Rough Edges (7 page)

Of course there was a new depth to her now, which only added to the intrigue. Allie had been through a lot over the years. Marriage. Kids. And now divorce. She’d lost one of her younger brothers. And learned how to deal with a husband who hadn’t treated her as he should. And though Allie didn’t wear those difficulties in her features, she seemed changed by them all the same. Tense. Serious. Not exactly the carefree girl he used to know. He wondered if he could get her to relax a bit. Take a step back from being Single Mother and Jewelry Business Owner and Woman-in-charge-of-all-things. It had to get tiresome.

Once Gina came back with her notepad ready, Braden watched Allie order a chicken salad with a bowl of soup. He ordered his regular next, and then rested his elbows on the table. “So tell me how old your girls are now.”

Allie’s thin brows raised. “Jillian’s driving now, if you can believe it. She turned sixteen just last month. And Paige has a birthday coming up in May. She’ll be fourteen.”

Braded nodded, unable to believe so many years had passed. “What are they like?”

A smile like none he’d ever seen washed over her face. “Wonderful. I mean, they don’t always think
I’m
wonderful in return, but…” She chuckled, shrugged, and began tracing her fingers over the patterns on the wooden tabletop. “Jillian has a heart of gold. It’s funny, actually. See, I worked at The Diamond House up until they sold the company, so I became familiar with metals we used and their unique characteristics. If I had to name Jillian, I’d say she was platinum. It’s one of the strongest, most durable metals out there. It doesn’t scratch easily by any means, but it’s more likely to get dinged up then say – solid gold, because it’s slightly softer.”

She looked up from the table, a flash of light in her eyes. “Here’s the fascinating part. If that happens, the blemish is less likely to show on platinum than it would gold. And gold – though it’s more resistant to scratches – can’t hide marks the way platinum can.” She glanced out the window, releasing a deep sigh. “And it’s odd because that’s exactly how Jillian is. She’s so strong and resilient. But she also has a very soft and tender side to her. She gets hurt more easily than some, but you’d never know it. She hides her pain very well.”

Braden shifted in his seat. “That
is
fascinating,” he said. “So where does that leave Paige? What metal describes her best?”

“Paige is more gold than platinum. She’s tough stuff. She is. And it takes a lot to faze her. But even the strongest of the strong can get scratched – or in this case – hurt. And when she does, it’s plain for all to see. The worst part is she won’t let us comfort her. She doesn’t want to talk about it. Cry about it. Or be anywhere near when the topic’s brought up. She just…” Allie shook her head, “keeps it inside.”

In his mind, Braden was comparing these personalities to woods he’d worked with. Cedar versus pine. Cherry versus oak. “So where do you fit in? Have you determined what type of metal you are?”

“I’m not even in the running.” Allie laughed. “No, I’d have to say I’m most like silver. It might not keep its value the way the others do, but it’s tough. Durable. Trouble is… it’s not very pliable, which makes it hard to work with. Like, if you had a thin, silver bracelet and wanted to get a design or inscription carved into it, you’d run a risk. Silver lacks the softness that lends to that type of work, and it might just break under the pressure.”

Braden scrutinized her through narrowed eyes. He caught a glimpse of sadness on her face. “You sure about that? Cuz from where I’m sittin’, I see a woman who’s done plenty of bending.”

She stayed silent while he continued. “Back in the day, if Terrance didn’t want one thing then you’d give him another. If he still wasn’t happy, you’d do what you could to change it. Even now – he left you and the girls behind and you adjust once more. Keepin’ things together. Trying to help your girls manage. You’re a strong woman, Allie. But you’re flexible too. I don’t think you’re the type that would break.”

He was surprised to see a slight quiver in her chin. She wiped a finger beneath one eye. A small tear had gathered there in the corner. “I feel like I might break sometimes,” she said in a whisper. It sounded like a confession.

The sight of her – along with the words she’d spoken – it was enough to make his heart ache and reach out all at once. It took everything Braden had to stay seated in that booth. Resist the urge to walk to her side and cradle her in his arms. “Yeah, we all feel that way sometimes,” he said. “But you won’t.” And now that Braden was back in her life, he’d make sure of it. Those words were – in a very real way – a promise. There was no denying that Braden had built up a whole lot of resentment toward Allie over the years.

Having played his fair share of football back in the day, he had often compared the weight of his heartache to that of a defensive tackle, the bitter thoughts piling on like massive players from an opposing team, pinning him in place. Yet in that moment, he felt the weight of it lifting. The dog-pile thinning one large body at a time. In his mind Braden was playing defense now. Ready to tackle anything that might get in her way. The shift in position made his chest rise. Filled him with a great sense of purpose.

Gina came bustling down the aisle, muttering something under her breath. “Got your food fresh and ready to eat,” she announced, resting a round tray at the table’s edge. Allie smiled at him across the table while Gina slid their plates before them.

Once the waitress scurried off, Allie spoke up. “I might have to sneak a few of those fries,” she said, eyeing the steaming steak fries on his plate.

“Help yourself.” He slid them toward her.

Allie glanced at the surrounding tables before snatching a couple. She dipped one golden fry into her creamy broccoli soup, flashed him a smile, and bit into it. “Mmm. You can dip them in this if you’d like.” She slid the bowl until it rested between them before dipping the other fry into her soup. “It’s delicious.”

He wasn’t sure why, but Braden liked how she’d done it. The exchange seemed rather intimate. She was comfortable with him. A grin crept over his lips, his recent promise coming to mind. He’d only just regained access to the life of Allie Emerson, but whether or not things worked out between them, he would do all that he could to protect her.

In the low light, Allie’s warm gaze caught his once again, strengthening his resolve all the more. He would be there for them, safeguard her and the girls, and – no matter the circumstance – Braden would not allow Allie to break.

“So tell us how that new job’s coming along, Allie.”

“Yeah, Mom,” Jillian razzed, “tell them.”

Allie worked to ignore the heat in her face as nearly every set of eyes settled on her. Her mother, Lilly, the one who’d asked the question – had stopped eating entirely. Was paused with her fork in mid-air.

Her dad shoved in another bite, speaking over the food as he chewed. “She don’t have to answer if she don’t want to.”

“Oh, hush, Earl,” her mom said. “Why wouldn’t she want to?”

“It’s going great,” Allie piped up. “Could you pass the biscuits, please?”

Her father gave her a wink as he passed the basket of warm biscuits. 

Lilly piped up once more. “I always thought that Braden Fox was one of the handsomest devils this town has ever known. He’s quite the bachelor, too. Got ladies young and old tryin’ to land him, I’ll tell you that.”

Lilly’s comment was far from a revelation, but it ignited a ridiculous amount of jealousy all the same. “He’s pretty great,” she said, hoping to leave it at that.

“He’s been taking her to lunch nearly every day,” Jillian said, “so I’m sure he’s more interested in my mom than any of those ladies you’re talking about.” Jillian gave Allie a conspiratorial wink before tipping back her glass of lemonade. She’d only wanted to help, that much was clear, but Allie hadn’t intended to tell anyone about the lunch dates.

Lilly dropped her fork and clapped her hands together. “I knew it, I just knew it. I just knew you two would fall for one another.”

Paige bolted to a stand, shoved her plate away, and tore out of the room.

Allie clenched her eyes shut, felt her jaw tightening as well. “I never said we were falling for each other, Mom, and it’s not a topic Paige wants to hear about.”

Lilly waved her hand dismissively as Earl excused himself from the table. Allie watched her father saunter down the hall Paige had darted down just a moment ago.

“… needs to grow a thicker skin if she’s going to make it in this world. It’s probably all that black she’s wearing that has her so down in the dumps,” her mother rambled.

Jillian caught her attention once more, mouthing the word
sorry
once she did.

“Don’t worry about it,” Allie mouthed in return. As she took a sip of her drink, wanting to douse herself in the iced beverage, her eyes landed on her brother, Logan.

He gave her a wink. “I think it’s great that you’re moving on. Everyone knows Braden has always liked you. And that Terrance wasn’t man enough to stick around. All this was inevitable.”

Allie felt her defenses rise. She dropped her hands flat to the table, making a loud, vibrating crash. The room went still. “There’s nothing going on between Braden Fox and me. I work for him. We’ve gone to lunch a few times. It ends there.” She blew out a deep breath, hating the idea of word getting back to Braden – after it’d been blown entirely out of proportion, no less. The last thing she wanted was for him to walk into the hardware store and be congratulated on his nonexistent engagement to Allie Emerson.

Lilly’s mouth twisted up the way it always did when she was holding something back. The lines around her lips growing tighter with each passing beat. She dropped her eyes to her plate and began muttering something under her breath.

“What was that?” Allie asked through clenched teeth.

“Just that his sister, Bree, seems to think he’s really fallin’ for ya, is all.”

Allie worked to squelch the excitement that skittered over her skin in a flash. She wanted to ask her about details. What had Bree said, exactly? And when? Things she didn’t dare ask after the tantrum she’d just thrown. She took a sip of her drink, wondering if this was the one time in her life her mother was actually going to keep quiet.

“What’d his sister say?” Jillian asked.

Lilly tilted her head as she looked down at her plate, the expression on her face shy and wounded. “Maybe I shouldn’t say.”

“For crying out loud, Ma, just tell us all so we can move on with life,” Logan said.

Lilly blinked a few times. Her eyes brightened as she leaned over the table, ready to dish the dirt. Allie glanced down the hall to ensure Paige wasn’t headed back into the room. Once she deemed the coast clear, Allie set her gaze back on her mom.

“I ran into Bree at Lee’s Market. We always seem to bump into each other in the produce department. ‘Course we shop on the same day of the week, and obviously around the same time as well, so…”

Logan let out an exasperated sigh.   

“Anyway, she said that Braden has some pretty strong feelings where Allie’s concerned.”

Allie leaned in now. “Has he actually
said
this to Bree, or is she just guessing?”

“I’m sure he’s said so himself. He’s over for supper a few times a week. And it appears that what Logan said is true, because – according to Bree – Braden has always had a thing for you.”

Allie’s heart fluttered wildly out of beat. The abrupt shift nearly taking her breath. There was no saying if what her mother shared was correct, Allie knew that. Yet she also knew that – had the details come from another source – someone who’d never met or even spoken with Braden, Allie would have reacted the same. Just hearing the words unsettled and excited her all at once, whether they were true or not.

“Anyhow, I’m just lookin’ forward to seeing what this brings.”

Allie was too. Her eyes settled back to Logan, and she saw something she hadn’t before. His facial hair was longer than usual. His brown eyes appeared weary. And his posture had taken a definite slump. When he cast his gaze down at his plate, Allie suddenly felt very selfish for letting the conversation revolve around her. He had plenty going on in his life that was a lot more important. A marriage on the rocks, at best. A wife who never did bear any children. And – from what it seemed – two very broken hearts. She wanted to ask Logan if he’d heard from Candice lately, but thought it best to wait until they had a moment alone.

“I knew he was crushing on you, Mom,” Jillian whispered into Allie’s ear.

Allie allowed for a slight grin. “Well, we can’t be sure.”

“When we gonna start dessert?” Earl boomed from the hallway. He walked with Paige by his side, his arm wrapped solidly around her small frame.

Paige kept her gaze to the floor, but as her Grandpa gave her waist a pinch, hints of a smile pulled at her lips. “Tell ‘em,” he prodded. “Tell ‘em you want some dessert now.”

Allie sighed in relief to see her smile broaden. Paige didn’t repeat the words, but she did return his affection, wrapping her arm behind Earl’s back. She stayed with him the rest of the evening. Helping dish out and serve up the pie. The two later wandered to the gazebo out back where she pieced puzzles with him. Watching from the kitchen window at the sink, Allie was surprised to see Paige doing most of the talking. She was touched by it, too. Her father was the easiest of folks to talk to. Gentle and kind with his words. But truthful too. He had a gift for understanding others, and an unmistakable wisdom that could reach the most stubborn of souls.

Allie made a mental note to pick her father’s brain about Paige the next time she got a chance. He wouldn’t have to tell her what Paige had said necessarily, but perhaps with his added insight, he could point Allie in the right direction where her struggling daughter was concerned.

“Whoa, Mom,” she heard Jillian boom from the dining area. The table had been cleared, and Lilly, Logan, and Jillian were huddled around something Allie couldn’t quite see. “Braden was hot,” Jillian said with an astonished laugh. 

The yearbook
, Allie realized. “Yep, he was. And he still is.”  She smiled, grateful for having family close by. Logan might not have any kids of his own, but he sure was good with the girls. And heaven knew they needed to have him and Earl around, with their dad’s sudden absence from the scene. She wondered then – if things became serious with Braden – when she should introduce him to the girls? And could Earl and all his wisdom talk Paige into accepting him?

Just then her father looked up from his puzzle, right through the window where she stood. He gave her a smile first, and then a knowing wink. She was familiar with that gesture; it’d always offered Allie a world of peace at the hardest of times. And she had to admit – with all she had bustling around in her brain – it did the same for her then.