Always and Forever (2 page)

When we get to the back of the store, I switch on my little radio for some tunes to
keep us entertained then Greer and I grab our sanding blocks and get started. When
we’d begun this project, she’d at first complained asking why I wasn’t using electric
sanders and I’d explained that the armoire was over a hundred years old and we had
to be careful. I guess she wasn’t complaining now since her arms were getting a workout.
And, God, I was so happy she’d moved closer to home. Her husband Clay was an optometrist
(and was amazing to her, by the way) and had been working in Harrisonburg for the
past five years, but three months ago he’d gotten a job in Richmond and we’d all been
thrilled. Instead of them being almost three hours away, now only an hour separated
us, which meant we got to see them and my sweet niece more often. Greer and Addie
had come in Wednesday of this week and were staying until Sunday at Mom and Dad’s
and Clay was coming down this evening. I loved when my family was all together as
did my parents who were right now watching Addie and loving that they were getting
to play Grandma and Grandpa. And I was loving that my parents, while Greer was here,
weren’t bugging me asking when I was going to have kids.

While I sand away, I think about what happened earlier, testing to see if I’m really
over Brody, wondering that if I saw him out with someone else, would I be jealous.
When I come to the conclusion that, hell yes, I’d be jealous, furious even, and would
probably spontaneously claw the chick’s eyes out right before castrating him, I sigh.
So much for progress, huh? I let out another sigh, and to get my mind off him, I start
listening to the radio which is a bad idea because as I listen, I realize that almost
every song is about love and heartache and breakups and cheating and I want to throw
something.

Note to self: Don’t listen to the radio when you’re single. Ever.

Using her sisterly ESP and sensing that I’m having a tough time, Greer looks at me
cross-eyed then winks mumbling that everything’s going to be okay before she takes
a deep breath herself and continues scrubbing on the armoire. It’s then that the bell
on the front door of the store jingles.

“Be with you in a second,” I holler then put my sanding block down and go over to
rinse my hands in the sink. “I’ll be back,” I tell Greer as she continues with her
sanding, making me giggle as she shakes her butt to what’s finally an upbeat tune
that’s now playing on the radio.

As I walk toward the front, I run my hands down the cute floral dress I’m wearing.
It’s got skinny shoulder straps and a big, hot pink bow that ties to the side. Totally
girly and totally me. It’s also a dress meant to be worn in the spring which is still
a couple months away but I’m ready for nice weather, so ridiculously sick of the cold.
I’d accompanied it with a hot pink sweater but had hung it over the back of a chair
before I started sanding. Now my hot pink heels click on the floor as I approach the
man standing with his back to me, and I can only see the outline of him since the
big window of my store is behind him, the glare from outside making him a shadow,
but I see he has broad shoulders and a narrow waist which makes me raise my eyebrows
in appreciation. Nice. I could stand some man candy right about now to obliterate
all thoughts about my ex. I find I’m actually looking forward to my mind spending
some time in the gutter for the next few minutes lusting over this guy, really hoping
his face matches that body, but when I get right up on him, I stop so quickly my heels
have probably left skid marks on the wood floor, and I have to suck in a breath when
he turns around.

Then my voice goes all shaky when I ask,
“Brody?”

Chapter 2

Holy shit. What’s Brody doing here?

He turns and looks at me and I frown at the expression
on his face. “What is it?”

And, God, it’s so weird to see him all up-close-and-personal after all this time.
He still looks the same, his sandy brown hair messy as usual, expressive hazel eyes
that don’t miss a thing, his square jaw covered in scruff, and, lord, he looks good
in his blue cargo pants and t-shirt with the FDSP logo over his left pec, the t-shirt
tight across his powerful chest and around his muscular biceps. He’s more than a foot
taller than I am, but I’ve always loved that, his size making me feel protected and
safe. But as I take him in now, I find myself getting angry that he’s actually here.
In my store. After all this time, he’s making an appearance when before he wouldn’t
even give me the time of day. It’s like a punch to the gut and I find that I really
want to punch
him
in the gut for even being here. And, damn it! I’m not a violent person but just seeing
him here is bringing it out in me. Ugh!

“It’s Dory…” he says and I just stare at him.

Four years ago, he’d won a blue betta fish at the town carnival by knocking down bottles
with a baseball at a booth the Boy Scouts ran. He’d been so excited, telling me it
was our first “kid” together. The next day he’d bought an aquarium and rocks, a castle,
hell, the whole nine yards, and set it all up on a stand next to the TV in his trailer.
I’d laughed at how much attention he’d given it but had been secretly thrilled that
he’d acted as if it was ours which made me think he’d be a fabulous father someday.

And now he gives me those two words. The first words he’s spoken to me in over a year.
A year!

And they involve a fucking fish.

“What about her?” I inquire cautiously knowing it can’t be good if he’s here, but
I’m still stuck on the fact that this is the first time he’s talked to me in months
and I’m starting to get even angrier.

I watch as he purses his lips then mumbles as he looks at the floor, “I found her
floating at the top of the tank when I ran home after lunch just now.”

I can’t help but stare at him, entirely at a loss for words. I mean, I haven’t even
thought about the stupid fish since we broke up. I know she represented something
between us at the time, but with all he’s put me through, I just can’t find it in
me right now to be upset over it. I’ve had a year of being upset and I’m sick of it.

I take a deep breath and as nicely as I can offer, “I’m sorry.”

His head comes up and his eyes look directly into mine. I haven’t had his eyes on
me like this in forever and it feels as if my heart’s being squeezed by some invisible
hand inside my chest. “I-I’m gonna miss her… I…” he clears his throat, “miss… you…”

Wow.

Of course, this is something I’ve been dying to hear from him for a long time, but
now that I have, it just seems anticlimactic.

As in, big fat wow.

So all I can do is keep staring at him as the thoughts inside my head start pinging
off the walls of my skull like a pinball stuck between a bumper and the side of the
machine as it racks up a gazillion points.

He misses me.

Because a fish died.

He misses me.

Because now I guess he’s realizing he’s truly alone.

Just like I’ve been for the past year.

And he hasn’t talked to me in such a long time.

But he finally comes to me because of an idiotic fish.

He’s ignored me when we’ve passed each other on the street, seemingly content in not
even acknowledging my presence even though I’ve caught him staring at me every other
time but always from a distance.

And now he says he misses me. And he says it on the day I didn’t tear up when I saw
him and hoped it meant I was finally getting over him.

And now I’m chewing on my thumbnail, damn it.

I lower my arm and feel my hands ball into fists at my sides gritting my teeth because
I want to bash his friggin’ face in then yell at him or vice versa. Either works.
But then I remember myself, remember that I’m in my store and that anyone could come
through the door at any time and I wouldn’t want to lose business because I’ve turned
into a raging bitch. I breathe in deeply through my nose and let it out trying to
calm myself which works for the moment. “You miss me…” I state quietly, my eyes narrowed
as they remain locked on his.

I see his jaw muscles jump as he stares back at me. Then he nods slowly.

Well, this is just too much.

I huff out a laugh, putting my hands on my hips. “I think it might be too late, Brody,”
I state a little snottily, seeing his eyes go hard upon hearing that. Whatever.

“What’re you saying, Piper?”

I shrug nonchalantly although every muscle in my body is tight. “I saw you walking
to Mags’ earlier and to be honest, I felt nothing. After more than a year of wanting
to cry every time I saw you, today that didn’t happen.” I shrug again to get the point
across even as my heart’s beating a hundred miles an hour in my chest.

“Huh.” I see his eyes flash with anger but whoop-ti-doo. I’m angry too. Then he throws
me a zinger. “Is it because you’re in love with that guy?”

I want to roll my eyes so badly it’s all I can do to keep them still in their sockets.

I’d gone out exactly two times with Alex Troxell who I’d met on a trip to an antique
show last October. He was from Richmond and made Shaker style furniture that he sold
in a shop he owned. We’d immediately hit it off but when he’d asked me out I’d been
hesitant. When he’d persisted, I’d finally explained to him about the breakup letting
him know I probably wouldn’t be good company. He’d understood but had continued to
pursue things, asking me to give him a chance. He was very cute and very sweet, so
I’d finally agreed. After our second date (we’d gone to Jen’s and I’d run into Brody
on the way out which had been all kinds of awkward), I realized Alex would never be
anything but a rebound, which I hated because he was such a nice guy, but my heart
couldn’t be convinced otherwise, so I’d ended things with him at my front porch where
he’d given me a chaste kiss then told me to call him if I ever got to a place where
I thought I could move on.

And now Brody’s asking if I’m in love with him, a guy I haven’t seen in three months
and who I seriously could’ve seen myself with if it hadn’t been for my feelings for
Brody. And with his accusatory tone, he’s trying to make me feel guilty about it when
he’s
the one who broke up with
me
! And now here comes my temper.

“No, I’m not in love with him! And it’s all your fault!” I hiss.

His head jerks back as he frowns at me.

I nod. “Yeah. If it wasn’t for you, I could be dating him right now!” I step into
him and jab my finger into his chest on the words
you
and
now
but stop because his chest is rock hard and that just pisses me off more. Putting
my hands back on my hips, I continue. “Alex is a wonderful man but I had to let him
go because I realized I wasn’t over you yet!”

When I see his lips twitch at that, I see red.

“What’s so fucking funny, Brody Matthew Kelly? Is the fact that I’m still not over
you and had to end it with a great guy that hilarious?” I screech.

He frowns again.

Now I go for the throat. “And what’s more is,
he
didn’t have a problem with me only wanting two kids!” Total lie because Alex and I
never talked about kids.

Brody’s eyes spark with anger again and I’m glad I’ve hurt him because he’s hurt me
so much. The next thing I know, he grabs me by my upper arms and turns, pushing me
against the wall and gets right in my face, his voice all rumbly. “You listen to me,
Piper, and listen good. I love you! You’re mine! I wanted to rip that fucker’s head
off when I saw him with you at Jen’s but knew I had no right. I’ve got a right now.”

His lips come crashing down on mine and I’m so stunned I don’t even try to resist.
But when he pulls back and looks down at me, I gaze up at him, definitely shaken by
what’s happened until my head stops spinning enough for me to realize what he’s just
done and I’m livid. To prove it, I haul off and slap him, feeling some satisfaction
that I’ve actually made him step back from me.

“Stay away from me, Brody!” I snap, pushing at his chest but of course he doesn’t
budge which just serves to make me madder than I already am. “I mean it. You lost
any rights to me when you ended things between us!”

His eyes are on mine as he rubs his cheek slowly and I see an edge to them, as if
I’ve offered him a challenge.

Great.

And now the bastard grins. “We’ll see about that,” he replies smoothly as he turns
to leave. “Catch you later, Greer!” he hollers without a look back just before he
walks out the door.

Greer comes up and stands beside me, both of us watching Brody walking down the street
toward the firehouse, hands in his front pockets all easygoing and shit.

“Jerk,” I mumble.

I see Greer nodding out of the corner of my eye. “I do have to say, though, that
was
pretty steamy, Pipe.”

I glance over to see her staring dreamily out the window and elbow her in the arm.
“Whose side are you on?”

“Ow!” She rubs her upper arm frowning at me. “My arms are sore enough, Piper! God,
you keep doing things to make them worse, then I’m definitely on his side!” She turns
and walks to the back and I hear her grumble, “Especially now that he’s decided to
man up.”

~~~

“So, I heard Brody paid you a visit today,” Ryan says when she calls me at home that
night.

See? It’s like there’s a gossip hotline around here.

I bend my head, holding my phone between my shoulder and ear as I squirt a buttercream
frosting bow onto a high-heel shaped sugar cookie then place it onto the wax paper
where the rest are. Tomorrow is Saturday and it’s the annual After the Holidays Hullabaloo
where every business in town offers huge sales and other goodies. I’ll be giving a
twenty-percent discount on everything in the store and giving out my signature cookies
which are always a big hit.

The Hullabaloo has been a major to-do in Serenity Point ever since I can remember
and practically the whole town comes out for the fun. There’s a silent auction to
which most of the businesses donate goods, anything from Mags’ homemade pies or cakes,
a free haircut from The Mane Event, a flower arrangement from Patty’s Petals to new
tires offered by Hale’s Garage which is down the street from my store. This year I’ve
donated an antique quilt I purchased at an estate sale in Richmond. There will also
be a carnival (the same one where Brody won Dory all those years ago) where local
organizations have game booths, a cakewalk is run, different bands play throughout
the evening and finally a bachelor/bachelorette auction is held with all the proceeds
from everything going to the maintenance of the city library and park.