Missy’s eyes sparkled, and her voice filled with fervor. If Missy sold Rough Diamond like this, people would be sure to sign up. In fact, Sidney was almost disappointed she had dumped Colin. Hypothetically. He paled in comparison to Joshua.
“Wait a minute,” Sidney said when Missy paused for a breath. “Are you…” It seemed incredibly rude to ask, but she did anyway because the answer needed to be voiced. “Are you in love with Colin?”
Missy’s jaw dropped open, and her head started to swing in denial. She threw in an exaggerated laugh that echoed around the shop. “Why would you think that?”
Sidney recognized the bravado and the disbelieving cackle. As much as Missy had put her through, she deserved to be prodded for uncomfortable information.
“Love makes people act like idiots.” Sidney tossed the comment, curious to see which part Missy would latch onto.
Missy herself seemed befuddled about which bait to take. “Are you calling me an idiot?”
“Leaving dog poop on a cancer patient’s doorstep isn’t exactly the action of someone with all their mental faculties functioning.”
Missy grunted and made a face like she had gotten a whiff of the afore-mentioned deposit.
Sidney decided to press her advantage. “Do you think you’re too good for him?”
“He’s certainly too good for you.” Missy sniffed. “He deserves better than someone who would cheat on him.”
“We’ve been through that before. Joshua is a friend.” Friend sounded wrong on her tongue, but what other word could she use to describe him? “When did you and Colin meet?”
“We’d been to several business seminars together. I thought I was making progress, then I missed one, and he met you.” Her lip curled in disgust as she scratched her fingernail across a nick in the countertop.
Sidney remembered that seminar. She’d been lost. Marketing and advertising were two concepts she couldn’t wrap her head around. The seat next to Colin had been the only one left in the class, so she slipped into it as she arrived five minutes late. Colin had seemed as out of sorts as she felt, so she’d inquired about why he was taking the class during one of the breaks. Their relationship had begun its steady development from there.
In retrospect, his distraction may have been from looking for Missy. Colin never mentioned Missy being in the other classes.
“Did you ever meet outside of class?” Sidney asked.
“We’d go for coffee after class. I thought we were developing a connection.” Then she sighed. “But he fell in love with you.”
The heartache in Missy’s voice had Sidney’s mind flying to Joshua again. She shook her head. After so recently ending it with Colin, pursuing anything with anyone would be a mistake.
For Missy, this confession was the equivalent of wading into the leech-infested back waters of the lake. Showing so much vulnerability was enough for Sidney to throw her a line and drag her out of the muck.
“We broke up. On Monday.”
Missy’s eyebrows quirked in a question. “He didn’t say anything at the sales meeting yesterday.”
Sidney shrugged. “I’m canceling wedding arrangements this afternoon. It just wasn’t going to work out.” She didn’t owe Missy any more explanation.
Missy stared at her manicured fingertips pressed against the chipped countertop. Her perusal continued for a full minute, and Sidney braced herself for what she anticipated next. With Missy, it was hard to guess. Would she pitch a screaming fit, or would Sidney find the store steps littered with flaming brown bags of dog excrement? Missy’s actual reaction surprised her even more.
“I’m sorry about how awful I’ve been lately. I wish it wasn’t because I was trying to steal Colin away or at least get him to notice me, but that’s what it was.” The words came stiffly as if shields armored them.
Sidney flinched at Missy’s honesty. In their relationship, truthfulness rarely came without a poisoned barb. It left her speechless and unsettled.
She doubted they would be friends, however, life was too short to nurse childish pranks and a ridiculous rivalry. “Perhaps, we can start over,” Sidney finally said.
“I’d like that.” Missy nodded. “I’ll get out of your way.” She slipped out of the store, less like a queen and more like a woman searching for sense in the universe.
Sidney returned to the pile of tuxedos needing to be pressed, but Missy’s visit continued to bother her. Her comments about Joshua, the revelation about Colin, and her apology. Sidney was tempted to believe she’d awoken this morning in a parallel universe.
After nearly scorching the collar of a dress shirt, she extracted her wedding planner from her bag and studied the list of arrangements she needed to cancel: the hall, the florist, the DJ, her dress... She sighed. She hadn’t ordered the dress, but she should still call Marcia and tell her to dump the order. Marcia had been right. Choosing the dress was a symbol of all that was wrong between her and Colin. They had been searching for two different things. She hadn’t seen it until it slapped her in the face.
She’d sent an apology email to everyone on her mailing list and offered a significant discount on their next visit. If they still wanted to be taken off the list, she would do it, but she prayed fervently they would change their minds and forgive her. Losing their trust made her sick.
It upset her more than the loss of Colin in her life. It had only been two days, but she hadn’t missed him. However, it perfectly described the last few weeks. He hardly called and wasn’t around.
Shouldn’t breaking up with a fiancé hurt more? Shouldn’t she be close to tears? Bawling at the slightest provocation? She’d cried a little when she told her parents, and there was that whole puking thing with Joshua. He probably would never talk to her again either. She had a stellar record lately. The whole affair with Colin was business-like. Separate their stuff, cancel plans, inform friends and family, and return the ring. She winced. She should take care of that as soon as possible.
Sort out her life without him. Each step forward was a relief. One less obligation on her shoulders.
She made the calls to the hall and the florist, figuring they wouldn’t require her to bear her soul. Marcia would want to have a heart to heart. She knew it. A customer came in as she finished up with the florist.
“Yes, I realize I’ll lose my deposit, but since there isn’t going to be a wedding, I don’t need the flowers.” She hung up, writing off another two hundred dollars to trusting someone until they proved she couldn’t. Her temples ached, and she wondered if she could put off the rest of the calls until another day.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but overhear,” Penny said, hefting a plastic bag onto the counter. “Not going to be a wedding? Who are we talking about?”
Penny didn’t fish for gossip. She simply asked what she wanted to know, then made sure everyone in town had the relevant details. There wasn’t any point in trying to deflect her. If Sidney didn’t spill, Penny’s next call would be to the florist.
“Colin and I broke up on Monday. I’m just getting around to canceling things for the wedding.”
Penny swooped around the counter and enfolded Sidney in a hug before she finished speaking. “You poor thing. What happened?”
Would she accept a bland answer? Not likely. “I made a mistake trusting him.”
Penny wrinkled her face. “I always thought he was too charming for his own good, but I hoped he was sincere with you.”
“I’ve wondered, but what he did this weekend proved he didn’t think as highly of me as he professed.” Her voice shook. She took a shuddering breath, smearing the smattering of tears burning her eyes. How could she have missed the failings in his character?
“His loss,” Penny murmured when Sidney got the sniffles under control. “Are you okay?”
Sidney grabbed a handful of tissue and wiped her face. “What do you have here?” She pointed to the bag Penny had tossed on the counter. Her head had the stuffed up quality of a
massive head cold, but she hoped Penny would ignore it. There had to be some perks for calling off your wedding.
Penny unwrapped the plastic bag she’d hauled in and started pulling out wrinkled prom dresses with puffed sleeves big enough to delight Anne of Green Gables. “I found these at the thrift shop and thought maybe you could do something with them for the ice cream social. There’s an Eighties theme this year.”
Sidney wrinkled her nose. She had hoped a side pony tail with a fluorescent handkerchief would be a sufficient nod to the theme to sling banana splits. Full-on taffeta on an eighty degree day? No thank you. Maybe the chamber of commerce would be sympathetic to her plight and nix the idea.
The bright pinks and vibrant purples crinkled as Sidney picked up the first fashion disaster. She brushed out some of the wrinkles, wondering if Penny would let the broken engagement drop so quickly. Such an occurrence would be completely out of character, but she believed in miracles. She smoothed the cheap satin, examining it for tears and weak spots.
Penny untwisted the second dress and shook out the skirt. “So do you have any plans?”
“Only ones I’ve broken.” What could she have planned in three days? It took her that long to cancel the wedding plans.
“If you need some distraction, Joshua could use some help with his dad. Buck needs someone with him most of the time. You could spell him every now and then.”
Sidney’s brain had stumbled over Joshua’s name. The respite had ended. She barely registered the rest. No one knew about her breakup with Colin, and Penny was already playing matchmaker. Then she realized Penny was talking about Buck. Now she understood where Penny’s thoughts were headed. Buck must be doing much worse. She hadn’t been to visit since she’d puked all over Joshua and his truck. It’d been almost a week since she’d brought Buck any food.
“With all the planning for the social, I’ve barely been able to step away for a moment this week. I’m sure Joshua could use a break,” Penny said.
“I haven’t brought a meal over in a few days. I’ll try to get over there tomorrow.”
“That would be lovely.” Penny patted the bag, and the plastic crinkled under her hand. “I’ll see you later.”
Chapter Sixteen
“We’ll plan to have him overnight for the next treatment. Just for monitoring.” The nurse sounded too calm to be talking about a hospital stay over the phone. She’d rattled off the list of medications and when they needed to be taken and what needed to be stopped twenty-four hours before the next treatment. His head swam in a jumble of dosages and scientific names.
“Yeah, okay.” He hung up the phone as the doorbell rang. Rubbing his eyes, he headed for the door. After all the commotion of the hospital and the steady stream of visitors with green bean casseroles, he craved a night with a bag of chips and only the television to entertain him. He didn’t think he could stand anymore visitors. It crossed his mind to ignore the doorbell, but he didn’t want to upset any of his dad’s friends. When he opened the door, Sidney lifted his spirits as she stood on the welcome mat with a hot dish smelling nothing like green beans. Joshua wanted to yank her over the threshold into his arms and slam the door behind her.
What he’d do from there, he wasn’t sure, but it didn’t have anything to do with the food. He’d been trying to tread water and keep his dad’s head above surface. Sidney’s presence was a life line.
“I know you’ve only been home from the hospital for a couple of hours, but this is fresh out of the oven.” She raised the aluminum foil covered dish. “Where do you want me to put it?”
“I can take it.” Joshua reached for the potholders, being careful to avoid touching Sidney’s hands, more wary of the heat of her skin than the hot container. He wanted to ask how things went with Colin. What had she decided? Was she free? No, that wasn’t the way to describe it. Had she broken up with him? Called off the wedding? “Your dish from last week is in the kitchen. Washed and everything. I haven’t had the chance to drop it off.”
Sidney followed Joshua into the kitchen. He deposited the steaming dish on the counter and riffled through the pile of clean plastic containers that had kept him up last night, giving them a thorough scrubbing to get his mind off his dad and—if he was honest—Sidney. He shouldn’t have let the dishes pile up and get so crusty, but washing them had been a good distraction. It took a minute to find the one with Sidney’s name in permanent marker on the bottom.
“Here it is,” he said as the doorbell rang. He extracted the rectangular dish from the pile, but his exhausted hands dumped the rest of the containers on the floor. “Could you get that? I’m not up for any more visitors tonight.”
Knowing he wouldn’t have to recite the same statistics of his dad’s hospital stay to another visitor tonight lifted one of the weights off his shoulders. Maybe he’d get a chance to sort out those medications.
Sidney nodded. “Any way I can help.” She scurried down the hall to the door. The sound of her steps comforted him. It was a huge relief to have someone to share the burden in this. Even though he sought the absence of well-meaning visitors, the thought of facing an evening of monitoring his dad’s condition alone scared him. Perhaps he could convince her to hang out for the evening.
Joshua heard her begin to greet someone, but she was cut off by a male voice.
“I saw your car outside. What are you doing here?”
“It’s not any of your business,” she hissed.
Joshua leaned against the wall around the corner from the entryway. Was it considered eavesdropping if he owned the house—well, his dad owned the house? Probably, but he couldn’t convince himself to move.
Colin huffed, and Joshua imagined him jamming his hands on his hips. “And what’s this everyone’s saying about you canceling the wedding? I don’t understand, Sidney.”
“Colin, this is not the time or the place—”
Colin’s voice rose, aggravation inflecting it. “I worked hard to get the hotel to squeeze us in. Do you know how many people I had to sweet talk? They’ll never rebook us.”
“We’re not rebooking. We broke up, Colin.” Frustration and hurt filled Sidney’s tone.
Joshua felt bad about overhearing what he considered good news. However, it was tempered with wanting to fly around the corner to defend Sidney. To push Colin out the door, down the sidewalk, and stuff him into the driver’s seat of his car.
Where all this protectiveness came from, he didn’t know. Sidney, however, was the one woman he could picture himself building a home with. Indulging that dream had been okay because Sidney was off limits. He could love her from a distance and not risk losing his heart when the home they built together was destroyed.
But now… she was free, available, not off limits, not engaged to Colin.
The risk he never wanted to take became a possibility. With her available, could he stay away? Keep his fingers from entwining in her sandy hair, from brushing against her tanned skin? He scrubbed his hand across his face. Sidney being free was all kinds of temptation.
And aggravation he didn’t need right now. He should keep his nose out of anything between Sidney and Colin.
He edged to the doorway of the kitchen, but hesitated.
“We did not break up, Sidney. We had a disagreement. Couples argue all the time. You’re still wearing my ring.”
Joshua’s stomach dropped. Did the diamond still adorn her finger? He hadn’t checked. He peered around the corner to see Sidney hold up her left hand. Empty. Joshua couldn’t subdue the relief sweeping through him.
“You can have it back. It’s at my house.” Sidney sighed. “I’ve been meaning to call you.”
Colin rubbed his hand through his blond hair, disheveling the neat haircut. He grabbed Sidney’s hand. “I don’t want it back,” he pleaded. “I want the wedding plans arranged. I want you to stop all this idiocy about canceling everything.” Colin’s voice cracked.
The neighbors next door would be venturing out to see who caused the ru
ckus. If they were disturbed, Joshua’s dad certainly would be. As much as he wanted to watch Sidney give Colin his walking papers for what sounded like the second time, he couldn’t let their argument wake his dad. His rest was more important than anything involving Sidney, although Joshua’s heart wanted to place them on an even balance. He stepped forward. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Colin’s gaze shifted from Sidney and narrowed on Joshua. He jammed his hands on his hips. It should have made his shoulders appear broader. Instead he appeared like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. “Is this the guy?”
“What guy?” Sidney snapped.
“Missy said she saw you with some guy.”
Smoke almost coiled from Sidney’s ears. “Joshua filled in at the canoe race you missed. He’s been there for me.”
Joshua hoped Colin didn’t know any hexes because he would be their next target. “It’s not like that. But my dad’s sleeping. He needs his rest.” He refused to meet Sidney’s eyes. He asked her to throw him a line, while he kicked her boat into open water and cracked her paddle over his knee. If she’d already broken up with Colin once, she shouldn’t have to do it alone the second time. He wished he could be her support or her muscle if Colin needed to be literally tossed out the door.
Unfortunately, this fight couldn’t happen with his dad battling cancer in the next room. Between keeping track of medications and food and doctor appointments, Joshua couldn’t spare the energy for something he should keep his nose out of anyway.
Sidney’s face was a stiff mask, so he couldn’t read her emotions. It wouldn’t make his chances any better in the long run. Whatever he might hope those were. The indecision in his head drove him nuts, but right now, he had to look out for his dad.
“He’s right,” Sidney said, shooing Colin to the door. “Let’s go somewhere else to straighten this out.”
Colin scowled at Joshua before shuffling out the door. “You never even called me about Rough Diamond. Sheesh.”
In For a Pound Page 14
