Part 35 (1/2)

”Holy c.r.a.p,” Martha muttered.

”Hold onto that one, girl,” s.h.i.+rleen muttered.

My voice dropped quiet when I kept laying it out for Martha. ”He gets close to me anytime I'm near. And his Dad says he does it like he thinks there's a lion that's going to come charging into the room and Brock wants to be close enough to protect me. And he wasn't wrong, Martha, you know with Damian back, and Brock knows, that lion is prowling out there and Brock...” I swallowed as I felt tears sting my nose, ”Even with all this stuff going down, Brock's positioning to make sure that lion doesn't get anywhere near me.”

”Oo lawdy,” Elvira whispered.

Martha continued to hold my eyes. Then tears filled hers.

Then she whispered, ”You love him.”

”Yeah,” I replied.

”You love him,” she repeated.

I grinned. ”Yeah.”

Then she threw both arms straight in the air and shouted, ”My best friend's in love with a bad boy hot guy!”

Elvira rolled her eyes. s.h.i.+rleen stared at Martha like she had a screw loose. Daisy giggled her pretty bell laugh.

I smiled at Martha.

There you go. That was Martha. One drama fed into the next and all of them weren't bad.

I sighed a relieved sigh and a knock came at the door.

Well, relief didn't last long.

I looked toward the door and stared at it like on the other side was a dirty bomb.

”You two kiss and make up, I'll get the door,” Elvira offered and I opened my mouth to stop her when I felt Martha's arms close around me.

And what did you do when your best friend since fifth grade's arms closed around you?

Yours closed right back.

”I'm so happy for you honey,” she whispered.

”I am too,” I whispered back then added, ”Outside the sinister threat of impending doom delivered by one, the other or both of our exes and the cloud of possible terminal disease.”

She pulled back but not out of my arms then she said softly, ”This, too, shall pa.s.s.”

I hoped she was right.

”Uh, girlfriend,” Elvira was close; I let go of Martha and looked to her then beyond her to a handsome but somewhat elderly man I'd never seen in my life was standing just inside my door. ”You got a visitor,” she informed me of the obvious then went on, ”Says his name is Dade McMa.n.u.s.”

I blinked at her then I looked at the handsome but somewhat elderly man standing just inside my door.

Whoa.

That was Olivia's husband?

He was handsome, yes. And I could see even a room away that his clothes were of very good quality as in he was not a stranger to Neiman's good quality. And he wore them well on a still slim, fit body. And he had good style. And he was only somewhat elderly.

Still.

Maybe Brock was wrong. Maybe Olivia did want her bad boy hot guy ex-husband back.

d.a.m.n.

And double d.a.m.n because what the f.u.c.k was he doing here?

”Um...” I mumbled.

”I'll only take a moment of your time, Ms. O'Hara, but it's important,” he called politely.

d.a.m.n!

”Who's that?” Martha, up on her toes and at my side, whispered in my ear.

”Brock's ex-wife's husband,” I whispered back.

”Oo lawdy,” Elvira muttered.

”You got that right, sugar,” Daisy whispered.

”f.u.c.kin' A,” s.h.i.+rleen mumbled.

”Holy c.r.a.p,” Martha murmured.

”Uh... I'll be right there,” I called, he cordially lifted his chin then moved to study the books on my inset shelves.

c.r.a.p.

I rolled my hands toward me to indicate the girls should huddle, they didn't delay in huddling and I whispered low, ”Okay, I don't want to go shopping but I'll meet you at Club later.” I turned to Martha and ordered, ”Text me.” Then back to the group. ”Have fun and if you happen to see a s.e.xy nightie that shouts, 'Happy Valentine's Day!' there's a free cupcake in it for you.”

”Make that a frosted sugar cookie with daisy sprinkles and I just found me a mission,”

s.h.i.+rleen stated and I nodded to her.

”Two, if it's super hot,” I said.

She nodded back, a determined look in her eye and I guessed from that that Brock was going to have a happy Valentine's Day. I shuffled them to the door, called farewells, gave Martha another hug and then they were gone.

And I was alone with Olivia's husband.

One word and it was a word I never used in my life: egad.

”Can I get you something? Coffee? Hot tea? Cocoa?” I offered and he turned from his polite perusal of my shelves to me.