Page 82 of The Guest Cottage

What a relief. “So she doesn’t know yet?”

“No, but . . .”

Unsure what Marlow was getting at, Pixie asked, “It was her snooping around?”

“Someone she hired, yes. The person was supposed to be checking up on me. Sandra seems to think I’m having a midlife crisis, and she sounded genuinely concerned about me.” For a second, Marlow appeared baffled by that, but then she shook it off. “My guess is that she doesn’t want me to screw up too badly, because then it would reflect back on the Heddings family, and ultimately on Dylan. She wants to protect his ‘legacy.’”

“But you never screw up.” Pixie couldn’t imagine such a thing. As far as she could tell, Marlow was perfect.

“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Marlow said, grinning, “but believe me, I’ve made plenty of mistakes. Being in this town isn’t one of them.” Her voice softened. “And neither is being your friend.”

How could she stay gloomy when Marlow said things like that? “I’m honored.”

Marlow drew a deep breath. “The thing is . . .” She winced. “When I spoke with Sandra, the conversation veered a little and she made a few assumptions—about you, I mean. I’m afraid I defended you.”

And that was a problem? Whether she deserved it or not, Pixie was thrilled to have someone like Marlow on her side. “Okay?” she said, making it a question because she didn’t understand.

“Sandra is smart. Brilliant even. A lot of people underestimate her. I’ve seen it happen dozens of times. They think she’s just the pampered wife of Mr. Heddings, without realizing the power Sandra has. She sees things that others don’t, and that means she’ll quickly realize I must know you, since I automatically defended you.”

“Oh.” That would definitely bring more trouble to Marlow. “I’m sorry.” Her apologies seemed to be stuck on repeat. Every day, five times a day, she found reasons to say those small words that didn’t begin to convey the remorse she felt for complicating the lives of others.

Exasperated, Marlow shook her head. “Pixie, we’re friends now. You have nothing to apologize for, but I do. If I’d been thinking, I would have simply ended the call. Now, I’m afraid I just ratcheted up her anger at you.”

“Because I was with Dylan?”

“Because you, as the woman he cheated with, are proof that Dylan wasn’t perfect. Sandra’s already having a really hard time with everything. This is going to put her over the edge.”

Shame scorched Pixie from her head to her toes. She tried her best not to dwell on it, but she’d slept with this amazing woman’shusband. She’d been a complete fool, believing someone like Dylan would love her. Worse, she’d had the audacity to beg Marlow for help.

Before Pixie could even think of how to reply, Marlow spoke again.

“Don’t you dare apologize. It’ll seriously piss me off if you do.”

Hearing Marlow curse startled her enough that the awful truth of her mistakes blipped right out of her mind. “Okay,” she whispered.

“I mean it, Pixie. You’ve apologized enough, and I don’t fault you. Sandra has this skewed impression of her son, as if he was a saint. Trust me, she wasn’t fond of me either when I decided to divorce him. Actually, she was never all that fond of me, and I’m not going to take that personally anymore. In her eyes, I doubt anyone would have been good enough for Dylan. As astute as Sandra is in business, she’s blind to her son’s failings. Or maybe she sees his failings as her own as his mother, so she can’t accept them for that reason. I don’t know, and I’m tired of trying to figure her out.”

“I can’t imagine her not being thrilled with you.” What more could Sandra have wanted in a daughter-in-law?

“Thank you. You’re sweet. Now, I want your word that if anyone representing the Heddings family contacts you, you’ll let me know.”

It would be wrong to do that, another imposition, but Pixie knew turning to Marlow would be her gut reaction, especially if she felt threatened. For better or worse, she trusted Marlow, and she relied on her. “I promise.” Soon, she told herself, she’d stand on her own two feet. But not yet.

Marlow wasn’t finished. “If you decide to face Sandra and Aston, if you choose to tell them about Andy, I’d like to be with you.”

Such a generous offer. “I’d like that, too.” She couldn’t imagine facing them alone.

“Well, then.” Marlow shared a relieved smile with her. “I’m glad we’re past that. Let’s shop!”

* * *

When Cort got to Marlow’s house, he was surprised, but also pleased, to find her and Pixie fixing dinner in the kitchen together. When Marlow had called earlier to say she’d like to eat with him, her treat, he had assumed she’d order pizza, or maybe want to head back to The Docker restaurant.

Instead, after knocking and hearing her call out, “Come on in,” he opened the door to the scent of seasoned pork chops baking and the sound of women laughing.

Heading through the foyer to the kitchen, he found potatoes boiling on the stove while Pixie stood at the counter making a salad with a lot of different greens, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. Marlow had just turned the pork chops, then returned them to the oven.

His mouth watered, and it wasn’t just the food. It was this, a small family gathering, the unity and cozy warmth.

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