Back on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #4)(46)

In her ongoing effort to keep the peace, Alix felt she’d swallowed her pride far too often. Worse, Susan and Jacqueline hardly seemed aware of her mounting frustration. So any excuse to delay the meeting with Susan was a welcome reprieve.

The morning had brightened, which improved Alix’s mood. But although the sun was out now, that didn’t guarantee it would stay out. Above all, April weather was unpredictable and today could end with a storm.

As they walked, Alix saw that Colette seemed more subdued than usual. She guessed that her friend was mulling over their earlier conversation.

“Are you seeing Steve anytime soon?” Alix asked, leading indirectly to the subject of Christian Dempsey. Colette had mentioned the Seattle policeman last week and for some reason, seemed reluctant to accept his invitation. She’d talked it over with Alix. Although not generally a fan of cops, Alix couldn’t see any harm in it and had urged her to go. The evening had turned out to be a success; according to Colette, Steve had been both attentive and charming. Alix wasn’t fooled, though. Colette was still hung up on her old boss, regardless of how she tried to convince Alix otherwise.

“I told Steve I’d go to the movies with him this afternoon,” she said without enthusiasm. “We’ll probably have dinner afterward.”

“So that relationship’s going well?” In contrast to the one with Christian Dempsey.

“Yes, if it’s any of your business.” Colette grinned. “Steve’s a lot of fun.”

Alix studied her friend. “Then why aren’t you jumping for joy? No, don’t tell me—let me guess.”

“Would you cut it out.” Colette rolled her eyes.

“Why are you dating this guy?” Alix asked abruptly. “You like Christian.”

Colette shrugged her shoulders helplessly as they waited at a red light.

“Colette, you have to do what will make you happy.” Alix nudged her as the light changed and they crossed the street, heading to the Hill Climb that connected the market to the Seattle waterfront.

“It would never work with Christian and me.” Colette held up one hand. “Before you ask, let me say I can’t tell you any more than that.”

“He’s not married, is he?”

“No,” Colette muttered as they continued walking.

“Was he abusive?”

“Of course not!”

“You should call him, you know.” Alix couldn’t see what was standing in their way.

“Oh, Alix, it’s much too complicated to explain. I wish things were different, but they aren’t.”

Colette picked up her speed and Alix had to work to keep pace with her. “Trust me, you can’t possibly say anything that’s going to shock me.”

Colette’s steps slowed then, and she looked at Alix with questioning eyes. “What if I told you—” She didn’t finish.

“Told me what?”

“That I drank too much and spent nearly twenty-four hours in bed with him,” she blurted out.

Alix waited, knowing there had to be more to this story.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Colette demanded, sounding angry now.

“If you’re looking for someone to judge you, it won’t be me,” Alix returned promptly. “If you want to talk about what happened, fine, but if you expect me to beat you up over it, you’ve come to the wrong person.”

Colette thanked her with a solemn nod. “It was the night of the company Christmas party.” Misery and guilt suffused her face. “We’d both had too much to drink.”

Alix gently placed her hand on Colette’s elbow. “You don’t have to tell me any of this.”

“I want to,” Colette said, but she avoided meeting Alix’s eyes. “You’ll probably understand better than anyone else. Until then, I didn’t realize how much I’d come to love Christian. He was so wonderful to me after Derek died, so compassionate and generous. And working so closely together, well…I suppose it was only natural that I’d fall for him. I hate to admit it. Falling for the boss is such a cliché.”

“Does he share your feelings?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. He’s dating someone else.”

“How do you know?”

“He ordered flowers for her at the shop. Roses—every week for a year.”

“Oh.”

A short silence ensued.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Alix told her. “I certainly made my share. Jordan knows.” It practically killed her to tell him, but she had to do it. Laying out the sordid details of her past had been the most humiliating experience of Alix’s life. She felt deep shame, remorse, self-reproach and about ten other emotions too painful to name.

“You told him…everything about your past?” Colette asked. Immediately she seemed to regret posing the question. “You don’t have to answer that if you’d rather not.”

“I don’t mind answering. And yeah, I did tell him the whole story.” Alix lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “But I don’t make a habit of revisiting that time in my life. I’m an entirely different person now.”

“Of course you are.”

“Until Jordan, I didn’t know what to do with all the ugly baggage from my past. It dragged me down. Every time something good happened, like when Jacqueline and Reese invited me to live in their guesthouse, I kept thinking I didn’t deserve it.”