Bride and Prejudice Page 9

  She’d been amazed. Even though it hadn’t been packed, the evening had been fast-paced and the tips poured in well. The tips she’d stuffed in her pocket were significantly more inspiring than she had thought money could be.

  There was security in the money because she could feed her son and it boosted her pride. She’d worked, not only to make money for her wallet, but to increase the profit margin of the restaurant she co-owned. She’d worked harder knowing that. She’d appreciated more about the job as she’d cleaned, stocked, and welcomed patrons.

  Her day was going to be a great one. She’d make sure of it.

  Nathan finally joined her and they walked the two blocks down to the store.

  Tessa wore a backpack so they could carry their things back in it. Two blocks didn't seem like a lot when your hands were empty, but when you started carrying things and having to walk, the load seemed a lot larger and the items became a lot heavier.

  She wasn't sure where JJ was but she hoped not to catch a glimpse of him somewhere. He was with someone else. She had no makeup on. The man had to work at some point.

  Would she ever get used to him being with someone else? As much as Tessa didn't want to know, she wasn’t stupid. The gorgeous woman sitting beside him wasn’t his sister. Honestly, Tessa couldn’t shake her surprise that he’d failed to mention the woman from the beginning. Yet, at the same time, he didn’t owe her anything.

  “Why didn’t we just drive?” Nathan yawned beside her, skipping over the cracks in the sidewalk.

  Tessa shrugged, taking in the warm sunshine and the ruffle in the tree leaves as the breeze stirred by. “I like walking and a little bit of exercise isn’t going to kill us. Plus, we don’t need to stock up the pantry in one hour. We can take a few trips and have fun with it.” She grinned down at him then looked up, nearly running headlong into Nancy Redd.

  Nathan reached up and claimed Tessa’s hand. He wasn’t fond of strangers and Tessa didn’t blame him. But Nancy Redd was sweet, always had been.

  Nodding slightly, Tessa smiled. “Good morning, Mrs. Redd.”

  Pressing her gloved hand to her chest, Nancy glanced between Tessa and Nathan. “Well, I’ll be. Tessa Sinclair. You’re as pretty as ever.” She peered down at Nathan, a beatific smile framing her words. “Look at this young man. Aren’t you a handsome one?” She reached out and patted the top of his head.

  Nathan arched an eyebrow and looked at Tessa who chewed the inside of her cheek to hold back her grin.

  “Thank you, ma’am. He’s definitely a blessing.” Tessa wrapped her arm around Nathan’s shoulders and glanced back up at Nancy.

  The older woman watched Tessa with a knowing smile. “I suspect he takes after his father the most. Wouldn’t you agree?” She tilted her head, waiting for confirmation to an unspoken question.

  Tessa nodded slowly, shifting in her sneakers. “Yes, ma’am. I suspect he does.”

  Claiming Tessa’s hand in hers, Nancy spoke earnestly. “Now, don’t you mess around this time, Tessa. You’re going to lose him for good, if you don’t act fast. The rest of the town doesn’t blame you for the dry spell we’ve had in Bride, but I know you can fix it, something fast. Apologize for what you did and get on with it.” She nodded tightly, squeezing Tessa’s fingers.

  “I... I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.” Tessa shot a horrified peek at Nathan who didn’t seem to be paying attention. What was Nancy getting at? How did she know or even suspect? Because what she was thinking was very clear in her expression and the not-so-subtle way she was speaking.

  Nancy nodded. “You know. Bless your heart, you still think this is something you can pick up later and keep for yourself. Didn’t your mama’s death wake you up, child? You’re going to miss out on so much, if you don’t hurry and take what’s yours. If you wait... Well, now, I’d hate to see that kind of loss in this town. Not again.” She pressed her lips together and studied Tessa.

  Without saying anything more, Nancy patted Tessa on the upper bicep and wiggled her fingers at Nathan. She stepped around the pair and walked down the sidewalk, her purse clanging against her hip as it hung from her elbow.

  Tessa clamped her mouth shut and clenched her teeth together. She wasn’t going to let the town’s matchmaker dampen her excitement for the morning.

  Dang if she didn’t speak the truth and Tessa didn’t want to acknowledge it.

  “Mom! Do you think we can get some Reese’s Puffs? We haven’t had those in forever!” Nathan jumped over another crack, pulling Tessa from her zone.

  Pushing through the double doors of the Market, Tessa procured a cart and rushed after Nathan as he zoomed past each aisle.

  Finally, he stopped in the cereal aisle and stared. The options in cereal brands seemed to be out of proportion with the size of the small store. Colorful boxes loomed above them and Tessa’s own eyes widened at the choices.

  Nathan leaned over, bumping into her elbow with his forehead. “Mom, I didn't know they made this many different cereals.”

  “I didn't know either.” She nodded, staring morosely at the towering aisle of cereal. They were going to be there forever. There were five different Reese’s Puffs. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I have to agree. It's a lot of cereal.”

  A tinkling laugh surrounded them. “You think that's a lot, don't go to the chip aisle. It will leave you lost for days.” Tessa spun around, startled to see the redhead who had claimed JJ's heart.

  Tessa ignored the flash of recognition on the woman’s face. They didn’t know each other, she probably remembered Tessa from the funeral – not Tessa’s best moment.

  Trying to redirect the attention from herself, Tessa pointed dejectedly at the cereal and smiled awkwardly. “Yeah, I'm not sure what to get.”

  The woman studied Tessa. “You're Tessa Sinclair. It's nice to meet you. I'm Celeste Meyer. I knew your mom.” She smiled at Tessa as if she didn't know what the history was for JJ and Tessa in that town.

  But everybody knew. And they judged accordingly. It wasn’t hard to figure out what Celeste knew and which direction she’d go with her assumptions. Tessa knew what she would think.

  Even with all of that, Tessa smiled and took Celeste’s offered hand. “It's so nice to meet you. Any friend of my mom's...” That's how she would leave it. She didn't want to go any further, because Tessa wasn’t aware of any friends of her mom’s. She’d lost that right a long time ago.

  Celeste glanced down at Nathan and smiled. After a moment, she paused, narrowing her eyes as she perused Nathan’s face more fully. “This must be your son.” She knelt down and held out a hand for him to shake. Nathan took it hesitantly, glancing at his mom as he did so. Celeste didn’t look at Tessa as she continued smiling at the boy. “It's nice to meet you. I'm Celeste.”

  Nathan nodded comfortably at her. “Did you say there are a lot of chips?”

  Celeste and Tessa laughed in unison. Tessa didn't know if she liked the woman or despised her with jealousy over time she’d been with JJ, time she would continue to get with JJ.

  Standing, Celeste continued glancing at Nathan as if she saw something in him, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. “He’s so sweet.” She looked up at Tessa, not hiding any of her emotions.

  She knew and Tessa grimaced. “You know.”

  Offering a side smile, Celeste half-shrugged. “He has his eyes. The same brown as JJ’s daddy. You can’t hide that.” She pressed her lips together. “Does JJ know?” Was she hoping he did or didn’t?

  Unable to lie to someone – or anyone for that matter – but especially to someone who Tessa realized she could genuinely like, she nodded. “He does, but he hasn’t really addressed it. We’ve only had a business relationship. He helped me during the funeral, but I think that was more to avoid being embarrassed than anything.” She laughed. “I have a reputation and it’s not something anyone wants to be tied to, you know?” Didn’t Celeste know she was in Tessa’s dream spot? She had no reaso
n to worry. Celeste had JJ, and Tessa had destroyed JJ.

  Celeste wasn’t in any danger.

  “I don’t think anyone thinks that way at all.” Celeste glanced down at Nathan one last time and smiled. “It was very nice finally meeting you both. I’m going to pick out my cereal and then get some milk. Good luck.” She turned toward the marshmallow cereals and grabbed a box before disappearing around the end of the aisle.

  Tessa watched her walk away. Was it okay that she liked the woman who had won JJ’s heart? Did that make her a traitor to herself? Like Celeste made Tessa mad.

  The only reason Celeste had the opportunity to take JJ was because Tessa had thrown him away. That’s what it was. She was mad at herself. In a town like Bride, a girl needed all the help she could get and all the friends she could gather. Because of what Tessa had chosen so long ago, she couldn’t have JJ and it would be too awkward to have Celeste as a friend.

  Dang it.

  Tessa felt like she had just been sucker punched. She wasn't supposed to like Celeste. In fact she had planned on hating her. Now she was hoping they could be friends and sad that her sinking suspicion was that she couldn’t. What a twisted world she lived in.

  “She was nice.” Nathan reached out and picked the biggest box of Puffs he could reach, still holding onto his mom’s hand.

  Tessa squeezed Nathan's fingers. “She was.” And because she still loved JJ, Tessa had to admit she was glad Celeste was so nice.

  JJ deserved nice. He deserved better than Tessa. He deserved the best the world had to offer him. That had been Tessa’s goal from the beginning.

  WITH NO SCHOOL IN THE summer, Nathan was going to get bored in the back room Tessa had set up at the edge of the kitchen. She’d discovered a small office there and couldn’t tuck Nathan into a corner booth. When it got packed, and she didn’t know when that would happen, she couldn’t expect the customers to be fine waiting for a table when there was a full booth with just one small child in it.

  At the same time, she couldn’t expect the cook to keep an eye on Nathan while he was doing his job.

  What was she going to do? The stress of her upcoming shift wouldn’t even exist, if she had a plan in place for Nathan’s care. The only people she knew in town were Nancy Redd, Suki, JJ, and Celeste. Not one of them was a person she could call up and say, “Hey, can you babysit tonight?” No, she wasn’t the type of person and none of them were the right kind of acquaintance or friend.

  While Tessa organized an activity box for Nathan in the office for the night, JJ showed up at the front of the bar.

  Tessa’s anxiety shot through the roof at his appearance. What was she supposed to tell him? Sorry, Nathan will be with me back in the office. She was co-owner of the bar with him, but what if he wasn’t okay with a child in the back? All of her insecurities about keeping Nathan welled up and her pulse quickened. She’d been the one to keep her son. She hadn’t given JJ any other option or even the chance to really decide. She wouldn’t burden him with parenting responsibilities.

  She tugged at her loose ponytail and fanned herself. Early spring and it was still warmer than one would expect. She offered a tight smile, while tying the back of her apron tighter at her waist. “Hey, JJ. Sorry, I’ll be right there. I’m just...” She stepped back into the office from the doorway to the kitchen and stood with her hands on her hips, staring up at the ceiling. She blinked back frustrated tears.

  Nathan’s voice reached her from the front and she took a steadying breath as he spoke to JJ. “Hi, JJ! I got Reese’s Puffs at the store. Do you want some?”

  “Oh, those are my favorite. You’re pretty lucky. I never get to have that cereal. How’d you talk your mom into that?” JJ didn’t sound impatient or put out by talking to Nathan. Maybe he wasn’t too freaked out at meeting his son.

  “I know! I didn’t have to talk her into it. She was fine getting them.” Nathan raised his voice. “Mom, JJ’s here. Can I get him some of my cereal?”

  Tessa composed herself and stepped back out to the bar. “Sure, Nathan, but put them into one of those baggies in the drawer by the fridge. He doesn’t need milk, okay?” JJ loved cereal in bags. Tessa had remembered that from dating him.

  “That’s my favorite way to eat cereal.” JJ high-fived Nathan as he ran toward the stairs, whooping. JJ raised his eyes to meet Tessa’s gaze. “You remembered.”

  “I haven’t forgotten anything.” Tessa wiped at her forehead. She didn’t have long to figure out what to do. “I’m trying to get ready for tonight, did you need something?” She didn’t mean to sound curt, but she had too much stress on her to deal with anything else at the moment. She hadn’t even taken the time to eat lunch herself.

  She wouldn’t mention meeting Celeste either. She didn’t want to talk about that woman with JJ. Not yet.

  JJ jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction that Nathan disappeared. He suddenly didn’t look confident. “Actually, I was wondering if I could take him to the movies? We still have the small theater just up the road.”

  Heat rushed up Tessa’s neck and cheeks as memories flooded back to her of dates with JJ in that little theater and getting kicked out by ushers multiple times because they’d been making out in the back and it was a family establishment. Did JJ remember?

  JJ taking Nathan would be an answer to her problem. A huge answer. But Tessa was still hesitant. Even with her uncertainty, she was too busy to fight the resolution. Nathan would be safe and if she was honest with herself, she liked the idea of her son getting to know his father – even if he didn’t know JJ was his dad.

  She nodded slowly. “Okay, when you’re done, can you bring him back here and cover for me so I can take him up to bed?” Tessa didn’t want to study JJ’s face too closely. She couldn’t handle the sight of his broad shoulders, his strong hands, and the deep intensity to his brown eyes. Not when she knew another woman had a claim to them. She wasn’t into adultery of any kind or being a part of it.

  “Thank you. I’m looking forward to it.” JJ’s smile broadened and for a second he could’ve been the JJ she’d fallen in love with. His carefree expression didn’t have the heartache or stress she’d mistaken as growing older.

  She’d done that to him. One more thing to add to her list of regrets.

  Nathan appeared at his side, two bags filled to the brim with Reese’s Puffs. He lifted one up, his eyes wide. “Look, JJ. I got one for you and one for me!” He peeked at his mom from under long lashes. “Is that okay, Mom? I forgot to ask.”

  Tessa waved at him. “Of course. Nathan, JJ wants to ask you something.” She’d put it on him. He had the right to ask.

  Nathan turned expectant eyes toward the taller man.

  “Want to hang out with me tonight?” JJ’s question was general and relaxed but his shoulders were tense and Tessa’s eyebrows knit together at the sight.

  Was he nervous to ask Nathan to hang out with him? She’d never considered the possibility that JJ would want Nathan to like him as much as Tessa wanted them to like each other.

  When Nathan all but yelled yes, JJ’s tension faded and pure joy replaced the expression of uneasiness on his face. Watching them leave, she was a little worried that Nathan didn't hesitate leaving with JJ, and it was a little disconcerting how easily they walked together.

  Then another worry reared its ugly head as Tessa realized that JJ was going to see what a terrific kid Nathan was. JJ would then want Nathan for his own. Would Tessa be able to fight that? She didn’t want to lose Nathan in an ugly custody battle. She didn’t have the funds and she didn’t have the connections. Why had she come back to Bride? She was putting everything on the line. JJ would win Nathan, if he tried to take him from Tessa.

  She wasn't a lawyer.

  JJ was.

  Chapter 14

  JJ

  Nathan’s excitement had surprised JJ and he couldn’t hide his own delight. His palms were moist as he followed Nathan’s jumping and skipping form from the Refill. He carried th
e bag of cereal Nathan had brought him and Nathan swung his own bag at his side.

  Was it normal for JJ to be nervous to spend time alone with Nathan? What if Nathan didn’t like him? It was possible. He hoped Nathan did, but what if he didn’t?

  Somehow JJ and Tessa were going to have to figure out a way to share Nathan and the bar. JJ had seen the struggle Tessa had gone through the night before and he didn't want her to have to do that again.

  Even if Tessa didn’t care about him anymore, if she ever had, JJ didn’t want things to be harder for her. Being a single mom wasn’t a part-time or light duty job. Jillian had talked about the things she’d had to do to survive as one when she would get one too many drinks on board.

  Walking alongside Nathan on the sidewalk, JJ tucked his hands into his pockets. He nonchalantly asked, “What movie do you want to see?” The neon lights flickered ahead as the theater came into view with its older style reader board that jutted out over the sidewalk with black letters spelling out the options – an action movie that released three months before and a fairy tale retelling appropriate for families that released before the action one. Bride was a bit behind. JJ didn’t want to see either of the movies, but the evening wasn’t about what he wanted.

  Nathan chewed on his lower lip and looked up at JJ with big brown eyes. “Is it okay that if I don't want to see movie? I really want to go to a park. We haven't done anything like that yet. We did go to the store and met a really nice woman, um, I think her name was Celeste, and we got lots of cereal, but we haven’t done anything else.”

  Celeste. JJ would have to process that in a minute. He wasn’t sure what that meant and he wasn’t sure if Tessa understood who Celeste was. JJ nodded, considering Nathan’s request with utmost seriousness. “Okay, would you like to get some ice cream first?” Tessa had said Nathan had already eaten.