Page 95 of Something Borrowed

“Mmmm, you smell so good,” he said into her hair. “Are you sure you need to go to Jack’s? We could hole up here or at my—”

“I’m sure.” She beamed and literally bounced a little in her knee-high, fur-trimmed boots—boots that encased her legs in a way that made him feel like Bugs Bunny seeing a carrot.

“Michael’s coming for a visit in February for eight whole days! I want to spruce up the main floor’s guestroom. Fresh paint, new curtains, new bedding, the works.” Her grin was so sweet and so transparently delighted that Cal’s heart swelled even more.

“That’s great news, Vic.” Worrying that his words failed to convey how much he meant it, he added, “Just absolutely wonderful.” And it was. In fact, this was the first time Vic had ever brought Michael up in conversation without a touch of sadness around her eyes or a wistfulness in her expression.

From personal experiences with his own mom and dad and from watching Carrie and various friends, Cal knew parent-child relationships were complicated. Heck, all relationships were in some ways, right? Even the best of them. And Vic had told him that her and Michael’s issues were all her fault. He doubted that—and really, how did blaming anyone help mend fences anyway?—but he hoped whatever had gone wrong between them could be fixed.

Come on, kid, he thought. Give your mom a break. Be nice to her when you get here.

“And guess what else?” Vic asked, still sounding hyper.

“I couldn’t possibly,” he teased.

“I’ve been painting little memories of him for a while now. I’m going to hang a few in his room, and if he likes them, he can take them with him.” Her forehead creased.

“He’s going to love them, no question.” Man, how he hoped that was true.

“You always seem to know what I’m thinking or worrying about.”

Cal nodded, wishing that was true because increasingly all he wanted to do was ease her mind and deepen her pretty smile lines.

“Okay, Jack’s Hardware it is. Let’s get some paint!” He opened the van door for her, and she hopped in.

Everyone in Greenridge must’ve made New Year’s resolutions to tackle home repairs because Jack’s was swamped. Cal didn’t mind the curious gazes of various Greenridge folk who knew him, however—or their barely concealed surprise at seeing him out and about with a romantic partner. If anything, he was proud. And Vic’s hand in his as they walked the aisles felt so good he could hardly concentrate.

The paint color Vic had chosen for Michael’s room was freshly mixed and shaken, and the paint guy had just put the buckets into a cart for them when Vic’s smile dropped and her face blanched.

Expecting—well, heck, he didn’t know what he was expecting—Cal wheeled around to confront whatever was spooking her.

But it was just Monika and Kelsey, familiar faces, sort of a fringe part of Carrie’s friendship scene. No huge threat. Monika was a bit scary, true. Carrie had set him and Monika up on a blind date. An hour into it, he’d known full stop that he wasn’t her type—and had been relieved. And Kelsey? He knew her better than Monika because she was a cashier at Jack’s. In fact, her blue and yellow vest indicated she was on duty this very minute. She was nice enough, but a bit of a busybody. If he ever knew anything about the comings and goings and dirty laundry of various people, he’d probably heard it going through her till, but lots of people gossiped. He wondered for a moment if she’d gossip about him and Vic now—and was embarrassed that a little thrill zipped through him at the idea. He’d never been the sort of guy anyone ever talked about, good or bad.

“Well, well, I’ll be . . . Victoria Trent, in the flesh,” Monika crooned. “You’re back—and from the looks of it, the rumor mill was true.”

Cal’s silly daydream about being fodder for talk—and that being a remotely positive thing—ended abruptly. Although Monika’s words weren’t overtly aggressive, there was something meanly suggestive in her tone that put him on high alert. Rumor mills were never good. What was he thinking? He stepped closer to Vic.

At the movement, Monika’s head swung in his direction.

Like a snake, Cal thought.

“Awwww,” Monika said with a strangely venomous sneer, shooting her words at Vic. “You’ve landed yet another one. You know Cal’s not married, though, right? Never has been. Confirmed bachelor, our Cal here. Not really your type. At all.”

Cal glanced at Vic in surprise before he could stop himself, and Monika let out a razor-sharp cackle. She widened her eyes at Cal. “You mean you didn’t know? Yeah, so sad. She was with my good friend Naomi’s husband, Brent, for years. Years. So pathetic—but also so devious, you know? I mean, he was the one who’d made the vows, obviously—but still, a woman who goes willingly with a married man. Who so calculatedly betrays another woman . . .”

Vic’s eyes were huge and stricken. The old expression, like a deer in headlights, popped into Cal’s mind, but he simultaneously noted that she didn’t object or deny or try to explain anything in her defense.

With Vic’s discomfort and misery clear to all, the first smile that seemed genuine crossed Monika’s sharp features. She flipped her hair dramatically.

“Of course, that’s not the only thing you help yourself to, is it?”

Vic let out a small, strangled sound. “How did . . . how do you know—”

Monika tittered. “It’s a small world, sweetheart, and Vancouver’s practically next door. Naomi told my cousin about this homewrecker, who told me—and well, Vic’s not that common a name for a woman, is it? I did some simple digging—I want to protect my friends, after all. Women should look out for other women. Right, Kelsey?”

Kelsey nodded weakly.

Cal caught the false detail. First Monika had referred to Naomi as a close friend. Now she’d made it sound like the woman was actually Monika’s cousin’s friend, and Monika’s cousin was apparently just as big a gossip as she was, but it wasn’t worth bringing up. Who the betrayed wife was in relation to Monika wasn’t the point. The point was . . . was it true? Why wasn’t Vic denying it?