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Twenty feet from where I stand, not facing me head on, is Devlyn’s mother.
What the hell?
Much as I’d love to give this woman a piece of my mind, much as I’d love to shove her out the front door and tell her to never return, my lips refuse to move. Words refuse to form on my tongue.
And before she sees me, I spin around. My feet trek across the floor and toward the break room. Elizabeth hasn’t been back here but maybe ten to fifteen minutes, and I hate that I will interrupt her time. But I swear to make it up to her. Give her extra time, let her come in later on a different day. Whatever she wants.
Anything but be in the same room as Karen Templar, forced to interact with her. Not on my own. Not anytime soon.
“I need a favor,” I say as I enter the room.
Elizabeth looks up from her book, finishes chewing and swallows. “What’s the matter?”
I pick at the pocket of my apron. Twist my lips between my teeth. “Devlyn’s mother is out front.” Elizabeth’s brows pinch at the middle. It isn’t my place to share Devlyn’s past, but I need to give Elizabeth something. Some indication as to why I refuse to be in the same room as her. “It’s a sticky situation.” That’s putting it lightly. “Things aren’t good with Devlyn and his parents, and we bumped into her the other night. It was bad.”
Tucking her bookmark between the pages, Elizabeth rises from the table and wipes her mouth with a napkin. “Say no more.” She sidles up to me and rests a hand on my shoulder. “Stay back here. I’ll come back when she leaves.”
My entire body deflates. “Thank you.”
Not a minute after Elizabeth exits the room, my stomach starts to roll.Nerves or morning sickness?It’s long past morning, but I read the nausea happens at all hours. Most women just happen to get it in the morning.
I lock myself in the bathroom, crank the cold-water knob on the faucet and soak a paper towel. Then I park myself on the lidded toilet and dab my cheeks, forehead and neck with the towel. Bend at the waist and tuck my head between my knees.
As a child, I passed out quite often. My blood sugar and iron levels were never where they were supposed to be. At an early age, I learned the signs leading up to a fainting spell. The doctors told me if I felt that same woozy feeling, felt like the world was too wobbly beneath my feet, I needed to sit in a chair or on the floor. Somewhere safe. That I should tuck my head between my knees and take slow, deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Help the blood and oxygen flow to my head. It wasn’t an immediate fix, but it helped.
After the third deep breath, I slowly sit straighter. Open my eyes. Focus my thoughts on something calming.
Nights snuggled with Devlyn on the couch. Just me, him, good food and whatever show we’re currently watching. His warm arms around my waist. The stroke of his fingers on my skin.
Another deep breath and the nausea passes. “I got this,” I whisper with renewed confidence.
A knock on the door startles my peace. “Shelly? Everything alright?”
I rise from the toilet and toss the paper towel in the bin. Twisting the handle, I open the door to see Elizabeth, her face etched with concern.
“All good. Felt sick for a moment, but it passed.”
She rubs my back between my shoulders as I walk out. “Glad it’s better. May need to keep some ginger ale and saltines on hand.” A gentle smile dons her face. “Just in case.”
“Not a bad idea.” My eyes dart to the doorway, then back to Elizabeth. “Did she… uh…”
“She left. Didn’t buy anything, actually. She wandered the shop for a few minutes, then started asking questions.”
“About the shop?”
Elizabeth shakes her head. “Not one. She asked questions about Devlyn.” She pauses to swallow. “And you.”
Shit.I hoped she wouldn’t remember my face from the shop. She’d only been in here the one time, well over a year ago. I wasn’t even the one to help her.
Obviously, Karen Templar has a fantastic memory. One I’d like her to forget.
“What did she ask?”
I hate that Elizabeth is suddenly in the middle of our mess. It isn’t fair to her.
“At first, she asked about the new piece on the inside wall. The meadow.”My meadow.“Asked if Devlyn had painted it.” My eyes widen. “And when he was here last.” A light layer of sweat dampens my skin as the nausea starts to make a comeback. “Since I hadn’t seen her in a while, I told her Devlyn painted the inside when he’d done the exterior more than a year ago.”
Thank god.
