by Iris Morland
“Nah, he needs something slower. Like being dismembered.”
Joy glanced up and met Adam’s gaze. “I had no idea you were so bloodthirsty.”
“Only against guys who fuck around like that. And make women cry. He’s not worth your tears, Joy.” He wiped a tear from her cheek, so gently that it almost made her start crying all over again. “He’s a dick. If there’s any justice in the world, he’ll get chlamydia and have to use Viagra every time he has sex.”
Now she laughed. “If only. He already has enough hang-ups about his…Well, never mind.” She smiled then, wiping away the last of her tears.
She’d been so afraid to admit to Adam that Jeremy had cheated, but now that it was out in the open, she felt better. Why had she been so freaked out to begin with?
“I didn’t want to tell you about Jeremy, you know.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s embarrassing. To be cheated on like that. Like, what was so wrong with me that my fiancé would fuck my best friend? You know?”
Adam didn’t say anything for a moment, but he stroked the bare skin of her arm. His gaze, though, intensified, his eyes darkening. “You know that’s bullshit, right? Cheaters cheat because they’re cheaters. Even if you fed him poisoned hamburgers every night, that still doesn’t mean he should’ve cheated.”
“I know. But. The whole thing makes me want to shrivel up and die.” Joy turned away, Adam’s gaze making her uncomfortable. She hated being vulnerable, and admitting that a man she’d loved had screwed her over like that? She couldn’t help but blame herself in some way for what had happened.
Adam didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he swallowed. “Since we’re already talking about our feelings…”
Joy almost laughed, but at his expression, bit her tongue. “Go on,” she said softly.
“You know that I don’t like journalists. Or, I have a reason for that.”
She raised her eyebrows, waiting.
“When Carolyn died…” He looked away, but still kept an arm around her. “When she died, the press hounded us. She was a celebrity, especially around here, and tons of rumors were floating around. Some true, some not. One in particular that popped up was that Carolyn wasn’t her father’s daughter. That her mother had had an affair.”
“But that wasn’t true, right?” she asked, confused. “I didn’t see anything when I read about Carolyn saying as much.”
Adam smiled a little bitterly. “You wouldn’t have. We paid off and threatened everyone under the sun not to publish that story. Not to mention, none of them could find any proof or legitimate sources. I know it seems like not a big deal, but for the Young family, it was akin to being caught doing heroin. They’ve built their empire on wholesome, Midwestern values.”
Joy wasn’t sure where this was going, but she thought she’d be better off waiting and listening instead of pressing.
“At any rate, the story coming to light forced Carolyn’s mother to confess that she had had an affair. Carolyn never knew, that we know of, and we’ll never know her true parentage. Trenton—her father—threatened divorce, and suffice to say after that, we all pretty much loathed anyone who called themselves journalists. They even went after my parents, practically stalking them for information. For months, I was paranoid about being overheard and even looked in my house for wires and cameras, it was that bad. I hated anyone who reported on the news, even the local weatherman.” He finally looked back at Joy and then kissed her forehead. “Until I met you. I was so bitter from that experience it tainted my understanding. I knew there were good writers out there, but I was too angry to see that. You know what I mean?”
She nodded, her throat tight. Her heart ached with his confession, and a part of her was terrified of all of the layers they were shedding as they got closer and closer.
“I understand anger,” she said. “I get it, so much. I was so angry with Jeremy after he cheated and wondering what I did wrong…”
“You, Joy McGuire, deserve better than him,” Adam said firmly. “The only good thing to come out of this is that he doesn’t get to have you. Because you’re talented, beautiful, and—”
“And so sexy you can’t look at me without getting a boner?”
“No, I was going to say that you’re funny, but I guess if you want me to say that you cause me to pitch my tent, sure, that’s true, too.”
She laughed out loud. Turning, she pulled his head down until his lips reached hers. It was a messy kiss, the angle awkward, but it was one of the best kisses Joy had ever experienced. It was true, and it was fun, and it was filled with a tenderness that she reveled in. He kissed her and licked at her mouth and nipped her bottom lip, and she did the same. The kissed heated up, and soon enough, she was underneath him as he kissed his way down her neck.
“Joy, any man who’d cheat on you is scum of the earth,” he said as he kissed her belly button. “You have to know that.”
“Mmm, I do now.” She shimmied a little, her eyes closed.
When Adam pulled her jeans down to her ankles and kissed her inner thigh, nothing else needed to be said at all. The stubble on his jaw scraped against her sensitive skin, and he stroked and caressed her legs. He kissed the inside of her knee, and he kissed a small scar on her shin. He traced a few stray hairs she’d missed shaving on her ankle. He even kissed her brightly painted toes, neon orange, courtesy of Grace.
Then he slipped his fingers underneath the elastic of her underwear, and she lifted her hips to help him. Adam loved to go down on her, and damn if she didn’t love him for it. Jeremy had gone down on her every once in a while, but only when she’d asked. Adam, though, did it without her having to beg, and as he parted her folds and gave her a leisurely lick, she thanked all the gods in existence for sending this man to her.
Any prayers in her mind disappeared as he kissed and licked, sucking at her folds and spreading her moisture across her sex. His thumb dipped insider her; she shivered. Her body tensed, and she grabbed at the pillows on the couch for something to hold onto. But when he mouthed her clit, it didn’t matter what she was holding onto: she was lost, completely lost in this man. He played with her. He licked and kissed and thrust a finger inside of her. And then he sucked her clit so hard that her body burst. It burst into pinwheels of light and she bit her hand to keep from screaming out loud.
And thoughts of her ex? Adam had chased them all away.
AT TRUDY’S a few days later, Joy shared a huge plate of pancakes with Adam while stealing sips of his coffee. He kept playing footsie with her under the table, and it was so childish that she couldn’t stop laughing.
“Are you serious right now?” she asked, amused and exasperated.
“I’m always serious.” His tone was deadpan as he speared another bite of pancake, kicking her lightly.
She pressed down on his foot, but he got free and kicked her a little. She squealed, and as Grace walked by with a raised eyebrow, Joy felt herself blushing.
But the laughter, playing footsie, the pancakes—it all faded away when she heard the door to Trudy’s open and a voice she’d know from anywhere ask for a table for one. “I just need a cup of coffee,” the voice said, tired, a Chicago accent tingeing his words.
Joy was faced away from the entrance. She stiffened, and she wondered if she were dreaming. But as she heard footsteps, she turned.
And came face to face with the man she’d hoped she’d never see again: Jeremy, her cheating ex-fiancé.
14
A s Adam watched the blood drain from Joy’s face, he knew instantly who this man was. And at her softly murmured, “Jeremy,” his assumption was confirmed. Her ex—this was the guy who’d cheated on her? Adam had to restrain himself from grabbing the guy by the collar and punching him in the face. Instead, he curled his hand into a fist underneath the table.
Jeremy looked like a guy who’d cheat on his fiancée. Tall, lean, his slacks and shirt perfectly ironed and his hair coiffed just so, he looked like he’d c
ry if you told him he shoes were ugly. Adam hated him on sight.
“Jeremy, what are you…? What are you doing here?” The blood was coming back into Joy’s face, but now slashes of red bloomed on her cheeks. Adam could feel her tapping her foot underneath the table.
“I was just in the neighborhood…” Jeremy laughed, fiddling with his collar a little. “I came to see you, Jo-Jo. Why else would I be here in—what is this place called? Heron’s Nesting?”
“Heron’s Landing,” Adam said gruffly.
Jeremy turned toward him, as if just noticing him for the first time. His pale eyebrows raised, he looked from Adam to Joy and back to Adam, as if assessing what, precisely, was their relationship. “And you are?” He didn’t hold out his hand, which was probably a good thing, since Adam wanted to break his fingers one by one.
“Jeremy, meet Adam Danvers. He runs and owns the local vineyard here. Adam, this is Jeremy Evans.”
“Pleasure,” Jeremy drawled, his gaze returning to Joy. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?”
Joy hesitated. She looked at Adam, and he wanted her to say no. Tell the guy to fuck off, he thought. But this guy had also been her fiancé, so the history was there. If Adam understood anything, it was the weight of history between two people.
That didn’t stop him from being angry that Jeremy was here, in Heron’s Landing. And it didn’t stop him from seeing red when Joy got up and told Jeremy she’d meet him outside. And it didn’t stop him from rising from the booth and slapping some dollars onto the table before stalking outside.
Was she really going to treat this guy like he hadn’t broken her heart? He’d seen her tears earlier that week when she’d told him Jeremy had cheated on her. He was scum of the earth, and now he wanted her back?
Fear congealed in his gut. Would she take him back? He couldn’t believe she would, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’d read someone wrong. He walked toward Mike’s, and he could hear Joy’s light footsteps behind him.
“Adam! Wait!” She pulled on his arm, steering him to a bench out of earshot. “Let me explain.”
Adam gritted his teeth. “There’s nothing to explain.”
“I know what you’re thinking, that I’m being an idiot for even talking to Jeremy. But he’s here for a reason, and I know him. If I don’t listen to him, he’ll keep at it until he gets what he wants. He’s one of those people who digs his heels in harder if you tell him no at the outset.” Joy shook his shoulder a little, cajoling. “Are you upset?” she finally asked.
He was, and he felt stupid about it. He hated that he was acting like such a hypocrite because he and Joy hadn’t made any commitment to each other. But mostly he hated that Joy felt like she had to pacify this asshole ex of hers at all. He took a deep breath. “Haven’t you figured out by now that this guy is no good?” he asked quietly.
She didn’t react at first, and then she laughed, but it was bitter. “You have a lot of gall to judge me and act miffed that I spoke to another man. Because we’re not anything official, are we? You were the one who wanted to keep things quiet, but now when an ex of mine shows up, you’re acting jealous and, dare I say it, petty.”
Adam whipped his head around, meeting her gaze. Her face was pinched, her cheeks still flushed.
“I’m not being petty,” he growled.
“Yes, you are. I have a right to talk to whoever I want. I made no promise to you, and you can’t keep me to a made-up promise, either. You can’t say you want the milk for free and then bitch and moan when the cow moves onto other pastures!”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“You know what I mean! And you know that Jeremy is the last person I’d invite here. Do you think I wanted him to show up like this? Do you think I’m overjoyed he’s here to do God only knows what?”
“I never said you were. But acting like you can talk to him and get somewhere is naïve. He cheated on you with your best friend. Is that all water under the bridge? Will he say he’s sorry and you’ll take him back?” Adam’s voice rose with each word, until he realized he was practically yelling in the street. He saw Joy flinch at his words, and his heart cracked. Why didn’t she realize she deserved better?
Her lashes fluttered, and he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. “Do you really think I'm that stupid?” she asked quietly. “I just told you how I felt about him being here, but it doesn’t matter, does it? It’s about how you feel about everything. How you want to keep things secret.” She made a sound in her throat and stood up. “Grow up, Adam. Grow up and realize the entire world doesn’t revolve around you and your man-pain.”
She stalked off, wiping her eyes as she went. Adam got up to follow, but then he saw Jeremy come up to her and even worse, give her a hug. Adam clenched his fists and turned away.
If he’s who she wants, so be it. It’s her poor choice.
He walked blindly down Main Street until he reached the end. His car was still parked at Trudy’s, but he had no intention of passing by Joy and her shitty ex again. So he walked the handful of miles back to his house, letting the heat and humidity seep into his very pores and maybe exorcise the demons haunting him.
Slamming his front door behind him, he took the bottle of whiskey down from the shelf and poured himself a finger. The alcohol burned on the way down, filling his belly with heat. He wiped his forehead and made growling noises.
He knew, deep inside, he was being exactly what Joy had described him as—selfish and petty. He knew he was being childish. He knew he should apologize and man up. But right that moment, he wanted to drink until the image of Joy and Jeremy embracing faded from his mind completely.
He knew, too, that his reaction indicated that his feelings for Joy ran deeper than he’d known. He couldn’t bear the thought of her with another man. It twisted him up inside, like gnarled vines in an overgrown garden, thorny and vicious. His hands shook as he raised his second glass of whiskey to his mouth.
God, I’m an ass, he thought morosely. A jealous, stupid ass. And an ass who’s in love with Joy.
It wasn’t an epiphany that resulted in clouds parting and sun shining through. Instead, it felt more like clouds gathering, stormy and gray, heavy with raindrops. It felt like a collision, an impact that resounded throughout his body and made his limbs throbs and ache. It was an oncoming hurricane, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
It was relentless.
He drank another glass, and another, until it all blurred together, and some of the hurt finally softened around the edges.
The week progressed, and Adam felt as though he ran into Joy and Jeremy everywhere. He shouldn’t have been surprised—it was a small town, and he ran into the same ten people regularly—but this felt calculated. Like the universe was laughing at him: look at the woman you love with the man who betrayed her! Isn’t it hilarious?
Hilarious, he thought. He gritted his teeth until his jaw hurt when he saw the two of them talking, their faces close. He clenched his fists until his arms hurt when he saw Joy laugh at something Jeremy said. And he banned himself from going to Trudy’s for the rest of the week because seeing them eating together was like being knocked flat on his ass.
It didn’t take long for everyone in Heron’s Landing to know that Joy McGuire’s ex-fiancé had arrived and was making headway to getting her back. It also didn’t take long for everyone to murmur about what had happened between him and Joy—it was the town’s worst kept secret—and some even wondered if Adam and Jeremy would have a battle to fight things out. What kind of battle, they weren’t sure, but maybe some kind of wrestling match. Or even an old-fashioned duel, pistols and all.
At any rate, Joy and Jeremy were the hot topic of the town. Whispers followed wherever they went. The only consolation Adam felt was that Jeremy was staying at the one inn in Heron’s Landing instead of at Joy’s place. He liked to think they weren’t already sleeping together, but it didn’t help him feel much better.
Late one evening, Adam entered
Mike’s for a few things, and he almost turned around and left sans milk when he spotted Joy and Jeremy in one of the aisles. Joy’s purple hair stood out in the beige confines of the store, and Adam’s heart twisted. He’d missed her. Watching them, he saw Jeremy point at something and then Joy rolled her eyes. She didn’t seem particularly happy to be with him, her face pinched and her forehead creased, which bolstered Adam’s mood enough to allow him to enter the store to get what he needed.
“Joy,” he said as he passed them. The store was so small that there was no way they could avoid each other. “Jeremy,” he added as an afterthought.
“Hi, Adam,” Joy replied. She glanced at Jeremy, but he only nodded tightly and looked away.
“Do you want me to leave?” Adam overheard Jeremy asking, and his ears pricked up. Looking at the milk selection, he suddenly needed to look at each brand and kind carefully. Did he want 1% or 2% or maybe even whole milk?
“I never said that,” Joy replied.
“You implied it.”
“Look, I didn’t invite you here. You know that. And I already told you no.” Her voice was a low whisper, almost a hiss in the confines of Mike’s.
Adam stared harder at the jugs of milk.
“I know you didn’t, but I’m here. Can’t we work something out?” Jeremy’s voice was pleading, and Adam sneered at the sound. Was he really begging Joy to take his cheating ass back? He hoped she kicked him to the curb and left him to cry.
“No, we can’t. And I don’t want to talk about this here.”
Adam stiffened, feeling Joy’s gaze on his back. He plucked a carton of milk from the fridge and then snagged a bag of chips on his way to the register, where Mrs. Ferry was buying her own snacks for the evening.
“Fine. I’m going back to the hotel.”
Adam turned his head slightly to watch Jeremy stalk out of the store, and he couldn’t stop from snorting out loud. Would the man throw a temper tantrum, too?
As he was paying, he watched Joy out of the corner of his eye. Her shoulders were slumped, and she looked exhausted. He wanted to take her into his arms and make all of her worries disappear. Could he really be petty enough to ignore her when she clearly didn’t want her shitty ex here in the first place?
