Part of his job in law enforcement was having confidence and not shying away from a challenge or a dangerous situation—even at the risk of his own life.
And there was nothing more dangerous to James Montgomery than coming face-to-face with the woman who had essentially destroyed his whole life.
Chapter 2
“The Facebook page has been super helpful in getting the word out. We got an amazing response so far. Believe it or not, it looks like about ninety percent of the class is actually coming. Isn’t that awesome?” Jen said enthusiastically as she and Selena sat at her dining room table eating Chinese food and going over the reunion details.
“Gotta love social media,” Selena replied absently as she scanned the supply list for each committee. Her lifelong love of arts and crafts made this kind of event all the more fun. She’d personally designed the invitations and announcements and favors they were going to use. There was no way she was going to let this reunion be of the cookie-cutter variety. All through school, Selena had been known for the great parties she’d thrown, and this one was going to be the feather in her cap.
“Remember Dena Michaels? She does custom cakes and whatnot now. She’s going to be doing all of the desserts.”
“Mm-hmm.” Searching through the papers, she found the pictures of the cupcakes and tortes and cookies she wanted Dena to recreate. She’d seen them on Pinterest and thought that with a little creativity, they could theme them with the school colors. Selena scanned the list and made a note to add more finger foods that would be easy to pick up and serve rather than having to be cut.
“And Rick Walters? His printing business did a great job on the invites. He gave us a huge discount.”
“Uh-huh.” More searching and rifling through the stack of papers found the drawing she had done. Rick Walters had been a little wary of trying to copy her design, but in the end he had agreed. Three hundred invites plus envelopes, labels, and stamps. She made a quick note of Rick’s discount and smiled to see that the invitations were yet another element that was coming in under budget.
“Christy Williams’s family still owns that party supply place in Smithtown, and they donated all of the decorations! That saved us a fortune!”
“Mmm…” Christy and Selena used to work on all of the school dance and prom committees, so they were completely in tune with one another on this subject. Selena had emailed her the list and description of the type of decorations she wanted, and Christy took care of ordering them. It was perfect. All that was left was assembling them, and Selena knew she could knock that out with a small committee in an afternoon.
“But the best news is that I was able to get the cast of Magic Mike to perform and do their show! Can you believe it? Five of the hottest men in Hollywood, coming to our reunion and stripping for all of us. They look amazing up on the big screen, so I can only imagine how hot they’ll look dancing around the banquet hall. Personally, I’m hoping to lick Matthew McConaughey’s chest.”
“I’m sure.” Entertainment…entertainment…had they decided on a band or DJ yet? Somewhere in her pile of papers was the playlist she had customized with music from their high school years.
Jen paused and waited for a more rational response from Selena, and when she didn’t get one, she continued. “I took belly dancing and pole dancing classes, so maybe I can join them. I’ll probably need to do some sort of juice fast to lose those last stubborn five pounds, but I think it’s going to be a hit. Of course I should probably cut back on the carbs if I’m going to be dancing in a thong, but—”
“Wait…what? What are you talking about?”
“I knew you weren’t paying attention to me!” Jen cried. “You’ve had these reports sent over to you weekly since we started planning the reunion, Selena. Put the paperwork down and talk to me! You’ve been in my house for less than three hours, and you’ve barely uttered three full sentences. What’s going on?”
With a slightly irritated sigh, Selena pushed the paperwork away. She picked up her fork, stabbed a piece of broccoli, and took a bite. “This is a big event. I tend to get a little wrapped up in the particulars, and I just want to make sure we didn’t miss anything, that everyone has been reimbursed and all that.” She toyed with her sesame chicken. “This was a big thing for me, Jen, coming back here and all. Cut me a little slack. It was more overwhelming than I thought just dealing with the drive from the airport. Everything looks so…different.”
“It’s been a while…”
“I’m aware.”
“Look, all I’m saying is things change and that’s not a bad thing. Tomorrow we’ll drive around, see some familiar sights. I know a lot has changed, but you’ll be amazed at how much has stayed the same. I’ll take you by the school, and believe me when I tell you nothing has changed there. Sometimes I swear it’s even the same desks and chairs in the classrooms that we used to use.”
“No! That would be horrible! Doesn’t the school have a budget for that sort of thing?”
Jen shrugged. “If they do, they’re not using it. A lot of the stuff in my classroom is outdated; I use a lot of my own money to freshen things up, but I certainly can’t buy new desks and chairs for thirty-plus kids.”
“Nor should you be expected to,” Selena said, offended for her friend.
“Anyway, we’ll see the school, and we’ll do lunch at the diner maybe, and your favorite ice cream place is still here!”
“Seriously? Is it still the same owners? I used to love Mr. and Mrs. Davies. They made the best milk shakes.”
“Their kids run the place now, but it’s still the same. I stop in and have a milk shake for you at least once a week.”
“Am I enjoying them?”
“Sometimes a little too much,” Jen said with a laugh. “Anyway, do you have plans to see your family?”
Selena couldn’t help the snort that escaped at the question. “You’re kidding, right?”
“What? What did I say?”
“I didn’t really tell anyone I was coming up here. I couldn’t handle them along with the whole reunion thing. But my grandmother is living in one of those senior communities, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to have lunch together.”
“She must be so surprised that you’re coming to see her!”
She shrugged. “I haven’t told her yet. I was planning to surprise her.”
Jen frowned. “She’s got to be like eighty years old; do you really think it’s a good thing to surprise her? You could kill her.”
“That’s a pleasant thought,” Selena mocked. “Why would you even say that?”
“It’s just that she’s old, and her heart could be weak… You don’t surprise the elderly, Selena. That’s just mean.”
“You’ve really gotten dramatic in the last ten years, you know that, right?”
“It’s a gift.”
They laughed. “I wanted to call her and let her know I was coming, but I didn’t want her to call anyone else and then run the risk of having a whole family reunion thing. One reunion is enough.”
“When was the last time you saw your dad?” Jen asked cautiously.
Just the thought of her father had Selena’s ire rising. He was the first negative influence she had walked away from, and in the four years since they’d last seen one another, Selena had never been happier. “It’s been…a long time.”
“Does he even try to see you?”
Selena shook her head. “Not really. Every once in a while my sister will throw the guilt trip at me: Dad misses you. You should give him a chance; he’s changed. Blah, blah, blah. We didn’t get along while I was growing up, he’s never let me forget how I disappointed him, and to be honest, I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life. I keep telling her she shouldn’t push it, that now she can finally claim that daughter-of-the-year thing she’s been going for all her life. I want no part of him.”
/> “But he’s your dad…”
“Fathers don’t act the way he did. He wasn’t just cruel, Jen; he was hateful. You know it and I know it. He wanted to control my life, and when I wouldn’t fall in line with his plans, he just turned mean. Believe me, my life has been so much better without him. Sometimes I’ll make a mistake at work and my first thought is ‘Oh my God, Dad’s going to kill me.’ It shouldn’t be like that! I’m a grown woman, and yet at the first sign of messing up, I’m immediately afraid of his reaction. How messed up is that?”
Jen wasn’t sure how to answer that one. “I guess it’s a natural response, Selena. It’s programmed into you. Hopefully, it will get easier as time goes on.”
Selena wasn’t sure she believed her but didn’t want to argue the point.
“How’s your mom doing?”
Again Selena shrugged. “She’s good. Mom’s always good.” It was true enough, but part of that had to do with the fact that her mother never liked confrontation—she put up a good front for the world to see, and sometimes Selena resented that. It would be nice to know that she wasn’t the only one in her family who got ticked off and emotional sometimes. “Since the divorce, she’s become more confident, and last year she actually started dating again.”
“No!”
“Yes! It’s true. It’s weird and awkward at times, but it’s true.” The last time she had talked to her mother, she had to hear all about her latest date—they had gone to dinner and dancing—and then it turned to talk about all of the years Selena’s father never took her dancing. Yes, sometimes it was just painful.
“So your mom’s dating. Are you?”
Selena made a dismissive sound. “Please. The business keeps me so busy, I don’t have the time.”
“So make the time,” Jen pleaded as she reached across the table and put her hand over Selena’s. “Trust me, you may enjoy yourself.”
“And then what? End up with some creep stalking me? No thanks.” She looked up and saw the devastated look on her friend’s face and instantly apologized. “That was inexcusable, Jen. I’m so sorry. I…” Her words died in her throat as Jen turned away. If she wasn’t mistaken, she heard her sniffle and that made her feel ten times worse. Way to go, Selena, she mocked herself. You’ve been back in town for a handful of hours, and you’ve already managed to disappoint the one person who’s always there for you.
Standing, Jen cleared their plates and rinsed them without a word before returning to the dining room. “Not all guys are creepy,” she said matter-of-factly. “I thought you had your eye on that CPA in the office across the street from yours. What happened there?”
Ugh. While Jen knew Selena better than anyone, Selena wasn’t comfortable admitting how uncomfortable it was for her to go out on dates. The whole awkward first date, making small talk… There was no appeal to it at all. Most of the time she just counted down the minutes until it was acceptable to plead a headache and leave. And besides the awkwardness, there was…the feeling. She knew she was being overly picky, but no man had ever made her feel or want in a really long time.
No one since James.
Dammit.
Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Three whole hours back in the state, and you’ve already started your uncomfortable journey down memory lane. Awesome.
That wasn’t to say she lived a celibate life. There were just some very long dry spells in the sex and romance department. Occasionally friends set her up with a guy, and they’d go out a couple of times, but after a month Selena would find an excuse to end things. Casual sex wasn’t her thing, and the men she had gotten involved with—however briefly—just fell short of her expectations. She had gotten used to it, was totally fine with it. Hell, she barely even thought about it. Until now.
Dammit.
“Selena?” Jen prompted.
Oh, right, the CPA. “Our schedules just didn’t mesh. He had tax season, and then I was in the midst of graduation parties and proms and weddings, and after a while we just both agreed that it wasn’t going to work.” Selena remembered actually feeling relieved when the guy finally stopped calling and accepted her reasoning.
“You don’t sound particularly heartbroken about it.”
Selena looked at her as if she had two heads. “Why would I be heartbroken? I barely knew him, and we only had a couple of coffee dates, so it wasn’t a big deal. Besides, there was no real…connection to him, you know?” She shrugged. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll look into one of those online dating sites and go out on a couple of dates.” She wouldn’t, but Selena figured she’d humor Jen for the time being if for no other reason than to get off this topic.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jen said with a snap in her voice. “You don’t know what kind of crazy people you can meet like that. Maybe…maybe you’ll meet someone while you’re here visiting.”
Unable to help herself, Selena burst out laughing.
“What’s so damn funny about that?” Jen asked.
“Boy, you just don’t give up, do you?” Selena said. “I mean, I’m here. I’m participating in the reunion and all that. Bottom line, Jen, I’m here to see you, see my grandmother, go to the reunion, and go home. End of story.” That was her plan and she was sticking to it. Besides, there was absolutely no chance of her meeting anyone here who she’d want to spend time with. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.
Jen wanted more than anything to protest but decided to bide her time and simply nodded instead. “Okay, fine. I just thought that we could go out, maybe go dancing and, you know, see if we meet anyone.” Maybe she’d have to find out where James liked to hang out and orchestrate their first meeting.
Selena smiled. “We can still go out and do all of that. I’m just not looking to meet anyone while I’m here.” She took a sip of her water—which had been sitting so long the ice had melted—and then decided to turn the tables on her friend. “So what about you? Other than this stalker guy, is there anyone you’re interested in?”
Jen blushed. “Actually, I kind of met someone a couple of weeks ago when I went to the police station to report said stalker guy.” That didn’t sound weird at all, did it? An image of that scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off came to mind—where his sister is sitting in the police station and flirting with the leather-jacket clad criminal. She almost laughed.
“Really?” Selena said, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned toward Jen. “Do tell.”
In a very teenage-girl manner, Jen blushed and twirled her fingers in her blond hair. “Well, obviously he’s a cop. His name is Mike. He’s super tall, like a little over six feet—”
“And that’s super tall?” Selena asked with a hint of snarkiness.
“It is when you’re barely five foot five,” Jen deadpanned.
“Ah…continue.”
Jen’s expression turned a little dreamy. “He’s got blond hair, a little darker than mine, brown eyes, and a killer body. Honestly, I almost asked to be frisked.” She laughed, and Selena couldn’t help but join her. “I only talked to him for a minute before meeting with Ja…I mean, with the officer in charge, but he was super sweet.”
“Is he single?”
“I didn’t see a ring, but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ve gone back to the station twice just to give an update on Todd’s behavior, and Mike has been there each time. He always gives me a big smile, and I think if I even gave a hint that I was interested, he might be too.”
“So why haven’t you given him more than a hint?”
“Oh, please, Selena,” Jen said dismissively. “I’m a twenty-eight-year-old woman with a stalker, for lack of a better word. How can I drag a nice man into this situation?”
“Why would you even think that? That’s ridiculous!”
“I’m sure that I’m coming off a bit like a drama queen to them. Todd hasn’t done anything crazy; he’s just an
noying the crap out of me. Guys like Mike, they see people with real stalkers who are way more violent than Todd. On some level, I’m betting Mike thinks I’m overreacting a bit. Either that or he thinks I’m going in there just to see him.”
“Are you?” Selena asked coyly.
Jen made a face. “No,” she said firmly. “It’s only a perk.” They both laughed, and Jen shifted in her seat. “Plus, while I know I’m not hideous or anything, guys just don’t notice me, not the way they notice you.”
Selena’s green eyes grew wide. “Me? What are you talking about? Where did that even come from?”
“It’s so annoying that you’re so beautiful and don’t even know it or appreciate it.”
“You’ve lost me, Jen.” How had they even gotten started on this topic?
She sighed dramatically. “Okay, first, there’s your hair.”
“What’s wrong with my hair?” Selena asked self-consciously as she ran her hands over it.
“Nothing! That’s my point! You have this…fabulous hair that looks great no matter what you’re doing.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Don’t make me pull out old photos.”
“You have photos of my hair? That’s just weird, Jen.”
“Not of your hair, but of you. We’ve been friends forever, and honestly I’ve never seen you have a bad hair day. It makes it hard not to hate you just a little bit.”
“Okay, fine. I have good hair. Guys don’t notice that, do they?” she asked with a hint of confusion.
“Yes, guys notice that. Especially in combination with your perfect skin, big eyes, and your damn curvy figure.”
“Curvy is another word for chubby, I believe.”
Jen glared at her. “Um…no. You have like…the fifties pinup girl thing going on. It’s sexy.”
“Okay, now you’re just creeping me out,” Selena said with a smile. “You just saw me plow through the Chinese food, and might I remind you of all the pizza and milk shakes we’ve consumed over the years? And at the end of the day, I’d seriously have to consider dropping a good fifteen to twenty pounds to be pinup material.”
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