Devil vs. Angel E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

I knew better, but I still did it. 
I wasn’t the same man she used to know. 
Briella called me out. Womanizer, allergic to commitment, and happily single. She didn’t realize the teenager she knew had changed. She still saw me as the guy who ditched her sister at a school dance more than a decade earlier. I wasn’t that guy anymore, but I didn’t need her to see me as more. No one else did, so why should she. 
She was a sweet, curvy, sexy single mom that deserved better than me. 
She gave so much of herself to everyone else, I wondered how she had any left at the end of the day. Mother, business owner, volunteer…but all I saw was the woman she was beneath all the masks she wore. Kind, strong, passionate, and the most amazing woman I’d ever known. 
She thought I was the devil. Maybe I was. But she was definitely an angel. One I didn’t deserve. One I couldn’t resist.

Leseprobe

DEVIL VS. ANGEL

OPPOSITES ATTRACT, BOOK FOUR

MARY E THOMPSON

Devil vs. Angel

Opposites Attract, book four

Copyright © 2019 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2020 Mary E Thompson

Cover Photo from depositphotos, Copyright © rudakova

Chapter header vector from depositphotos, Copyright © Seamartini

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-944090-60-9

Print ISBN: 978-1-944090-61-6

Created with Vellum

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

The Big Island of Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s a fantasy to visit there, but a few lucky people get to call it home. They get to walk out their front door and be in paradise every single day. But that doesn’t mean it’s all perfect all the time. There are still curves ahead, and not just the women these men fall head over heels for.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Order vs. Chaos

Better vs. Worse

Boy vs. Girl

Devil vs. Angel

Mainland vs. Island

Big & Beautiful Ever After is a subscriber exclusive short story that takes place after Mainland vs. Island.

SUBSCRIBE NOW AT MARYETHOMPSON.COM

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

About the Author

To the moms who have it all together…I wish I was one of you!

CHAPTER1

ALVIN

I smiled at the beautiful woman as I handed over her drink. She was making eyes at me. I was too tired to go home with someone from Laughlin’s, but I wasn’t about to blow my chances at a good tip.

She wrapped her pink lips around the straw and looked up at me from under her lashes. I pretended I didn’t see her and moved to the next customer. Not a damn thing stirred in my shorts, so stringing the woman along was just cruel.

When she came back to the bar an hour later for a refill, she shot me a glare and grinned up at Mack, my partner for the night.

“What did you do to her?” Mack asked when she finally walked away, after giving him a big tip and her phone number.

I shrugged. “I didn’t drop my pants when she sucked on her straw. Guess she thought I should have.”

Mack laughed and slapped my back. “There are two kinds of women here. The ones who are looking to fill their void and the ones who are looking to disappear.”

“She definitely has a void. I’m thinking she might have one in her head, too. I was not sending her any signals. Unless being polite means I’m hitting on her. I need to start acting like you.”

Mack laughed again. He was a beast of a man. He was a good four inches taller than me, and at six-one that wasn’t easy. He kept his head shaved, giving him a dangerous vibe from the get-go. His gray eyes and dark brown skin appeared at odds with each other, one so light everyone thought he wore contacts and skin so dark he could disappear in the dark corners of the bar. Which he liked to do and then scare the shit out of me.

Where he was friendly and joked with me and the rest of our coworkers, he was stoic and firm with customers. The regulars knew not to fuck around when Mack was behind the bar. Or when he wasn’t. Mack worked shifts as a bouncer when one of the regular guys couldn’t make it. He was bigger than all of them, but he mixed the best damn drinks on the island so he stayed behind the bar most of the time.

We got busy again, and Mack and I moved to our corners to handle the masses. Just as it started to quiet down, a woman with striking red hair and a worried look in her eyes met my gaze.

I served the guy in front of her, keeping my eye on the redhead as she glanced around the bar. The guy nodded his thanks and dropped a bill in the tip jar then moved away, giving me a full view of the redhead.

She held her purse between clenched fingers. She chewed on the inside of her lip. Her eyes kept snapping behind her. Her blue tank top hugged her curves and gave way to fitted capris. She could have been a tourist, but my money was on her being a local. It didn’t matter to me. I was there to make sure she was okay.

“What can I get you?” I asked her when she didn’t meet my gaze.

She jumped, and her gaze locked on mine. She studied me for a second, then looked behind her again. I followed her gaze and saw a guy at a table watching her.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you,” I said amicably. “How’ve you been?”

I had all her focus after that one. “Do I know you?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m your friend, Alvin. We talk every time you come in here. And I’m not going to let you get hurt. Why don’t you have a seat and we can catch up. Something to drink?”

She moved toward the stool in front of me and slid onto it, nodding. “I’m Scarlett.”

“Good to see you again, Scarlett,” I said, moving to make her a Shirley Temple. It was pretty enough that most men thought it had alcohol in it if they weren’t watching when it was made, but allowed women like Scarlett to keep their heads on straight.

She nodded at me when I passed her the drink. “How…um…”

“How did I know you needed a friend?”

She sipped and nodded.

“I’ve worked in bars long enough that I could tell. You’re going to sit here for the night, though. Do you have a friend coming?”

She shook her head. “I was supposed to meet my girlfriend, but she couldn’t make it. I didn’t see her text until after I had my drink and was sitting there. I figured I’d finish it and go, but Carson had a different idea and has had me cornered.”

“Can you just leave?”

“I’m afraid he’ll follow me. I told him I’m not interested, but he said he’ll wear me down.”

“Well, I have to work until close, but I’ll follow you home if you want me to. Make sure you’re okay.”

Scarlett nodded. “Thank you. Hopefully it won’t come to that.”

I agreed with her. She sat and sipped her drink while I tended bar. I watched Scarlett the entire time, and kept Carson in my sights as much as I could. When things quieted a little, I filled Mack in on what was happening.

“I’ve seen him in here a few times,” Mack said with a subtle nod toward Carson. “He always finds a woman sitting alone and corners her. I’ve wondered a few times if the women were okay with him, but none have ever said anything to me.”

I nodded, glancing over at Scarlett. She watched the crowd from her seat. When her eyes landed on Carson, she sat up straighter and turned back to the bar, avoiding looking at him.

He stood, his eyes locked on her, and started to move through the crowd.

I nodded to Mack and we moved together to where Scarlett sat. She gave me a tight grin then flicked her green eyes to Mack.

“I thought you were going to come back,” Carson said before Mack or I could speak. “I was waiting for you.”

Carson was clearly pissed. His tone was full of anger and frustration.

“Sorry about that,” I said, drawing his attention. “I monopolized Scarlett. We haven’t seen her much lately and wanted to catch up with her. Mack hasn’t had a chance to say hi to her yet.”

Carson glared at me, but when Mack stepped forward, fear slipped onto his face. Mack went right to Scarlett and reached for her hand. “Hey, girl. Why don’t you come visit me anymore?”

Scarlett giggled and shook her head. “I’ve been busy, Mack.”

Mack nodded. “I know, babe, but you need to take a break more often. Kick back and have a drink. I see Alvin took care of you tonight. Next time you come, sit on my end. I’ll give you one of my special drinks.”

Scarlett blushed and nodded.

I stood there watching them, wondering what I just walked in on. They acted like they really were old friends.

“Um, I guess I’ll see you around then,” Carson said after a minute.

Scarlett ignored him, and he finally got the hint and disappeared.

“He’s gone,” I told her.

Her shoulders sagged with relief, and she began to shake.

“Mack,” I warned.

He nodded and moved around the bar. He stood at her side, rubbing her back. “Deep breaths, Scarlett. In and out. Slow. Listen to my voice and relax. You’re safe now.”

Scarlett looked up at Mack and held his gaze while she struggled to breathe evenly. I served drinks to the lingering customers, keeping an eye on Mack and Scarlett the whole time.

She finally nodded, and he moved back behind the bar. He stayed on my end, and I served customers on his end. We worked in tandem like we always did, smiling and pouring drinks until the wave died down.

I moved back to Scarlett and asked if she was okay.

She nodded. “I think so. He really scared me, though.”

“Sorry about that. We’ll make sure the boss knows about it so everyone can keep an eye on him from now on. Mack said he’s seen him in here before.”

Scarlett shook her head. “I hope he hasn’t done that to many others. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you didn’t pick up on it.”

I nodded. “Neither do I. I have a sister. I’m always watching, but we get so busy at times, I wouldn’t have noticed if you came up when I was slammed.”

“That’s why I waited. I was trying to figure out a way to say something to you without him realizing.”

“I’m just glad it worked out. We need a signal or something.”

Scarlett laughed. “That would be good.”

The rest of the night passed quickly. Scarlett stayed on her stool, sipping her drink and watching the crowd. As the night wore on, her shoulders slumped and she leaned onto the bar. She was clearly exhausted.

“I was going to make sure she got home okay,” Mack said from behind me as we worked to put the bar back in order. Most people had already left. Besides Scarlett, there was a small group of men and women in the one corner finishing up their snacks with a round of beers.

“Yeah, I told her I would. Doesn’t matter to me. As long as she’s safe. It really sucks that she had to worry.”

Mack nodded, his eyes on Scarlett. “Assholes like him shouldn’t be allowed out. Did you see the way he looked at her?”

“He was not happy she was up here with us instead of entertaining him. You scared him off, though. Like usual.”

Mack shrugged. “Just doing my job.”

“It would be easier if we had some kind of signal. Like a special drink women could order to let us know they’re not comfortable and could be in danger.”

Mack stopped what he was doing and stared at me. “That’s genius.”

I shrugged. “Heard some bars on the mainland are doing something like that. The problem is if it’s too obvious, it loses the effect. Needs to be something a woman can ask a guy to order for her if he won’t let her get her own drink.”

“I like it. Damn. You should tell Russell.”

I shook my head. “Nah. He doesn’t like when we change things. It would mean adding something to the menu, and you know how he is.”

Mack narrowed his eyes at me. “It would mean keeping people safe. I think he’ll be willing to do it.”

I shrugged. “I’ve offered suggestions before and he turned them down.”

“Like what?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, because it didn’t. I tried to help. I wanted to offer my opinion, but a man could only be beat down so many times before he quit trying to get back up.

“I really think you should tell him.”

I shook my head and walked away. It wasn’t going to happen. I just needed to be more vigilant about watching the women in the crowd.

Mack and I finished cleaning up, and he offered to follow Scarlett home. With a nod from her that she was okay with it, I took off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Black tie. God, I hated the black tie weddings. But if I wanted to work at Opposites Attract, I had to do it. Most of the time I wore a black shirt and pants and was fine, but for the brides who wanted a fancy wedding, I was required to wear a full suit. Including a damn tie.

Thankfully most people who came to Hawaii wanted to chill out and enjoy their wedding. We didn’t live a lavish life on the islands. We were laidback and casual. It was as close to paradise as you could get. I guess some people thought paradise should come with fancy clothes and servers in suits.

Not my fantasy.

My fantasies solely included a gorgeous woman who never demanded anything from me and liked sex as much as I did. So far, my fantasies were only that…fantasies, because a woman like that didn’t exist. Or if she did, I sure as hell hadn’t met her.

The wedding was in full swing down by the water, so I went through the bar and made sure we had everything we needed. It wasn’t like working at Laughlin’s where we had every alcohol a person could think of, but Kiana did a pretty good job of stocking the bar. There were a few things I wished she kept on hand, but there were so few people at most of the weddings that it didn’t make sense to stock up on everything.

We were running low on vodka and whiskey, so I ran off to the kitchen to grab a few new bottles before the wedding was over.

“How’s my buddy?” I asked Micah when I walked into the kitchen.

“I’m good,” he said. “Dinner’s almost ready and the apps are already set to go out.”

I snorted a laugh. “I wasn’t talking about you. I meant David.”

Micah flipped me off without looking at me, but the smile curling his lip up told me he wasn’t really mad. “Whatever. My son is happy. And loving life. When are you coming to take him out again?”

“Why? You and Ginny need a night to yourselves?”

Micah groaned. “Yes. Always. Having a toddler is not easy. He wears us out.”

I shook my head. David was a cool kid. He was full of energy, but he was good. I was lucky that I could pick him up and play and then take him home for the hard stuff, like bedtime, but I couldn’t imagine he was that bad.

“Let me look at this week. I know I have a few days off. I gotta get back out there, but we’ll talk before we leave tonight.”

“Hey, Alvin,” Briella said from behind me.

I turned, but all I could see was a cake with legs. White with perfect plumeria flowers cascading down the cake. It was beautiful, and so were the long, curvy legs under it.

Damn. I never noticed that before.

“Can I help you with that, Bri?” I asked, moving toward her.

“Nope. I got it.”

“Cutting it close, Bri,” Micah said playfully.

Jealousy at his easy and flirtatious tone took me off guard. Micah and Bri had worked together for months, and they bonded over being the only ones at Opposites Attract with kids, but it had never bothered me before. Why now?

“I know,” Briella told Micah as she set the cake on the edge of the counter. “My ex canceled on me again.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. Is there anything you can do about it?” Micah asked, clearly more aware of what was going on than I was.

Briella shook her head. “Nope. I wish I could, but if I push back with him, it’s possible he’ll take me back to court and reduce the amount of child support he gives me.”

“He can do that?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Everything is negotiable in a situation like this. If he thinks he’s paying too much, all he has to do is ask for a review. If I’m making more than I was before, or if my expenses have decreased, or if I get married and have someone else helping me out, he can get the payments reduced.”

“You get spousal support, too?” I blurted.

She nodded. “I do. I didn’t want it, but my lawyer pushed for it since Vince makes a lot more than I do and I have primary custody.”

“Still, it doesn’t seem right that he can change things, especially when he’s the one not holding up his end of the bargain.”

Briella shrugged. “All that means is I could sue him for full custody instead of joint custody and likely win, but I’m not trying to take Kyle away from his dad. That’s not right.”

“Where is he?” Micah asked.

Briella nodded to the door. “Outside. He found a critter in the dirt and wanted to explore. I should get out there and make sure he isn’t ruining anything.”

“I need to get back, too,” I said, nodding to Micah.

He waved and turned back to the oven as Briella and I walked out.

“You look tired,” I said.

She laughed mirthlessly. “Well, Alvin Stone, you really know how to charm a girl.”

I laughed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“You have a sister. You know when a guy tells a woman she looks tired it’s a nicer way of saying she looks like shit.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t mean that at all, Bri. I just wish you didn’t have to do all this on your own.”

She shrugged and avoided my gaze. “I’m handling it. I’ll be fine.”

“I know. You always are. Still sucks he’s pulling this on you.”

She shook her head and looked toward the parking lot. “It’s not about me. I already know he doesn’t love me, and that he’s a selfish bastard. But Kyle…he still thinks his dad walks on water.”

I shook my head. “Kids always get the shit end of things like this.”

She stood up straighter all of a sudden and turned stiffly to me. “It’s not like I got a good deal out of it. Or like I was the one who left.”

“I didn’t mean it to sound like you were, Bri. I wasn’t saying that. I just meant Kyle can’t understand everything going on, and you can’t tell him his father is a shitty person who only cares about himself. You know the truth, but he’s too young to hear it.”

She sighed and nodded. “He is. God, I hate all this. I was really looking forward to hanging around tonight and relaxing for a little while.”

“Why don’t you? Kyle can hang with me, and Micah is almost done. Between the two of us, you can get a little time to sit and have a drink.”

She was shaking her head before I even finished speaking.

“Come on, Bri. What’s the worst that could happen?”

CHAPTER2

BRIELLA

The worst? He didn’t really want me to answer that. When you become a parent, worst case scenario becomes your normal state. You’re always looking for the next thing that can hurt your child.

Unfortunately for me, I never saw the biggest hurt of his life coming. His own father.

“Let’s see…Kyle could wander off to the water while you’re pouring drinks and drown. Or he could get into the liquor behind the bar and end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. Or he could grab a knife from one of the tables and try to sword fight with it and stab himself. Or—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Bri, calm down,” Alvin said, reaching for me. He held my biceps and stared into my eyes. His were that dark brown color that reminded me of the cooled lava, nearly black but with depths of color so dark you couldn’t distinguish them without serious studying.

Yeah, okay, so maybe I’d studied his eyes. It didn’t really matter, though. Alvin Stone would never notice me. The only reason he was touching me at all was because I was having a nervous breakdown.

“I’m fine,” I said, shrugging him off.

He studied me a long minute and shook his head with a laugh. “You’re seriously twisted, aren’t you?”

I quirked an eyebrow at him. “We’re talking about my kid here. Since the day he was born, I’ve been responsible for him. Vince barely took any time with him. I didn’t plan to get pregnant, but when I did, I was happy. He never really was, and a part of me wonders if he never even wanted kids.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Alvin mumbled.

“Excuse me?”

He shrugged and met my gaze. “The way the guy acts doesn’t seem like he wanted, or wants, kids. He barely sees Kyle.”

I took a deep breath. Defending Vince had become habit so deeply ingrained, I had to choke back the words as they threatened to spill out. But Alvin was right. I knew he was right. And he was only agreeing with what I said. Alvin wasn’t the bad guy, Vince was.

“It just kills me, you know? A boy shouldn’t grow up wondering if his dad even cares that he exists.”

Alvin nodded as my throat swelled with emotion. There were times I hated Vince. Like every single time I had to tell Kyle his dad wasn’t coming. It wasn’t fair that it was up to me to do it, but I was the parent who was there. I had to be strong for my kid.

“Where is he? He can sit up here and I’ll make him a drink,” Alvin said with a grin.

I opened my mouth to argue, but Alvin shook his head.

“Not alcohol. Really, Bri?” He laughed.

I nodded and tried to calm down. I had a hard time talking to Kyle when I was so upset. His dad brought out the worst in me, but Alvin was doing a damn good job of changing how I felt. He always was the kind of guy who could make you laugh the same time he was dumping you. The crush I’d had on him since high school swept through me at times, catching me off guard. For so long, he was my friend’s older brother. He still was, but after my divorce, I also saw Alvin Stone as another man I needed to stay away from. He shared too many qualities with Vince for my heart’s safety.

Kyle stomped over to where Alvin and I were standing and grumbled that he was ready to go. You’d think at seven he wouldn’t have the obnoxious teenager attitude down pat, but he did.

“I was thinking of sticking around for a while. Alvin said he would make you something to drink.”

Kyle flashed his brown eyes at me. “I can’t drink that stuff. Those are Mommy Drinks.”

I grinned at my sweet boy. He was so innocent at times, but everything with his father made him much older than seven. “He can make you a special drink that doesn’t have anything like that in it. Want to try?”

Kyle slid Alvin a distrustful look that broke my heart. He met my gaze again and nodded once.

“What do you like, little man?” Alvin asked, taking control of the moment.

Kyle shrugged.

“What’s your favorite thing to drink?” Alvin tried again.

“I like Sprite, but Mommy doesn’t let me have it that much.”

Alvin narrowed his eyes and nodded. “I think for tonight your mommy will let you.”

I nodded at both of them, stuffing down every last argument I wanted to make. Kyle had been beat down enough for one day. He needed to kick back and relax just as much as I did.

Alvin set to work on mixing something up for Kyle. He poured syrup out of a bottle after putting a tiny bit on a straw and letting Kyle taste it. He added a lemon wedge to the tall glass, and filled it to the top with Sprite, then slid it across the wooden bar to Kyle.

Kyle looked up at me, and I forced a grin. The drink had a blue tint to it and was fizzy. Kyle’s eyes were wide and happy for the first time all night. Leave it to Alvin to erase my son’s dismay at being ditched by his father again.

Kyle leaned down and sipped the drink. He swished the sweet substance around in his mouth like he would mouthwash, coating every one of his teeth with a fine layer of sugar. I swallowed my groan and asked, “How is it?”

“It’s delicious!” He went back for another sip.

Alvin reached over and squeezed my hand. I looked up at him, and he nodded toward the water. I turned to look as the bride and groom led their guests up to the reception. She wore a long, white gown that hugged her hips and flared around her feet. He was in a black tux. They looked perfect together, especially with the way the sun was setting behind them over the water. It was picture perfect.

But I knew just like a picture was worth a thousand words, a picture could also lie. My wedding was picture perfect. I still looked back at pictures and wondered where everything between us went wrong. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an answer.

“Hey, Kyle. Will you hang out with me and make sure I take care of all these people tonight? Your mom can go see Kiana and Ada?”

Kyle sipped his drink and nodded. He looked up at Alvin with something dangerously close to hero worship in his eyes. It scared me because the last thing I needed was for my son to fall in love with another man who wouldn’t be there for him. Because I might not know Alvin Stone well, but I knew, without a doubt, he was not the kind of man who stuck around.

* * *

I left Kyle to hang out with Alvin and found Kiana and Ada. They were the last ones up from the beach, both stunning in their fancy dresses. Ada’s was a soft coral color that fit tight over her chest and flared into an A-line dress. Her hair was twisted up and away from her face, adding elegance to her look. Kiana was in her signature lavender. A floor length gown instead of her usual suit, but she still looked professional and sexy. I couldn’t pull off either of those things, let alone both at the same time.

“Hey! You made it!” Ada said when she saw me.

I nodded and waited for them to reach me, accepting hugs from both of them.

I was so happy when I reconnected with Ada and Kiana. We were close growing up, but when I married Vince, I pulled away from everyone. Neither of them were married, and it was easier to spend time with Vince’s friends who were all married than to try to find a way to connect with my single friends who were out there kicking ass and taking names. I wasn’t sure how they would take it when I called and asked if they wanted to get together, but both of them welcomed me back like we’d been best friends all along.

“Alvin is watching Kyle,” I explained.

Kiana’s face went from happy to see me to terrified. Her dark eyes went wide, and she scanned the reception area frantically. “Alvin was supposed to be working tonight. I don’t have a bartender if he’s with Kyle.”

I shook my head and put a hand on Kiana’s arm. “He is tending bar. Kyle is sitting at the bar with him. Alvin made Kyle a drink. Sprite and something blue and lemon juice.”

Kiana’s gaze snapped to the bar and the tension in her finally receded. At least a little. Kiana was always on edge during a wedding.

“Did you bring the cake?” she asked me.

I nodded. “It’s in the kitchen so the frosting doesn’t melt out here.”

Kiana nodded and moved around me to keep her eyes on the wedding. I didn’t take offense to her dismissal. I understood how she was. Opposites Attract was her life. She built it from the ground up and earned a reputation as one of the best destination wedding planners in Hawaii. She had that reputation because she worked her ass off to make sure the brides and grooms who hired her had everything they could ever want and then some.

“Let’s go get a drink,” Ada said, slipping her arm through mine. “Then we can grab a table and talk. Unless you have to go.”

I shook my head. “Alvin said he’d watch Kyle for a little while so I could relax.”

Ada tilted her head to the side. “He did?”

I nodded, wondering why Ada was curious about that. Alvin watched David all the time. Kyle had to be easier than a toddler. Then again, he was a sullen seven year old, so maybe he wasn’t.

“That was pretty awesome of my big brother. Let’s take advantage of it before he calls uncle.”

I laughed and followed Ada to the bar. We waited until the wedding guests all had drinks, then got two glasses of wine from Alvin. Kyle was still sipping his drink, although it looked like it might be a second one. I didn’t ask, and neither of the boys volunteered that information.

Pushing it aside, I let Ada lead me to an empty table off to the side. It had a view of the bar so I could keep an eye on Kyle and could people watch the wedding guests.

“How was the ceremony?” I asked Ada.

She nodded and set her wine down. “They’re a really sweet couple. They met in high school, but didn’t connect until they were out of college and both moved back to their home town. I think they’re going to have a great life together.”

I eyed her closely, looking for a lie in there. “Do you feel that way about all of them?”

She smiled and scanned the crowd. “No. I hate to admit that, but I don’t. There are some couples who just don’t seem to fit.”

“Do you think they know it when they get married?”

Ada turned the full force of her gaze on me. “Are you asking if I knew you and Vince wouldn’t work out?”

Leave it to Ada to be so direct.

I took a deep breath and nodded, holding the air in my lungs.

“Yes, I did.”

I blew out my breath with her unexpected answer. “You did? Seriously?”

She nodded and looked out at the party instead of at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She turned her focus back to me, her eyes sad. “You wouldn’t have listened. I love you, Bri, but you were so in love with him that you would have hated me if I said I thought your marriage was going to fall apart.”

“How…how did you know?”

She shrugged and looked away.

“Ada, please.”

She sighed. “Do you really want to hear this?”

Fear tightened my throat. What if he did something horrible, like kiss her? Or he made comments about me? Or—

“Fine,” she said, interrupting my runaway thoughts. “It was the way he looked at you. I’ve been around a lot of couples, even back then. I’ve studied the way men looked at women. The look in their eyes, and in hers, tells me if they’re going to last. There are some men who look at their bride-to-be as if they can’t believe she’s marrying them. Some like she’s the best thing in the world. Some like she’s perfection personified. And the same for her. If she looks at him the same way, then I know the marriage is going to work. You looked at Vince that way.”

The tightness from my throat drifted to my heart as I asked, “How did he look at me?”

She sighed again. “He looked at you like you were his sister. Like you were any woman. I got the feeling he didn’t care who you were as long as you were willing to marry him.”

I sucked in a sharp breath. Damn. That hurt. More than it should. I was over the death of my marriage, but hearing one of my best friends knew it was going to fail and didn’t try to stop me from making that mistake hurt.

“I’m sorry,” Ada whispered. “I shouldn’t have told you.”

I looked up at my friend and had to feel bad for her. The pain she felt was written all over her face. “It’s fine. I asked. And you’re probably right. All his friends were married, and I think he wanted to get married since they were. Half of them are divorced now, so maybe that played into his decision to leave me, but it doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

“And you’re better for it.”

I glanced over to where Kyle was talking to Alvin. “I hope so.”

“You are, hun. I know it. It might not feel like it right now, but in the long run, you’ll see.”

I gave her a tight smile and nodded. She was right, but it was still hard. Especially since Vince refused to pull his weight with Kyle. Not only was I a single mom, but I was a single mom without any help.

Moms all over did it, but I didn’t know if I was strong enough. I had to be both father and mother for Kyle, and make sure he knew he was loved by his father, even though I wasn’t entirely sure he was.

“Who’s that?” Ada asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I turned toward where she nodded. A man in a suit approached Alvin, but every other guest was in a suit so I wasn’t sure why she was asking. “A guest?”

Ada shook her head. “He wasn’t at the ceremony. It’s a small wedding. I would have seen him.”

We watched as he spoke to Alvin. When Alvin turned and pointed to me, I stood. What the hell?

The man locked eyes on me and walked slowly across the reception to where I stood next to Ada. She gave me strength just by being there and supporting me. Strength it felt like I needed.

I glanced at Kyle, who was happily playing with the stir sticks on the bar top, ignoring me and everyone around. At least I knew he was safe.

“Ms. Dixon?”

“Yes,” I choked out.

“Ms. Briella Dixon?”

I nodded.

He handed over a thick envelope that I hadn’t noticed until he extended it to me. “You’ve been served, ma’am.”

“Served? What are you talking about?” I blurted, refusing to accept the envelope.

“Everything is inside, ma’am.”

“What is this about?”

The man sighed. “I don’t read them. I just deliver them.”

“I’m not taking that until I know what it’s about.”

The man shrugged and set the envelope on the table. “That’s fine. You were here and knew I was giving this to you. If you choose to ignore it or leave it behind, I’ve done my job.”

Then he turned and walked away, leaving whatever bomb was in the envelope behind.