front of Ryla.

Surry picked up her fork as her platter of fruit and low-fat yogurt was set in front of her. “Yes, I contacted Ian. I even went to his office and spoke with him face-to-face.”

Danetta received her food.

“What did he say?” Ryla pressed. “Can he help you?”

She hesitated and then said, “He would like to help me, but he has to be out of town for the next week or so, and then he’s going to be bogged down with the work he’ll have to do for his new client.”

Talking between bites, Ryla said, “But he told you he’d make time for you, right?”

“Yeah, if I decide to go out of town with him. But I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Surry bit into her pineapples and watermelon, loving the refreshing taste of the fruit. She looked over and watched as her friends gorged on carbs and fat. It was almost too much for her to watch. She pointed at their plates. “If you keep eating like this, you’ll be too big to fit in the delivery room.”

“Hush up, Surry. Just let me enjoy this for a week or two.” Ryla inhaled more of her food and then added, “How many times in life does God bless us with excuses to eat like pigs? And anyway, you’re just trying to change the subject.”

“Yeah,” Danetta agreed, using her fork to point in Surry’s direction. “You’re attracted to Ian. That’s why you don’t want to go out of town with him.”

“Oh, please,” Surry scoffed. “Ian is the one with the attraction problem. But I have told him that I have no time in my life for a relationship.”

“Why don’t you make time, Surry? What is so wrong with sharing your life with a man who makes you happy?” Ryla asked.

“Marriage and kids is something the two of you wanted. But I’m not wired that way. I would sooner curl up with my pillow and the knowledge that my business is a success than waste time cultivating some relationship that’s doomed to fail from day one anyway.”

Shaking a finger at her, Danetta admonished, “Oh ye of little faith. How can you just count yourself out like that?”

“Or—” Ryla squinted as she stared at Surry “—maybe Surry is so attracted to Ian—I mean, who wouldn’t be, the man is gorgeous—that she can’t stand to be alone with him. She’d even risk losing the business she claims to love so much if it means that she has to be in the same room with Ian.”

“That’s not fair, Ryla. I would do anything to save my business. I’m just not so sure about Ian’s motives is all.”

“What do you care about his motives? If he makes a move, just tell him that you’re not interested and then accept all the help he can give you. This is about your business.” Ryla knocked on the table and then used her knuckles to place a few light taps on Surry’s head. “You know, the one that’s in trouble at the moment.”

“Bad press can do irreparable damage to a business, Surry. You don’t want this thing to linger,” Danetta said.

Ryla was right and so was Danetta. It was time for action. All Surry had ever wanted was her business, and now that it was being threatened, she needed to do whatever was necessary to save it. After all, if her business failed, there would be nothing else for her to fall back on. She wasn’t like her friends. She didn’t have a husband and children to look forward to.

All Surry had ever planned for was to be a success. She only hoped that in years to come, she wouldn’t look back and wonder if she’d made the right decision.

Chapter 4

Surry called one of her staff members the moment she got into the car heading home. She wanted to check and see if her assistant manager would be able to cover her at the boutique for a week. When Brenda Ann answered the phone, she said, “Hey, I just wanted to check in and see how things are going at the boutique.”

“Things are going really well. The customers are happy with the selections we have on the floor. And Sherry showed up on time for her shift, so I’m good.”

“I think you’re on the schedule every day this week, right?”

“Yep, sure am.”

“I might have to leave town for a few days. Do you think you can handle the boutique on your own?”

“Child, I’ve been working in retail for thirty years. If I can’t handle a few days on my own, I need to throw in the towel.”

Surry laughed. “Okay, Brenda Ann. I appreciate your willingness to help out. I’ll see you in a few days.”

“I’ll call and give you a report every evening.”

“That will work. Thanks.”

Once she had someone to stand in for her, she called Ian.

When he picked up the phone, she said, “I’ll go.”

“Well, hello, Ms. Surry McDaniel. I’m doing well. How are things going with you?”

She smiled. Ian was crazy. “Okay, sorry about that. I obviously wasn’t raised right.”

“Don’t blame your parents for your bad manners,” Ian said good-naturedly.

Surry was in no mood to discuss her parents, so she simply asked, “How are you, Ian?”

“Doing good. Just finished packing and I was getting ready to fix myself a steak for dinner.”

“I just finished having brunch with Danetta and Ryla.”

“Oh, really? Did Ryla tell you the good news?”

Surry wasn’t sure how she felt about Ian knowing Ryla’s good news before she did. But Noel and Ian were friends, so she could understand that Noel would want to tell someone about the baby. “I got a double dose of good news today. Not only is Ryla pregnant, but our friend Danetta found out that she is pregnant, as well. I couldn’t believe it. But they are very happy.”

“What does that make you, an auntie or a godmother?”

Surry thought about her friends for a moment and instantly knew how it would play out. She said, “Ryla will most likely make Danetta her baby’s godmother and I’ll become the godmother to Danetta’s baby.”