Page 49 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

“What are you talking about?”

“James, Oliver, and Roman. They’re not like other guys.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“No, I mean, I know you’ve probably boned all three of them by now. It’s written all over your face. That smug satisfaction. I know it because I wore it, too. It’s not going to last, though. You’re not the right girl for them.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She gives me an all-knowing smirk. I’d like nothing more than to wipe it right off her face. “You think you’re the one, but you’re not. They’ve tried with other girls after it ended between us. It never worked out. I’m their girl. I know it, and they know it. You’re nothing more than a filler, a placeholder until James finally gathers the courage to admit the truth and come back to me.”

“Are you okay, Shauna?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, it seems like you might need professional help because you sound a little crazy,” I reply, narrowing my eyes ather. “Do you have any idea how bitter you come across? I get it. You had a thing with the guys; good for you, but it’s over. Please, move on and leave me the hell out of it.”

“I’m just trying to spare you some unnecessary suffering, honey.”

“Don’t call me honey,” I snap. “And don’t come into my place of work to try and ruffle my feathers over a personal dispute. Whatever you think, keep it to yourself, Shauna. My personal life is mine and mine alone.”

“Roman came to see me today,” she says.

My stomach drops. Shauna is quick to pick up on it and smiles broadly. “I’m telling you, Elise. They’re not going to keep you forever. They miss me. Sooner or later, they’ll gravitate back to me. They’ve done it before.”

I stare at her while nausea builds up, working its way to my throat.

“They always detour back to me, Elise. What we had was special, regardless of what they might’ve told you. Their egos are bruised. Yes, I wanted James all to myself for a while, but after they ended things, I told them I’d take the three of them back if that’s what they wanted. Pride got in the way, but they’re slipping. Every time they try meeting new people, they end up slipping closer to me.”

“What did Roman want from you today?”

She giggles, and I’m close to backhanding her across the face. “I bet you’d like to know,” she says. “Why don’t you go ahead and ask him, though whatever he tells you will probably be a lie. They always lie where I’m concerned. They can’t admit the truth.”

Shauna sounds a little too confident for my comfort. I’m already living with shadows following me. I don’t need doubts concerning Roman, Oliver, and James, too.

“You need to leave—now.”

“I wasn’t planning on sticking around anyway. Just keep what I told you in mind, Elise. And if you’re a smart woman, you’ll move on with your life before you get hurt.”

She slides off the stool with a sneer then walks out the door, leaving ugly doubts in her wake.

A heavy silence falls. My boots click loudly across the tiled floor as I walk over to lock the front door. My hand is shaky as I turn the key and pull the blinds down. By the time I sit down, tears are already streaming down my face while my head spins. Whatever this feeling is, it runs deep.

I find myself still agitated after I get home, quietly pacing around the kitchen. Shauna’s words keep echoing in the back of my mind. The girls are staying with Janice for a few more hours, so I’ve got some space to address the Shauna issue with Roman, James, and Oliver. It bugs me almost as much as the flower delivery itself.

I hear the front door open and glance at my watch.

“She’s going to love these,” I hear Oliver say.

“You think?” Roman replies.

“Elise!” James calls out.

I walk into the hallway to find all three standing in the spacious foyer with broad smiles upon their faces.

“Hey,” I mumble, barely able to look them in the eyes. But then I see the magnificent bouquet of burgundy carnations, mingled with an assortment of various flowers in lovely autumn colors, all beautifully wrapped in a shimmery bronze paper. “What’s that?”

“It’s for you,” Roman says, then walks over and offers it to me.

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