“Oh. Okay.”
Did I scare him off? I guess I haven’t seen myself since I got here. Maybe it’s worse. When the bell over the door chimes, I glance up and see the back of him as he turns left onto Main Street.
Lifting the box, I walk to my side of the store to work on the new display. I decided we needed toys in the shop. Not the kind you can get anywhere though. I chose toys that are handcrafted by local artisans. I’ve created a spot for them near the window so passersby will spot them. I chose things for all ages, everything from stuffed animals to 3D puzzles. Placing the box onto the floor, I lower myself to my knees to unpack the contents.
When the bell over the door rings, I assume it’s Nate again. Except it isn’t.
“Prudie?”
My head jerks up, and my stomach rolls. Nausea sweeps up into my throat, and I’ve got to will it back down. Turning slowly to give myself time to deal, I seehimwalk from Laura’s side of the store to mine. And he’s not alone.
“Prudie?”
I hate when he calls me that.
I push myself up to standing, which allows him to see me. “Travis.”
“There you are.” He smiles, which reminds me… I hate his face. “I thought you were hiding from me.”
“Not hiding. Working.”
He gets about three feet from me, and one of the two women behind him gasps. “Oh my God. What’s wrong with your face?”
Ignoring the rude inquiry, I glare at Travis. “What do you want?” I’ve got more questions like:Why are you here?And…Did you really have to bring your mother?Then there’s…Why the heck is your administrative assistant, Barbie, with you?
I know why because he’s left five or six messages for me, and I haven’t returned any of them. I did call my lawyer. She was supposed to be handling this. I guess she hasn’t gotten to it yet.
He glances around the shop, then back at me. “What is wrong with your face?”
“Nothing’s wrong with her face. She’s beautiful.” Nate comes up from behind me holding a paper bag. He wraps his arm around my waist and glares at Travis. I didn’t hear him reenter the store. I guess my focus has been on this idiot and his posse in front of me.
Travis’s voice raises and octave. “Who areyou?”
Nate doesn’t bother answering. Instead, he asks Travis, “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Prudie’s husband.”
Barbie interjects, but his mother is close behind; they say it simultaneously. “Ex-husband.”
“Right.” Travis blushes. “Ex-husband.” He crosses his arms. “You haven’t answered me. Who are you?”
Nate looks down at me and mouths, “Prudie?”
My feelings are all over the place right this second. All I can think to do is roll my eyes. Remember what I said earlier about being glad Laura was gone? Well, I take that back. Laura is precisely who I need in this moment because I right now, I’m witnessing a pissing contest between two men. One I can’t stand to be in the same room with, and another––well, I’m not sure how I feel about the other just yet.
Pulling me into his side, he’s got to be five or six inches taller than Travis. So, when he looks down at him and announces in a deep, sexy voice, “I’mPrudence’sman.” A sense of pride fills me up. He claimed me. Right smack dab in front of my jerk of an ex-husband. Yay me.
“You’reherman?” That shock and awe is courtesy of Barbie.
Contrary to Barbie’s reaction, Travis’s mother, Celeste Coleman, snaps, “He looks like a hoodlum.”
I guess Nate thinks that’s funny because he chuckles, then repeats the word. “Hoodlum.” Nodding toward Celeste, he asks Travis, “That your mommy?”
Oh my goodness. That does it. The feeling of nausea, while still lingering, just got a whole lot better.His mommy?That about sums it up. I giggle at his question as Travis turns bright red.
“Yes. This is my mother, Celeste.”
Celeste must not be bothered by the insult because she directs her attention and ire onto me. “You’ve always had dubious taste.”
