Chapter 3

Joelle

What was I doing? Why was I still there? Five nights sleeping at an inn in a small town where I knew no one. Hiding.

But every time I thought about leaving, I couldn’t bring myself to consider it for real. Where would I go?

How did I get where I was? How did I let my mother…

I didn’t even have to finish that question. I knew how I let her control me the way she did. I never stood up for myself or stopped to think about what worked for me. I always let her have a say, and her say was the only one that mattered.

I stared at the clothes in my suitcase. I didn’t select any of them. I didn’t buy them, and I didn’t pack them. There was nothing about my life that had been my choice. I was twenty-eight years old and hadn’t had an original thought ever. Not one I remembered anyway.

It was time for a change. Zoey and Piper had been nothing but nice to me since I arrived, something my mother would have sneered about. She would have seen them as the help, the ones working for us, but no one who worked for my mother ever treated me the way those two women had. They were kind and friendly, not pushing for me to tell them anything, just letting me be for days.

We weren’t friends. I knew that. They didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them. But maybe they would be willing to help me out.

I dug through my suitcase and found a pair of gray linen pants that fit me well. The color wasn’t my favorite, and the linen felt so ridiculous, but I would take care of that today. I’d never owned a pair of shorts. My mother said proper women didn’t show off their legs. The suitcase was packed for my damn honeymoon, and I wasn’t allowed to wear shorts.

Nope. I was done following her rules.

I ached for color, something bright and happy. But my suitcase was full of neutral clothes. I pulled out a white top that worked fine with the gray pants, then slipped my feet into the boring gray shoes I had been wearing since I arrived.

Time to figure out who I was.

I went downstairs, loving the sounds of laughter and joy in the Inn I lucked into finding. I never would have been rescued from the side of the road in the city, but a random guy saving me in a small town seemed to be fate.

And him bringing me to a place that made me feel like I could breathe for the first time in way too long was even better.

Zoey was behind the desk when I made my way into the reception area. She looked up when I approached, an easy smile on her face. “How are you today?”

“Honestly, I’m ready for a change. Do you know somewhere I could go shopping?” I gestured to my outfit.

“Of course. Clothes?”

“God, please.”

Zoey chuckled. “There are some cute places in town, but nothing that’s like what you’ve been wearing. Everything here is pretty casual.”

“I’m good with casual.”

Zoey’s brows shot up, but bless her, she didn’t comment. “Well, I would start with Island Designs. It’s eclectic and funky, but it has some great things. There are a few places in other towns not far from here if you want to take a ride.”

“Where do you shop?” I asked her, eyeing the outfit she wore. It was cute with jean shorts and a loose top that looked not just light and comfortable in the early summer warmth, but was flattering on her curvy figure. She was confident in her curves, unlike me.

“Island Designs is definitely my go-to for daily wear. If I’m looking for something a little more upscale, I’ll head to Cove Couture or I’ll check out some places in other towns. If I’m looking for something specific, sometimes I have to resort to online shopping or head down to Syracuse, which is the closest city.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to go to a city. I’ll check out the local places first.”

“Sounds good. Do you have a phone with directions, or do you need me to tell you how to get there?”

I hesitated. I hadn’t thought about those options. Hell, I hadn’t thought about any options since I arrived. I left once to drive around, but I hadn’t been off the property besides that in days. “Oh, um…”

“Where are we going?” Piper asked from behind me.

Zoey laughed. “Joelle was asking about places to shop. I told her about Island Designs and Cove Couture.”

“Ooh, yes. We should all go. Unless you want to go alone?” Piper asked.

I shook my head. “I would love the company. But you both have to work.”

The two of them exchanged a look and shrugged.

“Gavin!” Piper called.

“Yes, my love?” Gavin replied, appearing from around the corner.

“We’re going to go shopping. Can you keep an eye on everything while we’re gone?”

“Of course. Have fun.”

“Thank you,” Piper said, kissing him soundly before she turned back to me. “We’re good to go. Want me to drive?”

“Sure,” I said, feeling like I was in the middle of a tornado. A tornado I asked for.

Was that what it was like to have friends?

Zoey insisted I sit up front, and she and Piper narrated the drive from the Inn toward town.

“Neither of us are from here,” Zoey said. “My aunt owned the Inn when I was young, and Gavin and I would come here for the summers. But we weren’t locals.”

“And I moved here years ago when my previous relationship blew up in my face. I needed a change, and a simplification, and thought it would be temporary, but this place has a tendency to grow on you,” Piper said as she pulled over to the side of the road.

“That sounds like a fungus,” I said.

Both women laughed.

“Yeah, it can be like that. But we’ve both found something here we never had before,” Zoey said.

“What’s that?” I asked as we got out.

“Home,” they answered together.

Home. I wasn’t even sure what the word meant, but the looks on their faces made me want it.

Zoey and Piper led me into Island Designs, and I was immediately assaulted with color. The place was vibrant and eclectic, like Zoey said, but also inspiring.

I wandered through the aisles, looking at a combination of clothing and decorations and local artwork that I couldn’t take my eyes off of. I wanted all of it. Bright paintings and inquisitive photographs. Flowing clothes and loud patterns. It felt like walking into someone’s attic and rummaging around things from the past.

“You should totally get this,” Piper said from a few aisles over.

I looked up and saw her holding up a skirt for Zoey.

Zoey grabbed it and held it to her waist. “It’s really cute. I might have to try it on.”

“The color is great for you. And you like that style.”

“I do. It’s very forgiving.”

Piper grinned as though they were sharing a secret.

I looked away. I liked both of them, but I wasn’t their sister-in-law or friend. I was a guest at their Inn. A random woman who was just sitting on the outside of every aspect of life, even my own life.

Tears filled my eyes, and I focused on the rack of clothes in front of me to try to stop my tears.

“Are you okay?” a woman asked from a few feet away.

I lifted my gaze to hers and smiled at the Black woman. She looked genuinely worried, and the kindness in her dark eyes made me want to spill everything to her. “Not really, but I’m trying to figure out how I can be.”

“Do you like brownies?”

Startled by the question, I tilted my head. “I… Yeah?”

“Are you sure?” she asked, a laugh ringing in her tone.

“I do. Just a weird question.”

“Sorry. I work at Cove Bakery, and I have a brownie in this bag. I was going to bring it home to my husband, but he gets them all the time, and you look like you need a brownie. It’s got cookie bits baked into the brownie with a drizzle of ganache on the top and a layer of frosting in the middle.”

“That’s not like any brownie I’ve ever heard of,” I said, unable to resist taking the bag she offered. I peeked inside, my mouth watering at the scent of the treat.

The woman laughed. “I try to be a little different. I’m Valentina, by the way.” She offered her hand.

I shook hands with her, smiling at her. “Joelle. Nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Are you new to town?”

“No, just visiting. I’m staying at MacKellar Cove Inn.”

Valentina looked past me and grinned. “Hey, guys. Joelle looked like she needed a brownie.”

I turned to see Zoey and Piper walking up, their eyes wide.

“I’m so jealous,” Zoey said, eyeing the bag Valentina handed over.

“Same. Valentina’s the best. And that brownie, or anything she makes, is a cure-all for everything.” Piper hugged Valentina.

Zoey did the same, then grabbed my hand. “I think we have good food at the Inn, but no one bakes like Valentina. She’s the one we hire for special events.”

“She made my wedding cake,” Piper said.

I sucked in a breath at the mention of a wedding. Dammit.

“Sorry,” Piper said. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Valentina looked between the three of us, curiosity and concern on her face.

“I… I was supposed to get married last weekend, but I’ve been hiding out here since,” I admitted. It was the most I’d shared with any of them since I arrived.

“Ooh, now that is a story we need to hear over lunch. Should we finish shopping, then go to O’Kelley’s?” Valentina asked.

Zoey and Piper looked at me, eyebrows raised, letting me decide.

“Hell, why not? It’s not like I have a schedule to keep these days.” I chuckled when they all cheered.

“Can I ask you something?” Valentina asked.

“Sure.”

“Which is more you? What you’re wearing or what you were looking at when I walked up?”

I exhaled. “I’m trying to figure that out, but definitely not what I’m wearing.”

“What if we each pick out something for you, our treat, and you can try on a different outfit for a few days to help figure out who you are?” Valentina suggested.

“I…” Trading one opinion for another didn’t appeal, but these women weren’t forcing anything on me. They were looking to help me. “I’ll try it.”

“Good. Let’s shop, ladies,” Valentina said.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we shoved the bags of clothes they picked out for me in the back of Piper’s vehicle, then walked over to O’Kelley’s. The ladies said it was a local bar, but they served food. I had never been in a place that sounded like they were describing, but I was trying new things.

Piper went over to the man behind the bar and hugged him tight before speaking to the others working.

Zoey and Valentina waved, but didn’t have the same enthusiastic reception for the employees. We sat at a booth and Zoey handed over a menu.

“Piper worked here when she moved to town. She loved it here and stayed working even after she bought the Inn, but the Inn has been really busy and she hasn’t worked here in a while. Hudson is the owner, the guy she hugged, and he’s married to another friend of ours,” Zoey explained.

“Wow. Is that why you guys come here?” I asked.

They shook their heads.

“We like it here. It’s comfortable. And Hudson is really protective and keeps people in line. No one gets rowdy or handsy with Hudson around. If they do, he’s quick to toss them out,” Valentina said.

“Really?”

“Yep. He doesn’t tolerate things like that,” Zoey said.

“That sounds pretty great,” I agreed.

“Hudson is going to bring us drinks and appetizers. He’ll take our orders in a minute,” Piper said as she sat next to Zoey.

“Thanks, Piper.”

I studied the menu, but when Hudson came over and introduced himself to me, I just followed the others and ordered what they did. I didn’t like to be different, and a burger sounded good, so I went with it.

“Okay, so, why did you run from your wedding?” Valentina asked when Hudson walked away from our table.

I drew a breath and let it out slowly. “I didn’t really know my fiancé. My mother wanted us to get married, but he didn’t do anything for me. He was nice, well, I thought he was nice, but it was just not right. I decided I didn’t want to marry him, and…”

The three of them waited for me to finish.

Did I want to tell them? It was embarrassing. Humiliating. What woman had that happen? Had a man who was supposed to love them screw someone else? Definitely none of these women. They were beautiful and kind and confident.

“He was with someone else, wasn’t he?” Valentina asked quietly.

I gasped and looked up at her, wondering how she figured that out. I nodded, hating that tears filled my eyes again.

Valentina wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Damn. I hate men sometimes. My ex-husband had an affair. Many of them, I think, but the last one was with a very nice woman who was brave enough to move to town so she could be closer to him. He was stringing her along, and she decided to take matters into her own hands and moved here.”

“Why are you being so nice about that?” I growled.

Valentina chuckled. “She didn’t know he was married. She thought he was single and afraid of commitment, so she made the commitment for him. Got a job and an apartment and decided to see if they could make it work. Surprised him when she showed up in the middle of family dinner one night. I answered the door.”

“Oh, shit,” I breathed.

“Yeah. It was ugly. He was angry at her for showing up, but he was the one who lied. Just like your fiancé. You didn’t do anything wrong. He’s the one who cheated on you.”

“He’s not the only one who did something wrong,” I admitted.

“Did you cheat on him, too?” Zoey asked.

“No,” I blurted. “No. But I caught him in the middle of… you know… with my mother.”

The three of them gasped, Piper choking on her water. Zoey clapped Piper on the back as Piper gasped for breath and choked out the water she sucked in with her surprise.

“What a piece of shit,” Valentina hissed. “Sorry, but your mother?”

I nodded. Part of me hated admitting it, but if Valentina’s story was true, I wasn’t the only one who had been through what I was going through.

“That’s a whole new level of low,” Piper wheezed. “No wonder you’re hiding out with us. You have nowhere else to go.”

I nodded. “She’s basically run my entire life. What to wear, what to do, who to date, who to marry. Everything has been her choice.”

“Which is why you didn’t know what was your style,” Valentina said.

“Yeah. I’ve never thought about what I want. I’ve always gone along with what she said.”

“And what did she say about sleeping with your fiancé?” Zoey asked.

“Um, lunch?” Hudson said, clearly hearing the last question. His gaze slid to mine. “Need me to kick someone’s ass?”

“You don’t even know me,” I said.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You’re with them, so you’re one of us. We protect our own.”

“Why?”

The three women and the big bar owner all looked at me like I was crazy.

“Because it’s what family is supposed to do. And we’re your family now, Joelle,” Piper said.

Damn. Those tears were back.

Valentina wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me to her side. She looked up at Hudson and said, “We’ll keep you posted on the ass-kicking.”

Hudson nodded, then caught my gaze. “I have friends. Whoever hurt you won’t get away with it.”

I chuckled. “Thanks.”

Hudson nodded again, then walked away.

“Was he serious?” I asked the women.

They exchanged a glance.

“Two of our friends are cops. It’s a thin line between illegal and you’ll never find any proof,” Piper said.

My eyes widened, and the others burst out laughing, but no one said Piper was wrong.

“Hudson is a good man,” Valentina said. “But all the guys they hang out with are very protective. They would do anything for you if you needed it. And so would we.”

I looked around the table and found myself looking into the eyes of three women who were nodding and smiling. “I’ve never had friends before.”

“Then you’re due. Let’s eat these burgers and see what other trouble we can get into today,” Piper said. “Gavin’s covering the Inn, so we’re off for the day. It’s beautiful out, and we have some retail therapy to do and some healing to begin.”

The three of them looked to me for approval.

I nodded. “I think that sounds like a really good day.”

“Perfect,” they all said.