by Tina Martin
“Oh,” Evan said. “We’ll talk about that later, too, Lauren.”
“Sorry about that, Evan,” Harvey said, trying to sound sincere when he was anything but. “I’d assumed you already discussed it with her since you’ll be moving so soon, but I see I may have let the cat out of the bag.”
Lauren’s frown deepened. “Evan, what is Dad talking about? Where am I supposed to be moving to?”
Evan sighed. “Sweetie, I was going to tell you tonight, but since we’re on the subject now, an opportunity came up for me to head up my own department. You know that’s what I’ve always wanted, and I finally have the opportunity to do that now.”
“In Charlotte?” Lauren asked, pale-faced.
“Yes. In Charlotte.”
Lauren was too stunned to reply. She just took a sip of lemonade and leaned back in her chair.
Paloma frowned as she watched this exchange between them.
“And it’s only three hours away,” Evan continued, trying to sell his case.
“Only three hours?” Lauren crossed her arms. “What gave you the impression that this would be a good move for me?”
“Because I know you can get a job there, Lauren. You’re smart. And I’m sure it’ll be a better paying position than the job you’re working right now. They pay more money in the city.”
“That’s true and could very well be a point towards your argument if I was one of those people who were money-driven. That’s not me, and you should know that.”
“Lauren, I—”
“And why am I just now finding out about this, Evan? It’s obviously been on your mind for a while. What was your plan? To wait until the last minute and then spring it on me so I’d have no choice but to go along with it?”
“No.” Evan sighed. “Can we step outside for a minute?”
Lauren narrowed her eyes at him then stood up, heading toward the back door.
Once they were outside, Evan said, “I’m not trying to upset you, Lauren.”
“So, I’m just supposed to shut up and go along with your plans without any input whatsoever?”
“No—”
“Then how are you able to make all of these plans behind my back and not think twice about consulting me, Evan? We’re supposed to be a team, don’t we? Going into marriage, I need to know that we will be a team and you’re showing me something completely different.”
“Different, but in this particular instance only. This move is me—the future head of our household—making a better life for us.”
“A better life?” she said, flustered. “What’s so wrong with our life now that you want to make it better by moving away from both of our families?”
“Okay, maybe better is the wrong word. I just see an opportunity for advancement.”
“For yourself,” she added in.
“Yes. You know I don’t like standing still—staying in the same place, career wise, that is. I’m trying to make some moves, sweetie, and I need you to make those moves with me.”
“Even if I don’t want to, right? Even if I don’t know what these moves entail?”
“Lauren…”
Lauren turned and walked away, not giving him an opportunity to speak further on the situation or the question she’d raised. After briefly saying bye to her parents, she continued on out the door, started her car and drove back to the hotel.
Chapter 9
Summit Souvenirs and Gifts was set up in an old, renovated wooden house. The interior walls were painted an eclectic, teal color with gold accents. The floors were their original wood, touched up with a glossy stain that brought its original appeal back to life. Still, they were creaky and old – just the way Jessalyn wanted it. Spencer had nagged her about getting the floors completely redone – even offered to cover the cost for her – but she said the original floors were a part of the charm of the place. And she was right. The family loved it. Even Remington had nothing but good things to say about the design, layout, merchandise and pricing structure of her shop, and he was usually constructively meticulous about everything, especially where his sisters were concerned.
“This is nice,” Lauren said as she stepped out of the car, looking at the shop.
“It certainly is country-looking,” Evan commented as he closed the driver side door.
“It should be. We live in the country. I like it.”
They walked up toward the entrance, listening to music playing – upbeat jazz. Streamers and balloons decorated the porch area.
Jessalyn just so happened to be walking outside when she spotted Lauren walking up. “Lauren, you made it!” she exclaimed, beyond excited.
“I did.” Lauren embraced her and when the two separated, she said, “Girl, I am loving the ambiance of this place already. It’s very welcoming and…and…happy. I’m sure tourists will find it charming.”
Jessalyn placed a hand over her heart. “Thank you, Lauren.” Then she looked at Evan and asked, “Is this the fiancé?”
Evan smirked and extended his hand to Jessalyn. “Evan Kaizer. Nice to meet you.”
“Jessalyn Wakefield. Nice to meet you as well.”
Spencer came jogging down the steps, standing behind Jessalyn. He wrapped an arm around her neck and left soft kisses beside her face. “I was wondering where you’d run off to,” he said after he’d gotten enough sugar to satisfy his craving.
“I came out here to grab a bottle of wine when I saw my friend Lauren walk up,” Jessalyn told him. “Lauren, this is my husband, Spencer.”
“You look familiar,” Spencer said, shaking Lauren’s hand.
“Yeah, so do you,” Lauren told him. He looked familiar because he always hung out with Kenton, Giovanni and Remington but she left out why on purpose since Evan was standing there. “Oh, and this is Evan Kaizer, my fiancé.”
Spencer shook Evan’s hand. “Nice to meet you, man. Welcome. Look around and buy something.”
“Ugh...Spencer,” Jessalyn said red-faced. “I told you not to be harassing people.”
Lauren laughed. “It’s okay. I intend to do some shopping. We’ll go have a look around.”
“Okay. I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Jessalyn told them.
As soon as Lauren and Evan stepped inside of the shop, Evan’s phone rang. He looked at it and glanced up at her. “Sorry. I gotta take this.”
Of course, you do. She rolled her eyes as he headed back down the stairs towards the area where they’d parked. Continuing inside to browse the shop, Lauren saw a display of T-shirts with Bryson City and The Smoky Mountains words printed on the front. They were all priced at $9.99. And then there were the beautiful garden stones with inspirational sayings on them that she thought would go well in the new flowerbed she arranged in her front yard. They were all $6.99 each. Not bad for a souvenir shop in the mountains. Usually, these types of shops were extremely overpriced. Jessalyn’s prices were fair.
Lauren took a few more steps towards a shelf where some trinkets caught her eye – miniature log cabins, a small replica of the Smokies and an array of thistles. She stared nostalgically at the souvenirs. She couldn’t imagine not living in this part of the state – the mountainous region where she grew up. And she couldn’t fathom not raising her children here. Granted she didn’t live in the city of Bryson City and would only make the thirty-minute drive to visit her parents. Still, she was a mountain girl and Cherokee wasn’t that far away. Now, Evan wanted to uproot her from her home and move her to the city. Even at the hotel last night, he tried convincing her that moving to Charlotte was in their best interest. She wasn’t trying to hear it. None of it.
“Never known you to be into figurines and such.”
Lauren turned around, her eyes sweeping briefly over Kenton. He was dressed nicely in a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt showcasing his big, broad shoulders – shoulders she remembered gripping and sinking her fingernails into when they were together. And she studied his overgrown goatee – not something that was abnormal for him. He wasn’t
the type to be trimmed to precision every single day. She liked that scruffy look about him. He’d be dressed to kill, yet still had a rugged swagger that made him indelibly desirable, mysterious and appealing.
Appealing? Desirable? Lauren, what are you thinking? And why are you staring at him? Stop it. You’re engaged, remember? To…to…um…what’s his face…Evan. Yeah, remember him? Evan?
“See something you like?” Kenton asked with an arrogant smirk on his face when he observed Lauren’s struggle to break her trance with him.
Lauren blinked, broke eye contact with her handsome ex and paid more attention to the trinkets. She was finding out firsthand that it was difficult to not to be attracted to someone she’d once loved. A man she thought she could claim as hers. A man she thought she would spend her life with. She was still attracted to him. It didn’t matter how much he’d broken her heart. The attraction remained. Then again, so did the anger. The pain. Feelings she didn’t want to show just now or ever for that matter. “I’ve started collecting thistles,” Lauren told him. “So, yes, I see some things I like. I love these cute little trinkets.”
“Thistles, you say?” he asked like he didn’t believe her. Before today, he didn’t know what a thistle was.
“Yes,” she said grinning. It was out of the norm for her but after she broke up with him, she started doing a bunch of different things to keep her mind off of him. “I have a lighted curio cabinet dedicated to them at my house.” Lauren took a few steps over to the postcards. She didn’t expect him to follow her, but from her peripherals, she could see him doing just that.
Dang it!
“So, your boyfriend couldn’t make it, huh?”
“You mean fiancé, and yes, he’s here. He’s outside in the parking lot. He’ll be inside momentarily.”
Kenton didn’t like the sound of that. He’d never admit to being jealous, but what else would you call it when you can’t bear the thought of the woman – the only woman you’d been in a committed relationship with – marrying some other guy. When he left Lauren that day, two years ago, he hadn’t expected she’d stay single for the rest of her life. That notion was absurd. She was a beautiful woman. Smart, resourceful, and overall, she was nice – the real deal when it came to women. And he’d let her go because of his own insecurities. That’s what bothered him the most. “He’s here. Great,” he said almost through gritted teeth. “Then, I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
That got her attention.
“What’d you say?” she asked, holding a stack of postcards. She heard him loud and clear, but why would he be looking forward to meeting her fiancé? And he said it all casually like it was nothing to him. Like hearing that she had a fiancé wasn’t a big deal to him.
“I said, I’m looking forward to meeting your boyfriend.”
“Fi-an-cé,” Lauren corrected for the second time. Maybe if she said it phonetically, it would sink in.
“Whatever,” he grumbled.
Lauren forced herself not to frown quickly realizing that it took more energy to hide a frown than it took to actually display one. She knew what Kenton was trying to do. She figured she’d play his game with him. For now. “So, who’d you bring to your sister’s grand opening?”
He chuckled. “I’m riding solo today.”
Lauren lowered the stack of postcards after selecting the ones she wanted. Kenton walked to the opposite side of the tall, display rack. She glanced up at him, her eyes connecting with his honey-colored ones again. Bummer. Her sanity and willpower were being tested by the likes of a Lennox.
“Tell me something, Lauren. Are you so desperate to get married that you’d take the first man who claims he loves you? Who’ll so easily slap a ring on your finger and feed you promises of forever?”
She smirked. If he thought he was going to get to her, he was sorely mistaken. “Tell me something, Kenton. Is your ego so insanely massive that you can walk up to me with this kind of nonsense and risk getting slapped?”
“Well, yeah. You know me.”
“Then let me put your mind at ease since you seem sooo concerned about my personal life. My relationship with Evan is solid, and being that you and I have nothing further to talk about, you can stop following me around like a lost puppy now.”
Lauren walked towards a jewelry display. While Kenton wasn’t physically following her this time, his eyes were stalking her every move. He witnessed the moment Evan walked up behind her, embraced her and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was, it was enough to make her smile. He’d missed seeing her smile. Seeing her happy. Now, another man was fulfilling that role – of being the one to make her smile.
“Dang, man. Are you going to stare her down all afternoon?” Giovanni asked stepping up beside Kenton.
“Nah. I was just seeing how they were together.”
“Her and Evan?”
“Yeah.”
“I met Evan outside,” Giovanni said. “He seems like a cool cat.”
“Yeah. Sure,” Kenton said, unenthused. If he was so cool, why was her father convinced that Evan wasn’t the man for Lauren?
“Jess did a good job on this place, huh?” Giovanni asked, glancing over at Kenton. But Kenton didn’t say a word. He was caught in a trance, lost in time, staring at Lauren. Reading her. Giovanni frowned in an analytical way. If Kenton was feeling the girl that much, so much that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her, why’d he let her go?
Giovanni pat Kenton on the shoulder and said, “I’ll catch up with you later,” then walked away.
“Hey, everybody,” Jessalyn said getting her guests’ attention. “I just wanted to say thank you all for coming and supporting me today. It really means the world to me to finally have my second dream come true. The first was to fall in love with and marry an amazing man. I did that with this guy,” she said wrapping her arms around Spencer’s neck before they locked lips, kissing right there on the spot.
“Okay, break it up, newlyweds,” Davina said.
Normally, Kenton would say something in protest to Jessalyn’s lips being on Spencer. It didn’t matter that they were married. He always had something slick or threatening to say. But not this time. He’d glanced back over at Lauren again and he couldn’t look away. He observed as she smiled warmly at Jessalyn like she was genuinely happy for her, and maybe she was. They were still cordial and somewhat friends.
As if feeling his eyes on her, Lauren glanced over at Kenton, stared for a moment, then looked away. Why did it seem like every time she looked up, their gazes somehow connected? Held and solidified?
Kenton watched as Evan glanced at his cell and when Evan headed for the exit, Kenton saw an opportunity to make his way back into Lauren’s personal space. He did that by stepping up next to her, so close that his arm touched hers. As she reached to hang up the silver necklace she’d been checking out, he said, “We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t,” she said easily. Confidently. They had nothing to talk about. Not a thing.
“We do. Meet me at our spot. Eight o’clock.”
Lauren grinned, though the sheer nerve of him had her ready to detonate. “We don’t have a spot anymore, Kenton. Are you delusional?”
“No, but you are if you think you’re fooling anyone with this façade of a marriage.”
Lauren frowned so hard, she gave herself an instant headache. “I see what you’re trying to do and it won’t work. Just because you’re single and free to mingle doesn’t mean I am.”
“Who said I was single?” he asked.
“Look, I don’t know what you are. And I—”
“And I’m definitely not miserable,” he cut in to say.
“I didn’t say you were.”
“I’m just reading what I see in your eyes. I’m not lonely if that’s what you’re thinking, Lauren.”
“Why would you be? You can have any woman you want, right? You’re not tied down to one woman. How boring would that be?”
Kenton’s mouth quirked up. �
�Our spot. Eight o’clock. If you’re not there, I’ll take that as a hint that you don’t need closure and I give you my word that I will never bother you again.” He turned to walk away, but then stopped suddenly, looked at her again and said, “And this meeting is by invitation only. No plus one in case you were thinking about bringing your boyfriend.” He continued toward the exit.
“Ugh…he gets on my last nerve,” Lauren grunted.
“I say that all the time,” Davina said, standing beside Lauren now. “Especially about that one.” She watched as Kenton passed through the exit. “But, one thing I know for sure is, if a man still has the power to get under your skin, you’re probably not completely over him.”
“I am, Davina. It’s been two years.”
“Then how would you explain the flustered look on your face?”
“Irritation. Frustration. Annoyance. Take your pick.”
Davina chuckled. “And we’re back to what I said originally. You must still have some feelings for him if he can still irritate you.”
Lauren shook her head. “Hardly. I’m going to pay for this stuff. My head is pounding right now.”
“Okay, Lauren. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. Later.”
Chapter 10
Lauren debated about it for the longest – to go or not to go. If she did decide to meet up with Kenton, it wouldn’t be for closure. Two years and a smokin’ hot fiancé was enough closure. It would be strictly out of curiosity about what Kenton could possibly have to say to her after so long. And so, she drove to the park, parked and walked the short trail to one of the small waterfalls that didn’t get many visitors and thus, it became their spot – the place where they used to go for privacy to talk about life and just enjoy each other’s company. On many occasions, they’d spread a blanket and had picnics or would just lie there listening to the water trickle down massive boulders, stare up at the stars and talk about life. She loved this place. It brought back so many memories.