by JoAnn Ross
The spicy smell filled the air, making her smile. Seth was going to love them. He took such pleasure in the simple things in life, one of the many things that drew her to him. He understood that there was more to living than maintaining an image, things like friendship and trust and even love.
She had no doubt that was exactly what she felt for Seth. There was still a lot she didn’t know about him, but that was okay. She’d hadn’t been in much of a hurry to drag the sad details of her own past out into the light of day; she could hardly fault Seth for feeling the same way.
After setting the tarts out of sight in the storeroom to cool, she ducked into the small restroom in the back of the shop to fix her makeup and check her clothes for stray smears of flour. The sweater and slacks were dressier than her usual attire, but not too fancy. It had been hard to decide what to wear to a small-town event being held in the high school gym.
She was about to pick up her purse and keys when she heard a knocking coming from the front of the shop. Who could that be? She was sure she’d posted the “Closed” sign and turned off all the lights.
As soon as she recognized the man standing outside the door, she wished she’d already made her escape out the back. She still could, but unfortunately Russell had already seen her. Her ex-husband was nothing if not determined and might very well follow her to the high school. The man wouldn’t think twice of making a scene to get his way.
He’d never do such a thing on his home turf, where image was everything, especially around his family. It had been only when he got her behind closed doors that he’d unleash his never-ending criticism of everything she did. It had taken every scrap of courage she had to walk away from their marriage. If she’d stayed, there would have been nothing left at all of the woman she wanted to be.
Here in Snowberry Creek, Russell wouldn’t care if he humiliated her in front of everyone she knew. Worse yet, no doubt Seth would rush to her defense, and she could only imagine how that would turn out. Seth never talked about his slight stammer, but she’d noticed it got worse when he was in a crowd. The thought of him confronting Russell at the auction had her marching toward the door.
She turned on the lights in the shop and unlocked the door. Russell strolled in as if he owned the place. He probably thought he did, since she bought it with part of their divorce settlement. He looked around with just the barest hint of a sneer. “What a delightful little shop you have here, Bridey. Quaint, but definitely a step down for you.”
She wanted to smack him. Bracing herself for the worst, she asked, “What do you want, Russell? I have plans for this evening.”
She took pride in how calm she sounded. For a brief second, he let his mask slip, showing his anger, but he had himself back under control in an instant.
“I’m here, Bridey, because it’s time for you to come home.”
At first she couldn’t make sense of what he’d said because it was that last thing she would have expected to hear from him. Russell had been only too glad to see her disappear from his life. He’d made that much abundantly clear.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing here, Russell, but I am home. Snowberry Creek is where my life is now.”
The sneer was back, which didn’t help his cause one bit. On the contrary, it made it that much easier to see through his thin facade of charm. He was still the bastard who’d all but destroyed her with his lies and cheating ways. His hand-tailored suit and expensive Italian shoes did nothing for her, not anymore. No. She’d developed a definite preference for well-worn flannel and faded denim.
Russell sidled closer, making it clear that he wasn’t going to leave until he got his way. She stood her ground and waited to see what argument he’d try next.
“I know you have reason to be unhappy with me, Bridey, but you were never the type to hold a grudge. Come home with me, and I’ll do everything I can to make up for my past mistakes. We both know how much you loved working at my family’s restaurant. We could be happy again.”
Seriously? She scoffed at him. “You cannot believe I’d still fall for that bunch of hooey.” Tired of the whole discussion, she sighed. “Listen, I’ve said no, so just leave. I have somewhere else to be, and I don’t want to be late.”
She should have known he wouldn’t take rejection well. “Dammit, Bridey. You can’t make me believe that you actually prefer life in a place like this after what the two of us had.”
Her own temper surged to the forefront. “I thought we had something special once, Russell, but I’m not the one who threw it away. You did that, and I doubt you’ve changed.”
“But—”
She cut him off before he could launch another bunch of lame excuses. “But nothing, Russell. We both know you don’t want me back, and I sure as heck don’t want you. I have someone else in my life, someone who’d never lie to me the way you have. So quit wasting my time and tell me why you’re really here.”
Instead of answering her, her ex-husband laughed. “Can’t you come up with a better excuse than some fictional boyfriend? I hired a private investigator to check up on you. It didn’t take him long to report back that you spent all of your time here at the shop. Hell, outside of your customers, the only man he ever saw hanging around was some low-rent handyman.”
Bridey wasn’t about to drag Seth into this mess. “I cannot believe you’d stoop so low. We haven’t spoken in close to two years, and all of a sudden you’re here begging me to come back. Why?”
Finally, he got to the truth of the matter. “Fine. I’m here because my grandmother’s health is failing. She thinks the two of us are only separated, and I never told her any different. She’s still very old-fashioned, especially on the subject of divorce.”
Bridey had always liked the fierce old lady. “I’m sorry to hear she’s not doing well, but I won’t help you lie to her.”
“It wouldn’t be lying, Bridey. Not if you’d give me a second chance to make things work between us.” He looked around the shop again. “I’d even pay you for your time. She doesn’t have long left. It would make her so happy to think we’d reconciled.”
Sensing that his arguments weren’t working, he kept going. “You would have free rein at the restaurant, too. I’ll admit that the place took a bit of a hit when you left and took your recipes with you.”
Yeah, that last part made sense. His family’s high-end restaurant was the one thing that had always been important to Russell. “What happens if she learns the truth? And she will, because I’m not coming back.”
Experience had taught her that the madder Russell was, the slower he spoke. Right now, the words left his mouth as if he was having to force them out one at a time. “My grandmother still holds the majority interest in all our family restaurants. She has made it perfectly clear that if I don’t get my life in order, she’ll relinquish control to my cousin Tony from back East. I won’t let that happen. He’ll destroy the place.”
Maybe so, but Bridey had no interest in his family’s power plays. It was time to end this discussion. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to settle for telling her the truth. I won’t pretend to be your wife, not when you quit being my husband in any real sense long before our divorce was finalized. Now, for the last time, leave.”
But when Russell took a step, it was toward her with his hands clenched in fists.
11
That was odd. When Seth arrived at Something’s Brewing, the back door was unlocked and the lights were on. If Bridey was inside, maybe he’d have a chance to explain things before they reached the auction after all.
He stowed the sign inside the kitchen and made a second trip outside in the pouring rain to fetch the small, tabletop Christmas tree he’d bought that held one more special surprise for Bridey. After that, he grabbed his garment bag so he could finish changing for the auction. Back inside, he looked around and spotted Bridey’s purse and keys sitting on the counter.
Okay, so she had to be around somewhere. He quickly arranged the tree
, straightened the few ornaments, and then plugged in the lights. After leaning the sign against the counter below the tree, he had everything ready to show Bridey. He started to call out her name when he heard voices coming from out in the shop. He didn’t recognize the guy’s voice, but the level of tension in Bridey’s was all too clear. Who the hell was he?
The next words out of the jerk’s mouth clarified the situation. Bridey’s ex-husband was out there telling her he wanted her back. Seth held his breath and ignored the pain in his chest as he waited to hear her answer. It didn’t take long. Good. She wasn’t buying that line of bullshit the guy was selling.
Even so, Seth wouldn’t tolerate him disrespecting Bridey. Not when he could do something about that. He ducked back into Bridey’s office to change. He already had on his dress shirt, pants, and shoes. All he needed to do was slip on his black bow tie and the jacket to his tux. When he was ready, he let himself out the back door and drove his convertible around to park in the front of the shop. Drawing a deep breath, he headed for the front door and hoped Bridey would forgive him for springing this on her with no warning.
He walked in just as her ex clenched his hands into fists and took a step toward Bridey. At the sound of the door opening, the other guy froze and looked back to see who was joining the party.
Seth bypassed him and headed straight for Bridey.
• • •
Bridey was so focused on her ex-husband’s growing agitation that it took her a few seconds to recognize the well-dressed man who had just walked into her shop. When she finally did, all she could do was whisper in confusion, “Seth?”
He nodded as he deliberately walked between her and Russell to reach her side. Still ignoring her ex, Seth brushed a quick kiss on her cheek. “Sorry to keep you waiting, darling. It took me longer to get here than I expected.”
Russell fell back a step as his gaze bounced between her and Seth a couple of times. “Who the hell is this guy?”
Good question. At the moment, Bridey wasn’t sure herself. Seth’s answer left her even more confused.
“I’m Seth Kyser, although I’m better known in the art world as Geoffrey Seth Kyser. Bridey and I are attending a community event where they’re auctioning off two of my sculptures to raise money for a local cause.”
He made no offer to shake hands but instead tipped his head to one side as he studied Russell. The haughty expression was one she’d never seen on his face before. “And you would be?”
Russell countered the question with one of his own. “You’re Geoffrey Kyser? The sculptor?”
The name hadn’t clicked with Bridey until Russell said it. She stared at Seth, trying to bring this new image into focus alongside what she knew of him after spending so much time together these past several weeks. There were several artists in the Northwest whose names were nationally known, and Geoffrey Kyser was one of them. None of this made any sense. Why on earth would an artist of his caliber work for minimum wage building shelves for her?
The two men were too busy posturing to pay any attention to her at the moment. Seth remained at her side, but it felt more like he was staking out his territory.
She hated it.
Seth continued talking to Russell. “Yes, I am, but you have me at a disadvantage.”
Russell held out his hand. “I’m her husband, Russell Roke.”
Seth ignored the gesture, and his smile turned predatory. He slid his arm around Bridey’s waist, holding her tight enough that she couldn’t escape without a struggle. “Don’t you mean ex-husband? She’s told me all about you.”
No, in fact, she hadn’t, but Bridey didn’t argue the point. When Seth glanced down at her, his green eyes softened into something like concern. It was the first time since he’d walked in the door that he looked like the man she knew. “Isn’t Russell the one who works at some little place in California?”
Russell clearly didn’t appreciate the implied insult. “It’s a five-star restaurant, and I’m not an employee. My family owns the place. Now, if you’ll excuse us, my wife and I have some unfinished business.”
It was well past time for her to speak up for herself. “There’s nothing left for us to discuss. You heard me. I have my own life here in Snowberry Creek, and you’re not part of it. Tell your grandmother whatever you want to, but leave me out of it.”
He made one last attempt to turn on his charm. “You don’t mean that, Bridey. I know you’re upset about how things were between us, but you have to admit that it was as much your fault as it was mine.”
Okay, enough was enough. “I don’t know how you came to that amazing conclusion. You were the one who couldn’t keep his pants zipped.”
For the first time, Russell’s betrayal no longer had the power to hurt her. She pointed toward the door. “It’s over between us. Now, leave. I have somewhere I need to be.”
Instead of heading for the door, Russell charged toward her. “You bitch! Damned if I’ll let you ruin it all for me!”
Before he’d gotten two steps, Seth spun Russell around and shoved him back in the other direction, right out the door into the pouring rain. “You’ve got one minute to drive away before I call the cops. The chief of police is one of Bridey’s best customers, so that pretty much guarantees you’ll end up in jail for threatening her.”
Then Seth turned the latch to make sure Russell couldn’t get back in. For the longest time, he stood staring out into the night, his shoulders slumped as if the effort had exhausted him. She was still trying to assimilate everything that had just happened when Seth finally turned around.
“I w-was g-going to tell you.”
She didn’t want to hear it. Not now. He should have guessed how she felt about liars, and yet he continued to pretend he was . . . what? A carpenter? A handyman? As an excuse to get closer to her? But why, when he was an artist whose work was displayed in world-class museums?
Unable to get her head around the whole shift in her perception of him, she latched on to the only thing that she could. “I’m late for the auction. Where did I leave my keys?”
“On the counter in back.” Seth started for the kitchen. “I’ll get them for you and lock the back door. My convertible is parked out on the street, so we can go out the front.”
“What convertible?” He drove a sedan and that old van. Had anything about him been real?
He disappeared into the kitchen without answering, so she looked out the window to see for herself. Sure enough, a sleek convertible was right outside. She didn’t recognize the model, but she knew an expensive vehicle when she saw one. Another bit of proof that he was exactly who he’d claimed to be.
The jerk! The confrontation with Russell and the betrayal by Seth combined to leave her furious beyond words. No way she was going to get into that car with Seth—Geoffrey—whoever the hell he was. She’d walk first.
Bridey was out the door and halfway down the block before Seth caught up with her. He planted himself in front of her, sliding from side to side when she tried to get past him.
“I’m walking there.”
He gently caught her hand in his. “N-no, you’re not. I know you’re m-mad, Bridey. Maybe you have a right to be, but it’s raining. Let me drive you.”
She stared at his hand until he released her.
“P-please, Bridey. Let me do that much.”
“Fine.”
He helped her into the passenger seat and then hustled around to the other side as if he were afraid she’d try to escape. The engine roared to life with a heavy rumble of power. As he pulled away from the curb, she stared out the passenger window. The Christmas lights outlining every roof line and window they passed were a blur, but she couldn’t tell if that was due to the raindrops on the glass or the tears running down her cheeks.
• • •
Seth forced himself to drive to the high school when what he really wanted to do was head straight back to Something’s Brewing and get things settled between them. What he wouldn’t give to f
ind a way to turn back the clock, to hit rewind, anything that would let him go back to the moment when everything went off track.
He had never wanted to hurt Bridey, but that’s exactly what he’d done. He’d gone rushing in, hoping to play hero. Instead, he’d joined her ex-husband in the ranks of liars in her life.
The rain was coming down harder than ever, so he pulled up in front of the covered entrance to the high school. “I’ll let you out here so you don’t get d-drenched. I’ll park and be right back.”
She silently climbed out of his car and walked away. Okay, so chances were she wouldn’t be waiting for him. Fine. He’d track her down. Making things right with her was too important for him to give up easily.
Sure enough, there was no sign of her anywhere when he walked into the building. A few seconds later, he spotted her down the hall. On the surface, Bridey looked calm, but he knew better. Kicking it into high gear, he caught up with her before she joined the throng of people heading into the gym. Taking her arm ever so gently, he tugged her over toward a nearby corner.
“Bridey, please let me explain.”
She gave his hand a pointed stare until he let it drop back down to his side, but then her expression softened just enough to give him some glimmer of hope. “This is hardly the place for lengthy discussions.”
No way was he going to let her walk away. Not until he had his say. Either she’d accept his explanation or she wouldn’t; all he could do was share his truth. “Please, Bridey. I n-never meant to hurt you. I moved here when my art dried up. When I volunteered to build your shelves, I hadn’t worked in months. You’ve got to believe me when I tell you that it’s because of you that I’ve been so happy living here and being just plain old Seth.”
