by Niecey Roy
It’d been Hillary’s idea to get Mia out of the house, but since the end of Mia’s marriage was now town gossip, Angie’s ceramic shop was the perfect setting. Jaden lifted the champagne to her lips and sipped. They’d even stopped for a tray of chocolate covered strawberries from the dessert shop. Betty had gone through half of them already. Jaden hadn’t touched any; her appetite was gone with the damn wind. She hadn’t slept well, either. Cole’s words were on replay.
There was too much to work out between them, too much to think about. But he told you he’d wait. And she had no idea what to do with that.
Elaine sniffed over her vodka-filled thermos. “There’s no such thing as a reliable man.”
“Not true. John was a good man. He never complained about mowing that lawn.” Angie lifted the vase she painted. She turned it in her hand, her gaze roaming the piece. “He wasn’t much trouble.”
Betty waved a fancy berry, her pinky pointed up. “If you say so. But I remember that time he came home drunker than a skunk after playing cards all night and you whopped him upside the head with a skillet.”
“Grams!” Hillary’s brows drew into a line of horror. “You didn’t!”
Angie lifted her tiny shoulders. “He lost two hundred dollars to those dipshits he used to play cards with.”
“At least he worked,” Elaine said with a click of her tongue.
“No shit,” Mia said, and lifted her glass in toast.
Jaden raised her glass. “I second that.”
“Me three.” Hillary reached across the table and clicked her glass against Mia’s, then Jaden’s.
“There are plenty of fish in the sea.” Betty licked chocolate off her fingers. “And now you can be frisky. If there’s one thing I regret, it’s that I wasn’t friskier in my youth.”
Jaden smiled over her champagne flute. “Déjà vu.”
“It’s Déjà vu every week,” Elaine said.
“Betty is writing a romance novel,” Jaden told Mia as she squinted down at her turkey. Maybe she’d wrap it up and give it to someone for Christmas, as a joke. Now, that would be fun.
“That’s new,” Mia mused. She glanced up from the tiny flowers she painted around a plate rim. “I love romance novels. How’s it going?”
“I’ve decided to start one of those blogs. Everyone’s doing it these days.” She leaned into the table, her eyes shining with excitement. “I got the idea when I visited your website the other day. I’m going to have one of those review blogs, and then I can post some racy pictures.” She shimmied in her seat. “Help get the juices flowing.”
“So, like a porn site,” Elaine said, and Betty glared at her.
“It’s not porn, it’s motivation.”
“For?” Elaine shot back.
“For sexy time,” Betty said in a matter-of-fact tone that made the younger women chuckle.
“Nothing wrong with sexy time,” Hillary said with an eyebrow waggle.
“Sexy time is nice,” Mia agreed with a nod.
“I enjoy sexy time,” Jaden said. Which made her think of Cole. The slight ping that stuck her between the ribs was interesting, and completely uninvited. She chalked it up to acid indigestion. Bloody Mary’s for lunch two days in a row in salute of word-bashing David’s existence might have been a bit much, and now the champagne. It was Mia’s heartbreak, though, and therefore, Mia got to name the solution. Jaden was along for the ride, because that’s what best friends did.
Mia set her paint brush down with a sigh. “I’m going to miss this. I wish you weren’t leaving.”
The crack in her voice brought a frown to Jaden’s lips. “I know. Me too.”
And she meant it, which surprised her. She hadn’t expected to enjoy River Bend so much.
“It seems you just got here,” Hillary said.
“You really shouldn’t wait so long to visit your friends.” Angie sent Jaden a reproving stare.
“I get it, I get it. Worst friend ever.” Jaden smiled, but she was only half joking. She’d gone too long without seeing Mia, and even longer without seeing Hillary, all because she’d been afraid to face her ghosts, running from a past she had every right to confront. Maybe as a child she’d been vulnerable, but as an adult, she should have faced Ellie down. Instead of running, she wished she had fought for herself. She wished she had learned sooner how to walk with her head high. Because she hadn’t, she lost touch with her friends, lost touch with a town she might have loved.
And now Ellie’s sober. The idea was so ludicrous; she hadn’t yet come to terms with it. Last night, she’d told Mia and they sat up all night talking about Ellie, about what Jaden’s life had been like back then. How much Ellie’s addiction had cost their family, so much that Jaden didn’t even consider what they had to be a family. Forgiving Ellie wouldn’t be easy, if that ever happened. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to speak to her, or that she would ever want to. Mia understood, she always did.
She hated the idea of leaving now. They could both use friendship, but Jaden couldn’t stay. It filled her heart with regret and a heavy sadness that made her throat ache.
“There’s no way I am ever stepping foot on a plane, otherwise I’d visit you.” Hillary blew out a sigh. “This fear of airplanes is ruining my life.”
Mia laughed. “I don’t know how you can be scared of something you’ve never tried.”
Hillary’s eyes bulged. “Um, yeah. I did try it. And then the plane started smoking from one of the engines, and it shook like it was about to blow up, and that was enough for me.”
“Oh my gosh, I remember that! You were coming to visit me in Florida.” Jaden pointed at the turkey. “I officially give up. This thing looks terrible.”
“Oh, pooh. It’s fine,” Angie soothed. But, everyone at the table knew better; Jaden could tell from their silence.
“Yeah, and now I’ll be stuck in the United States for the rest of my life.”
Mia shrugged with a toothy smile. “Unless one of us hits the lottery and we buy a huge barge to sail away on.”
“Won’t be me,” Jaden said. “I have the worst luck.”
“Yeah, you kind of do,” Hillary agreed. “Someone else will have to buy the tickets.”
“I get pretty lucky at Bingo,” Betty chimed in.
“I don’t think the Bingo pot will buy a barge,” Elaine said.
Betty rolled her eyes. “I hope you get laid soon. Sometimes you are a bitch, Elaine.”
Elaine sputtered indignation, and everyone else laughed.
She would definitely miss this. Mia and Hillary had this every Monday. They had each other any time they needed company. They had festivals, and breaded cheese sticks from Pam’s Diner. They had neighbors who brought casseroles when husbands cheated, and kolache contests where townsfolk came and watched for seventy-five cent refills of keg beer in red solo cups. They had River Bend.
And River Bend has Cole.
Last night, when he walked away, she’d ached to go after him. She ached for Cole all night, for one last kiss, one last lingering gaze from the brown eyes she couldn’t stop thinking about.
You don’t have to decide now. He said he’d wait. The inkling of hope and maybe crept in. She didn’t want it to; hope and maybe left room for disappointment. But his words wouldn’t stop repeating over and over in her head. This is real.
It was stupid to get caught up in those words, but his heart had raced beneath her hand and there’d been sincerity in his eyes. He said he’d wait. Her nerve-endings pulsed at the idea of it.
She turned her attention back to the women around the table, and the welcome distraction. What she needed—and she was certain he needed it too—was space and clarity before making decisions that could hurt them both.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Staying busy kept Cole’s mind off of Jaden. She’d been gone for a month now. Mia kept him updated. She finished filming in South America and was in Puerto Rico now. He missed her. She hadn’t come to say good-bye the day she left
. Not that he’d expected her to; she told him she wouldn’t. Still, it hurt. There was something there between them, he was sure of it. His certainty wasn’t enough, though. He supposed after everything they’d been through, he didn’t blame her for not giving them another chance.
Those first two days after she left, he hadn’t slept much, working his frustration out in the shop. Whether she admitted it or not, she still cared about him. He didn’t know what to do about it, though, and that frustrated him even more. She was on his mind all the time. Always. A memory he couldn’t shake—an ache he couldn’t ease. He wanted to call her, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t bother her while she worked, and yet not hearing her voice every day drove him crazy. He told her he would wait—yet the waiting was the hardest thing he’d ever done.
He shut the door to the car trailer, enclosing the ’32 coupe inside. After working himself to the bone on the bodywork and paint, finishing it in half the time it would normally have taken him, there was no way in hell he’d deliver the car to his client on a flatbed trailer. The paint wouldn’t get nicked on his watch.
A car door slammed in the driveway.
Cole flipped the latch on the door and rounded the trailer, then paused mid-step when he realized it was Kensie’s car parked in his drive, a week before his visitation with Micky.
His son barreled out of the car two seconds later, his little legs working hard to keep up with him. Cole caught his son in his arms with a laugh and swung him up.
“Hey, bud, how are you?” Cole kissed his chubby cheek and hugged him close.
“I’m happy,” Micky said, and wrapped an arm around Cole’s neck. “Mommy said we home now.”
Cole jerked his gaze to Kensie, who pulled out an overnight bag from the backseat of her car. “She did, did she?”
“Yup. Mommy said.” Micky nodded with a child’s eagerness.
“Okay, then. How about you go talk to Trey. He’s in the shop. I’ll go talk to Mommy.” He set Micky down and his son raced into the shop through the open bay door.
“Hey, it’s Mr. Twister,” Trey said from inside, and Cole walked to meet Kensie in the driveway.
“What’s going on?” Cole eyed the overnight bag, stuffed full.
“We need to stay with you for a little while. Something’s wrong with the A/C in the house and it’s just too hot for Micky. The A/C people can’t come for a few days.” She patted the bag and smiled up at him.
“Why didn’t you go to your sister's?” He knew his question sounded harsh, but there was no reason she should be on his doorstep. Their final divorce hearing was next week.
“She’s got house guests.” Kensie’s gaze narrowed and she crossed her arms. “You don’t want us here? I thought you’d be happy about spending more time with Micky.”
“Of course I’m happy he’s here. Don’t put that guilt trip on me.” Cole sighed in exasperation. “But we aren’t together, Kensie. You can’t run to me every time something doesn’t work out. We’re getting divorced.”
She rolled her eyes in the way that annoyed him. It wasn’t cute, and her guilt trips weren’t either. “I know that. It’s not about you and me. It’s about Micky. He can’t stay in a house with no air conditioning in the middle of August, and he would rather be with his dad than in a hotel.”
“Fine, all right.” He glanced back to the shop at Micky talking animatedly with Trey, his little arms waving around his head. Cole’s lips softened into a smile. “But I’m leaving for a couple of days. I have a car to drop off in Tennessee. I can make it there in a day, but Trey and I are staying overnight, then heading back.” He turned back to her and caught the satisfied grin on her lips. His smile faded. “You can make up the guest room. You know where the sheets are.”
She placed a hand on his arm, and it lingered for a few seconds too long. It made him edgy. “You’re the best, Cole. Thank you for this. Are you leaving today? Maybe you can put it off one night and spend it with us. I’ll make steak and potatoes tonight. Then when you get back, I’ll make your favorite. That beef stroganoff you love. My mom’s recipe, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Cole mumbled, and strode away before she could walk them down memory lane.
“Does that mean you’re staying tonight?” she called after him.
He waved over his shoulder. “Yeah. For Micky.” These every-other weekend visits weren’t enough. “Make whatever you want.”
“Okay, then. I’ll just run to the grocery store quick. I’m sure you don’t keep heavy cream in the fridge anymore.” She laughed, as if they were sharing a joke together. She headed back to her car. “I won’t be long. Tell Micky where I went, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” he said with a shake of his head. Having her back in his house wasn’t right. Every bone in his body told him letting her stay was a mistake.
Trey raised his brows when he returned to the shop. “What’s going on?”
Cole scooped Micky up into his arms. “Guess their A/C’s out and they’re staying a while.”
“Okay,” Trey said, drawing out the word.
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.” Cole kissed Micky again on the cheek. “Hey, bud, why don’t you go get your bike out. We’ll work on your riding skills.”
“Okay, Daddy!” His legs squirmed for Cole to set him down.
He ran out of the shop and around the corner, and Trey whistled. “Not a good idea, man.”
“Fuck, I know. But she said she’d have to go to a hotel. No way in hell I’m letting Micky stay in a hotel for a week when he’s got a bed here.” Cole pulled his cap off and folded the bill before sticking it into his back pocket. “Fuck.”
“Just keep a ten-foot pole between you and Kensie and you’ll be fine.” Trey shook his head. “What’s Jaden gonna think when she finds out.”
“Not sure she’d answer her phone for me to tell her about it.” He stalked to the fridge in the corner and yanked it open. “How about a beer.”
“I’ll drink to this shit hole you’ve dug yourself.” Trey met him at the fridge.
“Yeah, thanks.” He handed him a beer. “Listen, we’ll have to leave first thing in the morning. I’m going to spend some time with Micky tonight. That okay?”
Trey looked at the house through the shop door. “You sure you want me to leave you alone with the devil?”
Cole took a long swig of beer before answering. “No, not really. Stick around for supper, okay? She’s cooking—free food.”
“Just like old times.” Trey sounded as thrilled as Cole felt. “That chick hates me.”
“Lots of chicks hate you.” Cole laughed.
Trey punched him in the shoulder. “Let’s go teach the kid to ride. Hopefully, he’s got better balance than his dad.”
“I ride better than you, ass-hat.”
Trey grinned. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to make you feel better, dude.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jaden reached for her phone and caught it on the second ring. She smiled when she recognized Tatem’s number. It was nice to finally be somewhere with decent reception. She was on the beach in Puerto Rico now, not in the South American jungle.
“Hey, girlie,” she answered.
“Hey, gypsy-queen. What’s new in paradise?”
She sounded happy, and Jaden smiled as she propped herself up against the pillows under the cabana. The sunset lit the sky up with golden rays, turning the clouds pink and orange.
“Just finished filming here on the island. I’m headed back to the states tomorrow. The resort we’re covering didn’t have as smooth a grand opening as they planned for. There were license issues so we’ve been here a week longer than we were supposed to be. Two more locations to go before I get a short break and head to Italy.”
“I don’t feel one bit sorry for you.”
“Don’t. It’s a great life. They always put me up in a suite, and it agrees with me. No bags under these eyes.”
“Yeah, sounds rough.” The smirk in Tatem’s voice made Jad
en’s smile deepen. She’d made a point to stay in touch with the girl after she left. For the last month they’d emailed and called each other, and she could tell it was as therapeutic for Tatem as it was for herself.
“So, what’s new with you? How is school going?” Jaden reached for the iced tea on the wooden table beside the futon. “You still seeing that boy?”
“Blake?” She sighed into the phone. “Yes, and he’s perfect.”
“No one is perfect. Don’t put him on a pedestal, lovely bug. You got that?” Jaden warned.
“But he is perfect.”
“Okay, okay. Of course he is.” Jaden shook her head. She remembered what it was like to be a teenager with a crush. Her thoughts turned to Cole, and the familiar pang ached in her chest. “How is everyone else doing? Mia, Hillary... everyone.”
She hadn’t spoken to Mia in a couple of weeks. Mia was busy with work again, and that was a good thing. She didn’t seem to be mourning the loss of her marriage any longer. Every time they spoke, Mia sounded energized. But, Jaden wasn’t really asking about Mia or Hillary, and Tatem knew it.
When Tatem fell silent, Jaden set the glass of tea down. “Tatem?”
“Hey, so, don’t freak out or anything, but Cole has a house guest.”
At the tone of Tatem’s voice, the blood rushed to Jaden’s head. She swallowed. Hard. “Kensie?”
“Yeah.”
“How long?”
“I dunno. I saw her and Micky at the grocery store. Micky told me they’re staying at Cole’s.”
“Okay, then.” You’re the one who left.
“You should call him and see what’s up. You know?” The concern was heavy in Tatem’s voice.
She had no reason to feel hurt. She was the one who walked away. No, you ran away. Again. It’s for the best, it’s his family. More than anything, she knew how important family was. Growing up, she’d always wished she had one. How could she be upset or sad for him? Micky needed his parents. Cole deserved to be happy.
But he said he’d wait.