Trying to shake off that feeling, she headed down the street. With the afternoon free, she decided to stop by Jenna’s shop. She’d moved to town the same time as Tiana, for wildly different reasons, but they both opened businesses, so they had that in common.
Jenna’s ex-husband, Asher Ford, was the first to relocate with their teen daughter, Blake, who was going through some behavioral issues at the time. The plan had been for Blake to spend the summer with her dad and then return to the East Coast where Jenna lived with her then husband. That relationship crumbled when Jenna discovered an affair between her husband and her best friend. With nothing tying her down, and Blake thriving in California, Jenna relocated. Tiana was grateful she had. Hope Falls was a welcoming community, but it was nice to have a fellow newcomer by her side.
The bell chimed as Tiana pushed the door to The Beauty Spot open. Her plan had been to hang out until Jenna had a free moment, but it seemed she wouldn’t have to wait for that time. Her friend was sweeping up around her station, and the rest of the shop was surprisingly empty.
“Hey Chickadee! Did we have an appointment I didn’t write down?” Jenna’s brow wrinkled.
“No, this is an impromptu drop by.”
“Oh, good! I love a gossip sesh.” She rubbed her hands together conspiratorially.
“Who said anything about gossip?” Tiana countered.
“Your ex and his entire family are in town with a sexy redhead, if you stopped by for Bible study, I’m going to be deeply disappointed,” Jenna stated matter-of-factly.
It didn’t surprise Tiana at all that word had spread to Jenna that Brock and his family were in town and that he was there with another woman. This was Hope Falls.
“Okay, maybe a little gossip.”
“Yes!” Jenna rushed past her. Flipped the sign to closed, locked the door, and opened the mini fridge behind the front counter. “I have a quinoa bowl and spinach and hummus wrap, Blake is on a serious health kick.”
“I’m okay, but thanks.”
“Green tea?” She held up a Snapple.
“Sure, thanks.”
Jenna selected the wrap and her own Snapple, and the two women settled in the employee area in the back of the salon.
“Okay, let’s hear it.”
“Yesterday at the wedding, I got a text from my mother-in-law,exmother-in-law, saying that they were staying at Mountain Ridge and would be in town until after the New Year, would love to see me, and were looking forward to taking my classes.” She took a breath. “Then I got a text from Jess, a girlfriend of one of Brock’s teammates, of a photo Brock had posted of himself and a woman I didn’t recognize. I was at the wedding when I got the texts, it was right after AJ proposed to Poppy.”
“Was it so sweet? I’m so bummed I missed it.”
Jenna had done Mrs. Costas’ makeup for the wedding, but she’d had another wedding look she was booked to do in the afternoon, so she wasn’t able to stay for the nuptials.
“I missed it, actually. I was in the tent. But Sue Ann said there were some videos, so I’m sure we’ll be able to see it.” Tiana tooka breath. “Anyway, when the text came through, AJ recognized the woman, it’s Niko’s ex, Gianna.”
“Whoa, that’s a crazy coincidence!”
“No, I don’t think it is. Just like Brock showing up to Hope Falls isn’t. Niko and Brock had this competitive thing all through college. Even though they didn’t play the same sport. From what I’ve heard, it was more on Brock’s side than Niko’s. Brock wanted to be the big man on campus, and it pissed him off that Niko was.”
Jenna’s face scrunched as she took a bite of her wrap and chewed. “Yeah, but that was college, he’s in his thirties.”
“You don’t know Brock. He never letsanythinggo. Honestly, I think he’s with Gianna to mess with Niko. Just like I know he’s in Hope Falls to mess with me. He has no other reason to be here. He’d never even heard of Hope Falls until he met me.”
“So what is his plan? Is he just going to hang around town and do nothing for five weeks?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what his plan is.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you can’t just wait around for him to start fucking with you.”
Tiana bit the inside of her mouth. That had basically been Niko’s sentiment.
