by Niecey Roy
Thinking about the pain David had caused made Jaden’s eyes twitch. If strangling were legal, she’d have hunted the bastard down.
“We can’t. We don’t have a burn permit.” Mia bent to heft up the box in her arms with a grunt. She carried it to the front door and dropped it in the entryway with a thud. Mia had gone to sleep heartbroken, and awoken on fire, driven by anger and betrayal. An alcohol induced haze couldn’t slow her down.
Hillary trotted down the stairs. “Oh well, throwing his clothes out on the front lawn in the rain will be loads of fun.”
Jaden grabbed a handful of white undershirts from the box, then tugged the front door open. “I can’t wait to see his face when he gets here and finds his clothes in puddles.”
“Then we better hurry.” Her tone rang bitter. “He’s on his way right now.”
They didn’t get through half the box before David’s luxury sedan squealed to a stop in the driveway. He didn’t pull all the way in, but parked at the end of the drive. He jumped from the vehicle, leaving the door open behind him.
“Mia! What are you doing?” He stooped to pick up a shoe. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No, but clearly you have.” She crossed her arms and glared at him while he ran around the yard picking up scattered socks. “Are you a fucking idiot? Why the fuck did you bring your whore to my house?”
David gaped at her, his hair beginning to mat to his head under the sprinkling rain. “Why are you talking like that?”
“Why are you a cheating asshole? That’s the million-dollar question.”
His mouth was agape, horrified and startled that his wife stared at him as if he were nothing more than a bottom dweller—which he was.
To prove her disdain, she bent for another fistful of clothing from the box at her feet, and threw them out onto the front walk. A pair of his boxers landed on the gnome’s head.
“Jesus, Mia.” He snatched the boxers from the gnome, rolling them to tuck under his arm.
The passenger door to his car opened and out stepped his mistress. Mia bristled at Jaden’s side.
Clare was a tiny thing with Barbie doll proportions, and dressed in clothes that seemed too expensive for an insurance secretary fresh out of college. Her breasts strained against her blouse, and sex oozed from her with each step. She could see why David had fallen for the home wrecker—and he’d clearly digressed to the shallow, simple man she’d always known lurked deep inside.
What had possessed Clare to come along? Why had David thought it was a good idea? They deserved each other—idiots.
David glanced around and seemed to notice for the first time that they had an audience. The woman across the street pretended to check her mailbox, while another neighbor watched from her porch. David took a step toward the porch, but stopped at the hostile expression on Mia’s face.
“Mia, let’s just—”
She picked up another dress shoe and threw it at his head. He ducked just in time.
“Mia!”
Jaden pressed her fingertips over the smile erupting on her lips. “Holy crap,” she breathed.
“Can I throw the other shoe at his cheating balls?” Hillary asked with the shoe poised.
Mia placed her hands on her hips and her robe loosened at the front. “I don’t care. Go for it.”
“No wonder he left you. You’re crazy!” Clare clicked the button on her umbrella handle. It popped open and she lifted the purple nylon over her head.
Mia’s turn was slow and purposeful. She stared at the woman fully for the first time. “What did you say?”
“I said, no wonder he left you.” Clare whipped her head to swish her blonde hair around her shoulders. Jutting the hip under her black pencil skirt, she glared up at Mia defiantly.
“Get off my property.” Mia’s jaw clenched and her hands fisted at her sides.
Clare lifted her chin. “This is David’s house.”
“No,” Mia said slowly, as if she were speaking to a dimwit. “This is not his house.”
“It’s his, just like everything is his. You should leave,” Clare insisted.
“Is that what he told you?” Mia’s laugh lacked humor, and if Clare had any sense at all, she’d be worried. Jaden was. “Of course he did. You are one stupid woman, you know that?”
Clare jerked like she’d been slapped. “Just because your ovaries are dried up like prunes, doesn’t mean you can talk to me like some bitter old hag.”
When Mia lurched down the porch steps, everyone froze but Jaden. She jumped off the porch and over the Stella D’Oras, and rushed to block Mia’s path. If she’d been a few seconds slower, she wouldn’t have made it. She almost slipped in the wet grass, but managed to grab Mia before she could lurch at the woman.
“Let me go!” Mia’s arms flailed around Jaden.
Hillary skidded to a stop behind Mia and placed her hands on Mia’s arms. “It’s okay,” she soothed.
“No, it’s not.” But the fight had already gone out of her. Her shoulders collapsed; her wet hair hung limp around her face. Hillary wrapped an arm around Mia and eased her back toward the house. The nightgown and slip robe clung to her legs, her slippers wet and ruined.
Jaden stood there, watching a version of her vibrant friend she’d never seen before, and it turned her stomach into knots. Mia had never been the type to get beaten down in anything, but in one evening, David had ripped that fire from her. Years of being his everything, only to have been betrayed by him—one single blow knockout.
Jaden clenched her jaw and turned to face Clare. The smirk on her face made Jaden’s blood rise from a slow simmer to a hard boil. “Get your slutty ass off this property.” She whipped to glare at David, and pointed an accusing finger. “And if I ever see you here again, I will rip the scrotum from your pathetic, washed up body.”
His face paled. She’d known the barb would hit him hard. All he’d ever wanted to be was a pro football player. Instead, he was an insurance salesman with the beginnings of a potbelly and a clueless, snotty, fresh out of college bimbo, on his arm.
“There’s no need for all of this.” David stepped backward, his hands raised.
“You’re not letting her kick us out of here!” Clare screeched, fury shaking her frame. “She called me a slut! Make them leave!”
“I—I—we—I can’t,” he stuttered to his girlfriend. He turned a pleading gaze on Jaden. “Just let me talk to her. For just a minute, please, Jaden.”
Clare looked as though she were choking on venom.
“What, having second thoughts about where you’ve put your dick?” Jaden waved her hand to silence whatever he’d opened his mouth to say. “You’re an ass. You’ve always been an ass. You were never, ever, good enough for Mia. And now she knows it. And when that sets in, you’ll realize how much of an idiot you truly are.” She jerked her thumb at his girlfriend. “You think your parents are going to approve of that thing? Mia is ten times the woman she is. She took care of you, and she was never good enough for your mother. What do you think she’s going to say when she finds out you’ve let this come between your marriage?” Jaden clicked her tongue while David’s face paled with realization. “Good luck with that.”
She turned on her heel to walk back to the house.
From the porch, Hillary stood half in and half out of the house, as if she’d been trying to talk Mia into following her inside. They both turned to the street, and Hillary said, “Oh damn, who called the cops?”
Jaden whipped around at the bottom of the porch steps to see the marked car slow to a stop in front of the house. Now the entire neighborhood was outside, no longer pretending to be checking their mail or rolling up garden hoses. They watched in open wonder at the scene unfolding.
The flashers on the patrol car weren’t on, so that was a good sign. Cole’s pickup turned the corner right behind, and Jaden’s heart fluttered.
“Crap,” she muttered. She hadn’t yet figured out how to go about saying good-bye. A part of her wanted to
slink out of town and end things the easy way. But after opening up to him about Ellie, and he’d held her while she cried, she was the one to shove them over the “just sex” line she’d drawn with big, bold chalk.
“Oh, good,” David said on a sigh of relief, eyeing the cop car like he wanted to jump inside and be whisked to safety—or sanity. He wiped rain drops from his forehead and out of his eyes, the front of his blue collared shirt soaked now, revealed the outline of an undershirt. He hadn’t yet noticed Cole’s pickup slowing to park behind the cop car.
“How is this fair?” Jaden stomped up the porch stairs. “David’s the piece of shit, and we get the cops called on us?”
“It’s okay.” Hillary said when the cop stepped out of the car. “It’s my cousin, Dusty.”
“Oh, thank God,” Jaden breathed.
Cole met the cop beside the car, where the two men spoke quickly, throwing a glance in David’s direction. Had they both already heard what David had done? She imagined the neighbors playing phone tag with the news.
Cole made his way across the wet grass to the front walk, taking long, quick steps. Dusty fell into step behind him. To David’s chagrin, he walked straight past and right up the porch steps, his head bowed against the rain.
“Hey, why don’t we go inside?” Cole wrapped an arm around Mia. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Mia turned her face into his shoulder and nodded in answer, and Cole’s body went rigid. He swung a furious gaze in David’s direction, and the other man cringed and took a step backward. Cole tightened his hold on Mia. “Dusty, get this piece of shit off my sister’s property. I’m taking her inside.”
Cole didn’t wait for an answer, but turned to guide Mia into the house.
After the front door closed, Dusty nodded at Jaden. “Hey, Jaden. How’s it going?”
She gave a quick shrug. “You know. Ridding the world of spineless assholes one specimen at a time.”
“I’ll go talk to him. But no more trouble. I don’t want to have to write any tickets today.”
Hillary rolled her eyes. “If you give me a ticket for this, both our moms will have your hide. Not to mention Grams.”
He started down the porch steps. “Yeah, yeah.”
Hillary collapsed into the porch swing. “I hope David lips off so Dusty can arrest him.”
“I’d make popcorn for the show.” She sat down next to Hillary. “When did this town get so...” she searched for the right word. “Active.”
“I’m not sure, but things are never dull around here, that’s for sure. Always some kind of excitement or drama.” She pushed off with her foot against the porch floor and set the swing in motion. “Sucks that this time it’s Mia’s marriage.”
The shirt clung to Jaden’s skin, so she pulled the cotton away from her stomach before dropping it back in place. “This day sucks.”
Hillary glanced back to the living room window behind them. “She’ll be okay, though.”
“She will.” Jaden glared at David being ushered to his car. Dusty had a hand clamped to his elbow, while Clare fumed at his side. “She’s stronger than David. He’ll suffer worse.”
There was no doubt in Jaden’s mind that Mia would be okay. She’d been the one to carry David their entire relationship, been the rock in his life when his dreams were ripped from him. And she’d loved him, despite his flaws. Flaws Jaden could never see past. But, Jaden’s experiences had turned her into a cynic. Mia, though, was trusting, loyal, and she had more faith in people than most deserved. That’s what made Mia, Mia. Some people weren’t worth the trouble or the heartache. Jaden only wished she hadn’t learned that truth this way. It wasn’t fair.
“What should we do?” Hillary rocked the porch swing.
“Maybe just sit here for a while?” Jaden didn’t know. “I think we should give her some time with Cole. She’ll want that.”
She sat and rocked with Hillary.
Cole stepped out onto the front porch, and Hillary and Jaden gazed back, their eyes swimming with questions. He closed the door and crossed the porch to a pillar. Leaning back against it, he said, “She’s going to be okay.”
“No, she’ll be more than okay. She just shed the biggest deadweight of her life.” Hillary stood and glanced down to Jaden. “I’m going to run in real quick to let her know I’ll be over later. I’ve got to run back to shut the bakery up. I left Crystal without a key.”
When she disappeared into the house, Cole crossed the porch to sit beside Jaden on the swing.
“I only have two more days before I leave,” Jaden said into the silence. “Mia’s going to need me.”
Her words felt like a good-bye. “I know.”
“She had a really bad night last night.”
“That piece of shit needs his ass kicked.” He clenched his fists, wishing he could be the one to deliver the broken nose. With the final divorce hearing soon, he didn’t want to give the judge any excuse to question his parenting skills.
“I can’t believe how stupid that man is.” Jaden shook her head. She glanced to him, her face drawn into a frown. “It’s horrible, but I’m happy she’s getting rid of him. David is poison. This is the worst way for her marriage to end, but she’ll be happier.”
He took her hand in his, sliding his fingers through hers. “He’ll be back for his stuff, but I won’t let him anywhere near Mia. He’ll have to schedule it through me first.”
Her lips curled into a smile, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. “You’re a good brother, you know that? Mia’s lucky to have you.”
They stared out at the street, now quiet. Rain fell in small, soft drops, and the silence between them was heavy with unspoken words. This wasn’t the time to talk about them, not with his sister inside, devastated by the end of her marriage. But Jaden would be gone soon, and he didn’t want to lose this chance. Something told him this was it. If he didn’t keep climbing, the branch he was on would break.
“Will you come say bye before you leave?” The answer was in her eyes, and his chest constricted.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He clenched his jaw. “Why’s that?”
With a gentle tug, she pulled her hand from his and stood. “Because.”
“Because why?” He followed her to the porch steps. He had a feeling she meant to escape inside. He wouldn’t let her get off this easy.
“Because I said so.” She stiffened and stuck her chin out. “We both knew what this was.”
He cocked his head. “Okay, why don’t you fill me in on ‘this,’ please.”
“I told you I didn’t come back here for a fling.”
He pressed his lips together. “And yet...”
She glared at him. “That was a mistake.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “It wasn’t a mistake, Jaden, and we both know it.”
She shook her head so hard, he wondered if she were trying to convince herself. “It shouldn’t have happened. You and...” she put her hands up and struggled with the words. “We’re just not right. It’s never been right.”
“That’s not true.” The ache in his heart was familiar, and his throat tightened. He lifted a hand and grazed a finger along her cheek. Her eyes were a storm of blue. “You and I are great together. I wish you’d give us a chance.”
“Cole, you’re not even divorced yet. My career takes me all over the world.” She closed her eyes on a resigned sigh. “I’m not the kind of woman you need right now. Our lives are too different. There’s nothing here for me, and your whole world is here.”
“You’re wrong, Jaden.” He stepped closer, but he didn’t put his arms around her. If he did, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to let her go. Instead, he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll be right here, waiting for you, when you’re finished shooting your show. I’ll be right here, still thinking about you, until you return. And you will. Because when you’re gone you’ll realize that this—” he took her hand and placed it over his heart beati
ng wildly in his chest, “—is real.”
She didn’t call after him as he walked to his car. As he drove away, he slammed a hand against the steering wheel. Why the fuck didn’t you tell her you love her?
He supposed he knew why—if she didn’t say it back and she left anyway, it would ruin him. So he kept driving.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jaden eyed the turkey critically. No matter how many layers of paint she dabbed on, there was no fixing it. “This is the worst turkey I’ve ever seen,” she muttered, and slathered on more beige.
“Well, if you ask me, good riddance.” Angie waved the paintbrush in her hand. “That man was as unreliable as they come.”
Jaden glanced to Mia, who smiled in answer. At least she was smiling now—much better than breaking stuff. Jaden gave up and set her paintbrush down on the newspaper beside the turkey. Maybe she could bring it back to Seattle to use it for a Halloween decoration.
“Grams,” Hillary chastised, then turned to pour more champagne into Mia’s glass. Ceramics and champagne—seemed like a good combination. Elaine had been excited about the idea too, but she’d brought her vodka to the table to sip on between champagne refills.
In River Bend, the end of a relationship banded a community together. Mia’s fridge was filled with casseroles from neighbors come to offer their condolences, like a scene from a movie. Except David wasn’t dead, he was just a cheating asshole. She doubted anyone had brought him a casserole, and wondered if he was bunking with his new girlfriend or if he went home to his parents’ house with his tail between his legs. Jaden had an idea that David’s mother was probably raging by now. As an active member of the church, and the kind of woman who made everything having to do with the town her business, the gossip would devastate her. Jaden guessed she’d be less worried about losing Mia as a daughter-in-law.