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“Ha! I wish. I was stupid and in love. I didn’t ask for a contract. Why would I need one? We were getting married. Or so I thought. I just spent my money on the things we needed. Or as it turned out, on the thingsheneeded.”
“No way. The man’s a liar and thief, and an idiot if he didn’t love you. There has to be a way to get it back.”
“That would take a lawyer and the money is all gone. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. It took me nearly a year to find a decent job, so legal action is out of the question. I can’t spend what I don’t have, and no lawyer worth his salt would work without at least a retainer. I’m hooped. I just have to let it go and build a new nest egg. If only forgetting were as easy as it sounds.” She kicked the stone again. It bounced off a trash can and hit her in the shin.
Stupid karma.
“How did you end up in Half Moon Bay?”
“Pure sweet luck. When I couldn’t pay my rent and lost my apartment, I was rooming with a guy I went to school with. He was booked to cater for the inn’s opening. He came down with a bug and asked me to fill in. He’s one of the few chefs left that didn’t fall for Marv’s blackballing of me. Somehow, against the odds, I managed to impress your brothers and secure myself a job.”
“A well-deserved job. I’ve been sneaking cookies and muffins from the kitchen almost every day since you started and the dinner you cooked for our family was incredible. I’m sorry you were used and hurt like that. Your ex is an idiot.”
“Thanks.” His simple words took some of the sting out of Marv’s betrayal, but she knew it would be a long time before she fully trusted another man. She had a rock-solid contract with Derrick, one she’d asked for and that he’d happily provided. It protected them both. But on a personal level, there were no contracts or guarantees and she wasn’t ready to risk her heart again.
Chapter 9
Zander was surprised by how angry he was at Heather’s story. Her past explained the glimmers of sadness he saw in her eyes. Who did that to another person? He’d like to find this Marv guy and give him a beating. He wanted to pull Heather into his arms and make everything right for her. Not being able to do either was emasculating.
“I can’t get your money back, but I can treat you to a coffee,” he offered.
He took two fast steps and stepped into the café’s alcove entry and pulled open the door, holding it for Heather to enter. “After you.” He bowed and waved her forward. “King, stay.” The dog moved to the left of the opening and lay down in the shade beside a small fountain with a sign declaring it a “Doggie Fountain.”
“Thanks.” Her smile was weak, like she couldn’t shake off the past.
They paused a few steps inside the door to scan the sandwich board displaying the day’s specials. The shop smelled like heaven. Coffee, bacon, melted cheese, and fresh baking lingered in the air, making him drool. “The bacon and egg wrap looks good,” he said.
“It does. I think I’ll have that and a French vanilla latte. Oh, and a glass of water.” He didn’t think she was asking him to order her meal or pay for it. She was much too independent for that, but he stepped forward and ordered for both of them before she could object.
He winked at her as he tapped his card. “This one’s on me. The next one is on you.”
She frowned. After a second, she nodded. “Fair enough. Next one is on me. But can we walk while we eat? If I don’t cool down properly, I’ll be too stiff to walk tomorrow.”
“Sure, but you ordered a glass of water.”
She raised a pink floral water bottle that matched her hot pink leggings and T-shirt. He’d been so wrapped up in Heather he hadn’t noticed she carried anything. “I’ll fill this up and I’ll be good to go.”
Five minutes later, food and drink in hand, they headed out, King walking along with them. Heather carried her sandwich in one hand, her coffee in the other and had her freshly filled water bottle tucked under her left arm.
“The clinic is outside of town. How did you end up here?” she asked and dove into her spicy egg wrap.
“Drove.” He’d come to talk to Tyson about his growing feelings of needing to move on with his life but hadn’t worked up the courage yet.
“You drove. Haha. Funny. I bared my soul to you. It’s your turn.”
He wasn’t sure he wanted to open up to a woman he was just getting to know. “Family.” A single word was all he managed.
“You’ve got a great family. Everyone is nice, though Derrick is a bit gruff. I like your mom. Her heart is enormous.”
“Yeah, she’s great. I worry about her since Dad passed. You know, does she take on too much when she should get one of us to do things for her? Is she lonely? Is she happy?”
“You could ask her,” Heather suggested.
He took three swallows of his coffee. “She’d be evasive and try to distract me. She’s not a liar, but I don’t think she’d be completely honest. I’m sure she feels like she needs to protect us, but she’s getting on in years and needs more help than she’s willing to admit.”
“And that worries you.”
He appreciated her understanding. “And Derrick? He’s bent on killing himself on that stupid bike. Tyson’s got something going on he doesn’t talk about, but he’s afraid of getting old without having a family. I feel like I need to set him up with a nice woman, but he’d never go for that. Mom does more than enough date pushing. Jacob still works too hard, but at least I can relax a bit about him now that he’s got Lexi. Poor Ella is hurting so badly about losing her mother, though she’s happier now that Lexi’s entered the picture.” He felt silly for blurting out his family woes, but Heather was easy to confide in.
