Chapter 18
18
Elise
I ’m in love. It should be cause for joy, proof that there is life after Igor.
But it’s a problem. It’s a problem because I’m not sure how long I can stay here. I’m not sure I’m safe. Doubt and fear keep coming back to short-circuit my brain, to toss my thoughts around until I don’t know where I stand. I do my best to enjoy it all, to make the most of every moment. But in the back of my head, I’m always ready to bolt.
“Elise, I can clear out table six if you want,” Cherry offers one late afternoon. “I’m done polishing the cutlery anyway.”
“Thank you,” I say with a weak smile. “I’ll print out the till reports.”
“Do you think Maury will mind if we close up early?” she asks, giving me a sparkling glance. “I have a date tonight.”
“Then you need to get out of here. Go home and put on some makeup, a nice dress, get dolled up.” Cherry nods excitedly. “Forget about table six, honey. You go on and do your thing, I’ll close up.”
Her eyes widen with surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah. Go, have fun.”
She giggles and hugs me, then takes the apron off before grabbing her coat and bag from the back of the bar. A minute later, she is out the door and rushing down the street as the cold evening air settles over Rustic. The smell of burnt leaves lingers everywhere. It’s that time of the season but I like it.
I clear table six, carrying the last of the dishes into the kitchen, then load the dishwashing machine while Maury wipes down the stainless-steel worktable. “Maury, I hope you don’t mind, but I let Cherry go home a little early today.”
“She’s got a hot date, huh?” he grins.
“You know about that?”
“The whole town knows. Did she tell you who the guy is?”
I stare at him with a mixture of alarm and confusion. “No. Should I be worried?”
“Paddy O’Donnell.”
“Oh, dear.”
“The biggest hound in all of Rustic, and our sweet Cherry thinks she’s hit the jackpot with that doofus,” Maury says, shaking his head.
I kind of feel bad for her now. “I think he tries to date every newcomer in Rustic,” I mutter, briefly remembering my own experience. I’d just arrived in town, and I wasn’t really in the dating mood. Hell, I was still reeling from a nightmarish escape. But Paddy was charming enough to get me to go out for drinks and an order of fries at the Greenman Pub. “Did you know he makes the woman pay?”
“Of course.”
“You didn’t tell me that when you knew I was going out with him,” I say, crossing my arms.
Maury just laughs. “I think Paddy has become a clownish initiating rite for every woman who thinks Rustic is a good place to settle down.”
“Poor Cherry. I’m going to hear all about it tomorrow for sure.”
“Better have the tissues ready.”
“Oh, Maury, you’re mean.”
“No, you gals are stubborn. You let his good looks fool you into thinking he’s actually decent until he proves he’s anything but.”
I can’t help but giggle. “He does play his part well until the check comes to the table.”
“Hello?” a woman’s voice calls out from the diner.
Maury groans and rolls his eyes. “I was hoping we’d close up early today. Clearly that’s not happening.”
I stop in my tracks when I see Shauna at the counter.
Crap.
“Hi, there,” she says, a sly grin slitting her face.
“Shauna. What brings you here?” I ask, my tone flat.
“We need to talk.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think there’s anything we need to talk about, unless you’re going to tell me who sent those flowers to my place, in which case, I’m all ears.”
Shauna laughs as if I just cracked the best joke in years, then proceeds to climb onto one of the counter stools, arms resting on the counter while her perfectly polished nails clatter across the surface.
“Here’s the thing. Technically speaking, you’re still new in town, so I need to give you the lay of the land before you get yourself in trouble,” she says.
“What are you talking about?”
“James, Oliver, and Roman. They’re not like other guys.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“No, I mean, I know you’ve probably boned all three of them by now. It’s written all over your face. That smug satisfaction. I know it because I wore it, too. It’s not going to last, though. You’re not the right girl for them.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She gives me an all-knowing smirk. I’d like nothing more than to wipe it right off her face. “You think you’re the one, but you’re not. They’ve tried with other girls after it ended between us. It never worked out. I’m their girl. I know it, and they know it. You’re nothing more than a filler, a placeholder until James finally gathers the courage to admit the truth and come back to me.”
“Are you okay, Shauna?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, it seems like you might need professional help because you sound a little crazy,” I reply, narrowing my eyes at her. “Do you have any idea how bitter you come across? I get it. You had a thing with the guys; good for you, but it’s over. Please, move on and leave me the hell out of it.”
“I’m just trying to spare you some unnecessary suffering, honey.”
“Don’t call me honey,” I snap. “And don’t come into my place of work to try and ruffle my feathers over a personal dispute. Whatever you think, keep it to yourself, Shauna. My personal life is mine and mine alone.”
“Roman came to see me today,” she says.
My stomach drops. Shauna is quick to pick up on it and smiles broadly. “I’m telling you, Elise. They’re not going to keep you forever. They miss me. Sooner or later, they’ll gravitate back to me. They’ve done it before.”
I stare at her while nausea builds up, working its way to my throat.
“They always detour back to me, Elise. What we had was special, regardless of what they might’ve told you. Their egos are bruised. Yes, I wanted James all to myself for a while, but after they ended things, I told them I’d take the three of them back if that’s what they wanted. Pride got in the way, but they’re slipping. Every time they try meeting new people, they end up slipping closer to me.”
“What did Roman want from you today?”
She giggles, and I’m close to backhanding her across the face. “I bet you’d like to know,” she says. “Why don’t you go ahead and ask him, though whatever he tells you will probably be a lie. They always lie where I’m concerned. They can’t admit the truth.”
Shauna sounds a little too confident for my comfort. I’m already living with shadows following me. I don’t need doubts concerning Roman, Oliver, and James, too.
“You need to leave—now.”
“I wasn’t planning on sticking around anyway. Just keep what I told you in mind, Elise. And if you’re a smart woman, you’ll move on with your life before you get hurt.”
She slides off the stool with a sneer then walks out the door, leaving ugly doubts in her wake.
A heavy silence falls. My boots click loudly across the tiled floor as I walk over to lock the front door. My hand is shaky as I turn the key and pull the blinds down. By the time I sit down, tears are already streaming down my face while my head spins. Whatever this feeling is, it runs deep.
I find myself still agitated after I get home, quietly pacing around the kitchen. Shauna’s words keep echoing in the back of my mind. The girls are staying with Janice for a few more hours, so I’ve got some space to address the Shauna issue with Roman, James, and Oliver. It bugs me almost as much as the flower delivery itself.
I hear the front door open and glance at my watch.
“She’s going to love these,” I hear Oliver say.
“You think?” Roman replies.
“Elise!” James calls out.
I walk into the hallway to find all three standing in the spacious foyer with broad smiles upon their faces.
“Hey,” I mumble, barely able to look them in the eyes. But then I see the magnificent bouquet of burgundy carnations, mingled with an assortment of various flowers in lovely autumn colors, all beautifully wrapped in a shimmery bronze paper. “What’s that?”
“It’s for you,” Roman says, then walks over and offers it to me.
I gasp. “You got me flowers?” Unlike the flowers I found at the cabin, these actually fill me with joy along with a sense of relief. Oliver and James come closer, both of them still smiling.
“We hoped you’d like them,” James says.
“You do like them, right?” Oliver asks, looking slightly worried.
I laugh lightly. “God, yes, they’re gorgeous. The colors are so pretty.”
“We may not be on the best terms with Shauna, but business is business, and the woman does know how to put together a pretty floral arrangement,” Roman replies with a shrug. “You seemed a bit down the other day, a bit worried, maybe a bit of both. Flowers don’t fix everything, but they can usually cause a smile. Like right now. I like it when you smile.”
“Mission accomplished,” Oliver says.
“You went by Shauna’s shop and ordered this?” I ask, putting two and two together. I knew she was messing with me. I’d throw these right in the bin if they weren’t a gift from my guys. They’re beautiful, and they’re mine. Nothing else matters, not even their origin. “This is so sweet.”
“I’m glad you like them,” Roman says.
I set the bouquet aside on the entryway table then throw my arms out, beckoning the three of them to embrace me, never wanting them to let go. “I love them,” I say, my throat tight with emotion. “Thank you so much.”
“We’ll do anything to see you smile like this,” James whispers and plants a soft kiss on my cheek.
Shauna lied on purpose just to rile me up. She’s bitter and angry that they’ve moved on. I’ve already got enough issues to deal with; there’s no room for her bullshit on top of it all.
I still need to figure out who sent those roses, but in the meantime, I’ll put this gorgeous bouquet in a vase and take it up to my room.