Page 136 of Outside The Wire

“Uh-huh. And that’s one of his friends.”

“What the hell? What are you gonna do? Should you hide?”

My heart raced as I tried quickly to consider my options, but there was no time. She was already walking up the steps. “Be cool. Be cool!” I said, shooing her away.

She hurried away with her ribbon dragging behind her. Stopping at the shelf she was working at, she wound the ribbon on the spool while I pretended to look for something behind the counter. The bell chimed over the door, alerting me to their arrival, but I just wasn’t ready to face her yet. I heard Noelle’s fake cheerful voice welcome her in, and I took a deep breath before standing up.

Patrick eyed me instantly, shooting me a knowing look. I narrowed my eyes at him, letting him know I was not happy about him ambushing me like this. I was so gonna tell on him.

“This is such a great store!” Jade said, walking around as she looked at everything, picking up little odds and ends to check out. As she walked into another room, Noelle followed, chatting her up.

I waved Patrick over, scowling the whole time. “What the hell is going on?”

“She wanted to meet you.”

“And you thought that was a good idea?”

He smirked at me, finding the whole thing funny. “A cat fight in the middle of the day? I think it’s a great idea.”

“And what do you think Asher will say when he hears about your stunt?”

“He’ll probably kick me in the balls, but he’s done that before.”

“I can’t believe you would bring her here,” I hissed. “She probably hates me.”

He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Hate is a strong word. Look, she’s accepted that Asher’s with you. She just wanted to meet you and get a feel for you.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Oh,Ineed to be checked out? Because I’m so untrustworthy? I didn’t come from a family of gangsters!”

I quickly glanced to the side, making sure she was still out of earshot.

“So what? She gets a look at you and sees what a great person you are. It’ll make her feel better and she’ll leave.”

I nearly laughed at that. “Oh, is that how you think women are?”

“Is that not right?”

“I bet you she gave you some song and dance about how she loves Asher and just wants to know he’s in good hands. That he’s taken care of by a good woman. Once she sees with her own eyes how good I am for him, she can leave knowing that Asher has found a woman that’s right for him. Sound familiar?”

He scratched the back of his head. “Actually, that’s pretty damn close to what she said.”

“That’s because it was a line! And you were stupid enough to fall for it. She didn’t want to come here to let him go. She wanted to come here to find my weak points so she could strike back.”

He laughed at that. “Okay. I had no idea this wasStar Wars. Don’t be so dramatic. She’s not after you, and she’s not striking back.”

“So, she woke up from her coma of four years, found out that her husband moved on without her, and she’s just walking away?”

He frowned. “You don’t think so?”

“Oh my gosh!” Jade said as she walked back into the main room. “This place is so amazing. I love all the stuff you have here. I want to buy it all. I mean, I could, but that wouldn’t be smart. I have to find someplace new to stay.”

She rushed over to me and gripped both of my hands. I stared at her with wide eyes, unsure of how to respond when my initial reaction was to tear the from her grasp.

“I know we weren’t properly introduced the other night. I’m Jade. Asher’s told me about you, and I just had to meet the woman who stole his heart. I really am very happy for him.”

“Uh…”

“I can see why he fell in love with you. You have a wonderful store. I just love everything. Maybe when I find a house, you can help me decorate!”

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