Not Quite Over You

by Susan Mallery

  She laughed. “You do know how to entice a girl.”

  “Not just any girl,” he told her.

  If only that were true, she thought wistfully.

  They told Georgiana they were leaving. Drew said he’d gotten a ride with one of his helpers so they went to Silver’s truck and headed for his place.

  It only took a few minutes to open the wine and set out the cheese plate. Silver grabbed plates and crackers and they carried everything to the table in the corner. It was only after they sat down that she realized she was exhausted.

  “That was a long day,” she said. “Good, but long.”

  He poured them each a glass of wine. “I agree. But it was way too much. We’re going to have to hire someone for each of the trailers. You can’t manage everything going on and run an event. Not every weekend.”

  She’d been thinking the same thing herself. “I know. I hate to give up control, but you’re right. I can be a backup person in an emergency, but otherwise, I need to be handling the logistics and booking events.”

  She tried to sound upbeat as she spoke, but it was difficult.

  “What?” Drew asked.

  “Everything is changing so fast,” she admitted. “I’m happy about the expansion and this is what I want, but now suddenly I’m stepping away from the day-to-day operations to be in management. It’s going to be an adjustment.”

  “We could hire a general manager and you could still handle one of the trailers.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. I know the business better than anyone. If I have any big management questions, you can answer them.”

  He touched his chest. “You’re saying you trust me and my expertise?”

  He was joking—she heard that in the tone of his voice and saw it in the smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. But she didn’t see the humor in the question, probably because her faith in him was a whole lot less about his career and a whole lot more about who he was—and the fact that she loved him.

  She’d been doing her best to avoid that truth, but it wouldn’t stay hidden forever. She loved Drew. She didn’t know what that meant or if it changed anything, but it was now a part of her.

  She sighed. No, it had always been a part of her. The difference was now she was willing to acknowledge it.

  “You have some very small amount of expertise,” she told him. “I plan to exploit that for my own gain.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “Let me know when you have time to do interviews,” she said. “We’ll get in some candidates. In the meantime, I’ll work up the budget with us bringing on two more employees.” She sliced some cheese and put it on her plate.

  “We have to talk about the retail space,” she told him. “I ran numbers again and they’re exactly what we expected. We can make a nice profit from the parties, only...”

  “Not your thing?” he asked.

  “How did you know?”

  “The first party would have been off-putting to anyone. You never expressed any interest in expanding the services offered, only in offering the same services to more people. There’s a difference. You like what you do and you want to do that. Hosting bachelorette parties and rehearsal dinners isn’t a natural expansion.”

  She appreciated that she didn’t have to explain herself. “But we spent all that money. The whole space is refurbished. We bought stripper poles.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. Not every expansion works out exactly as expected. Better to cut our losses and move on. Can you sublet the space?”

  She nodded. “I checked my lease already and it’s perfectly fine. With rents going up in town, we should about break even.”

  “Sounds like you have your answer.”

  “You sure you’re okay with the decision?”

  “Absolutely.” He held out his wineglass. “All right, partner. Problems solved?”

  “They are.”

  He was so easy to be with. So easy to love. Funny how long it had taken her to see that.

  “Admit it,” she teased. “Buying into my business was the best decision ever. The hardware store isn’t going to be nearly as exciting.”

  Something flashed in his eyes, but before she could figure out what he was thinking, the emotion was gone. He smiled.

  “You’re right about the hardware store, but I’m starting to think I could really get into the dry cleaning business. There’s just something about all those clean clothes.”

  “Now you’re scaring me.”

  “Really?”

  She laughed. “No. Not really.”

  Although knowing he had possession of her heart was its own kind of terrifying.

  * * *

  “FANCY,” NATALIE SAID as she walked into Silver’s retail space Tuesday at noon. “I like the stripper poles. I’m not sure I could dance around one, but I like them.”

  Silver was hosting the girlfriend lunch at her place. She’d pulled the sofas into a loose circle. She’d set up a taco bar along one wall and had flavored herbal iced tea in one of her drink dispensers.

  The rest of her friends arrived. Bethany handed out the Bride’s Posse T-shirts, then everyone went to fill their plates for lunch. When they were seated on the sofas, Pallas leaned back in her seat and sighed.

  “No offense, Bethany, but this is the last royal party I’m throwing for you. Do you know your father texts me every single day? He does. I get royal texts. The man adores you and wants everything to be perfect. It’s sweet but so annoying.”

  Bethany wrinkled her nose. “That’s my dad.”

  “Pallas is exaggerating,” Renee told her. “I think it’s wonderfully challenging. As for the next party, don’t worry about it. By then Pallas will be busy with her new baby and I’ll handle it all.”

  Silver looked at Bethany. “What next party?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Carol smiled. “She means a baby shower.”

  Bethany held up both hands. “No and no. I mean, sure, I want kids, but not for a couple of years. I want to enjoy being married to Cade first.”

  “Me, too,” Natalie said. “Only Ronan, not Cade. I’m not like you two.” She pointed at Carol and Pallas. “No babies for moi until at least our second anniversary. Now that I’ve found Ronan, I want a little just-us-two time before we start our family.”

  “The Mitchell men appear to be very fertile,” Silver murmured. “Make sure you’re on really good birth control.”

  Everyone laughed. Well, everyone but Wynn, who only smiled. Silver glanced at her.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. I agree. Birth control is important. You want to control when you get pregnant.”

  Pallas’s eyes widened. “OMG, are you telling us you’re pregnant? Does Jasper know?”

  Wynn practically choked. “No. No! I’m not pregnant. Trust me, I’m not pregnant. In fact...” She looked at them, then back at her plate. “You’re going to find out anyway, so I might as well tell you. Jasper and I broke up.”

  “What? No.”

  “What happened?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Was he stupid? Sometimes men are stupid.”

  Wynn held up her hand to stop the barrage of questions. “It’s no big deal. Our relationship was always casual. I only had one rule and that was for him not to get involved with Hunter. I found out he and Hunter were hanging out behind my back. He lied to me about the thing I told him was most important, so now I can’t trust him and it’s over.”

  “Just like that?” Natalie asked.

  “It was my only stipulation. He couldn’t respect my opinion, so yes, it’s done.”

  Silver knew Wynn had her reasons, but breaking up with Jasper like that sounded a little arbitrary. “Was he mean to Hunter?”

  “No, nothing like that. I’m sure if you ask hi
m, he’ll tell you he was just stepping in to be a substitute father.” Something flickered in her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t have said anything except you all knew we were seeing each other. I figured I’d just tell you and be done with it.”

  Carol looked at her. “I can’t figure out if you’re upset or not.”

  “I’m not. I knew it wasn’t going to last. I never wanted anything permanent. I don’t miss him. He was just a short-term fling.”

  “He can short-term fling me anytime he wants,” Renee said. As soon as the words were out, she flushed. “I’m sorry. I only meant to think that.”

  After a second of silence, everyone laughed. Wynn reached over and patted her hand.

  “You go for it. I won’t mind at all.”

  Renee shook her head. “I’m not exactly the go-for-it type, but he is handsome and sexy.” She flushed again. “Not that I’ve really noticed.”

  “Of course not,” Pallas said. “I have to say, Renee, the more I get to know you, the more I like you.”

  “Thanks. I feel the same way about all of you.”

  Bethany grinned. “I’m liking this lunch. We’re getting some really juicy bombshells. Wynn dumped Jasper. Renee has a crush on Jasper.”

  “It’s not a crush,” Renee protested. “It’s whatever is less than that. A mild interest.”

  “He’s free now,” Natalie teased.

  “We’ve already discussed my inability to quote unquote ‘go for it.’ Can we please change the subject?”

  “I think Millie and Dave had sex,” Carol said.

  It took Silver a second to piece together the couple. “You mean giraffe Millie and giraffe Dave?”

  “Who else? I really hope they’re doing it because I would love a giraffe baby. Of course we won’t know if she’s pregnant for months.”

  Pallas looked at Carol. “We could all be pregnant together. That’s so sweet.”

  “Giraffes gestate about fourteen or fifteen months,” Carol said. “We don’t want to share that with her.”

  Pallas shuddered and touched her stomach. “No, we don’t.”

  “Pregnant giraffes,” Natalie said. “That’s so nice.”

  “She’s weakening,” Silver murmured. “Just wait. She’ll be pregnant by the end of the year.”

  “Not happening,” Natalie said firmly.

  Conversation moved on to other topics. Silver joined in even as she kept an eye on Wynn. Since making her confession, there was no sign that anything was wrong. Was Wynn really over Jasper that quickly? Had their relationship really been that casual for both of them?

  What must it be like to be able to move on that easily? Something she would never know. If Drew left or walked away from her, she would be devastated. She’d spent the last decade unable to get over him. There was no reason to think she would ever be able to recover and move on. When it came to Drew, she was well and truly stuck—for life.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  DREW’S PERFECTLY ORDINARY day hit the fan when he got a text from his father. It wasn’t hearing from his old man that bothered him so much as the message itself.

  Thanks for letting us stay at your place while we’re in town. Looking forward to seeing you.

  Last he’d heard, his mother was still at Grandpa Frank’s place. Drew had assumed his father would join her there, but obviously he’d been wrong. He wasn’t worried about how they’d gotten into his house so much as why they were there.

  He finished out his day, then headed home. As he pulled up, he saw an unfamiliar rental car in the driveway. So his dad hadn’t been kidding. His parents had moved in.

  He told himself he could deal with whatever they had going on. They would stay through the royal party, and then they would be gone. As a rule, his mother was the more intense parent—his dad erred on the side of normal.

  He braced himself for whatever was to come, vowed to be pleasant and understanding, then walked into the house.

  “I’m home,” he called.

  “We’re in the kitchen,” his mother called.

  He went into the back of the house and sure enough found his parents at the island.

  “Darling, you’re home,” his mother said, hugging him. “Your father is here.”

  “I can see that.” Obviously the fight was well behind them, never to be mentioned.

  Howard, his father, was tall and fit. Drew had inherited his height from his father, along with his sense of humor.

  The two men shook hands, then his father hugged him.

  “You’re looking good,” his father said. “Very exciting about the party. That’s going to be good for us. I have to head back home after that but your mother will stay for the board meeting next Monday.”

  “Good to know.” Drew turned to his mother. “Mom, when did you decide to move in, and why didn’t you tell me?”

  Howard frowned. “What do you mean, move in?”

  “Mom’s been staying up at the big house.”

  Irene waved away the information. “I didn’t want to impose for too long, so I decided to stay with my father until you arrived, Howard. I borrowed the key from the rack in the pantry and here we are.” She smiled. “We’re going to have a lovely visit.”

  He thought of the spare key he kept at his grandfather’s house and thought perhaps he needed a different place for it, although that was a concern for later. His more pressing problem was the fact that he had no idea what his mother was up to, although knowing her, it was something.

  His father offered him a Scotch. The three of them settled at the kitchen island.

  “As I said, I’m going to have to head back to D.C. right after the party,” his father said. “I have meetings I couldn’t get out of. I’m very much looking forward to when you join us. You mother says you’re thinking two years. Is that right?”

  Drew stared at his mother, who carefully avoided his gaze.

  “Mom,” he said tightly. “What is he talking about?”

  “Drew, we’ve been over this and over this.” She touched her husband’s hand. “This is why I came back to Happily Inc early. So I could speak to Drew and spend time with my father. We have to make sure he runs the bank and not Libby.”

  “Of course. That’s always been the plan.” Howard looked between them. “What am I missing?”

  “Nothing, dear,” Irene said. “Drew, you have to be more cooperative. We’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make things right for you. Now we’ll talk about this later. Right now you have to meet Julie.”

  “Who’s Julie?”

  His father smiled. “You’re going to like her. She’s one in a million. When she came in for her first interview, I sensed something special about her. The more we’ve worked together, the more certain I’ve been.” He patted Drew’s arm. “Son, I think she’s the one.”

  As Drew was reasonably confident his father didn’t mean that Julie was the one for him, it stood to reason that he meant she was the one for Drew. His mother, it seemed, had told his father nothing.

  “Okay, that’s enough.” He stood and walked around the island so he was facing both his parents.

  “Dad, there are some things you should know.”

  “Drew, don’t,” his mother said. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “Am I? Okay, then I’m going to keep on being ridiculous.” He looked at his father. “Dad, while I’m sure Julie is lovely, I’m not interested. I’m already in a relationship.”

  “You’re not,” his mother protested. “You’re sleeping with some woman. There’s a difference.”

  Drew felt his temper flare. “Don’t push me, Mom. Silver is important me. You may not like her but you will respect her. Is that clear?”

  His mother sighed heavily. “Fine. You’re sleeping with Silver and it’s magical, but in time you will come to see that you need and
want more.”

  Howard looked at his wife. “You knew he was with someone and you let Julie come with us anyway?”

  “Once he meets Julie, he’ll forget all about that other woman. Silver’s not all that.”

  “Mom,” he said slowly. “Stop it.” Silver was the mother of their child and someone he cared about. Some great truth lurked just out of mental reach but before he could get to it, he was forced back into the conversation.

  “Drew, you’ve always had a problem knowing what is best for you,” his mother continued. “We’re just trying to help.”

  “You’re trying to make me do what I don’t want to do. You’ve always seen me as a way to further what you want. That stops now. Whatever happens with the bank, I’m not joining you in D.C.”

  His father stared at him. “Drew, is that true? You’re not interested in our firm?”

  “I’m not. I’m sorry, Dad. I’ve been telling you both for a long time now, but you won’t listen. I belong here.”

  “Lizards and ordinary people belong here,” Irene snapped. “Everyone with half a brain gets out while they can. Drew, you don’t belong here. You never have.”

  Before anyone else could speak, they heard the sound of footsteps on the tile floor. A tall, stunningly beautiful brunette walked into the kitchen. She was in her late twenties, with violet eyes and an easy smile. When she spotted Drew, the smile widened.

  “Finally we meet. I’ve been hearing about you forever. I’m Julie Leighty.”

  She crossed to him, her arm outstretched. Drew shook hands with her.

  “Nice to meet you, Julie.”

  She looked at the three of them. “Am I interrupting?”

  “Not at all,” Irene told her. “Drew, darling, why don’t you get Julie a drink and take her out on the patio? While I’m not one for rural vistas, the view is quite lovely. Tell her about the animal preserve.”

  There was more to be said, but Drew knew that now that Julie had joined them, this wasn’t the time. He poured a second Scotch and they made their way out onto the patio.