Page 51 of Never Let You Go

Then he skates away, and a slow grin spreads across my face while I stifle a chuckle.

On our way, Grace informs me that Cassandra sells lingerie and that her shop draws clients from three states and parts of Canada. Her shop is located in an adorable white and light-gray cape, with lights in and around the windows and alongside the walkway.

We enter through a back door leading us straight into what’s best described as a she-shed. A woman cave. White couches with gold throw pillows. Bright pink, furry armchairs. Wall-to-wall cream carpeting. A crystal chandelier. A white fireplace lit with a gentle fire. Mounted on the mantel, a faux doe head in a patchwork fabric wearing dangle diamond earrings. A mirrored bar in a corner, with a pink neon sign above it that reads, Babes Only.

Okey doke. Game Night is on.

The chatter of the group of women gathered in the room dips when we arrive, only to pick up louder as they greet me. Cassandra, a beautiful woman in her forties with streaks of blue in her hair, hugs me right away. Before moving onto the other ladies, she introduces me to Justin’s sister, a young woman named Haley with straight blond hair and pale blue eyes who’s at the bar, pouring wine into stem glasses.

“Just what I need,” I say to Haley.

She flashes back a smile. “Uh-oh. Rough day?”

“One of many.”

She hands me a glass of white wine. “Then you’ve come to the right place.”

Thanking her, I turn around and look for a place to sit. Skye’s teacher, Laura, is here, and so is Sophie, the librarian who I met on my first night in Emerald Creek. Willow makes her way to me as I sit on a comfy couch. Lucky for me, Kiara isn’t here. Grace joins me on the couch.

Willow crouches next to me and sets her hand on my knee. “You okay?” she asks with a a suppressed giggle.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Better now. I’m so sor—”

“Stop it! That tray should never have been there. And Kiara shouldn’t have reacted that way. It was her fault. She’s a little—well, a lot—hyper. But, when you get to know her, she has a heart of gold.”

“Barf Barf. Jesus. Next thing you know, she’s gonna stitch that on my apron. Yo, Bambi. Where’re your glasses?”

My body goes cold. Shoooot. Just the person I did not need tonight. “I’m so sorry, Kiara, so so sorry, I don’t know where to begin.”

She’s standing in front of me, and even though she’s of the tiny kind, she is. Frigging. Scary. She rubs her chin like she’s considering my punishment.

“I obviously didn’t mean to do that,” I continue.

She doesn’t say anything. No forget it, no water under the bridge. Nope.

“And, if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you…” I trail off.

Still nothing. She just stands there, watching me squirm.

It was her fault the tray was sticking out. Someone was bound to knock it off the table.

I sit up. Enough already. “You know what, screw it.”

“Whooo hooo!” she does a little happy dance. “Fiiiiiinally. Stop taking other people’s shit. You gotta work on that. Big boss man told me already, but I couldn’t believe it ’til I saw it.”

“Christopher?”

Her eyes go soft for a beat, and she repeats, “Christopher,” all breathy-like.

Is she making fun of me? She’s totally making fun of me.

“Jeeze, Kiara, leave her alone already,” Grace says.

“Ohmygod,” Willow is holding her hand to her mouth, “you’re right, she’s totally into him. That’s so cute.”

Sophie is quiet as a mouse, looking at me with mischief in her eye.

“What’s cute?” Haley says, coming around for refills.

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