Chapter Six
No idea how early he went out, but the next morning Nash wanders down the front garden path to join us on the porch.
The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and birds are singing.
And he’s wearing cargo shorts and tennis shoes with no shirt.
His chest is slick with sweat, making him sparkle in the morning sun.
“Guess who made new friends at jogging group?”
“Was it you, dear?” asks Grandma. She likes to sit on the front porch and silently judge her neighbors over a cup of coffee in the morning. It’s her version of calm at the start of the day. “You’re staring, June.”
Shit. Shoving his man nipples in my face again at this hour is indecent. I know he has enough money to buy clothes. “Sorry. I was just…never mind.”
Nash grins. “Morning, Junebug. Good to see you.”
“You should put on a shirt before you catch cold,” I say.
“Or, and hear me out here, you could take yours—”
“None of that,” says Grandma sternly. “Both of you need to behave like adults.”
“Oh, these thoughts are purely of legal age and over. You can trust me on that, Audrey.” The expression on his face…
he’s just so pleased with himself. “I did morning meditation followed by jogging, and I’ve got to say, I’m basically a local at this point.
I’ve been embraced into the bosom of The Bend. ”
“That’s great,” I say.
“Sounds sort of like a sex position, doesn’t it?” he asks. “The bosom of the bend. Ha. By the way, there’s a potluck happening next week. Gabriella, Melanie, and Debra are hosting it in the park.”
“You want to do more socializing?” I ask in wonder.
“Come on, Junebug. It’ll be fun.”
My brows go up. “You want me to go?”
“Yes. This is how you build a life and make new friends. You regularly leave the house and talk to people and do things. And I’d be with you the entire time. We could even hold hands if you like.”
“June isn’t touchy-feely. She wasn’t hugged enough as a child,” says Grandma, who probably has a point.
But back to the socializing thing. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with people.
I do, however, tend to limit my exposure to the general public.
The social battery doth runneth low. Outings to the bar and coffee shop several times a week is about the sweet spot for me.
Which doesn’t account for the times when I’m lonely or feel something in my life is lacking.
This is going to require more thought.
“How about I promise to slap anyone who tries to talk to you?” he jokes. “Will you come with me then?”
“Assaulting people sounds like a great way to get to meet the sheriff. These events do tend to be quite enjoyable,” says Grandma. “We should all go.”
And I know when I’m out numbered. “Okay then. Let’s do it.”
It’s worth it just to see his happiness. “I know your old friends let you down…taking the ex’s side in the breakup. But now is your chance to make new and better ones.”
“You didn’t mention anything about your friends being on his side,” says Grandma. “How hurtful.”
I shrug. “Just means they weren’t really my friends.”
“Don’t worry, Audrey, I’ve got our girl covered,” says Nash. “I was thinking I could bake a cake as our contribution to the potluck.”
“Let’s see how you go giving toast a try,” suggests Grandma.
Which is when a slick sportscar slows to a stop at the side of the road. Some cherry-red, low-slung, high-priced thing. The sort of vehicle with an engine that purrs and goes at obscene speeds.
“Who could this be?” asks Grandma.
Nash frowns.
And out of the vehicle steps a woman with legs for miles and glossy long platinum-blonde hair. She looks like she stepped off the cover of a magazine. And when she sees Nash, she flashes a brilliant smile his way.
“Carrie,” he says unhappily, as if her appearance is not exactly a surprise.
I straighten in my seat, suddenly on high alert. Like he needs or wants to be protected. And I am not jealous at all, but maybe I should get the stick just in case she needs chasing off.
The woman sashays down the garden path toward us. “Looked for you in Austin. That beach you love in Georgia. Even the trashy dive bar in West Hollywood. There wasn’t a sign of you anywhere. Talked to all of your friends, but none of them had heard a word.”
“You’ve been busy,” he says. “Do you really think my friends would tell you if they’d heard from me?”
Her smile is all sharp teeth. “Then something made me think of Audrey, and I just knew I’d find you here in the middle of absolutely fucking nowhere. What even is this place?”
“June,” says Grandma. “This is Carrie Younger. She’s what’s known as a fixer, and she works for the record company.”
I take a sip of coffee and keep my mouth shut.
“I like the new look.” Carrie presses a kiss to his cheek. “We need to talk.”
Nash’s crosses his arms over his muscular chest. “Do we though?”
“Somewhere private would be nice.”
“Right here is fine, and they stay,” says Nash.
“You’re not still mad at me, are you?” she asks. “What we had was real. I wanted us to be together. My allegiances are just a little complicated is all.”
“Yeah. I know. Capitalism has your heart.”
She laughs. “You always did know how to make me laugh.”
Nash’s smile is begrudging.
“Whatever message you were trying to get across with the disappearing act worked. You shocked the shit out of them…walking away from it all like that,” she says. “Now what will it take for you to come back?”
“Not happening.”
“Talk to me, Aaron.”
He shakes his head. Close friends and family call him Nash. It sounds sort of strange hearing his other name. The legal one. And it also makes me wonder how close they really were.
“I’m on your side, baby.” She smiles. “Stick it to them. It’s not like you haven’t been making money for them hand over fist for years.
They’ve approved a fifteen-percent increase on the next contract.
Though I’m pretty sure you could push it to twenty.
Just don’t forget who told you when the money starts rolling in. You know me and my weakness for bling.”
“I’m not coming back, Carrie.”
She laughs and artfully tosses her hair. I wish I was so graceful and effortlessly cool. Like someone in a shampoo commercial. Odds are if I attempted a maneuver like that, I’d just whip myself in the face. Probably take out an eye or something gruesome.
“You can’t stay here. That can’t really be your plan.
I know you…you’ll be bored out of your brain in no time.
” And for the first time, she frowns. As if maybe this situation isn’t something she can control after all.
“The haircut and debearding might work for now, but it’s not going to last. Someone will recognize you. You’re famous, baby.”
Nothing from him.
“Aaron,” she purrs. “If you need some down time, we can do that. How about Tanzania on the company’s dime? Just you and me on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I’ve got the private jet standing by.”
“Hmm. I do love beaches, but I don’t think so.”
“I could forget to pack my bikini.”
He winces like he’s in pain. “No thank you.”
“Farmer only sent me to make sure you had everything you need. Back then and now,” she says. “It was just as much a surprise to me as it was to you when we had chemistry. My boss isn’t a bad guy.”
“I really wish you hadn’t wasted your time coming out here.”
“Don’t say that. We can try again,” she says, her hand resting on his arm. “With no outside interference this time.”
“Holy shit,” I say, in a moment of sheer brilliance. “Is this Lady Caroline, who had you on a string?”
“He was mean to write that song about me.” Her gaze never shifts from Nash. I am beneath her notice, apparently. And the sudden curl of her lip could cut stone. “But you only said those things because you were hurt. Weren’t you, baby?”
“Yeah.” He cocks his head. “That and because they were true. It was kind of a mix of the two.”
Her hands fall back to her side. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do, actually.”
Carrie’s red lips form a perfect o. Then, unlike me in the bar, she actually has the acting chops to squeeze out a tear. This perfect drop of saline running down her face. It doesn’t even harm her contouring. Whatever setting spray the woman is using, I need to know the brand.
“Don’t you dare cry,” he says.
“It just makes me so sad.”
“Carrie…”
“Aaron, you have to forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. Give us another chance,” she says. “We could go skiing in Japan. You remember how much fun the private onsen was…”
He squeezes his lips together tightly, as if he’s afraid of what words might sneak out. And he shakes his head vehemently. “You should go.”
“Please?” she pleads.
He turns to me in desperation and says in an almighty rush, “June and I have decided to start a family.”
I don’t mean to snort coffee out my nose. It’s just unfortunate timing. And I wish I wasn’t wearing a white shirt. What a mess.
Grandma passes me some tissues.
“What?” snaps Carrie.
“You heard me,” he continues in a more relaxed tone. “June said no more than two, but I think three bundles of joy is a nice even number.”
Carrie looks me over with no small amount of disgust. “You can’t be serious.”
“Though when you think about it, five would make it easier to form two teams for activities on family holidays. It would just be me making up the extra most of the time, since June doesn’t sport. But someone has to sit on the sideline and cheer, right?”
My eyes are as wide as twin moons. While I am getting used to being his shield against unwanted attention, this feels like a drastic acceleration.
Carrie’s eyes harden to stone. “You can’t keep hiding here. One leak to the media would blow this bullshit sky high. I could have more cameras in this shitty town than people within the hour.”
“Goodness, that was fast,” says Grandma. “I was wondering how long you could pretend to play nice.”
“Go fuck yourself, Audrey.”
Grandma just smiles. “You know, throwing you out of the house the day he realized how conniving and backstabbing you are is one of my favorite memories.”