Page 11 of As They Are (Strawberry Springs #2)

HENRY

Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch

Kerry Winsor: I’m heartbroken! Crushed! Jude from Renovating with Love was spotted with another woman.

Jade Clark: Men are TRASH.

Marjorie Brown: There’s a reason I married a woman.

Jackie Anne: Poor thing. I bet Wren is heartbroken. Is there anything we can do to help?

Mollie Wilson: I’m doing my best friend duties and saying to treat her as usual. She’d hate attention because of this.

Tammy Jane: Damn cheating bastard. Let me at him!

Dale Garrett: So, she’s single now?

Jade Clark: Dale, EW.

Dale Garrett: NO, NOT FOR ME. For someone else. I swear!

Tammy Jane: Not the time! We need to give her time to heal.

Dale Garrett: Then can we place bets?

“Absolutely not!” I could hear Jade’s voice from down the road.

She was facing Kerry, arms crossed tightly.

I had to walk past them to get to the clinic, and I hoped whatever thing they were arguing about didn’t involve me.

“I don’t care how cute they were in the show, if he cheated, she better not get back with him! ”

Now I knew what they were talking about. The Facebook group had been alight ever since Jude was caught in LA kissing someone else. Since everyone thought he and Wren were together, it had started a massive debate.

One that I should not be involved in.

“Henry!” Kerry said, stepping in front of me. “You heard the news, right?”

“Don’t you even try,” Jade said, shaking her head. “He’s so gonna be on my side about this.”

“All I’m saying is that time can heal this wound. Especially if they work together. Right, Henry?”

I shook my head. “This isn’t ... really my area of expertise.”

Fake dating wasn’t, at least. I was curious about how Wren was doing with the news, but how she would handle the social issues of the news was beyond me.

Jade, of course, took it the wrong way.

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never dated anyone?”

“I’ve dated. It just ... didn’t end well.”

That was an understatement.

“A guy like you could get anyone,” Kerry said.

“Then maybe he should date Wren. I have a feeling Henry wouldn’t cheat on her.”

Kerry turned her appraising eyes on me.

“Wait, no!” I said, holding up my hands. “I’ve only talked to her a few times.”

“A few ?” Kerry said. “That’s more than me.”

“I haven’t even been able to say hello,” Jade added.

“Is there something you wanna tell us?” Kerry asked.

“Nope!” I needed to stop this and fast . “Nothing!”

“This is your chance to swoop in and save her!” Kerry said.

“Wren does not need saving,” I said. “And what she’s told me about Jude stays between me and her.”

Kerry’s eyes went wide, and I knew I’d made a mistake. “She’s told you things?”

“Now you’ve done it,” Jade said with a smile.

“No, it’s nothing like that. And she’s way out of my league anyway.”

“What?” Kerry rolled her eyes. “You can’t really think that.”

Jade counted on her fingers as she spoke. “One, you have a good job. Two, you care about others. Three, you’re emotionally available. Do you know how hot that is for most women? She would be a fool not to go for you.”

“You’re so sweet, Jade,” Kerry cooed. “It’s too bad you stopped dating people in town after Gabriel.”

Jade rolled her eyes. “Really?”

“Is it still a sore subject?”

Jade shook her head. “Why are we talking about this? We’re trying to convince Henry to make a move.”

“I’m not making a move. There’s nothing going on.”

There was the sound of a rumbling truck, and I turned to see a red one pulling up.

Wren’s hair was visible through the windshield. She parked and leaned out the window.

“Henry!” she called. “I need to talk to you!”

“Look at the timing .” Jade snickered.

“It’s like it was meant to be.”

I gave them a flat look. I liked it better when they were arguing.

“Wren,” I greeted as she jogged up to me. I tried to think of something normal and definitely not flirty to say. “You’re in a good mood.”

“You’re gonna be in one too when you hear what I have to say.” She winked at me.

That . . . didn’t help.

“Sorry to interrupt this cute moment,” Jade said, clearing her throat. “But I at least have to introduce myself. I’m Jade.”

Wren finally realized we weren’t alone and she looked behind me. “Oh! Sorry. I didn’t even notice Henry was talking to someone. I’m Wren.”

“It’s so nice to finally meet Mollie’s best friend. I’ve heard so much about you since she and I started hanging out.”

Wren blinked. “You guys hang out?”

“Yeah. A lot actually. I’m kind of the backup friend for when you’re busy. I took Mollie to the bar, got way too drunk with her, and had to be carted home.”

Wren’s smile slowly faded but she replaced it quickly. “I’m glad Mollie has someone here to spend time with.”

“You’re welcome to come too,” Jade said. “Though, you might have a lower opinion of me after.”

“I’ll be too busy with ... a thing.” Wren grabbed my arm. “Henry, time to talk.”

I gave both women what I hoped was a normal smile before I let Wren drag me to the clinic.

Yeah, that looked suspicious.

“Back to what has me in a good mood,” Wren began. “The library was selected for Renovating with Love .”

“It was? Really?”

“Yep. The grant came through, and the showrunners owe me, considering it looks like I got cheated on.” She muttered the last part. “But I’m not gonna worry about that because I have plans and once those are in place, no one will be thinking about Jude.”

She still looked better than when she’d first come to town, but Wren had that look in her eye. She was avoiding something.

“I’m really excited for the library, Wren. But a lot has happened in the past twenty-four hours for you, with the news and then the town’s reaction. Are you okay?”

“I’m so okay,” she replied. “I have a project to work on.”

“I’m not in the business of being too harsh. But you’re smart enough to know you’re not okay. And whether or not you wanna talk about it is one thing, but don’t lie. Not to me.”

For a second, she stared. Then she slowly shook her head. “Being cheated on isn’t the end of the world.”

“But it doesn’t feel great.” My mind flashed to nearly a decade ago and the horror I’d felt seeing Ace and Norah together. “I would know.”

She paused. “You would?”

I nodded, and at her raised eyebrow, I knew questions were coming. “Long story short, I tried to run from it for a while. It didn’t work.”

Wren’s face fell. “I’m not running . I’m digging my heels in, actually. On the library here.”

“So, it’s not a distraction?”

“Maybe you have me there.” She said it slowly, as if she wanted to be able to say no.

“It’s Jude, isn’t it?”

She sighed and her shoulders slumped. And I knew I was right.

“Did you know whole Reddit subs are talking about his little affair? Hell, the Facebook group here is in on it, but it’s not the only one. It’s huge news. If I did something like this, I’d be sued for breach of contract! But not him, I guess.”

“Does fake dating usually have a contract?”

“This one does,” she said with a sigh. “It said we couldn’t be seen with anyone else. And now he has, and I look like the fool.”

“You’re not a fool for being cheated on.”

“Is that what you told yourself when it happened?” she asked.

“That was different. It was my fault.”

“The cheating was your fault?”

“It wasn’t cheating. It was ...” Bad timing. Norah going to Ace right after dumping me. “She found someone better for her. Quickly.”

“So, you blame yourself?”

“Sometimes.”

“Can I blame myself?”

“Wren, what could you have possibly done?”

She pressed her lips together. “Yeah, I know. I just hoped that ... Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Obviously, he’s busy. Typical Hollywood guy. Nice for the cameras, a selfish dick when they’re off. I doubt he’s thought twice about me.”

I let out a laugh without realizing. “What an idiot, then.”

“Why is he an idiot?”

“Anyone who doesn’t think twice about you obviously doesn’t have eyes.” Her cheeks turned dusty pink and I realized the enormity of what I’d said. “I ... mean in a friendly way, of course.”

“Of course.” She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“You know, you’re being nicer than he was.

And I’ll still have to date him when they tell me to.

I put my foot down that I wouldn’t ignore him kissing someone else if it were real, but I know they’re aiming to have us back together in the show. ”

Instantly, I knew I hated the idea of her being forced to even interact with a man who didn’t give her the time of day. Usually, I was good at separating myself from others’ problems, but not with her.

“If he is as you say he is, then it isn’t worth it.”

“I know,” she replied. “But this was my chance to do bigger and better things. I should have realized it came with strings attached.”

“When do they get here?”

“Next week,” she replied. “And while having him here isn’t gonna be fun, I’m so excited to spend more time with Mollie. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed ...” She trailed off as she looked back over at Jade.

“Is that why you were shocked by what Jade said?”

She blinked. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”

“Half of this town avoids telling me what’s going on with them. Usually it’s about health things, but sometimes mental health too. I’ve learned to look.”

“It’s not like it’s a big deal,” she said. “I’m happy that she came here and made new friends.”

“But you’re worried about it.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “It’s a bad habit of mine.”

“She talked about you all the time when you weren’t here. She was so happy about the show.”

“She’s the best. I wonder how the distance will feel once this is all over.”

“When you go back to Nashville, you mean?”

She nodded. “I have a lot of jobs there. Even if I don’t continue the show. It’s a huge market. I always thought Mollie would be there too. Not that I’m complaining that she found all of ... this .”

“Feelings are complicated. And she’s your best friend.”

“She’s my only friend.”

“That’s not true. You have me now.”

“You’re right,” she said with a laugh. “How could I forget? Anyway, I should let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

“I was just walking to work from my house.”

“A house ?” she asked. “Wow, you have it all together. Is it in need of work?”

“Keep your eyes on the library,” I replied, shaking my head. “It’s perfect for just me.”

“Come on. You have a house. A good job. What don’t you have?”

Confidence. The ability to be the center of the room and not know it. Things she had. She was a powerhouse, and so out of my league that it hurt.

“I could probably use more sweaters.”

She eyed me. “Something tells me that’s a lie.”

She was right.

After an awkward pause, she said, “Well, I have to go figure out all the legal stuff, but I wanted you to be one of the first to know.”

“Because I broke in with you.”

“Yes, but also because you love it.” She gripped my shoulders tightly. “I can’t wait to see your face when you get in there. You’re the only one who’ll get to see it from beginning to end.”

“It’s an honor.”

“So, you’re glad you broke the law with me?”

“I am. And I’d do it again.”

Her eyes widened and I realized she was still touching me. She must have realized it too, but she didn’t let go.

I needed to move away, but I couldn’t. We were far too close for friends, yet neither of us made a move to step back into the place we belonged.

“One hundred bucks on this happening in a week!” a male voice yelled. Wren and I sprung apart, only to see Dale had stepped outside of Food ‘n’ Things.

“Two hundred on it already being a thing!” Jade yelled back.

“A hundred bucks on this being a slow burn!” Kerry added. “We can’t forget about Jude!”

“What’re they doing?” Wren asked.

I scrubbed a hand across my face. “Betting on when we’ll get together.”

Her eyes bugged out. “What? But that’s ... not happening. For many reasons.”

“You can’t stop them once they start.”

More people came outside to join the bet. I’d never seen them do all of this in person, and I wasn’t sure whether to be honored or mortified.

“Should I have Mollie say it’ll never happen and become rich?”

I thought of the way Mollie looked between us. “Do you think she’d take that bet?”

“Probably not. What if I created a secret identity and did it?”

“Split the winnings with me, and I’ll add fake-you to the clinic roster to give you believability.”