Possess Me by Michelle Heard

 

Chapter 25

 

Everleigh

 

A shipment of books came in, and I’m busy unpacking them when a man comes into the store. I’ve seen him here before, and usually, he likes to check the thriller section.

“Morning,” he greets before he starts to browse the shelves.

“Morning. Let me know if I can help you find anything.”

“Thanks.”

My eyes flick to where Vincent is coloring in a picture of an elephant before I continue to unpack the books.

Every now and then, I check what the man is up to before glancing at Vincent.

“Do you have any books about baking?” the customer asks.

“Yes.” I leave the counter and head to the aisle where he’s waiting. Grabbing a book off the shelf, I hold it out to him. “This one is pretty straightforward. You don’t need a degree to follow the recipes.”

“Oh good.” He pages through it then gives me a smile. “I’ll go with this one.”

“Great.” I take the book from him and head back to the counter.

“Hey, little man,” I hear him talk to Vincent. My eyes flick to my baby before they settle on the customer.

Leave him alone.

Luckily he doesn’t approach my son and comes to join me at the counter.

“So, I couldn’t help but notice you don’t wear a wedding ring.”

Oh crap.

He seems to be in his late twenties or early thirties. With dark blond hair and blue eyes, he’s not bad looking. I’m sure any woman would like to date him. Just not me.

“I’m a widow.” The lie normally works to scare off men.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Sure you are.

“I was wondering whether you’d like to have dinner with me?”

I almost let out a sigh but suppress it. “Thanks for asking, but I can’t. My son and the bookstore take up all my time.”

He stares at me for a moment, then smiles. “I’m going to keep trying until you say yes.”

Packing his purchase into a paper bag, I hold it out to him. “It will be a waste of your time. I’m not interested in dating at all.”

“I’m sure I can change your mind.”

Geez, dude. Stop already!

When I don’t reply quickly enough, he adds, “You can bring your son to dinner. I won’t mind.”

Trying to remain polite, I say, “Thank you for the invite but no. I’m really not interested.”

“Okay. I’ll accept defeat this time.” He gives me a flirty smile. “But I’ll see you soon.”

Dammit.

He walks to the door, then looks at me again. “By the way, I’m Barry.”

I don’t give him my name and just half-heartedly wave so he’ll leave.

When the door jingles behind him, I let out a sigh and shake my head before getting back to work.

When I’m done sorting the new books, I place them in a cart and head toward the aisles.

“Mommy, I need to wee,” Vincent calls from his corner.

“I’m coming, baby.” I shove a book into an open slot and hurry to the back. “Let’s get you to the restroom.”

I take him to the back and point to his little potty.

“Wait for me,” he orders as he pulls down his shorts.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I assure him. Even though he wets the floor, I still praise him. “You’re such a big boy.”

I wait for him to pull up his shorts and open the faucet so he can wash his hands.

“Mommy’s big little man,” I murmur lovingly.

“Tsk.” He gives me a frown. “I can’t be big and little at the same time.”

Letting out a chuckle, I say, “You’re right. You’re just Mommy’s big boy.”

We walk back to his corner, and I ask, “Are you hungry?”

He shakes his head and lies down on his tummy to continue coloring in the picture.

When I turn around to get back to work, it’s to see Barry coming into the store with flowers.

Dear God. The man doesn’t understand the meaning of no.

Barry gives me a grin that would make most women swoon. “I’m back for round two, hoping I can change your mind.”

When he holds the red roses out to me, I shake my head. “I’m not going to accept the flowers, and I won’t change my mind. I’m really happy with my life and would appreciate it if you stopped trying.”

“Look, I’m a nice guy. Would it hurt you to have one dinner with me?”

I let out a sigh, and lifting my hand, I rub my forehead. Giving it one final try, I say, “I still love the father of my child, and I always will. There’s no place in my heart or life for another man.”

“I’m not expecting you to stop loving your son’s father.”

God, give me strength.

“This is making me uncomfortable.”

Much to my annoyance, he places the roses on the counter. “Just as friends? I’m not asking for anything romantic.”

Losing my patience, I snap, “What I’d like is for you to respect my wishes. Please leave the store.”

“Mommy,” Vincent calls. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, baby,” I tell him sweetly before leveling the man with a glare. “Leave before I call the cops.”

“You don’t have to be a fucking bitch,” Barry snaps. He grabs the flowers and storms out of the store.

Was all of that really necessary?

Letting out another sigh, I return to work, but after a few minutes, I feel bad for how I handled Barry.

You said no, and he didn’t listen. End of story.

When I’m done placing all the new books on the shelves, I walk back to the counter. My gaze skims over the piece of paper with Rosalie’s number, and in the spur of the moment, I dig my phone out of my bag to send her a text.

Hi. It’s Everleigh. Sorry, I’m only messaging now. Would you like to meet at the playground this afternoon? At four?

Setting my phone down on the counter, I decide to check the financials. It’s something I’ve become obsessed with doing.

The house I bought in Pasadena was cheaper than my parents’ home. The extra money I made from the sale was used to open the bookstore.

It takes me an hour to work through all the figures, but in the end, I’m left with a smile on my face.

Financially we’re good, and I have nothing to worry about.

My phone vibrates, and I check the device for Rosalie’s reply.

Yay!!!!!! I’ll see you at four.

A smile curves my lips, and I call out. “Baby, pack up your toys so we can go to the playground.”

Vincent lets out a happy shriek and bounces up and down as he hurries to tidy his corner.

Grabbing my handbag, I tuck my phone into it and hold my hand out to Vincent. His face is beaming with a smile as we walk to the door, and while I lock up, he says, “Faster, Mommy.”

Reaching the car, I quickly place him in his car seat.

My son’s smile wipes away the crap feelings left over from Barry’s unwanted attention, and soon I forget about the man.

I drive us to the park, and when I bring the car to a stop, Vincent calls out, “Yippee!”

“You’d swear I never bring you here.” I pretend to be grumpy, but I don’t fool my son.

“Hurry, I see Jordan,” he orders like the little boss he is.

When I open the backdoor and unfasten the safety belt, Vincent shoots out of the car like a missile.

Chuckling, I walk to where Rosalie is sitting on a bench. She’s rocking the stroller, and when she spots me, a wide smile spreads over her face.

“You have no idea how happy I was when I got your text.”

I take a seat beside her. “Sorry, it took me so long to reach out.”

“Pfft.” Her eyes lock on my hair. “Did you put blonde streaks in?”

“No. It’s the sun. Vincent and I had a beach day on Sunday.”

Her gaze drops to my left hand. “Are you married?”

I shake my head and tell her the same story I’ve told everyone. “Vincent’s father passed away before he was born.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” She doesn’t give me a pitiful look. “So you’re a single mom?”

I nod. “Yes, it’s just Vincent and me.”

“No parents?”

I shake my head.

“Well, that’s it. Now you’re stuck with me,” she declares.

I let out a chuckle, then ask, “Are you always this friendly?”

Rosalie shakes her head. “I just really want to be friends with you.”

“Why?” I lock eyes with her. “You don’t know anything about me.”

She shrugs before adjusting the light blanket over Roman. “I just had a feeling when I saw you.”

“What kind of feeling?”

“That we’ll make great friends.”

I lean back against the bench and watch Vincent play with Jordan.

“So, what made you decide to message me?” Rosalie asks.

I scrunch my nose before I admit the truth, “A man came into the store and asked me out to dinner. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, and after he left, I felt bad and needed someone to talk to.”

The friendly expression falls from Rosalie’s face, and her features tighten. “What do you mean he wouldn’t take no for an answer?”

“No matter how many times I declined, he just kept trying.” I shake my head. “Eventually, I lost my temper and told him to leave my store.”

“Good for you,” she praises me. “I’m glad you reached out.” She turns her gaze to me. “Whenever you need someone to talk to, just call me.”

“Thanks.” I momentarily hesitate, then explain, “I’m a hermit. I love the life I’ve built for Vincent and me, and I don’t want to date.” My teeth tug at my bottom lip. “I still love Vincent’s father. No one will be able to replace him.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. You do you.”

A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth, then I lean forward to look at Roman. “Has he walked again?”

“He hasn’t stopped. He should wake up any second now, and then we’ll be running all over the place.”

Just then, Roman opens his eyes, and Rosalie lifts him out of the stroller.

“Can I hold him?” I ask.

“Sure.”

She passes her son to me, and I admire his long black lashes. “It’s unfair that our boys have better-looking lashes than us.”

“Right!”

I give her a playful grin. “Are you ready to run?”

She kicks off her high heels before nodding.

I place Roman on his feet, and once he gains momentum, Rosalie and I go after him.

Every now and then, I check on Vincent while we follow Roman on his mission to explore every stone in the park.

This is nice.