While I was cleaning my glasses, she stopped her phone conversation abruptly and pointed at me. “Do I know you?”
“Uh, no? I don’t believe so.”
“Huh.” She gasped and snapped a couple times. “Are you a member at the Stockton Country Club?”
“No.” Lord no, no more country clubs for me.
“What’s your name?”
“KC.”
Her eyes widened with recognition, and her glossed lips formed a perfect O. “Oh, this is your bakery?”
“Yes, ma’am. Do you know what you were wanting?”
Her head was still tilted to the side as she looked at me. “I’ll just take two. Anything chocolate.” She rummaged around in her massive Coach purse as she hissed into her phone, “No, I swear I know this girl. Anyway, so like I was telling you. He may have been planning on leaving before, but he’s definitely not now. Not after last night.” She handed me her card, and all the blood left my face.
Olivia Saco. Olivia . . . oh, my God! My boyfriend’s wife is in my bakery, and she recognizes me! How does she know who I am? Has someone seen Brody and me together? Did she know Brody was having an affair? As the room swirled around me, I was positive this was what Barbara was going through when she had hot flashes. Somehow I managed to stop staring at the credit card, and my eyes shifted to watch Olivia’s back as she stood next to the window whispering on her phone.
I suddenly hated that my shop had amazing acoustics.
“. . . with him lately. He’s different. But I played the whole guilt-trip thing . . . Of course, he bought it, he said he wasn’t leaving me, didn’t he? God, it really is pathetic how easy he is to sway, though . . . Oh, I know, right? How he hasn’t realized by now that I can cry at the drop of a hat is beyond me. I never wanted the damn kid anyway. Shit, I’m probably going to hell for saying that, aren’t I? . . . Ha! Love you too, bitch. Be there in thirty . . . I know, I know, I’m getting you a cupcake too.”
My throat burned and my hands shook as I grabbed a little plastic container and put two cupcakes in it. It took everything in me not to scream at her and break down in the middle of my store for Brody’s sake as I realized the amount of guilt and manipulation he’d lived with for years. I’d heard enough stories from Brody’s family and Kinlee, but my God I’d had no idea. Three minutes in her presence and I wanted to get Brody as far away from her as possible. And what did she mean he said he wasn’t leaving her? My gut churned as I replayed Olivia’s words: “I never wanted the damn kid anyway.” I have to tell Brody. I have—
“That’s not your natural hair color.”
I jumped at the sound of her voice so close to me and looked up at her. “Excuse me?”
“Your roots are starting to come in. You’re not naturally a brunette, are you?”
Thank God for my appointment tomorrow, I didn’t realize anyone could see the blond. I couldn’t even see it. “Um, no. I’m not.” I swiped her card and handed it back to her. When she didn’t take it, I looked up.
“I swear I know you, but I would remember that accent of yours.”
I really hope you don’t. I put the credit card on top of the cupcake box and slid it toward her. “I must just have one of those faces, I guess. Thank you so much for coming in, please stop by again soon.” Don’t. Don’t. I never want to see you again.
“Oh. My. God! K-C, like initials, you’re—are you—oh, my God, you’re Kamryn f**king Cunningham!” she screeched, then did a high-pitched, girly squeal.
“Oh, shit,” I breathed and took a step back.
“I have to call my mom, she’s going to flip! Everyone thought you’d been kidnapped! Why are you here? Did you just, like, move here? Your parents and Chad—oh, my God, Chad. You left him! Why would you just leave him?”
“Please don’t! Don’t call your mom, don’t tell anyone. Shit. This is not happening, how do you know who I am?”
Olivia leaned across the counter, a massive smile on her face. “Wow, you just look so different. You really shouldn’t wear glasses, they don’t look good with your face.” She grabbed for a chunk of bangs and I took a step away from her hand. “All your blond hair is gone. I loved your hair, I’ve always grown my hair out to look like yours. See?” She turned to the side to show me her long blond hair before facing me again and screeching, “I can’t believe Kamryn Cunningham is here in Jeston, Oregon!”
“Olivia, please don’t tell—”
She reared back. “How do you know my name?”
Oh, shit. “Your credit card.”
“Oh, right.” She waved it off and slapped a hand on the counter. “We have to go out for drinks at the club. I can’t believe you didn’t become a member of one when you moved here.”
“Look, please, I don’t want anyone to know I’m here. Just, please . . . tell me how you know who I am.”
“Everyone knows who you are in the racing world. It was a huge deal when you disappeared. They thought you were kidnapped.”
“So your family has horses?”
She nodded and flipped her hair back. “We keep them at a place a few hours north. Oh, you’ve probably heard of us! The Reynoldses.”
I hadn’t, but I just smiled and pulled my shirt away from my body a few times. This day couldn’t get any worse.