“Organic.”

“Mr. Gresham wants to retire,” Nella said.

“None of his kids wants to live in Mason and run a diner.”

“The kitchen in his diner isn’t bad.”

“I bet we could get the place cheap.”

Kelly came out of her bedroom. She had on a denim skirt and a white cotton blouse. She looked as happy as someone facing execution. “Let’s get this over with.”

Kelly was in the back seat of her car, her mother and Forey in the front. Kelly was doing her best to look on the bright side of her life. After she confessed the truth, all the lying could stop. She could start looking for a new job. She needed to have something waiting for her when she graduated in September.

Of course she couldn’t open her own clinic. She was too young, too inexperienced. She still had so much to learn.

But at least she could look Vera and her mother in the eyes. She wouldn’t have to say she had to go somewhere when she was really spending the whole weekend in an apartment with her brother-in-law-to-be. What had she been thinking!

The women were talking about recipes and opening the Mason Bakery. “People won’t have to drive all the way into Ottawa to get doughnuts,” Forey said.

Kelly shook her head. She often rode Xander into Ottawa. It was very close.

At the thought of the beautiful horse, tears almost returned to her. She’d have to stay away from him. Be professional! she told herself. But that meant she’d only see Xander if he was ill.

The women parked in front of Dr. Carl’s clinic. Kelly looked over the front seat, thinking that it might be the last time she was there.

“You want us to go in with you?” Nella asked.

Kelly looked at her mother and gave a weak smile. “No, I’ll be fine.”

“We’ll wait for you,” Forey said.

“You don’t have to. I...” Kelly quit talking. The women were going to wait and that was that. “Okay,” she mumbled. “Thank you.”

Kelly got out of the car and headed to the clinic, but she didn’t go in. She knew what Dr. Carl would say. He couldn’t care less if Kelly married his stepson or not.

The house was next door and Kelly could smell cookies baking. She knocked and Mrs. Carl told her to come in. She was taking trays of cookies out of the oven.

“You’re just in time. These are a new recipe—lemon poppy seed. You’ll have to have some. Sit down and I’ll get you some milk.”

Kelly didn’t sit. Instead, she took off the engagement ring and put it on the table. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I lied. I’m not engaged to Pauly. He didn’t ask me. He doesn’t want to marry me and I’m sorry. I’ll leave. I’ll get a job somewhere else. I—” She couldn’t say any more. She ran out the door.