CHAPTER SEVENTEEN #2
Alex never ordered pancakes. It was always an egg-white frittata and fruit. But today, she craved comfort food—probably had something to do with the judgy, bleach blonde sitting across from her. She was also feeling somewhat sassy and knew the request would get a rise out of her mother.
“You’re right.” Alex turned back to the waitress. “Double the pancakes please, and bring me extra syrup?”
She felt Brody chuckle next to her.
Once the server left, Blossom started in on Brody, giving him the third degree. How long was he staying? Where did he work? How much did he make? Where had he moved from?
Brody took the inquisition with good humor, peppering the lies with just enough truth to be believable and skirting around the fact that he was technically unemployed.
He was so good, Alex decided to just let him do the talking slash lying. He embellished way more than she would have and was so convincing, even Alex started to think they were truly in love.
At one point, Brody put a hand on her cheek, leaned in, and kissed her again. Right there in the middle of the restaurant! Alex tamped down the shock and tried to act cool. Why did he keep doing that? Pops caught her eye, waggled his eyebrows, and smiled.
When the drinks came, Alex leaned over to Brody. “Ease up,” she whispered. “You’re laying it on too thick. And stop kissing me.”
Brody laughed extra loud as if they’d shared some private joke. “You’re so funny, babe. You make me laugh all the time.”
“Really? Alex?” Blossom said, unable to fathom it.
With every compliment Brody paid Alex, Blossom’s face reddened. It didn’t take long before she steered the conversation to herself.
She did her best to convince them how great her life was outside Green Valley Falls. How she met Wesley. How he proposed in the most elaborate, romantic way. How they’d moved in together.
“Wesley has a fantastic new business idea that’s going to be super successful once it takes off,” Blossom said.
“We have tons of friends and go into the city almost every weekend for a show or dinner.” She’d moved to upstate New York, and by “the city” she meant Albany.
Alex found it ironic that, for all the talk of getting out of GVF, she really hadn’t landed all that far away.
Wesley didn’t say a word, but several times during the monologue, his eyes would widen in surprise as if some of the things she said were news to him.
If Alex knew her mother, she was lying just as badly as Alex was with the whole I’m-dating-Brody thing. Honesty was not the basis of their relationship.
After the plates were cleared—and Alex had shoved down every last bite of pancake despite being full after one—Blossom got down to her real motive for coming home.
“So, Dad,” she started. “There’s a reason we came to town. The wedding costs are starting to add up, and we were hoping to buy a house soon. I—”
“Before you finish that,” Pops interrupted. “I have some big news I’ve been waiting to share. I sold Whispering Pines.”
Blossom’s mouth opened and closed three times before she finally clamped it shut. Clearly, she hadn’t seen that coming.
“You what?” she said, finding her voice. “Sold the cabins? But I thought…”
“It’s pretty recent,” Pops said. “Sale was final just a few weeks ago. I planned to tell you the next time we spoke.”
“Well, that’s actually perfect.” Blossom regained her composure. “That means the money’s not all tied up in the real estate. Which works because I was hoping to borrow a little from my inheritance.”
“Oh, well, it’s not that easy. I used the profits to pay off my house, max out my IRA, and lent the rest to the new owner to help with the down payment.”
“Why would you lend money to the new owner?” Blossom’s brows narrowed. “Who’d be crazy enough to buy them anyway?”
Under the table, Brody grabbed Alex’s hand and squeezed. A warm, comforting gesture that said, no matter how this went down, he was there for her.
“Alex bought them.”
“What?” Blossom screeched so loud that even perpetually unaware Wesley looked up from his phone.
“I didn’t think you wanted ’em. I mean, you’ve said repeatedly that you didn’t. You’ve actually been very adamant about it.”
“I don’t want the cabins.” Blossom huffed. “But I was counting on the money from them.”
“That’s ballsy,” Alex muttered. She knew that’s how Blossom felt, but didn’t think she’d have the gall to say it out loud. In public. In front of someone she’d just met. Alex snuck a peek at Brody. He was fixated on his water glass but noticed her looking and passed her a “yikes” look.
“Blossom,” Pops said patiently. “I never intended for you to have anything to do with the cabins. You’ve shown only contempt for them ever since I bought ’em.
Of course Alex was going to take over. She’s been running them for a decade, and it was time.
Why would you assume you had any right to the proceeds of something you hated so much, had nothing to do with, and left as soon as you could? ”
“I…I…” For once, her mom was speechless.
“You wanted a new life. One that didn’t include us.” Pops shrugged. “When you left Green Valley Falls, you not only left your family, but your stake in the family business. I thought you realized that.”
It only took Blossom a minute to realize she wasn’t getting what she came for. “Let’s go,” she barked at Wesley, who stood obediently. “We never should have come here.”
“I’m sorry, honey,” Pops said. “It was good to see you.”
He was sincere, but Blossom just huffed and waved him off, storming out, with Wesley on her heels.
“Well, that went about as expected.” Pops set his napkin on the table.
“I’m sorry, Pops,” Alex said, taking his hand. “I know it hurts.”
Now that Alex could relax, she noticed other patrons staring at them. At first, she assumed it stemmed from her mother’s scene, but it slowly dawned on her that it was her and Brody “together” that was drawing eyes.
“Oh, dear,” she mumbled.
“Now what?” Brody asked.
“In my haste to one-up my mom, I forgot about the GVF gossip mill.”
Brody glanced around. “What do you mean?”
“All these people think we’re a couple now. Once this gets out, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle.”
“You could slap me and storm out,” Brody offered, and Pops laughed.
“That’s really sweet of you,” Alex said. “And very tempting. But you’ve already done enough for me. We’ll break up later. Let’s just go.”