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I slow as I approach the barbershop, then frown. There’s a man there, peering through the darkened windows with one hand curled around his face. Mia stiffens beside me, her hands clenching into fists.
“I’ll go run him off,” I tell her. Whoever this guy is, he’s not going to make Mia feel unsafe.
“No.” Mia clears her throat. “No, it’s okay. Just…” She looks at Bailey again, who’s still asleep. “Just let me talk to him.”
I frown. “You know this guy?” I pull into a parking spot just in front of the barbershop, and the man straightens, turning to face us. He squints at my headlights, but I don’t turn the car off.
He’s shorter than I am, with a slight build. He’s wearing a dark button-down and black trousers with an open pea coat on top.
Mia’s breath catches. I watch her force herself to relax, unclenching her fists as she exhales slowly. Then she nods and meets my gaze. “Yes, I know him. That’s my ex-husband.”
28
MIA
Colin looks good.I, on the other hand, look like I just spent all day on an airplane.
Bailey’s still asleep in the back, so I exit the car and gently close the door. Des cuts the engine, but he doesn’t turn the lights off. They shine over us, illuminating everything, giving me nowhere to hide.
“Colin.”
“Mia,” he says, sounding relieved. “Hi.”
“What are you doing?” I frown at him, then glance at my barbershop.
He rakes a hand through his hair, getting that sheepish look on his face I used to adore. He was so good at making my anger melt away, always reminding me why I cared about him so much. “I was curious. I just checked in to my hotel, and I noticed the sign for your shop…”
I clasp my hands at my stomach and pray he doesn’t see them shaking. I shouldn’t be this nervous. I shouldn’t care. I knew he was coming.
The air is cool, but not as cold as it was in Colorado. It smells like salty ocean and cut grass, the familiar, fresh scent of Heart’s Cove. A breeze ruffles at the end of my ponytail, flicking it over the front of my shoulder.
“You look great,” Colin finally says to break the stretching silence. “I… It’s good to see you.” He glances at the car, squinting into the headlights. “Is Bailey in the car?”
“She’s asleep.” My voice is frosty. It’s hard to relax when the man who abandoned me with my unborn child is acting like I’m a long-lost friend he just happened to run into.
“Oh,” he says, a sad smile touching his lips. “Are you still free for us to meet tomorrow? You said brunch at the café was good.”
I’m as hollow as an empty drum. My heart echoes loudly as it thumps inside me, shaking loose all the feelings I thought I’d gotten over. I shouldn’t feel afraid of this man. I’m not even sure if fear is the right word for how I feel. It’s similar to fear, but it’s not exactly caused by him. It’s more like I’m afraid of becoming the shell of myself I was when he left. I’m afraid of being as alone as I was then, as terrified, as abandoned.
The refusal dances on my tongue, but I really have no excuse. I give Colin a jerky nod. “Tomorrow, eleven o’clock.”
For one horrifying moment, it looks like Colin is about to hug me. I freeze. Then the driver’s side door opens, and Des’s massive form emerges. Relief washes over me like the pitter-patter of a cool rain, loosening the locked muscles that had been holding me immobile. I turn to face him as he walks over to stand next to me, grateful for the palm he places on my lower back.
The headlights still shine on us, harsh and bright, concealing nothing.
Colin recovers quickly, deploying his best good-ol-boy smile as he extends a hand to Des. “I’m Colin. Mia’s ex-husband. I don’t believe Mia’s mentioned you.”
Real subtle. I narrow my eyes at my ex.
“Des,” the man replies, giving Colin’s hand a perfunctory shake. “It’s late. You should go back to your hotel. Mia and Bailey need to rest.”
Wow. Des is also lacking the subtlety bone. Clearly neither of these men feel like wasting any time being polite or pretending like they’re not beating their chests like silverback gorillas. Still, I feel oddly relieved at Des’s words, like he’s tossed me a lifeline at the moment I needed it most.
“Goodnight, Colin. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
My ex-husband hesitates very briefly, then nods at the two of us, crossing the street and heading toward the nearby Heart’s Cove Hotel. I deflate like an old balloon, shoulders rounding. Des’s arms come around me, warm and inviting, but my brain feels like cold scrambled eggs. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be comforted by another man. Have I moved too quickly with Des? Bailey must be confused. She’s supposed to be my priority, but here I am getting comfort from a man I told myself I hated only a few short weeks ago.
I pull away, needing to find my feet again. The problem with leaning on other people is that when they leave, you risk falling over.
