He took the box from her. “What’s going on?” Jeff said as they walked to the SUV together.
Alicia rubbed her arms against the cold air. “I don’t know, but I’m so glad your mom came over. I can’t believe my mom wants to give this stuff away. It’s a miracle.”
Jeff set the box in the back seat, then turned and pulled her into his arms.
She came willingly, but whispered, “What’s happening between us, Jeff?”
He drew away to look at her. “I was hoping I could take you out on a date. You know, be more than friends.”
Alicia smiled, but there were a lot of questions behind that smile. “I’ll have to check my schedule.”
“Do that, then let me know.” He pressed a light kiss on her mouth, wanting to convince her that this was the beginning of something real. He was no longer the same man he’d been. “The sooner the better, except right now I’ve got to meet a client at a house.”
“Go,” Alicia said, playfully pushing him away. “You’ve achieved your hero quota for the day.”
Jeff laughed and climbed into the SUV. He’d have just enough time to drop off the boxes at the assisted living center. Yet, all he wanted to do was go back into that house and keep hanging out with Alicia. He wanted to find a way to gain her full trust, because he planned on their relationship only growing stronger.
He’s too good to be true, Alicia thought as she watched Jeff’s SUV pull away until it turned the corner. Yes, they were friends now. She’d completely forgiven him. But she wasn’t sure she was entirely convinced of his commitment to her.
He’d just broken up with a gorgeous woman and was likely on the rebound. Besides, what about all his pictures on social media? It was obvious he enjoyed the fast-paced lifestyle. And everything between them was shiny and new . . . like a honeymoon period. They’d just renewed their friendship, and with so many memories between them, they couldn’t help but still be bonded.
Yet, Alicia stayed in the driveway, lost in her own thoughts as she remembered the way he’d kissed her . . . after she’d practically demanded that he do so. Okay, so she had a moment of weakness, well, a lot of moments. When it came to Jeff, she supposed that she’d always loved him. As a friend, of course. She knew she was in real danger of falling in love with him. But could she ever truly trust him? Was she about to be another woman he had a relationship with, then move on, leaving her broken hearted?
Perhaps he’d taken this apology thing too far, and he’d mixed up having a crush on her with feeling relieved that he’d been able to make good on his promise to make up his past mistakes.
Alicia turned toward the house and walked to the porch. The cold air was good for her—it kept her mind more clear and senses alert. With a sinking feeling, she knew she should probably turn Jeff down for a date. He was on the rebound. Their worlds were miles apart. Despite how helpful he’d been, he couldn’t possibly want to deal with her mess of a life on a daily basis.
When she entered the house, a new determination about her, she was pleased to see that her mom and Jeff’s mom, Beth, were sitting at the table and chatting while they pieced together earrings.
“That took a while,” her mom said when Alicia came in. “Beth says that we should go out to eat for dinner at your restaurant tonight.”
Alicia swallowed. She was stunned and wasn’t sure what to say. “I—I could call to see if I can get you a table.” She wasn’t quite envisioning her mom going out to dinner at such a fancy place.
“That would be wonderful,” Beth said in a bright voice. “Jeff said you got him a table the other night.”
Alicia gave a weak smile, then moved past them. “I’ll call work and let you know.” She went into her bedroom and shut the door, exhaling. Her mind was spinning, her heart thumping, and she was trying to comprehend all these sudden changes in her life. She knew one thing, and that was that Beth was good for her mom. Alicia called the restaurant and was able to get a table for two. That accomplished, she got ready for work.
When she came out of her room wearing one of her hostess dresses, she asked her mom, “Do you have a way to get to the restaurant?”
“My husband will pick us up; then we’ll get my car,” Beth said. “It’s ready at the shop.”
Alicia hesitated, glancing at her mom, wondering if all of this was truly going to work out.
“Go on,” her mom said, perfectly conciliatory. “You don’t want to be late.”
Alicia smiled, though she still felt unsure. What if her mom had an anxiety attack? How would Beth deal with it?
“We’ll see you in a couple of hours,” Beth said with a nod. “I’m looking forward to testing out the place. I haven’t been there since the new owner took over.”
When Alicia left the house, her mom was describing some of the leftovers Alicia had brought home. She climbed in her car and drove to the restaurant, hoping her mom’s friendship with Beth would be a good thing and that the court date would cement into her mom’s mind that she couldn’t get into the neighbor’s trash anymore.
Once at work, Alicia greeted Gwen, who seemed extra cheerful.
“You’ve got a permanent grin on your face,” Alicia said as they straightened chairs about the restaurant.
Gwen shrugged, but kept smiling.
“What’s going on?” Alicia said, putting her hands on her hips. “Does it have something to do with Seth?”
Gwen eyes widened. Then she looked over her shoulder. When she looked at Alicia again, she said, “If you say anything to anyone else, I’ll kill you.”
Alicia laughed. “All right, you have my word.”
“We went out to lunch today,” Gwen said, her blush softening to a pink.
“And?”
“And . . . it was nice. He’s not what I expected.” Gwen moved past Alicia and straightened a set of salt and pepper shakers on the next table over. “I don’t want to say too much—or you know, karma.”
Alicia raised her brows, unsure of exactly what Gwen meant. But the front door had opened. It was only 5:30, but some people came early for their reservation. “You secret is safe,” Alicia said, then headed to the hostess stand. She almost tripped when she saw the woman waiting there—Paige. Alicia didn’t know her last name, but by the harsh look on the woman’s face, Alicia guessed she hadn’t come to eat in the restaurant.
The woman was wearing a fitted white sheath dress, and her bare arms were draped in gold bracelets. Her stilettos were a nude color, which only made her legs look like a Victoria Secret supermodel. Who dressed like that when there was snow on the ground?
“Can I help you?” Alicia asked. Maybe the woman had forgotten something last week when she’d come with Jeff? A purse? A jacket?
“It is you,” Paige said in a low voice as if she didn’t want to be overheard by the waiters in the open restaurant area.
Alicia lifted her chin. “Do I know you?” She was playing dumb, but she didn’t know how else to handle the sudden appearance of Jeff’s ex-girlfriend.
“You know perfectly well who I am,” Paige continued. “Jeff couldn’t keep his eyes off you, and when I realized that your name was ‘Alicia,’ I eventually put two and two together.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Alicia said, resting her hands on the hostess stand and gripping the edges.
Paige scoffed. She placed her own hands on the other side of the hostess stand and leaned forward. “The first night I met him, we both got pretty wasted. He told me all about his best friend in high school, how you had a crush on him, and how he ditched you at Prom. He laughed, but I could tell that he was still beating himself up over it. So I took pity on him.”
“I don’t really want to know—”
But the woman kept talking, her eyes bulging as she stared down Alicia. “We went back to my place, and we’ve been dating ever since. For three months. Until last week when we ran into you, here, of all places. Next thing I know, he’s trying to break up with me.”
Alicia
held up her hand. “I didn’t break you guys up. Until you came into the restaurant, I hadn’t seen Jeff in ten years.”
“Ah-ha,” Paige said, pointing a blood-red nail at Alicia. “So you admit it.”
“I’m not admitting anything,” Alicia said. “I don’t know why you’re here, but maybe you should take all of this crazy talk to Jeff.”
“Crazy? Me?” Paige’s voice was no longer low and controlled.
Alicia was glad there were no actual customers in the restaurant.
“You’re an evil woman, Alicia whatever-your-name-is,” Paige spat out. “But you’ve made a big mistake messing with me. Did you know we were together only two nights ago? He couldn’t keep his hands off me.”
Alicia’s stomach turned over.
A movement to Alicia’s right caught her eye. Gwen had arrived.
“I think you’d better leave, ma’am,” Gwen said, folding her arms. Even though she was shorter than Paige, Gwen had a fierce expression on her face.
“Oh, you bet I’m leaving,” Paige said. “I just wanted proof, and I got it.” She held up her cell phone and snapped a picture of Alicia. Then she turned and walked out of the restaurant before Alicia or Gwen could react.
When the door swung shut behind Paige, Alicia exhaled. “Well.”
“Is that all you can say?” Gwen asked, grasping Alicia’s shoulders and turning her to face her. “Are you all right? That woman had crazy eyes. Who was she?”
“Jeff’s ex-girlfriend,” Alicia said. But if they’d been together only a couple of nights ago, maybe she wasn’t an ex.
“Ohhh . . .” Gwen raised her brows.
“I think she is a little crazy,” Alicia said. And I’m going a little crazy thinking of the two of them together. “She’s blaming me for their breakup.”
“Well, what do you think?” Gwen said. “I mean, it is quite a coincidence.”
“No,” Alicia said, feeling her face flush. “At least, I don’t think so.”
“Something happened between the two of you, didn’t it?” Gwen said, holding her gaze. “Did you kiss him?”
Alicia stepped back and raised her hands to her cheeks. “Is it that obvious?”
Gwen smirked. “Only to me because I’m your friend. I can’t believe it! I need details.”
“Um, no. It was a mistake.” Alicia nodded toward the door. “Paige made it clear that things aren’t over between them.”
Gwen put her hands on her hips. “You’re totally avoiding my question.”
Alicia gave Gwen a small smile. “There’s a lot of history between Jeff and me, that’s all. And I’m not really interested in a fling.”
The door opened, effectively cutting off their conversation. A couple walked in, early for their reservation. Alicia welcomed them, her mind still going over what Paige had said to her. It seemed that even though Jeff had said they were broken up, he was still seeing her. Alicia was so confused. If what Paige said was true, then Jeff was the worst kind of player. And what was Paige going to use the picture for? She should let Jeff know, but Alicia already felt like she’d brought enough drama and problems to Jeff’s life. Besides, she didn’t want anything to do with him if he was on the rebound. Clearly, he couldn’t stay away from Paige.
Alicia tried to forget about Paige, and Jeff too, as she went through the motions of her job. The only bright spot was when her mom and Lila showed up for their dinner reservation. Her mom had pulled her hair back into a twist, secured with a hairclip, and she wore a dress that Alicia hadn’t seen in years. The navy floral dress was boxy on her mom’s thin frame, but Alicia thought she still looked amazing.
The two women sat at table four, and that gave Alicia a view of them while they ate. She felt like crying every time she got a glimpse of them talking, laughing, and having a good time. No matter what happened between her and Jeff, Alicia owed him her deepest gratitude.
A couple of texts came through from Jeff during her shift, but she ignored them both.
She needed some time to think through her feelings. If only they hadn’t kissed, this would all be easier. She wouldn’t have the memory of kissing him, and how her every nerve had been aware of him while she was in his arms.
But by the time she drove home, she hadn’t arrived at any brilliant answers. She only knew that she had to turn off whatever feelings she had for Jeff Finch.
Jeff stared at the image of Alicia on his phone, the image Paige had texted over that night. Your old girlfriend admitted to cheating with you, Paige had texted.
Jeff knew instantly Paige had been lying, but what was true was that Paige somehow snapped this picture of Alicia. And by the background and what Alicia was wearing, it was obviously at the restaurant.
Abandoning the sandwich he’d bought at a drive-through on the way home from work, he walked to the back of his house where the sliding glass doors opened up to a large deck, and beyond that a view of the ski resort. He stared into the darkness, wondering how he’d gotten himself into this situation. Before calling Paige to confront her, he called Dawson.
When Dawson answered the phone, he said, “Who’s in jail now?”
“No one that I know,” Jeff said. “But I wouldn’t mind getting a restraining order on my ex-girlfriend.”
“Paige?” Dawson asked. “Are you serious?”
“Mostly serious,” Jeff said. “She’s harassing Alicia and who knows what else. I thought I’d call Paige and give her some legal mumbo jumbo that would be intimidating enough for her to chill.”
Dawson scoffed. “A scorned woman is a dangerous woman.”
Jeff’s heart thumped. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that a restraining order might not be such a bad idea.”
Jeff exhaled. “I don’t really want it to go that far.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Dawson said. “Hopefully just bringing it up will have a strong enough effect.”
“I hope so too,” Jeff said. When he hung up with Dawson a few minutes later, Jeff scrolled through his texts. Alicia hadn’t replied to his earlier messages, and now with the picture sent from Paige, he understood why.
With a groan, he pulled up his contacts and called Paige. She answered on the first ring.
“Hi, baby,” she said.
Anger shot through him, not only at the sickly sweet tone of her voice, but at the endearment she chose to call him. “When did you talk to Alicia?” he asked, although he could guess.
“Oooh, someone’s grumpy,” she said, as if she didn’t know how to answer a simple question. “I have a cure for that. Want me to come over?”
Jeff wondered how in the world he’d ever thought he wanted to date Paige. Had he totally lost his mind? “Look, Paige, tell me what happened.”
“I just told her the truth,” Paige said, her tone a little less sweet now. “Why don’t you ask her since she’s your girlfriend now?”
“She’s not . . . Our relationship isn’t any of your business. You and I broke up, remember Paige?”
“Whatever, Jeff,” Paige said. “Men like you always come back.”
“I’m not coming back,” he said. “And if you bother Alicia again, I’m going to file for a restraining order.”
Paige went silent for a moment. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I’ve already talked to Dawson about it,” he said. “Don’t push me.”
She scoffed. “Don’t push you? You’re the cheater, and a liar. I should get a restraining order for you.”
“I’m not the one who’s confronting your old boyfriends and texting you pictures,” Jeff said, using all of his willpower not to yell at her.
“Stop trying to make yourself look better than me,” she retorted. “Alicia knows the truth about you now. If she decides to put up with you, then you both deserve each other.”
“Look,” he said. “Can we just part ways and not mess with each other’s lives?” His answer was a click on the other end of the line. Paige had hung up on him. Jeff didn’t know whether
that was a good thing or bad thing.
He leaned his head against the cold glass sliding door and scrolled through his latest texts. Alicia had never texted him back, and she should be off work by now. He called her number, but there was no answer. Frustrated, he exhaled. Maybe he’d moved too fast with Alicia. He’d confessed his feelings too soon. The kissing had scared her off. He hoped that was all, and that whatever Paige had told Alicia, she hadn’t believed it.
He opened the sliding door and flipped on the switch for the hot tub. Then he removed the cover, and went to his bedroom to change into a pair of board shorts. He hoped that the hot water would help him sleep tonight. With all the lights off, he’d have a clear view of the snow on the mountains beneath the moonlight.
As the water bubbled around him, and the steam heated his face, he closed his eyes. He was half-asleep in the hot tub when his phone rang. His eyes popped open, and he looked to the deck chair where he’d left his phone. From his position, he could see it was Alicia. So he scrambled out of the hot tub, dripping wet. The cold hit him with full force.
“Hello?” he answered in a breathless voice.
“Jeff?” Alicia’s voice sounded strange.
“Is everything okay?” He grabbed the towel and awkwardly wrapped it around his waist.
“Yeah, I mean, I think so,” she said. “I didn’t know if you’d be awake.”
“I was just in the hot tub,” he said. “Hoping that I’ll be able to sleep better after.”
When she didn’t respond, he said, “I’m alone, if that’s what you were wondering.”
“Oh, I wasn’t.”
Jeff had heard the doubt in her voice though. He exhaled as he walked into the kitchen and perched on one of the stools. “So . . . I talked to Paige. I told her to stop bothering you. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”
“Did she tell you what she said at the restaurant?” Alicia asked.
“Her version, which I don’t totally believe.”
“I don’t believe everything she told me either,” Alicia said. “But there must be some truth in it, especially about the definition of the relationship between the two of you.”
Worth the Risk (Pine Valley Book 1) Page 12
