The Best of Me: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  “All right, enough.” I lifted both my hands to cut them off. “I have an appointment for a cut and highlights in T-minus twenty minutes. I’m in a hurry and undercaffeinated, so just say what you need to say, Chris.”

  He stalled for several seconds, his gaze bouncing between Trick and me like he was waiting for him to leave. When he realized that wasn’t going to happen, he shifted sideways, effectively cutting Trick out of his eye line and putting his sole focus on me. “I came by ’cause I wanted you to know I’m gonna be a little short on the support check this month.”

  A hazy red film lowered over my vision like a curtain slowly being dropped. I still had my travel mug in my right hand, but my left balled into a fist so tight it began to shake. “Are you kidding me?” I said in a low, ominous growl.

  “Look, things are tight right now—”

  “That’s what you said last month,” I spat. “And the month before that. And the month before that.”

  His cheeks grew ruddy with anger as he lowered his voice and declared, “Things are slow right now. It’s not that easy to find work in construction.”

  “You’re unbelievable!” I yelped, throwing an arm wide. “I know for a fact that Benson McArthur’s company just started on that big new development on the north side of town, and last I heard from his receptionist when she came in to have her hair done, he was short staffed. And there’s that new big-box store goin’ up off Pinehurst. Not to mention the multitude of roofing companies in and around town who always seem to have business. Construction’s not slow, Chris, you’re just too lazy to get off your ass and go apply at any one of those places I just mentioned.”

  “It’s not lazy to wanna work for yourself, Nona. Figured you out of anyone would understand that.”

  “Yeah, I do get that,” I returned bitingly. “But I also know it takes work and dedication to pull that off. That means you can’t just sit on your ass with a goddamn beer in your hand, waiting for something to fall in your lap. What I don’t get is how you could be okay with your kids doing without because you don’t want to put in the effort to give them better. That’s what I don’t get,” I finished, moving closer and drilling my finger into his chest.

  “You’re un-fuckin’-believable,” he hissed viciously. “Saint Nona. You got no problem lookin’ down your nose at anybody, huh? Must be so easy up there on that high horse. You act like you don’t make plenty to give the kids what they need. You can afford to take care of ’em just fine.”

  If it was possible to pass out from rage, I was coming dangerously close. The edges of my vision started closing in as I pulled in a long breath that did absolutely nothing to tamp down my fury. “It’s not about the money, you jackass. It’s about taking care of your kids! It’s about wanting to give them better than that shitty apartment you live in. It’s about actually seeing your kids when it’s your weekend, not bailing on half your visits in two months. How do you think that makes them feel?”

  “I had shit goin’ on.”

  I reared back in shock. “Shit more important than your own children?”

  Crossing his arms over his chest in indignation, he seethed, “Cut me some goddamn slack. I’m doin’ my best.”

  “Well, your best isn’t good enough, Christian!” I said, informing him of something he should have already known. “You need to do better, or you’re gonna lose them.”

  “Fuck you,” he snarled, vibrating with anger.

  “You’re done,” Trick ordered before I could issue a rebuttal. “You either leave on your own, or I make you.”

  Chris gave me a scathing look and sneered, “Really, Nona? You gonna just stand there and let your boyfriend talk for you?”

  Once again, Trick got there before I could respond, and I couldn’t find it in me to care. I was done battling Chris. For all I cared, Trick could have at him. “You have one second to make your decision or I’m gonna make it for you.”

  Chris looked from me to Trick and back again before spinning on his heels, stomping back to his clunker of a truck, and peeling away from my curb with that high-pitched screech that pierced my ears like nails on a chalkboard.

  Trick and I watched as he rounded the corner and finally disappeared. Once we were alone again, I turned to apologize for the scene he just witnessed.

  “I’m so sorr—”

  “Don’t apologize for that asshole. You have nothing to be sorry for.” My skin prickled with embarrassment beneath the intensity of his stormy eyes. “Just put him outta your mind, beautiful.”

  “Easier said than done,” I muttered sadly, casting my gaze to the side. “Every time I look at one of my babies, it’s all I can think about.” I managed to fight back the wave of tears stinging my eyes, but the sorrow for my children that had been weighing on my heart for months now only grew worse.

  “Hey now.” Trick rested his fingers against my jaw and tipped my face up to his. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry he doesn’t realize everything he’s thrown away, and I’m sorry it’s hurting you, but as long as those kids have you, they’ll be okay. You’re an incredible mother, Nona. Never doubt that.”

  I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear that until he said it. He sounded so sincere, so passionate in his declaration, that some of that weight lessened and I found myself smiling up at him. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

  He returned my smile. The fingers pressing against my jaw stroked the skin before he lowered his arm and stated, “So about that dinner. Does tomorrow night work for you?”

  I tilted my head to the side, scrunching my brow in confusion. “Huh?”

  “Dinner. You mentioned cookin’ for me and my kids as a welcome to the neighborhood. The kids are with their mom tonight while I get the house set up, but I get them back tomorrow. And I gotta tell you, after months of fast food and microwave dinners, a home-cooked meal would be more than welcome.”

  “Oh, uh….” It might be a little weird having him back in my house after what went down, but the kids would be there as a buffer, and before Chris’s interruption, I’d finally started to feel like we were slowly getting back on track. Maybe a dinner would help to solidify that.

  “Unless you have other plans,” he hedged.

  “No. No, it’s fine. Tomorrow’s good. I usually get home a little after five, so let’s say dinner at six-thirty?”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  “Great. Well... I guess we’ll see you guys then.”

  Reaching up, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, the featherlight touch making me shiver. “That you will, beautiful.”

  I remained frozen in place, watching Trick’s ass in those jeans as he started back across the lane.

  It was only once he looked back over his shoulder and caught me gawking that I got with the program and scurried to my car to get on with me day, all while ignoring the furious blush scorching my cheeks.

  Chapter Five

  Nona

  Whipping the cape off my client, I placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her reflection. “All done, doll. And beautiful as always.”

  Barbara Jean, a sweet, somewhat quiet woman in her mid-forties, beamed back at me through the mirror. “You’re a miracle worker, Nona.” She stood and turned to me, fluffing her hair in the process.

  “Just workin’ with what I have, darlin’. A natural beauty.”

  Her cheeks turned pink at the compliment. “And sweet as pie. You know, if I ever get the inclination to leave Hope Valley, all I have to do is think of someone else doin’ my hair and the desire disappears.”

  It was women like Barbara Jean who made me happy I’d decided to open Pure Elegance years ago. My salon’s motto was “Taking natural beauty to the next level.” It was a motto I firmly believed. All women were beautiful. That beauty came in different shapes, sizes, and colors, and I was all about harnessing the inner confidence they might not have realized they had and bringing that to the surface.

  Opening Pure Elegance had been a dream of mine for as
long as I could remember, and when I finally set out to make that dream happen, I’d been terrified. Chris hadn’t been supportive, preferring I find a job somewhere else, complaining that there were no guarantees when it came to starting one’s own business, and even if my salon did succeed, it would be years before I managed to turn enough of a profit to help take care of our family. The day I proved him wrong I’d had a little celebration for myself. I’d popped one of those mini-bottles of champagne after I’d closed for the day and sat in the chair at my station, spinning it in lazy circles as I smiled like a loon and drank, taking an hour to bask in everything I’d managed to build for myself.

  When I finally ended our painful marriage, I’d been the breadwinner of the household, and Chris fought tooth and nail to get his hands on what I viewed as mine and mine alone.

  He’d been working in construction since before I met him, and not once did he offer to help with anything. Once I opened the doors to Pure Elegance, I’d busted my ass to make it thrive. I worked at least twelve hours a day, dragging in most evenings exhausted only to be greeted by a husband complaining that I was never home. Once the kids were born, I’d scaled my hours back, but with work, pickups and drop-offs, and after-school activities once Tris and Blythe were old enough, I was still run ragged, with absolutely no help from him.

  I’d be damned if he got a single cent of what I’d earned for me and my kids, and I was willing to fight him tooth and nail. Fortunately, he didn’t have the means to keep up that battle, and the loss only compounded his dickishness.

  I let out a small laugh and gave her arm a squeeze. “You’re good for my ego, Barbara Jean. Just head up to the front, and Sophia’ll handle checking you out and schedule you for six weeks from now.”

  She took off just as the bell above the door to my salon tinkled. I spun in that direction as Eden came breezing in with a happy smile on her face. “Hey, honey.”

  “Hey right back atcha, babe. Get that beautiful mane over here. I just need to get your color mixed, and I’ll be right back.”

  Eden floated toward my station, depositing her purse on the floor under my small table, and took a seat while I headed to the back room to get everything I needed. As I walked back out, my ears perked at the conversation Eden was having with Sadie, the client who was sitting at the station next to mine.

  “So, I hear you finally got a renter for your old place.”

  Sadie had been a client of mine for years. Lately, I’d gotten so busy that there wasn’t much room on my calendar for repeats, let alone new clients, something I did not like. Then, like a godsend, Blair had come in looking for a job. She was one of the most talented stylists I’d ever met and also had a gift hand with makeup, so I jumped at the chance to bring her on, letting her add makeovers for special events to the list of services she offered. She was so good that a few of my clients like Sadie didn’t mind switching over to her.

  Eden’s bright giggle filled the air. “Jeez, woman. He only signed the rental agreement yesterday. How do you find this stuff out so damn fast?”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Sadie shrug as Blair grinned and snipped the ends of her hair. I tried to stay focused as I covered Eden with a cape and got to work, using a rattail comb to separate her hair so I could touch up her highlights.

  Sadie was a sweet woman. A busybody, but still sweet. She was one of those women who loved to gossip but didn’t do it in a nasty, malicious way. She saved the knowledge she acquired for her visits to the salon, so when she came in, I knew it was going to be an entertaining visit. Only this time, the subject material hit a little too close for comfort.

  “Patrick Wanderly’s a hot topic lately. One of the sexiest men in Hope Valley’s on the market again after his wife shows just how stupid she is? People can’t help but be interested. Everyone’s just waitin’ to see if another woman catches his eye.”

  I kept silent as I folded a strip of Eden’s hair into a foil and started on the next, but the whole time I worked, I couldn’t stop thinking that Sadie and the other folks watching and waiting were going to be in for a sad surprise. I knew firsthand just how hung up Trick still was on his ex. Hell, I’d learned that the hard way.

  But there was no way I’d say any of that out loud. I trusted Eden with my life, but I was so humiliated by the rejection I’d suffered, that I hadn’t been able to bring myself to tell my best friend about it. However, keeping that secret was starting to eat away at me, and I had a feeling that having Trick right across the street from me for the foreseeable future was only going to make it worse.

  “Well, it’ll be good for No here to have a police officer living right across the street,” Eden said, grinning at me through the mirror.

  “Doesn’t hurt that our Nona’s a hardcore looker. Maybe it’ll be her who catches his eye.”

  I knew what that grin and the gleam in Eden’s eye meant. She was hoping that what Sadie just said was going to come to pass.

  “Haven’t been on the market for years, Sadie, and I don’t plan on putting myself back on it anytime soon,” I informed her as playfully as possible, doing my best to ignore the uncomfortable tightening in my chest. “And I doubt he’s looking either.” I know that for a fact, I left unsaid.

  I glanced Sadie’s way as her lips drooped into a teasing pout. “Such a shame. Two hot people like that, right across from each other, wasting a perfectly good opportunity.”

  Looking back to the top of Eden’s head, I kept working despite the sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. I caught my friend’s gaze in the mirror for only a second before glancing away again.

  “Hey,” she said softly, and my eyes went back to her reflection once more. She looked at me with a hint of concern and mild confusion. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” I lied. “I’m totally fine.”

  “You sure?” She studied me closely. “You’re being really quiet. It’s not like you.”

  Lying to my best friend wasn’t an option. Not only could she read me like a book, but I was really, really terrible at it.

  “I had an unfortunate visit from Chris this morning,” I said, not admitting to the complete truth behind my silence, but instead, giving a different piece that would hopefully keep her off the trail of the real secret I was keeping.

  The concern fled, replaced by a flat expression of anger on my behalf. Eden might not have known about Trick, but I’d told her all about Chris. “What’d that asshole want this time?”

  “To tell me he was gonna be short with his child support payment. Again.”

  Sadie let out a noise of displeasure. “Worthless waste of air, that man.”

  “All right,” Blair chirped loud enough to pull the attention off me. “You’re all done, Sadie.” She whipped the cape off with a flourish. “How about I ring you out myself? We’ll get your next appointment booked up too while we’re at it.”

  As they walked past, I caught the wink Blair threw my way and I could have kissed her. She’d sensed my unease with the conversation and had taken quick steps to put a stop to it without making it obvious. She was proving herself to be indispensable in more ways than one. I was going to have to seriously start thinking of giving the woman a raise.

  When I shifted back to the mirror, Eden was still watching me.

  “It’s fine, doll,” I assured her. “Really.”

  “Okay,” she replied hesitantly. “But you know I’m here if you ever need anything, right? Anything at all.”

  Resting my palm on her shoulder, I gave it a squeeze and smiled genuinely. “I know. Now enough of the heavy. Let’s concentrate on making your hair even more fabulous than it already is, shall we?”

  The mood lifted, and we chatted about nothing special as I finished her highlights. I started on my next appointment, a quick trim and style, while she sat under one of the dryers, and by the time she was back in my chair, I’d nearly forgotten all about the earlier topic of conversation.

  Until Eden dredged it back up again.

 
“So, you really aren’t interested in dating?”

  Only once since the papers were signed had I even considered putting myself back out there, and that hadn’t turned out so well. “No, not really. Maybe one day, but….”

  “Just not now,” she finished for me.

  I tapped the tip of my nose and reached for my shears. “Exactly.”

  “That’s a shame,” she mumbled as I snipped and shaped.

  “What is?”

  “Well, you and Trick. Like Sadie said, the two of you living across from each other could be something epic.”

  “Eden,” I said in warning. “Nothing’s gonna happen. We’re just friends.” And we were barely that. Only slowly finding our way back just this morning, but I had a feeling there was still a way to go.

  “You never know,” she insisted. “He’s a sweetheart, and you’re the best woman I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.” Her face took on a dreamy expression that didn’t bode well for me. “I’m willing to bet it’s only a matter of time before he realizes that what you have inside matches your beauty on the outside.”

  Honestly, Eden was the best friend a woman could ask for. I loved that she was holding out hope for some kind of fairy-tale ending for me, and I couldn’t bring myself to burst her bubble. So I didn’t. Instead, I spun the chair around and bent at the waist to smile at my friend. “You know I love you.”

  “What can I say?” She lifted her hands as if in surrender. “I’m really loveable.”

  She had that right.

  Chapter Six

  Nona

  I was a jittery mess. My nerves were shot and my hands were shaky, but I was doing my absolute best not to let any of that show as I put the finishing touches on dinner.

  “Mom, you need help with something?”

  I turned from the stove and looked over my shoulder at Blythe. “Yeah, thanks, honey pie. Would you mind setting the table? Everything’s there.” I tipped my chin toward the corner of the island.