Page 50 of Wedding Season
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MARIELLAWASINthe shop’s office Saturday morning when she heard voices coming down the stairs, two of which she recognized despite her shock. She’d guessed who the third voice belonged to even before Heather laughed and called out the wordmomin a teasing voice.
Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She’d given Jasmin the day off because she couldn’t stand to spend any more time alone in her house but didn’t want to take the chance of running into Heather or her mother if the girl felt up to babysitting little Isabella.
She would have liked to spend the remaining days of her confinement wrapped up in Alex, but he’d received a call from his half brother the morning following their night together that his mother had suffered a mild heart attack. He’d immediately left for the airport to fly back to New York City.
She’d texted him late that night to check in, and he’d shared that they were putting a stent in her mother’s chest then sending her home. She was expected to make a full recovery.
Mariella’s mother had died at the hands of an aggressive melanoma a year before Mariella lost the company.
According to the doctors, her mother probably had symptoms that she ignored for months or longer leading up to the diagnosis. By the time they found the cancer, it had metastasized throughout her body.
Mariella had wanted to believe the understanding of what her mother was facing would help them bridge some of the difficulties in their relationship. That hadn’t been the case. Her mom had been just as bitter and cantankerous as ever, lamenting that it was no use having a successful child if that child couldn’t use her wealth to make her mother’s treatment options more favorable. As if Mariella was to blame for the cancer.
She hoped Alex found a way to make peace with his family while he was in New York City. There’d been several moments in the past couple of days when she’d wanted to call him. To hear his voice and offer whatever comfort she could. But she hadn’t, chiding herself for being a fool for even thinking she had a right to.
Mariella knew better than most people that having sex didn’t mean she was suddenly close to a man or had any claim on his life or affections.
The connection between her and Alex was physical. She wouldn’t jeopardize their burgeoning friendship by demanding something he’d already told her he had no intention of giving.
She hadn’t called. Instead, she’d become antsy in her house. Emma had offered to give her a room at the inn until Heather’s mom left so at least she wouldn’t be alone, but Mariella didn’t want to talk to her friends about how she was feeling. Part of her wanted to run away—that cowardly sliver of her soul that couldn’t give up the idea of taking off as an option to avoid the difficult parts of her life.
She didn’t want to be the type of person who ran away from her troubles any longer.
She also didn’t want to come face-to-face with Heather and her adoptive mother. Coming into the store seemed like a safe option, especially when Heather’s mother was leaving town that day.
It wouldn’t surprise Mariella if Heather had wanted her mom to meet Isabella. The girl loved that baby. She didn’t think her daughter would bring her mom into A Second Chance if she thought Mariella might be there.
It was barely eight in the morning. Hours earlier than Mariella would normally show up to open the shop.
So she did what any person determined to be braver would do and dropped from her chair to wedge herself under the desk.
If Jasmin was giving Heather and her mom a tour of the store for lord knew what reason, they wouldn’t need to come to the back. Maybe she wouldn’t venture to the office.
“I think we have one of the vanilla-lavender candles in back,” she heard Jasmin tell Heather and her mom.
Mariella glanced to her right at the row of metal shelves that held overflow inventory. She’d left the door to her office open and prayed Jasmin wouldn’t notice her as the young woman searched the shelves for the candle she wanted. She cradled Isabella in one arm, and Mariella offered up another quick prayer that the baby would burst into tears and distract the trio of unwelcome visitors to her office.
She’d been doing a lot of praying recently and wondered if the big guy was having a good laugh at her expense.
“I appreciate looking behind the scenes,” a soft voice said from the doorway.
Heat flooded her face. Her daughter’s mother was standing a few feet away.
“Mariella has...” Jasmin’s voice trailed off as she turned and noticed Mariella crouched behind the desk. Mariella shook her head sharply.
Jasmin stood stock-still for several long seconds then turned with a brittle smile. “We should head out into the store. If you like the scent of this candle, the same company makes a line of soap I’d love to show you before you get on the road.”
“Did you say Mariella?” the woman demanded.
“Mom, we should get going. I want to take you to the bakery one more time to pick up pastries for the girls before you head out.”
“Are you talking about Mariella Jacob?”
Jasmin glanced at Mariella out of the corner of her eye and then back toward Heather and her mom. “I think you’re really going to like those soaps. Plus a lotion bar to die for.”
“Mom, let’s go.”
