Finding Our Way Back (A Well Paired Novel) Page 4
“I’m not sure yet. Alexis and I will do some configuring and put in an order. We’ll buy some for the tasting, but Tristan is right. You’ll need to keep more stock. Customers will be snatching these right up more than they already are.”
When Tristan started packing up, Jenna said goodbye to Alexis. “Thank you for having me today. I’m not sure what help I was.”
“You were a nice balance. I wanted super simple, and Ben wanted fancy. I appreciate your opinions on the pairings. And the food. Speaking of...” Alexis grabbed her arm and pulled her outside.
She may have been a petite thing, but Alexis was strong and fierce, not that her grip on Jenna’s arm hurt. It did feel like she meant business, though.
“I’m going to tell Ben not to hire Tristan.”
“What? Why?”
“I saw how hard it was for you to keep up the brave face. There’s a lot of history there. I’m not asking you to share. I’m probably the last person you’d want to confide in, but I can see the hurt it would bring you.”
“First, you hire who you think is best for the job. Second, I’m totally over Tristan.” Jenna ignored Alexis’ raised eyebrow. “And third, why would you think that? You’re grounded and real and honest. Not that the other girls aren’t, but you ... I feel like you get me.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Yeah, Jenna had totally made Alexis’ day. She’d spoken the truth; however, she was also connected with the other women. Mia was her fun friend. Lily made her feel beautiful, and Hope was kind of like her den mother, even though they were all pretty close in age.
Jenna’s issues with Alexis had nothing to do with her. Things were fine until Sophie came around. And apparently her friend had picked up on her wariness. Although now she could blame it on Tristan.
Only it was more than that. So much more. Maybe now was the time to come clean and tell her friends about her past and why she continued to shut them out from time to time.
CHAPTER FOUR
Tristan was disappointed Jenna had left while he was packing up. Tempted as he was to ask Alexis about her, he was smart enough to read her protective glare. The food and wine had distracted her most of the time, but he’d picked up on the subtle mama bear motions.
Of course Jenna would have mentioned her ex-husband to her friends. What kind of picture she’d painted for them, he wasn’t sure. When the connection was made, the Martellis continued with the tasting and hadn’t kicked him out, which was a good thing.
And Jenna hadn’t gone on a rampage demanding he pack up and leave. She’d changed over the years. Softened.
Gone was the young, naïve, innocent beauty of his high school crush and young wife. It was his fault it had all been stripped away. She’d moved on, which he was thankful for. He had too, in a way.
Yet now he found himself back to square one.
Why the mention of another man caused a stir in him he didn’t know. Hell, he’d been married and divorced again since their separation. No, not separation. Divorce. Tristan had two failed marriages under his belt.
Since marriage obviously wasn’t his thing, he’d focused his energy on his career. Money wasn’t his singular focus anymore either. Working in a fulfilling career for the rest of his life and owning a real home, not an apartment or condo, had become his new goal.
Never had he thought settling on the coast of Maine would make him happy. After his divorce with Jenna, he wanted out of Maine. Boston, New York, somewhere with more opportunities and a big city where he could get lost in the crowd. Cook and sleep. That was all he’d wanted.
When he got the sous chef job at Vinnie’s in the Seacoast District in Boston, his career skyrocketed. Two years, dozens of five star reviews, and Vinnie DeMarco’s strings got him an interview at Maestro.
The head chef, his mentor, and father-like figure was essential in his career, and he owed the man for teaching him how to be a top-notch chef. To say Vinnie’s death deeply affected him would be an understatement.
Ever since the funeral twenty months ago, his relationship with Beth had gone downhill.
Tristan didn’t blame her or Jenna for the divorces. They both came after devastating losses in his life. He didn’t know how to handle the pain. The grief of losing someone so close.
Jenna hated him and blamed him for the death, but Beth didn’t seem to care about the distance between them. If anything, Beth seemed to like her distance.
Closing the door to his van, he scanned the grounds hoping to spot Jenna. Realizing he was alone, he climbed into the cab of his van and started it up. The ride home was quiet and lonely.
Lonely. Not a word he’d used to describe himself. Being alone in his kitchen was one of his favorite pastimes. Lost in his thoughts and recipes with no one looking over his shoulder, asking him what he was adding to a dish, or making unwanted suggestions.
When they were married, Jenna’s company never bothered him, though. She’d perch herself on their cramped counter, and he’d have to work around her, but he never minded. She’d babble on about her day and sing his praises when he made her anything.
It didn’t matter if it was macaroni and cheese from a box. Tristan shuddered, remembering the processed, cheap food they’d lived off of. No matter, Jenna treated each meal as if it was a gourmet one from a five-star restaurant.
Back in the day, a fancy night out meant dinner at the Olive Garden. They’d fill up on breadsticks and salad, barely making any room for their entrée. They’d bring their leftovers home and heat them up for lunch the following day.
Tristan pulled into his parking lot and gave himself one more minute to reflect on his past. He wasn’t one to do that, dwell on what once was. Seeing Jenna today sparked something inside of him he thought was dead.
He got out of the van and unloaded his supplies and leftover food into his work kitchen. Figuring he’d eat the rest of the fish for dinner, he kept that container on the counter and took care of the rest.
When the dishes were washed and put away, he dragged himself back out to his van and drove home. His rental was only three miles from Fresh Ketch and had the bare minimal essentials.
He let himself in and put the leftovers in the fridge. The kitchen was abysmal, but Tristan did most of his cooking at The Kitchen, as he called it, so it didn’t matter. Checkerboard linoleum flooring added a touch of character to the space. And that was where it ended.
The beige laminate counters were stained and chipped, and the cheap oak cabinets had seen better days. They were sturdy but ugly as hell. Not that Tristan would be doing any entertaining here.
The ranch-style house suited his purposes just fine. Two bedrooms—one for sleeping and the other turned into an office—a decent sized living room, one and a half baths, and a galley kitchen.
It was a cross between a nineties television show and a bachelor pad. The house needed some serious updating, but it was comfortable and lived in and came fully furnished. Just what he wanted. He’d let Beth keep all the furniture in their high-end condo.
The black leather and slick lines of the sterile couches had never suited him anyway. Better to sever the ties and start fresh on his own. It was what he’d done when he left Jenna as well.
Left. Tristan snorted. More like kicked out. No matter how much he begged for forgiveness, she wouldn’t give it. And he didn’t blame her. Not entirely. He only wished Jenna wasn’t so stubborn.
That was one of the things he loved about her, though. No one walked over Jenna Snyder Ketch, not even her husband.
Ignoring the sadness that pinged his heart, he put the leftover fish in the oven and headed toward the bathroom to take a shower. By the time he came out he had two messages on his phone. A piece of him hoped one would be from Jenna.
Not her, but he’d settle for his best friend.
“Hey, Toby. How are things down in Bean Town?” Tristan checked on his fish and pulled it out of the oven.
“Not the same since you left.”
“Yeah, two marriages and life in Vacationland has aged the hell out of you. The clientele at the Whiskey Barrel hasn’t changed. It’s all you, man.”
“Thanks. It’s nice to know I can always count on you to lift my spirits.” He took down a plate and fork and brought them to his kitchen table.
“That’s why I called. I take it the winery thing didn’t pan out? Sorry, man.”
Tristan sat in front of his dinner, no longer hungry, and pushed it aside. “I haven’t heard back from the Martellis. It went well, though. All things considered.”
“Did ya burn your crème bruleé?”
“As if.”
“Blackened catfish came out brown?”
“Bite your tongue.” Tristan smiled and leaned back in his chair. “You’ll never guess who’s friends with the owner.”
“Beth? She’s not trying to sabotage you, is she? I thought you guys ended things on a good note.”
“We did. Things are still amicable.”
“So what gives?”
Tristan leaned his elbow on the table and rested his forehead in his palm. “It’s Jenna.”
The phone was quiet while Toby processed. “The first wife?”
He’d tried not to bring up his past too often. In fact, he’d blocked it out of his mind for a couple years before finally confiding in Toby one night after they’d made a serious dent in a bottle of Jack.
“Yeah.”
Toby let out a low whistle.
“She give you hell?”
Of course he’d ask that. The last time he’d spoken to Jenna was a yelling match. Heck, the last six months with her was spent with her yelling or crying and Tristan groveling then yelling back.
Today’s polite quietness was almost eerie. As if she had some major meltdown planned at the utmost worst time. Only it never happened.
“No. Not at all. She was as shocked to see me as I was her.”
“I’m sorry, man. That had to be rough. You’re on a job interview, sort of, and a ghost from your past shocks the hell out of you. You pulled through alright?”
“Yeah. She was fine. Almost acted like we didn’t even know each other. She told Alexis, she’s the owner, that we were friends back in high school. I didn’t add any information to the story.”
Jenna must not had mentioned him to her friend. Tristan wasn’t a common name, and she would have put two-and-two together had she known about him. The fact that Alexis was unaware of their past hurt.
Had he not mattered to her at all?
He changed the subject and told Toby about the dishes he’d prepared and the wine pairings. It wasn’t often that he drank. Getting home at three in the morning, all he’d want was a shower and a mattress, so he was happy to leave the pairing up to the experts.
There were the occasional drinks he sipped when he went out on those rare nights with Beth. That was before they’d lost their spark and centered their lives around the restaurant.
When he was with Jenna, they couldn’t afford the luxuries of alcohol. Those were the days of canned parmesan cheese and jarred sauce. Happy days when income was low but so were the stresses of the outside world.
All too quickly he lost everything. They lost everything.
Had they not been so young when they married. Had he not been so reckless when driving, their lives would have turned out differently.
One thing was for sure.
Jenna would never forgive him for what he’d done. She’d made that point loud and clear. And he didn’t think he’d ever forgive himself either.
“YOU’RE SURE CARTER’S okay being matched up with me?”
“Dude. Totally. He thinks I’ve got my eye on him and am using you as a cover, so if the vibe isn’t there between you two, no pressure.” Mia sat across from her at the kitchen table and popped a grape in her mouth.
Jenna didn’t know why she was so insecure about going out with him. They were going in a group. Something they’d done countless times, only the ratio of men to women had never been even.
Tonight it was. Mia found a guy easily enough. Jim, if Jenna remembered correctly. Apparently they’d hooked up a few times in the past. “A fun, no-strings guy,” Mia had said about him.
“Have fun tonight. You deserve the break.” Lily finished braiding Jenna’s hair in a fancy fishbone or fishtail pattern. She forgot what Lily had called it. “I’m so jealous of your hair. Maybe later this week when Ty is working late you’ll let me come over and play with it?”
“My hair?” Jenna swiveled in the kitchen chair and looked at up at Lily as if she’d been hit in the head. Lily, with gorgeous long blonde locks, and perfect complexion, teeth, and eyes, and the body men pinned up on their walls, was jealous of her hair?
“It’s so thick and healthy. And you’ve got awesome beach waves and natural red and blonde highlights. You’ve got dimension without spending an arm and a leg on it.”
“Way to sales pitch the Sea Salt Spa,” Mia teased from the other side of the table.
“I speak the truth.”
Humbled by the compliment, Jenna toyed with the end of her braid that reached the bottom of her chest.
“Thank you. That means a lot coming from you. I always pictured my hair ... plain.”
“Never. You have a natural beauty most women can’t pull off.”
“If we’re done with the sappy compliments, can we go now?” Mia stood. “We’ve got men waiting for us.”
“I thought we were carpooling with Ben and Alexis?” Jenna picked up her coat from the back of her chair and slid it on.
“We are. Brady, Grace, and Carter are meeting us there.”
“What about Jim?”
“Jay,” Mia corrected with a snort. “And he’s meeting us at the bowling alley. He lives close by it, so no sense driving all the way out to Crystal Cove. Let’s go.”
Mia tugged Jenna’s arm and whisked into the living room. “Jerry, have fun with Lily and Ty tonight. Lily, call me if you need anything, okay?”
“What am I? A toddler? I don’t need a babysitter.”
“How right you are.” Lily plopped herself on the couch next to Jerry’s recliner. “But I’m so bored at home with Ty. You know, he doesn’t talk much, and I need stimulating conversation. Tell me again about the time you and Brigitte skinny dipped in the cove.”
Knowing Jerry would soon forget about Jenna once he immersed himself into the story, she mouthed a thank you to Lily and left.
As soon as she got into the car, she turned to Mia. “Are you sure—”
“Stop.” Mia held up her hand and shook her head. “What is it with you insecure girls?”
“I’m not insecure,” she lied.
“Please. You’ve asked a dozen times in the past twenty-four hours if Carter knows he’s being paired up with you.”
“I just want to be sure.”
“Why does it matter? Blind dates can be fun. Besides, it’s just a group of friends going out.”
“Then why did you ask Jay?”
“Honestly?” Mia turned in her seat and rested her left elbow on the steering wheel. “Because the rest of our friends have found love and have men who fawn all over them. Carter’s going to do the same with you. I didn’t want to be left out. That’s why I asked Jay. I’m sure I could find someone else at the bowling alley, but I wanted to be sure I had someone to flirt with so I didn’t turn into a bitch.”
“I highly doubt he’ll be fawning all over me.”
“And here we go with the self-doubt again. It’s really unattractive.”
Ouch. The jab hurt more than Mia could possibly know. It was what Tristan had said to her over and over again in their final months as a married couple.
Maybe Jenna did have a problem with insecurity and self-doubt. She never had before...
Shaking off the memories she refused to allow to surface, she cleared her
throat and stared Mia straight in the eyes. “I promise to do my best to have fun and not doubt any fawning that may come my way.”
Mia slapped her on the thigh. “That’s the spirit. With that attitude, you’re sure to get lucky tonight.” She shifted into reverse and backed out of the driveway.
“Lucky? I’m not looking to hook-up.”
“That’s too bad. Because Carter is.” She winked as she pulled onto the road.
“Very funny.” She wouldn’t allow Mia’s teasing to cause a stirring in her belly. It had been too long since she’d gotten lucky. Not that she wanted to tonight.
There were too many emotions going on in her head after seeing Tristan. She hadn’t pined after him, only what they’d lost.
And there was no one in the world, not Carter, not Tristan, not even Charlie Hunnam who could replace it.
CHAPTER FIVE
“You know how bad I’d look if you turned me down for a dance?” Carter whispered in her ear loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
“You don’t need Jenna’s rejection to look bad, brother,” Brady teased.
“Wow, I’d never thought I’d see the day.” Alexis laughed from across the table. “Sweet, shy Brady Marshall quick with the sly comebacks. Well done, Grace.”
“Grace has nothing to do with it. I’m my own man. I’ve always been funny.”
The group erupted in laughter. Jenna didn’t know Brady well enough to mock him, but she smiled at everyone’s reactions.
“About that dance.” Carter nudged her with his hip, so she had no choice but to slide out of the booth or stay pressed up against him.
She glanced about the table nervously, catching Mia’s attention.
“Jay. Take me for a twirl.” She shot up and yanked her date to his feet.
Thankful to have company on the dance floor, Jenna slid out of the booth and waited for Carter to join her.
The music wasn’t exactly her taste. Hip hop dance that Carter seemed to thoroughly enjoy. He moved like a pro in front of her, and was ridiculously charming. She couldn’t help but laugh and join in.