Real Men Don't Break Hearts

by Coleen Kwan

  “Oh, honey, it’s not so bad.” Jess darted across the room to fold Ally into a hug before sinking them both onto a squishy, toy-strewn couch. “Don’t let him get you down. That scumbag isn’t worth crying over.”

  Why did everyone think she still had a thing for Seth? Ally eased out the piece of Lego digging into her butt and threw it across the floor. “I know that. I’ve known that for years.”

  “Of course you have,” Jess cooed, as if humoring a fractious kid.

  “No, really, I’m not upset over Seth. I’m upset because Mr. Cummings sold the building today. Guess who’s my new landlord?” She paused a couple of seconds before announcing, “Nate Hardy.”

  “Nate Hardy?” Her sister pulled back, her brows drawing together.

  “Incredible, right? He came into the shop this afternoon, swaggering like a pirate, not the least bit embarrassed that his feckless cousin is planning to get married right here, again. That’s what really got me—he’s so damned arrogant. Gah!” Grabbing the stuffed monkey lying next to her, she twisted its ear. “Nate’s never liked me. He turned Seth against me, broke us up, and now he’s going to be my frigging landlord! Of all the people Mr. Cummings could have sold to, why on earth did he have to pick Nate?”

  “I’m sure it’s just a business investment for Nate.” But Jess was still frowning, and she didn’t look too convinced. “You won’t have much to do with him, as long as you pay him on time.”

  Ally groaned and hugged the monkey to her. “That’s another problem. I’m behind on my rent.”

  “Oh, no. How much?”

  She bit her lip. “Two months. Mr. Cummings has been very understanding about it.”

  “That’s a lot of rent to owe.”

  Guilt coursed through Ally as she saw how worried her sister was. She shouldn’t dump her problems on her. Jess had her own concerns: a struggling florist business, two hyperactive twenty-month-old twins, a mortgage, mounting bills. She didn’t need Ally’s business woes as well.

  “I’m working on it. I’ll find a way to clear the debt.” And fast, before ownership of the building transferred to Nate. “But I don’t know what will happen when Nate takes over as landlord.”

  “He’s not going to evict you, is he?”

  He’d have every reason to, considering all those soap bars she’d let fly at him. The memory of his strapping hands holding her wrists surged through her mind. He’d been so close she’d felt the heat pulsing from his body, heat suffused with power and virility. A frisson rippled through her. Nate was a jerk, but he was an attractive jerk, damn it.

  “Nana would be crushed if you had to close the gift shop,” Jess said. “Probably best not to tell her about the outstanding rent. At least, not for the time being.”

  They both fell silent, imagining their grandmother’s reaction if the gift shop she’d started so many years back were forced to close. A boating accident had orphaned Ally and Jess when they were young and left them in the care of their grandmother, and Helen Griffin’s gift shop had become the family’s major lifeline. The shop was her crowning achievement, and she’d hated giving it up when her worsening health problems made it impossible for her to continue. Only the knowledge that her own granddaughter was taking over the reins had softened the blow, but even in retirement she couldn’t help interfering with the running of the shop, and though she loved her grandmother dearly, Ally was often frustrated by her meddling. If Nana found out about the outstanding rent, she’d be bitterly disappointed, and if she suspected the possibility of the gift shop closing… Well, Ally didn’t even want to contemplate that.

  Jess stood and started unpacking the shopping bags. “Nana rang this afternoon to tell me about Seth’s wedding.”

  Ally slid onto a bar stool at the kitchen island and rested her chin on her elbow. “Mmm. Brian told me.”

  “She’s worried about you. I’m surprised she hasn’t called you.”

  “I’ve been letting everything go to voice mail.” She wasn’t up to dealing with her grandmother yet. Later she’d give her a ring, but right now she needed Jess’s calming presence. Her older sister had always been the perfect one in the family. Petite and beautiful like a china doll, popular, responsible, caring, and kind. Without being the least bit calculating, Jess had a life that pretty much turned out the way she’d wanted it—an adoring husband, two terrific children, a business, and a home in the town she’d grown up in. Sure, Jess had problems, but they were nothing terrible, just minor hiccups that were part of a very happy life.

  Sometimes, when Ally was down in the dumps, she couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit envious. Like Jess, she’d had plans, too. She’d thought she and Seth would be together forever. They’d run a coffee shop in Burronga, buy a house in the area, and one day start their own family. But it turned out Seth didn’t want to marry her or stay in Burronga or run a coffee shop with her. He’d had other dreams, dreams he’d never confided, and when he’d left her, it wasn’t just a groom she’d lost but a whole future life as well.

  Jess emptied a packet of fish fingers onto a baking tray and tipped frozen peas into a glass container. “Maybe you could take a break for a few weeks. You haven’t had a holiday in ages.”

  Ally pulled herself upright. “I couldn’t do that. Who would look after the shop, and where would I go? It’s not as if I can afford a fancy trip overseas.”

  “Between me, Nana, and Tyler we could work out a roster for the shop, and you could visit Katrina. You haven’t seen her in ages.”

  Katrina had been Ally’s best friend in high school. Ally had thought they would be in and out of each other’s lives forever, but Katrina had moved to Far North Queensland. They e-mailed and Skyped often, but it wasn’t the same as hanging out together like they used to. Visiting Katrina would be great, but the thought of running away didn’t appeal to Ally.

  “No, I’m staying right here,” she said.

  “Are you sure?” Jess pulled out bowls and cutlery, a line still creased between her brows.

  A spasm tightened Ally’s shoulder blades. “Do I look like a fragile, neurotic person? Why does everyone think I’m going to fall to pieces just because my ex-fiancé is getting married?”

  Jess worked her lips, seeming uncomfortable. “It has been six years, and you haven’t had another proper boyfriend since.”

  Ally sputtered. “But I’ve been on dates! And—and what about Jackson? Doesn’t he count?”

  “Jackson ended up stalking you. No, weirdos don’t count. And you haven’t been dating much recently. When was the last time you went on a proper date with a man you were interested in?”

  “I don’t know.” Ally picked at the corner of the counter to avoid her sister’s gaze. “Last autumn, I guess.” She’d gone to dinner with a teacher and spent the entire evening regretting saying yes. It wasn’t that she’d had anything specific against him, but it had felt as if she was just going through the motions, agreeing to a date just to prove to herself that she could still catch a man’s attention. Thinking back, she realized over the past six months she’d lost more and more interest in dating. It was as if gradually she’d given up on men. “He was okay, but I wasn’t interested in taking it further.”

  “That’s what you always say about your dates. Is it any wonder we think you’re still subconsciously hung up on Seth?”

  “We?”

  “Me, Brian, Nana, your friends.”

  A splinter of ice twisted into Ally’s heart. She’d never really considered how other people viewed her, but now it dawned on her that they must think she was still heartbroken over Seth’s betrayal, that her life had never moved forward after that aborted wedding day. She was a modern-day Miss Havisham, a bitter, jilted spinster trapped forever in her moment of misfortune. A creature to be pitied.

  She tossed back her hair. “It’s kind of you to be concerned, but you don’t have to worry. I really am over Seth, and if I haven’t found another steady boyfriend, well, maybe I’m just choosy. I don’t want to
make the same mistake twice. I want to be sure to pick someone right for me.”

  “But maybe that’s the trouble. Maybe you’re looking for the man to spend the rest of your life with, whereas you should be just going out there and having fun.”

  “Having fun?” Ally gaped at her happily married sister who’d been Brian’s sweetheart since the age of twelve and had never spared a glance for another man. “You’re telling me to go out and have fun with just any guy I happen to pick up?”

  “I’m not saying be a tramp.” Jess toyed with a wooden spoon, seeming hesitant but determined at the same time. “Just maybe…loosen up a little.”

  Loosen up a little. Ally crimped her lips together. So her sister thought the same thing as Nate. Although she’d never couch it in those terms, she also thought Ally was a prissy Goody Two-shoes.

  Turning, Ally caught her reflection in the darkened glass of the sliding door. She tried to view herself dispassionately. Because she jogged three mornings a week, her figure wasn’t bad—athletic and trim rather than curvy. Her breasts were okay, her legs better. Her skin was good, but her shoulder-length hair was unfashionably curly and plain brown, not a waterfall of shiny black like Jess’s. The skirt and blouse she wore were suitable for working in the shop, but they were nothing special, and her flat pumps were practical but kind of boring. In fact, her whole appearance was washed out, unremarkable.

  The crack in her heart widened. For the first time in years she was seeing herself as she truly was, and she didn’t like what she saw. She pressed a hand to her sternum as panic welled up. What had she been doing all these years? What was she going to do now? Was it too late to change?

  A chorus of toddler noise interrupted them as two naked boys tore into the kitchen, pursued by a harassed Brian clutching two sets of pajamas. With a snort of laughter Jess corralled her twins and began helping her husband clothe the squirming boys. Ally watched the everyday family scene while her inner storm continued to squall. She was an onlooker. She’d always believed one day she’d have a starring role in her own happy family play, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe she’d never get this part. Maybe her role was something else altogether.

  Whatever it was, it was time to go looking for it.

  Friday night was just warming up at the Red Possum when Ally drove past. A small crowd had spilled out onto the sidewalk, their gales of laughter swirling into the night. She glanced at the women lounging in their tight jeans and high-heeled shoes, drinking and chatting with the men, and she wondered if they were having fun. Maybe they were. Maybe she should pull over and join them.

  But she didn’t. Instead she drove up the hill and edged her car into the narrow alley beside the gift shop. She got out and walked round to the front of the building where a side door, separate from the shop, opened onto the stairs that led up to her apartment. This part of town was usually quiet and deserted at night. Her shoes clicked on the pavement as she walked, the keys to her door in her hand.

  A sleek sports car sat outside her shop. She hesitated, her heart breaking into a quick trot. Was there someone in the car staring at her? She caught a movement inside the darkened interior of the car and backed away toward her front door. Silly to be nervous. Crime was low in Burronga, but a single woman on her own couldn’t be too careful.

  A dark figure unwound from the sports car. “Ally, it’s me. Nate.”

  She let out an exasperated puff. “What are you doing lurking in the dark like that?” Her heart wouldn’t stop pattering even though she now knew the threat was non-existent.

  He moved closer, stepping into a pool of light provided by a street lamp. The yellow glow turned his face into a contrast of paleness and shadow, cutting the planes of his cheekbones into sharp angles.

  “I wasn’t lurking,” he said. “I was waiting for you to come home.”

  “Oh.” She peered at him through the dimness, unable to fathom his expression. “How long have you been waiting?”

  “About half an hour.”

  Nate Hardy had been waiting for her for half an hour? She tipped up her chin. “You should have called. You could have been waiting for hours, seeing as it’s Friday night.” Yeah, and she had so many places to go.

  He gave her a faint smile, as if he knew as well as she how she spent most of her Friday nights. “I did call. I got your voice mail. But I wanted to see you in person anyway.”

  “Now? Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow morning?”

  He cocked his head toward the door leading to her apartment. “D’you think we could discuss this upstairs?”

  “You want to come into my apartment?”

  “If you wouldn’t mind.”

  The keys dug into her palm. Why did he seem so conciliatory? So different from this afternoon?

  “Okay,” she said, still filled with suspicion.

  She unlocked the door and led the way upstairs to her apartment. Nate walked in and inspected his surroundings, not bothering to hide his curiosity. One of her grandmother’s handmade afghans adorned the back of the couch. Her parents’ oak dining table stood in an alcove. She’d always thought her apartment cozy, but now she wondered if to Nate it seemed fussy, spinsterish.

  “Nice place you’ve got,” he said.

  What was he up to? Just a few hours ago he’d traded insults with her, and now he was complimenting her decor? “Are you thinking of increasing the rent?” She folded her arms. “Because I have to tell you the stove has a habit of going on the fritz and the windows—”

  “No, nothing like that.” Looking a little irked, he pushed his hands into the pockets of his trousers and jingled some change. “I wanted to talk to you because…well, when I came by this afternoon I didn’t know about Seth’s wedding. I only heard about it this evening. If I’d known I wouldn’t have come barging in like I did. It was bad timing on my part, and I apologize.”

  His eyes had softened, but she didn’t like them any better. The last thing she needed was his pity. She ran her fingers through her curls and flicked them back to glower at him. “You don’t have to feel sorry for me. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

  “By chucking bars of soap around?”

  The twitch of his lips caught her by surprise. When she thought about it, it was pretty funny the way she’d made him duck and dodge. Not that she’d admit it. “The soap was aimed at you, not at Seth,” she retorted. “I told you. I’m over him.”

  The fleeting amusement faded from his face. “If it’s any consolation, I told him off for having the wedding here, but apparently Paige insists on it, and what she wants she usually gets.”

  A simmering, indigestible sensation spiked her stomach like chili. Why was she letting Nate get her all hot and bothered?

  “It’s no concern of mine.” She took off her jacket and draped it over a chair before moving to the windows to draw the curtains. “Seth can get married wherever he wants. It has nothing to do with me.”

  “You don’t have to be so magnanimous, you know. You can vent your feelings a little.”

  Perhaps, but not in front of Nate. She needed him to see her only as graceful and cool. Adjusting the collar of her shirt, she gave him a sickly sweet smile. “I’m fine, honestly. You really didn’t need to wait downstairs for half an hour to tell me all this. I’m sure you have better things to do on a Friday night…” She let her voice trail off, the hint that he should take off blatant in her silence.

  His caramel eyes ran up and down her body, a curious expression playing across his features, as if for the first time in his life he were seeing her, really seeing her. At his scrutiny a tremor ran through her. He’d always had this effect on her, and she’d always told herself it was because she couldn’t stand him. He was an amoral rogue who took what he wanted without thinking, a sensual, sexy guy with zero desire for any kind of commitment. The type of guy she avoided like the plague. But now she had to admit it wasn’t revulsion that made her shiver when Nate stared at her. It was…fascination. Fascination with the forbidden.


  But maybe he wasn’t such forbidden fruit anymore. Maybe it was time to change her whole outlook on life. Maybe Nate was just the kind of man her sister had in mind when she’d advised her to “have fun.”

  Play around with Nate? The idea sent a zing through her veins. She studied his quirked lips, the fine shirt tight across his broad chest, the trousers brushing against muscular thighs, and heat began to gather in her pelvis like curling smoke. Oh, he was sexy all right. Enough to make her mouth dry and her extremities tingle. But then she looked into his eyes, and the kindling fire in her fizzed out.

  She might be in need of a little adventure, but messing with Nate would be more like a suicide mission. She’d heard all the stories about how he operated. Any woman who fell for his charms had to be prepared for a quick and brutal heave-ho. When Nate tired of a woman, he cast her off smartly, like a snake shedding an unwanted skin.

  She needed to change her image, to shake herself out of her rut, but getting tangled up with Nate would be the worst way to do it. And besides, who said he’d be interested in her? His taste in women ran to the flashy, sassy type who knew the score when it came to men. Not someone like her.

  “So you’ve been living here in Burronga all this time?” Nate asked, breaking into her agitated thoughts.

  She leaned against the back of her couch, concentrating on her breathing. “Some of us like it here.”

  “Uh-huh. Running the family business?”

  “Not all the time.”

  “Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow, appearing genuinely interested.

  She shrugged. “I worked at the Dumfries Resort for a while, but my nana developed heart problems, so I started helping her out at The Giftorium.” At that point she’d been toying with the idea of going to university in Canberra. Her grades were good enough, but no one in her family had ever done something like that, and in the end her grandmother’s health had squashed any ideas of university study. But the notion still lingered, and every now and then she wondered if it wasn’t too late.