Meredith grinned and then gave up and laughed. “This day is turning out better than I expected. Bonuses,” she said musingly as their waiter appeared with their food.
Asher remained quiet throughout lunch and after the papers were signed he left immediately. She watched him leave and frowned. Usually, he’d always stick with her and walk her to her car. Something was up and she was very afraid she knew what it was.
“What’s wrong with Asher?” Brogan asked, looking after him as well. “He was so quiet and solemn today. It’s like he had a personality transplant. Hope everything’s okay.”
Meredith nodded. “I hope so too,” she said softly and then gave Brogan a hug and left as well.
Chapter 12 – Turning the Tables
Pule watched Meredith get out of her car and slipped out of his own. He’d been waiting for her for almost half an hour. She looked tense and unhappy for some reason. He was about to change that.
“Mer! Wait up,” he called and jogged across the street.
Meredith turned around and smiled at him. “Pule, what are you doing here? I thought you were at the Police Academy all day?”
Pule shrugged and opened the door for her. “Half day today. You need some company?”
Meredith sighed but nodded her head. “Sure, I could use a good distraction. Come on up.”
Pule frowned and followed her up the stairs to the apartment that she shared with Cleo. Meredith unlocked the door and he followed her through. They sat on the couch and looked at each other for a moment.
“So why the sad face? What’s going on?” Pule asked softly, inching his hand closer to hers in case a chance arose for him to make his move.
Meredith closed her eyes for a moment and frowned. “How can life be so good on one hand and then so bad on the other? Can’t life just be perfect every now and then? I mean, everything’s going so well now. Finally, things are starting to fall into place for me. My wedding planning business hasn’t been doing well but that’s about to change. I got a new client today and you’ll never guess who. Anne Downing. And on top of that, I’m starting an online dating website that’s going to be amazing. And, Brogan’s going to have the website up and running in a couple days. So yeah, life is pretty good.”
Pule frowned and tilted his head to the side as he studied her. “But… I hear a but in that sentence.”
Meredith nodded her head and looked down at her lap. “But I’ve hurt someone I care about and it’s eating me up because there’s no way I can fix it. It makes me feel sick inside.”
Pule grinned. “Meredith, you have to be used to hurting people by now. And people are used to you doing the hurting. You just happen to be very blunt and feisty. It’ll blow over. You’ll see.”
Meredith grimaced and shook her head and Pule frowned. “What? What is it?”
Meredith cleared her throat. “Oh nothing, it’s just I don’t want to be like that anymore. I don’t want to be known for hurting people’s feelings. I want to be me but not at the expense of other people. Everybody changes. You’ve changed in the last year. Asher has changed. And I have too. I just wish people would realize that and not assume that I’m some horrible witch all of the time.”
Pule blew out a breath. “And by people, you mean me.”
Meredith nodded. “We’re friends, I get that we tease each other and we’re real with one another. But I’d like for once for people to look at me and see a smart and possibly kind, business woman. Not some witch. I wouldn’t mind if you looked at me at some point and thought of me as a nice person.”
Pule blinked in surprise as a slow smile lifted his face. Meredith cared about what he thought about her. She was upset that he’d think badly of her. Meredith must have feelings for him. Pule sighed and sat back, feeling much better about life.
“Meredith, rest easy. I know you. You might be feisty but you’re a sweetheart. I know that. Soon everyone else will too. Relax.”
Meredith shrugged and pulled her legs up underneath her, as she tucked her skirt around her legs. “You still think I’m capable of going crazy on people… and maybe I am. But I’d like to think I’m a changed person. Sometimes, I wish I could move to another state and start over fresh where people didn’t know about me and all the stupid things I’ve done,” she said as she leaned back, closing her eyes and looking silently miserable.
Pule frowned. Something was up. She really was eaten up about this person she’d hurt. Time to pull it out of her.
“All right. Just tell me who you hurt and we’ll deal with it. Tell me what happened and we’ll find a way to fix it. We’re friends. You can tell me anything.”
Meredith sat up and looked at him, hope lighting her sad, blue eyes. “Really? You’ll help me fix this?” she asked in wonder.
Pule shrugged and smiled cockily. “Pule Matafeo, fixer of disasters and hero to beautiful women everywhere. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me.”
Meredith laughed and turned towards him. “Actually, I have heard of you.”
Pule grinned and sat up. “All lies. Now spill it.”
Meredith groaned and covered her face with a pillow before she looked up at him again. “I don’t think I can say it,” she said quietly.
Pule frowned wondering how serious this was. “Meredith, come on. This is me. You can tell me anything.”
Meredith bit her lip and groaned lightly. “You promise you’ll help me no matter what?”
Pule nodded. “Your dark secrets are safe with me and if there’s anything I can do to help you fix this, you have my word of honor as a Matafeo that I will.”
Meredith smiled a wobbly smile as her eyes filled with bright tears. Pule grimaced hoping she wouldn’t actually start sobbing.
“Okay, so here’s the deal. Asher has made it clear that he has feelings for me,” she said quietly as if she was telling the most horrible thing in the world.
Pule blinked and waited. There had to be more. But she just sat there staring at him as if that was it.
“And….,” he prompted.
Meredith frowned and looked at him as if he was stupid. “Didn’t you hear me? I just said Asher has feelings for me.”
Pule rolled his eyes. “You’re kidding me. This is the cause of all your agony?” he asked doubtfully. “Mer, everyone knows Asher likes you. You guys have dated a little. We all know you’ve kissed a few times. Are you feeling okay?” he asked, wondering if she was having a hormonal situation.
Meredith threw a pillow at his face, snapping his chin up and making him laugh.
“Don’t be a jerk. Look, yeah we went out a few times, but just as friends. And okay, yeah, we kissed a few times. Or a lot, but that’s not the point. We were friends. And now? He wants to change all of that and be serious with me.”
Pule frowned at that since he wanted to be serious with her but he was willing to play along. “So he comes to you and wants to take things to the next level and you shut him down. What’s the big deal? Happens to guys all the time. Heck, it happens to Asher all the time. The dude is used to it.”
Meredith stared up at the ceiling for a moment. “The big deal is I hurt him. And for some reason it turns out I hate doing that. I hate knowing that I hurt someone I care about. I can’t stand it,” she said softly.
Pule frowned at the pain he heard in her voice. “So if this is eating you up so much, why did you turn him down? Why not date the guy? You guys get along and you make each other laugh.”
Meredith lowered her head and massaged her temples. “Why did I turn him down? Because we’re business partners now, that’s why. I can’t date Asher now that we’re in business together. It would ruin everything. Say we did go out and things are great for a while and then like it always happens, things fall apart and then we have to dissolve the business because we hate each other? Then where would I be? I’d be out on the streets. I refuse to be so pathetic and stupid. Pule, this is my chance to make it. I finally have a chance to show people I’m not a complete loser and now Ashe
r wants to date me? No. Way,” she said, emphatically as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Pule shook his head. “You’re throwing a relationship away because of pride? Dude, that’s cold, Mer, even for you.”
Meredith glared at him. “That’s not cold. That’s being logical. Do you think a man would choose a relationship over business? Huh?”
Pule laughed. “No. Of course not.”
Meredith growled at him. “The double standard. Gag.”
Pule sighed in an exaggerated way that he knew would send steam flowing out of Meredith’s ears. “Women are women and men are men. We’re fundamentally different physically and emotionally. That’s nothing to get offended over. Women are soft and loving and giving. Men need that. Where would the world be without women and their calming and gentle influence?”
Meredith looked at him suspiciously as she tried to find the hidden insult. “Regardless of how wonderful women’s influence has been on the world, we should have the right to choose a career over a relationship if we want to.”
Pule nodded his head. “Absolutely. But if that’s such a wonderful thing, then why is it tearing you up so much? You look miserable and sick at heart. That’s not the look of a killer business woman. That’s the look of a woman who has made a huge mistake and doesn’t want to admit it.”
Meredith stared at him for a moment and then growled before throwing two more pillows at his head. He ducked the first one but the second one caught him squarely in the face. She was getting a better aim. He glared at her and threw the pillow on the ground beside him as he tried to gauge whether or not she was just going to give up and physically attack him.
“Is the truth hard or are you just in a violent mood?” he asked conversationally.
Meredith groaned loudly and collapsed on the couch as she kicked her legs up and down. Pule laughed. “Nice legs by the way. At least you have good genetics to be grateful for.”
Meredith ignored him so he decided to try again. “Look, I promised I’d help you. I’ll help you. I hate seeing you so eaten up with guilt and remorse.”
Meredith lifted her head. “It’s not guilt and remorse. I just….I just feel bad that Asher feels bad. This is just one friend having empathy for the heartbreak of another friend. No. Big. Deal.”
Pule nodded his head as he leaned back against the couch. “Yeah, right. Anyone who says, No. Big. Deal, is really saying, this is such a big deal,” he said in a fake, high pitched voice.
Meredith snorted as if she was trying hard not to laugh. “Well, you might have a point. But how can you help me? I mean, I just want things to go back to normal with Asher. We used to hang out and go dancing and to the movies and out to eat and we’d have so much fun. And now, there’s just nothing. I have work of course, but there’s no one to hang out with now. I’m a little lonely,” she said with a pout on her face.
Pule tried not to smile. “Well, when you’re used to dating two or three times a week and now you’re not, well, that’s going to burn for a while.”
Meredith rolled her eyes. “We weren’t dating. I keep telling everyone that. We are just friends who like to hang out. At least we did.”
Pule winced for Asher and felt a moment’s pain for the man. If the woman he was in love with said what Meredith just had, he’d want to die. “I hate to point this out, but if you were just friends as you put it so bluntly, then why does Asher have feelings for you? And you obviously care about him. I mean, if just the thought of causing him pain gives you agony, then honey, you aren’t just friends. There’s something going on there.”
Meredith groaned loudly and stared at him. “Regardless of who has what feelings, I am choosing to just be friends with Asher, because that’s all it can ever be. Now help me figure that out. And while you’re at it, I want you to talk to Asher and see how he’s really doing. Today after lunch he just walked out of the restaurant without waiting for me or even saying goodbye. Find out if he’s mad at me. Find out if he … if he hates me,” she said quietly.
Pule rubbed a hand over his face and wished he hadn’t promised to help her now. Talking to Asher was no big deal usually. Talking to Asher about his feelings for a woman that he personally had feelings for as well? Not fun. But he’d given his word as a Matafeo and he’d promised to help her. Which meant, he had no choice.
“Fine, I’ll use my sharply honed police skills to track the poor man down and see if he’s still breathing. Satisfied?”
Meredith smiled in relief. “For now. You actually have to help me fix the whole mess, but this is a good start,” she said patting his hand.
Pule stood up and wondered why men were such idiots. Oh right, a pretty woman could make a fool of a man easier than breathing. How could he have forgotten about that?
Meredith waved him off with a happy grin and he made his way down to his car. Now where to find Asher? He threw his keys up in the air a few times as he thought about it and then realized he really didn’t want to put that much energy into it. He took out his phone and texted Asher.
Hey man, where you at? Let’s hang out.
Five seconds later, he got a reply.
I’m at Ivy and Becket’s house helping them install a new faucet. Come over.
Pule hopped in his car and headed towards the older part of town. He was surprised that Becket would ask Asher, but then again maybe he shouldn’t be. Becket and Garrett were closer than any two brothers he’d ever known and Becket knew how much Garrett loved his little brother. It only made sense that he’d go to any lengths to make the relationship work.
Driving up to the old Nyman house, he smiled at the changes. Garrett had redone all of the landscaping and had removed probably the ugliest tree in the world from the yard, making the house shine. He ran up the stairs and let himself in the front door, surprised that it wasn’t locked. Just a few months ago, they had bodyguards and a tight security team watching over them. Ivy and Rayne had come close more than a few times to dying because of greed and what he still thought of as a clear case of insanity. But now that Graham and his mother were behind bars, they were free to live their lives and they were doing a good job of it.
Ivy and Rayne laughed more often now and practically glowed with happiness. Of course, being married to men who adored them might have something to do with that too. But it was more than that, Pule thought. The blessing of having that constant burden completely gone had given the two women a new lease on life. Ivy was now fearless when it came to singing and living life. Rayne had taken the other route though and had decided to simplify life. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was a couple months pregnant. Her eyes were bright and filled with joy now. And he was happy for them. He’d started out just helping the girls but now he loved them like sisters.
He walked into the kitchen to see Becket on his back with his head under the sink while Ivy stood at the counter studying a diagram on her laptop. She glanced up as he walked in and grinned.
“Pule! I haven’t seen you since last week,” she said and walked over to give him a hug.
Pule hugged her back, lifting her off the ground and then walked over and kicked Becket’s work boot.
“How’s it going down there?” he asked, glad it wasn’t him.
Becket scooted out and by the fierce frown on his face, not well. “It’s going. Is Asher back yet from the hardware store?”
Ivy shook her head. “He’ll be back any minute. Why don’t you take a little break since there’s nothing you can do? Let Pule have a look. Maybe he can help?” Ivy said, looking at him with big, pleading eyes.
Pule’s eyes went wide with dread. Plumbing was not his bag. “Yeah, sure, I’ll take a look,” he said unenthusiastically as Becket smiled for the first time and handed him a wrench.
“Huge leak. Find and fix,” he said.
Pule grumbled a little. “What’s a big, strong, back hoe driving man like you doing having a problem with a little leak?” he asked, as he flipped onto his back and grabbed the flashlight that was lying
on the floor.
Becket shrugged and put his arm around his wife’s waist. “We each have our expertise. Mine is dirt. Not plumbing.”
Pule rolled his eyes and moved the light around in circles, looking at where the water was coming from. He could see clearly the water was dripping down the big, main pipe and making a large puddle. He shuddered as he saw a large patch of black mold creeping up the side of the cabinet. “Yuck,” he mumbled and then followed the stream of water up the pipe.
He thought the water would come from a joint or a crack in the pipe, but as he followed the water, he could see it coming from where the sprayer was connected. He scooted further in and watched the drops of water for a moment before moving out and standing up. He turned around and grabbed the sprayer out of the sink and pulled it out, staring at it with a frown. He felt the base of the sprayer with his fingers and felt how loose it was. He unscrewed the sprayer and saw that the washer inside the sprayer was twisted on the side, allowing water to get past. He fixed the washer and screwed the sprayer back together tightly. He turned the water on and sprayed into the sink and then knelt down and flipped over, scooting back inside the sink and shining the light. He watched the drips of water but instead of coming fast, they slowed down and then stopped.
No way. He’d just fixed a simple plumbing problem. He grinned happily and scooted out, jumping up and gesturing to the sink. “Problem solved, my friends. Faulty washer in the sprayer.”
Becket glared at him and then grabbed the flashlight, staring down under the sink before looking back at Ivy. “Well, this is humbling,” he said with a faint smile.
Ivy laughed and hugged Pule again. “Pule, have I mentioned how much we miss having you around every day? Why in the world would you want to be a police officer when you can be paid to hang out with me and do little, fun odds and ends all day long? I have a bathroom light that needs to be fixed and a closet door that has come off its hinges.”
Becket made a loud huffing sound. “Hey, I told you last week I was going to fix those items. I’ve been a little busy at work is all.”
My One and Only: Book 1 in the Love and Weddings Trilogy Page 9
