Page 121 of My Silver Lining

With the time change, we hadn’t been able to talk as often as we were used to, which meant we now only spoke once a day instead of many times throughout the day.

“Bonjour, Lulubelle,” she sang from the other end of the phone, and I groaned in irritation.

“If I had a nickel for everyone who calls me from the States and says Bonjour, I’d be a very wealthy woman,” I grumped.

“You already are a wealthy woman, so you’d be a wealthy woman with an extra quarter?” she chuckled.

“Jared is using some French language app and thinks he’s fluent now. He only wants to speak French to me on the phone. The calls take twice as long because I have no idea what the hell he’s trying to say.”

“I see you’re still a ray of sunshine.”

“I’ve just been busy with work.” I sighed. I’ve been in a foul mood for a few weeks now. “I mean, I love living here. It’s the dream, right? I’ve just been in a bad mood since I got here.”

She chuckled. “I was just there a few days ago, and I have to say, your moodiness seems to bode well for you in Paris. If someone gave you a cigarette, you’d look like you’ve lived there your whole life.”

“I miss you,” I said, reaching for my wine glass as I scanned the people walking by. “I loved having you here.”

“Yeah, me, too. So what happened with the half-naked mailroom guy? Has he asked you out again?”

“Yes. This morning. I think the fact that I’m rejecting him is making him like me more. But he smells like patchouli oil and lemons, and the combination is offensive.”

“You’ve always got the butcher, and you said he smells like salami and cheese.”

I laughed for the first time since she left. Work was kicking my ass, and I was putting in long hours. I didn’t even want to have a day off because it would be too much time to think.

To think about what I was missing.

“How’s everyone doing there? Did you dominate at pickleball this week?” I asked, chewing on my thumbnail as I tried to figure out how to ask about Rafe without making it obvious.

“We won by the skin of our teeth because Rafe forfeited his game when he stormed off the court because Bridger’s paddle hit him in the wrist and broke the bracelet you made him and possibly fractured his wrist.”

“What? He broke his wrist?”

“We don’t know. He refuses to go to the doctor because he’s going to Magnolia Falls tomorrow for Beefcake’s baseball game, and he said he’d have Emerson check it. Have you talked to him?”

“I mean, we send the occasional text messages. We just check in. We haven’t spoken on the phone because what’s the point? We both know we need to move on,” I said, and my chest squeezed as the words left my mouth.

“You guys are both so stubborn. He’s been a mopey bastard since you left, and you don’t seem any better. So just pick up the damn phone.”

“And say what? Hey, Rafael, I live in Paris, and this is the best thing I’ve ever done for my business. And you live on the other side of the world in Rosewood River, which is your favorite place to be. But maybe we can spend hours on the phone until you meet some local girl who can give you what you deserve.”

“Wow. Okay, then. Sorry for the suggestion. I’m sure you’ll both eventually stop moping and move on,” she said.

“What does that mean? Is that your way of telling me that he’s dating? Is it serious? I hope he’s not with that biotch, Jolie. That will infuriate me,” I hissed, and the dude sitting at the table beside me glared at me for ruining his romantic moment with his lover, and I scowled at him until he looked away.

“I don’t think he’s dating. Easton hasn’t said a word other than telling me that Rafe is in a bad mood. He skipped Sunday dinner, which had everyone worried.”

“Maybe he was on a date,” I said because I couldn’t not think about it.

Henley laughed. “You’re insane. I think he just sits home alone, and we both know he’s a social guy, so that’s not really his style. But I think he’s moping, too.”

“Will you just find out how his wrist is and let me know please?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve got to get back to work. Love you big, Lu.”

“Love you bigger.”

The next few days were spent working long hours. We’d selected the fall line for the next season, and our first Paris launch would be in two weeks. We just wrapped up our meeting, so now we’d get to work on placing the orders.

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