Page 6 of Loving My Enemy

“I know. The mayor wanted me to extend his welcome to Tulip and invite you to our upcoming chamber lunch. It’s a small event we do to keep in touch with local business owners, allowing them to network and talk to other business owners.”

Business owner. Those words didn’t feel like an accurate description of me but I nodded. “I mean, I’m not really a business owner. I just make things.”

Penny sighed and put a hand on her hip. “Elka’s Essence did more than fifty grand in sales last year and you are the sole owner and operator, correct?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then I’m sorry to break it to you, sister, but you are a business owner. This will be good for you too. You can meet some people in town and see how you can help one anothersucceed.” It was an excellent point and based on her smug smile, she knew it.

“Okay, yes. I would love to attend. Thanks for the invite.” I knew she wasn’t inviting me but it still felt nice. In Washington, I didn’t know any of our neighbors, but I’d seen them out playing and heard their screams and shouts of joy as they enjoyed their childhoods.

Maybe this was the first step to changing all that. A lunch with new people.

Make some connections and maybe even some friends.

“No problem. Here’s my card. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything, even to talk.”

I accepted the card and stared at her number scrawled on the back of the card. “Seriously? You’d let me call you just to talk?”

“Why not?” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “I’ve been here almost two years, so if anyone knows how you’re feeling, it’s me.”

Right. “Thank you.” I was so choked with emotion, the words barely came out above a whisper.

“No problem. Welcome to Tulip, Elka.”

When Penny made her way back to the street, I let a small smile escape. That was a nice interaction with a complete stranger, confirming once again that this was the right decision. Feeling better about things, I went back to unpacking until the trailer was empty.

Grabbing a bottle of water, I went back out to double-check the trailer was empty before I locked it up. Rusty still hadn’t called me back about picking up my car, which made it impossible to move the trailer from its present spot—a fact that made me groan. Back inside the house, I tried to call Rusty again, but the phone rang and rang. “Dammit!”

The sound of a fist pounding on my door shocked a scream out of me and it took a second to get my breathing under control.It was an ominous sound and I took my time answering it, happy I’d left the latch on the screen door so there was some distance between me and the angry knocker on the other side. A groan escaped when I opened the door. “Office Vargas, what can I do for you?”

“Your trailer is blocking the sidewalk,” he barked out, dark brows pulled into an angry V.

Seriously? “Yeah. I’m aware of that. Thanks.”

“Make sure it’s done. Today.”

This guy was unbelievable. “And if I don’t?”

“Then you’ll have to answer to me.” He was tall, easily over six feet, and the way he leaned in was an intentional act of intimidation.

“What are you going to do, continue to bully me? Big deal.”

“Just move the damn trailer.”

“I’ll get around to it. Eventually.” There was no way I would let this jerk push me around. That wasn’t the life I lived anymore. “Tell me what law I’m violating.”

“What?”

“You came over here in your official capacity as law enforcement to threaten me if I don’t move the trailer. So tell me, officer, what exact code does it violate?” He stared at me, his gaze growing darker by the second. My heart sped up at the look in his eyes. It was angry but it was also quite handsome. Stunning, really. “That’s what I thought.” Without another word, I stepped back and slammed the door in his face.

It felt good to stand up for myself and I smiled. It might backfire, spectacularly, but it let me know that I was capable of fighting back.

It was easy because Officer Vargas had been nothing but a jerk since he’d ambled up to me on the side of the road. He might have been handsome and brooding and sexy as all hell, but hewas mean and a bully. And it didn’t seem to matter that I’d done nothing wrong. The man hated my guts.

Which was fine by me, because I didn’t like him either.

“Finally!”I took a step back and smiled at my workspace. It had taken a full day to get everything set up so that I could move seamlessly from the candle station to the incense station. There was a small, much darker room, off to the side where I would make my blessing and smudging kits, potpourri bowls, and all the other “spirituality mumbo jumbo,” as my parents called it. Excitement bubbled out of me and I was eager to get to work. It had been too long since I sat down and lost myself in a day of work. I was itching to get back to doing what made me happy.

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