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Dean backed away a few inches then gave her another light kiss before sitting in the chair next to her. Even though one kiss wasn’t near enough, he ignored his desires. He was there on a mission. As smoothly as possible, he slipped an arm around Emilie’s shoulder. “Sorry I’m late, honey. What did I miss?”
She watched him with wide eyes and then gritted her teeth when he showed no remorse. “I didn’t know you wanted to come.”
He put his free hand on her leg and patted it. “I always want to be near you.”
“Look at you two.” Ava’s voice was loud and unconvincing. “When are you tying the knot?”
Dean flagged down a waitress, ordered a drink, and then gave his attention to the lying snake. “I only proposed a few weeks ago. Geesh, calm down. Let us enjoy each other now we’ve found the right one.”
He smiled smugly as Ava shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It served her right. She deserved to be uncomfortable. “We’re thinking a winter wedding would be fun since Emilie missed her senior prom and that was the theme.”
Emilie grabbed his hand and pinched. He returned her gesture with a wink, which only seemed to aggravate her more.
Ava’s eyes narrowed. “We’ve talked about that, and Emilie knows how sorry I am.” Ava turned her attention to Emilie as she took a sip from her drink.
Emilie chewed on her bottom lip before responding. Friendships didn’t heal that quickly. “Some things are not as easy to mend. Only time will tell.”
Not many people stood up to Ava, but that was the old Emilie. The new Emilie wanted closure and peace of mind, and he adored her for it. It was the first step toward standing up for herself.
Ava blinked fast a few times. “Of course. I’m not worthy of your forgiveness, but I’m willing to try.”
Dean interrupted the two women before he gagged on Ava’s sickly sweet words. “You have no right to expect Emilie to forgive and forget. Your rumors tormented her, and when her mom died, where were you?”
Ava’s smile turned into a grimace. It was only a matter of time before she exploded, which was just the thing Dean counted on. If Ava showed her true self, Emilie could witness the whole mess. A calculated move on his part, however, if Ava spilled the truth about her and Dean, it could backfire.
But Ava bit back her anger, keeping it in somehow. “I apologized for that, too. Senior year was... rough. I did horrible things, especially to Emilie. We’re trying to move past it.”
Emilie nudged his toe under the table. “Let’s talk about something else.”
He frowned and studied her. Ava had already dug her claws into Emilie’s mind. She was too nice to turn away from the conniving witch. Just as he was about to pull Emilie away from the table for a private chat, a familiar voice sounded behind them.
“Hey, you guys.” Finn strode toward them.
Dean gripped Emilie’s hand tightly. Was she going to forgive the whole town? He tightened his grip and brought their hands into his lap so it would be harder for her to pull away.
“Came to pick Ava up.” Finn slid in next to Ava and wrapped an arm around her, all the while grinning like a big buffoon.
Ava didn’t seem very happy. “You’re always on top of things.”
If Dean didn’t hate Ava so much, he would’ve laughed at her efforts to remain calm. Now that Finn was added to the company, she looked miserable. How interesting that the arrival of her fiancé caused Ava the same reaction it did to Dean. How did Finn not see Ava’s indifference?
“We were just talking about high school,” Dean said, a grin growing on his face. Dean let up when Emilie pulled her hand free, though he was reluctant about it. Her stubbornness made him want to laugh, but he held it in.
Finn grinned. “Oh man, I miss those days.”
Ava’s jaw clenched while she reached for her purse. “Honey, isn’t it time to get going? We have an appointment, don’t we?”
“I came early, so we have some time. By the way, did you ask Emilie about helping?” Finn asked, picking up the conversation again.
“Ask me what?” Emilie said at the same time Dean said, “Ask her what?” What new favors was he going to request?
Ava’s fingers turned white as she gripped her purse straps. “I was getting to it, honey.” After a silent conversation between the two of them, she cleared her throat and turned to Emilie. “So, Finn already told you I would love your help, but I had a specific... job that only you can do.”
The hair on the back of Dean’s arms rose. How dare she demand anything of Emilie.
Emilie shrugged with nonchalance. “I’m swamped with house renovations and the dance studio. What did you need?”
Ava looked to Finn and then back to Emilie. “I haven’t talked to Gail, I mean, Mom, for a while. I’m not even sure she knows I’m getting married.”
