Page 16 of Ruined
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Well, what do you think?”
I walked into the middle of the shop and did a slow three-sixty, then tilted my head to appreciate the crystal chandelier. Pursing my lips, I let out a low whistle. “This is impressive, Kenz.” It really was. To my right was a mirrored wall with a small podium in front of it. On the other side, three champagne-colored loveseats arranged in a semi-circle.
The lighting was soft, giving the space a whimsical feeling. I spotted a display cabinet and walked over to inspect it. Inside were different glass sculptures in various colors. Flowers, birds, hearts, and even little shoes. I heard Kenzie approach, looking over my shoulder, I asked, “No butterflies?”
Her focus remained on the delicate pieces of glass. “No, he says the butterflies are only for me.” When the three of us had met in college, Brett had been an art major too. He’d found his calling in glassblowing and I mine in painting. After things with him and Kenzie didn’t work out, he decided to give up the art and focus on something more practical. I was thrilled when Kenzie told me that Brett had kept up with it all these years. According to her, he’d been making tiny butterfly sculptures–her favorite thing in the world–the entire time they’d been apart.
“Is there a dentist around here?” When Kenzie turned her frown to me, I bumped her shoulder with mine. “The two of you are giving me a cavity.”
Another one of those giggles, I was still getting used to, broke free. “You’re just jealous.” I followed her to the back room where she kept the wedding dresses. “How is your love life anyway? you haven’t mentioned any newconquestsin ages.”
It was a good thing her back was to me, otherwise she would have seen the worried look I knew I was wearing. “I…uh…I’ve barely had time to eat let alone—” Unbidden, my mind went to the last time I’d gone out looking for a good time. An icy shiver ran down my spine as I recalled how that night had ended.
“It’s a good thing Willow Creek has a few eligible bachelors then.” Kenzie flicked on the light revealing three wall-to-wall railings, extravagant dresses everywhere I looked. “I heard Caleb — he owns Joe’s — is still single, and he is quite soft on the eyes.” She rambled off a list of viable guys while I silently took in the beautiful gowns before me.
Almost every girl imagines her wedding day when she’s little. Except me. While my friends, Kenzie included, were building castles in the sky, I was doing everything I could to make it through the day without having a meltdown.
People often think if a child is raised by good people in a safe environment they’d have no issue being open and honest with their parents. That they wouldn’t hesitate to speak up when something bad was happening. I can tell you that this wasn’t the case.
“What do you think?” Kenzie’s question saved me from traveling farther down memory lane.
“About what?”
She angled her body so she was standing in front of me. “What’s up with you, Zoe?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Kenz, my livelihood just burned to the ground. Forgive me if I’m not chipper about meeting new guys.”
Her cheeks flushed. “You’re right…I’m sorry.”
Glancing at the dresses again, I said, “I have no freaking idea what I’m going to do.”
Kenzie touched my arm. “Surely you have insurance.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if I can claim since it was arson.”
“Arson?” Her voice climbed a few octaves. “You never said it was arson.”
The bell above the door chimed. I’d never been as thankful for a reprieve as I was then. If I told her the truth regarding the fire, her stress levels would be sky high. Not good when you’re trying to conceive.
“Helloooo, anyone here?” I recognized Lizzy’s voice. Not waiting for Kenzie — who was still staring at me like I had two heads — I headed to the front. Two women were sitting on one of the loveseats. If I remembered correctly, the brunette sitting next to Lizzy was Harper.
The moment she spotted me Lizzy jumped from her seat and gave me a hug. I wasn’t used to people invading my space in such a way, I was sure I must have looked as awkward as I felt when I patted her back. Oblivious to my discomfort, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the couch where she introduced me to Harper–she, of course, knew exactly who I was, and not just because of the wedding but apparently my bestie never stopped talking about me.
“I’ve never met a groom as excited as Logan or a bride as fussy as this one,” Lizzy jerked her head in Harper’s direction a few times.
“Hey, I simply want everything to be perfect. Besides, I never got the chance to plan my first wedding,” the other woman defended.
“I know, sweetie.” Lizzy scooted closer to her friend, then threw an arm over her shoulder in a side-hug.
Kenzie appeared next to me, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her after I’d walked off earlier. Luckily, Harper sat up straighter and excitedly asked, “Is it here?”
Kenzie laughed softly. “Come with me.” Before she turned, she placed her hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. I knew she was still thinking about what I’d said.
She and Harper made their way to the back of the shop. As soon as they were out of sight, Lizzy leaned in and asked, “What was the deal with you and sheriff-stick-up-his-butt yesterday?” When I didn’t answer immediately, she went on, “Eli has been stuck on pissed-off mode for the longest time, but I have never seen him actthatrude with a stranger. Not even Harper and he just about hated her guts when she’d arrived in town.”
I spread my hands, palms facing up, and lifted my shoulders. “I did spill coffee on the guy.”
“Mmm, maybe that was it.” She chewed on her lip for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. I welcomed the silence, to be honest. For all their talk, Brett and Kenzie had not been quiet. Not that I would have been able to sleep with all the craziness swirling around in my head, anyway.
Beside me, Lizzy started talking again, telling me how much she was looking forward to Harper and Logan’s wedding. She went on to explain to me how the pair had fallen in love despite themselves. I was only listening with half an ear, though. Beyond the ceiling-to-floor glass window, I was focused on a man and a little girl walking along the sidewalk.
The little girl’s mouth was moving a mile a minute while the man watched her with a loving smile on his lips.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Probably the only time he looks happy is when he is with Molly.” I tilted my head sideways at the sound of Lizzy’s voice. Her gaze was fixed on the scene I’d been watching a moment ago. “He might be a lot of things, but Eli Jackson is one hell of a dad.”
Kenzie had told me once that Eli was raising his daughter alone, for some reason the information never stuck. As I watched the pair of them continue on their trek, I knew two things for certain: Eli looked way too damn sexy when he smiled, and I had to stay far, far away from them.
