Standing in front of the store’s selection of brushes, Sam’s criticism faded. She was created to make art. Her body became lighter as her thoughts shifted to the new life she was beginning back in her home state. She’d stepped out in faith and moved to this place without any guarantees. Even if she had left New York to run away from loneliness and sadness, she’d also done it all on her own and despite her fears. It’s okay to be proud.
“You’re thinking some happy thoughts.”
Livy jumped at Marge’s gruff voice. The woman must have been a whole head shorter than Livy. “Gracious, you scared me!” Livy’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment over being so lost in thought. “Yes, ma’am, I am.”
“Didn’t mean to startle you. Just checking in. But I love a good story. What’s got you so giddy?”
Livy chuckled at the twinkle in the woman’s eyes. “I recently moved to Laurel Cove from New York City after a breakup.” It wasn’t in Livy’s nature to open up to perfect strangers, but before she knew it, she took a seat on a stool opposite Marge at one of the art tables. “My boyfriend there wasn’t supportive of my art at all—of anything I did, really.”
Marge watched with the tip of her glasses between her teeth.
“Right after I arrived in town, I met up with an old childhood friend. He’s been so nice since—”
“I knew it! There was love brewing in your pretty green eyes.” Marge thumped her small hand on the table between them, punctuating her good guess.
“Ha! Yes, I believe there is. But it’s been about two weeks. That’s really fast, right?” Livy searched the woman’s eyes for confirmation.
“Well, dear, my mama always told me that God’s masterful plan is without flaw. There’s a reason you’re back here, a reason you’ve met your man again. No coincidences, only affirmations—little nudges from a heavenly Father who wants you to know you are loved and worthy of the grace he showers upon all of His people.” Marge’s hands rested over Livy’s, cool as creek water in the heat of the summer. Refreshing and life-giving.
God knew Livy needed to revisit this life she’d once known, from which she’d found so much inspiration. Meeting Jack during her first hour in town. Discovering that she had the original key to Gram’s house. Remembering old, sweet Mr. Wilson from her childhood. Now, finding this art store off the path from her planned route and Marge’s kind words of encouragement. It all inspired her.
She needed to create.
“Marge, I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.” Livy smiled at the woman sitting across from her. “You’ve helped me more than you can ever know. Can you help me pick out some things?”
“Oh! I’d love to!” Marge squealed, throwing her hands in the air. The new friends strolled the aisles and picked out supplies.
“Don’t be a stranger, love.” Marge waved from the storefront, veiled in the afternoon sun, as Livy placed her bags in the back of her car.
“I’ll be back really soon, Marge. Thanks again.” Livy drove away from the gallery with a few canvases, brushes, and paints. Asheville could wait for another day. She’d grab her easel from her parents’ house in a few weeks. Until then, she could surely find a makeshift one as she’d done plenty of times before.
Without the delay of rain, the drive back to Laurel Cove was smooth and quick. Back in her room at the inn, Livy scooted a square table against the window, narrow enough that she could prop the canvas up without having to reach too far with her paintbrushes. The spot provided abundant natural light from the now-sunny skies. She had cracked the window just an inch, welcoming a cool breeze and ambient sounds of life on the square. A coffee mug was filled with water for rinsing her brushes and dollops of paint waiting for her on the small palette she’d purchased.
She sat up tall in front of the blank canvas, stretching her neck from side to side.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.
Long exhale. She guided the brush to the waiting canvas.
***
Paintbrush still in hand, Livy placed the final stroke on the first painting she’d completed in almost a year. With each stroke emerged a prayer of gratitude. The blessings God had bestowed upon her life, a life she thought to be broken, were becoming clear.
“Not too shabby.” A smile stretched her cheeks. It came from deep inside—as if coming up from her toes. The brush slid into the dirtied mug of water. She wiped her hands, loving the familiar pull of the dried paint on her skin. Her muscles cried as she plopped onto the edge of the bed, stiff from the position she’d kept all afternoon and evening. Glancing at the digital clock, the late hour urged her back to her feet.
Though sleep tempted her, she couldn’t wait to tell Jack all about this unexpected day.
CHAPTER
Fifteen
H ello?” Livy answered her phone on the fourth ring, a towel barely secured around her. She was dripping wet, after bounding from the shower.
“Good morning, Livy. It’s Jen. Hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
Her shoulders slumped, expecting to hear Jack’s voice on the other end. Still, it was nice to hear Jen’s sweet drawl.
“Oh no, not at all. It’s so nice to hear from you.” Livy adjusted her towel to fit tighter and stepped into her slippers.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I called Jack to get your number. Since it’s supposed to rain most of the day again, Lane and I were going to head over to Meredith’s place to watch girly movies and munch on snacks. Owen has the kids, so I’m escaping.” Jen delivered the last sentence softly with a chuckle, as if someone would hear her, before continuing. “We’d love it if you’d join us.”
Livy couldn’t remember when she’d last hung out with other women. The friendship these women offered Livy, simply because she was Jack’s friend, was such a blessing. Jack liked her, and that was good enough for them. “I’d love that, actually. With the weather still so wet, I don’t see the point in working at the house today, anyway. Thanks so much for including me.”
“Oh, don’t mention it. I’ll pick you up at the inn in about an hour. We can go by the store and pick up some goodies on the way. Lane is insisting we bring chocolate, and lots of it.”
Livy caught Jen’s contagious full-bodied laugh and giggled. “Sure. Sounds great. I’ll be down in the lobby and will watch for you.”
“Great. I’m in a white SUV. See you then. Bye, now, Livy.”
Livy caught herself grinning in the dresser mirror as she pulled on comfortable jeans and a T-shirt. It was still new to have things to look forward to—things and people. Laurel Cove was proving full of such folks. Folks. The term was one of the southern colloquialisms she’d abandoned up in New York so she didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Yet slowly her roots were once again grounding her to this place, the people, the culture. A few minutes later, Livy bounded down the stairs to the lobby to meet Jen. What a fun day it was going to be. And with her resolution to put Sam behind her once and for all, nothing could ruin all she had to look forward to now.
Livy climbed in Jen’s car just as fat drops of rain began falling from a dark gray sky.. As they made their way to the grocery store, Livy tapped her fingers on her knees to the contemporary rendition of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” that was a mixture of a Top 40 hit with the acoustic-folk music she’d heard at summer festivals as a kid. Jen hummed along.
“We know Lane wants chocolate. What’s your favorite snack?” Jen steered into a parking spot near the store entrance.
“I’m not picky, but I never turn down popcorn.”
“A girl after my own heart. Ready?” Jen had one hand on the car door and one on her umbrella. Livy nodded and they made a run for the store’s automatic sliding doors.
They leisurely browsed the store’s candy aisle, selecting a bag of chocolate squares and a package of gummy bears. They made their way down to the next aisle full of chips, pretzels, and other salty snacks. Jen stopped and put her hand on the end of the grocery cart that Livy pushed.
&nb
sp; “See something you want?” Livy asked, stopping in front of the canned nuts.
“Um, well…” Jen turned to Livy with wide eyes. “Maybe we should head over to the soda and come back for popcorn in a bit.”
Curiosity pulled Livy’s eyes down to the end of aisle. A woman standing at the other end stared at them. Her blond hair fell past her shoulders in long, salon-fresh ringlets. Despite the weather, she wore a short sundress and high heels. A grocery hand basket hung from the crook of her elbow, carrying what looked like a bottle of wine and bag of chips. But the look on her face told Livy the most. The woman’s eyebrows rose into high arches, her pink lips pulled into a tight purse.
“Let’s go, sweetie.” Jen swiveled the cart around to face the way they’d come. Livy followed Jen’s lead, pushing the cart past the frozen section and to the drink aisle. Staccato clip-clops on the linoleum floor followed.
“Hi, Jen.” The woman rounded the same corner and stopped just shy of their cart.
“Hello.” Jen’s voice carried an edge that made Livy take notice. It wasn’t like Jen to be unfriendly. Who was this woman? What did she want? And why in the world did Jen want to avoid her?
“Who’s your new friend?” The woman’s intense gaze was unsettling.
Livy refrained from introducing herself. Jen could handle this awkward encounter.
A sigh escaped from Jen, and her shoulders dropped, as if she were waving a white flag in the woman’s direction.
“This is Livy Johnson. Livy, this is Claire.” Jen looked apologetic when her eyes met Livy’s.
The Claire? Livy gripped the grocery cart bar to steady herself. Why couldn’t Jack be here? She tasted acid at the back of her throat as her stomach twisted. Was it possible to break a sweat in a matter of seconds? Act cool, Livy.
“Well, now. What are the chances? I’ve sure heard a lot about you around town.” Claire set her basket at her feet and folded her arms across her petite frame, layers of gold bracelets clinking together. “You’re the one dating Jack. Isn’t that right?” Claire’s painted eyes looked Livy up and down.
“I wouldn’t exactly say we’re dating, but…” Her voice actually trembled.
Claire threw up a meticulously manicured hand. “Well, it sure seems that way from what I’ve heard. Dancing. Out for breakfast. You have no way of knowing this, seeing as you’re from up north,” Claire’s tone snapped with sarcasm. “But I’m Jack’s wife. As a matter of fact, we just spoke earlier today.”
They did?
Jen put a hand up in protest. “Now, wait a minute, Claire. You are not his wife any longer.”
“We may not be married at the moment, but you mark my words…” Claire took a wide step closer to Livy, pointing a long painted fingernail at her face. “We will be.”
Silence filled the space between the three women for what felt like an eternity. Livy stared down at her hands, knuckles white around the cart’s bar. First Sam, now Claire. One blow after another from exes who just wouldn’t go away.
“Y’all have a nice day, now,” Claire finally continued, her southern drawl shifted from biting to thick and sweet as molasses. She grabbed her basket and clicked down the aisle toward the front of the store.
Jen and Livy stood in her wake. “The nerve of that woman.” Jen grabbed Livy by both shoulders. Could she see the tears threatening? “You listen to me. Do not pay one tiny bit of attention to her. Jack has eyes for you and you only. Trust me. She’s a bitter woman still learning to live with her mistakes.”
Livy inhaled deeply, trying to find comfort in her friend’s words and will the tears to stay put. “Okay” was all she could manage. Livy numbly followed Jen through the store for the last of their snacks. Her gut told her Jack was indeed done with his ex-wife. But would they ever completely escape their pasts?
***
“I cannot believe the nerve of that woman.” Lane lounged on an overstuffed sofa, hands resting on her round belly and her swollen feet extended on an ottoman. Next to her, Meredith sat staring with mouth gaping at Livy, with Jen sitting opposite them on the matching loveseat.
Livy’s hands were still damp and her throat still dry from the encounter. Even though she had heard from Jack himself how terribly things had ended with Claire, her confidence was shaken. Did Claire really want him back? Had she called him the other day because she’d seen Livy and him together?
At this moment, the anonymity of New York’s bustling environment would have offered a welcomed hiding place. Tiny Laurel Cove left her too exposed.
“You know,” Meredith spoke up. “Dorothy asked me the other day if I knew who the woman with Jack was. I assumed she meant you, so I casually told her it was an old friend back in town. I sure hope I didn’t stir a pot. Dorothy and Claire are friends, but I never dreamed she’d run and tell her.”
Jen’s cool hand rested on top of Livy’s. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I think so. It was just so unexpected. She talked at me as if I’ve done something wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I like Jack—very much.” Her cheeks warmed. “But, we’ve only just started connecting. There’s nothing all that interesting happening, you know.” Did they believe her? Deep down, Livy knew that wasn’t the whole truth. Things with Jack were very interesting to her. Very interesting and very exciting.
“Well, leaving Claire out of it for a second, you must know that Jack does adore you,” Meredith offered a throw pillow to Lane, who was rubbing her hip. “I haven’t seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you since even before Claire.”
Livy squirmed a bit. “Jack has been very sweet, and we get along great. That’s all I know for now, I suppose.”
She wanted desperately to believe that Jack could adore her. But things with Claire seemed unresolved. What if she let herself give in to her budding feelings for Jack, just to be left broken when he returned to Claire? She wanted to believe he wouldn’t do that. But once a man was married to a woman, even past transgressions could be overlooked. So many times, she’d looked past Sam’s unkindness, judgment, and cruel remarks. And they weren’t even married. Who was to say Jack wouldn’t do the same thing if Claire begged him to take her back? She put her fingertips to her tight temple.
“This is such heavy talk for a movie day!” Jen swatted at Livy’s leg playfully. A nervous laugh caught in Livy’s throat at her friend’s attempt to rescue her from the conversation.
“Well, all I know is Claire had better watch herself.” Lane’s eyes narrowed. “No one messes with us.”
“And what are you going to do, mama? Throw your pillow at her?” Meredith teased. The group erupted in laughter. Lane’s head fell against the back of the couch in defeat.
But as they started the movie, the run-in with Claire dominated Livy’s thoughts. She and Jack had a lot to discuss over dinner tomorrow. She looked around at the women in the room, who were focused on the movie. Not agonizing over bitter ex-wives. For now, she’d have to draw strength from them. Her friends.
CHAPTER
Sixteen
T he late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the floor of Bowdon’s Supplies. The storm that lingered over Laurel Cove for two days had finally cleared. It was Jack’s favorite time of day at the store, when the old fixtures gleamed in the golden late-day sun and all was quiet. Few customers came in as dinnertime approached.
The familiar squeaky turn and click of the old door handle pulled Jack’s eyes to the front door. Claire walked through, closing the door gently behind her. Jasper let out a cough and walked to a nearby merchandise rack, leaving Jack at the front counter alone.
As usual, she dressed much fancier than the casual pace of Laurel Cove. Long, blond hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft curls, set as if she’d come straight from the hairdresser. Her jarring red lipstick, designer jeans, and high suede boots had the look of a former pageant queen aiming for the perfect mix of wholesome and sexy. Livy achieved that look without even trying.
“Hi, guys.” Claire’s tone was as casua
l as it had been at the beginning of yesterday’s call.
The woman had some nerve. “What are you doing here, Claire?” Jack didn’t hide his frustration. First, she had called out of the blue. Now, here she stood.
“Well, lunch yesterday didn’t seem to work for you, so I thought I’d see if you were free for an early dinner. I hear Greg has your favorite chicken salad today. How ‘bout it?” The artificial sweet voice returned, putting Jack on alert.
“We’ve got some more work to do here,” Jasper chimed in. Jack could hug his brother.
Claire didn’t even look his way. Her eyes were fixed on Jack. He looked to Jasper, then back at Claire, clenching his jaw. Stay calm.
“Why don’t you head back to the office, and we can talk there.” It wasn’t worth risking a customer coming in during what could be an unpredictable conversation. She obliged, eyeing him with a flirty smile and squeezing his arm as she walked to the office.
Once she was out of sight, Jasper closed the gap between him and Jack. “What in the world was that all about?” His whisper was gruff and incredulous.
Jack closed his eyes, rubbing a hand across the back of his stiff neck. “I don’t know, man. I think she’s really struggling with me seeing Livy. But I didn’t think she’d show up.”
“The people in this town never cease to amaze me!” Jasper shook his head, resting a hand on Jack’s shoulder. Rumors spread like wildfire. And the likes of Dorothy and Mary Sue were usually behind most of the juicier rumors.
“I’m going to have to handle this. Can you look after things for a few minutes?”
“Sure. But I’ll check on you if she’s not out of there in ten minutes.” The brothers shared wary smiles. Hopefully she’d be good and gone in half that time.
Someplace Familiar (Laurel Cove Romance Book 1) Page 15