“We broke up, you know that,” Jeff said. “She might still think we’re going to get back together, but that’s not true on my end.”
“She was pretty convincing, Jeff,” Alicia said in a quiet voice. “But that doesn’t matter one way or another. I wanted to wait to call you until I knew the best way to say this.”
Jeff closed his eyes, waiting for the daggers to be thrown.
“I think you’re on the rebound, and as you know, things in my life are very complicated.”
She’d said it, and Jeff didn’t like it.
“You know I care for you,” she continued. “And I’ll probably always have a crush on you—although I’m not sure if it’s still on the high school Jeff, or the current Jeff.”
Okay, that one hurt. “Wait,” he interrupted. “I can guess where you’re going with this, and I need to say something before you shred me.” When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “I’m not on the rebound from Paige. I was never in love with her or anything. I had decided to break things off before I even saw you in the restaurant. The fact that I did see you that night was just another confirmation. And if you don’t have a crush on the current Jeff, I can live with that. You can even turn me down for the date I asked you on. Our moms can stay friends. I can randomly run into you. Maybe down the road you’ll change your mind, and at that point we can reassess and—”
“Jeff,” she cut in. “That will still keep the relationship alive. I can’t tell my mom not to work with your mom. I’m glad they’re starting to be friends again. But, I just can’t . . . be around you. Believe me, I’ve been thinking about this all night. I have trust issues, and I just need to be with someone I trust—someday—when my mom doesn’t need me so much.”
The distress in her voice was real, and it tore at Jeff. He wanted to assure her that he could find solutions for her mom; he wanted to beg her to change her mind, to agree to be casual friends. But after kissing her, Jeff knew they could never be casual. And she knew it too.
He rubbed the water droplets from his face with his towel. “So, this is it?”
“I’m sorry,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Me too,” he said. He didn’t know who he was more angry at. Paige or himself. Paige for butting into their lives at such a precarious time. Or himself, for not finding Alicia sooner and giving her the apology she deserved. This was what he deserved, he guessed, for waiting ten years. It turned out that it was too late after all.
“Okay, Alicia, I hear you,” Jeff said. “And I get it. I really do. I just want you to know that I haven’t changed my mind about you.”
He thought he heard her sniffle, but he wasn’t sure, because she said a very soft “goodbye” and hung up on him.
Strike two.
Alicia didn’t know why she had even thought Jeff might show up at her mom’s court date. Of course he wouldn’t. Alicia had not only rejected him, but she’d told him she didn’t even want to be friends. It had been almost two weeks since their final conversation on the phone, and she’d felt terrible ever since.
But she decided to keep her focus on her mom. She was improving, and in large part, that was due to Beth Finch. The woman had come over regularly, working on jewelry with her mom. They’d even gone to Beth’s a few times.
That didn’t soften the disappointment Alicia felt in not seeing Jeff come into the courthouse with his mom. Beth had come to offer support and sat on the other side of Alicia’s mom on the bench. Dawson sat on the front row, waiting for the clerk to call Alicia’s mom’s case number. Dawson had been nothing but kind and professional to both Alicia and her mom, and Alicia had found herself more and more impressed with him.
Her mom had even told Alicia she wouldn’t mind a smart lawyer as a son-in-law. Alicia had answered back that she was too busy to date right now. Besides, she didn’t want to settle in Pine Valley with the possibility of seeing Jeff at any moment. Not that she had seen him for two weeks, though. She often wondered if he was going out of his way to avoid her. Or at least to never eat at Alpine Lodge with any clients or someone he might have started dating.
At least Paige had gone completely silent.
“Lila Waters,” the clerk called out.
Dawson stood. “I’m representing Mrs. Waters today.” Then he turned and motioned for Alicia’s mom to approach the bench.
Watching her mom walk to the front of the courtroom made Alicia feel like she wanted to run after her, to stop the questioning. Mrs. Finch reached over and grasped Alicia’s hand. She clung to it thankfully.
Everything happened so fast that Alicia couldn’t believe that with just a short conversation, the judge pronounced a fine and called for the next case.
“It’s over?” Alicia whispered. “And she only got a fine?”
“Yep,” Mrs. Finch said with a smile.
Relief shot through Alicia, and she suddenly felt as light as air. Her mother was walking toward them, Dawson right behind her. He motioned for all of them to step in the hall. Then he spoke quietly to the group. “The bail money will count against the fine, and you can either make payments on the remaining balance or pay in full,” he said, looking directly at Alicia’s mom. “You’re on probation for six months, which means that if you commit another violation, the misdemeanors could become felonies with a second offence. Your fine will double, and you’ll be facing jail time.”
Her mom’s mouth fell open. Then she shut it and swallowed. “All right. I’ll just stay home.”
Dawson smiled. “Don’t stay home, just do what you know is right. You have a great daughter, great friends, and they’ll help you stay on track.”
Her mom nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
“You are most welcome.” He flashed his brilliant smile and shook everyone’s hands. “Now, I have another client I need to meet with in a few minutes. But don’t hesitate to call me with any questions.”
Dawson left the group, and Beth stepped forward to hug both of them. “We should go celebrate!” she said. “After you work things out with the finance clerk, of course.”
Alicia’s mom said, “All right.”
“Great,” Alicia added, although she was surprised at her mom’s quick acceptance. She was holding up a lot better than expected.
After her mom set up a payment plan with the financial clerk, they went outside and decided to take Mrs. Finch’s car to the Main Street Café. It was only 11:00 a.m., so the place wasn’t crowded, and they got a table quickly. They all selected soup and sandwiches, and Alicia relaxed as her mom and Beth chattered away. Even though their house was still piled with stuff, her mom had been giving more and more away, prodded by Beth. It seemed that the assisted living center had been a welcoming recipient. Although, Alicia suspected that some of the stuff Beth just threw away.
“You should invite him to Pine Valley, then,” Beth was saying.
Alicia tuned back into the conversation.
“I don’t know if I’m ready yet,” her mom said.
“Ready for what?” Alicia asked.
Both women went silent. Then finally her mom said, “Beth thinks I need to have a face-to-face conversation with your father.” She swallowed. “We left a lot of things unsaid in the divorce. I haven’t spoken to him directly since the day the papers were signed.”
Alicia stared at her mom. “Do you . . . think it will help?”
Her mom shrugged. “Beth said that one of her friends started picking at her skin after her divorce. It got so bad, she had to go to the hospital. I think that’s why I’ve been having a hard time getting rid of stuff.”
Alicia could only nod. This was what her mom’s therapist had said more than once. But apparently with Beth’s story about her friend, it was starting to make sense to her mom.
“I’m nervous to see your dad in person,” her mom continued. “But with court over, and knowing I only have to pay a fine, I feel like I could maybe have that talk with him.”
Alicia exhaled. She was literally speechless.
“Thanks,” her mom said. “I’ll let you know. Once I call him.” She gave a nervous laugh.
“Mom?” a deep voice said from the direction of the of front the café.
Alicia looked over, knowing before she even saw him that it was Jeff.
“Jeff!” Beth said. “I didn’t know you were coming here.”
Jeff’s eyes locked on Alicia, their blue color brighter since his pale blue dress shirt only accented his eyes. Despite the cold weather, he wasn’t wearing a coat, and she couldn’t help but remember how his arms had held her when they kissed. His dark hair was tousled, likely from the wind outside. It was then that Alicia realized they were only about a block from his office, so he’d probably walked over here.
“Hi,” Jeff said to Alicia, then looked at her mom. “How did everything go today?”
He remembered, Alicia thought. Of course he did. Beth would have said something.
“It went really great,” her mom said in a surprisingly conciliatory tone, especially for talking to Jeff. “Your lawyer friend is very good at what he does.”
Jeff nodded. “I’m glad it went well.” His gaze flickered to Alicia’s, then focused on his mom.
“Why don’t you join us for lunch?” Beth said. “We barely ordered.”
“I’m grabbing some sandwiches to-go for the office,” Jeff said. “Clara and I are working on a couple of contracts.”
“Clara’s such a dear,” his mom said. “How is she doing?”
Alicia’s neck felt hot. She knew Clara was Jeff’s assistant, but why was she feeling so weird with Beth asking Jeff about her?
“She’s great,” Jeff said. “I should probably give her a raise. She’s really picked up the slack for me recently. Well, I should order.” He moved past them and ordered at the counter.
Alicia tried to keep her gaze from straying as he placed his order.
Beth was keeping an eye on him too. “Come and sit while you wait,” she said, pulling out the fourth chair at their table.
“Okay,” Jeff said and sat down.
This put him right next to Alicia, so close that she could smell the cold air and a hint of spice coming from him. Even though it wasn’t yet noon, she noticed the dark stubble on his face as if he hadn’t had time to shave this morning.
She tried to focus on what their moms were talking about—something to do with the jewelry company and a late order. But Alicia couldn’t focus at all. She was only aware of Jeff sitting next to her, the hard set of his jaw, and the way his elbows were resting inches away on the table. She knew he was as aware of her as she was of him. He was trying not to talk to her, or look at her either.
She wondered if he’d gotten back together with Paige, or maybe he was dating someone else by now. A man like him could never be invisible to the female population.
“You two should come with us,” Beth said.
Alicia blinked. She wasn’t sure what Beth was talking about.
“I’ve got several showings this weekend,” Jeff said.
“I’m not surprised,” Beth said. “The market seems to be on the rise.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Just then, his order was called, and he rose to collect it. He stopped by the table again on his way out. “Nice to see you, everyone. Have a good day.”
The cold air that rushed into the café as he opened the door and left seemed to pierce Alicia.
A young woman came over with their order, and the next few minutes were taken up with arranging sandwiches and soup bowls. Alicia found that she wasn’t as hungry as she thought. She took a bite of her melted turkey sandwich, then put it down. Instead, she took a sip of her water.
“You know you should give him a chance,” her mom said.
Alicia nearly spit her water out. “What?”
Her mom shrugged. “Beth and I were talking about the two of you. Jeff told her a few things that made sense. Did you know he’s never been in a relationship for more than a couple of months?”
Alicia shrugged back. What did that have to do with her?
“And I told Beth it was the same with you,” her mom continued. “I shouldn’t have been so rude to him when he tried to be friends again. I mean, high school was a long time ago.”
Alicia stared at her mom. Where was this attitude two weeks ago?
“I don’t have all the answers, Alicia,” her mom said. “And heaven knows, I’m not even close to being put together. But now I believe I can be stronger and have a better life.”
“That’s great, Mom,” she said in a faint voice.
Beth smiled. “What your mom is trying to say is that it’s time you followed your own desires, Alicia. Don’t let the things your parents might be going through stop you from living for yourself.”
“Jeff is a nice guy, and you’ve been friends forever,” her mom said, glancing over at Beth. “We won’t stand in your way.”
Beth laughed. “Definitely not. I’m tired of watching him moon over you.”
Alicia groaned and buried her face in her hands. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“She’s got it too,” Beth said to Alicia’s mom. “Maybe we should set them up. That would be funny, don’t you think?”
Alicia was done. She rose to her feet. “I’ve got some errands to run, and then I’m meeting Gwen later.”
“Let us drive you back to the courthouse,” Beth said.
“It’s okay. I can walk,” Alicia said. “I have a stop to make on the way.”
Beth smiled. “All right, dear. We’ll see you later.”
Alicia could only nod, because she had too many emotions at the surface. She left the café and welcomed the cold wind on her face as she walked to the courthouse to get her car. It was ironic she felt more miserable now that her mother was actually improving. Alicia was also mad that her mom had changed her mind about Jeff.
Alicia felt like a yo-yo. By the time she reached her car, a few tears had fallen. But she’d swallowed most of them back. She could stay strong, and she could be happy for her mom’s improvement. It might even mean she’d be free to move away from Pine Valley again.
She’d miss her job, of course, and she’s miss Gwen. She’d even miss the pleasant person her mom was becoming. But she’d already made her decision about Jeff, so he shouldn’t be a person she’d miss.
“Thank you, sir,” Jeff said, shaking the buyer’s hand who’d just bought his Lamborghini. Jeff was sad to see it go, but it was a weight off as well. He didn’t have to worry about making sure nothing ever happened to it. And, it was sort of a statement to himself. He’d become successful enough to afford it, but now he’d become self-assured enough to no longer need it.
Jeff watched the buyer drive away the sports car. Then he went back into his house to get the keys for his SUV. He’d promised his mom that he’d stop by the arts and crafts fair that was going on this weekend. His mom and Mrs. Waters had purchased booth space, and from what he’d heard so far, sales were going well. Jeff was happy for both of them.
Jeff started the engine and backed out of his driveway. He adjusted the radio to a new station, then pulled onto the street. It was a warm spring Saturday, the sky blue, the air fresh, and Jeff was determined to make this a good day.
His mom had told him that Mrs. Waters had continued to purge her junk and that she’d had some colossal conversation with her ex-husband. Jeff hated to always get information second-hand about the Waters family, including updates on Alicia. He hadn’t seen her since that day at the Main Street Café, and that had been more than a month ago. But he’d determined that she’d have to come to him if she wanted to ever be friends again. Meanwhile, he’d concentrate on developing his real estate business and rebuild from the mistakes his cousin had brought in.
On a personal level, he’d decided not to date for a while. He didn’t have an exact time limit in place, but he made it
a general practice not to go to parties and get-togethers his friends might invite him to.
Jeff pulled into the parking lot of the arts and crafts fair. He was surprised at the number of cars, but then again it was Saturday. He paid the small entrance fee, then looked around for his mom’s booth.
“Jeff!” someone called out.
He turned to see his friend Grant Shelton—the person he’d left a message with about doing some repair work when he’d first started spending time with Alicia.
“It’s been a while,” Grant said. “Did you ever get my message after you called me a couple of months ago?”
“Yeah, sorry I didn’t call you back,” Jeff said. “It turns out I didn’t need your help after all.
“No worries,” Grant said. “Looks like you’ve been busy though. I’ve seen your realtor signs up everywhere.”
Jeff laughed. “Just keeping busy. What about you?”
“The same old thing—working nonstop, it seems.”
A woman came up to them and slipped her hand into Grant’s.
Jeff couldn’t be more surprised. Grant had always sworn off any guys-get-togethers, especially if it involved women. He had a kid from his first marriage, which had been a rocky one, so he frequently used the dad card to get out of invitations.
“Maurie, do you remember Jeff?” Grant asked.
“I think so,” she said in a slow voice, tilting her head to study him.
Jeff didn’t recognize the woman. She was pretty with dark, curly hair, and green eyes. And it seemed Grant liked her a lot. That was good news in Jeff’s book; it meant his friend might have actually found some happiness in his life after his cruddy divorce.
“Jeff, this is Maurie Ledbetter,” Grant said. “She used to live down the street from me, but she was mostly homeschooled.”
“Okay,” Jeff said, holding out his hand and shaking Maurie’s. “Nice to see you.”
“Well, we’d better get going,” Grant said. “We’re picking up Trent from his mom.”
Jeff was definitely going to call Grant after this to find out more details about what was going on with this new woman. “Great, we’ll need to catch up sometime.”
Worth the Risk (Pine Valley Book 1) Page 13