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“I’ll see what I can do,” Raina said in defeat.
She knew it was just pandering to his dependence on her, but right now she didn’t see any other way of getting rid of him. She knew she didn’t have the kind of money he expected but he’d just have to make do with the couple of thousand dollars she’d put aside for emergencies when she had a chance to withdraw it from the bank. Just the thought of leaving her account empty again made her stomach burn with anxiety. All she’d ever wanted was to be able to provide her son with the same security her father had provided her—love, combined with a roof over his head, food in his belly and a warm bed at night. Was that too much to ask?
“Thanks, Rai.”
“How will I be able to reach you?” The number on the mobile phone he’d been using was blocked.
“I’ll be in touch.”
And with that, he flipped up the collar of his jacket and began to walk away. Was it her imagination, or was he darting furtive glances left and right as he walked up the street—almost as if he expected someone to jump out of the bushes at him at any moment. She shook her head. What on earth had he got himself into, now?
She hurried to the car and, after giving JJ a shaky smile through the window, got into the driver’s seat.
“Bad man, Mommy,” JJ pronounced from the backseat with all the solemnity of a frightened three-year-old.
She didn’t know what to say. Jeb wasn’t all bad, just misguided and selfish. She settled for an indistinct murmur as she fastened her seat belt and put her key in the ignition.
“I don’ like bad man. I like No’an,” JJ continued.
Raina smiled at her little boy in the rearview mirror. “I like Nolan, too, honey bun. C’mon, let’s go get our groceries and then the rest of the day is just for you and me.”
“Yay,” he crowed in happiness, his fear already forgotten.
* * *
The next morning Raina was putting out her signs at Priceless and trying to quell her excitement about the night ahead. She’d woken earlier than usual, and with an energy she could only put down to looking forward to seeing Nolan again. Even the shadow of Jeb’s visit yesterday and his demands, coupled with the bruises he’d left on her wrist as a reminder, couldn’t overshadow her joy in planning their dinner tonight. She’d serve lasagna with garlic bread and salad. Simple fare, and filling and, best of all, easy to prepare ahead of time so she didn’t have to get herself all flustered before Nolan arrived.
As she straightened and surveyed the parking lot, she spied Mellie Winslow walking toward her. She gave the other woman a wave.
“Good morning!” she called as Mellie drew closer. “It’s a lovely clear day, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Mellie agreed.
Her landlady looked cute today in a forest-green coat that emphasized her clear green eyes and gorgeous soft red hair. Raina envied Melanie her curls.
“Would you like to stop in for a cup of coffee?” Raina asked. “I’ve just put a pot on.”
“I’d love that, thank you.”
Mellie pulled off her gloves and shrugged out of her coat as they entered Raina’s tiny lunch room. She shoved the gloves inside her coat pocket and hung the garment on one of the ornately curved brass hooks on the rack by the door.
“I love this,” she said, gesturing to the rack. “And I especially love that it has an umbrella stand, as well. Is it yours or is it for sale?”
“Everything here is for sale, except me,” Raina laughed in response.
“What kind of wood is it?”
“Oak. You see a lot of replicas these days, but this is the real deal.”
“Hmm, maybe I should get it for Case for Christmas.”
“Things are that serious?” Raina asked.
In response, Mellie thrust out her left hand, exposing a beautiful ring on her engagement finger. The large square-cut emerald gleamed under the light and Raina gasped in surprise.
“Oh, I’d say that looks very serious. Congratulations!”
“Thanks, it was all rather complicated, what with everything that went on last month, but I’m so happy.”
And she looked happy, too. There was a glow about her that Raina hadn’t seen before. She tried to ignore the tug of envy that plucked at her along with a wish that her own life could have followed a more traditional path. But she quickly shoved it away. Traditional or not, her life was what it was and without the choices she’d made—both good and bad—she wouldn’t have JJ or be where she was now, doing something she loved.
