Healing You

by Katana Collins

  The man took his hand, giving it a firm shake before leaning down and kissing Sophy on each cheek as though they were dining in Europe. “Jonah, this is Steve Tripp. A friend of mine in town.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Jonah said.

  “Likewise,” he answered. When he looked up at the arched entrance, goosebumps lifted on the back of Steve’s neck. He’d been so busy staring at the man, Jonah, he hadn’t even noticed the Sarzackis enter behind him.

  Lingering far behind the rest was a tense Yvonne.

  “Did you have a chance to look at our wine list yet, sir?” the waiter asked.

  Steve could tell he was gonna need something a lot harder than wine tonight.

  ‡

  Chapter Ten

  “Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Yvonne whined as she ran into Greico’s and found her parents sipping martinis at the bar. “I know, I know I’m late. One of the dogs from last night’s rescue was throwing up, and I needed to get him set up in the bathroom fir—”

  She halted in her tracks as Jonah turned, also sipping a martini. Tanqueray. Dry. Two olives. She knew it well because she’d spent many nights learning how to fix it perfectly just for him, like any good trophy wife. She swallowed hard and clamped her eyes shut.

  Snapping her eyes back open, she glared at her parents. “What is he doing here?” Though her voice was quiet, she feared that if she raised it louder than a whisper she would end up screaming at the top of her lungs. Jonah was a nice guy. She had nothing against him. Except that it was over between them. And both Jonah and her parents needed to accept that and move on.

  Jonah moved closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she resisted the childish urge to jerk away from his touch. “Babe, I’ve missed you so much.” His nose landed at the edge of her hair and he inhaled deeply, sending a wave of chills skittering down her spine. Yvonne shrugged away from him.

  “You made that perfectly clear with the flowers. And the chocolates. And then with the photo album you made of our years together.” She turned to face him, unease twisting low in her belly. These dinners were always hard enough with just her parents. “But I’m happy, Jonah. We need to both move on.”

  “Yvonne, honey, just sit down. Please.” her mother said. “Have a drink. It will calm your nerves.”

  Jonah lifted a hand, capturing the attention of the bartender. “Another martini, please.”

  Yvonne snapped a glare at him. “Make it a dirty vodka, please. Extra olives.” She hated gin. Jonah knew she hated gin.

  His mouth curved at her order. “Then it’s not a martini,” he chuckled.

  Her parents chortled right along with him.

  “I don’t care. I don’t like gin.”

  “It’s an acquired taste,” he continued. “You just have to get used to it.”

  “I don’t have to ‘get used’ to anything. I know I don’t like it.”

  “Yvonne, please,” her mother chimed in, rubbing her temples, careful not to smudge that perfectly placed eyeliner and false lashes. “You are giving me a headache.”

  “I’m giving you the headache? Jesus, Mother. You ambush me with my ex-fiancé and then expect me—”

  “Enough!” her father growled, loud enough to halt the conversation, but not so loud to disturb the other diners. “We didn’t schedule this dinner to embarrass or ambush you. Hell, we don’t even care if you two get back together…”

  Her mother lifted a brow, and a haughty ‘huh’ escaped her as he continued. “We are here to discuss business. An investment that Jonah, your mother and I, as well as some of the other community members are taking part in. We think it would be a wise way to spend your trust fund.”

  Yvonne shook her head, giving a weak smile to the bartender as he delivered her dirty vodka martini. She took a sip. The bitter flavor burned the back of her throat and she resisted the grimace as she swallowed what was essentially just olive juice mixed with booze. Ugh, why did she think the dirty vodka martini would be any better? But at least she had chosen it for herself. Disgusting drink or not. It was her choice. Her mistake. “I told you,” she continued. “I am not touching that money until I hear some apologies. Heartfelt apologies. And acceptance to my life and what I want to do with it.” And maybe not even then, she thought.

  “Sweetheart,” her mother said, “we have come to every single one of your fundraisers. If we didn’t accept you and your little cause, would we have helped plan last year’s dinner? Your father and I worked hard to fill every one of those tables with our friends.”

  “Yes. And I appreciate that,” she said. “But that’s still not an apology.”

  “Okay, fine.” Her mom threw her hand in the air, nearly splashing a bit of martini onto her dress. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I gave you a perfect life. I’m sorry I bought you the finest clothes and paid for those braces when you were ten. I’m sorry that you grew up with every opportunity we could have provided.”

  “Yeah… that’s not really an apology, either, Mom. How about, ‘I’m sorry for micromanaging your life and then throwing tantrums when I didn’t get my way?’ That’s an apology I could accept.”

  “Babe.” Jonah’s hand came down on her thigh once more and this time she followed her urge and jerked her leg away from his touch.

  “Move that hand, Jonah, or I swear to God, you will lose it.”

  A spark of surprise tightened his features. But he was practiced… skilled in the art of hiding his frustrations in public. That was the blue-blooded, Ivy League lawyer way. He rolled his eyes, looking to Yvonne’s father, shaking his head as if to say what are we gonna do with her. Her mother likewise rolled her eyes, and just as Yvonne was gonna snap his wrist back and launch into a tirade, her dad spoke. “You heard my daughter, Jonah. If she says hands off, then by God, I suggest you do it.” He spoke quietly, looking straight ahead, sipping his martini. Warmth spread in her chest. It was about as loving as her parents got… sad as that was.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, smoothing her skirt in her lap. It was barely noticeable, but her dad’s mouth twitched.

  “So,” his voice boomed as he ran a hand across his salt and pepper hair. “Let’s go have a nice dinner and talk some business. No more about this apology discussion tonight.”

  As if hearing him from across the room, a waiter appeared with four menus. “Your usual table is ready, Mr. Sarzacki.”

  “The others are already seated?” he asked as the host nodded. Then, as an aside, her father leaned into her. “You never want to be the first seated.” He tossed some cash onto the counter for a tip and gathered his drink gingerly in a hand.

  Jonah led the way, with her mother next, her father with his hand at the small of her back, and hanging behind as long as she could, Yvonne. Looking around, she seriously considered making a run for it. Bolting out the front door just as they entered the back room. It would be too late for them to notice. Hell, she’d done it a million times in high school and college. Climbing out the window at midnight. Storming off in the middle of a fight. She’d just about become a pro. But now? She slumped, throwing back another gulp of her martini. Now she was an adult. And adults just don’t do shit like that. Or so she’d been told.

  As they entered the back room, a high pitched voice rang out. “Jonah, hi!” She looked up to find Sophy… Steve’s Sophy from the other morning, rushing toward them and shaking his hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Sarzacki, I’m so glad you could make it.”

  Yvonne’s entire body stiffened at the sight of the girl. Her curly, dark hair falling in cascading waves down her shoulders. Bright eyes, smooth, clear skin and a charming mole to the right of her eye. As she swept her gaze around the room, she didn’t know her muscles could get any stiffer. But hell—there sitting at a large table was Steve. On a date. With this girl. Son of a bitch. It shouldn’t hurt. But it did.

  Sophy smiled, leaning in to shake Yvonne’s hand. “You were at the clinic the other day. How’s your dog feeling?”

  Yvonne cleared
her throat. “He’s, uh, doing better, thanks.”

  “Steve, look. This is so crazy, isn’t it. My clients are your clients.”

  Yep, could her life get any more messed up? Yvonne clenched her fist, determined not to bite her nails as Steve turned and caught her gaze. She looked at the table—set for six people. Sophy and Steve seated there, waiting. “Wait—we’re all eating together?”

  Jonah pulled out a chair for her, his hand landing at the small of her back, guiding her into the seat beside his—and across from Steve. If she hadn’t been so stunned, she would have made a bigger deal of him touching her… but right then? In that moment, sandwiched between her two exes, she didn’t have any fight left in her.

  “I promise my presentation won’t take long,” Sophy said. “And then you and your family can have a cozy dinner and Steve and I will be on our way.”

  Yeah. Cause that’s what she wanted.

  ‡

  Chapter Eleven

  Dear God, could this dinner be any more painful? The only person who looked more uncomfortable than Yvonne felt… was Steve.

  Sophy droned on about the investment properties, but to be honest, Yvonne could hardly concentrate enough to pay attention. Not with the way her hand would land on Steve’s shoulder every few words. And knee. Oh, God, the hand was moving… was she stroking him? Under the table? The very sight took her back to sophomore year when she was trying to get Steve to go out with her. Trying every trick in the book to catch his attention, despite the fact that Ronnie had told her not to bother. That she wasn’t his type. But Yvonne would catch stolen glances from Steve. Would catch him watching her from his locker as she passed by. She knew he liked her, even if he dated what felt like every girl except for her.

  Until the summer they volunteered together. Seeing him walking the rescue dogs every morning in Laconia only deepened her school girl crush into something more real. Something beyond the frivolous feelings of him simply being a cute boy. He was caring and attentive; when he was around dogs was the only time she saw him not being a bad boy or a prankster. It was the first time she’d gotten a glimpse of the ‘real’ Steve.

  Yvonne quit listening when the salads arrived and just kept her eyes planted onto her plate. Did Steve know she would be there? Was this just some big set up… some way of him proving something? What was it about Steve that made her so crazy? He had left her dying in the hospital without even a phone call. He abandoned her, seemed to blame her for the accident, and yet, here she was lusting after him like some sort of masochistic victim who continued going back for more.

  She needed closure on their relationship. Then she’d be able to move on, and likewise let him move on, without her feeling like her heart was flipping upside down.

  “Sweetheart,” her mother said quietly, gently lowering Yvonne’s hand from her mouth. Had she been chewing her nails that whole time? She didn’t even notice she was doing it. “Are you paying attention?” The words were soft, demure even. But Yvonne knew better. The subtext of that was, pay attention for Christ’s sake. But her mother would never say such a thing in public. Nuh-uh. No way.

  “I already told you, Mom. I’m not interested. I love Maple Grove as it is. Besides, I have plans for that money…as soon as you apolo—”

  “Yvonne, it would be silly not to hear it out,” her dad cut her off. “Besides, the condos and shopping center will be happening with or without your investment. I—we just think it would be a wise place for your money to go.”

  Jonah slid a hand across the linen tablecloth and rested it atop hers. Across the table, Steve inhaled sharply. “Babe,” Jonah said, “you could double what’s in that trust. Think of all the animals you could save with double the amount? And it’s an investment that would keep on giving. It would keep paying and those profits could be used toward the shelter.”

  Yvonne yanked her hand back and tucked it into her lap. “Since when do you care about my rescue?”

  For all of a moment, he looked hurt, and regret nipped at her toes. He’d cared when they were together. He just didn’t take it seriously. As though she was cute for having a goal to grow her rescue.

  And she had to admit that just now, he made a good point. The trust was just sitting there, but investing that money would offer potential growth for her and the rescue. Maybe she could even start helping farm animals and larger breeds. Like so many other aspects of her life, Jonah and her parents couldn’t let this be something she chose for herself. They cornered her into it; coerced her as though she wasn’t adult enough to hear them out on an intelligent topic. God, she wanted to bite her nails. Instead, she squeezed her hands together in her lap.

  “I told you this was pointless,” her mother complained. “Even with Sophy here to explain it, we still can’t get through to her.”

  “I was thinking, Mother. You know, for myself. It’s a huge decision, with a lot of money at stake.” She glanced up at Sophy. “I would want to see plans. Projections for the scope of the project before I seriously considered investing.”

  The table grew silent. “You’re very quiet over there, Steven,” Jonah said, taking a bite of his ravioli. “What do you do?”

  “It’s Steve. And I’m a veterinarian.”

  “Oh,” Jonah nodded, feigning interest. Yvonne lifted her eyes from the table and gave Steve a weak, apologetic smile. He returned it half-heartedly. “How interesting,” Jonah answered, eyeing Yvonne.

  “You have pets?” Steve asked.

  Jonah shook his head. “Not anymore.”

  Heat flushed Yvonne’s cheeks. The only pet he’d ever had was her Gatsby. Only he wasn’t ever Jonah’s. If her ex-fiancé had had his way, Gatsby would have been tethered to a tree in the yard twenty-four hours a day.

  “What do you do?” Steve asked, redirecting the conversation.

  “I’m an attorney. Mostly divorce, but I have dabbled in some litigation in the past as well.”

  “How interesting,” Steve repeated Jonah’s earlier response with a more mocking tone. The silence resumed.

  “Jonah,” Sophy finally broke the tense moment and nearly everyone at the table sighed. “Did you tell them the news?” She grinned and a dimple puckered high on her cheek.

  Yvonne blinked and for some reason a ripple shivered in her hollow stomach. “News?”

  He ran a hand across his hair. “Well, I was going to tell you after dinner. Sophy helped me buy a house up on the hill on the West End. We closed on it just a few days ago.”

  That hollow pit gonged in her stomach and she gave a frustrated sigh. Jonah was a nice enough guy, but the last thing she wanted was to have to see him around town frequently. “You’re moving to Maple Grove?”

  He shrugged nonchalantly, as though this news was nothing to be startled by. Jesus. Had he forgotten their fights, night after night? She didn’t want to leave Maple Grove. He didn’t want to leave Laconia. And they couldn’t settle on where to live after the wedding. It was the first snowball in the avalanche that was the end of their relationship. “Why?” Yvonne tried again.

  “Well, with the investments, it made sense for me to live in the community I’ll be putting so much money into.”

  Oh, God. Yvonne met Steve’s curious gaze as she swallowed hard. This could not happen. She was already avoiding one ex in Maple Grove… there was no way she could handle dodging two.

  *

  “Excuse me,” Yvonne said as she pushed her chair back and rushed for the bathrooms.

  What a shit date this turned out to be, Steve thought as he stretched in his chair. His first one in ages, and he ended up sitting across from his ex. Who would have known that the girl from the coffee shop would turn out to be a person in charge of turning his town on its head? But what was even more confusing was the fact that Yvonne was even considering investing in this project.

  Steve also excused himself, setting the napkin beside his plate. He found his way to the men’s room and paused just outside the doors, putting his ear to the ladies do
or. It was silent on the other side. Looking down the hallway, he couldn’t quite see their table from outside the bathrooms.

  With another glance behind him, he pushed the door open to the women’s bathroom for a quick peek, praying no one other than Yvonne was in there. Through the sliver of the door, he saw Yvonne standing at the sink, her cheeks flushed with anger. “Yvonne?” he said gently, slipping inside the bathroom.

  “Get out of here, Steve.”

  She glanced up at him in the mirror, her eyes rimmed red. The blotchy flush interrupted what would have been perfect complexion. “You’re not supposed to be here.” Steve wasn’t sure if she meant there in the bathroom or dining at the restaurant with her family.

  He said nothing, moving in closer to her. Fuck, she looked gorgeous. Even frustrated and ruffled. Lifting a hand, he pinched a chunk of blond hair between his fingers, letting the strands glide over his skin before he released it, letting it fall against her temple. It immediately slipped back into her eyes. She swept it back herself with a palm, shaking her head. “God, I’m such a mess. You must be getting a real kick out of this. Yvonne Sarzacki ready to explode in the bathroom because her parents and ex-fiancé are driving her bananas—”

  “Remember our first date?” Steve interrupted and she froze, locking eyes with him. “I took you here. You couldn’t drive yet and your dad made me take another driver’s test with him as the instructor to prove I was responsible behind the wheel.”

  “Even though you had had your license for a year already.” A smile threatened to turn those full, rosy lips of hers up. “You wore a suit that was too big for you.”

  He laughed, dipping a hand into his pocket. “It was Cam’s,” he admitted. “And you wore a white dress with sunflowers on it.” Another step closer. Yvonne backed against the sink, placing her hands on the edge, a crumpled paper towel still between her fingers. “I’ve never been able to look at sunflowers since without thinking of you.” He cupped her jaw and inhaled deeply. “God, Yvonne. This date tonight—me with Sophy…”