“I own the place, so I reserve the right to choose myclientele.” True perched a hand on her hip. “You’ve outstayed your welcome. We’re really nice here in Moose Falls, but you crossed the line.”
“Don’t you know who I am?” Abby asked, with her hand at her throat.
“I have a vague idea,” True said, “but I really don’t care.” She turned toward Caleb. “Do you?”
He folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on the heels of his shoes. “Not even a little bit.”
Abby let out an outraged gasp and turned around to leave. He didn’t think he had ever seen her so horrified or at a loss for words. The jig was up, and she knew it. Her entire MO in the past had revolved around using him, and he wasn’t going down that road again. Not in this lifetime or any other.
“And take your camera crew with you,” Caleb yelled after her.
True followed behind Abby and the crew, making sure they left the tavern. “Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you,” she called out.
Caleb looked around, wanting to make sure Sophia had witnessed the way Abby had been dispatched from Northern Exposure. He was proud of himself for dealing with her head-on and not falling back into old patterns.
The truth was, he didn’t love her anymore. He was a one-woman man, and all of his affection was squarely focused on Sophia. This felt like a triumph.
Only thing was, he couldn’t seem to find her. She wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity or hanging out by the bar. Had she stepped into the ladies’ room?
“True! What happened to Sophia?” he asked as she came back and began breaking down tables. “Where did she go?”
True quirked her mouth. “She left.”
“What do you mean she left?”
“Did I stutter? I think she got tired of watching your reunion with your ex. She probably felt like a third wheel.”
“Nothing was going on between us,” he protested. “I was surprised to see her, that’s all. And I had zero interest in her plan to get back with me.”
True sucked her teeth. “I’m going to keep it real with you. You let that woman hug you for way too long.” She shook her finger at him. “That may come back to bite you in the butt.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he said, feeling heated. He wasn’t the one in the wrong here. Abby had shown up without warning and blindsided him. He’d done his best to handle the situation without making a huge scene. He was now a representative of Yukon Cider, and with a film crew rolling, he really would have gone viral if he’d gone off. Under the circumstances, he thought he’d done a damn good job at containing Hurricane Abby.
“Don’t blame the messenger,” True said as she went about the business of closing up the tavern.
Caleb ran a shaky hand over his face. True’s intel, combined with the dazed expression that had been on Sophia’s face when the cameras began to flash, didn’t bode well. No woman ever left a date night if things were going well. And it was a first for him. He’d messed things up badly with Sophia, and he had no idea how he was going to fix it.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
At some point, Sophia thought, she was going to have to respond to Caleb’s multitude of texts and phone calls. But at the moment she was still stewing. What had gone down last night at the tavern didn’t sit well with her. The unexpected appearance of Abby Taylor had left her feeling confused, unsettled, and angry. Of course she’d been jealous and insecure about her own place in Caleb’s life, but she could have dealt with those feelings if Caleb had handled things better.
Sophia hated feeling this way. The emotions the situation had brought to the surface were a painful reminder of how she’d felt in the past. She knew Abby from reality television, and she was a beautiful woman who projected grace and gentility. She was the type of woman who could easily wrap people around her finger, as she had done with Caleb in the past.
Maybe this was all her problem, and it had nothing to do with Caleb. But she couldn’t stop thinking of the way he’d looked with Abby planted against his chest. He hadn’t seemed indifferent to her. He hadn’t pushed her away. Andthen he’d dismissed Sophia when she had tried to help. Taking off had been a bit childish, but she had been so hurt, and it had been an attempt to protect herself. She didn’t want to be hurt again, didn’t want to love a man who might still be in love with someone else.
A knock on the door drew her from her thoughts, providing a temporary reprieve from stewing over the situation. She was expecting Donny to return with Lily any minute now. Sophia wasn’t sure that she had the strength to deal with any negativity today, especially after last night’s drama. All she really wanted to do was go back to bed and draw the covers over her head. But it was mommy time and she needed to put on a smile. There really wasn’t any time right now to wallow in her feelings. Later this evening, she told herself, she could curl up in front of the television with a glass of sangria and dissect every moment from the encounter with Caleb’s ex.
As soon as she pulled the door open, Lily came rushing into her arms.
“Mommy, I missed you,” she said, bursting into tears. One look at her daughter told a huge tale. Lily had dark shadows under her eyes, and she appeared to be exhausted.
“Hey there, Lily. There’s no need to cry, sweetheart. I missed you too,” she said, pulling Lily against her.
“I’m hungry,” she said with a wail. “I want mac ’n’ cheese.”
“Because you refused to eat breakfast or lunch,” Donny pointed out, making a face. “I tried to get her to eat,” he said feebly.
“Okay, Lily, settle down,” Sophia said, placing a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll fix you a bowl from your leftovers,” Sophia said, making eye contact with Donny. He had a discouraged look stamped on his face, accentuated by his slumped shoulders. “Donny, why don’t we talk while Lily eats.”
