Love Scars - 5: Covered Read Online Free

owe that guy zip. He’s marrying your angel.”
    “I’m not doing it for him. I’m doing it for her.”
    “That’s taking the Mr. Nice Guy routine too far. You schmuck.”
    “Yeah, well,” Brad said.
    That about summed it up. “How’s Nora?” I said.
    “He finally gets to the point.”
    “Come on,” I said. “How is she? Did she take the money yet?”
    Brad told me Nora had given him the scanner after all. He’d repeated my offer to pay whatever MolyMo promised her.
    “She’s adamant. Won’t do it,” Brad said. “She’s putting the house up for sale. The listing goes live the day after the wedding.”
    “The day after tomorrow then.”
    “Things have a way of working themselves out.”
    “A sucky way.” I felt sick to my stomach.
    We logged off and I went down to the marina for supplies. Taking the boat was faster than driving Mom’s funky old BMW. It was good to get out on the water and feel the salt wind on my face. I felt like shit. Everything was spinning away from me, out of my control.
    I picked up the coffee beans—Sumatra Mandheling, Scarlett’s favorite—and a few other supplies. There was a woman with kids at the soda fountain. I almost blew off the root beer floats, but I didn’t want to give Scarlett any more reason to rag on me.
    She didn’t put it into words, but her tone said all. She thought I was turning into a slacker. Just because I slept past noon and always wore the same shirt with the sleeves ripped out and played computer solitaire all day every day.
    The woman ahead of me ordered four hot dogs, two with the works, one ketchup only, one plain. She and her little kids all wore white sailor hats. Tourists. The boy looked six or seven. He was fascinated by whatever was in the pail he carried. The little girl was four or five with big brown eyes. She stared up at me from under her mom’s arm. I felt like a giant.
    I winked at her, and her eyes got bigger. I winked again. She blinked and a smile spread slowly over her face. What a little cutie.
    “Mama.” The boy held up his pail. “The worms want to go catch the fish now.”
    “As soon as we eat, sweetie,” the woman said. Her voice was familiar. “We should have waited to buy the worms.”
    “Holly?” I said, and she turned around.
    “J.D., wow!”
    It was Holly. Mercenary Holly. Horrible Holly. But this was a nice mom with a great smile wearing a silly sailor hat and with two nice kids.
    “I can’t believe it,” she said. “Well, I guess I can. Orcas Island. Are you visiting your mom?” She struggled with all the stuff she was carrying.
    “Can I help you?” I said.
    “I just need to get my wallet out of my purse.”
    “Let me get this.” I gave the cashier my credit card before she could refuse, and the guy at the counter handed over a bag of food.
    “I have worms.” The boy showed me his pail.
    “Yep. Those are worms,” I said. Lame. I knew nothing about fishing. I picked up the bag of hot dogs and walked outside with Holly and her kids. Holly and her kids. Words I never thought would enter my brain. “So you’re married?”
    “To an architect,” she said. “We moved to the island six months ago. I just opened a new art gallery at West Beach on Enchanted Island Road.”
    “That’s wonderful.” She was so normal.
    “It would be really wonderful if Sheila let me do a show for her.” Holly blushed. I didn’t remember her being shy. “I’ve always loved your mom’s stuff, you know. She hasn’t answered my letter.”
    “She’s been busy,” I said. I was caught in a Bizarro World where Holly was amazing and nice. She was calm, friendly—she reminded me of Lisa. An intrinsically happy person. “I’ll put in a good word for you.”
    “That would be great, J.D.,” she said. “Thanks.”
    “You look fantastic, Holly.” She did, too. “Really happy.”
    “I am happy,” she said. “And you look…well, you haven’t changed.”
    She was right. I looked the same. I was the same. She