“You had better hope not.” The guy clapped his hands. “Well, get to it. Start picking it up.”
She barely resisted the urge to bite out a sarcastic yes, sir as she scrambled to pick up the endless postcards. The store worker picked up the metal rack and between the two of them, they had the cards sorted out in short order.
“Next time, be more careful,” he snapped at her as a parting shot.
“Next time secure your display so someone doesn’t get hurt and sue your ass,” she quipped, at her breaking point for niceness. The past few weeks had worn her down. As a nurse, she was used to dealing with difficult people. She knew she should do better, but she just couldn’t help herself. “Have a great day.” She walked fast, putting distance between herself and Mr. Cranky Tight Pants.
Whatever. Maybe the dude’s life was going to straight up shit too. What did she know? She felt bad, thought about going back and apologizing, but knew she didn’t really have time. She really should be where she said she was going to be when her mom got there or Elodie would worry endlessly and panic and drive around in circles and cause a lot of traffic chaos.
Scarlet Hunter. That’s who Neera really couldn’t stop thinking about. Was she just experimenting? Expressing her freedom as a newly single, smoking hot woman who hadn’t had her needs properly met in a very long time because her husband really was a tool? Or was she serious?
What does it matter? You have zero chances. Mom’s best friend, remember? Huge age gap. Totally off limits. That’s the Scarlet Hunter you know and love.
Neera was walking so fast she nearly tripped over an elderly man’s cane which was sticking out in the walking area. She apologized quickly as she managed to catch herself in time and not do another faceplant.
Stop thinking about Scarlet and get your ass out the door and safely into your mom’s vehicle without another mishap. You don’t need more mess in your life. No need for more mess in my life. Stop. Thinking. About. Scarlet.
Neera had been telling herself that for years, and for years, she’d never been able to actually follow her own advice.
Chapter 2
Scarlet
“It’s cold enough to freeze your arse straight off,” Elodie said as soon as Scarlet was parked on the big cuddle chair, a huge round thing that could fit an army of cats if Elodie had liked them. As it was, she was extremely allergic. She’d always wanted one, though.
A nice cuddly cat would be the perfect touch to a frigid winter’s morning, Scarlet mused. “I just about lost my arse walking over, and I only live
four minutes away.”
“Doesn’t bode well for our New Year’s party.”
“I doubt that anyone would refuse to come because their cars won’t start. They generally cab it over here anyways.”
“Good point. Coffee?”
“Yes. Please. Where would we be without our morning fuel?”
“I was thinking for the warmth, but the fact that it does double duty doesn’t hurt, does it?”
Elodie’s house was as it always was. Warm, safe, and just a little bit cinnamon scented because Elodie loved candles. She switched out her vanilla and fresh rain and fruit scents during the holidays, opting for the more traditional flavors of trees and cinnamon, and even eggnog. Scarlet’s eyes flicked to the coffee table. Sure enough, there was a big red jar candle burning there, even at ten on a well-lit Sunday morning, the only day that Scarlet had off because the boutique was closed.
Elodie returned bearing three mugs. She had a coffee tray, one of those fancy things that she loved using. She was even using the cream and sugar deal, a mismatched fine China set. One had roses and the other was an iridescent blue.
Scarlet raised a brow at the third mug. “I didn’t know that Neera got home already. I thought she wasn’t planning on coming back until after New Years?”
“She switched her flight. Got an earlier one and got home last night. I picked her up late from the airport. I’m just glad she got home safe.”
“Glad for what? Come on, you guys, you can’t start talking about me as soon as Scarlet walks in the door,” Neera swept into the room. She took a seat on the couch, leaving the spot closer to the cuddle chair for her mom. She curled her knees into her chest and gave Scarlet a somewhat shy smile. “I’m fine. Err, well, I’m going to be fine, at any rate.”
Scarlet knew she shouldn’t stare, but she couldn’t look away. Neera James had always been pretty, but wow! Maybe it was just that Scarlet hadn’t been paying attention properly before. Maybe her head was always somewhere else, mired in the problems with her marriage, in running her boutique, in the thousand other things that demanded attention. Maybe it was more because Neera was Elodie’s daughter and she’d known her since she was literally, well, before she was even created, that she’d never noticed her before.
It was suddenly quite alarmingly clear to her, at first glance as she walked into Elodie’s living room for a friendly visit, a chat about their book club book, and a cup of tea, that Neera was back, and she was all grown up.
Her long, dark hair hung in naturally curly waves around her shoulders. Her amber eyes flashed with new, glistening flecks. Her skin was flawless even though she currently didn’t have a stitch of makeup on, and the curves that Scarlet really didn’t remember ever being there, made fluffy purple unicorn slippers, skinny jeans, and a knit sweater look like high-end fashion.
Neera had always been a fixture of their lives. Always. So why did it feel like she was seeing her for the very first time?
Elodie took a seat beside Neera and set her hand on her daughter’s knee. “Things are sometimes tough. Finding out I was having you when I was seventeen nearly gave my parents a heart attack. My sister was so outraged too. Doing it on my own wasn’t easy, but everything worked out. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You just have to get over that hump.”