33. Holly
33
HOLLY
“God, you make me sick with how nauseatingly happy you are,” Noelle complained. “Don’t you ever get tired of being so cheerful all the time?”
I stopped humming and turned from where I was arranging flowers in the vase for the front window. “You mean, would I like to be more like you and mope around? Not really.”
“I can take the happiness at Christmas time. I mean, it is the most wonderful time of the year. You have the name for it and with the lights and Santa and snow…how can anyone not be happy? But all year round? Ugh.”
I chuckled and went back to work. If there was ever a time when Noelle found someone who gushed over her, I would pay to see her reaction. I wasn’t sure she could handle it.
“You know, there are two types of people in this world,” she continued. “Happy people and sad people.”
I ignored her as I put the finishing touches on the flowers, then wrapped the ribbon around the vase and tied it off. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out and carried it to the front of the store, placing it in the window display, along with the rest of the spring items. Finally, everything was starting to look cheery.
My eyes must have been deceiving me because I could swear a certain woman was striding up the walk to my store, and she was followed by a man who looked very familiar.
“Noelle!” I hissed. “Get over here!”
She hurried over, dragging ribbon along behind her, staring out the window with me. She inhaled sharply. “Isn’t that Asher’s dead wife?”
“Uh-huh. And that’s one of his friends.”
“What the hell? What are you gonna do? Should you hide?”
My heart raced as I tried quickly to consider my options, but there was no time. She was already walking up the steps. “Be cool. Be cool!” I said, shooing her away.
She hurried away with her ribbon dragging behind her. Stopping at the shelf she was working at, she wound the ribbon on the spool while I pretended to look for something behind the counter. The bell chimed over the door, alerting me to their arrival, but I just wasn’t ready to face her yet. I heard Noelle’s fake cheerful voice welcome her in, and I took a deep breath before standing up.
Patrick eyed me instantly, shooting me a knowing look. I narrowed my eyes at him, letting him know I was not happy about him ambushing me like this. I was so gonna tell on him.
“This is such a great store!” Jade said, walking around as she looked at everything, picking up little odds and ends to check out. As she walked into another room, Noelle followed, chatting her up.
I waved Patrick over, scowling the whole time. “What the hell is going on?”
“She wanted to meet you.”
“And you thought that was a good idea?”
He smirked at me, finding the whole thing funny. “A cat fight in the middle of the day? I think it’s a great idea.”
“And what do you think Asher will say when he hears about your stunt?”
“He’ll probably kick me in the balls, but he’s done that before.”
“I can’t believe you would bring her here,” I hissed. “She probably hates me.”
He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Hate is a strong word. Look, she’s accepted that Asher’s with you. She just wanted to meet you and get a feel for you.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Oh, I need to be checked out? Because I’m so untrustworthy? I didn’t come from a family of gangsters!”
I quickly glanced to the side, making sure she was still out of earshot.
“So what? She gets a look at you and sees what a great person you are. It’ll make her feel better and she’ll leave.”
I nearly laughed at that. “Oh, is that how you think women are?”
“Is that not right?”
“I bet you she gave you some song and dance about how she loves Asher and just wants to know he’s in good hands. That he’s taken care of by a good woman. Once she sees with her own eyes how good I am for him, she can leave knowing that Asher has found a woman that’s right for him. Sound familiar?”
He scratched the back of his head. “Actually, that’s pretty damn close to what she said.”
“That’s because it was a line! And you were stupid enough to fall for it. She didn’t want to come here to let him go. She wanted to come here to find my weak points so she could strike back.”
He laughed at that. “Okay. I had no idea this was Star Wars . Don’t be so dramatic. She’s not after you, and she’s not striking back.”
“So, she woke up from her coma of four years, found out that her husband moved on without her, and she’s just walking away?”
He frowned. “You don’t think so?”
“Oh my gosh!” Jade said as she walked back into the main room. “This place is so amazing. I love all the stuff you have here. I want to buy it all. I mean, I could, but that wouldn’t be smart. I have to find someplace new to stay.”
She rushed over to me and gripped both of my hands. I stared at her with wide eyes, unsure of how to respond when my initial reaction was to tear the from her grasp.
“I know we weren’t properly introduced the other night. I’m Jade. Asher’s told me about you, and I just had to meet the woman who stole his heart. I really am very happy for him.”
“Uh…”
“I can see why he fell in love with you. You have a wonderful store. I just love everything. Maybe when I find a house, you can help me decorate!”
My jaw dropped at her words. She couldn’t be thinking?—
“Aren’t you going back with Patrick?” Noelle cut in, taking the words right out of my mouth.
“Actually, I was thinking about hanging around here. I mean, I literally have no home. And Asher is the only family I have. Even if we’re not together, I still care about him.”
I slowly turned my head to face Patrick, who was looking anywhere but at me.
“And now it’s like I have a sister.”
“A what?” I said just as she wrapped her arms around me, swallowing me in a hug. My eyes were wide as she crushed me to her. I was staring at Noelle, pleading with my eyes for her to help me. There was no way I could deal with this woman sticking around. Ex-wife or not, this was not a situation I was prepared to deal with. I patted her back as nicely as I could and stepped out of her grasp, wondering what the hell I was going to do now.
“I know it’s asking a lot,” she said, taking my hand in hers. Her voice turned quiet as she dropped her eyes. “After all this time, I shouldn’t be surprised that he moved on. And…I’m trying really hard to be okay with this.”
“So…that was fake, right?” I asked, not believing for a second that she actually wanted to hug me.
“No,” she laughed. “That was a real hug. Maybe forced,” she added. She glanced over at the others. “Can we talk in private for a moment?”
That had a big red flashing no sign over her head, but how was I supposed to tell her that? “Sure. We can go to my office.”
I felt like I was walking to my death the whole way. My heart was pounding and my palms were sweating. Was this what it was like for Anne Boleyn when Henry VIII sent her to the Tower of London to have her head chopped off? I wasn’t sure why that particular bit of history came to mind. Maybe it was the knife I saw out of the corner of my eye on the counter in the kitchen. Or maybe it was the British accent I had spoken in last night when trying to entertain myself. Maybe I was just going insane.
I turned and closed the door, smiling at Jade as I shot Noelle one last look, praying it wasn’t the last time I saw her.
Walking as casually as I could to my desk chair, I motioned for her to take a seat where Noelle usually plopped down. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
She smiled at me sadly, like she was about to tell me some tragic story. I’d heard enough of those to last a lifetime. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear anything else. If this was her way of trying to get me out of the way, it wouldn’t work. I’d already heard Asher’s side of this.
“Asher was…he was my whole world and he saved me. I know he would never admit this to anyone, especially me or you, but he did everything he could for me. I was lost long before he came along, and the hope he gave me, the way he took care of me, that was something no one had ever done for me. I know he thinks he failed me, but it was me who failed him.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked curiously.
“I want you to know the kind of man Asher is.”
I stiffened at her words. I didn’t need her to come in here and tell me who Asher was. I’d seen his heart and I’d heard him tell me about his lowest, darkest moments.
“I know Asher.”
“You’ve never seen him the way I have. We went through something together that no one could ever understand. Not that I would want you to,” she said quickly. “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t mean to imply that you can’t handle his life, only that you may be a little naive about what it’s like to live in the world we did. Violence was an everyday occurrence. I can’t tell you how many times we were almost killed, that Asher had to carry me to safety or I had to keep him in bed because he was full of bullet holes.”
Wow, she was getting in every dig she could.
“Men like Asher can never fully walk away from the danger. It’s something they live for. He may like this life for now, but eventually, he’ll miss the excitement and the danger. He’ll want to return to his old life. I just want you to be prepared for that. Because when he does, you’ll have to steel yourself every time he leaves the house, every time you see him holster his gun, knowing he may not come back alive.”
If she was trying to frighten me, she was doing a damn good job. But I was stronger than she thought. I knew Asher, and I was well aware of the fact that he liked his life the way it was. I pushed to my feet, letting her know that whatever this was, it was over.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She smiled politely at me. “I hope we can be friends. I’m really glad I got to finally meet you. I can see why Asher fell in love with you.”
I ground my teeth together as she walked out the door. I really hated her, and I hated myself for that because I knew at one time she meant the whole world to Asher. She hadn’t been like this before—I was sure of that. Asher would have seen through all the bullshit. So, the fact that what happened to her morphed her into this made me sad for her. She deserved better. Just not with Asher.
Patrick gave me the side-eye as he held the door open for Jade. I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t aware of Jade’s intentions before he came here today, and now he was regretting it. Well, I was pretty sure he’d be getting an earful from Asher by the end of the day.
“So, she threw down the gauntlet,” Noelle said, coming to stand beside me.
“In not so many words. She made it perfectly clear that she doesn’t think I can handle Asher.”
“I wish she would just go away,” she snapped. “I really hate that woman.”
“Hate is such a strong word. Maybe we could use a word that’s not so hateful, but put a lot of force behind it.”
“Ooh, I can get on board with that. What did you have in mind?”
A million words ran through my mind, but there was only one that really stuck. “I highly disfavor that woman.”
She nodded approvingly. “Aye, I too highly disfavor that woman.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “Are you a Scot who’s also British?”
“We’re coming up with nice words to say we hate your boyfriend’s wife, and you want to judge me for the way I’m speaking?”
“Fair point.”
I turned back to the door and glared at it. “I have an aversion to her company.”
“I shall only regard her with distaste,” Noelle spouted.
“I approve of your disregard for her and shall commence with my revulsion by spewing hatred, antipathy, and loathing whenever I am in her presence.”
“That’s the opposite of not hateful.”
I sighed heavily. “I know. I just had to let one slip by.”
“Would you look at that,” Noelle scoffed, staring out the front window. “Now he shows up. After the wife leaves, dropping the bomb about staying in town. And he brought Wyatt with him.”
I hurried over to the window, not that I needed to lay my eyes on him to know she was talking about Asher. That didn’t mean I didn’t want to see him. I’d been driving myself crazy with insane thoughts all day long about Jade and her evil plans to win Asher back.
Noelle spun around with her game face on. “Alright, how do you want to play this?”
“Play what?”
“Are we blasting him with the news or did you want to dangle the carrot?”
“Dangle the carrot? Noelle, this is my life. I want this over as quickly as possible.”
“Really?” She actually looked disappointed. “Well, that’s no fun.”
“Sorry to ruin this for you. I know it’s depressing to take all the joy out of your life.”
“You should be. You know I thrive off the chaos that’s become your life as of late.”
The door opened and Wyatt walked in first, straight over to Noelle. “Honey, I was thinking we could go out to dinner tonight.”
“Honey?” Noelle repeated, her eyebrows shooting to the ceiling.
“It’s kind of a special day for us,” Wyatt grinned.
“Special?”
He grinned at her, pulling her into his arms. “Come on, you know. It’s our anniversary.”
“Of what?” she retorted, pushing herself out of his arms. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I was thinking we’d go somewhere nice. Fancy. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Noelle’s head snapped in my direction and panic flashed across her face. Whatever Wyatt thought he was doing, he was screwing up big time. This was not the way to her heart.
“We have nothing to talk about and there will be nowhere special.”
“Well, I can’t exactly talk to you about this just anywhere. And I was thinking it’s time you met my parents.”
“Your—are you crazy? Why would I meet your parents?”
“I’ve already told them about you. They said there was a nice ring to your name,” he sighed. “I think they’re already in love with you.”
I was pretty damn sure Noelle was about to pass out, and that was when I spotted Asher in the corner, chuckling behind his hand. My gaze narrowed on him and I remembered his promise from this morning.
I stalked over to Asher, grabbing his arm. “This is the opposite of making it up to her! You’re freaking her out. She’s gonna have a heart attack!”
“Oh, come on. This is funny.”
“This is going to get you killed.”
“I highly doubt?—”
I spun around as Wyatt cried out, falling to his knees. I didn’t see what happened, but it was pretty damn clear that he was in pain, and Noelle was making sure he understood how she felt about romantic gestures.
He collapsed on the ground, rolling to the side. “You said she would get a good laugh out of this.”
“You said what?” Noelle gasped, glaring at Asher.
Crossing my arms, I stared at him accusingly. “Don’t you dare blame this on me. You’re already in hot water with me.”
His eyes widened as his jaw dropped. “What did I do? I just walked through the door!”
“Your wife was in earlier. She wants to be best friends. Sisters . Oh, and she wants me to help decorate her house. You know, the one she’s going to live in when she buys one in town!”
“When she—what?”
At least he was taken by surprise as well. That was one less thing I’d have to be angry about. “You haven’t talked to her today?”
“No. I was at work. I talked to Chase this morning, but that’s it.”
“Well, you need to talk to her because apparently, you’re her family, and she’s sticking around.” I knew I didn’t have any right to tell Asher what to do here, but I really didn’t want to be constantly competing with his wife.
“God, I’m sorry about this,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “This never should have happened. I’ll talk to Patrick and Chase.”
“She’s not their responsibility,” I pointed out. “They brought her, but she’s your wife. This is something you need to deal with.”
He gritted his teeth in anger. I wasn’t blaming him, but she was right about one thing. Until they were for certain divorced, he belonged to her.
“Asher, we have to figure something out, and soon. I know it’s only been a couple of days and I’m not asking you to run her out of town, but I can’t be best friends with the woman you’re married to. I don’t want her coming into my shop and talking to me, and I don’t want her telling me about her life with you. Maybe that’s nasty of me, but I got the feeling that she was distinctly trying to make me afraid of the way you used to be.”
“What do you mean?”
“She made a point of telling me how you used to have to save her life and she had to force you to stay in bed when you were riddled with bullets. And she did a damn good job of scaring me, Asher, which was exactly what she wanted.”
The earnest look in his eyes let me know everything was going to be alright, putting me at ease. Maybe it wouldn’t be smooth sailing, but he would do whatever he could to make sure this was taken care of.
“I swear to you, I won’t let this go any further.”
“Thank you.”
“Um…excuse me, but if you’re about to have another gushy Hallmark moment, you can leave right now,” Noelle snapped. “I swear to God, I’ve had enough to last me a lifetime.”
Asher wrapped his arm around my neck and smirked at Noelle. “You know, I know this guy that I think you would absolutely love to meet.”
“Why? Does he hate all this yucky love stuff, too?”
“Nope,” he grinned. “He breaks out in random show tunes at the drop of a hat. You better be nice to me or I might invite him here for an extended visit.”
“You wouldn’t,” she glared at him.
“I would, and I might even sing along with him just to piss you off.”
She marched right up to me, her eyes never straying to Asher’s. “You know, every nice thing I said about Asher in the beginning? I take them all back.” Then she spun on Asher. “And I hope you lose all that nice thick hair and have to do one of those ugly comb overs.”
She stomped past us, slamming the door behind her as she walked out of the shop.
I winced as Asher ran his fingers through his hair self-consciously. “She can get a little mean when she’s mad.”
“No kidding,” Wyatt snorted as he hobbled off the floor. “Glad I’m not permanently hitched to that one yet. I think you just saved me five years of misery.”