25. Chapter Twenty-Five
“Ooof! Toby, ow!”
I groan in protest as I fight for space on my old twin bed. Toby, the drool king himself, has decided he’s a lap dog. His heavy head plops onto my stomach just as my phone rings with an urgency that makes my heart nearly leap out of my chest.
“Hello?” My voice is scratchy like I swallowed a handful of cotton balls in my sleep.
“Rose, it’s Brian Shaw.”
“Brian, what’s up?” I sit up, nudging Toby’s bulk aside. He huffs but doesn’t budge.
“Good news,” he says, and I can almost hear his smile through the phone. “Jace agreed to sign the divorce papers.”
A silent weight lifts from my chest. “He did? Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he sa. “Seems your threat to testify during his court hearing rattled him good.”
“Wow.” It’s the only word that seems to fit. I flop back on the bed, and Toby gives me a look that says, ‘Really, human?’ I laugh, and it feels like the first genuine laugh in months. “So, what’s going to happen now? What about the business?”
Brian pauses for a moment, and I shift anxiously, causing Toby to let out another deep huff. “Well, there’s more. After they dug further into Jace’s business dealings, it turns out he was engaged in a small-scale Ponzi scheme.”
The words hit me like a splash of cold water. “Seriously?”
“Unfortunately, yes. But given his willingness to cooperate and that he wasn’t acting alone, they’ll likely offer him a plea bargain and hit him with a minimal sentence.”
“So, he’ll go to prison?” My voice trails off as I try to reconcile this new image of Jace with the man I thought I knew.
“That will be for a judge to decide, but the charges are serious, so it’s likely.”
My mind flashes back to so many things that I must have overlooked for things to get this bad. But Jace always had the perfect excuse whenever I questioned him about phone calls he’d make in private or the bank statements he assured me he was tracking so I didn’t have to. Now, all the lies are finally coming to light.
“Rose, are you there?”
“Uh-huh.” I sit back up, shaking my head in disbelief.
“On the bright side, I have good news about the business. Once everything is settled, you’ll be retaining full ownership of Metro Matchmakers.”
“Full ownership... wow.” A mix of emotions swirls inside me—victory, confusion, and fear.
“Just keep hanging in there, Rose. This will all be over with before you know it.”
“Thanks, Brian.” I hang up and let the phone slip from my hands. Alone with Toby’s snoring, I realize I desperately need advice from someone who won’t judge me for the mess I’ve been tangled in.
Without another thought, I grab my phone again and dial Henry’s number. He answers after the first ring.
“Rose? Is everything okay?”
“Hey, Henry. Yeah, it’s just... Can you meet for coffee? I could use a pep talk right about now.”
“Yeah, I think I can make that happen. I’m heading into town shortly. Sugar and Cream in a half hour sound good?”
“Sounds perfect,” I reply, feeling my heart lift at the prospect of seeing him again. We just returned from California two days ago, and I already miss our alone time. Now that we’re home, there’s no telling who will see us and what new rumors they’ll come up with. “See you soon.” I end the call and swing my legs over the bed, pausing to rub Toby’s massive head.
“Big day ahead, boy. Wish me luck!”
Toby yawns, unfazed by my life’s drama. If only I could borrow some of his disregard for the day ahead.
With a deep breath, I stand, determined to face whatever comes next. Henry’s steady presence feels like the lighthouse guiding me through a stormy sea. And today, I really need that light.
***
When I push through the door to Sugar and Cream, the familiar scent of freshly ground beans and baked goods perks me up right away. My eyes scan the cozy little coffee shop and find Henry sitting tall at our usual table in the back corner with his cowboy hat resting on the table next to him.
“Hey,” I say, my voice still shaky from the news this morning.
“Morning, Rose.” His smile is warm and comfortable as he rises from his chair, and in two strides, he’s wrapping me in a hug that steadies my wobbly frame.
“Thanks for coming,” I whisper into his plaid shirt, inhaling the subtle mix of coffee and fresh hay that clings to him.
“Of course,” he replies, pulling back just enough to look at me. “What’s going on?”
We sit, and I take a moment to appreciate the small tokens of kindness laid out in front of me—a steaming cup of coffee, a slice of my favorite lemon pound cake, and a small, hand-picked bouquet of wildflowers. He may be a simple man, but his ability to shower me with love doesn’t go unnoticed this morning, even if he doesn’t say the words. Once upon a time, I believed Henry Carter did sweet things for me because he was a sweet person. I never imagined he could be sweet on me.
“I got news about Jace,” I say, letting the warmth of my mug seep into my palms. “He finally agreed to sign the divorce papers.”
Henry nods with a serious expression. “That’s good news, isn’t it?”
“It is, definitely. It’s just… a lot to unpack, you know?”
“I’m sorry you have to deal with all this mess. I know it’s not the same, but I guess losing a spouse is hard no matter how you slice it.”
I shrug, forcing a half-smile. “At least I can move forward now, right?”
“Right,” Henry echoes, a supportive hand reaching across the table to cover mine.
“I just wish I knew what to do about the business.”
Henry’s brow furrows. “What about the business?”
“Jace is stepping down. I don’t have all the details yet, but he’s in a lot of trouble. Who knows how I’ll clean up the mess he left if I want to salvage things in Dallas, though. So many of our clients jumped ship after Jace’s name started appearing in their news feeds.”
“So, do you think there’s a chance you might stay in Texas then?” His eyes glimmer with hope as he says the words.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I say, looking down into my mug. “I’m so tired of all the rumors and gossip. It seems like no matter where I go, I’m surrounded by them. At least with Chanel’s offer, I could get away from it all.”
Henry reaches across the table and gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, but how long are you going to let what other people think about you dictate what you do with your life? You know I’ll support you no matter what, but I hate seeing you make decisions based on a bunch of nay-sayers.”
“You know, you’re the only one who doesn’t think I have some ulterior motive,” I say, giving him a weary look. “Everyone in town has their ideas about... us.” I hesitate before sharing the real weight pressing on my heart. “They think I’m spending time with you to get back at Jace, and it’s not fair. It’s not fair to you.”
“Not everyone thinks that way, Rose. You have other allies here besides me.”
“Oh yeah? Like who?”
“Like Hazel, for one.” Henry leans back in his seat. “And Gemma and Asher both think the world of you. I know Julie would hate to see you go, and there’s no telling how much your folks would miss you.”
My parents.
He strikes a chord with that last one. I try to sneak away at least once or twice a quarter to come home for a quick visit, but it’s never enough. What would happen if I got so busy that I couldn’t find time to visit and something happened to one of them? Would I ever be able to forgive myself? And if I moved back to Dallas, there’s no guarantee I’d be able to rebuild—at least not under the Metro Matchmakers brand.
“Thanks, Henry.” The lump in my throat eases as the words leave my lips. “For believing in me when it felt like no one else did.”
“Hey,” he says, offering a crooked smile. “You think I’d let a bunch of old gossip hens change my mind about my high school prom date?”
Despite feeling more torn than ever, I’m grateful for the smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. Henry always knows just how to pull me back to solid ground.
“The flowers are beautiful. Thanks for the coffee—and the poundcake,” I say, taking another bite and letting its tangy sweetness dance across my tastebuds.
“Anytime.” Henry winks, and we fall into an easy conversation, just like old times. But even as we laugh and reminisce on days when life was so much easier, I can’t turn off the part of my mind that’s busy weighing out options and trying to figure out where on Earth I’m going from here.