Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
LOUISE
W ith a deep frown that I was certain would give me wrinkles, I stared at the dress in the dressing room mirror.
“Oh, it’s just perfect. What do you think, Mrs. Whitaker?”
“That’s Montgomery-Whitaker,” I snapped at the saleswoman, who lost her grin lickety-split.
Immediately regretting it, my shoulders slumped and my lower lip jutted out in a pout. “I’m sorry. I’m having a bad day.”
She brightened a little. “Well, it sounds like a new dress is just what you need.”
I stared at the gold shimmery fabric wrapped tightly around my body. “Maybe. What I really need is–”
I pulled one side of my lips back.
The woman arched an eyebrow, leaning forward as she waited for me to continue.
“Never mind. I’ll take this one and the red one…and the green one.”
She smiled as she gathered the haul into her arms while I stepped back into the dressing room to change. What I really needed was a new woman for Spencer.
Last night, I’d demanded he start dating. This morning, he’d suggested we help each other find new partners.
“Oh, Spence,” I murmured as I shimmied into my own dress.
I didn’t want help finding love–I was already weaving my own complicated web of affection.
Stop thinking bad things about me, I did not cheat on Spencer. But I had someone special, someone who knew my situation and was happily willing to wait until I was divorced before we moved forward with anything.
I hadn’t told Spencer about him. I didn’t want to hurt his delicate feelings. And no, I’m not saying Spencer’s feelings are too delicate.
They’re perfect.
He was a sweet man who deserved more happiness than life had handed him so far. He deserved a woman as exceptional as he was. But finding her was another matter entirely. I’d struck out on every front, so far.
I slid into my heels and emerged from the dressing room, tossing the gold dress at the sales associate as I rounded the counter and pulled out my black card.
I expected the spending of money to lift my mood, but as I stepped out of the store, sliding on my oversized sunglasses and letting the bag dangle from my fingertips, I felt no better.
Maybe a purse would do the trick.
The sidewalk buzzed with the midday rush as I made my way past chic storefronts and street-side cafes, their patrons basking under the warm sun. My phone jangled, a sharp note against the hum of life, pulling me back from my thoughts.
I stopped, digging in my purse for it. Was it Spencer calling to tell me he’d found the love of my life? I hoped not.
I glanced at the display, my stomach twisting into a tight knot as I read the caller ID. “Oh, lord.”
With a click of my tongue, I paused, my thumb hovered over the end call button. I rolled my eyes. It would be worse if I didn’t take the call.
Reluctantly, with my nose crinkled, I swiped to accept the call. “Hello, Mama.”
“Lou-Lou, finally picked up the phone, have we? I was beginning to wonder if you were dead in a ditch.”
I slid my eyes closed at the veiled insult. I forced politeness into my voice. “I’ve been busy, Mama. What did you need?”
“Busy? With what? Shopping? Partying? Are you dragging that husband of yours around to all the social outings? It’s embarrassing, Louise, really.”
I swallowed hard, pressing my lips together as I composed myself though my insides churned. “Spencer and I are–”
“A fraud,” my mother interrupted. “A ruse used to steal that money. Money that I could have used to live on, Lou-Lou.”
“Money that wasn’t yours, Mama. Daddy left it to me.”
“In care of your loving mama. And I did everything I could, Louise, to take care of you. But you’re just so…difficult. Well, I’m sure your husband is discovering that now.”
My teeth hurt as it gritted them at the words. My mama had always described me as difficult…and worse. “I didn’t deserve what you did, Mama.”
“You are not well, Louise. You make poor decisions. In so many ways, you’re still that little girl you were when your Daddy died. You need supervision.”
“And you need money,” I shot back, heat in my voice. “You aren’t getting mine. Not anymore, Mama.”
“Now, Louise, let’s not end on a sour note. I need your presence here.”
I chewed my lower lip, frustrated with myself as much as her. Why was I continuing to listen to her? “For what?”
“We need to discuss the future. Mine and yours. Shall we say over the next weekend?”
“I’ll talk to Spencer, see if we can make it.”
Her mother cackled on the other end. “Oh, that man wouldn’t have plans if they bit him. Next weekend, Lou-Lou. The lawyers will be here. I expect you to make yourself presentable. And please don’t wear your hair up. You know how I hate that.”
The line clicked on the other end, leaving me hanging there as disgust and shame roiled through me. No matter how much distance I put between myself and my mama, her words could still gut me like a fish.
I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, tears filling my eyes as I stared down at my dark display.
Someone knocked into me, sending me stumbling forward. “Hey! Watch where you’re going!”
“Get out of the way, lady,” he shouted back before he continued on his way.
My lips formed a deep frown as I pressed a hand against my forehead. Tears stung my eyes, blurring the shops around me as I fought the urge to sob right there in the middle of the sidewalk.
My interest in a purse waned. I needed something else right now along with the chance to calm down. With a sniffle and a nibble on my lower lip, I glanced up and down the street before I darted into it.
A car screeched to a halt as I hurried across it. I gave them an angry wave as I stepped onto the sidewalk on the opposite side. With a shaky sigh, I swung the door open to my favorite bakery and stepped inside, the sweet scent of coffee and cinnamon filling the air.
I stepped to the bakery case, still sniffling and wiping away a few tears. “Uh, I need a chocolate eclair and a latte.”
The woman’s face behind the counter twisted into a wince. “Oh, I’m sorry. We just sold our last chocolate eclair. Did you want something else or just the latte?”
The words crushed me more than they should have. After dealing with my mama, the slightest thing could send me spiraling and this was it.
“What?” I repeated, trying to keep my tone measured.
“Did you want to pick something else?”
I stared at her like she had three heads. “How can you not have a chocolate eclair? What kind of bakery is this? You can’t just…not have things. You can’t run out. You can’t steal things that belong to other people. You can’t!”
“Uhh,” the woman behind the counter murmured, her eyes going wide.
But it was too late now, I was in full melt down-mode. My features twisted as I prepared to launch into a tirade against the incompetent baker when a gentle touch on my shoulder stopped me.
I twisted, my features incredulous as I searched for the source.
A woman, shorter than me in my towering heels, tucked a lock of light brown hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear, offering me a slight, almost hesitant smile. Her simple pink blouse paired with plain trousers and a pair of flats screamed wholesome and reflected the inherent softness that surrounded her.
“What?” I snapped.
She thrust a bag forward. “I just bought the last chocolate eclair, but it sounds like you could really use it. Here.”
My gaze fell to the bag she held in her hand, my eyebrows knitting.
She offered another slight smile and a tiny bob of her head, encouraging me to take it.
My lips parted, still not understanding the kind gesture. I hadn’t been on the receiving end of much kindness in my life. Only Spencer had ever really treated me nicely. Which was why I needed to find him a new wife.
And I just may have stumbled upon the perfect one. I just needed to do a little more vetting.
I slowly tugged the brown bag from between her fingers.
“Enjoy, and I hope you feel better.”
She spun on her heel and stepped toward the door.
I quickly wiped away some of the tears clinging to my chin as I called after her. “Wait!”
She glanced over her shoulder, those pretty blue eyes questioning me silently.
I plastered a grin onto my face. “I can’t take this.”
“Of course, you can,” she said with a grin.
I flicked my gaze to the bag before I returned my focus to her. “Well, let me buy you something else. And let’s sit down together…share a coffee.”
Her forehead creased, and she started to shake her head. She was just a doll.
My grin broadened. “Now, I am not taking no for an answer, darlin’.”
She swallowed hard, taking a tentative step closer. “Sure. Uh, I’ll just have a mini donut.”
The woman behind the counter smiled and bobbed her head, probably pleased that I hadn’t gone full-on berserk. “And did you say a latte?”
“Just a small hot chocolate for me, thanks,” the woman said.
The baker bagged the donut and prepared our drinks. I paid for them, and, with a wide smile, thrust her to-go cup toward her. “Shall we sit outside? It’s a beautiful day.”
“Okay,” she said.
I think she would have agreed to sit anywhere. We left the sweet-smelling bakery behind in favor of one of the metal tables outside under a fluttering umbrella.
I pulled the eclair from the bag and bit into it with a murmur of satisfaction. The woman smiled again as she toyed with the sleeve around her coffee, fidgeting in her seat.
As I pressed a napkin against my lips, I reached for her hand. “Oh, sugar, you are a lifesaver. I needed this eclair.”
“Seemed important to you.”
“It was, but I am sorry to rob you of it. And I don’t even know your name.”
“Eve,” she answered, slicking that stray lock of hair behind her ear again.
Eve . How fitting. “Aw, that’s lovely. I’m Louise. Louise Montgomery-Whitaker. But my friends call me Lou.”
“Eve Dawson,” she answered.
I patted her arm. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Eve Dawson. You saved me.”
She chuckled, the sound genuine, not the calculated laughs of society girls. “I don’t think I’d go that far.”
“I would. Darlin’, you have no idea what a call from my mama can do.” I let out a muffled groan as the conversation floated through my mind again. I shoved it aside, not wanting my angelic new friend to think I was a total whack job. “Do you have a good relationship with your mama?”
A melancholy passed through her eyes, and I wondered if I’d found a kindred spirit. “My mom died when I was a baby.”
My features fell, my face crinkling. “Oh, sugar, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known, and…I’ve never known any different. I’m sorry you don’t have a better relationship with your mother, though.”
“So am I. Let’s not talk about it.” I took another bite of my eclair. “Let’s talk about you.”
She flicked her gaze to the table, color rising in her porcelain cheeks. “Oh, there’s not much to talk about.”
“Come on, now, don’t be bashful. Tell me all about Eve Dawson.” I set my chin in my palm and arched an eyebrow at her.
“Umm, well, I…I’m a translator. I…have a sister.”
I waved a hand at her. “Ohhh, you lucky duck. I’ve always wanted a sister. I don’t have any siblings.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
“There you go apologizing again for something that’s not your fault. Are you close with your sister?”
“A little.”
I stared at her, confusion etched into my features.
“We…talk a lot. Audrey is…opinionated.”
“Ugh, I know what you mean. Sounds like my mama. Now, what about love? Husband? Boyfriend?” I was prying, but I had to know.
She almost laughed at my question as she shook her head, her lips pressing together tightly. “Oh, no. Neither.”
“Pretty girl like you? Coming off a bad relationship?”
She slouched in her seat a little. “I, uh, I’m just not very lucky in love.”
“Oh. Well, maybe you just haven’t met the right man yet.” I patted her hand again.
She forced a smile that said to me she wasn’t buying my line, but she had no idea what I had in store for her.
“So, it sounds like you have.” Her gaze shifted from my sparkling ring, her features brightening as she shifted the topic off of herself. “How long have you been married?”
“Oh, uh…” I couldn’t tell her the whole story yet. I didn’t want to frighten her off. “Six months.”
“Oh, you’re newlyweds.” She grinned at me. “That’s great.”
“Yeah,” I said through a fake grin. “Well, that’s enough about me. What are your hobbies?”
We spent a few more minutes chatting, and with each one that passed, I grew more and more certain that I’d struck gold.
Just as there was a lull in the conversation, Eve offered me a sweet smile before taking a sip of her hot chocolate and polishing off her donut. “Well, I really should be going.”
She rose, her chair scraping back against the concrete.
“Oh,” I said, my features twisting into a frown. “Well, I have really been enjoying myself chatting with you Eve. Would it be too much to ask to exchange numbers? I’d love to do it again.”
The expression on her features made it seem like she’d never been asked that before in her life. I grinned at her, hoping she didn’t think I was a stalker. My mama said I came across too strong for people, and that’s why no one liked me.
She eased back into her seat, setting down the cup and crumpled bag she’d grabbed a moment ago. “S-sure.”
I beamed, typing her name into my contact list. “Eve Dawson. Go ahead, sugar.”
She passed along her number, and I input it, then held up a finger. “Just a second. I’m sending a text. Now, make sure you get it.”
She dug into her functional little purse and pulled out a phone. “Got it.”
After a smile at me, she added me to her contact list.
I leapt from my seat as she rose and pulled her into a hug. “Don’t be a stranger, ‘cause I sure won’t be.”
“Okay,” she said with a chuckle, her cheeks turning rosy red again. “Bye, Lou. I hope your day gets better.”
She twisted and headed away from me, dumping her trash in the can near the door before she continued around the corner. I watched her go, the grin never leaving my face.
She was perfect. Sweet, genuine, and single. I had just found Spencer’s new wife. Now, all I had to do was make them fall in love.