A Not-So-Perfect Past

by Beth Andrews

  “It sure did. You were great.” She hugged Emma and set her down.

  Nina’s jaw dropped. They’d set Dillon up. Not only that, but they’d just admitted it. In front of him. Her stomach cramped as she waited for the explosion of temper. When a man had been so neatly played, so easily boxed into a corner, he was going to lash out.

  Except nothing happened. Dillon didn’t curse or threaten or call his sister names. Didn’t pick up the nearest object and throw it at the wall. He just shook his head in disgust.

  He must not be as angry as she thought. Or else he had a better hold on his control than she’d realized. Which was good, seeing as how he probably wasn’t going to be too happy with her once she told him her news.

  Kelsey stuffed Emma into her coat, tugged a hat over the little girl’s head and grabbed the box of cake samples for Jack. “The wedding’s at two,” she told Dillon. “Reception’s at the ski resort.”

  “I got an invitation.”

  She winked at him. “So you did. See you there. Thanks for these,” she said to Nina. “I’ll let you know in the morning which one we choose.”

  Hand in hand, she and Emma walked out the back door. It took a full minute, staring at the closed door, for Nina to realize she was alone.

  With Dillon Ward.

  She had to talk to him about her decision regarding the apartment. But for the love of all that was sweet and holy, she just wasn’t certain she could deal with his potentially violent reaction to what she had to say. No matter how surprisingly calm he’d been so far.

  As usual, his expression gave none of his thoughts away. She licked her lips, and didn’t miss the way his gaze dropped to her mouth. The way his jaw tightened.

  Her heart fluttered and she placed her hand on her chest. She hoped she wasn’t having a heart attack or something. Wouldn’t that be perfectly embarrassing? She could see the headlines of the Serenity Springs Gazette now: Local Business Owner Scared of Her Own Shadow. Has Heart Attack Because She Was Alone With A Sexy Man. Complete story on page 12.

  “Aren’t you mad?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

  “About what?”

  She picked up a dish towel and carefully folded it. “Kelsey,” she said, unable to look at him. “The way she tricked you into going to her wedding.”

  “She’s sneaky. You have to watch out for her.”

  Nina raised her head but she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Uh, well, it’s not like you have to go…”

  The look in his eyes seared her. “I promised.”

  “I know, but she did trick you—”

  “I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.”

  She swallowed but her throat remained dry. The way he said it made her believe him.

  Someone like Dillon Ward couldn’t be trusted. She knew that. And if she didn’t, her family warning her—repeatedly—how dangerous and unpredictable he was should be enough to convince her.

  Except, every once and a while, she had her doubts. But then she’d remember how Trey always said her naivety would be her downfall.

  Dillon stepped toward her and she couldn’t stop herself from backing up. He motioned to the towel twisted tightly in her hands. “That do something to you?”

  Warmth climbed up her neck into her cheeks. She tossed the towel on the counter. “No. It’s just been a long day.”

  He nodded as if that explanation was good enough reason for her to be acting like a complete moron. But at least he wasn’t looking at her like most people did—with pity.

  “I’m sure you’re in a hurry to close up and get home, then,” he said.

  “Not particularly. I mean, I can’t go home. Trey, my ex, is dropping our kids—”

  “Still, I’m sure you have things to do. I know I do,” he said pointedly. “So why don’t you tell me what it is you wanted to tell me and I’ll get out of your way.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you from anything. I just wanted…that is…things have changed. In regards to your apartment. Since buying the bakery, I’ve had some time to think about what’s best for my business and with costs rising the way they are—”

  “So you do want to raise the rent.”

  “No, that’s not it. It’s not just about the money. Not really. I mean, it’s partly the money, but more than that, what I need—”

  “Would you just spit it out?” he snapped.

  “I need you to move out.”

  DILLON SHOOK his head. “What?”

  She stepped back, her eyes darting around the empty room. He shoved his hands into his front pockets to keep from fisting them. Yeah, he towered over her and he’d just snapped at her, but he was really getting tired of everyone in town treating him like the spawn of Satan.

  “I need you to move out,” she squeaked, “by the end of the month.”

  “Let me get this straight.” For some reason, he simply could not wrap his mind around the fact that this pretty little piece of fluff was giving him the boot. “You’re evicting me?”

  She swallowed and nodded. “It’s just that if I want to increase my business—which I do—I have to think about expansion.”

  “You’re going to expand the bakery into my apartment?”

  She blushed deeper and dropped her gaze and just like that, he knew whatever she was about to tell him was a pile of crap.

  Figures. You couldn’t even trust someone as sweet as a cupcake to tell you the truth.

  “I want to convert the apartment into a tea room. A place I can rent out for parties or book clubs—”

  “Serenity Springs has a book club?”

  She frowned. “Local clubs could have meetings up there or I could serve special lunches and have tea tastings. It’ll be nice…”

  Sure. For her. And everyone else in town who wanted him gone since the Serenity Springs Gazette ran that article about his five years in a maximum security prison.

  But for him? Not so freaking nice.

  “My lease says you have to give me thirty days and written notice.”

  Nina rubbed her thumb across the base of her left ring finger. “I’m giving you thirty days. And this—” she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded-up envelope “—is the notice.”

  He took the envelope from her. Noticed the unsteadiness of her hand. Great. He’d obviously scared her. He wanted to tell her to develop a backbone so the world didn’t eat her alive. But then he supposed he should stop scowling at her and giving her a hard time. Try to put her at ease, like a nice guy would.

  Then again, he’d stopped being a nice guy a long time ago.

  He ripped open the envelope and quickly skimmed the paper while his mind turned with questions. If she was kicking him out because of his past, did he have legal recourse? Could he prove it? And the big question: where could he go?

  He doubted anyone else would rent to him. After the police had suspected him of killing a woman a few months ago and that damn article ran in the paper, he’d lost two jobs he’d hoped would pull him through the winter. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing.

  He scratched his cheek. Wait a minute. What was he getting angry about? He’d be done at The Summit, a local bar he was renovating, any day now. He could blow this town. Truth be told, he should’ve been done two weeks ago but Allie Martin, the bar owner, kept giving him small jobs to do. More than likely because she knew he didn’t have any other work.

  Not that he liked charity, but he did like working for Allie. It was hard not to. She was smart, funny and gorgeous. Almost too bad they were better suited as friends than lovers.

  And he hadn’t had any real friends since before he’d been sent away. He didn’t want to do anything to ruin his friendship with Allie.

  He wasn’t really surprised Nina was kicking him out. Ever since she’d bought the bakery from her grandparents, he’d known this day was coming. He supposed after having it not come for so many months, he’d grown complacent. Too comfortable. Too secur
e.

  No, this wasn’t something to get angry about or fight over. This was an opportunity. Or fate’s way of telling him to get his ass in gear and get out of Serenity Springs.

  He placed the eviction notice in the envelope and tucked it in his back pocket. “I’ll be out after Kelsey’s wedding,” he promised before pushing open the kitchen door.

  “You don’t have to move out so soon,” Nina said, following him into the dining room. “You can stay the full thirty—”

  “No need.” He grabbed his coat off the back of the chair and put it on. “Besides, I’m sure you want to get started on that tea room as soon as possible.”

  “Of course I do,” she said unconvincingly. “It’s just I don’t want to rush you. It might be difficult to find another place in two weeks—”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He pulled his hat on. “I’m not going to.”

  He reached for the door when it swung open. Nina’s kids, Hayley and Marcus, came barreling inside. The little girl spotted Dillon immediately and skidded to a stop. Unfortunately, Marcus kept going, plowing into his sister and knocking her down.

  Sitting on the floor, Hayley’s lower lip quivered and her eyes welled with tears, but she didn’t make a sound.

  “Honey, are you okay?” Nina asked, bending to pick up her daughter. Dillon couldn’t help but notice her shapely backside.

  “Everything all right in here, Nina?”

  Trey Carlson, Nina’s pretty-boy ex-husband, stood in the open doorway. And from the expression on the guy’s face, he’d noticed Dillon checking out his ex-wife.

  Great.

  Before Nina could answer, Dillon zipped up his coat and said, “If that’s all you wanted, I’m heading out.”

  “Oh. Yes, that’s all.” She looked like she wanted to say something else but didn’t. Her daughter had her face buried in Nina’s neck. Her son had taken off his hat and his pale blond hair stuck up all around his head. The boy’s eyes were huge in his round face as he sidled next to his mother and put his arm around her leg.

  “Thanks for lunch.” A stupid thing to say considering she’d only fed him so he’d stick around long enough to be evicted.

  At the door, Carlson blocked his way. Perfect. Just what he needed. A pissing contest with the town’s self-important, arrogant psychologist.

  Dillon didn’t move. And he sure wasn’t going to say “excuse me” or anything civil to this guy. Carlson had made his displeasure about Dillon living above the bakery known to anyone and everyone who would listen. He’d even written an article for the Gazette about the psychology of a killer.

  It hadn’t taken much to deduce which particular killer he was referring to.

  After a long, silent stare-down, Carlson stepped aside.

  Dillon smirked. Yeah. That’s what he thought. All flash. No substance.

  He lowered his head against the driving snow and walked around the building to the entrance to his apartment.

  He couldn’t wait to get as far from Serenity Springs as possible.

  CHAPTER TWO

  THE MUSIC SWITCHED to Bing Crosby crooning “White Christmas.” The sentimentality of it would’ve fit Nina’s current circumstances perfectly—snow was falling, Christmas was approaching and she was with her kids. Except she was also with Trey. The man she once thought she’d be spending the rest of her life with. The man she had once been afraid she’d never escape.

  Trey took his time closing the door and brushing the snow off his shoulders. Closing in on forty, he could pass for ten years younger. Nina wondered if his patients knew their psychologist was afraid of growing older—or at least, looking older—so much that he had his tawny hair professionally highlighted once a month.

  Or that he went to a salon two towns away to keep them from finding out.

  But not even a bit of gray or the few lines bracketing Trey’s blue eyes could detract from his movie-star looks with his conservative haircut, perfect tan, suede jacket and dark designer jeans. And he still had the sense of privilege and entitlement he’d had when they’d first met ten years ago.

  At nineteen she’d been way too young. Too young, naive and, if she was honest with herself, stupid to ever get involved with Serenity Springs’ supposed golden boy.

  Live and learn.

  “Nina, put her down,” Trey said in what she thought of as his professional voice—soft and carefully modulated. “You know tears are a self-indulgent luxury. Coddling only encourages her self-indulgence.”

  Nina smoothed a hand over Hayley’s back. Her daughter still clung to her but at least she’d stopped crying. “I’m comforting her—not coddling. She’s hurt.”

  “She hurt her pride more than her backside.” He reached for Hayley. Short of using her daughter in a game of tug-of-war, Nina had no choice but to let her go. Trey set her on the floor and laid a hand on her head. “You’re fine, aren’t you, princess?”

  Hayley sniffed. “Yes, Daddy.”

  Trey winked at her. “That’s my girl. Now, go into the kitchen with your brother. I need to speak to your mom. Alone.”

  Nina forced a smile. “If you wash your hands, you may each have one cookie. One. Understand?” They nodded. “Good. Now say goodbye to your father.”

  Hayley threw her arms around Trey’s legs and tipped her head back, her lips puckered. “Bye, Daddy.”

  “Bye, princess.” Trey kissed her and patted her back before disentangling himself from her hold to accept Marcus’s quick, one-armed hug. “Goodbye, son. Next weekend remember to bring your math book.”

  “Okay,” Marcus mumbled. “See ya.”

  “Nina,” Trey said when the kitchen door swung shut behind Marcus, “cookies so close to dinner time?”

  Her back to him, she rolled her eyes. “One cookie isn’t going to spoil their appetites. Besides, we’re eating at my parents’ so dinner will be a little later.”

  He sighed, his you’re-such-a-trial-to-me sigh. “I don’t like them out late on school nights. You know that.”

  Yeah. She knew. She knew how he felt about all of her transgressions, each one of her faults and her many failings.

  Trey was nothing if not vocal in his opinions.

  She began to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear but stopped at Trey’s disdainful expression. During their marriage, she’d straightened her hair and pulled it back into a low ponytail because that’s how he’d liked it. But their marriage ended long ago and she’d be damned if she’d give him any more control over her life.

  She twisted the loose strands around her finger. “They need to see their grandparents and aunts and uncles. And this is the only night that works for everyone. They’ll be home and in bed at their regular bedtimes.”

  “I hope so. I wasn’t happy with Marcus’s last report card. A boy that bright getting a B in math….”

  “I don’t think it’ll hurt his chances of getting into a good college. Besides, he’s doing his best—”

  “No, he isn’t. Clearly. He can do much better.”

  And didn’t that sum up every problem she and Trey had had during their marriage? She’d done her best to please him, to make him happy. And it had never been good enough. He’d found her lacking. Her looks. Her intelligence. Her mothering skills. Even her skills in the bedroom.

  “We met with his teacher, she said Marcus is doing fine—”

  “She’s enabling him to slide by. Let’s have him switched to a different classroom.”

  He stepped toward her and she grabbed the serving tray off the table and crossed the room. “I have a lot to do before I can close up. Did you want something else?” she asked as she cleared the dishes from Dillon’s table.

  She didn’t want to argue with him. She’d done enough of that during her marriage. Besides, she’d learned long ago that standing up to Trey was a waste of time and effort. She couldn’t win.

  But she could divert and evade—the only tactic that had ever worked for her.

  Trey’s mouth thinned. Either he was angr
y she had the nerve to try to change the subject or he blamed her for getting sidetracked from his original goal.

  “What was going on with you and Dillon Ward?” he asked, his hands on his narrow hips. “What if someone walked by and saw you two in here, alone, after closing? Do you realize how that looked? What people would say?”

  At the next table she loaded dirty coffee cups onto her tray. “It’s snowing like crazy. I doubt anyone in town is out walking or peeking into storefront windows.”

  “That’s not the point,” Trey said stiffly.

  “We were just talking—”

  “Men like Dillon Ward don’t just talk to women. More than likely, he sees you as an easy mark. You’re single, own your own business and are ripe pickings for someone like him.”

  She tossed dirty silverware onto her tray with a loud clang. “Ripe pickings? What am I, a piece of fruit?”

  “You’re being overly sensitive. All I’m saying is that you can’t let your guard down around someone like him. You’re an attractive woman.” His gaze skimmed over her. “Even with those few extra pounds.”

  She spun on her heel and walked back behind the counter, her stomach churning, her face heated. She shouldn’t let his words affect her. But God, she hated how looking into his eyes made the memories rush to the surface. Made her feel like less than nothing.

  She shut off the industrial coffeepots as if they demanded her full attention. Every self-help book she’d read during the past two years said the only way someone could hurt you is if you gave them power over you. She gripped the counter, the hard edge digging into her palm. But she didn’t give Trey power. He took it. And she ended up feeling worthless, fat and inadequate.

  Just like he always told her she was.

  “Dillon isn’t interested in me,” she said, brushing past Trey. She placed a chair upside down on the table. Someone like Dillon wouldn’t look twice at her. She was too vanilla—plain, boring and unnoticeable. “We were discussing his eviction.”

  Trey grinned, the same grin that had wrapped her around his finger all those years ago. She still remembered how her stomach had fluttered the first time he’d smiled at her like that. How shocked she’d been that he’d noticed her. How flattered.