Anywhere with You (Starlight Hill Series)

by Bell, Heatherly

  “Well, maybe it’s a late Christmas present. Thank you for these sweets, doll.”

  “Let me know if you need anything.” Genevieve crossed their small shared lawn back to her place, now carrying the box and her purse.

  She let herself inside and put the package down, then went to get a dish of water for the stray cat that came around every now and then. When she walked back outside, there he was, as if waiting for her.

  “You’re so sweet,” Gen said as she bent down with the dish of water.

  The cat hissed at her, and Gen jumped back and nearly fell into the azalea bush.

  “Be careful, honey. It’s a feral cat. I’ve told you that,” Mrs. Paulsen called out from behind her screen door.

  “I know, but he needs water too.” She’d hoped to make friends with the cat, but so far progress was achingly slow.

  Back inside, Gen picked up the package again. Maybe it was a mistake. She hadn’t ordered anything from— did the return address say KamaSutra Art? Curious, Genevieve opened the package and removed a hideous bronze statue of a man and a woman in the middle of copulation doggie-style.

  “Ack!” She dropped the thing on the floor. “Is this some kind of joke?”

  She searched inside the box and found a typed note: Saw this in New Mexico and thought of you. Missing you – Love, Allen.

  Oh no. Not her ex-husband. He had freaky taste in art, but this was a new low. The phone rang and Genevieve caught it on the first ring. “Who is this?” she asked, half convinced Allen was on the other end of the line.

  “Sugarplumb, is that how you’re answering the phone?” Her mother’s voice reached across the miles from Alabama and corrected Gen.

  “Oh hi, Mom. Sorry about that.” Genevieve exhaled. She’d overreacted. Allen might send her a disgusting gift but he knew better than to call her.

  “I’ve got some disturbing news. You wouldn’t believe who called me. Your ex-husband, bless his heart. He tried to sweet-talk me. Something about how he wants to give this marriage another try. Oh sugar, you wouldn’t get back together with the man who broke your mother’s heart, would you?”

  “Of course not.”

  Allen was on his way to Starlight Hill?

  No, she couldn’t have that. Then everyone would know. One look at him and anyone with a pulse would know. And Wallace, here in town working on her shop. Oh no, no, no.

  “Thank the good Lord. And don’t worry, I told Joe. He’ll look out for you.”

  “You told Joe?” Great. Her brother was already Alpha over protective, and this would send him into overdrive. Also, now that Joe had the information it was only one degree away from Wallace.

  “Sugar, its Joe’s duty to look out for you ever since your daddy died. Now don’t go getting your panties in a twist. Next time you think of getting married in a McDonald’s drive-through, why not put the knife directly in my heart and save some time?”

  “Mom, I told you it wasn’t a McDonald’s drive-through!”

  “Any place that has the word ‘drive-through’ in it is not an appropriate marriage venue for a lady!”

  Well, despite the fact that Genevieve didn’t always consider herself a lady, Mom was right. A drive-through wedding put the ‘T’ in tacky.

  Genevieve stared at the bronze statue she’d dropped on the ground, and kicked it. She’d been married to the man for two whole months about six months ago. She’d now been divorced from him three times as long as she’d been married to him. A fine time to try to reconcile. It was never going to happen.

  Because she wasn’t settling. Ever again.

  Thank you for reading! Before you go …

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