Broken Open

by Lauren Dane

  “Well, get your glamazon on because you are fierce and fabulous and absolutely gorgeous and he’s going to fall over when he catches sight of you. But let’s be honest here, he already does that. He’s gone for you.”

  “It’s mutual.” She dabbed some perfume on her pulse points and looked to Natalie, who wore a cocktail dress with a spill of pink wild roses silkscreened over it. Tuesday had flat-ironed Nat’s hair so it was in a Louise Brooks–style bob. Sleek and perfect for Natalie’s features.

  “Talk about pretty. You’re like one of those Northern European fairy-tale princesses.”

  “Let’s face it.” Natalie handed Tuesday the little bag her tube of lipstick and phone fit in. Barely. They linked arms. “We’re just awesome. Those Hurleys don’t even know what hit them when we came into their lives.”

  Tuesday laughed. “I think that might be true and I’m not entirely sure if it’s a good thing in every way.”

  “Love is good, Tuesday.”

  Yeah, but love also opened you up to the bad, as well.

  “You ready to go?” Natalie asked.

  “Yep. Ezra texted to say he and Paddy would meet us over there in about half an hour. I need to get back to check on the food. They were setting up as I left. Lara is there keeping an eye on things.” Lara was Tuesday’s part-time employee. She was smart and would keep everyone in line and on track. But nobody could be as scary as Tuesday when it came to her events so she needed to get down there.

  “You used to be an event planner. Your opening is going to be great because you planned it and you’re good at it.” Natalie faced her. “I’m so excited for you. You’re not the old Tuesday. You won’t be and that’s okay. This Tuesday is living the hell out of her life again. I’m proud of how brave and smart and talented you are.”

  “Not allowed to make me cry. My makeup is perfect. Stop it now.” She gave Nat a mock stern look and then blew her friend a kiss. “Thanks. Now let’s go open my gallery, shall we?”

  * * *

  JILL SCOTT’S “SHAME” was playing as Ezra and Paddy walked into Easton Gallery. He paused, stunned at the change in the space. He hadn’t been by in two weeks, as the harvest had sucked up most of his life and then Jeremy had come in so he’d been busy on band business, too.

  And he’d been testing himself to see how long he could stay away. Needing to know.

  And craving her even then as he took in the new cases she’d had installed for her jewelry. The fine art had been displayed a little and she’d spruced up the counter at the back where she handled the framing business.

  This was a gallery. It was classy and sexy. She didn’t fill every bit of the space with things and instead, let the space frame the pieces she did have.

  Doors weren’t open to the public yet so there weren’t too many people inside. He smiled as Jill Scott faded and was replaced by Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps.”

  And then she came around the corner and he exhaled hard and fast. Paddy whistled.

  Her attention had been on the woman walking along next to her but at Paddy’s whistle she turned their way.

  Christ, she was beautiful. Warmth and pleasure at the sight of her rushed through him and his muscles, which had felt locked for weeks, finally eased. Ten days without seeing her had made him hungry for the sight of those curls and the upward tilt of her mouth.

  Her tits. Rude or not, he couldn’t stop looking at the glory of them showcased at the front of her dress. Her very short dress exposing miles of gorgeous leg.

  Tuesday looked to Paddy. “Your adulation has been appreciated and duly noted. Your girlfriend is around the corner.”

  Paddy kissed her cheek on his way past and then she was all about Ezra.

  She looked him up and down, pleasure on her features enough to make him preen a little. He took her hand, turning it to kiss her wrist, breathing her in.

  Then he tugged and she came into his arms like he’d been thinking about her pretty much nonstop since the last time they’d been together.

  “Hi there, Ezra Hurley. You’re quite handsome this evening.” She smoothed a hand down the front of his shirt and tie.

  “Beauty, I don’t have the words to do justice to how you look. Sexy. Gorgeous. Juicy. Curvy. Strong. Smart.”

  “And that’s just the front.” She turned, exposing the line of her back before facing him again.

  All the spit in his mouth had dried up and she knew it. Joy surged through him as she smiled, clearly happy.

  “You don’t even need words with that expression.”

  “Later on, I’m going to lay back on my bed and watch you strip out of this pretty little dress. You can keep the necklace on. And the shoes.”

  “It’s been ten days since you’ve made me come. Well, in person.”

  He groaned. How could he have thought it was possible to resist this pull between them? Moving very close, he pressed his mouth to her ear. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “That I masturbated thinking of you?”

  He swallowed hard and dragged the edge of his teeth over the shell of her ear before he stood back. “I need to think about gelatin salad with raisins and carrots or I’m going to walk around with an erection and everyone will think I’m a creep.”

  “They’d all be jealous it was all mine.” She indicated the gallery. “Want a tour?”

  “Yes.”

  She’d shown him around the space and he’d got himself a plateful of appetizers when there was a commotion at the doors, which she’d locked after he and Paddy had arrived.

  Tuesday came out toward the front doors. “We’ll be opened in about—”

  Her voice cut off so abruptly he turned, alarmed.

  The people just outside continued to pound, yelling.

  “What on earth?” Natalie came out. “Oh shit. Tuesday, don’t open it.”

  Ezra had already moved to put himself between Tuesday and the front doors but those words from Natalie only underlined his resolve.

  “Who are those people? Do we need to be calling the cops? Is there someone I need to punch?”

  “It’s Eric’s parents,” she said quietly. “I can’t risk them making a scene closer to the time we open.”

  “There are ways I can make that a reality.”

  They pounded on the glass so loud he worried they’d break it. He turned quickly, very close to the glass. “Back off or I’m calling the police.” He already hated these people for upsetting her so much. He only had so much patience and it was gone.

  The man pulled his hand back as if he’d been scalded but the woman looked him straight on and pounded with her rings.

  “Let’s deal with this right now.” Paddy moved toward the doors, ready to aid Ezra in protecting Tuesday from the people out front, who obviously had anger issues.

  “I’m unlocking.”

  Natalie touched Tuesday’s arm. “Don’t let them in here. You don’t know what she’ll do.”

  “This is bound to be wrapped up in my changing my name back to Easton. I’ve had multiple incidents with them recently. No, not since I blocked her number so get that look off your face.”

  “I’ll have any look I like, Tuesday Marie Easton. I told you they were awful and poisonous. Call the cops. You don’t owe them anything.”

  Ezra had never seen Tuesday and Natalie arguing. He didn’t want them to be upset, but since he was in his head and all, he hoped they kissed and made up.

  “Open up, you whore!” Tina Heywood screamed.

  Natalie’s eyes widened and then her expression went very hard. “She did not just say that.”

  “Enough.” Tuesday stood taller. “I’ll talk to them outside. Call the cops only as a last resort.”

  Ezra put an arm around her shoulders. “Nope. We’ll talk to them outside. And if that woman calls you a whore again we’re going to have an issue, her husband and I.”

  “They lost a son.”

  Natalie reached past Tuesday and banged on the door right as the
woman had, sending Tina scrambling back. Natalie’s normally sweet voice was flinty. “You touch that glass again and I’ll punch you in the throat—you hear me, Mrs. Heywood?” She turned back to Tuesday. “You lost a husband. Tragedy doesn’t give you a blank check to be awful. You loved him more than they ever did. They don’t get to call you a whore because Eric got cancer. Fuck her. If they care so much why do they only contact you to hurt you? You don’t owe them anything. They’re nothing to do with you anymore.”

  “I don’t, no. But I loved their son and I can’t call the cops on them, not unless I have no other choice. Now let’s do this because I have a party to throw.”

  Ezra kept at her side, relieved she hadn’t tried to send him away.

  She unlocked and they started to come inside but Ezra shook his head. “Outside and any more of that type of talk from you, ma’am, and this will end.”

  “I don’t take orders.”

  Ezra curled his lip. “I don’t care what you take. I’m telling you that if you push me, I will call the police and have you escorted away. Now, state your business.”

  The woman looked to Tuesday. “You’re going to let him talk to me that way?”

  “You just screamed that I was a whore through the doors of my place of business. So I don’t think you have any room to point fingers. I already explained to you why I’m going back to Easton. You never even liked the idea of me and Eric changing our names to Eastwood to start with.”

  “Before I wasn’t sure what to think, but now I see why you’re doing this.” The man looked over to Ezra, with his lip curled.

  “You think I’m opening up an art gallery and using my maiden name because of him?” Tuesday gestured to Ezra. “And even if I was, why would you care? Five years have passed since he died. Every time you contact me it’s to be cruel. Your son called me several interesting racial epithets at Eric’s memorial. You never liked me. You barely tolerated your son while he was alive.

  “You don’t have to like me. But my days of giving you slack because you lost your child are over. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Which means you’re being crazy, violent random people on a public street. What name I use or don’t use isn’t your business.”

  “You used Eric just like you’re using him. Look at you!” The man waved a hand at her. “You should be ashamed of yourself for that outfit.”

  “Maybe I should adopt it and make it feel bad for being bronze instead of cream, like you did. How’d that work out for your nonwhite kids, Tina? How’s Sam?”

  “He never should have married you. When you got cold feet before the wedding I told him to run and run fast. That you’d be the end of him. I hate that it was true.”

  The words hit Tuesday like a slap and she flinched. Ezra shifted to stand between them. Ezra addressed the husband because clearly the wife was beyond reason. “Take your wife and leave. We’re done here. You’ve come all the way down here to ruin her evening. Well done. I’m sure your son would have been proud. I, on, the other hand, don’t have any feelings for you at all other than loathing and a barely leashed urge to punch you in the face and throw your wife in the car and send you both crawling away.”

  While Ezra had been waiting for the wife to lose her shit, it was the man who actually leaped at Tuesday.

  Ezra didn’t want to fistfight in the middle of the sidewalk outside Tuesday’s place of business, but he had absolutely no plans to let any more harm come to Tuesday at the hands, or mouths, of these people.

  He caught the man by the shoulders and shoved him back hard enough that he connected with the car at his back.

  Ezra wanted to hurt this man so much his hands shook. The hinted pleasure at the bloodlust he could indulge by bloodying the guy’s nose pooled at the base of his brain. Urging.

  Through clenched teeth Ezra snarled. “I said no.”

  Behind him, he knew she was upset. The waves of her emotion beat at him. He needed to protect her. Now that the man had actually tried to touch her, things were different.

  He fisted and unfisted his hands.

  “Just go!” Tuesday urged from behind Ezra. “Can’t you see this is about to turn violent? You said what you wanted to say. Get the hell away from here now.”

  “Charlie Heywood, you back away from my baby right now or you and I are going to have a problem.”

  Greg and Diana Easton came hurrying over.

  “They were just leaving,” Ezra told Greg.

  Up until that moment, Ezra had figured it would be Di who’d jump out there with threats of violence, but it was Greg who continued to speak. “They best. Because I have wanted to slap Tina Heywood’s face for years now and I have an excuse. Her husband is a fool, but she’s a nasty harridan. I will slap a woman who is trying to harm my child. Believe it, Charlie. And then I will slap you into next week.”

  Ezra didn’t turn around. She’d seen and heard enough and he wanted her away from the Heywoods immediately.

  “Beauty, why don’t you go inside with your mom? I know Natalie was asking about her just a few minutes ago and if I’m right, Paddy is having to hold her back to keep her from coming out here to throw down to protect her best friend. Your father and I have this handled.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. I need something to eat. We drove straight here and I’m starving,” Ezra heard Di say as she opened the door at their back. He heard Paddy speaking soothingly to Natalie and it made Ezra smile knowing her friend was in there having to be held back.

  “Hey now, there a problem here?” Sharon and Michael Hurley came down the sidewalk toward them.

  “These people were just leaving,” Greg answered.

  “She’s shaming my son’s memory and for what?” Tina gestured at Ezra. “For that?”

  “It’s not your business. You’re not part of her life anymore. It’s for the best because you spent a decade making her miserable as she tried to make you like her. We’re all done with you. You’ve made my daughter upset for the last time.”

  Greg then got right in the man’s face. “You hear me? I have had enough of you people. Haunting her like vultures. You got your punches in. No wonder that boy wanted the hell away from you. The both of you are horrible people.”

  The woman flinched, but Greg wasn’t done and he wasn’t letting up. He straightened, pulling his dignity back around him as he spoke to people it was clear he despised. “I wish to God you were flinching because you realize you drove your son away and you’ve tortured my daughter, whose only crime was to love him with all her heart. But you’re a self-centered bitch who’d rather tear apart my Tuesday because you were an utter failure at parenting. I’ve held my tongue for years. Dealing with your pretentious bullshit at the holidays because my child begged us to look past your personalities. I loved your son. He was a decent boy with a good heart. But you had no part in that. I will do more than shove you, Charlie. Go ahead, because I can already taste how good it’s going to feel when I break your nose. I’ve dreamed of it.”

  “I see you around her or this gallery again I’ll call the cops,” Ezra said, meaning every word. “You had your sick fun. That’s over now. You need to find a new target. You understand me?”

  Michael came to stand at Greg’s other side and the Heywoods finally took the hint, hurrying away and getting into a car half a block up the street, tearing away from the curb.

  “So, Dad, this is Greg Easton, Tuesday’s father. Mr. Easton, this is my father, Michael Hurley.”

  They shook hands.

  “Can I do anything to help?” his father asked them both.

  “The Heywoods are her former in-laws. Their son was a good kid. We liked him. But they’re horrible people. Pretentious. Unbearable in social situations. The mother would spend an entire holiday picking and pecking and tearing at her children and husband. We’d do our best to talk around it, but one Thanksgiving Di threw a drink in Tina’s face. She’d said something to Tuesday, Di won’t say what and neither will Tuesday so it’s bad enoug
h they’re not telling me to keep me out of jail, if you know what I mean. Then Di punched her square in the nose and pulled her hair off.”

  Horrified, all three men were silent a moment and then all started to laugh.

  Ezra cleared his throat. “I would give money to have seen that.”

  “Not only was it the best Thanksgiving I’ve had my entire life, it also was a way to never have to spend a holiday with them again. When Eric got sick and we had to be around them more, Di just looked right through Tina. Like she didn’t exist. They hated that she and Eric made up their own name. They hated Tuesday from the start. Hell, they didn’t even particularly like Eric. Those crocodile tears they just shed for a boy who shared my table more than theirs for a decade are bullshit. They’re the slap to his memory. They don’t care about him. Or his memory. It’s just a way to get worked up and take it out on my child and that will not happen. Thank you, Ezra, for protecting her.”

  Ezra nodded. “Yes, sir. Of course. Let’s go in. They’re gone and she’s going to be upset. If we can calm her some before the official opening, that’d be good.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  HER MOTHER HUSTLED her into the back and Natalie joined them. Diana stood in front of Tuesday to get her attention. “You will not let them steal this night from you. Do you hear me, Tuesday? The Heywoods are awful people. They were before you came along and they are now. You have a wonderful night all planned out to celebrate this wonderful new stage in your life. And, darling, you look so amazing you can’t possibly waste it. This is one of those top-ten outfits over your lifetime sort of situations.”

  “Totally,” Natalie agreed. “To all that. Boo to Tina. I’m just over here imagining what it must have looked like when you punched her and then yanked her hair.”

  Leave it to Di and Nat to make her feel better even at a time like that. Tuesday hugged her mother. “Thanks, Mom.” She mouthed love you to Nat, who blew her a kiss.

  “I didn’t know her ponytail was fake. I just wanted to pull her hair and make her hurt. They dragged me out before I could do any real harm.”