All She Wants

by Larkin Rose

  The front door opened, and Marci glanced around to find Ashley stepping inside. Her pale blue eyes landed on Marci, and sadness filled them.

  Marci had a flashback of the first time she’d ever laid eyes on her. Ashley had been decked out in snow gear after just ending a ski lesson, sitting in the coffee shop with her group of chattering friends, when Marci ducked inside to grab a hot chocolate before she headed home for the day.

  As soon as Ashley had turned those eyes on her, Marci had felt the connection. Or rather, the inability to disconnect. Something in those eyes made her keep watching the group. And something in that smile and flirty eyes had encouraged her to introduce herself to the table of giggling women. To Ashley in particular.

  Marci had been awestruck.

  And then she’d become an idiot. She’d become obsessed with her, spending every available minute of Ashley’s free time getting to know her. Then when it was time for Ashley’s vacation to end, she’d ask if there was a possibility for a future. With those pouty lips pursed, Ashley had told her there was, but only if Marci was willing to move. There hadn’t been a thought process for Marci. She was in. One hundred percent, she was all in. So she’d gone after her, followed her, and soon created a life with her.

  And here she was, only feet away, looking just as good today as she had all those years ago. Wearing tight blue jeans with a pair of black pumps and matching deep vee blouse, she was still gorgeous.

  But one thing was missing this time. Marci’s heart. Ashley had ripped that out and stomped on it. She’d made sure Marci could never give it to another person.

  Also, that flutter. That flutter was gone. That quickening in her gut, gone. That instant connection that had been all consuming so many years ago, was no longer present.

  All gone.

  Marci was suddenly grateful. For once, the sight of Ashley didn’t weaken her knees. Didn’t make her stomach knot and didn’t make her heart skip.

  As if mentally summoned by Marci’s sudden discomfort, by the need to get the hell away from Ashley, to get on with the next phase of life, whatever that was, her lawyer stuck his head around the corner. “Marci. Ashley. We’re ready. Can you join us in the conference room?”

  Marci shoved out of her chair, eager, ready.

  “Marci,” Ashley softly said her name.

  That sound used to drive Marci stupid.

  This time, it irritated her as she turned to face her, taking in the sadness in Ashley’s expression.

  “Can we talk before we go in?” Ashley asked.

  Marci turned to her lawyer, hoping he would deny the request. He gave a nod.

  She turned back to Ashley. “Sure.”

  Ashley’s led the way back out the door. Out into the sunshine. The heat. The devil’s heat.

  She walked halfway down the sidewalk before she stopped and turned to Marci. Sadness filled her eyes and she fidgeted with her hands, something Marci used to find adorable. She would do anything to make Ashley’s worry go away, to make her forget. Now she just felt pity and had no desire to ease her worry.

  Ashley had done an awful thing, got caught, and was living with the consequences. Sure, Marci could forgive her. But to forgive, she would need to forget. Forgetting was impossible. What Ashley had done, Marci could never forget.

  “I’ve wanted to talk to you so bad.” Ashley looked down at the ground then slowly back up at Marci. “To say how sorry I was for what I did.”

  Marci studied her pretty eyes and didn’t see anything but regret in them. Good. She deserved to see regret. Ashley owed her that much.

  Ashley shifted uncomfortably while Marci remained silent. But inside, she was hearing Tessa. Hearing Tessa’s words. Her promise.

  You’re going to run across her again someday. Ask her why. Your closure will be in her answer. I promise.

  Was she right? Would the closure be in Ashley’s answer? Did Marci even want to know why anymore? What would it change? Nothing. It wouldn’t change anything. But the answer didn’t need to change to get the answer. Isn’t that what Tessa had said? That she deserved to hear that answer?

  Before Marci could change her own mind, before the voices could talk her out of asking the question, Marci gathered her courage and let the words out. “Why, Ashley? Why did you do it?” She shoved her hands in her pockets to keep from crossing them protectively across her chest.

  Ashley closed the distance, her eyes suddenly full of hope. “I felt so abandoned, Marci. I was always so alone. You were working all the time and constantly talking about starting that stupid business in that dreadful cold place. Not to mention you always had Wendy in your ear talking shit about me.” She squeezed Marci’s arms. “I thought I was losing you. I thought Wendy was going to convince you to go back home. I freaked out, Marci. I did a horrible, lousy thing. Could you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”

  With every word, Marci felt more anger gathering.

  Was Ashley serious?

  Coming from a woman who did girls’ night out every weekend with her besties while Marci worked overtime to learn how to be a travel agent. She didn’t have time to be lonely. Coming from a woman who didn’t mind entertaining their friends while her wife was selling another vacation package to replace the money Ashley had spent on day spas. Again, no time to be lonely. And coming from a woman who had picked up a woman during one of those girls’ nights out then carried her home, to their home, and fucked her in the very bed they’d picked out together with the commission from those sales during those overtime hours.

  Tessa was right. God, how right she was. The closure was definitely in the answer. And it was so damn loud.

  And then something else Tessa said blossomed in her mind.

  She wasn’t your team player. She doused your flame.

  She should have bulldozed you to the finish line.

  Damn if Tessa wasn’t right again.

  Ashley hadn’t been her team player. Her equal. Her ride or die. And she’d allowed Ashley to douse her flames for what could have been an amazing future. She could have had an amazing life had a piece of ass not caught her attention. If she hadn’t been too weak to walk away. If she hadn’t been smitten with the beautiful Ashley.

  Marci felt the door of closure slam as Ashley looked up at her with those pleading eyes, waiting for her response, waiting for Marci to say something.

  No. She was waiting for Marci to cave. To cave to those pretty eyes. To those full, pouty lips. To her pathetic excuses. She expected Marci to succumb to her because Ashley had known the secret all along.

  That Marci was her puppet.

  Oh, how good it felt to feel those strings snap one at a time.

  How amazing it felt to know, to feel, that Ashley hadn’t won after all. She hadn’t gotten the last laugh. She hadn’t broken Marci after all.

  Ashley squeezed her arms again and pressed her body against Marci, dragging a single finger along her arms. “I know you miss me. I miss you so bad. And I miss us. Will you please forgive me and then take me home? Please, baby?”

  Marci stared down at her for several long moments, waiting for the right words to surface, for the correct response to lead the way. Surely those words were in there somewhere. She’d spent eleven years with this woman. Eleven years worshipping her. There had to be something she needed to say.

  “Say something, Marci.”

  Marci suddenly knew exactly what she wanted to say.

  Nothing.

  She wanted to say absolutely nothing.

  Well, maybe there was one thing.

  Marci chuckled. “You’re so fucking pathetic.”

  She backed away, shook her head in disgust, and walked back into the lawyer’s office.

  Thirty minutes later, with her head held high, she walked out a divorced woman and her house sold.

  Nothing had ever felt so good.

  Well, maybe there was one thing that felt better. The realization that she’d treated Tessa so wrong. That she’d said some horrible thin
gs to her. To Monty. That she now knew Tessa was right about one thing.

  It wasn’t Monty’s fault.

  And she couldn’t wait to get back home to tell her how wrong she’d been.

  If Tessa would listen.

  If she would accept her apology.

  If she would allow Marci to give one.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I need two of those heaters on either side of the altar,” Tessa instructed Gary, the guy from the rental company who had been amazing and patient with her all day. “Center them on the outside so the palm trees will hide everything.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He eagerly rushed away.

  The poor guy had been running all morning. Moving heaters, waiting for Tessa’s approval, then moving them again when she wasn’t happy with the results, all with a smile on his face like he was happy just to be helping. Maybe he was just happy to be part of something that could be epic if it turned out to be identical to the photo in her mind.

  Everything had to be perfect. This was it. The final hoorah. The end shebang. The wedding that would either make her a winner or send her home in tears.

  The couple who would be walking down this aisle in just a few hours had to be over the moon excited about what Tessa had created for their first wedding. A first wedding for both of them. Thank God.

  Tessa was more thrilled about that. That neither had been married before. She wasn’t sure she could have put this much love and attention into a second or third marriage. Sure, she would have forced herself to do the job, because her future depended on it, but her heart wouldn’t have been in it like it was for these adorable people.

  Their video had been even more precious. Holding hands through their entire interview. Staring over at each other like they couldn’t let the other out of their eyesight. She, Harley, wanted a beach wedding so she could walk barefoot in the sand. He, Robert, wanted a mountain wedding so they could be snowed in on their honeymoon and he could be the person to teach her how to ski.

  She and her team had mulled over different ideas, tossed a few plans around, but only one scenario took hold for Tessa, and she knew she wouldn’t be happy with anything less than exactly what they wanted.

  A beach wedding. A mountain wedding.

  There was only one choice for Tessa.

  She decided to give them both.

  So she brought the beach to the mountain.

  Seven truckloads of beach, to be exact.

  That decision had been the first time Seth had questioned her motives. The first time Danny had actually spoken an objection. And the first time Sally had been silenced. And she couldn’t forget Monty’s cocked brow, silently telling her she’d lost her mind.

  “What in the world would we do with all of that sand after the wedding? It’s not like we can sweep seven tons of beach under the couch.” Seth chuckled nervously.

  “There’s a playground behind the resort. There’s another playground in town at the park. There’s an elementary school. I’m sure they could use some fresh sand. And the high school has an outdoor volleyball court as well as the community center. We can share it with everyone. I’ll make the calls to make sure we can disperse it to anyone willing to take it.” Tessa tapped her pen against the table and scanned the expressions staring back at her. They all looked so serious. Didn’t they believe in her? Hadn’t she proven herself already? “Next issue?”

  “What about all of those palm trees?” Danny glanced down at the sketch Hunter had drawn as Tessa detailed the layout. “Like, all hundred of them according to this cool artwork.”

  “This resort is huge and could use some upgraded greenery. The new resort will be twice this size. Wendy said she would be more than happy to disperse the dwarf palms throughout both facilities. And I’ve contacted a tree expert who specializes in recycling palms. He is going to take them all. All ten of them, Mr. Overdramatic.”

  “And this wall of succulents?” Sally finally found her voice. “Where in the world would you put a seven-foot-high wall of plants?”

  “The lodge.” Tessa quickly added. She’d already envisioned the perfect spot for them. “The indoor Jacuzzi with that incredible view. Catty-corner them on either side of the sliding doors. Won’t obstruct that panoramic scenery at all. Not to mention, the walls are already bare and need some decoration. The plants will love all that heat and steam. Wendy already approved that as well.”

  “Is there anything you haven’t thought of?” Seth asked, pure admiration in his voice.

  “Isn’t that my job? To think of everything?” Tessa blew him a kiss.

  “I’m in.” Sally laid her arm across the table and formed a fist. “Let’s do the damn thing!”

  “Team Tessa!” One by one, everyone fist-bumped, and Tessa knew they were all on board with her insane plans to bring a beach to a snow-topped mountain.

  With a sigh, she looked over her creation and felt the excitement curl tight in her belly.

  Rows of white chairs, draped in Mediterranean blue, dominated the sandy grounds. Tropical foliage lined both sides like a paradise. With an archway draped in live plants, all tucked into the lattice to create a wall of nature, completing the scene.

  Tall propane heaters were masked by the foliage to give the beach heat, and the altar had been set against the cliff to overlook the peaks and valleys blanketed in snow beneath.

  For sure, she’d outdone herself and given her clients exactly what they wanted. And then some.

  Even these final changes they were making, nothing more than minor alterations, hadn’t bent her out of shape or caused her to second-guess herself.

  There was no way in hell the other crew could outdo this magical creation.

  Of that, she was positive.

  “I have six more boxes of taffeta for the archway,” Seth announced excitedly. “When your guy gets done with the heaters, we’ll get that started.”

  Tessa nodded as she took in the whole scene. The ripples in the sand that created a perfect beach replica.

  “I’m so amazed with us,” Tessa confessed under her breath.

  “You know you’re going to win this thing, don’t you?”

  “We.” Tessa turned to look at him. He had become her friend, a guy she hoped to always stay in contact with. Her crew had been more than she could have ever hoped for. “We’re going to win this thing. Now get away from me before I roll out my bottom lip and ruin everyone’s day.”

  He gave her a timid smile and cocked his head. “You are adored.” He scurried off before Tessa could smack him, or cry. Right now, with so much beauty transforming around her, with the win only hours away, she could sink into this sand on her knees and just bawl her head off.

  This whole journey had been incredible. Even the Marci drama was worth the hassle to be standing right here, right now, witnessing her victory unfolding before her very eyes.

  “Tessa. I’m truly in shock right now.”

  Tessa turned around to find Wendy, eyes wide as she took in the surroundings.

  “Thank you. I’m kind of taking it all in myself.”

  Taking in more than this scene was what she was doing. Taking in the fact that Marci was a coward. That she’d run off like a scorned brat without so much as an explanation. That she hadn’t even bothered to say good-bye. Or answer her phone calls or texts, which Tessa had finally stopped.

  Coward. Marci was a twisted, butthurt, blame everyone else for my sorrows, coward. Tessa should count her blessings that it was all over.

  “Whatever in God’s name made you think of this?”

  Tessa shrugged. “My mom always told me to give your customers what they want. Times five.”

  “That is one smart mom you have.”

  Tessa grinned. “That she is.”

  She was truly blessed to have such an awesome mother who didn’t buckle under the weight of the world. Who stood tall and faced defeat like a damn boss. Who smiled at the woman who could have been blamed for tearing her marriage apart. Who, instead, treat
ed that mistress with respect and kept it moving.

  She did that for her daughters. She knew they were watching. Knew they would learn from her behavior.

  Oh, how Tessa had learned. If only Marci could learn the same lesson. If only Marci could get that damn closure so she could eventually move on with her own life.

  If only.

  But for Tessa, the sky was about to be her limit.

  She could go anywhere. Any state. Maybe even another cold, snow-covered mountain.

  But one fact was crystal clear. She couldn’t stay here.

  This was Marci’s home. Her best friend. Her resort and her world.

  Tessa didn’t belong in it.

  When the silence and Wendy’s approving inspection got too much for Tessa, she couldn’t hold back the question any longer.

  “How is she?”

  Wendy turned to look at her but didn’t immediately answer.

  Tessa knew this situation was hard on Wendy, but she wouldn’t retract the question.

  She wanted the answer. If only that one answer. Sure, she had more questions. Like where did she go? Was she coming back? Had she raced back to Arizona to forgive a cheater?

  Actually, she didn’t want those other answers. She just wanted to know that Marci was okay.

  Wendy moved closer and lowered her voice. “I’m stepping out of boss mode and into friend mode because I shouldn’t talk about her, but I don’t want you to worry. She’s fine.”

  Tessa didn’t feel any better hearing that she was fine. Actually, that made the other questions rush to the surface.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Tessa lied.

  She was still mad. Pissed that Marci had left without so much as a good-bye. Without talking to her. Without a damn thing.

  She just left like Tessa didn’t matter.

  Because, truth be told, with all of Marci’s actions speaking far louder than her words, Tessa didn’t matter.

  She’d done what Tessa hadn’t been able to do.

  Walk away.

  “She went back to Arizona to close on the house and sign her divorce papers,” Wendy added. “And she decided not to come back until the contest is over.” She fidgeted with the zipper on her jacket. “I’m sorry, Tessa.”