Page 14 of Always on My Mind

Paige was one Tessa recognized from watching the Lionesses. Back when she had a reason to root for England. Though those days were long over.

“Niamh, for the last time, we aren’tgirls, we’rewomen,” Paige said.

“Bit of a craic killer,” Niamh said to Tessa.

“Aye, so she is,” Tessa replied.

“I am not!” Paige protested. “But the language we use is important because—”

“I agree with you, Paige, but let’s be honest,” Tessa said. “D’you honestly think the Spice Girls would’ve been the iconic pop legends they are if they’d been called the Spice Women?”

Paige opened her mouth, but closed it again. “Alright, fair enough.”

Tessa and Niamh giggled together.

They led the group inside, Tessa showing them where the food and drinks were, and she noticed the crisps were getting low. As she moved to correct that, there was another knock on the door.

“I’m away to the kitchen, can you get the door, Niamh?”

“On it.”

Paige, Salma, and Kiri blended into the crowd who were all serenading each other with “2 Become 1.”

The kitchen was thankfully clear. Tessa went right to the cabinet to retrieve a fresh bag of crisps. She put her hand on the wood to close it back when she heard a voice that sent a chill up her spine.

“Baby Spice, huh?”

Tessa jumped, slamming the cupboard door shut as she whirled around. Her worst nightmare stood there in her kitchen, looking like an absolute fucking ride in her Posh Spice get up. The figure hugging black dress with matching heels made her ass as firm and round as a peach. But Tessa’s eyes didn’t linger there long. They trailed all the way up to Jamie’s face,which, despite the makeup, appeared exactly the same as Tessa remembered.

Her heart lurched inside her chest. Her stomach dropped like a sandbag. Her knees buckled, so she took a step back to steady herself. How was it possible that Jamie Hupp was standing in her flat?

“I—what—fucking—” She stopped to take a deep breath. “That dress is cracker.”

Jamie’s mouth twitched upward. “Thanks.”

They stood in silence for another moment while Tessa tried to make her mind settle on one question at a time. She had several thousand. And clearly Jamie wasn’t going to initiate things. Which was typical.

Tessa narrowed her eyes at her ex. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Haven’t you heard?” Jamie finally had the decency to look uncomfortable. “I signed with Stanmore.”

Tessa stumbled backward, catching herself on the wall before she fell. The air whooshed out of her lungs as if Jamie had sucked it out herself.

“What?” Tessa said, in almost a whisper.

“I think we should talk.”

“This is a bit public for you, isn’t it?”

Jamie drew back, stung. “I. . . I was going to suggest we step outside.”

“Of course you were.”

“Tessa, I—”

“Crisps!” Tessa cut across her and shook the bag noisily in front of her. “I’ve got. . . crisps to refill. Very busy time of year for crisps, y’know.”

Jamie blinked, and Tessa mentally kicked herself, but pushed past Jamie anyway to get to the kitchen table. She tore open the bag with more force than she meant to, turned it over, anddumped its contents into the bowl. The whole time, she could feel Jamie’s eyes on her. Those stunning blue eyes that Tessa now knew she had loved in more than one lifetime. She had followed those eyes into the Atlantic before they would reach Jamestown, across ballrooms during the American Revolution, and around a hospital ward throughout the First World War.

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