“I don’t mind, not really.”
Of course she didn’t; her last boyfriend was an abusive asshat. Emily deserved a man who loved, cherished and protected her, and Jamie was that man. He was the perfect husband, and he’d be a great dad.
“Think you’ll still say that in a few months?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. If he gets as crazy as Jack, I might not like it.”
Given how Jamie’s first wife had died, he would be just as crazy, if not worse than Jack. Hell, he might even end up more protective than AJ.
“He’s going out of his way to give me everything I want.”
“Em, you know you can ask him to back off a little. He won’t stop loving you.”
“I know, but somehow I’m still worried.”
Wanting to lighten the mood, I asked, “Do you think he’ll pamper you and your bestie with a spa day?”
She laughed. “I think he’d offer to buy the spa if I asked him to.”
The image of Jamie giving Emily a pedicure flashed through my mind, causing me to bust out laughing. I was trying to paint the picture for Em, but she stood; concern written all over her face.
“Nathan, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she asked.
I stood and turned around, eager to see the new guy from SSI.
My eyes just about bugged out of my head as my jaw dropped to the floor.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
Scott, the guy who ghosted me a year ago in Vegas, was standing in Grannie’s.
His eyes were as round as mine as he brought his left hand to his face and turned away so all I could see was the right half of his gorgeous, stupid, lying face as I marched over.
“If it isn’t Casper the Fucking Ghost.” I stomped my feet and crossed my arms over my chest when I reached him. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Wait, did Emily just call him Nathan?
What the actual fuck?
“Ashley, what’s going on?” Emily asked, walking to stand beside me.
I answered without taking my eyes off Scott. “You remember me telling you about the guy I met in Vegas?” Wanting to make sure Scott knew how pissed I felt, I added, “The dickhead who ghosted me.”
Scott still hadn’t said anything. He just stood there staring at me, with his face tilted at an odd angle. He hadn’t even blinked yet. Was he playing some kind of game, using some stupid mind trick?
“Yeah…” she drew it out.
“This is him.” I uncrossed my arms just long enough to point.
“It can’t be; his name is Nathan.”
But it was. His dirty blond hair was shorter, and his clothing looked more office casual than biker dude, but it was definitely Scott.
“Did you give me a fake name?” I asked, moving so I was in front of his face. “Was the whole thing a fucking joke to you?”
He looked down and kept his face tilted to the left.
“Look at me, you fucking coward!” I yelled.I’ll owe Mary one hell of an apology when this is over.
