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A female voice that sounded downright elderly answered in soft French.
Trey laughed. “Here let me get your groceries. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I am fine, handsome. Merci.”
The line went silent for a long moment, and I was just about to hang up when Trey came back to the phone. “Val, you still with me?”
“I’m here,” I sighed, feeling slightly annoyed because I was all mixed up and it seemed like Trey wasn’t mixed up even a little bit. “Everything okay?”
“A scooter nearly knocked over a granny and she dropped her groceries.”
“And you came to her rescue?” My tone was bitchy and unnecessary, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.
“I just did what anyone else would do. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I guess I’m just tired, so I should just let you go enjoy your evening.”
He sighed, his frustration crystal clear in that one sound. “If you don’t want to talk anymore Val, I’ll let you go.” He sounded disappointed, almost sad.
“I think that’s for the best,” I whispered and ended the call, hoping that I hadn’t ruined things with Trey while also wondering if it would be the worst thing in the world if things ended between us before they really got going.
Chapter 18
Trey
Rolling back into Carson Creek after a week in Paris should have felt strange, like a comedown after the high of being in one of the most magnificent cities in the world. Instead, as I looked around at all the Valentine’s Day decorations, which had seemingly doubled in the seven days I was gone, all I felt was relief. My shoulders relaxed and the last of the tension in my body faded away.
I was home.
I couldn’t wait to see Keri and hear all about the things she hadn’t told me over the phone, but instead promised to fill me in on all the details once I was back from, Fancy Pants Paris, in her words. I couldn’t deny that the anxiety that pooled in my gut was about seeing Valona. Our last couple of phone calls had been, at best, stilted and at the worst, a bad sign of things to come.
Something was up with her, and she wasn’t ready to talk about it, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out she’d conjured up images in her mind of me partying with the beautiful elites of the world, forgetting all about her. The truth was a lot less exciting, less pretty too. Working long days and doing it with a smile or a smirk or a smolder was exhausting, even more so now that the job didn’t fuel me the way it once had.
I was happy to be back in Carson Creek, officially retired. It felt like I could breathe again, like I could just move forward in any way that I chose.
All I had to do was choose.
My first choice was to stop at Valona’s house. I’d come home like the proverbial dad, bearing gifts for all the females in my life. It wasn’t meant to be a bribe, mostly, just trinkets and items I thought they would each enjoy. Or rather I hoped they would.
I pressed the doorbell and scanned the neighborhood while I waited for Valona or one of the girls to answer the door. I had no idea of the kind of reception I’d get from Valona, and the butterflies in my stomach wouldn’t stop worrying over it. But when she opened the door, I could finally breathe completely, because that was my Val, a breath of fresh air. She wore all black, the only pop of color the purple headband framing her beautiful face.
“Val, you are a sight for sore eyes.” I stepped in to wrap her in my arms and she stiffened. Like my touch was unwanted. “Message received,” I whispered in her ear even though the message had damn well not been received. Not at all.
Val opened her mouth to say something and then thought better of it before she turned towards the stairs. “Keri, your uncle is here.”
Your uncle, as if that was all I was to her. Then again, maybe the time apart hadn’t made her heart grow fonder, but had allowed her to second guess her feelings. It stung like hell, but with three sets of footsteps barreling down the stairs like a herd of elephants, I slapped on a smile and gave the girls all of my attention.
“Uncle Trey, you’re back!” Keri flung herself into my arms and I soaked up all the love and affection she had to give.
“I told you I was coming back, and here I am.”
She pulled back and nodded. “You did.”
“And I didn’t return empty handed.” I snagged a pair of earrings for each little girl in a different color and a gift that was personal to each of them. Plus, a touristy t-shirt with something about Paris written on it.
