Wild Hearts: A second chance, small town, single dad romance, page 21
“They did that?”
“Yeah. They’re sneaky little fuckers.”
“Dad!” I laugh.
“Go grab the crazy glue, would you? It’s in the drawer closest to the fridge.”
“Sure.” I nod, heading inside the trailer to open the drawer. It’s jammed full of old mail, random papers, and quite honestly, junk. I find the glue and shuffle everything back into place in order to close the drawer again. A fat manila envelope catches my eye, mostly because it’s addressed to me and unopened. I pull it out and flip it over in my hands on my way outside. There’s no return address, but the postmark is from Los Angeles County.
“Hey, Dad?”
“You find it?” He lifts his head from the broken ceramic pieces.
“Yeah.” I hand him the glue then show him the envelope. “When did this come for me?”
He squints, leaning closer to see what I’m holding. “Last week, or the one before? I can’t remember. Your mom was supposed to call you.”
Oh.
Memories from that morning come flooding back into my mind. She called, and I quickly forgot because Ryan was busy making me come.
“Is everything okay?” Dad stares with concern.
“Yeah, no. She did. I guess I forgot. Do you need my help out here?”
He shakes his head. “Nah, I’ve got it.”
“Okay.” Blood rushes in my ears as I walk back inside. I don’t know what’s inside this envelope, but it feels ominous. I sit on the sofa and shake off the strange vibes. This is probably just junk and I’m freaking out over nothing.
Ripping the adhesive flap away, I pull out the contents. A stack of standard-sized papers folded in half explains the thickness of the package, but when I open them a shocked gasp flies from my lips.
“Holy fuck.”
33
RYAN
We make it several days without any catastrophes, so when my cell rings after lunch and I see it’s Maeve calling, my gut fills with dread. “Hey, is everything all right?” I answer the phone, walking around the side of the barn for some shade and privacy.
“I don’t know. You tell me.” Her attitude is unexpected.
She obviously knows something, but after all the shit that went down last weekend, it could be many things. “Maeve, I’m not in the mood to play games right now. Say what you called to say.”
“I’m just trying to figure out why Val won’t return my calls and why my book club lost their newest favorite member.”
Shit. “I don’t know what you want from me here.”
“Ryan! Seriously? What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything other than tell her exactly how I feel!” I kick at the dirt.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“And then she just . . . left?”
“Kinda.” I scrub a hand down my face. “She was already gone by that point, and it was a really stressful couple of days. But none of that matters because at the end of it all she decided she wanted her old life more than she wanted me.” It’s the thought that’s been eating me up inside. Damn, it feels good to let that out.
“Ryan.” Maeve says softly.
“Yeah?”
“I love you, and you are the best big brother.” She pauses and the rush of her exhale sends static through the line. “But sometimes you are really fucking stupid.”
“Excuse me?”
“Valeria needing space is not the same as your wife deciding to leave you.” Her words strike a blow to my gut.
“I know that.” I rush to defend. At least, intellectually I do.
“But do you really? Because I think you might be making Val pay for the sins of your past relationship. Look, I can only imagine how much it hurt when Emma left, and I know you think you are over it because you’ve let Emma go and you’ve moved on, but have you really dug deep and examined how all of that made you feel? How you felt when mom died?”
Well, fuck. “That’s not the same. Mom didn’t choose to leave. Emma did.”
“But it still hurt. Those were big losses. They left you picking up the pieces. You take everything on, it’s in your personality, but everyone has their limits.”
“When did you become a licensed therapist?”
“Ha! I wish. Then I could charge you for this phone call.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “Good that you aren’t, then.”
“Did she really leave Wilder Valley?”
“I don’t know,” I lie, because the truth is embarrassing. She still has the cell phone I gave her and I can locate her phone from mine. It’s something I don’t allow myself to do more than once a day, and for the last four nights it’s become part of my bedtime ritual. “She might still be staying with her parents.” She definitely is.
“I sure hope so, because I wasn’t playing. Everyone in book club would be devastated to see her go.”
“Maeve.” I know she doesn’t want to hear this, but she’s got to know. “Val was never gonna stay. She was honest about that from the start. This was only a temporary thing.”
“But what if she changed her mind? What if you changed her mind?”
“I don’t have that power over her.”
“Well, I think you do. Love is the most powerful thing of all.”
“Reading romance novels again?”
“I’ve never stopped. And you’re a fool if you don’t believe me.”
“I hope you’re right.” I take a deep breath and exhale.
“And I hope you don’t walk away from the best thing to happen to you because you’re too scared to get hurt. If she asked for time, give her a little, but don’t wait too long. Second chances don’t come around for most of us.”
Ain’t that the damn truth.
34
VAL
Friday morning, I wake up with a renewed sense of purpose. I’m sitting on the couch, packing up my bag when my mom comes down the hall for work. “Hey, Mom.”
“Val! You’re up early.”
“Yeah.” I am done moping. It’s time to take back my life. For good this time. “Can I give you a ride to work?”
“Oh, you don’t have to.”
“I want to.” I smile and nod to the kitchen. “I made coffee too.”
Mom lifts her brows. She doesn’t have to say it, but she’s impressed. She’s probably relieved too. “So . . . what do you have planned today?”
“I am actually going to the library.”
“Oh?”
“I need to use the Wi-Fi.” And do some research. All of which I could probably manage on the cell Ryan gifted me, but that feels shady. Besides, staring at a full screen computer sounds much better to my eyes than squinting at a four-inch screen. My only apprehension is that I’ll likely see Rosalie. I don’t know if she and the rest of the book club know about me and Ryan—or how she will treat me if she does. But I can’t hide out in the trailer forever. “I’m going to start looking for another design job.”
“Oh.” She sounds even more disappointed than before. “Don’t rush on our account. The sofa is yours as long as you want. We like having you close to home.”
“I like that, too,” I admit. “We’ll see what I can I find. I might have to move down to the valley for a while,” There’s not a ton of opportunities for interior design in our small town. “But maybe there’s something remote. I’d need to get my own place, though.” There’s not enough space to stay with my parents long term.
“Want me to ask around? I think the Fischers were planning to lease their guest house out for the winter. And Sue has an extra room at her place. She might be open to having a roommate.”
“No.” I shake my head. My mom will have a bulletin out to the entire town by the end of the day if I don’t stop her. “I’m going to figure out this next step on my own.”
“Have you talked to him?”
I don’t know if she means Ryan or Cash. The answer’s the same.
“No.”
“I don’t want to meddle, but—”
“Then don’t. I promise, I’m good. I’m okay, Mom.”
I sense her scrutinous stare, as if she’s assessing the truthfulness of my words. “Okay, then. I respect your decisions, even if I don’t agree with them.”
“Mom!”
She throws her hands up in defeat. “Okay! Fine! I’ll butt out.”
I pull out my keys and we head out, listening to music during the short drive. I pull up to the clinic and park.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“Of course.”
“And the coffee.” She takes her travel mug in one hand and reaches for the door handle with the other, but turns back to me before getting out. “I love you, Valeria. You know that, right?”
“I love you, too, Mom.”
We share a smile and then she gets out of the car, waving good-bye before walking to the building’s door. I wait until she’s inside before driving to my next destination.
Hours later I’m hiding out in the corner desk of the library, on a deep dive down the interwebs. My eyes are glazing over from legal jargon I can’t decipher when my phone rings. My gut twists with apprehension when I see that it’s Maeve. I guess after a week of successfully avoiding all Wilder siblings, my time’s up.
“Hello,” I answer.
“Val! Hey! I’m so glad you picked up. I wasn’t sure if you’d answer. How are you?”
That’s a loaded question.
“Never mind. Don’t answer that. Anyway, I was just calling to make sure you were still coming to book club.”
“Oh, um.” I keep my voice low, not to disturb anyone, but thankfully there’s no one on this side of the building. “I wasn’t sure I was still invited.”
“Are you kidding?” Maeve exhales. “Val, I don’t know what happened between you and my brother, but I’m not cutting you out because he fucked up.”
“He didn’t . . .” All Ryan did was call me out on my bullshit and lay his feelings on the line. I’m the one too scared to do the same. “I think maybe I was the one who fucked up.”
There’s a gasp from across the room. I’m met with a glare from a mother holding a baby in the children’s section.
“Sorry.” I pull the phone away from my mouth and whisper.
“Val?”
“Yeah?”
“No one’s perfect. Me especially, and if you’re worried we’re going to judge you, or that you won’t be welcome, that’s simply not true. You’re a part of this town. We all want you at book club. I want you there.”
“That’s . . .” I blink back the surge of emotion. “I would love to come tonight.”
“Really?” She lets out a squeal. “Oh, thank God. Asher won’t shut up about you, and tonight’s meeting is at Rosalie’s. She’s threatening to make us actually discuss the book. I need you to help run interference.”
“Have you ever considered calling your book club a wine club instead?”
She laughs. “Don’t you dare break our cover! People will start inviting themselves! It’ll be anarchy.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it!”
“You got the address?”
“Yeah.” Rosalie sent it in the group chat earlier. I feel bad for not responding. “I’ve got it.”
“Good.” A baby cries in the background. “Fuck.” She sighs. “I better go. Five o’clock can’t come soon enough.”
“Preach.” The idea of staring at these statutes and limitations for any longer makes me want to cry. “Hey, Maeve?”
“Yeah?”
“You wouldn’t happen to know a good lawyer?” Hell, any lawyer, bad or good, would do a better job of understanding what I’m looking at than I do.
She laughs, but when I don’t join in she stops. “Wait. Are you serious?”
“Yeah. It’s okay. It was a long shot but I had to ask.”
“Come to book club tonight and I’ll give you the best damn lawyer in all of Arizona.”
“Bribery, huh?”
“Incentive. See you in a few hours.”
We say our goodbyes and I end the call feeling a little lighter than before. I decide to switch gears and spend my remaining hours on the hunt for the perfect job. I’m sure it doesn’t exist, but I’m not giving up. I really do want to stay in Wilder Valley. I want to continue fostering friendships with Maeve, Asher, Bernadette, Liv, Jamie and Rosalie. I want this precious time with my parents, because it isn’t guaranteed and I’ve spent too many years away. And if I’m honest with myself, I want Ryan Wilder too. I don’t know if he’s willing to give us another chance and I wouldn’t blame him if he’s not. Most of all, I hate how we parted. I hate that I didn’t get a chance to give Riley, Zach, and Tess a proper goodbye.
By the time four-thirty rolls around, my stomach is growling with demands to be fed. The almonds and granola bar I shoved into my purse are long gone and I’m dreaming of the dynamite casserole dish Bernadette is certain to bring. I shove my personal items back into my bag, and log off the computer before heading out to my car.
I feel horrible showing up empty-handed so I make a quick stop at the diner and buy a pie before following the GPS to Rosalie’s.
Her place is a good twenty minutes from the center of town, a newer custom build at the end of a long private drive. Damn. I don’t know what she did prior to moving to Wilder Valley, but there’s no way her salary from the library paid for this.
I knock on the door, but when no one answers, I push it open and follow the sounds of laughter. The inside is immaculate and I adore the design. It’s warm and inviting. I come around the corner to the kitchen where everyone is gathered around a giant island.
“Val!” My name is cheered and I’m met with wide smiles.
“Sorry I’m late.” I wave. “I brought pie.”
“Oh, thank you.” Rosalie takes it from my hands and the conversations continue around us.
“I didn’t make it, so it’ll taste good,” I joke.
She sets the pie amongst the spread of appetizers and desserts. “What can I get you to drink? Beer? Wine? A margarita?”
“Wine would be perfect.”
She moves to the counter where a mini bar is set up. “I have a Syrah or a Chardonnay?”
“The Syrah.” I follow her and take the glass she pours. “Thank you.”
“Of course. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Val!” Maeve meets me by the bar. “Let me introduce you to my lawyer friend.”
“Oh, yes.” I glance around, but there’s no one new.
“Hi.” Bernadette waves.
“You’re a lawyer?” Bernadette with the kind face and the sweet disposition? The woman who shows up every week with a casserole that belongs in a cookbook?
“Last time I checked, yeah.” She laughs.
“I’m sorry. That’s so rude. If I earned a law degree, I’d introduce myself as Valeria Brooks, Master of Law.”
“It’s okay. I’m pretty low key about it.”
“She works for the government,” Maeve gushes.
“You say that like I’m a spy.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m not, by the way.”
“But you are pretty badass.”
She grins. “I’ll take that.”
“So, I’m not sure if you’ll have the answer to this, but let’s say your celebrity partner framed you for cheating while live-streaming to his followers across social media. But he was the one cheating and now you have proof of his affair.”
Bernadette lifts her brows. “Continue.”
“And you also have proof that he and his employee created lies about your character and sent them to celebrity gossip reporters and paparazzi, along with the address of the hotel you were staying in? Would I have a case to go after him for libel and slander?”
“If the proof was credible? Absolutely.”
“Because I received this.” I pull out the stack of papers I received from the mystery package. “Sent anonymously, so I don’t know who did this, but I have a pretty good guess.”
“A scorned lover?” She flips through the documents, quickly scanning each page.
“A disgruntled employee.” My bet is on one of the other assistants, but it has to be someone from his firm. No one else would have access. “I might be wrong though.”
This is why Cash called last week, begging me to fly home so we could work things out. I don’t know how he knows I have this damning evidence against him, but he must know. The man does nothing out of the goodness of his heart. Which makes his groveling phone call all the more pathetic. Did he really think I would forgive his sorry ass and jump on a plane after everything he did? It’s insulting.
“Val, I think you have yourself a case.”
“I don’t want his money. I just want to clear my name. I want to be able to work in design again and not have this hanging over me like some dirty little secret.”
“I can connect you with a good lawyer, but they’re going to be expensive.”
My stomach twists at that. There’s a possibility I could lose. Maybe I should just walk away. “Okay.”
“And because they’re good lawyers, they’re going to recommend you go for the jugular.”
“I just want to be able to pay for any legal fees.”
“If you have any chance of keeping this man from doing something like this to someone else, you have to make it hurt.” She’s right. If Cash is capable of screwing me over this way, what other victims lie in his future path?
“See. Best lawyer, right?” Maeve claps.
Bernadette’s cheeks darken and she waves Maeve off. She’s blushing.
“Thank you,” I say to both of them. We’ve only known each other a short time and I feel completely accepted and welcomed into this group as if I’m one of their own. Like I belong, and that feels pretty damn special.
35
RYAN
The kids and I are sprawled out on our oversized sectional, snacking on popcorn and watching a movie when my phone begins to ring. I don’t hear it above the explosions coming from the latest Marvel movie, but Tess notices its screen as it lights up with a call from its place at the end of the coffee table.
