“Like I said, it’s not your business.”
“I care about him,” she said. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“Like you hurt him?”
“I was foolish,” she admitted. “But we were together for two years. I was the one who tamed the tomcat. Before me, he never dated anyone more than a month. Didn’t want to be tied down.”
“Good for you,” Dylan said. “I still don’t understand what this has to do with me.”
“By your own admission you’re not in love with him. At least not all the way. I’ve learned quite a bit about you since I’ve been back. Army brat. Raised mostly by her father who was a mechanic. Moved around every couple of years. Worked by his side until he got too sick and then you bore the brunt of things. And then he died and left you alone, and you’ve stayed alone. You seem to be comfortable with what you know.”
Dylan felt her insides go cold and her hands went clammy. Was her life so easily summed up? “And what do I know?”
“You know you can only rely on yourself. That love isn’t permanent, whether through your mother leaving you or through death. I’m surprised you’ve been in Laurel Valley as long as you have. And I don’t expect you to stay. It’s hard to change patterns that have been ingrained your whole life.”
“I am staying here,” she said, though her conviction didn’t sound nearly convincing enough. “Aidan and I are partners.”
“Aidan is a practical man,” Victoria said. “A businessman at heart. He’s not emotion driven. Once he sees you’re a flight risk he’ll come to his senses. And I’ll be here for him. Because I do love him. And he’ll start to remember the good times we had over those two years, and how aligned our families are, and that we could build an empire together, which is something you and he could never do.”
“It sounds like you’ve got everything planned out,” Dylan said, coming to her feet.
“I don’t mean to hurt you,” she said. “But it’s best to know all the cards on the table before you try to play your hand. I still have a chance with Aidan. And I’m going to play my hand.”
“I’m not interested in playing your game, so enjoy yourself.” Dylan turned and walked out of Heavenly Delights, tamping down the molten embarrassment bubbling up inside of her along with a simmering anger.
“So I haven’t made long-term decisions yet,” she mumbled under her breath. “Why is everyone in such a hurry? Maybe everyone should just leave me alone.”
“You okay?” Raven asked right before Dylan plowed right into her on the sidewalk.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” Dylan said as they did a sort of dance to keep from falling. “I didn’t see you.”
“I expect not,” Raven said, the kindness in her eyes almost Dylan’s undoing. “You were having quite the conversation. Only one thing can make a woman that angry, and that’s an O’Hara man.”
“Maybe,” she admitted. “Or maybe not. I don’t know. I’m so confused. I just had coffee with Victoria.”
Raven’s smile vanished and she arched a black brow. “Now why’d you go and do a stupid thing like that?”
“Excuse me?” Dylan asked.
Raven put her arm around her shoulders and guided her into the boutique. It smelled of sandalwood and spices, and Dylan couldn’t help but notice the rich textures and colors of the clothing displays. She didn’t belong in here.
“You got a death wish or something?” Raven asked. “Why in the world would you meet with her?”
“Because she called and said there were things that need to be said.”
“Well, whatever she told you, erase them from your mind. Victoria is a barracuda. And she’s manipulative.”
“She said she still loved Aidan and that because I haven’t figured out my feelings yet then that means she still has a chance.”
Raven swore, which was so uncharacteristic of her all Dylan could do was stare. “Sorry,” she said. “But if you want to know my opinion Victoria never had a chance. We all saw it back when they were together. If you could even really call them together. Anyone with half a brain could see that she was all wrong for Aidan. And Aidan saw it too.”
“Then why didn’t he break it off with her?”
“Because when things go bad in a relationship, women get domineering and independent, and men go passive. That’s just the way of the world. Take it from someone who’s been married for a while. It just worked out that Victoria’s daddy opened some doors for her to be a shark somewhere else. Believe me, Laurel Valley was glad to see her go. She always acted like more of a tourist than a local. Like everyone here was supposed to serve her.”
Dylan snorted out a laugh. “Tell me how you really feel.”
Raven grinned. “All I’m saying is don’t let whatever seeds she planted in your head take root.”
