Page 63 of Against All Odds

“What does that mean?”

Her expression was one of pure disappointment. “I love Mama.ButI also know she can be petty, mean, and manipulative. I’m fifteen, andIknow that. You’re forty-two. How come you don’t?”

“I’m not going to bad mouth your mother in front of you, Juno, that’s not proper.”

“Oh, but it’s proper to subject me to you humiliating a woman for simply wanting to protect me?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I didn’t know that.”

“Because you didn’t bother to find out. Mama is trying to ruin Sable because she thinks you and she should get back together. Whenever she brings it up with me, I shut her down ‘cause your marriage is none of my business. Butyoumade your relationship with Sable my business by having a showdown in front of me.”

Juno’s voice rose, and I couldn’t even ask her to keep it down and play parent because, right now, between us, she was proving to be the smarter one.

I hadn’t believed that Alexa or Daniel could actually affect the Wildflower. It was just the slow season, and maybe not all the changes Sable made had landed.

I closed my eyes as an epiphany struck. I didn’t want to believe it because I didn’t want the drama. I wanted to have companionship and sex with Sable. I didn’t want to share her problems—which was shitty of me, considering this problem was created by my ex-wifebecauseof me.

I never thought of myself as a selfish man. I wasgiving. I took care of people. But right now, it was evident to me that I’d fucked up with Sable.Big time.

“I thought you were better than this.” Juno walked away from me and then added over her shoulder, “I won’t be home. I’m going to hang out with Bess.”

I didn’t know how to make it up to Juno.

After I dropped her off at her friend’s place, I went into town to get coffee. I thought, maybe I’d get some lunch…maybe go to the Wildflower and see if I could talk to Sable. Or rather, she’d talk to me.

After my conversation with Juno, the gravity of my situation became apparent, and it slammed into me at the coffee shop where Natasha was chatting with the barista.

“Yeah, make it triple shots. We overdid it last night, and we’re all hungover.”

“Natasha,” I greeted her.

“Well, if it isn’t Aspen’s favorite idiot,” she said loudly enough for everyone at the coffee shop to hear.

She turned and walked straight up to me. I braced myself. “Do you have any idea how badly you screwed up?”

I looked around. “Can we not do this here?”

“Why? Because people will talk? People are already talking since you decided to shit all over Sable in front of God and all of Aspen County.”

Okay, so she was pissed, and I did the thing everyone tells a man not to do. I said, “Look, I know you’re upset?—”

“Upset?” she cut in, her voice sharp. “Upset doesn’t cover it, Heath. How could you?”

“She yelled at Alexa in public,” I argued. “What was I supposed to do?”

Natasha’s eyes flashed with anger. “Oh, I don’t know—maybe listen to Sable? Maybe not assume the worst just because my sister was involved? Maybe not rip her to shreds in front of half of Aspen?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but she wasn’t done.

“You let Alexa play you.” Her tone dropped with disgust…for me. “And you know what? I thought you were smarter than that. But I guess I was wrong.”

With that, she turned and stormed out, leaving me standing there with more eyes on me than I cared.

“Glad you got rid of her.” One of Daniel’s cigar-suited friends patted my shoulder as I walked up to the counter to order an espresso, maybe a triple shot. “Good, you showed that woman her place. I think it’d be best if she sold that business, packed up, and left. I know some investors who are interested in getting their hands on a local place like the Wildflower.”

I glared at the man. “Please don’t presume you and I are friends, which gives you the right to talk to me about what is my private business. And regarding Sable, she’s not leaving Aspen, not if I have anything to do with it.”

Shit! They were trying to run her out of town. What was next? Pitchforks?

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