Best Of My Love

by N. D. Jackson

  “I’m not punishing anyone. I’m living my life the best way I can. If you don’t like that, too damn bad.”

  She shook her head the way she’d had for most of Dre’s childhood. “You are just determined to never act like a lady, aren’t you?”

  Dre laughed bitterly at that, sending Annie a withering glance. “What would you know about being a lady?” It was a constant issue between them, one of many in fact. Annie tried to turn Dre into a proper little lady while Dre constantly reminded her of her less than ladylike past.

  “People make mistakes Dre.”

  As if she didn’t know that. She did. She’d made plenty of them, including trusting the wrong people. “They sure do. And we all find ways to live with those mistakes. You found yours and I have mine.” It took too much of her energy to keep up her mad at Annie and it wasn’t worth it, so she’d decided years ago that not being around Annie, or her father or her half-sister, was the best option.

  “Grow up Dre,” she snarled as she always did when her passive aggressive comments didn’t do the trick.

  “I am grown and that’s what pisses you off Annie. You can’t just order me to do something so stop trying. Go back to your family and stay away from me.”

  “You are my family too Dre, whether you like it or not.” Her blue eyes had the nerve to look hurt, like this, like Dre was her business.

  “We are not family. You married my father and moved into my house. The end.” It felt like only weeks had passed from the time she’d whispered a final graveside goodbye to her mother to the day Annie had moved in. With her daughter. Dre’s half-sister.

  Annie sniffed because, and Dre swore it was true, she kept a stash of tears ready to fall at any moment. A strategic move to make sure Al never took any side but hers. It worked like a charm. “I’m sorry you feel that way but you are my family. I just wish you would rethink this stand you feel you have to take.”

  And there she went, minimizing Dre’s feelings again. “It’s not a stand,” she shouted and smacked her fist against the table making the cutlery jump. “I don’t trust either of you because you’re liars and cheaters and manipulators. I don’t want to be around either of you and I don’t want to know you. You are the reason he wasn’t there for me when we needed him and I will never, ever, forgive either of you for that.” She pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Now I really would like to get back to ordering my breakfast.”

  “Sorry I’m late Andrea,” Sarah Hawthorne stopped at the table looking out of breath. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she glanced between them as though she hadn’t been hovering close enough to hear everything.

  “No, no Sarah, I was just leaving,” Annie said softly, walking away without a backwards glance. Thank goodness.

  Sarah slid into the now empty seat with a worried expression on her face. “I guess I did come over too late,” she chuckled and shook her head. “She must have forgotten about the mouth on you.”

  Dre smiled at Erick’s mom’s teasing. “I was as respectful as I had to be.” She flashed her best picture day smile.

  “You always are but you have a way with words that most people don’t. If I couldn’t stop it I wish I could have at least heard it all,” she grumbled pulling a laugh from Dre.

  “You didn’t miss anything new. Same old arguments, same old outcomes. You staying for food?” At Sara’s nod she waved the waitress over.

  “Have you seen Al yet?”

  Dre nodded and let the small smile playing at her lips curve. “I suspect you already know the answer to that since we had lunch at your son’s restaurant.”

  She laughed and flipped her cup over. “Okay so I’m not as smooth as I used to be. Sue me. How did it go?”

  She shrugged again, smiling at the frown it caused Sarah. “Same. Is it wrong that I don’t want anything to do with either of them?” Dre knew she wasn’t considered a forgiving person so maybe she was being too hard on her father and his wife, but it didn’t feel like it. Erick’s mom knew her as well as anyone and she was the only person Dre had talked to about her mother’s death. Well other than her therapist.

  “Of course it’s not wrong. But you have to understand that your father will never stop trying. He’s your dad and he loves you, of course he wants you to be part of his life.”

  “I don’t want that,” she pouted and finished off the hot coffee, letting it burn down her throat and squash the pain and the memories she didn’t want to think about. “So, Gramma tell me about this boyfriend who kisses you when he thinks your granddaughter isn’t looking.” Sarah laughed, then blushed and topped it off by choking on her coffee.

  “Told you that, did she?”

  “She did,” Dre flashed her a smile. “Damn this omelet is delicious,” she groaned, ignoring the woman’s discomfort. “So you have a boyfriend, what’s the big deal? You’re still hot and I’m assuming you still have needs.”

  “Andrea Larson!”

  “It’s Dre, Mrs. Hawthorne.”

  “It’s Sarah and you darn well know it. And don’t ask me about my sex life, it’s not polite.”

  Dre laughed and held her hands in the hair, palms facing forward. “I just asked about the man, not the dirty.”

  “You can’t tell Erick.”

  Dre scoffed. “Like that will happen.”

  “Fine. I am seeing someone and he’s great.”

  “Good for you.” She frowned. “Why is it a secret?”

  “I don’t want to deal with my overprotective son, you know how he is.”

  She knew how he used to be and most days Dre made damn sure she didn’t remember because she didn’t want to. When she found herself waxing nostalgic on her time with him, she smiled when she couldn’t recall a detail. It was liberating. “That makes sense I suppose. As long as he doesn’t feel like a dirty little secret, I say have fun with it. Meet up at a bar or a parking garage,” she wiggled her eyebrows.

  Sara laughed until tears fell. “You’re insane and I am not having sex in public.”

  “Not sex Sarah, foreplay. Jeez.” She laughed, enjoying the blush staining the woman’s cheeks. “New topic. Do you know of any places with a short term rental around here?”

  “You have to be out of your mind if you think I’d say yes to this Sarah.” Dre folded her arms as she stood in front of the small brick façade building also known as Sara’s guest cottage. It was beautiful with the wild garden making it look like a proper English cottage. “It is beautiful though. I always loved this place.” She and Erick had practically lived in this space, learning how to kiss and smoking cigarettes for the first time, making love and sometimes just holding each other. It had been their haven. Their own little love nest.

  “I’ll give you a good deal,” Sarah piped in, thankfully breaking up thoughts Dre could do without. “Not that you need it,” she added with a wink.

  Dre sucked in some fresh afternoon air and let it out slowly. “Thanks for the offer Sarah but you know I have to pass.” Emerald Creek was small enough without living on top of Erick and his daughter. Never mind the memories.

  “He doesn’t live here,” she said as though reading Dre’s mind.

  She couldn’t help but smile at the woman’s attempt at matchmaking, or re-matchmaking. “Close enough.”

  With a roll of familiar gold flecked eyes she huffed out a sigh. “Oh fine. Party pooper. I know just the place.”

  Dre sighed hoping this was a real place and not another means to throw her and Erick together. It took no time to reach the new place and look it over before Dre asked how much the deposit would be. She could rest easy now because it didn’t matter when JT came back, and he would, she would already have a place to go. She’d filled out an application and now all she needed to do was wait for Sarah to call. Not that she thought there was even a possibility she wouldn’t call with Dre’s credit and ability to put down a significant deposit.

  She felt lighter as she made the drive to Patty Cakes, the only bakery in town, to
pick up the post-game snacks she promised Zoe. The kids didn’t beg for a lot of crap which was kind of sad, but it made her like giving them things even more. The little stinkers were so grateful.

  Dre looked around the cheerful place noticing the unique sea green gingham that was everywhere, the loopy Patty Cakes font on everything from menus to bags and cups to tables and trash bins. It was damn cheerful. She gave her order number to a small blonde with pretty features behind the high counter.

  “Dre Larson, right?”

  “Yeah, do I know you?”

  The woman laughed. “You always were straight to the point. Lila Goode.”

  Dre remembered her and laughed. “Now that nickname makes sense.”

  Lila groaned. “Don’t remind me. People still come in here and ask, “Hey Butterfingers how’s it going?” like I really want to hear that!” She laughed and it was open and friendly. Dre relaxed.

  “Well I’ve heard this place is twice as good as candy bars.”

  Lila laughed again. “Have something on the house,” she indicated the display. “I heard you’re some tech bigwig in California.”

  Dre shrugged, taking in the donuts, croissants, tarts, scones and cupcakes before she made her decision. “Mini éclairs. The company I own is there and it’s doing well but I’m not sure if I qualify as bigwig material yet.”

  Lila leaned in. “I went heli-skiing with TravelBitch.” Dre’s eyes must have shown her surprise because Lila laughed again. “I know but it was so damn fun. I was scared but I felt like, I don’t know safer knowing you had something to do with it.”

  She knew her smile probably looked like a grimace. “I uh, don’t know what to say to that. Thanks, I guess?”

  “You’re different but the same.” Big blue eyes studied her but Dre didn’t want to know what she saw.

  “I think that pretty much sums up all of us, right? You were perky as hell back then but now you have a more mature form of perky.”

  “Why does that make you grumpy,” she asked with an amused laugh and a shake of her head.

  “I don’t trust perky people. What are you so happy about?”

  She disappeared behind swinging doors and returned moments later with two sea green gingham boxes. Puke. “To wake up for another day,” she ticked each item off her fingers, “to have a business that’s thriving. My health. My family and friends.”

  “Perky,” she grumbled and bit into a mini éclair with a moan. “Damn good pastry chef but perky as hell.” She paid her bill and gave Lila a nod. “Good to see you again, crazy person.”

  “Later grouch.”

  The one thing Emerald Creek had on LA was traffic. It took less than ten minutes to drive across town to Shayna’s where she was greeted by two boisterous kids.

  “Auntie Dre you’re coming to the game tonight right?” Zoe was still at the age where she wasn’t ashamed of her enthusiasm.

  “Can you practice a song with me before we go,” Eli asked, already picking up his own little guitar.

  “Smells like your mom is cooking dinner, maybe go get washed up and if there’s time we’ll do any song you want.” They hurried to the downstairs bathroom seconds before water and laughter started.

  “You seem to have a hang of this motherhood thing. Maybe you ought to settle down.”

  “I’m good how I am,” Dre answer shortly because let’s face it, they’d been friends for a long time and knew exactly how to piss each other off. Shayna refused quit with her domestic crap and Dre shrugged it off as unimportant.

  “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “I could say the same thing to you. But I won’t because I respect your choices.” Even if I don’t agree with them.

  “Then why won’t you stay? I told you it’d be impossible to find something in one day.”

  “I’m choosing not to be in the same house as him. You may forgive him but I don’t have to. And as a matter of fact, I did find a place. I’m waiting on the caretaker to call me with the keys, but I’ll stick around for a few days. If I can.”

  Shayna sighed because, for some reason, she felt compelled to defend her piece of shit husband. “You can still stay,” she pouted.

  “Really? And will you forgive me for defending anyone in this house if I have to? Or better yet, for having him arrested as an eyewitness to his crimes?” Her shoulders deflated and she rested her elbows on the island counter but she said nothing. “I didn’t think so.”

  “You’re so cynical Dre. You don’t know it’ll happen again.” She sighed and rolled her eyes but the way she hugged herself told Dre more than she would have liked the world to see. “He’s apologized.”

  She laughed bitterly. “If you tell me right now that was the first and only time it’s happened, I’ll believe you.”

  “Sometimes I hate that you know me so well.”

  “I know,” she sighed full of regret. “I’m here for you Shay but you can’t expect me to live under this roof and watch it happen.”

  When dinner was over Shayna and the kids piled into the family car while Dre began unplugging cords under her temporary workspace. “Why aren’t you coming now?”

  Dre sat back on her haunches and swiped a hand across her forehead. “I need to disconnect my equipment. I’m going to move it as soon as I get the keys. I’ll have more room and you get your den back.”

  “Dre,” she said all exasperation and attitude.

  “See you there,” Dre said over her shoulder, focused on getting everything disconnected in an orderly fashion. JT would be back sooner rather than later based on their earlier conversation, and Dre knew it wouldn’t do to have him arrested for stealing her high end electronics.

  But she would if she had to.

  Chapter Seven

  “Don’t forget to drop the keys off to the new tenant this morning. They’re waiting Erick.”

  Erick had to look at his phone just to be sure his mother had called him up just to issue him an order and hang up before he got any further details. Such as who had rented the place and did they have any money? And even more important, had their money been made legally? Usually he left rentals like this up to his mother, trusting her judgment completely because she had both the time and the temperament to deal with needy renters. But she didn’t usually give him a reason to worry. This time though, she did. A lot. So he picked up the phone and dialed her back.

  “It’s the house on Cedarwood,” she said in lieu of a greeting and disconnected the call. Again.

  With very little fuss he got Orchid in the car and made the short drive just two streets over to Cedarwood Avenue and pulled up to the large yellow farmhouse. He scanned the yard but saw only one of those hybrid SUV’s in the driveway.

  “Auntie Dre!” Orchid knocked on the window to get the attention of her new favorite person. “Are you our new renter?”

  Gold flecked brown eyes widened in surprise, switching from Erick to Orchid and back again. “I guess I am. What are you doing here?”

  He had to give her credit. Despite her obvious surprise at seeing him she’d mostly concealed it in favor of a more carefree demeanor. I wonder which is the real Dre now. “Ma said you need keys.”

  She shrugged. “I could just break in but keys would save us both a lot of time and money.”

  He held up the key ring letting them dangle from his middle finger and moved up the porch and into the old house. “The crown molding is original but the heating system could stand an upgrade. I’m not suggesting you do it, just letting you know. The water heater is new so you’ll have buckets of hot water but the pressure is shit and the second stair from the top and the bottom, squeak like a bitch.”

  “What’s a bitch, Auntie Dre?”

  “It’s a female dog. When they’re doing their lady dog thing and protecting their pups, they are loud and fierce,” she dragged the word out until his daughter laughed.

  “Daddy can you make the steps not squeak like a bitch?”

  “Orchid,” he said in wa
rning, shooting Dre a glare for being a troublemaker. “There is also a great view of Iroquois State Park at the back of the house.” He pulled the cord that lifted the blinds, revealing an endless cascade of green and gold, stretching as far as the eye could see.

  “Gorgeous.”

  He had to agree though he wasn’t looking at the park. His gaze was fixed on Dre and her still wild raven curls, youthful beauty and ultra casual clothes. Her skin was a few shades darker now, probably due to hours spent under the California sun. “Agreed but now we need to make this official.”

  “I wasn’t aware it was unofficial.” Arms folded she remained standing to give herself an advantage even as he sat in one of the weathered patio chairs.

  His mouth twitched with the need to laugh. “Some things never change.”

  “Paperwork?” Her tone was impatient but Erick ignored it, going through each document before sliding it across the table, which gave him a great view down her shirt. Smooth honey brown skin covered in red lace. That was another change from the colorful but girlish lingerie she’d favored in the past.

  “Read it carefully, initial and sign where indicated so we’re both covered.” Not that he needed to tell her, since she was the successful business owner. “What’s with the truck out there?”

  “Equipment.” Her answer was simple, not giving away any extra information. “Couldn’t bring it in without the keys,” she reminded him.

  “Want some help?” He knew a rejection was coming but Erick hoped she would do it with some subtlety since Orchid was around.

  “Doesn’t little Gardenia here need to get to school?”

  Shit. He’d forgotten his daughter had some place to be. “Right.”

  “It’s Orchid, Aunt Dre!”

  “Right,” she said gravely, “I keep forgetting which flower you’re named after,” Dre winked in his daughter’s direction and Erick could forgive her coolness towards him. Hell, he would forgive her anything if she looked at him with half as much warmth as she did his daughter.