My Kind of You (A Trillium Bay Novel Book 1)

by Tracy Brogan

  There was a long pause followed by a couple bigger breaths. “Let me drink my water a second.”

  Emily tapped her fingers on Gigi’s kitchen table, listening to Jewel glug her water.

  “Okay,” Jewel finally said, “we’ll start with the totally-good good news. We have an offer on the Disaster-ville house. It’s not an awesome offer, but it’s okay. It’s good enough.”

  “What’s the offer?”

  Jewel told her, and Emily’s heart sank like a boulder tossed into Lake Huron. It was enough to cover all their renovations and closing costs and leave Emily a small cushion between solvency and disaster. The amount could tide her and Chloe over for a while, but the only way they’d be able to afford another flip was if Jewel was willing to put in extra.

  “But they’re preapproved with a great credit rating, so we should be able to close pretty soon,” Jewel was saying. “Like in just a few weeks. Can you get home for that?”

  “I guess. I’ll have to look into flights.” And spend the money on airfare. At least she could do a fast round-trip flight and leave Chloe with Gigi. Leaving Tiny in charge of her current renovation was not ideal. Quite likely nothing productive would be accomplished while she was away, although his square dancing might improve. Then again, she could ask Ryan to keep an eye on things. Maybe.

  “I think we should take the offer, Em. There’s been very little buyer interest in this house, and I think the sooner we unload this monstrosity, the better off we’ll all be. Normally you know I’d say we should counteroffer, but I also know they’re ready to pull the trigger on another house if they can’t get this one at the price they’re offering.”

  Emily was as eager as Jewel to put the house in her rearview mirror. It was a financial hit, but who knew when another buyer might show up? That house had been doomed since the day they’d gotten the keys.

  “Okay. Let’s take it before the roof caves in or the place gets infested with locusts. I’ll see how soon I can get there. What’s the other news?” She found herself squinting, as if bracing for impact, and Jewel took a couple deeper breaths.

  “Well, I was going to wait until you got here for the closing, but I can’t keep this a secret.”

  Definitely bracing for impact. She could tell by the tone of Jewel’s voice this was something significant.

  “Kevin and I are getting married! Can you believe it?” Jewel’s voice went supersonically loud, and her words were followed by squeals so shrill they pierced right into Emily’s eardrum. Wow, that really hurt. Was there blood? Her ear might actually be bleeding right now. But that was nothing compared to the shock jolting through her chest. Married? Jewel was getting married? To Kevin the electrician?

  “You are?” Her own voice was nearly as loud, nearly as squeaky. Excellent. Now both her ears were bleeding. “How the hell did that happen? I mean . . . oh my gosh! That’s . . . that’s fantastic?” It wasn’t, though. It wasn’t fantastic at all. Jewel hardly knew him! “Um, so tell me everything.” That was the polite question, but what she really wanted to ask was Have you lost your fricking mind?

  “I know, isn’t it? We’ve been spending practically every day together since you’ve been in Michigan, and this just feels so right. I’m so happy.”

  “Honey, I’m happy for you, too. I really am, but are you sure about this? I mean, you haven’t been dating very long.”

  “We haven’t been officially dating for long, but I’ve known Kevin for over a year. I work with him a lot more often than you do, and it turns out he’s had his eye on me for all that time. He was just too shy to say anything. And his proposal was the cutest thing ever.”

  “Do tell.” That was another polite question because at the moment, Emily’s mind had jumped ahead to Crap, oh crap, oh crap, how does this affect our living arrangement?

  “It was adorable, really. Last night we were in the produce section at the grocery store, and I was looking at the red peppers and Kevin was acting kind of weird, and I was actually starting to get annoyed because he kept saying, ‘Don’t you want some carrots?’ And I kept saying, ‘No, we don’t need any carrots.’ And he kept saying he was sure I wanted some carrots, and I finally turned around to say we didn’t need any damn carrots, and there he was down on one knee, holding out the ring. He said, ‘I love you, babe. Marry me and you can have these karats to wear for the rest of your life.’”

  Emily tried to breathe. That proposal sounded . . . cute. A little dorky, but cute, and certainly better than the proposal Emily had gotten from Nick. His had been more postcoital in nature and not very well thought out. They’d drawn her engagement ring on her finger with a magic marker. Once that shit washed off she should have cut and run, but at the time it had seemed incredibly romantic.

  Love makes you so stupid. No, change that. Love is great, but sometimes sex makes you stupid. She should embroider that on a pillow.

  And give it to Jewel.

  “So adorable,” Emily said. “That’s, um . . . so adorable.” She really wanted to be a good and supportive friend right now, but Jewel didn’t actually want her true opinion. “Have you made any definite plans yet? A long engagement?” Please? “Have you set a date?” Emily braced for impact one more time.

  “August thirtieth.”

  Breathe. Breathe.

  “Next August?” Please be next August. Please be next August.

  Jewel’s voice was full of sympathy, for all the good that did. “No, honey. This August. We’re just really excited to start our new lives together.”

  Where is a paper bag? Does Gigi have a paper bag? Emily was about to hyperventilate. “Wow, that’s really . . . soon!” Wow, I am so up shit creek right now.

  “I know, but all the pieces are just falling into place. We’re getting married out at Kibbe Ranch. Kevin’s sister works there and was able to lock in the banquet barn for us. And Em, there’s something else you should know.”

  “Oh my God. There’s more?”

  “I got a job. A real job at an office.”

  Did Wenniway Island have volcanoes? Because it seemed like the ground was shaking, and certainly that wasn’t just because of this earth-shattering news. Or maybe it was.

  “You got an office job? I didn’t even know you were interviewing.” Emily reached out and grabbed the back of the chair next to her for stability.

  “I wasn’t, but this opportunity came along and it was just too good to pass up. I’ll be working at the same place Kevin works. I know this is bad timing for you, Em, but maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. This last flip was such a nightmare, I’m not sure I have it in me to try another one. I was going to tell you that even before Kevin proposed. I’ve realized I’m not cut out for house flipping. It’s too risky, and I want a job that has benefits and stability. I’m sorry.”

  This was one of those times when being a good friend required faking it. “You don’t have to be sorry, Jewel. I totally understand. I’m bummed, of course, because I loved working with you. And . . .” Emily couldn’t stop the catch in her throat as tears threatened to overwhelm her. “And I really liked living with you, too. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but have you thought about that? About the house? I guess Chloe and I will have to move out, huh?”

  Jewel’s voice quivered, too. “I guess I kind of need you to. I don’t want you to, but I just . . .”

  “I know. I get it. And I understand. You’ve been so great to Chloe and me, letting us stay there all this time. We’ve been so lucky.” Her mouth said the words and mostly she meant them, but in the back of her mind she couldn’t help but panic. Jewel owned that house, fair and square, and she charged Emily a pittance in rent to live there. That had been a real blessing, but now she was being evicted with just a few weeks’ notice. Where was Emily going to find a place to live in that same school district that wouldn’t charge her three times the rent? And how was she going to deal with that when she was committed to staying in Trillium Bay until Gigi’s cottage was finished?

  “I
can help you find a new place,” Jewel said. “I’ll start looking right away. Well, I mean, when I’m not busy with wedding planning stuff. That might be kind of time-consuming. But I will totally help you pack up your stuff. Or I can even do it for you and put it into storage since I realize I’m giving you, like, no time to plan.”

  No, she sure as hell wasn’t. No time and no warning. Getting engaged was one thing, but getting married in just a matter of weeks was . . . well, maybe it was sweet and romantic, but maybe it was foolish and shortsighted.

  “Jewel, are you sure about this? Why rush into it? Can’t you be engaged for a while?”

  “I don’t need to wait, Em. I’m sure about this. Like I said, I’ve known Kevin for almost a year. Be happy for me.”

  “I am. If you’re happy, then I’m happy.” Emily took a big, deep breath. This was Jewel’s life and her decision to make. She’d already spent enough energy trying to dissuade her sister and Tag from being involved with each other, and the truth was, Emily wasn’t all that immune, either. She’d kissed Ryan just a handful of times, but her heart was already halfway in. “I think Kevin is a smart guy and very lucky to marry you, but I have to admit, I’m going to miss you like crazy.”

  “I know. I’m going to miss you, too, but we’ll still see each other all the time. You know we will.”

  Sure they would, but everything would be different.

  “And in case it isn’t obvious, I want you to be my maid of honor.”

  Maid of honor. Wow. That should be such a thrill. Really it should, and under any other circumstances Emily would be elated, but right now all she could think about was that meant more money. A bridesmaid’s dress for her, an outfit for Chloe, maybe a shower or bachelorette party for Jewel. All while she was trying to work on the island and find a new place in Texas. Holy. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “Really? Me? That’s so awesome,” she lied. “I’m honored to be your maid of honor.”

  “I wouldn’t even consider asking anyone else. The ceremony is going to be very small, of course, since we don’t have much time to plan.”

  They talked for another few minutes as Jewel rattled on about looking for a dress and what colors she wanted and how cute Kevin had been last night at a party introducing her to everyone as his fiancée. Emily wanted to be pleased about this, but it was so sudden. She’d been on cruise control for the last few weeks, just working on Gigi’s cottage, biding her time until the San Antonio house sold, thinking she’d evaluate her options then. But suddenly most of her options were gone. It was like standing at the edge of a diving board, mentally preparing for a very complicated dive, and having someone rush up from behind and push you in before you were ready. Now Emily was in free fall, just waiting to hit, splat, against the water.

  “I’m so excited for you, sweetie.” She’d finally had enough and interrupted Jewel. “I’d love to talk more, but I really have to get to my own job here. I’ll call you again later.”

  They said a few more goodbyes, and finally the called ended. Not a moment too soon, because the reality of it all was hitting Emily hard, and she needed to go have a little cry. What the hell was she going to do? Jewel was getting married and had gotten a job. So now Emily had no house to go back to. No business partner to rely on. No money. As soon as this remodeling job of Gigi’s was over with . . . she would have no place to go and nothing to do. Except worry. Holy. Shit.

  When Emily arrived at the cottage an hour later, she found only Georgie.

  “Hey, where is everybody?” she asked as she walked into the kitchen, which was full of brand-new cabinets with the exact-right finish. Unfortunately, none of these cabinets were attached to any of the walls. She’d thought that would have been completed yesterday.

  Georgie reached up and scratched her head, making that topknot of her hair fall to one side. “Um, that’s sort of an interesting story.”

  “It’s always an interesting story. What happened this time?”

  “Tiny was using the old ladder to get up on the roof to fix that loose shingle. You know which ladder I’m talking about?”

  “Does it matter which ladder?”

  “I guess not, except for if you knew which ladder I’m talking about you’d know for sure that there was no way in hell that ladder was ever going to hold up under Tiny, but he was so happy this morning about spending time with Gloria that he thought for sure he could just scamper on up that ladder before it even knew it was being climbed. Then he figured he’d fix the shingle and just scurry on back down.”

  “Seriously? And you guys let him climb that ladder?” Now she knew which one they meant. She wouldn’t have let Chloe use that ladder, and she weighed two hundred pounds less than Tiny.

  Georgie shrugged and scratched her head again. “Well, he’s the foreman, and plus he was pretty convincing. He said it could hold him.”

  “Okay, so what happened?”

  “Turns out he was wrong.”

  Emily crossed her arms. “I gathered that. Is he okay?”

  “Not sure. He got to about the sixth rung and the whole thing just gave way, and he came bouncing down with it. Whatever rungs he didn’t break with his feet, he broke with his head. The whole ladder split in two. It was really kind of cool to watch. Except for when Tiny landed he twisted his ankle pretty bad. He didn’t think it was broken, but Matt said he really ought to go have it checked out at the medical center.”

  On Emily’s list of things to do? Double-check workers’ compensation and liability insurance.

  “Yes, I’m glad Matt told him to do that, but that doesn’t explain where everyone else is.”

  “Tiny couldn’t walk, and it took all the rest of the guys to carry him.”

  “They carried him? Did it occur to anyone to call a horse taxi or a dray or something?”

  Emily watched as the thought registered on Georgie’s face. “That would’ve been a really good idea.”

  “Yeah, no kidding. So they are all down at the medical center?”

  Georgie nodded, scratching her head one more time, knocking that topknot back to the other side.

  “What time was that?”

  “About an hour ago, but honestly, I doubt they made very good time. He’s mighty heavy.”

  The day continued on downhill from there. It took hours for the crew to get back from the island’s medical center even though Emily texted every single one of them and told them to hurry. Horsey, of course, had to take a detour because his mother needed milk, eggs, and hemorrhoid cream from O’Doul’s grocery store. Matt thought everyone should do some centering yoga after the stress of seeing Tiny fall, not to mention the back strain of having to carry him, and Georgie, not surprisingly, had cramps.

  Tiny showed up late in the afternoon, at least having the good sense to take a taxi, and now sat in the middle of the main room on a red velveteen sofa that Emily had ordered for one of the guest rooms, calling out instructions. He wore an enormous protective boot. The doctor said it was just a sprain, thank goodness, but that still meant he had to stay off of it for a few days. At least the sprained ankle wasn’t the one with the tether on it.

  By four o’clock, Emily had about had it with the lot of them and sent everybody home. She just wanted to be alone in the house to try and get her bearings. She needed to process all the moving parts of her life that had turned it into a not-remotely-well-oiled machine. All day she’d been thinking about Jewel’s phone call, and Chloe’s comments about moving, and Ryan’s kisses, and what it all meant. Big changes. That’s what it meant. Good or bad, the changes were going to be big, and she didn’t feel as if she had control over any of them.

  She opened the screen door to go sit on the porch for a few minutes and just think. The hinge was loose, and this, at least, was something she could handle. She could fix this herself. At least she thought she could, but the damn thing didn’t cooperate. The screw was stripped, the angle was hard to get at, and the door slammed on her finger not once but twice when she tried to tighten
the screw using a different screwdriver. Clearly the damn door was taunting her, so she retaliated by punching it. Funny thing about having a fistfight with a screen door, though. The screen usually surrenders. And then you have a torn screen.

  “Fuck,” she said, slamming the door again, just to show it who was boss. And then three more times just to really prove her point. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Slam. Slam. Slam.

  “So . . . what did that screen door ever do to you?” Ryan’s voice floated up from the base of the stairs . . . and she burst into tears.

  He trotted up to the porch and put his arms around her, and she let him, although it was a personal philosophy of hers to never, ever let anyone see her cry. She just couldn’t help it, and he was so big and strong and it felt safe in his arms. “Hey, hey, hey. What’s the matter?”

  She didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want to unload all those troubles on him. She’d already admitted to having borrowed money from Gigi, but she didn’t want him to know how much, and she didn’t want him to know that she had no place to go back to, but she couldn’t hold it in. All the truths came tumbling out, along with more tears.

  He’d pulled her inside at the first sign of waterworks, and now they were sitting on the velvet sofa. To his credit, Ryan held up pretty well. She knew most men were not great during these types of emotional crises, but he just listened and nodded and pushed her hair back from her face when it fell forward. Then he went and got her some tissues from the bathroom when she needed to blow her nose.

  “I must be a mess,” she said, feeling more than a little embarrassed now that the tears had finally ebbed.

  “You look fine. Just a little . . . pink and puffy.”

  “Awesome.”

  She stood up and went into the bathroom to see for herself in the mirror. “Ouch. More than pink and puffy. I look like I’ve been attacked by bees.”

  Ryan came up behind her and gently turned her around, leaving his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. “Do you know what you need?”