by Cat Schield
“ExcelEvent, London McCaffrey speaking.”
For several heartbeats, Zoe was too stunned to speak. She hadn’t expected getting hold of London would be this easy and had not planned what to say.
“Hello?” London sounded anxious. “Is anyone there?”
“It’s Zoe.” The words came out of her in a hoarse whisper.
“Zoe, oh my goodness. You scared me. I thought it was Everly. Are you okay?”
Relief swept through Zoe that she wasn’t the only one suffering at Everly’s hands. “It’s all coming apart. I think we should meet and talk.”
“I’m at my office. Can you come by now? I don’t think we should be seen together in public.”
“I’m at my store. Turns out we’re just a few blocks apart.” She sounded a little hysterical as she relayed that detail. “I’ll be by in ten minutes.”
The walk helped calm Zoe down and by the time she arrived at ExcelEvent, she was ready to have a productive conversation.
London had been watching for her because before Zoe could knock, the door opened and the beautiful blonde gestured her inside. Although the two women hadn’t been in contact since the Beautiful Women Taking Charge event, they hugged like old friends.
“I love your new look,” London told her as they drew apart. “The cut really shows off your bone structure.”
“I needed a change,” Zoe murmured, feeling no less intimidated by the successful entrepreneur than she had at their last meeting.
“Come into my office.”
While London led the way through the reception area and down a hallway, Zoe couldn’t help but absorb the chic, elegant offices of ExcelEvent and find them far superior to the casual, eclectic styling of Second Chance Treasures.
“I think we both have a lot to tell each other,” London said as the two women settled onto the sofa in her large office.
“First, let me start by thanking you for getting the legal and banking documents from Tristan.”
“I didn’t,” London admitted. “I couldn’t. Harrison got them for me.”
“Harrison?” Although she liked her former brother-in-law, they hadn’t been close and she couldn’t imagine why he’d take such a big risk to help her. “Why? How?”
“I told him the truth. All of it. He knows what you’ve been through and decided to help you out.”
That’s where London had it wrong. He’d acted to help London. She knew London and Harrison had been seen out together. Until now she hadn’t realized they’d become involved.
“But this means he sided against his brother,” Zoe said. “Tristan isn’t gonna like that.”
Pride glowed in London’s eyes. “Harrison doesn’t care.”
“You’re in love with him.” Sympathy rushed through her. She knew firsthand how difficult it was to find yourself falling for someone you were working against.
“I’m crazy about him.”
“How does he feel about you?”
“The same.”
Envy speared Zoe straight through the heart. She wanted to be happy like London, forgiven, loved, eagerly looking to the future. Instead the man she loved despised her. Add to that her guilt over the damage she’d done to Ryan and his family, her financial challenges and the loss of her store. Her will to fight was gone. She might as well give up and return to Greenville.
“I’m happy for you both,” Zoe said. “Harrison is a great guy and he deserves to be with someone wonderful.”
“I don’t know that I necessarily fit the bill.” London’s expression twisted with remorse. “We’ve done a terrible thing.”
“I know,” Zoe admitted. “I really regret meeting Everly and agreeing to go after Ryan.”
“So do I.” London’s voice dipped into ominous tones. “I think she’s crazy.”
Zoe nodded. “And dangerous. She told Tristan what we’re up to.”
London looked more annoyed than surprised. “She sent Harrison a recording of me saying that I’d used Harrison as a way to get to Tristan and that Harrison meant nothing to me. I was trying to conceal from her that I’d fallen in love with him and he took my words at face value.”
The video of Jefferson and Patty Joyce flashed in Zoe’s mind. “What happened?”
“I told him everything and miraculously we’re still together.”
“I’m glad,” Zoe said, recalling her own stab at telling Ryan the truth.
“I’m really lucky he did. When trust leaves a relationship, it’s a hard thing to regain.”
“And sometimes you never can.”
Despair consumed Zoe without warning. The pain of it struck fast and hard, doubling her over. She buried her face in her hands as hot tears filled her eyes. A gentle hand rubbed her back, soothing her.
“It’s going to be okay,” London murmured. “Whatever you need, Harrison and I will help you.”
“No one can help. Everly...” She gulped air into her lungs, shuddering at the effort it took to breathe.
“Let me get you some tea and then you can tell me all about it.”
London set a box of tissues on the coffee table within Zoe’s reach and headed out of the room. With her bout of hysteria fading, Zoe wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
“Here you go,” London said, setting down a tray containing two steaming bone-china cups, crystal sugar and creamer containers, and cloth napkins. “It’s Lavender Earl Grey.”
While Zoe added a splash of cream to her cup, London departed, returning a minute later with a plate of cookies and several strawberries.
The impromptu feast made Zoe smile. “You sure know how to throw a party,” she murmured, nibbling on a shortbread cookie.
“It is what I do for a living, after all,” London pointed out. “Are you feeling better?”
“Much. Tea and sugar helps,” Zoe said. “Thank you.” To her dismay a fresh wash of tears filled her eyes. “Oh, damn.” She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “I’m not usually like this, but it’s just been a terrible day.”
“Earlier you said it’s so much worse than I knew,” London said. “What has been going on?”
Zoe went into detail about her financial difficulties because of the divorce and how they’d affected her store. How Ryan and Susannah had helped. She explained about the video and that Ryan was on his way to break the news to his sister.
“Susannah was so wonderful,” Zoe finished. “I couldn’t bring myself to do anything bad to her or the campaign, but in the long run it didn’t matter. Everly took matters into her own hands.”
“I know it seems bad,” London said, “but I can’t imagine that if the affair gets out it’s going to cause Susannah any lasting damage. It’s not as if she was the one caught cheating. In fact, people might feel bad for her.”
“I hope that’s the case, but she’s still going to be devastated.”
“I agree, but it’s not because of anything you’ve done. Or even what Everly did. Her husband is the one who betrayed her.”
“I’m not sure either Ryan or Susannah will see it that way. He’s fully blaming me for the mess.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Whatever else London intended to say was interrupted by a call coming in on Zoe’s cell. She frowned at the unfamiliar number.
“Are you going to answer it?” London asked.
“What if it’s Everly?” Zoe let the call roll to voice mail and then listened to the message on speaker.
“Zoe, this is Paul Watts. Ryan told me what’s going on and I’d like to talk to you about the documents you received from London McCaffrey.”
Both women looked up from the phone at the same time and their gazes locked. In London’s gaze she saw the same anxiety fluttering in her chest.
“Who is Paul Watts and why is he asking about the documents?”
“He owns
a company that specializes in cybersecurity, and is Ryan’s best friend.”
A very unladylike curse slipped from London’s lips, but her expression grew resolute. “Call him back. See if he can come here tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think we both need to face up to what we’ve done,” London said. “And if we can take Everly down with us, all the better.”
* * *
In the three days since Ryan had broken the news to his sister about her husband’s infidelity, Susannah had been square in the middle of a media storm. She and Gil had decided to go on the offensive about Jefferson’s affair before the video could be leaked and effectively turned the court of public opinion in her favor.
Susannah’s campaign had picked up dozens of volunteers and the inflow of donations had skyrocketed. As far as her run for state senate went, Zoe and her friends had actually helped his sister. Personally, however, Susannah had been dealt a significant blow.
Ryan trotted up the stairs to his sister’s house, noting the darkness lurking behind the French doors that opened up onto the wraparound deck. The air of emptiness was unusual for a house that was usually blazing with light. With his uneasiness increasing, he rang the bell and barely heard the chime ring over the cacophony of insect noises.
The home sat on two acres and backed up to deep-water access just minutes from Charleston Harbor. Jefferson was an avid boater and loved to spend the weekends on the water with his kids. Susannah preferred to keep her feet on solid ground and didn’t usually accompany them on their adventures.
On the other side of the glass door a figure came toward him through the darkness. Ryan recognized Susannah’s housekeeper by her petite frame.
Candi opened the door and scowled at him. “It’s late.”
Ryan ignored the rebuff. “How is she doing?”
“How do you think she’s doing?” Candi had been with the Kirby family since Susannah and Jeff had married. She was an integral part of the household and fiercely loyal to Susannah.
“Can I come in and talk to her?”
With a disgusted snort, Candi stepped back and gestured him inside. “She’s on the dock.”
That caught Ryan by surprise. He would’ve expected to find his twin in the place she was most comfortable: her home office. “What is she doing out there?”
Candi glared at him. “She’s a grown woman, not a child for me to check on.”
Throwing up his hands in surrender, Ryan cruised into the kitchen for a beer before heading out the French doors leading from the kitchen to a set of stairs down to the yard. From the back steps to the end of the dock, it was the length of a city block. With each stride Ryan’s heart hammered harder and harder as he contemplated what sort of state his sister was in.
Although she had to hear his footsteps on the wood dock, she didn’t shift her gaze away from the moonlit water as he slid onto the Adirondack chair beside hers. A half-empty bottle of bourbon sat near her feet and she was swirling liquid in a crystal tumbler.
Ryan sipped his beer and filled his lungs with the night air while he waited for whatever Susannah felt like sharing.
“Jeff’s gone,” she said at last. “Just packed a bag and walked out on ten years of marriage.”
“Ah, hell, SuSu, I’m sorry.”
“You should be,” she said dully. “It’s all your fault.”
The accusation didn’t surprise him, but her defeated tone did. It wasn’t like his sister to give up.
“If it wasn’t for you, my campaign wouldn’t be under attack.”
Even though Zoe and her friends had caused Susannah’s current situation, Ryan recognized his actions had created the problem.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “If I hadn’t tried to help Kelly Briggs—”
Susannah seemed oblivious to the tears pouring from her eyes and soaking her cheeks. “What am I going to do without him?”
The raw despair in his twin’s voice savaged Ryan’s heart. He’d never heard anything like this from Susannah. She was the strong, steady one. Now, to hear her sound so despondent, it was as if some fundamental part of her had shattered, never to be repaired.
Ryan reached for her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers. “You can do anything you set your mind to,” he told her, squeezing gently. “Fix your marriage. Go on without Jeff. You are our family’s greatest success story.”
Susannah dashed the back of her free hand across her cheek. Her breath flowed out of her in a ragged hiss. She looked no less beaten, but her fingers pulsed weakly in Ryan’s grip.
“My husband cheated. And even though Abernathy didn’t get to leak the video, he will use it to attack my worthiness as a state senate candidate. I think most people would point to me as a blistering example of what not to do.” She picked up her glass and swallowed the remaining contents in a single gulp. For a long moment she stared out over the water. “Maybe I took too much for granted. My marriage. My career. It was always about what I wanted. What was good for me.”
“Don’t start blaming yourself. Jefferson had the affair.”
“Sure, but did I drive him to it?”
“‘Drive him’?” Ryan echoed with a heavy dose of skepticism. “Why? Because you were focused on your career and your family? Because he wasn’t your first priority? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Nothing this bad has happened to me before.” She turned her gaze on him. “I wasn’t there for you enough during the Kelly Briggs incident,” she said, her fingers tightening fiercely over his. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Ryan hated seeing his sister like this. “What can I do to help you? Name it. Anything goes. I can beat the crap out of Jefferson if it would make you feel better. Just say the word.”
“I think there’s been more than enough payback going on, don’t you?” Susannah sighed. “Have you spoken with Zoe?”
“No. Why would I do that?”
“To see how she’s handling things.”
“Can you really be worried about her after what she did to you?”
“She didn’t do anything to me.” Susannah frowned at him. “This wasn’t her fault. Jefferson cheated. Your actions brought Everly Briggs into our lives.”
“Zoe lied to us.”
“Not about who she is or how much she cares about you.”
Ryan shook his head, vigorously denying Susannah’s claim. “She used me to get to you. That’s all there is to it.”
“Oh, don’t say that. I don’t want both of us to lose the people we love over this.”
“I don’t love her.”
“Really? Because you’ve been acting as if you do.” Before he could dispute that, she continued. “I’ve never seen you this miserable over a breakup before. She hurt you badly and you’re busy beating yourself up about how you should’ve seen it coming.”
“Whatever.” Ryan hated how well Susannah knew him. “The fact is she lied to me and I can’t ever trust her again.”
“People make mistakes all the time,” his sister said. “The key is to learn from them. I think Zoe has done that. She must feel terrible for what she did to you. Forgive her.”
“Are you going to forgive Jefferson?” Ryan countered. “Can you ever trust him again?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’m not giving up without trying and neither should you.”
* * *
Ever since she’d first started Second Chance Treasures, Zoe had kept the store open on Wednesday nights until nine. Labeling the event Girls Night Out, she served glasses of wine and treats to draw in customers and offered crafting or art demonstrations. Some weeks they made as much money in those few hours as they did the balance of the week. Tonight had been no exception.
Too bad it wasn’t enough to save the store.
Earlier that day, Zoe had contacted her artists with the terrible news
that Second Chance Treasures was closing in less than a month. She’d received responses of sorrow and sympathy with some anger mixed in. Zoe weathered it all with ever-sinking spirits, knowing that she’d failed these women who’d counted on the money they made from selling items in her store.
All through the evening, Zoe had called on reserves she’d never plumbed before and maintained a bright smile. As much fun as the event could be, the long day was draining and with her emotions running high, Zoe was glad when at a little after nine, she headed to the front door to throw the lock.
As she reached the glass door, a figure stepped into the glow of light spilling onto the sidewalk. Zoe’s heart plunged as she recognized Ryan’s sister, but dreading what Susannah had to say didn’t stop Zoe from welcoming her inside.
“Can we talk?” Susannah asked, showing none of the hostility Zoe would’ve expected.
“Talk?” she countered, locking the door and sealing them in like two combatants in a cage fight. “Or are you here to yell at me for everything that’s happened?”
“I don’t yell,” Susannah replied tartly.
“No, you just shred people with your rhetoric.”
The corner of Susannah’s mouth kicked up. “While that’s more accurate, I’m not here to accuse you of anything. I want to understand.”
And Zoe wanted to explain.
“Come into the back,” Zoe said, flipping off the light at the front of the store and gesturing for Susannah to follow her.
Susannah’s keen gaze swept over the cot and packing boxes that held her extra inventory. Zoe had shopped at several thrift stores to find furniture pieces, lamps and decorative things to make the space more comfortable, but it was still a storage area in a retail space.
“Are you living here?”
“For another couple weeks and then I’m closing the store and moving to Greenville.” Zoe offered no more explanation and Susannah didn’t ask any follow-up questions. “Would you like some tea?”
