“Surprise!” Her mother was standing by a big gorgeous chocolate cake.
And she wasn’t alone.
Roxie’s ex-husband was standing right beside her.
At least the other shoe had finally dropped.chapter thirteen“Who is that?”
Zep knew something was wrong the minute Roxie had stopped and gone stone still. Her hand had been in his one moment and she’d dropped it the next. He could feel the distance between them, though she hadn’t taken a single step away.
And then there was the fact that everyone he knew was watching him as though they realized something had gone horribly wrong.
Maybe he should have checked his phone. It had buzzed as texts had come through, but he’d ignored it because he’d wanted to focus on her.
“That’s my ex-husband,” she said, a tight expression coming over her face.
“Roxanne, come here. Don’t be shy,” Pamela was saying. “He came all this way to see you.”
He. As in her ex, the police captain. He was a blandly attractive man in a suit that looked like it had been made for him. He probably hadn’t been forced to go through his entire closet to find two outfits for nice nights out because everything he owned was jeans and tees. He was a good eight to ten years older than Roxie, though they would make a handsome couple.
What had Roxie been like with this man? What had he given her that made her want to marry him and spend her life with him?
“Do you want to leave?” He suddenly wanted to leave very badly. He wished he’d done exactly what she’d asked him to do and turned the truck around and booked it straight to New Orleans. But no. He’d wanted to fit in with her family, and her mom had asked him to do something. He’d wanted to show her that together they could get through everything.
Now all he could see was her past, and it was definitely clouding up their future.
Pamela made her way across the green lawn, her heels not holding her back for a second. She was in a stunning cocktail dress that looked a bit out of place with the rustic charm of his sister’s entertainment space. Her hair was in an elaborate updo and her makeup flawlessly done. All she was missing was a tiara because she was obviously dressed to be the queen of this party. “Come on and say hi. He came all this way, Roxanne. Now, don’t be rude.”
“Nobody asked me if I wanted a surprise,” Roxie said in a quiet voice that let him know how upset she was.
“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you about it.” Her mother’s mouth became a flat line of irritation as her voice went low. “Can’t you be gracious? Didn’t I teach you better than this?”
“We can walk right now,” Zep offered since she hadn’t replied the first time.
She glanced up and her expression shuttered. “Oh, no. I think I should definitely find out why my mother thinks springing my ex-husband on me is an appropriate birthday gift.”
Joel strode up with the confidence of a man used to respect from those around him. “Roxanne. It’s good to see you. It’s been a long time. This is . . . a very interesting place you’ve landed.”
“What are you doing here?” Roxie asked in a blunt manner, though there was a friction to her words that was unusual.
“Why don’t we get you a drink, dear.” Her mother acted like there was nothing at all wrong. The smile on her face was back the minute she realized her ex-son-in-law had joined them. “It’s your birthday, and that is a very special day for both of us. I had our host make your favorite. A beautiful rack of lamb.”
“I don’t like lamb, Mom. I haven’t since I was a kid. You like lamb.” Roxie’s shoulders were straight as an arrow. She looked over to where Armie stood with his wife. “Is this what you were talking about earlier today?”
“I spoke to him on the phone. I didn’t know he was actually here in town,” Armie admitted.
Her ex-husband had called Armie? He was confused and the feeling unnerved him. Something had been in play for a while now, and he and Roxanne had been on the outside.
“I told you she wasn’t going to take this the way you thought she would.” Brian stood to the side with his fiancée. “And just for the record, I do enjoy a good rack of lamb, and the one in the kitchen smells delicious.”
It was good to know her brother was on top of things. Zep was at a loss. Should he scoop her up and take her out of here? Hold her hand and help her through it, despite the fact that she’d completely shut down and distanced from him?
“Oh, Roxanne.” Her father stepped in. “Don’t be difficult. This is exactly what got you in trouble in the first place.”