Jilted

by Tess Thompson

“Again, not your decision,” Mrs. Coventry said.

  “Okay.” Zane dropped his forehead into his hand and let out a long breath. “You’re right. She’s a grown-up and can make her own decisions.”

  “Except to date me?” Nico asked. Why had he just said that? Way to poke the bear.

  Shaw’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Nico. “She can do way better, and you know it.”

  “Zane Shaw, your father would be ashamed,” Mrs. Coventry said.

  “He’s an outsider,” Shaw said. “Not one of us.”

  “I’ll ignore that for a moment,” Mrs. Coventry said as she turned to Nico.

  Nico’s shoulders sagged. Here it came.

  “She’s desperately in love with you,” Mrs. Coventry said. “Your rejection has cut her to the core. The only option she saw as viable was to leave town.”

  “She thinks she’s in love,” Shaw said. “But she’s too young to know.”

  Mrs. Coventry played with the hose as if contemplating dousing them again. “Honor fell in love with you when she was only nineteen. How is this different?”

  Shaw opened his mouth as if to answer. Mrs. Coventry’s hand that held the hose twitched.

  Shaw shut his big fat mouth and dipped his gaze to his shoes.

  The lines in Mrs. Coventry’s forehead grew deeper as she raised her eyebrows. “You might consider acting more like Hugh.”

  “What does that mean?” Shaw asked, a note of hurt his voice.

  “Your father was very intuitive when it came to people, as well as generous. Nico’s in love with your sister but thinks he’s all wrong for her. Yet he can’t stay away from her.”

  “I should’ve pummeled you when I had the chance,” Shaw said to Nico, as if he hadn’t heard Mrs. Coventry’s explanation.

  “When you had the chance? Good one.” Nico made a scoffing noise deep in his throat.

  “Boys. Enough.” Mrs. Coventry raised the hose. “Don’t make me do it again.”

  Nico raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay.”

  She fixed her stern eyes on Nico. “Tell Zane how you feel about his sister. Or you get the hose.”

  What did it matter if he told Shaw the truth? This was between him and Sophie, not her interfering brother. But then he remembered the sadness in Sophie’s eyes when she walked away from him yesterday. He was the cause of her pain, all because he couldn’t work through his own issues. Suddenly, it was important to him that Shaw know the purity of his feelings for Sophie. He cherished her, wanted only the best for her, and had thought with utter certainty that he wasn’t it. “This isn’t what you want to hear, but yes, I’m in love with her. I have been for months.” That wasn’t quite the truth. Really it had been since the first time she’d ever flashed that smile at him. He’d never recovered from that moment. “From the first time she smiled at me, I’ve been a goner.”

  “Then why have you pushed her away?” Shaw continued to scrutinize him as if Nico were not fit for the bottom of his shoe.

  As quickly as it had come, the bluster and anger emptied out of him, replaced by a vast sadness. He looked Shaw square in the eye, imagining the entire scenario from his point of view. Who was Nico, after all? An older guy with nothing to show for himself except a bright green thumb and some friends who always had his back. He was estranged from his family, with no home to offer Shaw’s sister or any kind of financial security. Nico couldn’t blame him. Shaw was right to worry.

  The outside lights turned on, brightening the yard. They were too vivid, too illuminating. Nico felt as vulnerable as a stage actor who had no idea of his next line. “I’ve been confused. And broken. And broke. And totally afraid.”

  Shaw brushed a few leaves from his right shoulder. His voice sounded softer when he spoke next. “What’re you afraid of?”

  “It’s pretty simple, actually,” Nico said. “You’re right. I’m not good enough for Sophie. I’ve been afraid she’ll figure that out sooner rather than later. I’ve already had my heart ripped out of my chest once, and I’m terrified it’ll happen again when she wakes up and realizes how much better she can do than me.”

  “How ridiculous.” Mrs. Coventry flung the garden hose onto the ground and stood there shaking her head.

  Shaw tilted his head, studying Nico. “Someone ripped out your heart? Who?”

  “My fiancée—Addie. She left me a few weeks before my wedding.” He paused for dramatic effect. “For her maid of honor.”

  One eyebrow shot up as Shaw jerked his head back, like a crab retreating back into his shell. “Yeah? Wow.” The lights that ran along the garden beds cast shadows on Shaw’s face, but even so Nico saw his jaw unclench. “Same thing happened to me. Only it was a guy. Damn, it hurt like hell. Made me not want to give in to my feelings for Honor. It’s hard to go there after you’ve been beat up that bad.”

  “Pretty much.” Nico glanced at Mrs. Coventry. She’d wrapped her arms around her own waist and was staring up at the sky.

  “What about all the women?” Shaw asked.

  “What women?”

  “The ones you take home from the bar. On occasion.” The last was said in a tone exactly opposite of the words.

  Nico let out a long breath. Shaw made it sound as though he was with a different woman every night, when the truth was quite different. When he’d first come to town, he’d tried to distract himself from his shock and grief with pretty tourists. “If you’d been left for a woman, you might need a little ego boost for a bit afterward.”

  “Fair enough,” Shaw said.

  “Men.” Mrs. Coventry rolled her eyes. “Such destructive ways of dealing with grief.”

  “I can’t lie,” Nico said, ignoring Mrs. Coventry’s commentary. “They’ve also been an attempt to get Sophie out of my system. It doesn’t work.”

  “No, man. Not when you love just one,” Shaw said.

  “Nope.” Nico flinched when he heard a bug hit the zapper that he’d hung near his front door. He shuddered, thinking of the fire. That thing might have to go. He’d have to find a more humane way to protect his plants from bugs.

  Shaw ran his hands through his wet hair. “Let me give you a hint about Sophie. She’s not going to change her mind about you. That’s not how she works.”

  “Old soul,” Mrs. Coventry said. “Like I said.”

  “Look, I’m not thrilled over the age difference,” Zane said. “But my wife will kill me if she thinks I’ve interfered in true love. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re not enough for the woman you love. That said, my sister’s a smart cookie. If she loves you and thinks you guys have something special, then she’s probably right. I’ve been underestimating her and treating her like a kid when she clearly isn’t. It’s just that I only just found her, and I’m scared for anything to happen to her, including getting hurt by some jerk.”

  “I’m not a jerk,” he said, even though he’d been acting like one. “But I’m afraid I’ve driven her away for good.”

  “If you love her, you’re going to have to fight for her,” Shaw said.

  “Just stop all this nonsense,” Mrs. Coventry said. “You’re making all this much harder than it has to be. When you find the right person, thank the good Lord and then cling to each other for as long as you can.”

  “You make it sound so easy.” Nico hung his head as shame and regret for how he’d made Sophie suffer enveloped him.

  To his surprise, Shaw crossed over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. “I was just like you, man. After I got jilted, I was so afraid to let Honor in, so afraid to get hurt. I acted like a complete ass, if you want to know the truth. Sophie, like my wife, is a special woman. If she loves you, she’s in for life. She’s not going to run away. Honestly, she’s solid as a rock. More solid than most.”

  “I’m sick over the whole thing,” Nico said. “I drove her away.”

  “I’m guilty, too,” Zane said.

  “Both of you need to leave her a message,” Mrs. Coventry said. “Let her know how
you feel and that you’re sorry.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Nico said.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Shaw said.

  Shaw held out his hand and Nico shook it.

  “I’m sorry for acting like a lunatic,” Shaw said.

  “You’re protective of her. I get it. I’m sorry for hurting her.”

  “Listen, Bentley, for what it’s worth, tell her your feelings. Don’t take the chance she might not come back.” Shaw brushed the rest of the murdered plants off his shirt. “I’ve got to get out of here. Honor needs me at home this morning.”

  They said their goodbyes and watched his car pull out of the driveway. Nico wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. “Was the hose really necessary?”

  “Boys who act like barbarians get the hose.”

  He turned to her. “Have I wrecked this? Is it too late? Yesterday she told me she was through with me and that she knew for the first time I was right. I wasn’t the man for her.”

  “Honey, that girl will love you until the end of time. All you have to do is tell her what’s in your heart.” She patted him on the arm. “Now go inside and take a nice, hot shower, then send her a text that you want to see her.”

  Jen barked in obvious agreement.

  “All right. I’ll do it. I just hope it’s not too late.”

  As she turned to cross the driveway, he detected a self-satisfied glint in her eyes. No ordinary man stood a chance against the wiles of Mrs. Judi Coventry.

  18

  Sophie

  * * *

  Sophie spent most of the day at the brewery training Bobby. The distraction of the work and his good humor kept her from dwelling too much on her troubles. Bobby was a quick learner. By dinnertime, she felt confident he would be fine without her.

  She stood behind the counter with Bobby. “I’ll order some dinner and hang around in case you have any questions.”

  “Good deal,” Bobby said.

  This room was usually quiet compared to the general chaos of the restaurant and brewery. A half-dozen book club members were sitting together on the couches in the lounge portion of the room. Several of the tables were occupied by couples who appeared to be on date nights. A few patrons occupied the counter, including Jamie eating dinner while reading a book. She wanted to ask Jamie about Darby the Dickens expert. She hadn’t talked with her since the night of the fire. What had transpired between them as she and Nico were jumping out the window? Hopefully superhot sex while completely oblivious to the superhot fire down the street.

  Sophie slipped onto the stool next to her. “Hey, mind if I join you?”

  Jamie’s face lit up. “I’d love it. I thought you were working tonight?”

  “No, Bobby’s fine without me.” She told her about her plans for France. “I’ll be gone for a few months.”

  “I’ll miss you,” Jamie said. “But I’m super jealous. Will it be a work trip?”

  “Partly, plus Stone and Pepper’s wedding.”

  “Hopefully by the time you get back, I’ll have an inn.”

  “I’ll cross my fingers,” Sophie said.

  She didn’t say anything further. Not coming back to Cliffside Bay seemed impossible, but she would decide later. For now, she needed to put some space between her and Nico.

  “I’m so sorry about the fire,” Jamie said. “It’s weird that I was there right before it started. I was completely oblivious about the whole thing. The next morning I woke up in Darby’s room at the lodge and went down to the lobby doing the whole walk of shame thing, totally worried I was going to run into one of my brother’s friends who would totally rat me out, only to find out that people had a much bigger thing to talk about than my one-night stand with some Dickens guru from LA.”

  Sophie laughed. “I’m glad the sounds of sirens didn’t disturb your fun.”

  Jamie drew a little closer and spoke softly. “I don’t think an earthquake would have distracted me from what that boy did to me. I’ve never in my life had sex like that.”

  She studied her friend, looking for clues. What exactly did she mean by “sex like that”? Her peers always assumed she knew what they were talking about when it came to this kind of thing, when in fact, she was clueless. “Like what? Kinky? He didn’t do something weird, did he?” She’d read about some very strange activities certain people enjoyed. Like dressing up in furry costumes, for example.

  “Oh my God, no. I mean, it was fantastic. He was just so…hot and skilled.” Jamie fanned herself. “I don’t know if it was just that we knew we’d never see each other again or if it was chemistry or his expertise, but the night was unbelievable.” She paused, taking a breath. “But enough about my sexcapades. Let’s talk about you. Is it true that Nico Bentley saved you? Were you really in the bathtub?”

  “People know about that?”

  “Girl, this is Cliffside Bay. Sophie Woods naked in the tub saved by gorgeous Nico Bentley was headline news.”

  She covered her face with her hands as heat flooded her entire body. “So embarrassing.”

  “No way. It’s totally romantic.” Jamie let out a long, dreamy sigh. “I’d love to have a man run into a house on fire to save me.”

  Sophie uncovered her face and looked at her friend. “It sounds a lot better than it really was.”

  “I’m just glad he was so brave. Trey said he didn’t even hesitate.”

  “It was reckless, but he was the only one who knew I was up there. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t be here.” Now if only he were brave when it came to his heart.

  Bobby set her burger down on the counter.

  “Bobby, did you know everyone knows about the details of my rescue?” Sophie asked.

  “The naked-in-the-bathtub thing?” Bobby asked. “Um, yeah, everyone knows about that.”

  Sophie groaned. “Can I have wine, please?”

  For a half hour, she and Jamie chatted as they ate burgers and drank wine. By the time she looked at her watch, she was surprised to see it was already after nine.

  After Bobby cleared their plates, Jamie turned to her. “What do you think about taking an Uber home and having another drink?”

  She thought about going home and possibly running into Nico. Best to stay out. “Since I’m basically unemployed, why not?” There really wasn’t any reason she couldn’t act like an irresponsible twentysomething for one night.

  Jamie looked around at the patrons of the sedate wine bar. “Let’s go out to the brewery and see if we can find some trouble.”

  Sophie signed for their check, treating Jamie to dinner. “You’re saving your pennies for your inn.”

  “Thanks, Sophie. That’s really sweet.”

  They waved at Bobby and headed out to the brewery. The bar area was busy considering it was a weeknight. Her chest tightened when she realized why. They had one fewer bar in town than last week. She wouldn’t worry about it tonight. Just have fun. Be in the moment with your friend. Do not think about Nico for at least a few hours.

  Jamie went up to the bar to order them drinks while Sophie secured a small bistro table in the far corner. From here they’d be able to people watch. There were a few locals she recognized but no one she knew well. Zane and his friends were all married with children and no longer came out much. When she’d first moved to Cliffside Bay, Kyle, Lance, and Zane used to spend a lot of nights carousing at the bar. One by one, they’d been tamed by the love of a good woman.

  Jamie arrived with their cosmos and plopped into the chair across from her. “I ran into Sara Ness at the bar and invited her to join us. Is that all right?”

  “Totally.”

  Sara showed up a few seconds later with a dirty martini in hand. Jamie stole an empty chair from another table and the three of them settled in with their drinks.

  Other than that Sara was supposedly a billionaire heiress who had moved to Cliffside Bay with her baby daughter after her husband’s death, Sophie knew little about her. She’d always seemed pleasant enough, albeit quiet and a
little intimidating because she was so well-spoken and stunning with her thick auburn hair and creamy white skin. Sophie could imagine her as a commentator on the news or a criminal defense attorney.

  “Thanks for letting me join you,” Sara said. “Autumn was supposed to meet me, but she has a cold. I’d already asked my nanny to stay late, so I decided to come out anyway. It’s been a long time since I was out or even had a drink.”

  “We’re out spontaneously,” Sophie said. “The more the merrier.”

  “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you anywhere but behind the bar at The Oar,” Sara said. “By the way, I’m so sorry about the fire.”

  Sophie mumbled a thank-you and took a sip of her drink.

  They talked for a few minutes about the fire, but Sophie steered the conversation away from the topic as soon as she could. She wanted a night where she didn’t have to think about reality.

  The cocktail was starting to give her a nice buzz by the time they’d covered the niceties. When asked, Sara said she was adjusting to small-town life just fine and yes, her full-time nanny was a godsend. The chatter moved to her experience with Wolf Enterprises, who’d built her mansion just up the road from the Mullens’ palatial estate. Sophie hadn’t been there, but Nico had told her it was first-class everything.

  “Trey had a lot of fun working on your house,” Jamie said when her brother’s name came up.

  “He’s a wonderful designer. So talented.” Sara was talking faster than her usual measured cadence. She’d downed her martini fast and had already ordered another round for all of them. “You’ll have to come out to the house sometime. He found the most exquisite pieces. The entire team was a dream. Contractors can be total nightmares, but these guys were incredible. Other than David Perry, I consider them all friends.”

  “You weren’t happy with his work?” Sophie asked.

  “His work is marvelous,” Sara said. “But I don’t care for the man himself.”

  “How come?” Jamie asked. “He’s so good-looking. I mean, not that looks are the most important thing.”

  Sara chuckled as she plopped an olive into her mouth. “He’s fine to look at, but his personality is so condescending and disapproving. Like the grumpy old man who doesn’t want children on his lawn.”