Page 46 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

Iwas relieved to be rid of the earrings. They weren’t my style anyhow, and I sincerely doubted they were worth two grand. Kellan was good with money. He was also very frugal. Either way, now he could return them and get his money back, or maybe he’d save them for the next woman. I’d checked off the first three stops on my list and headed toward the next town, Fairview. The spice shop was in the middle of their downtown. It carried the freshest whole seed spices, so it was worth the trip.

The days were getting shorter, and the sun was starting to coast down in the sky as I drove down Main Street to Megan’s Spice Shop. I glanced down at my list, and as I lifted my gaze something else caught my attention. A young boy, three or four years old, was being carried on a pair of large shoulders—large shoulders that I recognized even from behind. A petite brunette bundled in a long pink sweater and matching beanie had her arm wrapped around Dex’s. All the flutters I’d been dealing with these past few days pulled together into one rock-solid lump before falling down to the bottom of my stomach. I briefly considered that I was wrong about the familiar shoulder span, but as I rolled past, I willed myself to look in the rearview to make sure it was true. How badly I wanted to see a different face than his in the reflection. The three looked very happy as they strolled down the sidewalk and turned into the ice cream shop.

“You’re such a fool, Aria.” It seemed my worry that this would be a disaster had come true, but I was the only person left with damage. Maybe I deserved it. I’d broken off with Kellan and then I’d hardly taken a new breath when I started up something with Dex. And now it seemed he hadn’t been the least bit honest about his reasons for being in Whisper Cove. He cancelled our date because he had a dire emergency with his friend, Quinn, but there he was, smiling as he carried his son into an ice cream shop. An entire family—one he failed to mention. Well, Kellan had warned me. My eyes ached, reminding me this would be a good time to cry, but I wasn’t going to shed a tear for him.

I usually loved going to the spice shop. It was filled with wonderful aromas, and the shelves and bins were chock-full of spices and herbs, but what I really wanted to do right now was go home. And I would have done just that, only Isla was counting on me to pick up some things for her. I parked the car and went inside. I stood in the corner with the cinnamons and fall spices, breathing in their warm goodness and trying to tamp down the ache in my chest. I was just glad I found out early that Dex was not to be trusted. It seemed I had to rethink everything, including hiring him as a cook. If he couldn’t be trusted with my heart, he certainly couldn’t be trusted with my business.

ChapterTwenty-Nine

Dex

Angie and I had dropped Max off with the babysitter. We both kept up cheery smiles and even managed to forget our troubles as we listened to Max tell us about how his T-rex decided not to eat his friend stegosaurus and now they were all friends. By the time we left he was coated in chocolate ice cream and ready for a nap.

Angie and I barely spoke as I drove her car to the hospital. At one point her phone rang, and we both nearly jumped out of our skin. There was nothing worse than having someone seriously sick in the hospital and never knowing when a phone call was going to bring terrible news. Fortunately, the call was from her work.

Everything seemed grimmer, more dire as we reached Quinn’s room. A young doctor, one I’d never seen before, was lifting Quinn’s lids and shining a light into his eyes. A nurse stood nearby with a new IV bag, waiting for the doctor to finish his examination.

He’d heard us walk in, and once he was done, he put the light into his coat pocket and turned toward us. “The fever hasn’t gotten worse, but we’re still in unstable territory. Obviously, we don’t want the fever to continue, and we’re doing all we can to bring it down.” He looked thoughtfully at Angie. “I wish there was more I could tell you.”

The doctor walked out. Angie sat down at the bedside and took hold of Quinn’s hand. “We took Max for ice cream, Quinn. He’s waiting for you to come home and play dinosaurs with him.” Her voice kept breaking as she spoke. I could feel her anguish through my bones. I stepped outside to talk to the officer stationed at his door. He was an older man with a soft belly hanging over his gun belt and razor burn on the side of his neck.

“Have there been any unwanted or unfamiliar visitors?” I asked.

“Not while I’ve been on duty, and the reports left behind by the others haven’t reported any incidents.”

“That’s good. I’ve got reason to believe that a few members of a motorcycle gang have shown up in the area. Quinn has some information they’re after. Just so you know.”

He pulled out his notepad and wrote it down. “I’ll let the others know.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

I returned to the room and pulled over a second chair. Angie had finished telling Quinn about the trip to the ice cream parlor. Tears were streaming down her face. “Talking to him should make me feel better, but when he doesn’t answer—it makes everything seem so hopeless.” She turned to me with glassy eyes and a red nose. “It feels like I’m losing him … again. When they took him away, after the sentencing, it felt awful, the worst thing that’s ever happened to me … to us, but at least I knew he was still alive. He was still walking the earth with me, and I could still talk to him, visit him, write him letters and even dream about when I’d be back in his arms. But this—this feels far more final. What will I do without him, Dex?”

“He’ll be here, Angie. Don’t lose hope.” I looked over at my friend. He looked far less like Quinn and more like a stranger every time I walked into the room. It was hard staying hopeful when it seemed he looked less viable as a strong, healthy human each time I visited. His muscles and tone were disappearing, and it seemed like all the tubes and monitors were sucking the life from him, rather than keeping him alive.

The first few visits, it was easy to convince myself that he’d wake up any moment, that he’d groan and start to move and open his eyes like comatose people did in the movies. But after seeing him each time looking less alive and smaller and more vulnerable, it was almost impossible to believe that he’d just open his eyes one day and talk. And now an unexplained fever had been added to the already dire situation.

I couldn’t stay in the room any longer. “Ang, I need to get some fresh air. I’ll meet you at the exit.”

“I’ll be down soon.” She took hold of Quinn’s hand.

I didn’t have the patience to wait for the elevator, so I tromped down the stairs. My mind went straight to Aria as I watched my big boots hit each step. I badly needed to talk to her, to see her. She’d already become that important to me. I’d never felt this way about anyone. Never.

I passed through the crowded lobby where a woman was trying to convince the people at the registration window that her stomachache was an emergency and that she should skip to the head of the line.

Evening was settling over the town. A layer of clouds kept some of the warmer temperatures of the day in place. It was a nice change from the usual bone chill that took hold every evening after sundown. I pulled out my phone. I considered just sending a text, an update about Quinn, not that the doctor’s words had held much information. It rang several times and went to voicemail. I couldn’t believe how disappointed I was that she didn’t answer. It was stupid, but I wasn’t feeling too confident about life in general right now. “Hey, matey, just wanted to check in. I’m at the hospital, and there’s nothing good to report on that front. I feel as if I’m losing him.” My voice trailed off. It was the first time I’d said the words out loud. “I guess you’re busy, but call me if you get this. I really need to hear your voice.” I hung up and put the phone back in my pocket. I stood there for another fifteen minutes, waiting for Angie and hoping that Aria would hear my message and call me back. It didn’t happen.

Angie walked through the glass doors. She, too, was shrinking and looking less like herself every day. This was sapping the life out of her, but she had a reason to stay healthy and strong. She had Max. She couldn’t let herself fall to pieces, because at the end of it all, no matter what the outcome, there was Quinn’s little boy.

Angie held tightly to my arm, something she’d done a lot since Quinn got hurt. I couldn’t do anything to fix that now, but I could be there for Angie and Max. I was glad for that. If only I could find those damn coins so that when Quinn pulled through this, he could go home, where he belonged.

ChapterThirty

Aria

Ihad flopped onto the couch, hiding under my two favorite blankets and bundled head-to-toe in my favorite sweats. They were purple, and they’d been worn so thin and soft by years of use they’d become like an old, reliable friend whenever I was feeling down. And I was definitely feeling down. I was mostly disappointed in myself. I’d let myself believe that a man like Dex, handsome, rugged and with an edge of danger about him, would make a reliable, trustworthy and devoted boyfriend. Big mistake—something I seemed to be very good at lately. I badly wanted it to be true. He had all the qualities that could make me fall madly in love. Thank goodness I learned the truth before I’d handed it all to him, my heart, my soul, my trust.

The phone rang, and I lifted out of my blanket cocoon just high enough to read the screen. Just seeing his name on my phone sent shockwaves through me. I had it bad, but I’d get past this soon enough. We hadn’t known each other long, so I hadn’t wasted too much time thinking about him.

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