Her head dropped in her hands, the unpleasant realization that Hank hadn’t so much chosen her. She’d gotten him by default. And that fact festered; ate at her because she loved Hank but he had loved another. And had his mom not interfered, he’d likely still be with Phoebe. She needed to talk to someone. She wanted that someone to be Hank but putting him in the middle, that was exactly what Catherine was doing. She wouldn’t do that to him. There was one person who had been around Summerville a long time, one person that despite her first impression was someone who knew and felt more than at first glance.
Arissa grabbed her keys and hurried to her car. She thought to call Hya but suspected she was home nursing a hangover. The Belles knew how to drink and did it often. She pulled up to the gates, then through them. Her house came into view and even being weathered, it was beautiful…so perfectly fit its owner. She drove around back, parked and hurried to the door that led to the kitchen. She didn’t even knock; walking in knowing Hya wouldn’t care. Then stopped at the sight of Hya in an apron, long hot pink gloves on, standing in front of the sink. Her head jerked to Arissa, she gave her a once over and said, “For a girl getting fucked regularly by our sexy sheriff, you look like shit.”
Arissa bit back the grin and said, “That’s so sweet of you to notice.” She jerked her head to the sink, “What are you doing?”
Hya lifted the biggest dildo Arissa had ever seen. “Cleaning my arsenal.”
Arissa had no reaction because this was Hya, and after time you became immune to her oddities. Plus, Arissa knew Wednesday afternoon was toy cleaning day. She had just forgotten with everything that was on her mind. The knot in her stomach eased a bit being around Hya just being Hya. She crossed the room to her, saw there were quite a few new dildos and the fact that she knew the inventory of Hya’s sex toys made her smile.
Hya eyed her while informing her, “I don’t have the sexy sheriff in my bed.” Then she looked her new dildo up and down. “I have to improvise.” She dropped the toy back in the soapy water, removed her gloves and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Arissa couldn’t help herself when she said, “You need to think bigger.”
“You know I never liked you from day one,” Hya said, then switched gears because she was many things and astute was one of them. She moved to the far counter, grabbed the Jack and two glasses and settled at the table in the kitchen. Arissa had never known women like the Belles, and was she missing out. She sat next to Hya, drained the three fingers she’d poured for her and waited for her to splash another three fingers before she said, “I feel bad coming here with this, but I’m not sure who to talk to. I’ve tried talking with Hank, but I just don’t want to put him in the middle.” She held Hya’s stare and added, “Catherine is already doing that.”
Hya tipped back her head, drained her glass, dropped it on the table with a bang and asked, “What the fuck she do now?”
Arissa’s mouth opened then closed before she asked, “You’re not surprised she’s meddling?”
Hya filled her glass and Arissa’s. “There’s meddling and then there’s Catherine Weathers. The woman should be in the CIA with her shit.” She drained her glass again and said, “So what is it this time?”
Where the hell to start? Feeling anxious again, Arissa stood and started to pace. “You know they took him to the beach once, only once and never went back.”
Hya looked at her, then the bottle of Jack. “Either I’m drunk already or you’re not making any fucking sense.”
Arissa waved her hand. “I know. I’ve got too much going on in my head.” She moved back to the table, the chair dragging across the wood before she dropped back down into. “You knew Hank when he was younger, yeah?”
This time her look could peel paint from the wall. “I ain’t that much older than him.”
Over two decades older, but Arissa just grinned. “Testy,” she said, but added, “Do you remember him hitting his head as a kid? Enough to cause a concussion?”
Hya leaned back in her chair, studying Arissa for a second. “What the hell is going on in your head?” Hya placed her elbows on the table, leaned in and said, “That boy did not have a concussion.”
Arissa was already on the next thought but that comment stopped her. “Are you sure?”
“Even then, I had an eye on him. Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Why would his mother tell him he had a concussion, possible memory loss?”
Hya slammed her hand on the table and expressed loudly, “What?” She grabbed the bottle of Jack and began to pour more than three fingers in their glasses. “The only one with any memory issues is that fucking woman.”
“See!” Arissa said, pointing at Hya. “This is what is driving me crazy. Catherine hates me. I mean she really hates me. She wants me gone. Hank doesn’t see it and I’m not about to put him in the middle. She doesn’t want me doing the magazine spread. Really doesn’t want me doing
