by ML Nystrom
“Do you have the money to get it out of hock?”
She jerked back and flailed her arms in the air. “Why are you being so difficult?”
“Joy, I’m still paying on that ring.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know?”
“Because you picked it out and watched me sign the contract.”
She huffed and placed her hands on her hips in a familiar stance. “Look, Garrett, are you coming home or not?”
He had to admit she was beautiful. He’d thought himself so lucky at one time that an educated, intelligent woman like her would ever be interested in a blue-collar man like him. Now, looking at her, he saw only a pretty, cold shell. “You need to put your coat back on and leave.”
“Please come with me, baby.”
He opened his mouth to voice his annoyance when another cut in.
“He’s not going anywhere. For one thing, he’s under contract to me.”
Garrett spotted Bertie as she walked in with two bags of groceries. He moved to rid her of the burden and leaned down to kiss her lips in a quick greeting. “Sorry about this sweetheart. I’ll get her out of here as soon as I can.”
Joy bristled at the intrusion to her reconciliation attempt. “Who the fuck are you?”
Bertie smiled lightly as she ignored the foul language as Garrett took the bags into the kitchen area. “I’m Bernadette, and Garrett is working for me at my inn. He’s done so much work already. Plumbing, walls, floors; he’s very talented, isn’t he?”
“Still doesn’t tell me why you’re here.”
Bertie turned from the table and started putting groceries away. “I missed the part where I need to justify my presence, especially since I’m living here,” she gave Joy a pointed look, “with my boyfriend.”
“What the fuck? You live here? With Garrett? Boyfriend? Since he’s my fiancé, I think I have a right to know.”
“You two are back together? I missed that part, too.”
Garrett swallowed the saliva that gathered in his mouth. The two women sounded like they wanted a good old-fashioned scrap. He imagined two cats hissing and spitting at each other before they leapt into battle. “We’re not back together. It’s not happening.”
Joy’s voice rose in volume. “You two are fucking, aren’t you? She’s turned you against me!”
Anger burned through Garrett’s body and he did his best to ignore it. He moved behind Bertie and placed his hands on her shoulders, shocked to feel the tight and trembling muscles underneath his hands. “You did that all on your own, Joy. For the first time in a long while, I’m happy. Really happy and I’m not planning on screwing it up.”
Joy turned on him with a fresh attack. “You didn’t waste much time mourning me, did you? Only a few weeks and you’re in bed with some random skank I bet you met in a bar. How could you do that to me? Unbelievable!”
Garrett shook his head incredulously. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely! How long have you been cheating on me?”
He couldn’t help it. He let back his head and roared with laughter. “That’s so fucking funny coming from you. This is such a classic pot-meets-kettle moment. I think you miss having me around to earn the money while you play.”
Her jaw dropped, and she suddenly became pleading again. “No, baby, that’s not it at all. I really do miss you and want you to come home. Just thinking about you with someone else makes me so jealous. I messed up, and I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I promise I’ll make it right if you come home. I love you!”
She took a teetering step towards them and Garrett shifted Bertie behind him in case Joy completely lost it and attacked.
“No, you don’t. Maybe you did once, but that time is past. It’s gone. I have a new life I’m building with a woman who truly loves me and I love her. We’re solid and we’re going to stay that way.”
His declaration sent Joy into another rage. Garrett thought his head would explode from the mood swings.
“Yes, I do love you, goddammit! This is all her fault! She’s turned you against me!”
Garrett regarded the angry woman. Her face had turned a bright red, and her voice was a loud screech. Love? At one time he thought he felt that emotion for her, but looking at the screaming banshee in front of him, he wondered how he ever did. “It’s past time for you to leave.”
Another swing. “No, please, Garrett. Come home. We can work it out, I promise.”
“No, we can’t. Goodbye, Joy.”
“Garrett, please.”
“Joy, I’m done. I’ve been done. Have a nice life, but I won’t be a part of it.”
The banshee returned. “You’re gonna fucking regret this. You’ll crawl to Jersey begging for me to take you back!”
She snatched up the coat and stomped out, almost tripping in her platform heels. The door slammed hard enough that several of the decorative vases rattled.
“So, that was Joy.”
Garrett turned to see Bertie finish putting away the groceries.
“Yeah, that’s her.”
She faced him and placed her hands on the counter. “She sounded desperate.”
“For money, probably. Not me. Not the life we had. She needs a sugar daddy, not a husband. Someone to manipulate and control.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Christ, I can’t imagine what made me want to be with her. I’m sorry you had to see that. She must be at the end of her rope to pull a stunt like that.”
“I take it you’re not planning another move anytime soon.”
Bertie sounded confident for the most part, but Garrett heard the slight questioning note in her voice. He caught her eyes to make sure she heard him. “I’m not going anywhere. There is only one place I want to be and only one person I want to be with. She’s standing right here in the kitchen I put back together. In a little while, I’m grilling steaks on the deck I made. While we eat, we’re going to talk about the next steps for the cottage upgrades. In case you can’t guess what I’m saying, I’m building a home here. We are building a home.”
Bertie came to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and snuggled in close. His arms closed around her, locking her to his body. She sighed into his shirt. “I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not. If she hadn’t driven you away, you wouldn’t be here with me.”
“You believe in soulmates?”
A brief laugh came from the woman in his arms. “That was an abrupt segue. Soulmates? I don’t know.”
“I might be completely off my rocker, but I think if people are supposed to be together, they find each other. Like two magnets that get drawn together no matter how far apart you put them. It might take two years or it might take twenty. Eventually, you find the person you’re meant for, and when you do, nothing can separate you.”
She pulled back to gaze into his face. “You believe that’s us?”
“Yeah.” He lowered his head to take her mouth. “I do.”
Twenty-Two
Garrett pulled into the parking lot and found a spot near the back. The abundant lights and people made him rethink his position on the popularity of yoga. He hoped the fire marshal didn’t make a surprise visit, as he was sure they were over capacity. The flowing script on the wall and fresh, clean lines of the place soothed and calmed. A light lavender scent wafted over the heads of the visitors and potential members. Several large drink dispensers sat on the clothes sales counter. One had chunks of melon and cherries and the other had slices of cucumber floating in the water. Colorful paper origami figures were scattered over the tables and Garrett smiled, knowing they came from Bertie’s hands.
Once Patrick and Angus entered the picture, the backlog of work caught up quickly. The studio renovations had been completed earlier than expected and opening night happened in mid-May rather than June.
He spotted Connor first and made his way through the crowd to claim a piece of the wall.
“Big night for the ladies, eh?”
Connor nodded. “Signed up over a hundred already for
classes. Bev is having a blast.”
“Where’s Melanie?”
“The baby’s got an ear infection. She and Owen are at home.”
No surprise there, Garrett thought. Melanie and Owen had devoted themselves to parenthood and were already talking about having another child. Little Ryan was due to be officially adopted by Owen in July, but from the way Owen treated the baby, no one would guess the boy didn’t share his blood. “Where are your kids?”
About that time, a small figure streaked by. Connor expertly whipped an arm out and snagged the running boy. “Ease up, boy-o. Your mother’s going to strap you to a table if you don’t slow down.”
“I’m exercising. You’re supposed to exercise here, and that’s what I’m doing.”
“Not that kind of exercise, Mattie.”
“What kind then?”
Connor looked perplexed. “Well… stretching and posing, I think. I’m not really sure.”
“How can you exercise by posing?”
Connor stared at the diminutive human and gave the classic universal answer: “Go ask your mother.”
Mattie bounded off with another warning from Connor to slow down. Both men watched him weave between bodies and somehow not knock anyone over.
Garrett shook his head and chuckled. “That kid’s gonna be a great football player.”
“Already top on his soccer team.” Connor’s pride showed. “Jacob’s been picked for the science team at his school, and Sarah joined the debate club this past semester. It amazes me how talented and smart my kids are.”
Garrett smiled at his brother’s claim on Beverly’s children. He didn’t try to be their father as much as coparent with Beverly, and when push came to shove, he backed up her plays. “How ’bout Abby? Is she driving any better now?”
“Yeah, she is. She’s applied to a couple of places for summer work. Plans on saving for a car. She hates driving the truck and doesn’t want to be seen behind the wheel of the minivan.”
“Why not hire her here? Or the construction business?”
“Beverly thinks Abby needs to learn more responsibility and working for family might be too easy. I agree with her. Abby has an interview next week with the frozen custard place over on Merrimon Ave and is waiting to hear back from Lowe’s grocery store. I’m hoping for the custard place. Their butter toffee pecan is fantastic.” Connor grinned.
Garrett spotted the teenage girl standing near the fancy water dispensers. She looked far older than her sixteen years. Connor definitely had a full plate with his stepdaughter. Beverly stood next to her with her back turned as she arranged a tray of canapes. He recognized Rhyleigh talking to a group of women. Her hands moved around in the air and her face was lit with excitement.
Suddenly his gaze landed on Bertie and locked like a magnet to iron. Her casual dress wasn’t meant to be sexy. The front hung just at her knees and the back extended to her calves. She wore modest heels, not spikes and ankle straps. Her hair, makeup, and jewelry weren’t flashy or over the top. Still, he lost his breath.
As if sensing his attention, she turned and met his eyes. Garrett jumped a little as the spark jumped through to his toes. Her smile and wink started a warmth not only in his groin but in his heart.
“…not doing well.” Connor’s voice broke into his thoughts.
“Who’s not doing well?”
“Da. Uncle Reilly called earlier to say he’s going down fast. I vowed never to see the old bastard again, but Beverly thinks we should go visit.”
The first word that came up in Garrett’s head was “why?” The Fergus MacAteer he grew up with might have been a good father by some people’s standards. None of the siblings had starved or gone without necessities during their childhood years, but there wasn’t a lot of love shown to them. Work had dominated their lives up until the family broke apart and they went their separate ways. Still, this was their father they spoke about, and perhaps it was time to mend fences before it was too late.
“Sure.” Garrett listened to his brother but kept his eyes on Bertie. She smiled and tipped her hand to her mouth as if drinking. Garrett nodded, and she turned to fill a paper cup with water.
Connor gestured to the approaching woman. “You’ve got a good one there, boy-o. She’s a keeper. Bev likes her a lot and so do I. I’m going to go find my bonny wife. She may need… something.”
He moved off as Bertie neared and handed him the cup of water. “Hard work holding up this wall, eh? Thought you might be thirsty.”
“I live to protect and serve. I can say that, right? Even though I’m not a cop?”
“Works for me.”
The water tasted cold and refreshing with the slight bite of cucumber. Garrett had thought the drink might be too frou-frou, but found he liked it.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, I just hope I don’t have to turn in my man card because I like this fancy water.”
She laughed, and her smile hit him with a solid punch. “I won’t say a word. Your man card is safe. Trust me.”
“I do.” His words held a heavy meaning, and from the quick darkening of her eyes, she got it.
His eyes dropped to her mouth. No lipstick, just a bit of colorless balm coated her lips, making them shine. The noise faded to the background as he took in the woman in front of him. Her familiar light perfume drifted to his nostrils, and he inhaled deep. Over the weeks they spent together, so much of her became familiar. The little mole at the corner of her left eyebrow, the almond shape of her eyes, and the blend of colors in them. Gold, brown, chocolate. He could see her pulse in her neck and had the urge to put his tongue to the spot. Her lips parted, and he wanted to taste them. Christ, would he ever get enough of this woman? Despite being in the midst of the crowded studio, his head started to move, and she tilted hers in anticipation.
“Bertie! Where are you? Oh, there you are.”
Garrett’s jaw clenched at the disruption. He looked up to see Jodie making a come-here gesture at them. “I think she needs you.”
Bertie sighed. “She always needs me at the worst possible time. I’d better go see what she wants. You going to hang around?”
Garrett swallowed the rest of the water and crumpled the cup in his hand. “Connor asked me to take the kids home so Bev and he could stay out a bit longer. I’ll drop them off with Abby in charge and meet you at home later. I should go find them and get going.”
Mattie chose that moment to appear. “Uncle Garrett, Uncle Garrett. Watch me!”
The boy screeched to a halt in front of the two adults and stood stock-still, staring at the wall space between them. He stayed in this position for several seconds with a long blank look on his face. Then he grinned up at them. “Did you see?”
Garrett showed confusion. “See what?”
“I did a mountain pose. It’s on the big chart in the other room. Isn’t that cool? I want to do the one where I put my leg over my shoulder, but I can’t do that one yet. I tried real hard, but I couldn’t get it up that far.”
“You pulled your leg up and farted.” Sarah joined the mix.
“I did not!”
“You did too, I heard it.”
“The mat squeaked.”
“That was a fart.” Jacob’s gangly form sauntered up. “Did you know there are eighty-four basic poses in yoga, but there’s like over a thousand more?”
Garrett’s brain started to shut down from information overload. He marveled again at Beverly’s uncanny ability to sort through and answer the constant streams from her four kids. “How ’bout we get to the truck and I take you guys home. No more farting. Yeah?”
Sarah stuck out her lower lip, pouting at having to leave the party. “It’s not really fair we have to go home now. Mattie is the one that has bedtime a half hour before Jacob and me.”
Faced with the future district prosecutor, Garrett took a play from Connor’s book. “Go ask your mother.”
Bertie burst into laughter.
Sarah ran off to
state her case, and the boys started a game of rock-paper-scissors. Garrett turned to Bertie and took her hand in his. “Go see your sister, and I’ll see you at home.”
Her eyes shone. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Abby walked up with Sarah in tow. The younger girl’s lip still protruded, and she clearly wasn’t happy with the answer from her mom, but with big sister coming home too, maybe that took the sting out a bit. Garrett had expected Abby to be the one protesting the early departure. One sentence from the teenager told him why not.
“Ready when you are, Uncle Garrett. Can I drive?”
“Can you believe this crowd?” Jodie exclaimed. “I’ve looked at the number of class signups, and we may need to add some hours. Rhyleigh is going to be stretched very thin.” The excitement shone from every angle in her face. “I’m thinking we’re going to need to move up the dates for expansion if at all possible. Can we plan that?”
“We can’t make any physical changes until the store next door closes, but we can get the ball rolling with the lease and paperwork. Are you sure you want to hedge your bets before the first class even takes place?”
“If my calculations are right, we should be solid for at least the next year. We just have to keep up with demand, and there’s a lot of it.”
“That’s great, Jodie.”
“The thanks are mainly to you, little sister. You bankrolled two-thirds of the place. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for helping us get this place off the ground.”
“You don’t have to. I’m just glad you’re so happy.”
Her face took on a different glow. “Yes, I’m happy. I’m so happy, I’m about to burst.” Her eyes drifted to Garrett as he gathered up his nieces and nephews. “Are you happy?”
I smiled. “With Garrett, you mean? Absolutely.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Any reason I shouldn’t be?”
Her mouth formed a frown, and two lines appeared between her eyebrows. “It just seems a little too fast. You’ve known him what? Four months or so? Now he’s living with you and making more plans for the inn. I thought you wanted to be single for a while.”