Nicole rolled her eyes. “Chloe, give me a break. You hear one sad story and you have a change of heart? Richard knows what a sucker you are for sad stories. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made up that story.”
Chloe frowned. “It’s true, Nic. He said the reason he works so hard is because he wants to provide for his family and retire at an early age.”
“And you believe that?” Nicole tapped her nails on the tabletop. “That doesn’t give him the right to neglect you.”
“It’s actually my fault, and now I understand why he’s like that.”
Nicole pretended to gag on her pizza. “Your fault? Are you okay, girl?”
“Richard said that I revolve my life around him, which makes me needy and crave his attention,” Chloe said. “He said I need to be passionate about other things besides him.”
“Now that makes him sound more self-centered than he already is. You have a life. You have your job and your friends. I don’t know what he’s trying to imply.”
Chloe knew her friend was right, but she changed the subject anyway. She informed Nicole about her plans to be a wedding planner and Millie’s plan to sell. “It’s perfect timing.”
“That’s great news, Chloe, but what does that have to do with Richard?”
“Get this. He agreed not to sell the house and was very impressed about my idea. I’ll be too busy to complain about him not spending time with me.”
Nicole shook parmesan cheese onto her pizza. “Hmmm…I don’t know about you, girl, but I smell something fishy here.”
“Look, Nic, I know how much you dislike Richard, but could you give the guy a break. He’s had a rough time with money growing up, and I’d probably do the same thing if I were in his shoes.”
“Okay, chill,” Nicole said. “One thing I can say for sure – I’ve never seen you as happy as you were with Josh.”
Chloe swallowed a bite of her pizza. “I left him a message to call me back, but he hasn’t returned my call.”
Nicole raised her eyebrows. “I hope you’re making the right choice. Marriage is a big decision.”
“I am.” She paused, thinking of Josh. “I’m actually cooking for Richard’s parents tomorrow.”
Nicole almost choked on her soda. “You what?”
Chloe nodded.
“I swear you’re going to give me a heart attack, Chloe,” Nicole said, grinning from ear to ear. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were having mood swings. One moment you’re elated to be with Josh and the next moment you’re sucked into Richard’s sad story. Now you plan to cook for his in-laws? Chloe, this is one for the books.”
Chloe frowned but Nicole only laughed. “So, will you be wearing your apron and hat tomorrow?”
“Nic, I’m serious, I will be cooking for them.”
“You’re joking, right? Please tell me you’re joking, Chloe.” Nicole was laughing so hard that people from the other tables kept looking at her, but she didn’t seem to care. “I’ve known you all my life, Chloe, and cooking is definitely not you.”
Chloe put her finger to her mouth signaling Nicole to lower her voice. “I know, Nic, but to make a long story short, Mom and Aunt Jill are coming over to help me.”
“The things you do for Richard.” Nicole shook her head. “I hope you’re making the right decision, my friend.”
Chloe pursed her lips.
Chloe and Nicole split the bill as soon as the waiter handed them the check. They walked outside to Chloe’s Jetta and climbed in. Chloe looked at her watch. She still had time to chill before going back to work. She needed time to be alone, to grasp the series of events that had transpired, so she dropped Nicole at work and kissed her goodbye.
“Don’t worry, Chloe. I’m sure the dinner tomorrow will turn out fine. Don’t forget to save some leftovers for me,” Nicole said, as she closed the door.
Chloe smiled. “Thanks, Nic. I’ll definitely do that.”
Chloe decided to take a drive to the beach. With things moving so fast, she wasn’t sure about the direction she was going. She needed to talk to Josh and he wasn’t returning her calls. And what about Richard? Why the sudden change of heart? Was he hiding something too? She was too trusting?
She was crossing the traffic light to turn right to get to the beach on the next block when she caught sight of a blue Ford Mustang going the same direction. Is that Josh?
***
Josh horsed down the last two bites of his sandwich then drove back to work to relieve Justin who had managed the shop while Phil was busy giving surfing lessons. Josh had been busy all morning meeting with Tom Barnard, a surfer who owned several shops in Hawaii. Tom had fallen in love with Josh’s apparel line and proposed to carry their brand in his shops. As he drove to the shop, he checked his voicemail. He had received two messages from Chloe who sounded upset. He hadn’t spoken to her for two days. He didn’t want to pressure her, but was hoping that she had called off the wedding with Richard.
He had received another message from Trish who said she was in town visiting a friend and wanted to see him. How many times did he have to convince her that it was over between them? The last time he spoke to her – three months ago – he made it clear it was over. Trish needed to move on.
As he entered the store, he punched in Chloe’s number but had to cancel the call when a customer requested his assistance. He was busy helping the customer when someone he didn’t expect entered the store. Trish! His heart sank as he signaled that he would assist her as soon as he was finished helping his customer. How did she know where I work?
Trish nodded as she browsed Josh’s shop. She went to the fitting room to try on some shorts and when she came out Josh had just finished with a customer. He walked towards her, his arms folded. “What are you doing here, Trish?”
She tilted her head to the side. “What’s the matter, Josh? Don’t you know how to say hello?”
He scowled as she walked around the shop looking at the t-shirts. She picked up three shirts to match her shorts and then walked to the counter. “Can you ring this up for me?”
Josh walked behind the counter and scanned the items as Trish pulled her credit card from her purse. She had cut her long blonde hair short. She looked like she had aged since the last time he saw her. He noticed dark circles under her eyes and she must have lost one dress size because her clothes seemed too big for her. “What brings you to Half Moon Bay?”
She signed the bill and glanced up at him. “I’m sure you got my voicemail saying that I was in town. I thought I’d pop in to see how you’re doing. You have a nice shop.”
Josh put the clothes inside a plastic bag and handed it to Trish. She took the charge card and returned it to her purse. “So, aren’t you going to invite me for a drink? I didn’t fly all the way here just to buy clothes.”
Josh took a deep breath. “I have work to do.” She was still the same demanding Trish he knew who liked to boss him around – so different from Chloe. Trish always belittled his dreams of being a surfer and now she was admiring his shop. Can’t she see that I’ve moved on?
Trish looked at her watch. “Well, maybe I can come by at closing time. What do you think?”
Josh excused himself to find Justin who had just returned from his lunch break. Justin was in the back arranging the new stock. “Hey, buddy, do you think you can watch the shop for a few minutes? I need to speak to a friend outside.”
“Sure,” Justin said.
Josh threw his soda in the recycling bin, then followed Trish outside. “Let’s go for a drive to the beach. There shouldn’t be too many people there this time of day.” He looked at his watch. It was one-thirty.
“I knew you’d make time for me. That’s my Josh,” she said clinging to his arm.
He opened the door of his Mustang for her. Then he walked around to the driver side, got in and started the engine. As he put the gear in reverse, she kept looking at him.
“So which beach are you taking me to, Josh? Is it a surprise?
You know how much I love surprises.”
He shrugged. “If you want the Half Moon Bay experience, you need to go to Half Moon Bay State Beach.”
Trish clasped her hands together. “How exciting.”
He stopped at the traffic light, then turned right. He parked his car in a small lot that led to the beach and got out. Trish came around the back and stretched her arms. “This is breathtaking, Josh.”
He opened the trunk and pulled out a blanket then walked ahead of her. She grabbed his hand as she tried to balance on the sand. He opened the blanket for them and sat down. The waves were strong and there was nobody on the beach.
Trish sat down beside him and smiled. “I’ve missed you so much, Josh.”
Josh sighed. “Trish, we really need to talk.”
She rubbed his arms. “What’s the matter? Don’t you love me anymore?”
He pulled his arms away. “Trish, I mean it. How many times do I have to tell you that it’s over between us? What do I have to do to make you believe me?”
Trish started to cry. Josh closed his eyes in frustration, then opened them. In the end, guilt won out and he rubbed her back, hoping to calm her.
“It’s because of Chloe, isn’t it?”
Josh fell silent. She had asked him the same question the last time they had spoken and it was clear to him that Trish wasn’t going to let this go.
Trish sobbed some more. “Please tell me the truth and then I promise I won’t bother you again. I just need to know if you still love her.”
Josh looked down. Of course he loved Chloe, always had and always would. He couldn’t deny his feelings for her, but why did Trish need to know that? At times, he couldn’t figure women out. While his brother dated lots of women he’d only had two girlfriends, Trish and Chloe. Chloe was the only woman he truly loved.
“Please, Josh, I’m begging you. I need to know the truth before I move on with my life. It’s for my own sanity.”
Josh looked at the sea then back at Trish. “I love Chloe. She and I belong together.”
Trish put her arms around Josh and held him tight, then started to cry again. Josh rubbed her back some more. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her, but Trish had asked for the truth and he had given it to her.
She continued to sob as he patiently held her. She slowly released him then, just as he thought he might escape unscathed, she kissed him. Josh pulled away, but as he did he heard a screeching of tires and looked up in time to see Chloe … speeding away in her Jetta.
Chapter Sixteen
“Mom, Aunt Jill, I’m so glad you came,” Chloe said, embracing them after opening the door. “I don’t know how to thank you both for going out of your way to help me.”
“Oh dear Chloe, when your mother told me about her idea, I was thrilled,” Jill said, with a twinkle in her eye. “We’ll show Richard’s parents what a fast learner you are.”
Chloe gave Jill and Suzanne a warm smile as they walked straight to the kitchen and removed the meat and ingredients from the plastic grocery bags. Suzanne had sent Chloe a text that morning saying they would buy the food. Chloe was glad that her mother had thought of that because she had barely slept last night after what she had seen. Josh couldn’t deny it any more. He was seeing Trish. She saw them embrace, then kiss. How could he even think of doing that after asking Chloe to marry him?
She slapped the meat on the counter. She had been foolish to think that romance was everything. She had been living a fairytale, just like Richard had said. Now, more than ever, she was convinced that Richard was the right man for her. Things had been going great between Richard and her ever since that heart to heart talk.
Today was a big day for her and right now she had to leave Josh in the past where he belonged. He had called her several times last night, both on her landline and her cell phone. He had begged her to pick up, explaining that he needed to talk to her but he had nothing to explain. Trish was right. Chloe was the intruder, and Trish and Josh belonged together while Chloe belonged with Richard.
Chloe opened the dishwasher to remove the bowls and utensils she had washed the night before in preparation for this dinner.
“So what will we be making?”
“We’re definitely not going to be frying like they do in the South,” Suzanne said, washing the chicken.
“Suzanne, you can’t call it Southern food if you don’t fry,” Jill said.
Chloe shrugged. “Mom always hated it when the cook fried food. It made the house smell.”
“Well, that’s why we have scented candles,” Jill said, lighting one of Bride’s Only’s special candles Chloe had displayed in her kitchen.
“I still don’t know how they can eat all that lard,” Suzanne said.
“All right, Suzanne, it’s only one night,” Jill said, opening the ingredients. “Chloe, I’ll be making Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Oven Baked Barbecue Ribs and Jambalaya Rice.”
Suzanne almost choked when she heard they would be using buttermilk.
“Okay, Aunt Jill, what do you want me to do?” Chloe asked.
“I’ll cut the ribs in smaller pieces while you mix the ingredients together.” Jill handed her the recipe she wrote down earlier that morning. “You’re lucky we bought all chopped ingredients.”
Chloe looked at the recipe for the Oven Baked Barbecue Ribs and gathered the ingredients she needed. Then she poured them in a big bowl. “I can do this.”
Suzanne, like Chloe, didn’t know how to cook. She simply peered at them both, waiting. “And what will I need to do, Jill?”
Jill turned to Suzanne. “You can mix the ingredients for the chicken.”
Suzanne sighed. “Oh, why do I have to do the chicken?”
Chloe and Jill laughed while the three of them marinated the meat. Suzanne must have washed her hands more than three times after she rubbed the salt, pepper, flour, buttermilk, green onions and vegetable oil on the chicken. “Chloe, I never even cooked for your father. I can’t believe I’m doing this for your soon-to-be in-laws.”
Chloe thought of Ignacio. Maybe her mom could cook for him, too…someday. “There’s always a first time, Mom. Besides, you never know when it might come in handy.”
“Both of you are doing a great job,” Jill said, putting the ribs in the pan. “Let the meat marinade in the juice before we decide what to cook next.”
“Can I help with the Jambalaya rice?” Chloe asked as she looked at the recipe.
“Sure,” Jill said. “Chloe, I’m surprised. You’re actually enjoying this.”
Chloe smiled. “I sure am. I wish I had learned to do this earlier.”
Jill opened the can of tomatoes and told Chloe to open the bag of rice. “You can always come visit me, if you want some cooking lessons.”
“That would be nice, Jill,” Suzanne said. “That way Chloe can spend more time with us.”
Chloe sautéed the vegetables while adding the ingredients. “I will definitely take you up on your offer.”
Jill put the barbecue ribs inside the oven after it was preheated. While it baked, Suzanne fried the chicken.
Just then Chloe heard her cell phone ring and excused herself to answer it.
“Hello, baby,” Richard said. “Are you ready for tonight?
Chloe smiled. If only he knew what they were preparing. “I’m cooking, but I could use a break.”
“Wow, what are you making?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Hmmm.”
“Anyway, hon, I just wanted to tell you that my mom’s best friend Jill will be joining us tonight for dinner.”
“Sounds good,” he said.
“Okay, see you later,” Chloe said, then hung up.
Her cell phone rang again and, since it was a restricted ID, she thought it might have been her work calling. “This is Chloe.”
“Chloe, this is Josh.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Josh, I don’t have time to talk to you now.”
“Chloe, before you hang up,
please let me explain myself.”
“There’s nothing to explain. I saw what I saw.”
“Chloe, please. You need to hear my part. The woman who you saw is Tr—”
“Trish Stewart, your girlfriend from Oregon.”
Josh fell silent. “How do you know about her?”
Suzanne called Chloe from the kitchen to come help her.
“Listen, Josh, I don’t have time for games now, okay? You and Trish belong together, and I’m marrying Richard, so please … leave me alone.”
“Chloe, wait. Trish and I are history, she just came he—”
“You expect me to believe that, Josh?” Chloe whispered. “I saw both of you by the beach in a long, tight embrace, not to mention the kiss.”
“She kissed me,” Josh said. “She was my girlfriend in Oregon, but I broke up with her before I moved back here. She has a hard time accepting that and hasn’t moved on.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about her?” Chloe demanded, tears clogging her voice. “You knew everything about me, even about my relationship with Richard.”
“Because it wasn’t a big deal. She’s somebody from the past,” Josh said, his voice cracking.
“If she was your girlfriend then she must have meant something to you, Josh. You betrayed me.”
“Chloe, how can I explain to you that there’s nothing going on between Trish and me? We’re history. How can I convince you?” He sighed in frustration.
Chloe looked to the kitchen, then lowered her voice. “I don’t know what to believe, Josh. From what I saw yesterday, it was clear that you’re still together.”
“Chloe, she came here to find out the truth. So I told her about you, about us. She said before she moved on, she needed to know the truth. She was only kissing me goodb—”