Love in a Nutshell

gloss. It never hurt to look fabulous when seeing the ex for the first time since moving out of the marital home. But what she lacked in cosmetics, she could make up for in attitude. If Matt could talk nicely to Chet, she could do it with Richard.

Maybe.

Kate rounded the merchandise table and extended her hand. “Richard.”

“Kate.” His handshake was on the limp side, but at least he’d given it a shot.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” she said. “You’re not a beer drinker.”

“This is a charity function that a client supports. I have to make a showing. But I’ll say, you can’t be nearly as surprised as I am. I’d heard you’d lost your job and had to move in with your parents.”

“I have a job,” she said.

“So I see. And Larry and Barb are well?”

“They’re fine, I’m sure. They’re at the Naples house until May, and I’m staying at The Nutshell.”

“Really? The Nutshell? That must be interesting.”

To anyone else, his comment would have sounded positive and sincere. Kate, however, knew how much he’d disliked both The Nutshell and Keene’s Harbor. And she felt very protective of both.

Kate smiled. “It’s wonderful.”

“Really? Living in your parents’ cottage and working in a brewery?” He glanced at his phone. “That’s a far cry from what you used to do.”

Kate wondered if Shayla was texting him, just as she had when Kate had been his wife. Water under the bridge, Kate thought. Shayla could text him all she wanted now. Kate had loved Richard, but his affair had taught her something. She couldn’t be the person she was meant to be when she was with someone she couldn’t trust. If she ever decided to marry another man, it would definitely be someone like Matt-someone who made her feel more herself than she did alone.

“I like it in Keene’s Harbor. I always did,” she said. “I’m happy there.”

“How nice.”

Funny thing, but he didn’t look very happy about her being happy.

“So can I tell you a little about our beer?” she asked, knowing this would roust snobby anti-brew Richard.

“No thanks,” he said. “I should move along.”

Not quickly enough, she thought as he stepped off.

Then he turned back. “Oh, I forgot to mention… We had to give Stella away.”

THIRTEEN

Kate felt as though some vital connection in her brain had just snapped. “Would you mind repeating that?”

A faint little smile was forming on Richard’s usually passive face. “We had to give Stella away.”

Stella had been their baby. They’d spoiled her like mad. When they’d separated, leaving her had been wretched for Kate, far more painful than leaving Richard. Stella had been faithful.

“What do you mean, had to?” Kate asked.

“Stella didn’t take to Shayla. We couldn’t have her biting all the time.”

“Who, Shayla or Stella?”

“Very funny. Really, Kate, it’s great that you still have your sense of humor to keep you going.”

“And so you gave her away instead of sending her to me?”

“I didn’t know where you were.”

“My cell number hasn’t changed.”

Richard flipped his bangs out of his eyes like a pop star. “Don’t be difficult. It’s not as though you cared enough to take her in the first place.”

“Don’t even start with that stuff. I was ordered by the court to surrender her to you, and you know it. You had the fenced backyard. I had the loft apartment and no dog park in walking distance. I didn’t even get visitation rights, thanks to your high-priced, evil divorce lawyer. So tell me, who has her now?”

Her ex hesitated, and Kate knew this was going to be no bueno.

He looked down at his feet and Kate knew that for all his posturing, he felt bad. Richard had truly loved Stella, but Richard was a weak person. Richard was no match for Shayla.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “Shayla handled it.”

“Stella was ours before Shayla became part of the picture, and you let her handle it-whatever that means? How could you allow any of this to happen?”

He kicked the ground with his right shoe, then looked back up at Kate. “I’m engaged. Shayla wouldn’t agree to marry me unless Stella went. She knows how busy I’ve been at work, so she just took care it. I’m sure she found Stella a good home. You should just move on, Kate.”

Move on?

Stella had probably been dumped at the city shelter, where her chances would have b ~ align=”jueen slim. Everyone wanted cute puppies, not seven-year-old ginger-colored miniature poodles who had just a bit of a bad attitude. But Kate wanted her with all her heart. She also wanted to shake Richard until his teeth rattled, or boot him one in the rear, or…

She wrapped her hand around the closest open beer from the pouring table. She didn’t have a firm plan, but if Richard’s ridiculous hair ended up looking like stringy black seaweed, that wouldn’t be so tragic. Before she could do anything, though, two muscled arms gently wrapped around her from behind.

“Steady,” Matt said low into her ear, drawing her closer. “Take a breath, sweetheart.”

Kate’s eyes were focused on Richard. “I want Stella now.”

Richard’s gaze darted from the beer bottle to Kate. “I told you, I don’t know where she is.”

Matt tightened his hold on Kate. “Why don’t you set down the bottle?”

“He gave away my dog.”

“I take it you know him,” Matt said.

“This is my ex, Dick.” Which he hated being called.

Richard turned to Matt and offered the same limp hand he had to Kate. “And you are?”

“Matt Culhane, Kate’s boss.”

“I should press assault charges against your employee.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “For what? I didn’t even touch you.”

“Harassment. Intimidation,” Richard said.

Kate’s throat tightened. She was going to cry, but damn it, she wasn’t going to do it in front of her idiot, rotten-to-the-core ex.

She pushed at Matt’s arms. “I need to go outside.”

Matt slid his arms away, and Kate hustled for the door. She walked blindly down the parking lot’s first aisle, looking for some privacy and Matt’s truck. It didn’t take long to find something that big and red. She tugged at the passenger-door handle, but the vehicle was locked.

“Hang on,” Matt said from behind her.

Kate turned and flung herself at him. “He gave away my dog to some stranger, Matt. I never should have let him have her.”

Matt rubbed her back and gave her a chance to settle down. After a moment, she stepped back and wished for a tissue.

“I’m sorry.” She wiped her eyes. “I feel awful. I should have never trusted him with my dog, but honestly, I didn’t have a choice.”

Matt unlocked the truck and opened the door for her. &oor hone#x201C;Why don’t you take a couple of minutes in some quiet? Harley and Junior have it covered inside.”

Kate nodded and climbed in.

“I’ll be back to check on you in a minute. I just have to…” He gestured back at the market building. Kate figured that could mean anything from “use the facilities” to “hide from the weepy woman.” Either way, he’d been there when she’d needed him, and in her book, he was already a hero for that.