Page 22 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice (Wayward Hollow #1)

Henry

“ This is your incognito getup?” I ask Nic amusedly when she slides into my booth at Caleb’s. She’s hiding her hair under a knitted wool hat and her eyes behind sunglasses that cover more than half her face. I fight the urge to pull them off her nose, really wanting to see her face.

“Yep.” She lets out a deep sigh and dejectedly leans her head against my shoulder, her hand searching for mine under the table.

“You two are adorable,” Kieran teases from the opposite side of the booth and makes a kissy mouth at us. “You are, Wayward Hollow’s new dream couple. It was about time you two got your shit together.”

“New?” Lauren turns and glances at Kieran, curiosity written all over her face. “Who was the old one?”

“One hundred percent the Thomsons,” he answers immediately with a convinced nod. “I mean thirty years of marriage? That’s dream couple material.”

“We have been together for all of three minutes,” I joke, glancing at Nic and giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Her mouth is set in a straight line, and I catch her eyes behind those dark glasses darting around nervously.

“I don’t think that qualifies us yet.” In an attempt to help her relax, I lift my arm and she immediately scoots toward me, a heavy sigh falling from her lips when I pull her closer.

“ God, you two are sweeter than this damned syrup,” Lauren jokes and demonstratively puts the already half-empty bottle on the table.

“One of these days Caleb will kick you out and never let you back in,” Kieran jokes, but Lauren only sticks out her tongue at him.

“Never. I’m his best customer at this point.” She shoots him a triumphant grin.

“Very tempting thought, though.” As always, Caleb appears next to us out of thin air. His arms are full of mugs and saucers, our coffee’s expertly stacked along his forearms without any of us having ordered from him or Shawna.

“See? Nic and I are already regulars—he knows our orders!” Lauren jokes and happily accepts her mug with an overly sweet smile and a “Thank you!”

“You’re not welcome,” he tells her gruffly then his eyes dart over the rest of us. “You three are.” He glances back at Lauren. “Don’t bring that shit in here again.” But it’s missing his usual bite. He’s probably given up the fight already.

And then he turns around and wanders back to his place behind the counter, wiping some imaginary stains off glasses.

“Does he ever lighten up?” Lauren wonders out loud and pours a hefty amount of the syrup into her coffee, mixing it with her spoon and humming happily when she takes a sip.

“During the autumn fair. Sometimes you can even see the hint of a smile on his face,” I tell her, biting back a grin. “And throughout, the resting bitch face isn’t quite as bitchy. He always pretends to hate it, but don’t let him fool you. Deep down, I know he loves it.”

“Autumn fair?” Nic glances at me curiously, squeezing my thigh before she starts drawing little patterns on my knee with her finger. “That sounds fun! When is it?”

“Usually the last week of October, the weekend before Halloween,” I explain, only now remembering that I’m the only one at this table who has lived in Wayward Hollow for longer than a year.

“The whole town comes together to decorate the town square. There are games, a crafts market, and a stage for entertainment. Then the whole thing ends with a bonfire for us townsfolk in the evening.”

Nic’s eyes widen with every word, her face slowly breaking into a bright smile. “That sounds lovely!”

“You’re so easily excited,” Lauren points out with a sigh and a soft expression.

“You’re the one who said we should, let me quote, ‘romanticize the fuck out of life.’ How better to do that than with an autumn festival?” Nic breaks into a giggle, but it doesn’t sound quite as if her heart is in it.

“Girl, that giggle was creepy as hell. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.” Lauren clears her throat and pushes up her sleeves. “Jay is in town,” she says and Nic immediately tenses. “Any idea what he wants?”

“Probably money.” She shrugs and exhales a sigh so deep it sends a napkin flying across the table. “I mean, you can draw your own conclusions: Anna tells me someone is opening credit cards in my name, and a few hours after freezing them all, he turns up here? That doesn’t sound coincidental to me.”

I glance at her, confused. “Was that the call you took in front of the clinic?” I ask her in a whisper, and she nods slightly.

“I’ll tell you everything later.”

"I'll hold you to that," I whisper back, tracing reassuring patterns on her arms with my thumb. It certainly sounds like a big deal, but she appears relaxed about the whole thing. Maybe I’m overreacting.

“Surprised he had enough money for gas,” Lauren mutters and rolls her eyes. The whole mood at the table has suddenly shifted, both women silently brewing while Kieran and I can only shoot each other confused looks.

“ I’m sure he didn’t. Fucker used my credit cards after all. I bet he had enough money withdrawn,” Nic spits, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Doesn't he have a job?” asks Kieran, and I can only agree with a curious nod.

“Shortly after we got engaged, he was fired from his finance job,” she admits with a sigh.

“Supposedly because he refused to falsify data. But well.” She shrugs.

“Who knows if that's really true. I have no idea if he got a new job since then but judging by the way he's apparently spending my money, I doubt it.”

Jensen moves under the table, and before I know it, he has his butt parked on my foot and his chin on Nic’s thigh. Mindlessly, she pets him and draws little patterns over his forehead.

“Oh, I know—let’s ask Amanda to place a curse on him when we’re at the store tomorrow! Maybe one for him to stub his toe every hour. Or one that makes him stink to the heavens.”

“I’d prefer one where he gets the hell away from here,” Nic grumbles annoyed.

“Do you know for sure it’s him?” Kieran wonders and Nic raises her eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” She taps her fingers against the table nervously. “It has to be. There are no other options. Aside from my sister, but him turning up here is evidence enough for me.”

“And we know for sure he’s the weird guy who angered Jensen?”

“Henry’s description was spot on, down to the attitude.”

“Is he that bad?” Kieran tilts his head, and Lauren is already taking a deep breath to tell him all about how bad he is, when Nic suddenly tenses beside me.

“Speak of the devil,” I whisper when the door to Caleb’s opens and that same smug, punchable face walks in like he owns the place.

“You’re about to find out firsthand,” she whispers, straightening her back, wriggling off my arm as he approaches. I glance at her from the corner of my eye, trying not to pout that she shrugged off my arm when her ex is approaching. I’m sure she has her reasons, but damn, it stings.

Her disguise didn’t work as planned, because Jay immediately makes a beeline for our table. He plants himself at its head with his chest puffed and a smarmy grin on his—indeed, very irritating—face.

“I can see it now,” Kieran whispers loudly and Lauren nods.

“You’re not half as hard to track down as you think, Nic,” Jay sneers, and Lauren makes a gagging noise, which he ignores.

“Hello to you, too.” Nic takes a sip of her coffee, trying to pretend she’s not rattled. But I can see her hand trembling slightly as she sets her mug back down. “What do you want?”

“Don’t use that tone. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Nic lifts her gaze slowly, clearly stunned by his audacity, while Lauren is hiding her face behind her hand, looking at him as if she doesn't know whether to laugh at him or jump at his throat.

“No. No, I can’t say I am happy to see you. What do you want?” The coolness in her voice could turn our coffees into frappés, but Mr. Asshole remains unfazed.

“Listen, I know things got messy. But I’ve been thinking a lot about all this. We don’t have to make it worse. You know, we could talk about a settlement, come to a fair agreement. We’ve been through too much for you to walk away without us sorting this out.”

“ Settlement? ”

Lauren almost spits out her coffee.

“Oh my God, this is gold,” Lauren wheezes, but I can’t help but remain tense.

There is something off about his whole demeanor, how he demands her money the way a duck takes to water. Like he deserves it for the gift of his existence, like he’s the one who’s been wronged. He can’t be serious. Right?

“ We weren’t married, Jay. You’re not getting a settlement. I don’t know where you got this idea from, but it’s the most delusional shit I’ve ever heard.”

Jay clenches his jaw, flexing his hands as if he’s about to turn violent. Kieran and I shoot each other a glance, getting ready to interfere if necessary.

“This is all your fault, you know?” Jay spits. “You got me accustomed to a certain lifestyle, and it’s my right to continue that.” By now, half the café is listening in on him making an ass of himself.

“Then I suggest finding a higher paying job, or a rich lover, and going for it.” Nic shrugs. “Because that lifestyle came with certain conditions you didn’t meet. Like monogamy and not being an asshole.”

“Don’t make this so hard on me. You’re putting me under a lot of stress—did all those years together mean nothing to you?”

Kieran and Lauren can’t hold back anymore. They’re giggling messes on the other side of the table. I’d join them if his demeanor wasn’t making me want to jump up and introduce my fist to his face in a quick and abrupt manner. Repeatedly.

“Hard on you ?” Nic climbs out of her seat, storming closer to him. “Under stress? Oh, sure. You’ve been ‘under stress’ while you were opening credit cards in my name and siphoning off money from my accounts? You’re right, that sounds extremely stressful.”

“I had to! We were supposed to be a team. You don’t know what I’m going through. You’re the one who left me, and now you’re—”

“Let me try to make this clear to you.” She steps closer, jabbing her finger into his chest. “We’re done.

That means you have no right to anything.

Not me, not my money, not my fucking time.

I’m done with letting you manipulate me.

I’m done with being your bank and doormat, and frankly, I’m done dealing with you.

Now, here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to walk out that door, and you’re never going to contact me again.

No phone calls, no emails, no attempts to get any more money from me.

Ever. This is your last chance, to leave me alone and just walk away, Jay. ”

“But—”

“You need to leave.” Caleb is suddenly there, stepping between Nic and her ex, staring him down. He’s almost a head taller than him—hell, even I would be intimidated if he ever stared me down with that much venom in his eyes.

“We enjoy our town without drama. I suggest you try to blend in and shut up. I’m not in the mood to deal with dickheads, so I’m banning you from this café.

You can find the door yourself within the next ten seconds, or I can assist you while making use of my right to forcibly remove you. Which will it be?”

He lifts his eyebrow, daring Jay to retort, but sadly, for once, Nic’s ex is doing the smart thing.

“I’m not done, Nic,” he says over his shoulder as he storms toward the door. “I will get what’s rightfully mine.”

“A kick in the ass?” she asks in a whisper, making the whole table burst into laughter, the tension falling from us as soon as that fucker leaves the café. “Thank you, Caleb.”

“Of course,” he mumbles as he stares after the guy, making sure he walks away from the café.

“Do you want to leave?” I ask her softly once she sits back down, but she shakes her head.

“He’s probably still lurking outside. Let’s drink our coffee in peace.

I’m not about to let him ruin a nice afternoon any more than he already has.

” She takes a deep breath and shoots Lauren a look.

They hold a conversation with only their eyes.

I leave them to it and scan the room, wondering if he will pop up again like a ghost, when I meet Caleb’s worried stare.

Not worried because he’s afraid patrons will leave because of the drama. Worried because, as little as he may talk, I know he has accepted the two of them as our own.

They’re part of the Wayward Hollow family now. And there’s nothing we won’t do for our people.