Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“What can I bring?” I ask with more enthusiasm than necessary.
Palmer grins. “Nothing. Just you. Oh, I mean, unless there is a drink you’d like. We always have someone who stays sober to give rides home, or you’re welcome to stay at ours. I know my sisters-in-law are planning to have a drink or five.” Palmer giggles, which in turn makes Remi giggle as she mimics her momma. “It’s been too damn long since a lot of us were able to drink. Crosby is the only one who’s sitting out this round. For the rest of us mommas, it’s a pump and dump weekend.” She winks.
“Well, I’ll think of something. What time?”
“Be at ours around six, or you’re more than welcome to come earlier and just hang out.”
“Thank you, Palmer. I was planning to ask you the best places to go outside of Willow River.”
“We go to Harris a lot. It’s about twenty minutes from here. They have a mall and a ton more to do there. We should plan a girls’ day. We can show you around.”
“Really? That would be great.” I’m used to spending most of my time alone, but the idea of hanging out with Palmer and her friends and family for a girls’ day is more appealing than I ever thought it would be. There is just something about this little town and the people in it. It’s charming and welcoming.
“Great. We can talk to everyone tomorrow night and make plans.”
“Thank you.” I smile at her.
“All right, well, we’re going to head out. We have to grab some groceries and then go home and take a nap.”
“Oh, before you go, the prints for the Jacobson family came in earlier. Do you want to see them?”
“Yes. Oh my goodness. That was such a fun shoot. Three boys under three, that momma has her hands full, but they were sweet as pie,” she says as she follows me to the back room of the studio to look at the prints.
Since Palmer is holding Remi, I carefully remove the prints from their packaging and lay them out on the table. “These are amazing.”
“Those littles were so fun to shoot. I know some are hesitant to do family photography, but kids just want to have fun. The candid shots are the best, and memories these families will always cherish.”
“I was one of those people,” I confess. “But family photography definitely keeps you on your toes, and with such a small town, we get weddings, and birthdays, and engagements, and it’s more than I anticipated, but I’m glad you gave me a chance.”
“Who knows, maybe your one-year contract will turn into more.” She gives me a kind, hopeful smile, and I return it.
“I enjoy it, but my heart is with the landscape,” I tell her.
“We have some beautiful landscapes here in Georgia.”
“Are you trying to persuade me?” I laugh.
“Yep. I’ve got less than a year to make you fall in love with this town and all we have to offer.”
“The town is amazing. You’ve been so good to me, but traveling is where my passion lies.”
“I hear ya.” Palmer grins. “I’m a small-town girl, and you’re not. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep trying to get you to stay in our sleepy little town.”
“It’s hard to settle down when you don’t have family holding you in place,” I tell her.
Palmer’s eyes soften. I told her a little about my backstory during my interview. “You mentioned your parents had passed.”
“Yeah. I was adopted,” I tell her. “Only child and my parents were both only children and not close to any of their extended family. It’s just me.” I shrug.
“Scarlett.”
I can hear what she doesn’t say just from the tone of her voice. She’s sorry, she feels bad for me, and the sadness in her eyes says it all.
“That’s life, right?” I say with another shrug. I have to act as though I’m over it, or I’ll get lost in the grief. “That’s when I decided life was too short not to live each day how you want to. Traveling, it’s best for me. I love it. I love seeing new places and meeting new people. I love capturing the world with my camera.”
“We have a lot of family we can share with you.” She smiles softly.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that her brother-in-law has already been very welcoming and giving, but I bite my tongue. Palmer and I have grown close, but I’m certain she wouldn’t appreciate me telling her about my sexcapades with Archer.
“Thanks, kind of you. I’m good, I promise. We’re not all blessed with large families, and that’s okay.”
“You’ve only been in town a few weeks, and as far as I know, the only interaction you’ve had with my family is at the wedding, of which you were working, and if someone has stopped by the studio. We’re loud, we’re opinionated, and we love hard.” She chuckles. “The Kincaids, my husband’s family, they have a motto. Work hard and love harder. They live by that. And there is a lot of love to go around.”