Leighton puts on her customer-service smile before her eyes dart to mine, giving me a look that tells me more than her words could.Although I didn’t need that look from her to know who it is.I can feel his presence.I must have been a total bitch in another life to have all of this anguish raining down on me.Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and turn to face him.
“Copeland.”I nod in greeting.
“Ells,” he says.The name only he’s ever called me rolls off his tongue with ease.His using that name sliced through me earlier today, and that same pain makes itself known this time, as well.
“I’ll leave you to it,” I tell Leighton, and rush off toward my office at the back of the Manor.Thankfully, the kitchen is close, and so is the bathroom.Maybe I’ll get more work done since I plan on locking myself either in my bedroom or my office until he’s no longer a guest.
Plopping down in my chair, I groan because, damn, this thing is not comfortable.Opening up my laptop, I push my ex to the back of my mind and get to work.At least, that’s the plan.I get maybe a solid forty minutes in before Leighton appears, with Courtlynn right beside her.They make themselves at home in the guest chairs in my office, which I’m certain are more comfortable than mine, and stare me down.
“What’s up?”I ask, pretending like my world hasn’t been tilted on its axis this afternoon.
“Please hold.”Courtlynn holds up her index finger, reaches around to remove her phone from her back pocket, and taps at the screen.
“Great,” I mutter.She’s including Baylor in this conversation.Don’t get me wrong, I love my sisters.I love the bond that we share, but I’m not in the mood to talk about Copeland.Not today, not tomorrow, and probably not ever.I need to keep him and his strong jaw and those muscular arms pushed to the back of my mind.
“What’s up?”Baylor asks.
“We’re about to interrogate Ellie, and we thought you’d want to be here for it,” Courtlynn explains.
“I’m down.Give me a second to close my office door,” she says.There’s rustling, and then, “I’m back.Let’s do this.”
“Ellison Moran, would you please share with the class, aka your loving sisters, how your meeting went this afternoon?”Courtlynn asks in a mock professional tone.
“We’re not doing this,” I tell them.
“Oh, we’re doing this,” Baylor says.“Court, I need details.”
“Well, I don’t have many.What I do know is that Ellie went to visit Mary earlier and took her some cookies I made for her.They were both surprised when Copeland walked in.He’s home a day earlier than planned.”
“No way!”Baylor exclaims.“Ellie, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I assure them, and I’m damn proud that I’m able to keep my tone level.Not a quiver of the lips in sight.
“Tell us what happened,” Leighton says.
“Nothing happened.He walked in.We were both shocked to see one another again after all these years.We exchanged small-talk pleasantries, and I left.I came home and had a migraine from the shock of seeing him, as you can imagine.I lay down for an hour or so, and here I am, back to work.”
“Turn me around,” Baylor demands.
Courtlynn does as she’s asked, and I hold her gaze through the phone.“He’s back.I knew he was coming back.Sure, it was a shock to see him, but it had to happen.I’m not going to stop seeing Mary because he’s now around all the time.She’s going to need me, need all of us, now more than ever.I wouldn’t do that to her.Copeland James is a part of my past.”
“More like a blast from the past,” Courtlynn mutters.
“The past,” I say again.“Does it hurt to see him?Yes, I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t.But it was damn near twenty years ago.I’m fine.He’s here.His family is here, and they need him.I’m a big girl.I can handle this.”My voice is strong, but all I keep thinking isLiar, liar, pants on firein my head.
“Just a minute,” Baylor calls.“Girls, I have someone at my office door.I gotta run.Love you.Ellie, call me if you need me,” she says, before ending the call.
“Mary loved the cookies.She said to tell you thank you,” I tell Courtlynn.
“How is she?”Leighton asks.
“She’s in good spirits.She’s geared up to fight this disease with all that she has.”
“That’s good.”Leighton nods.“Ellison, are you sure that you’re okay?”
“Probably not,” I say, blowing some hair out of my eyes, “but I will be.Just taking life one day at a time.”
“You let us know if you need us,” Courtlynn tells me.
