by L. A. Fiore
Arissa turned in her seat. She’d shared with the Belles about the file because she had gone this far down the rabbit hole, but she couldn’t shake the question she asked of them. “Why would Catherine chase off the woman Hank loved, a woman who was showing an interest in the community, becoming part of it. I get that she’s overprotective, but hurting her son like that…isn’t that contrary to her claimed motives?”
Silence followed, though whether that was because they were thinking or because they couldn’t hear her with the shouting that was now following the horn blasts was anyone’s guess.
The car went on two wheels when Hya jerked the wheel, moving from the passing lane across the four lanes to the exit. “Did you even have a license or are you winging it?” Arissa shouted.
“Driving is like sex, more interesting when you’re hanging on for dear life.”
Arissa’s mouth opened then closed. She had no comment for that. They drove through Charleston; it was early. The sidewalks in the business district were bustling with people heading to work. Hya found a spot, truth be told she pushed the little electric car out of the way to park her boat. Climbing out, she stretched, looked at her watch and said, “We made great time.”
Another horn blast came from the car that slammed on its brakes to keep from hitting Hya. In fairness, she was standing in the middle of the street. Her hands came down hard on the hood. “I’m fucking standing here!” Before she reached the driver’s side, the car peeled away.
“I’m really glad we decided to keep a low profile,” Arissa said sarcastically.
Hya grabbed her big straw hat and dropped it on her head. And that coupled with the overalls and bright yellow shirt, yeah, so much for keeping it on the down low.
“Her firm is down the street. Millie and I will go in for her,” Maureen offered.
Hya turned her head so fast she almost lost her hat. That wouldn’t have been a tragedy to Arissa’s way of thinking. “Why not me?”
Maureen’s voice was silky smooth when she said, “The idea is to lure her home, not make her run farther away.”
“Pfft,” Hya said. “Then I want food. I’m so hungry I could eat some of that roadkill we saw on the way here.”
“You mean the animals you hit?” Arissa clarified.
“Semantics.”
Arissa rolled her eyes.
Maureen took the lead, Millie followed. Arissa called after them. “I’m going to feed Hya before she starts attacking pedestrians. Meet you at the cafe, text when you’re leaving.”
Hya studied Arissa as they walked down the street. “He came to see me last night.”
Arissa swung her head to Hya. “He did?”
“Wanted to apologize for the day you were over. We had some words.”
Arissa stopped walking. “The day I got drunk and passed out, you and Hank had words?”
“Yeah.” Hya turned her focus on the cars, gathering her words before she looked back at Arissa. “Summerville is his home. And he’s the sheriff, so that makes it even more so for him. He’s dedicated his life to the town and its people and has been teased more than his fair share. So what I’m saying is, I agree with what you’re doing, but make sure you put yourself in his shoes too. Catherine isn’t the only one protective of her family. And it’s a fine line, him learning what you’re doing and why. Don’t be surprised if he’s not okay with it, at first.”
Arissa felt that familiar knot in her stomach but she was honest with Hya when she said, “When this is all said and done, I don’t think it’s going to be me in that beautiful house with him.” She glanced away because it hurt so much but he deserved to chart his life and not have it done for him. “Anyway, what’s the expression about the ends justifying the means? He’ll forgive me.” Not that it mattered because she wouldn’t be living in Summerville anymore. Glancing back at Hya it was a little unsettling to see compassion on her face. “Thank you for telling me.” Arissa straightened her shoulders. “Now let’s eat.”
Maureen and Millie stood in the marble foyer, and waited. It had been easier than either thought to get Phoebe to agree to talk to them. Whether they’d have as much luck getting her back to Summerville remained to be seen, but then with the enticement being Hank Weathers, maybe they wouldn’t have a problem.
Phoebe’s eyes lit up when she found Millie and Maureen studying a statue in the center of the cavernous space. “I can’t believe you’re here.” Her strides were long as she closed the distance between them. “You look just the same,” she said, hugging Millie then Maureen.
“You look even prettier,” Millie said. “Charleston really agrees with you.”
Phoebe looked a little uncomfortable but smiled then asked, “How is everyone? Are Sal and Elmer still sitting outside of Dehlia’s?” She gave a little chuckle.
“Never leave it,” Maureen said with a smile.
“And the ladies, bingo, that’s still going on?”
“Yep, and the fair is coming up,” Millie offered.
Maureen tipped her head before she asked, “They’re not who you want to know about, though, are they?”
Color rose on Phoebe’s cheeks. “Am I really that easy to read?”
“In your shoes, Darling, I’d be wanting to know the same,” Maureen replied softly.
“How is he?”
“He’s good,” Maureen said. “Still maintaining law and order.” She paused before she added, “Dating someone. He’s crazy about her. And she him.”
The color drained from Phoebe’s face. “I’m happy for him.”
“Bullshit,” Maureen said harshly, causing Phoebe’s gaze to jerk to her. “You’re still in love with him. Anyone with eyes can see that.”
Anger edged Phoebe’s next words. “Is that why you’re here? Is this some kind of Belles payback, flaunt it in my face?”
“No, quite the contrary. Did you really want to leave Summerville…Hank?” Maureen asked.
Phoebe twisted her fingers together. “Why are you asking me that?”
Maureen dropped her hand on the younger woman’s arm. “I’ll explain it, but did you?”
“No,” Phoebe said, the seconds passed before she added, “I didn’t want to leave Hank. I love him. It was a little hard at first getting used to the small town mentality but I was. I was doing it for him, but then I grew to like it. Especially sharing it with him.”
“So why did you go?” Millie asked.
Phoebe shook her head. “It doesn’t really matter now. He’s with someone else.”
“Well…” Maureen and Mille shared a look. “She’s the reason we’re here. It was her idea.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s being chased away too. Figured there was a chance you were as well and, honestly, she doesn’t want to be the runner up,” Maureen said.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, you need to come with us so she can explain it to you.”
“She’s here?” Phoebe asked incredulously.
“Yeah.”
Phoebe looked at her watch. “Give me five.”
* * *
It was Arissa’s plan, her brain child, but looking across the table at the beauty that was Hank’s ex, discovering she was as sweet as she was beautiful, yeah, Arissa was on her third glass of wine and it wasn’t even ten in the morning.
“You want me to return to Summerville,” Phoebe asked for the fourth time, but immediately followed that with, “I’m still trying to get my head around this. It’s not every day people from your past show up at your place of employment and tell you to come back home because the man you love may still be in love with you.” She looked around for the waitress. “I think I will have that drink.”
“On it,” Millie said.
“So let me get this right. You started dating Hank and Catherine told you I was the
love of his love.” She laughed out loud, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “That woman did not like me. She never did.”
“I realized that was a possibility after witnessing the two faces of Catherine Weathers,” Arissa confirmed.
“So you’re with Hank now, but you want me to come home and give him closure.” Phoebe sat back in her chair. “And if he really is over me, I get to experience all the pain of leaving him again.”
“It’s a possibility,” Maureen said. “But so is the alternative.”
“Have you thought about Catherine’s reaction to seeing me?”
“I can only imagine what she’ll do, but then she’ll be very good at only showing you that part. But this gives you a chance to have your closure with her too,” Arissa offered.
Phoebe crossed her arms over her pale pink silk blouse and tested. “And what makes you think I haven’t found my closure?” She dropped her arms, leaned up and laid her elbows on the table, her voice growing firm. “You do realize what you’re all asking of me, right? If I may be so blunt, it’s disrespectful.”
Arissa leaned up in her chair. “What’s disrespectful is a woman meddling in her grown ass son’s life. What’s disrespectful is knowing the man I know, having been with him, you up and leaving without a reason. Have you any idea how that must have felt for him?” She clipped her next words. “As far as closure, you left him not the other way around. There’s no way in hell you have closure.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Arissa.” Phoebe lifted her wine glass but didn’t drink it. “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m supposed to just walk away if he takes my heart and breaks it. Just like that and let you win?” Phoebe took a hefty sip of the sweet wine, dropped the glass on the table with a thud, Riesling splashing onto the table. She rose, grabbed her purse that had been flung over the chair. “I’m sorry, but I’m not doing this.” Phoebe wanted nothing more than to go back to Summerville, to the arms of the man she loved. A man she always would. But risking him choosing Arissa over her, the thought had her stomach twisting in knots.
Phoebe started for the door, the Belles silent, watching her as she went. Arissa stood, shouted across the crowded cafe. “Your ex showed at Hank’s, saying Hank was texting you!”
Phoebe stopped mid-step. She spun on one of her black heels and moved back to the table. “Excuse me?”
“Your ex showed—”
Phoebe cut Arissa off, “Yes, I got that part. Continue?”
Arissa’s lips drew into a thin line while she drew in a calming breath. Her temper sitting on the edge with how this was playing out. “Your ex said Hank was the reason you and he split, that Hank was texting you. Hank assured me he wasn’t—”
“He wasn’t.”
“I know,” Arissa said firmly, nodding her head in emphasis. “Phoebe, something is not adding up. We…” She waved a hand to include the Belles, whose eyes were glued to the action. “Want to make this right… for Hank.”
Phoebe took a deep breath, placed her purse strap along the back of the chair and dropped into it. Lifting the glass of wine she’d abandoned, she swallowed the last of it in one sip.
“And…” Hya clapped her hands. “We’re back!”
Phoebe smiled at Hya before pulling her cell from her purse. Looking at the screen, she said to the group of women. “I’m calling my ex to get this story.”
The ladies hummed their approval. Hya raised her hand, calling the waitress. “Anyone else in the mood for onion rings?” She didn’t wait for an answer when the waitress appeared.
“Bruno?” Phoebe said and the group got quiet, eyes on Phoebe. “What’s this I hear about you visiting Hank?” The conversation went on, with the women only hearing half of it; they were having some problems putting it all together. Phoebe hung up, tossed her cell onto the table and into the splash of wine she’d caused there. “He says a couple texts had come in on my phone when I was in the shower one night.” Phoebe reached across the table, grabbed Millie’s wine and took a sip. “Sorry.” She shrugged and went on. “He said it was Hank asking me to come back, that he was still…” Phoebe’s eyes zeroed in on Arissa when she said the next. “In love with me. You know Hank.” She pointed to Arissa. “I know Hank and that is not Hank. So who is it?”
Maureen told Phoebe, “Check your call log?”
“I can’t, Bruno said he erased it before I had a chance to see anything.”
“Fuck!” Hya’s show of disappointment earned her the eyes of the patrons around them.
“We should wrap this up before we’re bailing Hya outta jail,” Millie said before shushing Hya.
Arissa took a long sip of her wine. “You said you didn’t want to do this, didn’t want to get hurt. The last time you walked away, you weren’t the one who got hurt. You got a little hurt coming your way to even that shit out. But beyond any of it, something is off. I love Hank. Never felt what I’m feeling before, know I never will again, but I don’t want to be the consolation prize. He never got closure with you because he doesn’t know the real reason you left. He deserves to know.” Arissa lifted her glass again, took another sip. “And as painful as it is to admit, you deserve it too. In your shoes, with a man like that, I’d hope someone would give me a second chance. We both stand to lose. I’m not asking you to do anything I’m not prepared to face myself. In the end, I think we both want the same thing and that’s for Hank to be happy. So…” Arissa put her glass down. “Are you in?”
“I’m in,” Phoebe said without any hesitation. She had a chance to win back the love of her life, not something people get a chance to do in life. Of course she was in.
“A ladies agreement, hot damn,” Hya shouted, earning her more looks from those around them. This time, the concierge started over.
“Time to go,” she said, and stood.
As the ladies stood one by one, Millie threw money on the table. Maureen rushed her before the man approached them. Phoebe turned to Arissa. “I can be there tomorrow morning.”
Arissa’s heart sank at how eager Phoebe was, but then in her shoes, she’d have left for Summerville right then and there. It was either the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning. She inhaled, and let it out slowly. “Okay, tomorrow.”
“This is like one of those smutty romance novels Hya reads,” Maureen hooted as they all moved out the door. “I can’t wait to see how it ends.”
15
Hank grabbed the back of Arissa’s cutoffs causing her steps to halt. Pulling her back flush against his chest, Hank bent and brought his mouth to her ear while raising his other hand and cupping her breast. “My girl was on fire last night.”
Arissa sunk into him, giving in to the warmth coursing through her body. She gave a guttural moan when Hank’s thumb rubbed her nipple through the thin material of her tank top and bra.
Hank was rubbing his cock against her as he kissed her neck. There was no doubt that last night Arissa was making up for their lost one. She rode him hard then sucked him off in the shower, only for him to wake up with her pussy in his face and her mouth on his cock… again.
“Pretty sure you’ve sucked and fucked me dry, Baby, but I’m willing to try,” Hank whispered, and let the back of her shorts go so he could palm her other breast.
Her head fell back against his chest, a moan moved up her throat. She wanted so much to see if Hank had anything left to give, but Phoebe was due any minute. And she had yet to share, or better yet warn him what was in store. “Honey, I told you I need to talk to you.” Arissa said breathlessly because she loved what he was doing to her. Didn’t want him to stop. Ever.
“And I told you, we’ll talk later.” His hand glided down her front, fingers skimming along her stomach.
Right before his hand had a chance to dip into her shorts, Arissa moved. She turned and with a pleading look asked, “Please?”
Hank smiled a
t her. “Fine,” he said, moving into her and kissing her pouting lips. “Let’s talk.”
Now that she had his attention, how the hell did she start the conversation? She chewed on her nail, figured if they were outside in the serene environment when she shared the news, he might be less likely to scream at her. “Let’s go outside,” she suggested but didn’t wait, moving like she was on fire. She was pacing the deck when he appeared, two mugs of coffee in hand and a grin on his face. She stopped pacing and just looked at him because, God, she loved him. He reached her, handed her a mug but stole a kiss first. She didn’t take a drink because she didn’t want to lose his taste on her lips.
“So talk,” he said, leaning against the deck railing with his eyes on her.
“So the ladies and I went into Charleston yesterday.”
“Yeah, how was that?” Hank hadn’t gotten a chance to ask her about her day last night because she attacked him the minute he walked through the door. But a little chill ran down his spine. Did she want to move back to the city? At the thought, Hank choked out, “Nice being back?”
That caught her attention. “Actually, no. I mean Charleston is nice and all, but I didn’t miss it.” She started to pace again. “I mean, I don’t miss it.” She stopped pacing, leveled her eyes on him. “I did miss you, though, a lot.”
Hank cocked his head, having a hard time reading her expression. Scared…soft, love, hesitation. What was going on? “Baby, what’s up?”
“Jesus.” She put her mug down. “This is harder than I thought.” She held his concerned stare. “I love you. You know that right? I just want you happy.”
Hank put his mug on the railing and crossed his arms. He braced cause this conversation was not starting out good…at all. “Arissa,” he said firmly and kept on. “I am happy and love you. What in the fuck is going on?”
Her mouth opened to tell him when she heard the car door at the same time he did. She turned seconds before Phoebe appeared, looking how Arissa was feeling…worried and a little sick in the stomach. Turning back to Hank, she could not read his expression at all. Her voice was really soft when she said, “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”