Anything But Mine (31 page)

On the short drive over to the shop, Jen was quiet, and Vince could tell by her body language that her anxiety had kicked into high gear. Covering her hands with his, he tried to re-
assure
his wife. “Relax. Everything is going to be okay. I can’t wait to see the store window unveiled. I know how hard you’ve worked on it.”

When Pablo pulled her Porsche Cayenne into a parking spot on Main Street, Jen took a deep breath before opening the door and exiting the vehicle. Allison and Carly were already there, waiting for Jen and Vince to arrive before removing the brown paper that blocked the view of the front window.

Jen and Vince stood on the sidewalk in front of the window as the paper was removed, revealing a beach scene accented by skeins of yarn and yarn-
crafted
accessories. The mannequins were adorned in knit bikinis and cover-
ups
, and were carrying knit beach bags while holding cones topped with brightly colored balls of yarn doubling for the ice cream scoops. There was a hammock knit with cotton yarn, as well as knit beach chair covers and beach towels.

“This is fantastic, Jennifer!” Vince carefully inspected the window display, and was genuinely impressed. “I’m so proud of you. Did you do this all by yourself?”

“Allison and Carly helped me but, yes, we did it ourselves.”

“Well, it is really, really great,” he said, placing an arm around her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go inside and get ready for the party.”

Vince watched his wife as she greeted guests, while the champagne flowed and hors d’oeuvres were passed on silver trays.
I’ve got to blend into the background,
Vince thought, as he mixed with the guests, chatting with some of the local dignitaries and Jen’s family.
Jennifer is the star of the evening.

Observing his wife navigate between groups, at one moment greeting the village mayor, then moving on to kiss an elderly woman on the cheek, Vince thought,
you’d never guess she has terrible social anxiety.
Joining her, he whispered in her ear, “Who is the woman you just greeted? I don’t recognize her.”

“Oh, that’s Mrs. Prince,” Jennifer explained. “She and her husband are local farmers. My family always purchases our eggs and fresh chickens from them. I’m so worried that when they pass away their kids will sell the farm to Jim Flanagan. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Then don’t. Go work the room, and enjoy your guests.”

Vince retreated to a corner, joining Grace and Peter. He carefully watched Allison and Carly take reservations for knitting classes in the shop, offering discounts on yarn and needles when someone signed up for a lesson.

“Jennifer came up with some great ideas,” he said to Grace and Peter. “I’m truly impressed with her business acumen.”

“We’re proud of her too,” Peter said, as Grace nodded her head in agreement.

At the end of the evening, Jen joined Vince and her parents. “I’m so excited,” she said. “I can’t believe that most of the classes, like ‘Knit a Bikini in 3 Hours’ and ‘Beach Bags for Beach Bums’, are sold out. We’re going to have to add some more classes to the schedule, I think!”

Vince took Jen into his arms, congratulating her on the successful shop opening. “I’m so proud of you, my love,” he said. “All your hard work is going to pay off in a big way.”

Jen sighed as Vince held her, and a surge of warmth spread through her body. “Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. “That means more to me than any expression of love, or anything that you’ve ever said to me before.”
For the first time in my life, I feel truly content and at peace, because he loves me, he supports me, he believes in my dreams,
she thought, breathing in the faint scent of his cologne as she rested her head on Vince’s shoulder. Exhaling, she thought,
and I love him right back.

The next morning, Jen opened her laptop while she sat in the kitchen sipping her coffee, and was surprised to find how many “likes” and comments the photos she had posted on Knit Hampton’s Instagram and Facebook pages had generated overnight. She read through each comment, until she happened upon a comment on the Facebook page from Drew, wishing her well.
It’s been months since he’s crossed my mind, but I guess that’s a good thing. It means we’ve both truly moved on.
Closing her laptop, Jen stood up and stretched, before running up the stairs to change into a cream-
colored
lacy tank top she had knit, along with a pair of jeans and gold ballet flats.

“Good morning, handsome,” she said, as she leaned over the bed to kiss Vince. “I’ve got to get to the shop, but I should be back around lunchtime.”

“You look gorgeous. Have a great first day,” Vince replied.
You’ve got me so turned on,
he thought as he watched his wife rush out of the bedroom. He walked over to the window just in time to see her climb onto her pink vintage Schwinn bicycle.
You look so young in your jeans and with your hair braided. I almost pulled you back into bed with me, but you were in a rush, and I know how much you hate to be late for anything.

As he stood at the window and watched her pedal her bicycle down the driveway with her bodyguard trailing her, he thought back to the Tuesday before their wedding, when she was in a rush to get to her dress fitting and he couldn’t control his need to have her at that time.
You warned me then that if I ever forced myself on you again, you would disappear from my life forever. I’m not going to make that mistake twice,
he thought. Instead, he picked up his cell phone and sent Jen a text message:

You looked so sexy this morning. Come home soon. I can’t get the image of you out of my mind.

Once she arrived at the yarn shop, Jen read Vince’s text message and couldn’t stop grinning.
I’m so lucky to have a husband who loves me so much,
she thought as she re-
read
his message.
No one has ever loved me the way Vince loves me.

“Wow, someone is in a really good mood today,” Catherine said, getting Jen’s attention. “I haven’t seen you smile like that in a long time.”

“Hey, Cath,” Jen said as she hugged her friend. “I didn’t think you’d be here so early. Where’s Luke?”

“He’s across the street at the bank,” Catherine replied. “I’m sorry we didn’t make the opening party last night. Luke had to work late on a deal for Vince.” Looking around at the rainbow of yarn skeins neatly stacked within the white shelves of the yarn shop, she added, “The place looks great. I’ll have to sign up for some lessons.”

“Thanks. Wish you could have been here, too, but Vince explained that Luke was staying late at the office working on some big deal.” Jen opened a drawer behind the counter and extracted an envelope. “Here are the keys to the house, and the code for the driveway gate and house alarm. Let me know if you have any questions once you’re all settled in.”

“Luke and I can’t thank you enough for letting us use your house for the summer. We’re both excited to be able to spend the summer out here.”

“My pleasure, Catherine! You’re actually doing me a big favor by staying in the house. Vince has been putting pressure on me to sell both the house and my apartment, but I just can’t do it. My homes are my last bits of independence, the only things I have that are completely mine, you know? I just can’t bring myself to give them up.”

“Well, if all it takes to do you a favor is spend the summer in your beautiful home, you can ask me to do you a favor anytime,” Catherine chuckled, before kissing Jen on the cheek. “Gotta go, but I’ll see you later at dinner, right?”

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

“I
don’t understand. What’s wrong with this apartment? You hate every one we look at,” Collette said, a week before Memorial Day weekend.

Drew stared at Collette. “I just don’t like it, that’s all. It’s too small.”

“It’s no smaller than my place.”

“Exactly. And your place is too small.” Drew opened a closet door, looked inside, and shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but my apartment in New York was bigger than this place.”

Collette rolled her eyes.
At this rate, I’m never going to earn my bonus.
“Fine. We’ll just have to keep looking.”

I’m not ready for this kind of a commitment, not yet,
Drew thought. “Look, I’ve got to get to the station. Let me know if you see anything that might work. And remember, I’m staying with my parents tonight,” he said, giving her a peck on the cheek before walking out the door.

“Hey, Drew,” Collette called out to him. “Have a good show.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

After finishing his sports report on the 11:00 news, Drew drove directly to his parents’ home, ignoring the text from Collette asking him to change his plans and spend the night with her.
I just need a night alone, and in my own bed,
he thought as he turned the key in the door.

“Friday night and you’re not out with your girlfriend?”

“Hey, mom,” Drew said, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. “I told you I’d be home tonight.”

“I just didn’t think you’d be home so early.”

“It’s midnight.”

“You know what I mean,” Laura Crawford said, smiling at her son. “Is something wrong?

Drew retrieved a beer from the refrigerator, and sat down with his mother at the kitchen table. “I’m just exhausted, that’s all. Juggling everything at dad’s office, then working weekend nights at the t.v. station, it’s a lot. I just need a good night’s sleep.”

“Your father is back at work full-
time
now, honey. You don’t have to be there every minute of the day.”

“I know, it’s just…I’m afraid of what might happen if I leave. What if he has another heart attack?”

Laura studied her son’s concerned demeanor before replying. “Drew, you’ve put your life on hold for a year and a half. It’s time for you to live your life again. Your father and I want you to be happy. And we both know you’re not happy at his company. You want to get back into broadcasting, and you should. You love it, and you’re good at it.”

Drew sighed. “I heard there may be some new opportunities at SNN. There’s a rumor that they’re thinking of developing a morning show.”

“Talk to your father tomorrow morning. Then go for it.”

Drew finished his beer. “Okay, mom…and thanks. I love you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek before walking down the hallway to his bedroom. He turned on the light, closed the door, and as he began to undress the framed photo on his desk caught his eye.
I miss her so much,
he thought as he picked up the photo taken of him and Jen the night of the charity auction.

He sat down in his desk chair, and turned on his computer.
I’ve tried not to look for months,
he thought, as he logged on to Facebook, first looking at Jen’s personal page, then the Knit Hampton page she had created for her yarn shop.
She looks so happy,
he thought, as he clicked through the photos from the opening night party earlier that evening.
I’m such an idiot. How could I have let her go?

He hesitated, before typing a comment under one of the photos, “Congratulations on the store opening -
looks
like it was a great success! Hope to see you this summer.” He stared at her photo for a few more minutes, before logging off and collapsing on his bed.

On an August Friday, nearly three months after he applied, Drew received an e-
mail
inviting him to interview for one of the morning anchor slots for SNN’s new show, Sports Morning.
Time to talk to dad,
he thought, as he walked down the hall toward his father’s office.

“Hey, dad,” Drew said, knocking on his father’s office door. “Can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure, son,” Jude Crawford replied. “Have a seat. What’s on your mind?”

“Do you remember, back at the beginning of the summer, when I talked to you about applying for a spot at SNN?”

“Of course I remember.”

“Well, I applied, and they just reached out to me. They want me to meet with them in person next week,” Drew said, relieved to get the news off his chest.

“That’s great, son,” Jude replied. “I’m proud of you.”

“If I get the job, I’m going to have to move back to New York.”

“Drew, you sacrificed your entire lifestyle to help keep my business afloat when I was sick. You gave up your career, your apartment, and your relationship with Jen. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for everything you did for me and for our family.”

“I did what any son would have done,” Drew said. “Are you sure you’re okay with my interviewing?”

“Of course I’m okay with it! I don’t know what took you so long. Get your ass on a plane to New York, and make me proud.”

“Yes, sir,” Drew grinned, as he stood and began to jog out of his father’s office. “And thanks,” he called out over his shoulder as he ran towards his desk.

“This was a nice surprise,” Collette said, as she and Drew ate breakfast in their hotel room the following Tuesday morning. “I still can’t believe you decided to whisk me off for a week-
long
vacation in New York.”

“Well, you like it here. And I missed my friends.”

Especially Jennifer, I’ll bet,
Collette thought, as she sipped her coffee.
Good thing this is my job, because if I was your real girlfriend I’d be pretty pissed off.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at dinner tonight. And I can’t wait to see the Hamptons for the first time. I heard that Vince and Jen live in a huge mansion.”
Keep doing your job,
she reminded herself.
Keep mentioning that Jen belongs to Vince.

Drew flinched at the mention of Vince and Jen. “Where did you hear that?”

“I read about it online. There are even some photos. Want me to show you?”

“No, I’m sure that I’ll see it in person this weekend. I don’t need to stalk them online.”

“It’s not stalking. I’m just curious. I wonder what it must be like to have all that money.”

“I’ll never know, that’s for sure,” Drew said, annoyed at Collette for bringing up Vince and Jen. “I’ve got to get ready to head out. I’m meeting up with some former colleagues who moved over to SNN from my old network.”

Collette dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, before shrugging her shoulders. “Have fun. Remember, we have dinner plans tonight with Jen, Vince, Catherine and Luke,” she said, before kissing him goodbye. “I’m going Bloomingdale’s. See you later.”

That night at dinner, Drew surprised everyone with his news that he had spent the day at SNN, in meetings about the new morning show they were developing. “With any luck, I’ll be offered one of the morning anchor slots, and moving back here sometime after the first of the year,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

Clapping her hands, Jen exclaimed, “That’s fantastic news, Drew! I hope everything works out for you. It would be great to have you back on the east coast!”

Catherine and Luke happily greeted Drew’s news as well, but Vince stared at him in stony silence before pinching Collette, who was sitting next to him, on the leg and excusing himself from the table. “I’ll be back. I’m just running to the restroom,” Vince said, before kissing Jen on the cheek.

“I’ll be back in a minute too,” Collette said, standing and following Vince downstairs.

As soon as she finished descending the stairs, Vince laced into her. “What the hell am I paying you for? When were you going to tell me he was interviewing for a job in New York?”

Collette trembled, visibly shaken by Vince’s anger. “I knew he was meeting with some old friends at SNN, but I had no idea that it was an interview. This is the first time I heard about it too –
he
kept it all a secret from me.”

“Your job is to know everything that is going on, to keep me informed, and to keep him away from Jennifer,” Vince seethed. “God damn it, Collette,” he swore, as he punched the wall. “Do I have to do everything myself?”

“Vince, I swear, I’ll figure something out. I promise you, I’ll find a way to keep him in California.”

“You’d better, or else,” he growled, as he turned away and began dialing his phone.

Collette watched Vince ascend the stairs as she paced back and forth, trying to regain her composure.
What am I going to do?

“Hey,” Drew said, appearing at her side a moment later. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay, Drew. You completely blindsided me up there. Are you breaking up with me?”

Drew’s eyes grew wide. “No, of course not. I just wanted to surprise you. Your gift basket business can operate anywhere, and I know how much you like New York. Last time we were here, you said you’d love to live here one day. I really thought you’d be happy and excited about the possibility of moving here.”

“Well, I’m not, okay?” Tears streamed down Collette’s face, as she continued, “You know my whole family is in California, and yours is too. And you know my mom is sick. You can’t just expect me to pick up and follow you across the country without any sort of a commitment, can you?”

“Is that what this is about? A commitment?”

“Isn’t it? You keep finding excuses not to move in with me because you’re afraid of committing to me,” Collette said, challenging him. “You’ve never even told me that you love me.”

Drew hung his head, and stared at the floor, unable to answer her. “I don’t want to have this conversation now. If that’s what you want, let’s talk about it when we get home. Okay?”

“Okay,” Collette agreed. She took a deep breath, and continued, “I’m going to freshen up, and meet you back at the table.”

When Drew returned to the table, Jen asked “What’s going on? Where did Vince and Collette go?”

“I don’t know where Vince is, but Collette is in the ladies room,” he replied. “She’s upset that I didn’t tell her about the interview. I guess I really screwed up again.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Jen.