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“Yeah.” She lifted her head and grinned at me. “I can’t believe how great today went. I sold everything. All of it. And I have so many custom orders for more. I might have to hire someone to work with me right off the bat. I broke even and then some. I can’t believe it. I think I might end up being good at this, Liam.”
“Of course you will.” I slid my hand up her leg, giving it a squeeze for emphasis. “You’re going to kick some apothecary store ass.”
Shy laughter filled the cab of my truck then she took my hand and kissed it. “Gosh, I hope so. But right now all I care about is food. I’m starving.”
“We’re almost there.” Headlights flashed in my review mirror, and I frowned. Someone was following too close for comfort.
“I can’t stand tailgaters,” she muttered.
I swung into Holloway’s parking lot, dismayed when the tailgater followed me in and parked next to me. “Great. Stay inside,” I instructed after I parked. “I’ll handle this.”
“No, let’s just go home and call Cade or my dad. I don’t want you getting into a fight or something—wait a second. Is that Ava and Maren?” She squinted into the glare of the parking lot lamp and determined that it was them. “Oh hell no,youstay here, andI’llhandle this. I am in no mood for their crap right now. I want a cheeseburger and a beer, and I am not ordering the side of bullshit they are probably dishing out.” Before I could stop her, she threw open her door and stomped around the truck.
The tall blonde one who was driving was already outside. She held up a hand. “We come in peace. Chill out, Holly, Okay? We missed you at the festival, so we decided to follow you here because this can’t wait.”
“What is it?” she barked. “I had a great day and I don’t want you screwing it up for me. Oh, let me introduce you.” She reached back blindly to flop a hand in my chest. “Liam, this is Ava and Maren, two of the pains in my ass over the last decade or so.” She pointed to them in turn.
“Yeah, well it was mutual a decade ago, wasn’t it?” Ava huffed. “But forget the past, we have a common pain in the ass in the present that needs dealing with. It has come to our attention that we have all been lied to,” she announced.
“Yeah, and I have been used,” Maren chimed in. Mascara ran in a black river down her face, and she swiped at it with an angry hand.
I had no idea what on earth was going on and turned to Holly to gauge her reaction. She froze as a contemplative look crossed her face. “Let me guess. This is about Jared, isn’t it?”
Maren nodded. “Yep. He dumped me. He’s been stringing me along for years, using me for a piece of ass, making me think he cared about me when apparently, according to Tess’s sister at the Stop and Go this morning, all he has ever wanted was you.”
I knew it. That weaselly piece of sh—
“Elizabeth had a lot to say when we were there earlier picking up break up supplies,” Ava announced. “That girl is pretty hardcore, by the way. She lectured us clear into next week about chicks before dicks, ovaries before brovaries, and the rise of the incel in western American culture. And she also told us all the shit he’s been spreading around about the two of you. Apparently, you’re a man-eating, social climbing whore and Maren is a sad, desperate slut he feels sorry for.”
“So, yeah,” Maren interrupted. “Jared dumped me because he’s obsessed with you. I think he’s sick in the head. You need to watch out for him.” She jerked her finger at me. “Watch her. Jared is a huge fucking asshole and I have no idea what he’ll do now that he knows that we know what he’s been up to. His cover as Sweetbriar’s suave hottie has officially been blown.”
I was unsurprised by this news. Holly was visibly horrified and said, “I’m so sorry, Maren.”
“That’s not important right now,” Ava insisted. “Sorry, Maren, but it’s not. We have things to tell you. It’s one thing for us to fight with each other when we had our own reasons, you know?”
Maren threw out a hand. “But it’s complete bullshit when someone lies for his own agenda. Our shit with you has been in the past for a long time. We had no problem with you anymore, and I do not appreciate being used like this.” Tears filled her eyes as she choked on a sob. “I really loved him, and I thought we were about to get engaged. I’m so pissed right now.”
Ava put her arm around her. “You’ll be okay. Tell her. Just get it over with.”
“So, it turns out none of what we thought about you was true,” she addressed Holly. “He had me convinced you were trying to fuck him to get your store permits. That it was an ungodly, horrific mess in there and you were after his money and connections.” She threw her arms out. “But clearly that isn’t true. I saw your stuff in front of Violet’s Café, and I’ve been following you online for years. I should have known better. But he had me riled up and ready to go after you in his defense. He kept hinting we’d get married someday.” She hiccupped back a sob. “I was so fucking stupid over him.”
“And he told me you were trying to get Owen back for one last time,” Ava interrupted. “He said you wanted payback on me for taking him from you.” She paused. “Holly, I admit that I slept with Owen when you were engaged to him and I’m so sorry. We were drunk and I didn’t mean to. Honestly, I don’t even remember doing it, except we woke up naked together.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Anyway, look. The three of us had our beef when we were younger—well the four of us. Where has Tess been, anyway? But Maren and I have been over that for years. That was stupid kid stuff, you know? I got Owen back. We got married and I have the family I always wanted. Or at least I got what I thought I wanted. He turned out to be one huge-ass mistake. Why does he have to be so damn hot?” She heaved out a put-upon sigh.
“Once a cheater, always a cheater,” Maren muttered. “I tried telling you that. Like, so many times.”
“Beside the point, Maren. Damn.” Ava rolled her eyes at me. “A girl can only take hearing “I told you so” so many times before she smacks a bitch, best friend or not, am I right?”
“She has a point, Maren,” Holly agreed. “Be loyal.”
“So, I’d apologize for the incident you had with Owen at your store but fuck him. I kicked his ass out. He’s back living with his mom and begging me to forgive him again. Not this time! Good riddance to bad rubbish is all I have to say about that. Me and the kids are staying with my parents. We’ll lose the house, but it is what it is, and we’ll be better off in the long run.”
This situation was complete bullshit. I was tempted to find Jared and knock him out on their behalf. He needed a lesson on how to treat a woman and maybe I’d be the one to teach it. Someone sure needed to shake some sense into him. As for Ava, Luke was currently looking for a receptionist. Maybe he could hire her? After a thorough vetting, of course. Someone needed to feed all those kids of hers.
“Anyway, we feel bad.” Ava swept her arm out. “Like, welcome back to Sweetbriar, Holly. Maybe we can do lunch sometime. Or go out for a drink if we can get our bar bans lifted. But, regardless if we go out or not, we’re sorry.
“There’s always Holloway’s,” I offered. “Come inside and have a drink with us? On me.”
“Thanks but we can’t. We’re banned here too,” Ava answered, and I wondered just how many fights they had gotten into in the past to get them banned from every bar in town.
