“Does he have a good, long visit with his balls while he’s there?”
Juliana sighed. It didn’t make any difference what this man thought. He wasn’t the first or the last to criticize Lawrence for leaving her over the holiday. It wasn’t like she could join him. She’d spend a large portion of her single day off on a plane.
“Does he at least alternate and spend every other Christmas with you?”
“His mom says once he’s married and has kids and she retires, she’ll start coming to Texas for some of the holidays. Until then, she expects—”
Why in the world am I making excuses?
“Expects? How old is he again?”
“She expects for him to come to her,” she finished, growing more and more irritated with this know-it-all buttinsky. “He’s forty-four. Do you have a point?”
He put his tanned hands on his narrow, denim-clad hips and cocked his head at her. “He isn’t much of a man if he leaves you alone on Christmas every year.”
Matching his stance, Juliana said, “You don’t know what it’s like to have a relationship with someone who is in retail management during the holidays. For me, it’s like there is no holiday. It’s merely the impetus behind the busiest month of the year, my best opportunity to keep the store in the black for another year. When he goes, he has my blessing. I hardly even have time to—” She pressed her lips together and bit back the rest of her statement.
He cocked his head, his turquoise-blue eyes drilling into hers. “Have time to what? Miss him?”
Yes, damn it. Guiltily, she realized she’d hardly given Lawrence a thought tonight before Mr. Peterson had brought him up. However, she had given thought to how handsome Ash was with his big, thick biceps, muscular physique, and incredibly sexy muttonchop sideburns and moustache.
“That’s none of your business.”
“If you were my woman, I’d never leave you alone during Christmas, even if all you had was one day off. I’d make it count.” He said the last word with extra emphasis. Juliana felt a warm blush steal over her cheeks and hoped he couldn’t see it in the dim light. He’d probably think it was because she was attracted to him, which would only irritate her further.
“Well, I’m not your ‘woman,’” she replied haughtily, even using air quotes around the word as she emphasized it snidely, “and I manage fine.”
“What about your family?”
“I see them at other times of the year. They understand that the holidays aren’t a good time for me to visit.” They were probably all sitting down to eat right now, three hours away in Tillman.
Truth be told, she had not been home at all this year. There was never a good time to take off for a few days. The last time she had a day off was Thanksgiving, and even then she’d worked part of the day in her office while the store was closed. It was less depressing than eating the evening meal alone.
Her phone buzzed in her handbag. Checking caller ID, Juliana said with little sincerity, “Sorry, it’s Lawrence. I need to take this call.”
“Listen, I’m sorry if I offended you—” Ash started to say, and she surprised herself by brusquely turning and taking a few steps away without hearing what else he had to say.
“Hello.” She spoke with false cheer in her voice, thinking her mother would be appalled at her rudeness to that man. She heard the door open and close and assumed he walked back in the house.
“Juliana, we need to talk for a minute.”
No “Merry Christmas.” No inquiries how her day had been. She hadn’t heard from him since the twentieth.
“What’s up?” she asked as she settled in the old glider on Grace’s back porch.
“Mom and I have been talking.”
Her core muscles did an involuntary lockdown. Last time he’d said those words, he’d informed her he was taking his mom on a two week Caribbean cruise, without her. The cruise had taken place over her birthday, and he didn’t even send her a card.
“What have you and your mom been talking about?”
“I’ve maintained my real estate agent’s license in Vermont all these years, and I’ve been presented with a lucrative opportunity. I’m going to take it.”
Juliana wished she could say that she was stunned. Then she heard a woman’s voice in the background say, “Tell her.”
There was a rustling as if he’d put his hand over the mouthpiece while he carried on a secondary conversation.
“Are you there, Lawrence?” Juliana’s heart was pounding because she knew already what came next. She’d suspected for a while. “Tell me what? Who is there with you?”
“Juliana, it’s over between us. I’ve met someone here. She’s the other reason I’m returning to Vermont.”
She felt strangely numb to what he said, as if she were listening to some stranger’s conversation. “I see. How long?”
“I’ll be back to pack my house the day after tomorrow, and I’ll be returning here immediately. Not long at all.”
“No, you rat bastard. How long have you had a relationship with her?”
There was a long pause, during which she added up all the weekend business trips he’d taken this year and the longer than usual holiday breaks as well. The numbness centered in her chest and spread outward over her limbs.
“Since last year.” His voice was void of any emotion.
Icy chills blanketed her skin. “And I allowed you in my bed, trusted you during that time.”
“I always used condoms with her.”
Juliana grated, “Well, I’m so glad you protected her, you lying, cock-sucking bastard.” This was really going to hurt when she thought this conversation over later in the evening. She could feel it coming.
“I used condoms for your sake as well, Juliana. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but it never seemed the right time. You were always working. Always busy.”
“Don’t blame this on me. I have responsibilities, and you know that.”
“Yes, you do. I’m sorry to have caused you any distress.”
“You’re sorry for causing me distress?”
“I’ll swing by the store with your house key.”
“Just put it in my mailbox. I can’t believe you’re doing this over the phone. No, wait, maybe I should be grateful you didn’t text me with the news,” she added over the lump growing in her throat. Lawrence was a heavy texter. There was another awkward pause, and then he sighed irritatingly. “You thought about it, though, didn’t you?”
“It would have saved us this unnecessary emotionalism.”
“Unnecessary emotionalism? Lawrence, I’ve been your girlfriend for five years, not a casual fuck. You mean it would have saved you the hassle of talking to me like a human being.”
“There is no need to be coarse.” Lawrence had always disliked her potty mouth, which she’d done her best to minimize around him. “I’ll be by for my things in a couple of days.”
“Don’t come to my house. I’ll box everything up and put it on your porch.”
“Fine. Well…Merry Christmas. Good-bye.”
“You are a horrible person for saying that and for doing this today, of all days.” Juliana disconnected the call.
She looked at the backlit screen of her cell phone. The call had taken less than five minutes. Five minutes to uproot and discard five years of her life. Hell, who was she kidding? All they’d done was bridge the gaps between work and loneliness for each other. Then there was his mother. Maybe she should call him back and thank him for saving her from having to hear, “Mom and I have been talking,” ever again.
Remaining seated in the dark, Juliana drew her calves up under her as Ash sat down on the glider. She didn’t have to look up to know it was him because that was just her luck tonight.
“Here.” He offered her an inch of whiskey in a shot glass.
Chuckling, she took it from him and tossed it back then handed him the glass. Tears welled in her eyes as her throat caught fire. “Thank you.”
“You looke
d like you needed it.”
“Did you hear?” She couldn’t muster any indignation if he had.
“Only part of it. I’m sorry. I looked out here, and you looked upset and…I don’t know. I thought the shot might help whatever was wrong. I didn’t intend to eavesdrop.”
“It’s all right. It doesn’t matter.” She meant it, too. “I suppose it wasn’t the most meaningful relationship in recorded history.”
“Still, it’s hard when someone leaves your life that you count on to be there.” He said it in a kind tone with the hint of a Southern drawl. His voice did tingly things to her insides that were in direct contrast to the emotional storm growing inside her.
“I should go pack his things.” He caught her hand as she rose from the glider and she turned to him. His hands were warm, the palms and fingertips callused. Lawrence’s hands had been smooth, his nails manicured. Ash’s touch shot a bolt of sensation through her body, centering in her rapidly warming core.
“You should stay and have fun. Have a few more drinks with me.” His thumb stroked over her knuckles, sending repeating tingles up and down her spine, warring with the pain that was burgeoning in her chest. Her body felt at odds with itself, but the pain was starting to win out.
“Why?”
Make it quick, mister, because the clock is ticking down on my hissy-fit-o-meter. Did he take perverse pleasure in watching her fall apart?
“Because you can’t shut out the world. Those are your friends in there, right? I mean you know a bunch of them, don’t you? And now you know me. Don’t go home and hide.” His tone was soothing but challenging at the same time.
“Thank you for your advice, cowboy, but I know what I need right now. I need to clear him out of my life, out of my house.”
“Tomorrow is soon enough. Stay.” His persuasive voice was hard to ignore.
A lump formed in her throat, and muscles in her chest and shoulders grew tense as reality started to set in. She’d trusted Lawrence, and he’d cheated on her.
She wasn’t sure if the heat in her cheeks was from the whiskey or from her impending emotional breakdown, but she was sure she did not want to be in his presence for it.
“Let me go get Grace for you,” he whispered, patting her shoulder as he rose from the glider.
“No, I need to leave.” Juliana stood and picked up her purse. “If she asks, tell her I’ll call her this week.” She couldn’t even commit to calling her tomorrow because Juliana knew she’d be incredibly busy. All her friends were used to not hearing from her for days or weeks at a time. She was always busy. “Thanks for the drink, Ash.”
* * * *
Ash gently grasped her wrist. “At least tell Grace good-bye.” He might be a man, but he understood Juliana was fighting tears and wouldn’t want him to see her like that.
Trying to egg her on a little and get her to show some of the spunk and spirit he knew she hid beneath her cool exterior, he said, “Don’t run like a coward.” Unfortunately, she didn’t take it the way he planned.
“I am no coward, Mister Helper, and you can kiss my lily-white ass!” she hissed. She yanked her arm away from him and stomped down to the end of the wraparound porch.
Ash smiled as he watched that gorgeous redhead disappear from sight. He’d been partially successful. She’d shown that there was definitely a fire burning in there, but he’d not succeeded in getting her to stay. His consolation, however, was in watching the aforementioned ass twitch and sway as she angrily walked away.
“Mm-mm-mm. I’d gladly pay money to kiss that sexy ass.” He’d replay that lovely image in his mind later. Left, right, left.
She had a body that wouldn’t quit, she was newly single, and she had him hard as a steel pole. His cock didn’t appreciate being blocked, and he reminded himself she wasn’t the type to put out easily anyway. “Down, boy.”
* * * *
Juliana glumly stared at the box of Lawrence’s personal effects sitting on the chair opposite her desk when Leah Woodworth walked in, clipboard under her arm. Leah had graduated from Baylor University the month before and returned to Divine with a freshly inked degree in business management. Juliana was under orders from Doug Woodworth, the store’s owner and Leah’s father, to allow her to implement some of the knowledge she’d acquired. Doug wanted to put some of that book learning he’d spent so much money on to good use.
Juliana’s stress level increased with every change. Leah had a lot of ideas. She’d known Leah since she was a little girl and had even hired her to work at the store while she was a high school student. But her head was filled with theory, some of which was not proven in a small town environment.
“Hi, sweetie. What’s up?” Juliana asked as Leah sat down and smiled at her.
“Is Daddy making you crazy?”
Juliana chuckled and nodded. “A little, but he’s always done that. I agreed to try your ideas, but you have to give me solid proof before I lay a single soul off. I know you’ve been observing operations. Can I give you one piece of advice?”
“Sure!” Leah was a good-natured young woman, and Juliana could not fault her for wanting to put her degree to good use. After all, the store belonged to her family, and she only wanted the best for it. Understanding what was best might call for adjusting some of her ideas.
“Rather than spending time observing the employees, you should be getting to know them better. Half of them have known you since you were in diapers, but you’re making all of them nervous with this watching and taking notes routine,” Juliana said, gesturing to the clipboard in Leah’s hands.
“I promise I’ll do that, first chance I get. I have a manpower management newsletter to put together for them, with helpful hints for making more profitable use of the hours they spend here.”
“Um, okay.” Juliana had a sinking feeling she would come to hate the words “manpower management.” They discussed the layoffs Leah proposed, and Juliana had to admit the two employees that Leah pinpointed had not been pulling their weight, by her own observations.
All the documentation and paperwork was in place, and Juliana pinpointed a date in mid-January for the deed to be done. Nobody got laid off the week after Christmas. Juliana groaned when Leah once again brought up the sore subject of doing away with commission sales. Juliana had an excellent staff of well-trained sales people and knew that would pull the rug out from under them. She put the decision off until later, and Leah backed off—for now.
Juliana needed to get the box over to Lawrence’s front porch. She’d gone on a tear through the house the night before, finding all his things, surprised that the items filled only one box. After she’d finished the clean-out, she’d sat down with a pint of java mocha ice cream and watched Sense and Sensibility, berating the female lead, Marianne, for choosing Willoughby over the faithful and steadfast Colonel. Juliana put on Godzilla instead. A pint of ice cream and two and a half hours later, she was numb and suffering from a sugar crash.
She didn’t feel any better in the morning and was slightly nauseated from all the ice cream. After a breakfast taco, she felt much better, if still a little depressed. She felt no real loss, even over the fact that the son of a bitch had been cheating on her, merely an ever-growing irritation that she hadn’t figured it out sooner.
Checking the time, she stood wearily from her desk and picked up the box as Evelyn, her Yoda-like right-hand person, cleared her throat. The elderly sprite stood in the office door, looking over her reading glasses, wearing a Cheshire cat grin. In her wrinkled little hands was a small arrangement of miniature roses and dark green foliage displayed in a floral teacup and saucer.
“Someone has an admirer,” Evelyn announced in her uncharacteristically gravelly voice.
Juliana took the flowers from her. “Who are they from?” she asked, smelling the lovely yellow roses.
“Now how would I know that, missy?” Evelyn asked innocently as Juliana placed the arrangement on her desk.
Scoffing, Juliana eyed her and sa
id, “Oh, puh-lease, don’t bullshit a bullshitter.”
“Who is Ash?” Evelyn asked, cutting the crap.
“Someone I met at Grace’s last night. He had flowers delivered?” Interesting. She thought after her rudeness last night, he wouldn’t want to have anything further to do with her.
“Actually, he delivered them himself. His card says, and I quote, ‘Sorry, darling. I was just trying to help last night. Sincerely, Ash.’ He also brought you lunch, and he’s out in the store right now. I told him you had someone in your office, and he didn’t want to interrupt you.” With a grin, she added, “I helpfully suggested that maybe you’d want to thank him yourself and that he should hang around a bit.”
Juliana couldn’t help but smile, looking at the flowers. He’d sort of stuck his foot in his mouth last night, but he’d had good intentions. The flowers did brighten her mood. Lifting the box containing Lawrence’s stuff, she stepped out of her office to go look for him while she tried to formulate an apology for her behavior the night before.
An employee stopped her to ask a question outside the hallway that led to her office. Answering the question, she was distracted by an unusual rhythmic sound and looked up the main aisle that ran the length of the store.
Walking toward her from the front of the store, looking like sex on a stick, was that tall, hot cowboy. She had to confess that he was a sight for sore eyes, dressed in faded blue jeans, dusty cowboy boots, a red Western shirt, a dark blue barn jacket, and his black felt cowboy hat. She realized from the telltale sound that he’d left his spurs on. Tingling heat spread over her cheeks, and she cursed her red hair and fair skin.
He walked down the aisle to her, a knowing smile in his eyes and on his lips. Her insides quivered, and she felt the heat in her cheeks spread to her clit. Despite her blush, she continued her perusal, her panties dampening slightly at the sight of the telltale bulge at his groin and the sound of his spurs. Why the sound of spurs could get her a little wet, she wasn’t sure. He chuckled as he came to a stop and extricated the box from her hands.
Box Set: The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 2 [Book 4 - Rosemary's Double Delight (MFM), Book 5 - Spurs and Heels (MF)] (Siren Publishing Romance Collection) Page 20