by Sarah Hegger
Jo snorted and rolled her eyes. “What about you, old man?”
Eric opened his mouth to deliver his normal glib reply, but it got stuck. A child of his might look a lot like Jasmine. It could have been his baby being handed from one family member to another for a cuddle.
“Eric?” Jo raised her eyebrow at him. “Is there something you’d like to tell the class?”
He forced himself to snort and sip his beer. “You know how I feel about kids.”
Or how he felt most of the time. All of the time. His conversation with Blythe had gotten under his skin more than he’d thought possible. Blythe had gotten under his skin more than he’d thought possible.
Maybe if he’d dated her, had a more traditional relationship with her, he could have brought her with him to family dinner. Where once he could never have pictured her there, he wasn’t so sure anymore.
God, what a stupid thought. He dismissed it fast. The reason he had kept things with Blythe casual hadn’t changed. When you brought a woman around your family, you raised expectations that he had no intention of fulfilling.
“Anyone heard from Isaac?” Matt started the conversation guaranteed to grab everyone’s attention.
Eric heard from their youngest brother once a week, but he kept that to himself. They had a deal: Isaac stayed in contact and promised to let him know if he was in trouble and to drop the occasional email to Jo, and Eric let him have the distance from the family he needed. Eric didn’t entirely get it, but making sure Isaac had an open lifeline took precedence.
“I had an email from him a couple of weeks ago,” Jo said. “He’s gone fishing in the Bering Sea.”
“What the fuck!” Nate slammed his beer down. He looked at Jasmine and started. “Sorry. But seriously?”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Bella shifted closer to Nate and slid beneath his arm.
“Yes.” Nate’s jaw tightened. He stared at Matt and then Eric. “How long is this shi—stuff going to go on?”
Matt shrugged. “As long as it needs to. Isaac feels he has some kind of point to prove. Until he decides he’s proved it or he doesn’t care anymore, he’ll keep doing this stuff.”
What a mess they all were. Matt had nearly let his chance of happiness go by letting Pippa walk right out of this life. After he’d already given up a full ride scholarship for his family. Then there was Nate who had almost lost Bella before he realized that he was worthy of the love she gave him so freely. Jo wouldn’t accept any help from the family because she felt like a burden to all of them.
And then there was him.
Needing some air, he got another beer and slipped outside to the deck.
Matt appeared next to him. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“Nope.”
“Fair enough.” Matt squeezed his shoulder. “You know where I am if you change your mind.”
Eric nodded, but he wouldn’t change his mind. Keeping Blythe a secret had become a habit, and now one he never had to worry about again.
He tried to think why he’d always kept her a secret. Maybe it had to do with the on-again, off-again nature of their relationship over the years. They’d gone months, and when he’d gone to college, years, without seeing each other, and always fell back into their twisted little arrangement.
Dinner was soon ready, and Bella called them all to the table.
Nate had found the old table and sanded it and repaired it himself. It seated all of them easily. Fortunately, Nate had done the cooking tonight. Bella couldn’t cook for shit and was fair enough to admit it.
The wash of wine, good food and family carried him with it, and Eric felt some of the tightness in his shoulders ease.
He took a platter of meat from Nate and set it on the table.
“Did you go around and see Blythe?” Nate sat beside Bella.
Bella glanced at him in surprise. “Why would Eric see Blythe?” Then she pulled a face. “Why would anyone see Blythe Barrows?”
Eric had heard much the same from Blythe, but Bella’s statement still bugged him. If she only got to know Blythe, she wouldn’t say that. “I did, and she was fine.”
Nate’s focus narrowed in on him, all cop. “But?”
“But she’s sporting a souvenir from Barron. He thought to make his unhappiness known.” Eric had to breathe deep before he broke something. With the exception of Wheeler, Blythe’s brothers were total assholes.
Bella gaped at them. “He hit her? Her own brother?”
“Yeah.” Nate looked disgusted. “They’re a bad bunch. Blythe is well out of that.” He pinned Eric with a stare. “And you’re going to leave it to the law to deal with Barron. Right, Eric?”
No way he was answering that, and he sipped his wine.
“It must have happened after I saw her.” Pippa frowned and took some salad and handed the bowl to Nate on her left. “At Phi’s.”
“She was at Phi’s yesterday?” Eric felt like he’d been relegated to spectator in Blythe’s life.
Bella wrinkled up her nose. “What was she doing at Phi’s?”
“I’m not sure.” Pippa shrugged and helped herself to Nate’s slow-cooked lamb. “But she looked like she’d been crying.”
Damn! That punched him straight in the gut. Fortunately, he managed to keep from spilling his wine. It sounded like Blythe had had a thoroughly crap day yesterday, which was now none of his business. And it bugged him.
Bella snorted. “That doesn’t sound like Blythe. She’s the one who makes other people cry.”
A memory stirred. Blythe sitting cross-legged on his bed wearing one of his shirts. He had been asking why she didn’t do something for her birthday. She had pulled a face at him and said, “Women don’t like me very much. Especially not in this town.”
Keeping his tone neutral, he looked at Bella. “What do you mean by that?”
“Uh-oh.” Nate shook his head in warning. “Now you’ve done it.”
“Blythe Barrows is a bitch,” Bella said.
Seeing sweet Bella so bent out of shape made it all the more jarring. He couldn’t leave it there. Blythe had some sharp edges, but for fuck’s sake, she’d more than earned those. “In what way?”
“She’s one of those women who delight in rubbing in your face exactly how hot they are.” Bella dug into her dinner vengefully. “Always looking down her perfect nose at me.”
That didn’t sound like his Blythe. “Maybe she’s shy.”
“Blythe!” Now Pippa laughed. “Nobody in Ghost Falls would call that girl shy.”
And suddenly he was caught in a time warp, back in high school. The ugly rumors and whispers that always surrounded Blythe. He knew, better than anyone, how false they were. After all, he’d been Blythe’s first, and she’d been nineteen at the time. “Come on.” Some of his frustration leaked into his voice. “Surely you can’t believe any of that gossip about her.”
“Oh, I believe it,” Bella said. “You should see the way she sidles up to Nate whenever he’s around.”
“To be fair,” Liz said, “the same could be said of every woman in this town.”
Nate’s cheeks went pink, and he ducked his head to his dinner.
“I thought you and she had a thing?” Pippa looked at Nate.
Nate shook his head. “Nope. I used to flirt with her at school.” He shrugged. “Hell, everybody did; she was pretty and easy to flirt with.”
Bella gave her husband a wrathful stare.
“What?” Nate looked confused. “This happened years ago. And it was never serious.”
“I know.” Bella frowned. “She just gets to me is all.”
“I can see that.” Eric knew he should let it go, but he couldn’t. “But I’m not properly understanding why.”
“Let me break it down for you,” Liz said, eyes glittering wrathfully as she came to Bella�
�s defense. “Blythe is a complete slut, and she likes nothing better than rubbing that in every other woman’s face. She likes to remind you that she thinks she can take your man from you.”
Bella nodded. “Exactly.”
“That’s a bit harsh,” Pippa said. “But not untrue.”
A cold, crystalline rage rose in Eric. He breathed in and out carefully and stood. Dropping his napkin on the table, he looked at his friends and family. “I love you girls, but you’re full of shit.” He needed to get away from them before he said worse. “I could write an entire book about what you don’t know about Blythe Barrows.”
“Eric!” Matt stopped him at the front door.
For a moment he nearly ignored him, but it wouldn’t end there, so he stopped and waited.
“What the hell?” Matt came up behind him. “You want to explain what that was all about?”
“Not really.”
Pippa came up behind Matt. “I’m sorry, Eric, I wouldn’t have said anything if I knew you and Blythe were…close.”
“We’re not.” Not anymore. “But I know her quite well, and before people judge her, they should first ask if their assumptions are true. And secondly, they should ask themselves if they’re making those assumptions because of Blythe or her family.”
Chapter Twelve
Blythe was catching up on some paperwork in her tiny office at the gym. Body Works wasn’t as grand or upscale as the other gym in Ghost Falls, but she could use their equipment and facilities in exchange for teaching a few classes a week, and the atmosphere put even her most body-conscious client at ease.
“Hey there.” Randy popped his head around her door. “You’ve got visitors.”
“Me?” Blythe’s heart jumped into her throat. Surely Eric had gotten the message the other night.
“It’s three women.” Randy seemed to read her thoughts. “One of them is that redhead from the television show.”
That sounded like Pippa, but she had no idea what Pippa would be doing there.
Blythe got to her feet and checked her appearance in the tiny mirror in her desk drawer. There wasn’t much she could do about the gym outfit and no makeup, but she could make sure her hair was neat. Meeting someone who ran a makeover show for a living intimidated her.
As she approached reception, she saw Bella Evans and her next-door neighbor and friend, Liz.
Blythe stiffened. That couldn’t be good.
“Hi,” she said as she approached them.
Bella still looked as if she would like to scrape Blythe off the bottom of her shoe, but Pippa gave her a careful smile. “I hope we haven’t come at a bad time.”
“No, that’s fine.” Blythe had no idea what they were doing there. “I’ve got twenty minutes before my next client comes.”
Pippa nodded and shifted her feet. “I suppose you’re wondering what we’re doing here.”
“A bit.” Like a whole truckload.
“Phi has been asking about you,” Pippa said. “She threatened to come down here herself, but I managed to head her off.”
“Hi, Blythe,” Bella said in that tight voice she reserved for her.
Blythe did what she always did and retreated inside. She wouldn’t give people like Bella the satisfaction of knowing their derision hurt. “Hi.”
“Actually I wanted to know if you had any openings,” Pippa said. “I’m due to start shooting the next season of Your Best You,” she said, “and I haven’t quite lost all the baby weight from Jasmine.”
Blythe took a good look at Pippa. “You seem to be doing great to me.”
“Well, thank you.” Pippa flushed. “But the camera can be brutal, and I was rather hoping you could help me get myself where I need to be.”
Which didn’t explain what the other two were doing there. Feeling a bit like she’d dropped through a wormhole, Blythe nodded. “I could do that.” She pulled out her phone. “I will have to book you in for an assessment first, and then we can talk about the best way to achieve your goals.”
“That sounds fair.” Pippa checked her phone. She glanced at Liz and Bella. “Actually, could we do a session with all three of us?”
Now Blythe had dropped into a parallel dimension. Bella would rather chew nails than be trained by her. “What’s this really about?”
“Getting to know you better.” Pippa met her gaze squarely. “The baby weight is real, but something someone close to me said got me thinking.”
Blythe waited. Pippa looked like she was being honest, but their conversation was still odd. “Why now?”
“That’s a good question.” Pippa grimaced. “And I wish I had a good answer for you, but this person asked me if I had made the mistake of tossing you in with the rest of your family.” Pippa shrugged. “I love this person and value their opinion, so I hoped you and I could get to know each other.”
This person had to be Phi, didn’t it? She needed a moment to process, and she looked at Bella. “And you?”
Bella flushed. “I heard the same thing.” She patted her hips. “And I wouldn’t mind looking like you.”
“You need to grow five inches first.” Liz snorted, and then shrugged at Blythe. “I’m here to check out the hot bodies.”
That dragged a laugh out of all of them and eased the tension somewhat.
Blythe motioned toward a small seating area to the left of the reception. “Why don’t we have a seat?”
They all moved to the two couches and sat down.
Still not sure Bella meant any of it, Blythe perched next to Pippa. “So, to be clear, you’re all here to get to know me better? Under the pretext of training?”
“The training is not a pretext,” Pippa said. “The baby weight is real.”
Bella pulled a face. “My butt has been steadily growing since my wedding. I can be thin or happy; apparently not both.”
“Not me.” Liz smirked. “I’m here to check you out, get the low down on you.”
Blythe chuckled. “And the checking out hot bodies is a bonus?”
“You got it.” Liz winked.
“How’s that going?” Blythe couldn’t resist. There was something about Liz that suggested she didn’t judge.
“Meh.” Liz waggled her hand. “I like you as much as I can like any woman with that insane body you have on you.”
“Right.” Pippa rolled her eyes, and then grinned at Blythe. “So, my number one goal is an ass like yours.”
“Me too.” Bella still looked sour about it though.
Blythe met her stare. “Are you sure you want to do this? With me?”
“Nope.” Bella crossed her arms. “But I trust this person’s opinion ,and they got madder than I’ve ever seen them when I said you were a slut.”
That kind of honesty took Blythe aback, and she blinked. “I’m not sure I can work with anyone who has a stick shoved so far up their ass.”
“Guys.” Pippa held out her hands, palms down like she was stroking troubled waters. “I think you could both do with getting to know each other better.”
Liz nudged Bella. “You do sometimes have a stick up your ass about certain people.”
Bella opened her mouth, looked at Liz, and snapped it shut. “You may have a point.” She then looked at Blythe. “I can put aside whatever differences we’ve had in the past if you can.”
“I can do that.” Not with her last breath would she let Bella get the better of her.
“Great.” Sounding overly enthusiastic for the occasion, Pippa stood. “So the three of us will get together and come up with some times that work for us, then we’ll check those with you.” She beamed at everybody. “I’m excited to get going.”
Blythe stood with her. “Actually, I was hoping you’d be open to a trade of sorts.”
“Trade?” Pippa cocked her head.
She really hated h
aving to admit anything in front of Bella, but Blythe couldn’t let the opportunity pass. “I don’t know how to dress myself.” The words came out in a rush, and heat spread over her face. “I mean, dress like you. I stick to gym gear because everything else makes me look trashy.”
Pippa stared at her. “You mean you would like me to make you over?”
“I know you’re busy and famous, and you must have people waiting for years to be on your show.” Now that she’d asked, Blythe wanted to kick herself. Pippa didn’t have time to help her. “I just meant a few tips.”
“Oh, no.” Pippa shook her head. “If we’re doing a trade, then you’re getting the full treatment.”
“Great idea, Pippa.” Liz rolled her eyes. “Let’s make her better looking than she is now.”
“It’s what I do.” Pippa looked her up and down, and then slowly circled her.
Blythe resisted the urge to fidget.
Stopping in front of her, Pippa grinned. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
“Really?” Excitement prickled through Blythe. Her look was either gym rat or town tart. She had no idea how to go about putting herself together in the effortless way Pippa did. Even Liz had toned her look down to run-of-the-mill cougar under Pippa’s tutelage. “I need to create the right impression if I want to grow my business. Especially with those new women in the developments above town.”
“For sure.” Bella nodded. “That’s why I revamped Bella’s.” Bella had inherited the shop from her grandmother. “They’ve got money to spend. Why shouldn’t they spend it in Ghost Falls?”
“We have a deal.” Pippa stuck her hand out.
Blythe took it and shook. “I told Phi that she needn’t bother herself with me. I’m used to sorting my own life out.” Will had always told her how Phi was like a runaway truck when she got something in her head.
Pippa laughed. “You may as well save your breath. Phi is a law unto herself.”
They exchanged numbers.
“I’ll get back to you on a date for your makeover,” Pippa said.
Bella took a deep breath. “I want to ask you something.”