I smirked. I could practically see her sitting at that beat-up desk at Fiddlers, legs crossed, probably sipping from a chipped mug, grinning as she typed. But not a sweet grin, more like a smug, victorious one. The kind that said I make more sense than you, and we both know it.
West
And don’t you forget that you’re coming back to Atlanta with me Sunday night. Your dad now has the best care in Georgia. You’ll have no reason to rush home.
The typing bubble popped up. Then disappeared.
Popped up again.
Then gone.
After a few minutes, it didn’t return.
She was debating whether or not to say something. That hesitation felt heavier than any words she might’ve sent. I wanted to know what she was thinking. Every time we talked, it chipped away at the lie we were living and made it feel a little more real. Which was good, right?
"Mr. Brooks, your three o’clock is here," Hattie’s voice came through the intercom. "I’ve also confirmed your private meeting with Clara Voss."
There was something in her tone. Not judgment exactly, but curiosity, maybe. Wondering why I was meeting privately with a woman like Clara Voss, especially after just introducing her to my fiancée. She probably had no idea who Clara was, though.
"I’ll be right in," I replied, offering no explanation.
Hattie was loyal. Hell, she was a saint for putting up with me. She’d been my assistant for years and had seen more than she ever commented on. But this? This wasn’t something I wanted to discuss or explain.
I’d already dug a deep enough hole.
The less I said, the safer we all were.
Chapter Seventeen
BLUE
Other than a quicktext on Thursday to check that Lisa was settling in, I hadn’t heard a word from my fiancé. Or husband. Whatever the hell West was to me now. I should’ve probably figured that out before my Friday shift started.
I was driving my old Toyota toward Fiddlers, the same way I always did, with the windows down, music up, pretending the wind on my face made everything easier. In my rearview mirror, I could see Marshal tailing me in West’s slick black SUV, his face tense and professional like he’d been carved out of stone. All week, I’d refused to ride in that thing. I didn’t care who I was married to, I wasn’t changing who I was, especially not while I was in Harmony Haven.
The best part of this town was the way it let you breathe. Life moved slower here. It was pastel and whimsy. West’s SUV looked like a peacock trying to blend in with chickens. And I wasn’t about to start peacocking just because I had a ring on my finger. Well… not literally a ring.
I pulled into my usual spot behind the bar and immediately noticed the crowd. It was early, but people were already filing in as if in anticipation of something big going down. Wordhad spread about West Brooks being the new owner, and small towns loved two things: gossip and spectacle. This was both.
Marshal parked behind me and practically lunged out of the SUV, rushing to open my door.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I scoffed as I stepped out before he could reach the handle.
“Ma’am, you’re already not letting me do my job. Mr. Brooks is paying me way too well to risk being useless.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but let it go. The last thing I wanted was to get this guy fired before he even got comfortable. It hadn’t really hit me until just then that he might be benefiting from this whole circus just like I was.
“Just don’t get in my way, Marshal,” I muttered, yanking open the back door to grab my bag.
He gave me a crisp little salute and a smile that was probably supposed to be reassuring.
When I walked into the back door of the bar, I could already hear the crowd buzzing from the main bar, the sound of laughter and clinking glasses echoing down the hall. Normally, I’d stash my stuff behind a stack of boxes in the storage room. But now I was using the office, so I took a deep breath and grabbed my keys, fingers fumbling to find the right one until I realized the office door was already unlocked.
I opened it.
And there he was.
West. Sitting behind the desk. His feet were up. His eyes were on his phone. He looked up just long enough to drag his gaze over me, slow and unreadable, then back to his screen. No smile. No hello.
