by Meghyn King
“Momma, I don’t need to stay here.”
“You do need to, and you will. No arguments.”
“Momma, no. I’m not a child anymore.” Scarlett returned her mother’s glare. “I’m not staying here, and that’s the end of the argument.”
“Do you want to break your momma’s heart, Scar?” Mara gazed at her sadly from below lowered eyelashes. “Because you’re breaking my heart right now.”
A pang hit Scarlett square in the chest, but her resolve didn’t slip. She’d lived with her mom all her life, so she knew how she tried to get her own way. “I’m staying at the Ritz. Momma, please don’t argue with me. I’m too tired for this.”
William rested a hand on Mara’s shoulder and squeezed. “That’s enough, Mara. Don’t push Scarlett away again.”
Mara laid a hand over her mouth. “I would never.”
Scarlett sighed. She didn’t leave because of her parents. She loved them, and nothing would change that. “No, you would never, Momma, but I need you to listen this time. I can’t stay here.”
She gazed in the direction of the stairs, which would lead to her childhood bedroom. Her mother was the kind of person who hated change, so she already imagined it looked exactly how she’d left it when she was eighteen. She couldn’t bear the thought of being back in there, in a room that imprisoned her emotional pain. Too many memories lived in that one single room.
“Okay, darling.” Mara cupped Scarlett’s face and kissed her forehead. “I won’t force you.” Her mom paused, then glanced toward the kitchen. “I made corn casserole. Would you like some?”
Yes. Scarlett’s stomach answered for her, gurgling loudly enough to be heard. Her mom laughed and the three of them headed toward the kitchen.
Scarlett devoured the casserole, and by the time she was done, satisfaction blanketed her. It’d been so long since she’d had her mom’s casserole and it was as delicious as she remembered.
“How’s New York?” her dad asked. His voice was gruff, tight, but he always sounded like that. She had missed his voice.
“It’s fine. I got a promotion at work a couple of months back.”
Her mom’s lips parted. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t important.”
“Wasn’t important?” Mara glanced at her husband, sadness etched into that gaze Scarlett knew so well.
“Momma, don’t.”
“How is that not important?” Her mom shook her head, the hurt deep in her soft voice. “You don’t talk to us anymore, Scarlett. It’s bad enough that you don’t come home, but you barely call us either.”
“That’s not true. I’ve just been busy over the last few months.”
“Few months? Try nearly a year.”
“We talked at Christmas.”
“Barely.” Her mom’s pained voice hurt Scarlett’s heart. She’d never meant to hurt her parents.
“I’m sorry, Momma. I swear, when I go home, I’ll call more often.” She linked her fingers in her mom’s and squeezed.
Her mom seemed satisfied with that. She smiled and reached out to cup Scarlett’s cheek, patting it. “Good. We miss you, sweetpea.”
“I miss you too.”
Now that her mom was satisfied, she grabbed the plates and took them to the sink. Scarlett rose and helped her mom in cleaning up, and it was only when she glanced around that she noticed her dad had disappeared, leaving them alone.
Her mom peered at her, smiling. “Tell me, Scarlett Rose, are there any male admirers in New York?”
Scarlett groaned. “Momma.”
“Entertain your mother.” Mara threw the drying cloth over her shoulder and crossed her arms. “The last I heard from you, you went on a date with that insurance broker. Chad?”
“Chance.” Scarlett groaned. Ugh. Chance. She didn’t need a reminder of him. He’d been so bad in bed that she’d left, feeling unfulfilled and sorry for herself. He was selfish, a typical man in Scarlett’s opinion, who took but never gave. The words that delivered the deathblow to their relationship were something along the lines of, “No, I don’t go down on women. I prefer to receive a blowjob instead.”
“Well?”
“By date, you mean he took me to McDonald’s.”
Her mom’s eyes widened. “He didn’t.”
“Oh, he did.” But Scarlett being Scarlett, she gave him a second chance to prove himself. She should have just left after the date. Anyone who took a woman to McDonald’s for a date didn’t deserve another chance. Maybe there was a reason his name was Chance.
“How disappointing.” Her mother shook her head. “Whatever happened to romance?”
“It died.”
“If you dated a good Southern boy, he’d romance you no doubt.”
Scarlett groaned. “Momma, not this again.”
“All I’m saying is that Lois Harper’s boy is a nice young man. He’s a couple of years younger than you, but he’s very romantic.” Her mother smiled at her.
“Then why don’t you go on a date with him?”
“If only I was younger and single, Scarlett, otherwise I would.” Her mom patted her on the cheek.
Scarlett laughed. “Momma, I’m not interested in men at the moment.”
Her mom cocked her head. “Are you a lesbian, Scarlett?” She said it so simply, so politely. And Scarlett knew that even if she was, her mom would have been supportive of her, because that’s the kind of family Scarlett came from.
“Momma!” She shook her head. “I meant that I want to focus on my career.”
“You’re not getting any younger, darling.”
“Exactly, which is why I need to focus on my life. I wasn’t put on this earth to please others, especially not men.” She opened the cookie jar sitting on the bench and grabbed a choc-chip one, shoving it into her mouth. Yum.
Her mom laughed. “No, no you weren’t.”
Scarlett winked, her mouth still full of cookie.
“Shiloh told me you were pulled over by Ethan Antonelli.”
She choked on the cookie she was eating, and her mom had to slap her on the back before her airway was clear enough she could breathe. She was going to kill Shiloh. She’d forgotten how quickly news spread, especially between family members. She’d been away from her family for so long that she’d let her defenses down.
“Are you okay, Scarlett?”
Her throat felt raw, scratched up, but she was healthy enough to glare at her mom. “How long did it take her to call you?”
Her mother laughed. “She called as soon as you left.”
“And you had enough time to talk about Ethan?” She glared at the pieces of cookie in her hand and threw them in the trash. Ugh, what a waste.
“She was curious because Ethan has never not given a ticket to someone for breaking the law.” Her mom grinned at her. It was highly suspicious, and she knew her well enough to know she was planning something. It wasn’t hard to guess what.
“No, Momma.”
“No, what?” Her mom sucked at pulling the innocent act.
“There’s nothing there. Ethan was probably having a good day.”
“Ethan always has good days, darling, but that doesn’t stop him from giving someone a ticket.”
“It’s not like that.” Her protests felt weak to her own ears. Nope. She couldn’t go there. Ethan Antonelli was one of the many reasons she’d left Ponchatoula in the first place.
“Isn’t it? His last girlfriend was from out of town. Nice girl, until she cheated on him.” She shook her head, snorting. “She showed her true colors, then. Ethan’s family drove her out of town.”
Scarlett sliced her hand through the air. “It doesn’t matter what you tell me, it won’t change anything. I’m not interested in Ethan Antonelli.”
“He’s very good-looking,” her mom continued, as though she hadn’t heard a word Scarlett said. “And he was raised right.”
“If he was raised right, he wouldn’t have tormented me,” Scarlett
muttered under her breath.
“What’s that, sweetpea?”
“Nothing.”
Mara didn’t know about Ethan’s involvement in Scarlett’s bullying, and Scarlett didn’t want her to know. The day she found out Scarlett was being bullied, her mother had stormed to the school and demanded retribution. The school principal wasn’t stupid enough to deny her that, but if anything, it only made things worse for Scarlett. Luckily it’d been near the end of senior year and Scarlett could up and leave a few months later.
But if she found out about Ethan… well, Scarlett couldn’t imagine what her mother would do, even now.
“I’m not interested, Momma.”
Her mom sighed and waved a hand. “Fine. I know a losing battle when I see one.”
Scarlett wrapped her arms around her mom, dragging her into a hug. “I love you, Momma.”
“I love you too, Scarlett.”
The Coffee Corner was packed, but Scarlett managed to steal a booth after a couple vacated it. Shiloh still wasn’t there yet, but she was always late, unlike Scarlett who preferred to be early. Even though they were twins, they were different in so many ways. They had more differences than they had similarities.
A young girl came over for their order and Scarlett ordered Shiloh a coffee, hoping that she still liked her usual. By the time the coffees were headed toward her, Shiloh had just walked in the door and sat down.
“You’re late,” Scarlett chided.
Shiloh rolled her eyes. “You were early.”
“You’re still half an hour late.” Scarlett took a sip of her coffee and nearly moaned in delight. If anything, the Coffee Corner’s quality had risen. The coffee was to die for. Amber used to make the most delicious bakery goods, but the coffee had always been slightly bland. Not this one, though.
Shiloh grinned smugly at her. “You like it?”
Scarlett’s only response was to roll her eyes, because she was already taking another sip of it.
“How was Momma?”
She resisted the urge to groan. “The same. She wanted me to stay there. I had to fight to leave for the Ritz.”
“She cares, Scar.”
“I know that, I just can’t stand to sleep in that room.”
Shiloh smirked. “And I’m sure you want privacy.”
Scarlett glared, and leaned closer to whisper, “What did you tell Mom about Ethan?”
Her sister chuckled. “Did she bring that up?”
“I mean it, Shiloh. Now Mom has got it in her head that she should be a matchmaker. You know how she gets.”
Shiloh shrugged. “You’d be a cute couple.”
Scarlett’s jaw dropped. “Do you hear yourself?” she whispered furiously. “This man bullied me.”
“He didn’t bully you, Scarlett. He never said a word to you.” Shiloh grimaced. “I know he laughed, but he was a kid, Scar.”
“That’s not an excuse.” She threw herself back in her chair and crossed her arms. “There is never an excuse for bullying.”
“You’re right. There isn’t. And I’m sure if you talk to Ethan, he’ll agree.” She took a small sip of her coffee. “He’s a good man. He does a lot for this community. You should give him a chance.”
Scarlett held out her hands, palms facing up, confused. “How did it get to this? He pulled me over and didn’t give me a ticket. He didn’t ask me out for a coffee like you, yet Mom is acting like he did.”
As though he heard her words, the door chimed as it swung open and revealed Ethan, dressed in his work uniform. He stepped into the coffeeshop, his mere presence earning immediate respect from the customers, if their reactions were anything to go by. She noticed several smiles, a few chin lifts from the men, and even familiar waves from some locals Scarlett recognized. Then one not-so-familiar woman started weaving her way over to him like a snake in the grass.
Scarlett watched the woman lay a hand on his arm. She couldn’t see her face but imagined from her body language that there was some sort of flirting going on. Either way, Ethan looked uncomfortable. He smiled at the woman, but it seemed strained, and he glanced around the shop as if looking for an escape. When his shifting gaze landed on Scarlett, his face transformed. That strained smile softened, along with every other muscle in his face. He said something to the woman and shook off her arm, before stepping around her and heading toward Scarlett and Shiloh.
Shiloh didn’t notice him until he stood beside them.
“Good morning, ladies.”
Scarlett smiled, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. No. She didn’t do butterflies, especially not for a handsome, dangerous man like Ethan. “Officer.”
Shiloh’s brows rose but she sent Ethan a smile. “Good morning, Ethan.”
From behind his back, Scarlett noticed the woman who’d been flirting with him glare at her. Scarlett wiggled her fingers in a wave, and the woman huffed and spun on her heel, storming out of the coffeeshop with her takeaway mug.
Ethan threw a look over his shoulder, watching her leave. “Do you know Miriam?” he asked.
Scarlett laughed. “No, but she seems nice.”
Ethan snorted. “Nice is one way of putting it.” He pointed at the spare seat beside Scarlett in the booth. “May I sit with you?”
She toyed with the idea of saying no but pushed the idea away. “Of course, Officer.”
He fell into the booth. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that.”
“Why? You are an officer of the law, aren’t you?” She grinned at him.
“Yeah, but I’d prefer it if you call me by my name.”
One small glance at Shiloh had Scarlett glaring. Her sister looked far too pleased, and was clearly up to mischief if her smug grin was anything to go by.
“I prefer Officer. It has a nice ring to it.” Scarlett cocked her head and reached over him to grab the sugar. “Excuse me, Officer.”
It truly was an accident when her breasts bumped him in the chest, but she did notice his sharp intake of air when they made contact.
“Oh dear,” Shiloh said suddenly, laying a hand over her mouth. “I forgot about an errand I have to run.”
Scarlett shot her a look of disbelief. Really? Shiloh was actually going to use that lame old excuse?
“I should leave.” She slipped out of the booth and smiled at them. “Ethan, it was good to see you. Scarlett, call me so we can arrange some things for the wedding.” She leaned over the table halfway, turning her cheek toward Scarlett. To kiss her on the cheek like Shiloh wanted, Scarlett would have to lean over Ethan again.
She didn’t hesitate and stood as best she could between the edge of the table and the seat and kissed her sister’s cheek. “We’ll talk this afternoon, after you run your errand.”
Shiloh fluttered her hand. “No rush. Bye.” She waved at them as she left, leaving her half-finished coffee behind.
If Ethan thought that was weird, he didn’t say anything. He smiled at Scarlett. “Are you the maid of honor?”
“I am,” Scarlett replied. She added two teaspoons of sugar to her coffee. It was delicious as it was, but it needed a little more sweetness. It also distracted her from looking at the rugged, handsome man beside her. She could smell him—a rich, deep musk that made her toes curl and fingers itch.
Her imagination was already playing games, thoughts of her sitting astride his lap, his hard cock pressed tightly against her as she ground herself into him, not caring who saw, fleeting through her already addled mind. It was incorrigible, and it made her cheeks flush with heat. She wasn’t one to get shy about anything sexual, but Ethan was different. He’d always been different.
“I’m one of the groomsmen.”
His words made her pause and she shot him a surprised glance. “What?”
“You didn’t know?” Ethan cocked his head, eyeing the spoonful of sugar hovering above her coffee. He pointed at it. “Isn’t that too much sugar?”
Scarlett dropped the spoon back into the bowl and pushed it away. “You’r
e one of Rob’s groomsmen?”
Ethan nodded and tapped quietly on the table. “Rob and I met when he first moved here. I pulled him over for speeding.” His lips quirked. “He said he was new in town and didn’t know anyone. I offered to take him to a bar to meet some of the guys I knew.”
“And you let him off the hook from the speeding ticket?”
He laughed. “No. It still cost him a couple hundred.”
She snorted. “And he still went out with you to meet some guys?”
“He’s not the kind of man to hold a grudge.” Ethan shrugged. “I’m just doing my job.”
“You didn’t fine me,” she said. She didn’t know where it came from and almost regretted it. But now a part of her wanted to know why he hadn’t given her a ticket.
Ethan hesitated, his fingers pausing in their tapping. It was strange to see that kind of hesitation in him. Ethan was known for his quick thinking, for never skipping a beat. He was the town’s hero on the football field because he took opportunities others didn’t have time to see. Hesitation wasn’t one of his traits but here he was, doing exactly that.
Scarlett felt bad for him, so she waved her hand. “It’s okay, Officer, I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Ethan opened his mouth but was interrupted by hurried steps and a shadow looming over them.
Scarlett glanced up and any words she might have spoken to the new arrival escaped her. Logically, she knew she would be around town somewhere. It was only a matter of time before she saw her, but now that she was face-to face-with Sofia, Scarlett’s confidence vanished, leaving her speechless. It was too soon for her to see Ethan’s sister.
“Scarlett? Hi.”
Sofia looked different, a lot more different than Scarlett could have ever imagined her to. She bore marks Scarlett never expected—like the scar that ran along her gently sloping jawline. She was still beautiful, though, with soft features and stunning dark eyes. She had the same straight nose as Ethan, and her hair was just as dark—if not darker than her older brother’s—but longer, pooling around her shoulders in shining waves. It wasn’t just one scar that marred her face, though, but small cicatrices blemished other parts, spanning from beside her right eye, to a slightly bigger one to the left side of her nose. It was strange to see, and Scarlett had to make herself look away.
