Chapter 23
CHAPTER 23
LOUISE
I stared at the image of the third victim in Spencer’s scheme to find me love. He was getting better at selecting thanks to Eve’s input. It would be trickier to get rid of this one, but I had to. I needed to keep Spencer and Eve dating until he finally got enough courage to get serious with her.
If I had my druthers, I’d keep going with my little plan until they were engaged, at least. Although, I wasn’t certain Theo could take it that long.
A sigh escaped me as I studied the last message I received from him. Each new correspondence was a reminder of the delicate balancing act I was performing. A twinge of guilt sliced at my heart as I read it again. I’m jealous…these fakes dates get to spend more time with you than I do.
The winky face at the end of his message implied that he meant it tongue-in-cheek, but I was beginning to feel the same way. I hadn’t managed to come up with a way to tell Spencer, though, too afraid that it could ruin the fragile relationship he was building with Eve.
Things were moving painfully slow between them. Both of them seemed to have reservations. Eve’s question to me when I’d spent the day with her to facilitate her recovery still echoed in my mind.
It highlighted her trust issues over truly allowing herself to fall for Spencer, though I suspected she was despite herself. But she’d hold back until she was certain he wouldn’t break her heart.
And I couldn’t convince him to take the next step because he was too darn nervous to mess everything up.
I had myself in a fine pickle, that was for certain.
My thumbs hovered over the virtual keyboard as I tried to figure out a response that would be cheeky but reassuring. I couldn’t come up with anything, though.
For the first time in my life, I was lost for words.
I let my head thud against my vanity with a groan. “Oh, Lou-Lou, you’ve made a fine mess of things.”
“What’s that? Louise Montgomery admitted that she’s messed up?” Spencer’s playful tone brought to mind an image of his boyish grin, one that I was certain made Eve’s heart flutter.
I snapped my head up, quickly recovering from my stupor. “Nothing I can’t fix.”
“So, you did say you messed up,” Spencer said, his grin broadening as he approached me. “All ready for your date?”
“No,” I answered as I snatched a tissue from the pearl-studded box and wiped away my lipstick. “I didn’t want to wear Rev-up Red tonight. I’ll go with Cherry Bomb instead.”
I uncapped another tube of lipstick and slicked it on my lips, hoping I covered well.
He clicked his tongue at my supposed faux pas. “Well, that’s important. Because this is your third date, and you know what they say, right? Third time’s the charm.”
I held back an eye roll. Third time’s the curse was more like it; I was running out of ways to dodge these guys, but I’d have to dig deep. Before that, I wanted to talk about how it wasn’t the charm for Spencer and Eve.
“That may be the saying, but it seems like it wasn’t for you.”
His eyebrows shot up and he held his hands up in defense. “Hey, it wasn’t my fault. Eve was sick.”
“Yes, she was. And now she’s better. And you’ve yet to reschedule the date.”
“She’s catching up on work, and I have to reschedule the lighthouse–which, by the way, was a great choice because Eve loves lighthouses.”
“I heard,” I answered. “She told me when I stopped by for my girls’ day cold therapy. Points for knowing her so well.”
He gave me a satisfied grin.
“But not well enough.” I stuck my hands on my hips.
“What? What does that mean?” His features registered hurt.
“It means she doesn’t think you’re really interested in her.”
He gulped, guilt flashing in his eyes.
“Uh-huh, that’s right. Eve seems to think we’re in some sort of bad rom-com where you and I are going to fall madly in love and end up together.”
“What?” This time his features devolved into shock.
“What exactly did you say to her to make her think that?” I asked, my tone a little accusatory. I’d found with Spencer, that if I acted a little icy, he’d spill the beans to me. And I needed him to tell me everything so I could fix things.
“I didn’t say anything,” he shot back, his voice going an octave higher as he tried to defend himself. “Maybe you said something.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Oh, really? Maybe it’s all your…isn’t Spencer so cute? Isn’t Spencer so nice?” He morphed his voice into his best impression of my Southern drawl, failing miserably.
“First, I sound nothing like that. And second, no. That’s girls talking about boys. That’s normal.”
“Maybe she doesn’t think it’s normal when the girl she’s talking to is married to the boy she’s talking about.” He shot me a wide-eyed glance.
“Well, I set her straight on that, but now it’s your turn. Now, Spencer, you have just got to show your interest a little more. Hold her hand. Kiss her.”
He heaved a sigh. “Yes, I’m working up to it. Her cold threw me off, that’s all.”
“I expect this to be handled on your next date or I will be highly disappointed.” I eyed him for a moment, with his arms crossed as he leaned against my vanity, I could tell he was still unsure. “Do you not like her? Do I need to be looking for someone else?”
“No!” he practically shouted at me, a flicker of what looked almost like fear dancing in his eyes.
His adamant reaction told me everything I needed to know. Spencer Whitaker was falling in love with Eve Dawson. Now, he just needed some encouragement to take things to the next level.
“All right. Just asking. Because if this isn’t the love connection you were looking for…”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. We’re fine.”
“We?” I asked coyly. “Well, that’s a start.”
He shrugged. “I guess I kind of see us as a couple. I don’t know.”
I grinned at him. “Good. Now. make her think that, and we’ll be all set. And make sure she doesn’t think you and I are going to get together.”
“I can’t understand why she’d think that. I didn’t even mention you that night. Oh, wait, I did. I said you hated Mystic Realms.”
“I don’t hate it. I just don’t like it,” I retorted, my eyebrows pinching as I tried to figure out how Eve had come to that conclusion.
After a moment, I curled my fingers into fists, one of them pounding against my marble vanity top. “I know who did this.”
My nostrils flared as my lips tugged into a frown. “That darned sister of hers.”
Natural color rose into my rouge-enhanced cheeks as my anger boiled over. “That minx. She wants you all to herself, that’s why she did it. Ohhhh, I could smash her.”
“Audrey?”
I snapped my gaze to him. “Yes, Audrey.”
Concern etched Spencer’s features. “I can see why you don’t like her. I don’t either.”
“Good. Audrey Dawson is becoming a problem.” I grabbed my purse and glanced at my watch. “I may be late for my date.”
“You still have plenty of time,” Spencer said. “The restaurant is only ten minutes away.”
“But I have to make another stop first.” I stormed to the door.
“Wait, what? Where?” Spencer hurried behind me, his voice filled with concern.
“Audrey Dawson’s. She’s a problem, and I mean to fix it.”
“Wait, Lou,” he called as I ripped open the front door and stomped my way across the driveway to my sports car.
“I’ll handle it, Spence. You just worry about that lighthouse date.” I slid behind the wheel, fired my engine, and tore off down the driveway.
The cool breeze that fluttered my fiery hair did little to calm my nerves. In fact, with every mile that passed, I grew more and more agitated.
That sister really did a number on Eve, and now she was wrecking my plans to marry off my husband to that sweet, sweet girl.
“Not in my world, darlin’,” I growled through clenched teeth as my tires screeched as I took the turn on nearly two wheels.
Seconds later, I pulled up in front of Audrey’s apartment. After she’d crashed one of Eve’s dates, I’d made it a point to know where she lived in case I needed to keep an eye on her. And now I was glad I did.
After parking, I slammed my car door closed and pounded my way across the sidewalk and into her building. Wasting no time, I took the stairs to the second floor, found her door, and smacked my fist against it.
No one answered for a moment, and I tried again. This time a lock disengaged, and the door swung open.
Audrey stood on the other side, her features settling into an unimpressed frown. “You. What do you want?”
“Yes, me,” I answered, anger sharpening my voice. “I want you to stay away from Eve.”
Audrey’s features twisted with disbelief before she started to laugh, morphing her expression with amusement as she crossed her arms. “You’re joking.”
“I am deadly serious. Stay away from Eve.”
“She’s my sister, you dingbat. I’m not staying away from her.”
“Oh? Well, she deserves a much better sister than you. You need to stop filling her head with all your vile nonsense about Spencer.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Audrey shot back.
“Don’t you?” I cocked my head, my hands falling to my hips. “Look me in the eyes and deny that you’re the one who riled her up with the nonsense about Spencer and I falling for each other.”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “Come on. You know I’m right. I’m just protecting my sister. I don’t know if this is some kind of sick game you rich people play or what, but this is weird no matter which way you slice it.”
“It’s not. Spencer and I are not in love. But Spencer and Eve are. And they are going to get married and live happily ever after.” I crossed my arms, a haughty expression on my face.
“Wow, you’re delusional.”
“I am not. I can see it between them. They’re a perfect match.”
Audrey cackled again. “Eve isn’t really a perfect match for anyone, but yeah, you keep telling yourself that. And when you’re still hitched to Spencer at the end of this, we’ll see who’s right.”
“I am not staying married to Spencer,” I insisted.
“Why wouldn’t you? I mean, I get it…he’s not hot. But he’s rich. Problem solved. Just…close your eyes and think of all the zeros in his bank account.”
“Spencer is a doll, but that’s beside the point. I don’t need his money, I have my own, you twit.”
Audrey screwed up her face. “You’re rich, too?”
“Yes. So, I am not staying married to Spencer. He is going to marry Eve. And I want you to stay out of their relationship.”
Her gaze fell, her forehead creasing.
I could see the gears turning in her little opportunistic mind. “Stay away from them, Audrey, so help me–”
Audrey’s ringing phone interrupted my threat. She dug it from her pocket and swiped to accept the call. “Audrey Dawson.”
A second later, her features twisted. “What? Is she okay?”
She pressed a hand against her forehead. My stomach dropped at her panicked tone. What was happening?
“Okay, I’ll be right there. I’ll be right there.” She ended the call and flicked her gaze up to me. “I need to go. Get out.”
“What’s happening? Was that about Eve?”
“Leave!” she shouted as she raced to grab her purse, her eyes wide as she stared down at it before she grabbed her phone. “When is the next bus?”
“Bus to where? If this is about Eve, tell me.” She didn’t bother to answer, so I added, “I have a car. I can drive you wherever you need to go.”
She snapped her gaze to me. “The hospital. Eve was in an accident.”
“What?” This time my voice raised an octave as Audrey pushed past me into the hall. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“I don’t know anything. I just know she was in an accident and now she’s at the hospital, okay?”
“Oh my word,” I said, my voice breathy as my chest constricted. I dug my phone from my purse as we hurried down the stairs, quickly dialing Spencer’s number.
“Lou? Hey, I hope you don’t need me to bail you out–”
“No time, Spence. Meet me at the hospital. Eve’s been in an accident.”
I ended the call, dumping my phone into my bag before I pushed outside and hurried to my car. I slid behind the wheel as Audrey buckled in next to me.
With the engine fired, I whipped from my parking space and sped to the hospital in record time. Spencer pulled up behind me in his red sports car.
I raced out of my own and tossed the keys at the security guard. “Ma’am, you can’t park here.”
“Keep it,” I shouted as I raced inside with Spencer and Audrey hot on my heels. I stopped at the triage nurse, barely breathing. “Eve Dawson. Where is she?”
“Are you family?”
“I’m her sister!” I shouted, my voice frenzied.
Audrey wrinkled her nose as she gave me a sideways glance while the nurse checked her screen. “She’s in cubicle three. I’ll buzz you in.”
We all raced to the door as she shouted, “You can’t all go back there.”
I waved the comment away as I skirted sideways past the slow-moving automatic door and barreled down the hall until I found the correct room.
Grabbing the jamb, I skidded into the room, gasping for breath as I prepared myself for tubes and wires coming from a comatose Eve.
Instead, I spotted her with her ankle propped on a pillow, bruised and swollen. She winced as she moved it before she spotted me, her brow pinching. “Lou?”
“Eve! My word,” I exclaimed as I pressed a hand against my heaving chest, “are you alright?”
“I’m okay. I’m just…a little maimed. But I’m fine.”
I wobbled into the room and collapsed on the edge of the bed. “Thank heavens. The hospital said you were in an accident but nothing else.”
“The hospital called you?”
“No,” Audrey answered for me. “They called me. She happened to be there when I took the call and offered to drive me.”
“You were with Audrey?” The confusion on Eve’s features grew as I tugged my lips into a wince.
“I was.”
“Yeah, she was threatening me.”
“That’s not true!” I shouted.
“Okay, okay, easy,” Eve said, patting my hand.
I threaded my fingers through hers, squeezing them.
“So, you’re going to believe her over your own sister?” Audrey crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at Eve.
“No, but I don’t think it’s that important. You don’t get along. Let’s leave it at that.”
“What? She came to my apartment and threatened me. She told me to stay away from you.”
“Okay,” Eve said with a nod. “Well…”
“Unbelievable,” Audrey said, throwing her arms in the air. “You know what? You deserve the crazy you’re getting yourself into with these two weirdos. Have fun. I’m glad you’re okay.”
With that, the venomous woman stormed from the room, leaving us alone.
I slid my gaze sideways to Eve, my lips still tugged into a wince. Would she hate me?
Eve let her head fall back against the pillow. “I hate to say it, but I’m sort of glad she’s leaving.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’re not mad at me. I did tell her to stay away from you. But only because she’s so awful to you.”
“I know,” Eve answered with a squeeze of my hand. “And my painkillers haven’t kicked in yet, so tolerating her is difficult.”
I let my gaze fall to her swollen ankle. “Oh my word, does it hurt terribly?”
“It’s not pleasant, but it’s not too bad.”
“Is it broken? How long do you have to stay off of it?” Spencer asked.
“Yeah. Six weeks. At least I don’t need surgery. I’ll barely afford this.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Spencer said with a pat on her shoulder.
“No, I can’t–”
“You can and you will,” he insisted.
“Thank you. I’ll repay you somehow. I promise. Just as soon as I’m back on my feet. Literally. I don’t know how I’ll make it six weeks with one leg.” She shook her head as he reassured her that she didn’t need to repay him in any way.
I cocked my head as I watched them together, an idea forming. A grin spread on my lips as I realized the perfect way to get Spencer and Eve closer than ever. Eve was going to move in with us.