Page 75 of The Wish List
“We had fun, Greer. Let’s do it again sometime.” She forced a relaxed tone when that was the exact opposite of how she felt. “But you need to get out of this dressing room so I can change.”
“Can I take you to dinner?”
“That horse left the barn. You don’t need to wine and dine me.”
“I’d like to talk to you.” There was a note in his voice that gave her pause.
“I think we should stick to hanging out and not talking. You might annoy me too much over dinner.”
His full mouth, the one she knew he could use so expertly, tipped up at one corner. “I’ll say okay for now, but not for long.” Then he kissed the top of her head and slipped out of the dressing room.
Freya quickly changed back into regular clothes. She wanted to walk out without buying the dress despite how much she loved it. She’d never be able to wear it without thinking of the way Greer looked at her in the dressing room mirror.
But she wasn’t going to admit that it had that effect on her, so she scooped it up, along with the boots and necklace. After stopping to pick up bottles of lotion to use as stocking stuffers for each of her sisters and her mother, she approached the counter. Mariella was just finishing up with another customer.
“Does this place really satisfy you?” Freya asked, unsure whether she was speaking of the shop or the town in general.
Mariella smiled as if she understood exactly what Freya wanted to know. “It does. You should stop by the inn sometime and take a look. The weddings we host might give you a different impression about romance than you get on those dating shows with all the rose petals and complicated maneuvering. Sometimes love is simpler than we think. We’re the ones that make it harder than it needs to be.”
Freya wrinkled her nose. “Rose petals aren’t my favorite anyway,” she admitted.
She pulled her wallet out of her purse then frowned as Mariella told her the total. “That can’t be right,” Freya said. “That sounds like what I owe for the lotion. I don’t think you included the outfit.”
Mariella shook her head. “You have a secret Santa who took care of the outfit,” she said as she began to fold the dress. “Would you like me to gift wrap it? Better than rose petals.”
“He shouldn’t have done that,” Freya said quietly.
Mariella’s gaze lit with a gentle understanding. “Nice guys are hard to come by and sometimes even harder to appreciate.”
“That’s the thing.” Freya wasn’t sure why she felt she could be honest with this virtual stranger, but she did. “Greer has no reason to be nice to me that I can figure out. It makes me suspicious like there’s something he wants from my mother or me. I want to know what it is.”
Mariella inclined her head. “Is it possible that he wants to make you happy?”
“You truly have gone all-in with small-town life if you believe that. Also, I have some land in the Everglades I’d like to sell you.”
Mariella let out a throaty laugh. She picked up a business card from the small stack next to the cash register. “I’m going to write my cell phone number on here. I’m serious about a potential collaboration between you and The Fit Collective. Consider it and give me a call if you’re interested.”
Freya didn’t bother to tell the woman there was no way she would be calling. She knew enough to never say never.
The producers might not be excited about her idea for a tour of the town that didn’t include her family home, but maybe the promise of a behind-the-scenes look at a company like The Fit Collective would be an appealing carrot to dangle. Besides, she wasn’t sure how long she’d have the muscles she’d gained during her time in Magnolia. Might as well put those things on display.
It was easy enough to share her body with people. Her heart was another story, even though every day she felt more certain she was missing something important.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“WHATDOYOUthink is going on?” Freya asked as she leaned closer to Beth. “And why do I feel so nervous about it?”
Beth pressed a hand to her stomach, where it felt as though a thousand butterflies were gearing up to take flight. “I’m not sure. Whatever it is...” She lowered her voice as she looked toward her youngest sister, standing near the window across the conference room with Thomas in her arms. “I hope it doesn’t upset Trinity. She’s adjusted to being a mom so well and doesn’t need more stress.”
The director of the rehab facility had called Beth that morning and asked that she and her sisters meet but hadn’t offered any details—at May’s request, she’d explained.
“Greg couldn’t find out anything?”
Beth felt Freya’s gaze on her. “I didn’t talk to him,” she admitted. “I need to leave that relationship in the past to move forward.” She wasn’t sure why, but she expected her sister to admonish her for her selfishness.
Certainly her ex-husband could access the information for them, but it felt wrong to ask. It felt like pimping herself or opening the door to him calling on her for a return favor. She didn’t want that or to explain to Declan that she continued to have ties to her ex.
Even though her relationship with Declan was undefined, it felt somehow disloyal.
