The Best of Me: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  They were a bunch of women teetering on forty who acted like high school kids. I could say with 100 percent honesty that I didn’t like a single one of Emma’s friends, and when she was around them, my sweet wife disappeared, turning into someone just as nasty and vile as the rest of them. I’d tried to talk to her about the change in her behavior a few times. Hannah had reached the age where she was looking to her mother on most things, from fashion to how to behave, and I worried about the kind of example Emma was setting. But she wouldn’t hear any of it, and I was beginning to see now that I’d made a huge fucking mistake in letting that shit slide, because I had a feeling what I’d found out during dinner at Nona’s the other night was just the tip of the iceberg.

  “Trick! Oh my god, look!” Nona was suddenly at my side, grabbing hold of my bicep and giving it a shake as she pointed toward the field. Ripping my eyes off my ex, I followed where she was pointing just in time to see another teammate pass the ball to Shawn. My boy lined it up, took his shot, and sent the ball sailing over the goalie’s head.

  “Yes! That’s my boy!” I shouted just at Nona yelled, “Way to go, Shawn! You boys rock!”

  Shawn chanced a quick peek our way, casting a shy, red-cheeked smile at Nona. My boy was my boy, and even at twelve he appreciated a pretty girl, and Nona was most definitely that, so I knew he was currently on cloud nine at having received her praise.

  I’d been hoping her excitement would lead to another embrace, but after that first, she wasn’t letting her guard down. Instead she lifted her hand for me to high-five.

  It would have to be enough for now, but eventually I was determined to have more. So much more. She just didn’t know it yet.

  Blythe eventually sauntered over at halftime. Nona greeted her with a big hug and an affectionate “Hey, honey pie.”

  “Hey, Mom. Those your cupcake trays over by the team’s bench?”

  “Yeah, sweetie. But don’t worry. There’s plenty left over at home when you get back from your dad’s tomorrow.”

  Blythe gave her mom a funny look I couldn’t quite read before asking, “You stress baked again?”

  Nona’s eyes went wide as she stumbled over her words. “I—no. I wasn’t…. You know, I really wish you and your brother would stop saying that,” she ended on a bland mumble.

  Blythe got the same fiercely determined look on her face that I’d seen on Nona’s several times, and I couldn’t help but think, Like mother, like daughter. “Well, if you’d talk about what’s bugging you instead of bottling it all up, we would.”

  My stomach twisted and my skin began to itch as Nona insisted, “There’s nothing bugging me.” But I caught the small tremor in her voice and the way her eyes cut to the side—my side—before she looked back to her daughter. Guilt and regret clawed at my insides like poisonous talons, and I fucking hated myself for hurting her. “Weren’t you hanging with Hannah? Why don’t you go back to doing that instead of being a pain in my butt?”

  Blythe suddenly let out a high-pitched squeak and leaned into Nona, whispering like the two were in on a secret. “I can’t. Heath showed, so we’re giving them a moment. His little brother plays on another team, and he spotted her like the minute his mom parked and came rushing over.”

  My head jerked toward the refreshment stand, where my baby girl was currently standing with some punk-ass kid who was about a foot too close for my liking.

  “Oh wow. He is cute. Go Hannah,” I heard Nona gush quietly past the rushing of blood in my ears.

  An uncontrollable growl rattled through my chest as that little shit reached out and caressed my Hannah’s arm. I hadn’t realized I was on the move until I heard Nona’s panicked whisper of “Wait!” and felt her fingers wrap around mine in order to pull me to a stop. “You cannot go over there right now, Trick.”

  I looked from her back to my girl as Heath took a step closer. “Like hell I can’t.” I started to move again, but she yanked even harder, now holding my hand in both of hers.

  “Trick, please. Just listen to me.” When I stopped resisting, she loosened her grip, but didn’t let go. “Look at her, honey,” she said softly, her eyes gentle with understanding of my dilemma. “She’s on cloud nine right now.”

  Her delicate fingers wrapped around mine and that soft-spoken honey worked wonders in calming the fire raging inside of me. I hesitated a few beats before turning my head to look back at Hannah.

  Sure enough, Nona was right. Her cheeks had a pink blush to them that I could see all the way from here. Her head was lowered, looking up at the kid through her lashes as he talked. Speaking as a male, when a girl as beautiful as my Hannah went all bashful, it made a guy’s protective instincts come out. That look screamed that the beauty on the surface was only half as amazing as what lay inside, that what was at the center was so sweet you’d get a toothache that was well worth the pain.

  A man who was any man at all took one glance at that look and needed to hold onto the girl giving it to him so he could keep her safe. And from the expression on that Heath kid’s face, that was exactly what he was wanting to do as he looked at my baby.

  I was going to be sick.

  “I know she’s your little girl,” Nona continued, “but as hard as it is, our babies are growing up and we have to let them.”

  “Or I could just lock her in her bedroom, cuff her to her bed, and nail the windows shut.”

  She chuckled under her breath and shook her head as her hand gripped mine tighter. Those walls she’d had up for almost two months now had slipped, and I was getting the Nona I had before I fucked everything up. Christ, I’d missed that. “Afraid that’s not gonna work, handsome.”

  Closing my eyes, I pulled in a deep, agonizing breath before looking back into Nona’s warm gaze. “Fuckin’ hate this,” I mumbled under my breath.

  Her expression morphed into one of sympathy, and her fingers squeezed mine. “I know it sucks, but it’s not like she’s sneaking off to talk to him. They’re right there, out in the open where you and everyone can see. And look at his face, Trick.”

  I didn’t want to. Fuck, I didn’t want to, but when I looked at the kid, my gut began to settle.

  “He’s totally into her,” Nona said, solidifying what I already knew from watching him with my daughter. It wasn’t about thinking she was hot or wanting to get in her pants. He was into her.

  “And he’s digging her sweet brand of shy really hard,” she continued, again saying something I already knew.

  “It’s true, Mr. Wanderly,” Blythe chimed in. “Heath’s popular, but he’s a super-nice guy. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  She was wrong about that. I was a father. I’d worry about my kids until my last breath, but Nona had a point. I didn’t have to let go, but I needed to step back. As much as I hated it, my baby girl was growing up.

  The whistle blew, announcing the start of the second half, and Hannah said something that made the boy throw his head back in laughter. At the sight of it, that light in her face went from a soft glow to near blinding as she smiled up at him, and a little bit of me died inside.

  “Let’s watch the game,” Nona whispered, shaking my hand to get my attention as she stepped closer to my side. “It’ll be okay. Just concentrate on your boy.”

  I knew it was stepping over the line, but I needed the calm she was giving me too badly to give a damn. Releasing her hand, I looped my arm over her shoulders, pulling her flush against my side as I turned back to the game. As if sensing I needed her just like that, she didn’t object. The stiffness melted away and her body went pliant. She fit against me like she was made to be right there, always. But as was her style, Nona got into it as the game progressed, moving and cheering loudly, so I had to eventually let her go, no matter how badly I wanted to keep her in my arms.

  The game was back in full swing when movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. I lifted my arm just in time for Hannah to tuck into me and squeeze my middle.

  “Hi, Daddy,�
�� she murmured, burrowing into my side.

  “Hey, baby. You good?”

  She looked up at me with a dreamy smile on her face. “Yeah.” Pulling from my hold, she skipped over to Nona with wide, excited eyes and whispered, “Ms. Nona, did you see that?”

  “I did! He’s really cute,” she returned with just as much enthusiasm.

  At Nona’s reaction, Hannah went positively giddy. Had it not been for the laws of gravity, she most likely would have floated away. “He came up to me all on his own. I didn’t even see him! And he was so nice. He told me I looked really pretty today,” she finished on a whisper.

  Nona reached up and tucked a lock of Hannah’s hair behind her ear. “I’m happy for you, sweet girl. And you do look pretty. I’m glad he noticed.”

  I watched on as Hannah blossomed under Nona’s attention, and the vise that had been squeezing my chest for the past several minutes began to loosen.

  Until she spoke again.

  “I think he might ask me out on a date!”

  “You know the rules, Banana,” I said in a low voice. “No dating ’til you’re sixteen.”

  My daughter’s face fell like she’d just found out Christmas would be canceled for good. “But, Dad—”

  “Those are the rules,” I stated strongly.

  “Hey, that’s okay, sweetie,” Nona said, pulling my daughter’s focus back to her. “It’s not the end of the world, and you’ll be sixteen soon enough. If he’s as nice as you say, he knows you’re worth the wait.”

  “Yeah,” Hannah replied with about a quarter of the enthusiasm she’d had moments ago. “Maybe.”

  Nona grabbed her hands and declared, “He will, trust me. You’re worth waiting for.”

  Just when I thought Nona couldn’t possibly get any more amazing, she went and did something to prove me wrong. That seemed to work like a charm, and although Hannah wasn’t quite as excited as she had initially been, the frown was gone from her face as she tucked herself back under my arm and watched the rest of the game snuggled into my side.

  * * *

  Nona

  The game ended, and reality came crashing back down on me like an anvil. Seeing Trick so messed up over his daughter growing into a young woman had tugged at my heartstrings. I’d dropped my guard and let myself get sucked in by all that was Trick, and there was a lot to him.

  I needed to get out of there before I allowed what was happening to go any further than it already had. There was no way in hell I could handle another blow. With a heavy heart, I gave my kiddos hugs and kisses before sending them back off to their dad, who’d spent the entire game either pacing while on his cell phone or staring lasers at me. It was only one more day, but I hated them being away from me and was counting the hours until they came back.

  “Great game, Shawn,” I said, bumping his fist like I’d seen Trick do when he held it out to me.

  “Thanks, Ms. Nona. And thanks for the cupcakes. They were killer!”

  “Welcome, honey.” Then I turned my attention to Hannah. “Remember what I said, sweet girl.”

  She nodded and smiled shyly. “I’m worth waiting for.”

  “You absolutely are.”

  Trick placed a kiss on his daughter’s head and gave his son’s hair a ruffle as I hooked my purse over my shoulder and folded up my chair.

  “Bye, Ms. Nona! See you next week,” Hannah called, walking backward and waving as she started across the field.

  I returned her wave. “Bye honey. See you then.”

  She spun around and jogged away as I grinned after her.

  “Here, let me get that,” Trick said, grabbing my chair before I could pick it up.

  “You don’t have to,” I started, needing to get away from him, not prolong my time in his presence. The longer I was around him, the harder it was for me to keep my heart in check.

  “It’s no problem. Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” With that, he left me no choice but to follow when he grabbed my hand and started leading me toward the parking lot.

  We’d only moved a couple feet when a feminine voice called out from behind us, “Patrick.”

  Trick pulled us to a stop and turned just as his ex-wife came waltzing up, dressed in her standard athleisure wear. Today’s yoga pants and matching zip-up jacket were in a bright royal blue with pink piping. She had on a full face of makeup that, while applied correctly, was too thick, and was sporting a slicked-back ponytail with one of those thin elastic headbands. It was a style all the other Stylish Soccer Moms wore, but it didn’t work very well for Emma Wanderly’s features. She needed something much softer, like a messy bun with loose tendrils to balance her sharp cheekbones.

  She’d been coming into my salon for years, always seeing one of my other stylists, and for years I’d been dying to get my hands on her hair. It was a lovely pale blonde that would have looked amazing with some layers to add shape and volume instead of the blunt, straight cut she preferred, but she’d never struck me as the type of woman open to suggestions, so I’d kept my mouth shut.

  She came to a stop a few feet away, casting a glance down to our clasped hands before looking back up at Trick with wide doe eyes. “Can I have a moment?” Her gaze bounced between Trick and me as she finished in a soft whisper, “Privately?”

  Trick hesitated for a beat before shifting his attention to me. “Gimme a second, darlin’. If you’ll wait, I—”

  My heart plummeted to my stomach. As irrational as it was, I fought back the burn of tears building behind my eyes. After our night together, I knew Trick was still hung up on his ex, and this was just another glaring reminder that, in his eyes, I’d never compare.

  One wide-eyed look and softly spoken sentence. That was all it took.

  Pulling my hand from his, I reached over to grab the strap of my chair he had slung over his shoulder and transferred it to mine. “You know what? It’s cool. I have some stuff I need to take care of, so I should really be going.”

  He hesitated for a few beats. “You sure?”

  “Yeah.” That one word came out as a croak, so I pinned a fake smile to my face, hoping to hide the crack in my voice. “Totally. I’ll see you around, okay? You guys enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

  And with that, I turned and headed to the parking lot, successfully fighting the urge to break into a run.

  I needed to get home as soon as possible. The only way to combat the ache I was feeling in my chest was with copious amounts of sugar. Lucky for me, I still had eighteen cupcakes at home.

  Hopefully that would be enough.

  Chapter Eleven

  Trick

  The last thing I wanted was to let Nona go so she could walk away from me, a-fucking-gain, but I knew I’d pushed as far as I should for today. Any more and I worried I’d spook her back into avoiding me again. And I couldn’t stand the thought of that.

  So I let go of the woman I wanted and watched as she disappeared into the sea of cars in the parking lot before turning back to face the one I didn’t, silently berating myself for being such a goddamn idiot. If I’d gotten my head out of my ass sooner, I could have had all that was Nona long before now. But I’d been so hung up on the past, idealizing it, that I hadn’t seen what was standing right in front of me.

  Looking at Emma now, the rose-colored glasses were long gone, and I’d finally come to realize that she wasn’t nearly as perfect as I’d built her up to be when we ended.

  “What’s up, Em?” I looked across the field to where Shawn and Hannah were standing by Emma’s car. “Something up with the kids?”

  “Oh, uh… no. The kids are fine, as you probably already know.”

  My stomach began to churn, and I felt my brows pull into a distinct V. “Then there’s nothin’ for us to talk about,” I replied flatly. “And for future reference, Emma, unless it has to do with our kids, there’s never a reason for us to speak privately.”

  “It’s just… I… well, the tub in the kids’ bathroom isn’t draining properly,” she fina
lly blurted.

  I clenched teeth and worked to calm my breathing. “Okay. And that has to do with me because?”

  “I tried some of that drain cleaner stuff, but it didn’t work,” she continued in a fast clip, and I grew more and pissed with every word. “I was wondering, well, you were always so good at that kind of stuff, and I don’t have any clue what I’m doing—”

  “Then call a plumber, Emma,” I replied in a flat tone. My patience was wearing thin when she first stopped me, but now that I knew exactly what kind of game she was playing, it was completely gone.

  “I just thought—”

  “That you could play me.”

  “What?” She bugged her eyes in a show of surprise. “No, that’s not what I was trying to do, Patrick.”

  Hearing my name on her lips was like nails on a chalkboard. I’d gone by Trick almost my entire life. Everyone from my parents to my teachers to my friends called me by my nickname. Everyone but Emma. I hadn’t understood why until she threw it in my face when she ended us, and the reasons she had for refusing to use that name were just as fucked up and twisted as her reasons for ending our marriage.

  “You let everyone call you by that stupid nickname and I just don’t get it! Patrick is such a strong, sophisticated name. When you let them call you Trick, it makes you sound like a country bumpkin.”

  “You were,” I declared. “When we signed those papers, you made it clear the only communication we needed to have was in regard to the kids. Since then, you’ve instigated two conversations, and both times it was so you could make some fucked-up play.”

  “That’s not true,” she whispered.

  “It is. Your attempt to make me jealous by telling me you had a date was annoying, but this right here just pisses me off. You wanted this to be over, Emma. You ended a good marriage because you thought you deserved more than the life I was busting my ass to give you. That means, you got a clogged drain, you call a plumber. Your roof’s leakin’, they have guys for that. I know you can afford it, ’cause you got a rich mommy and daddy who’re payin’ your way so you don’t have to do the respectable thing and earn a living on your own. What you don’t do is attempt to play me to get what you want. I let you get away with that shit for too long, stringin’ me along. But that’s done now.”