Page 40 of Dr. Scandal Claus

"I don't want them to pick sides, Fiona. And Scarlett isn't ruining my life. I love her. She's not after my money; we're a family." I spoke through clenched teeth, and she rose up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"I'm only trying to help you, Nicky."

I took a step away and pushed her hand off my chest. "You should leave," I grumbled and she bobbed one shoulder.

"I guess if I can't have you, maybe you deserve a gold-digging whore." Her smirk and the way she looked up at the apartment building made my stomach turn.

I glanced up in the direction Fiona was looking and saw Scarlett. She stood in her dining room looking out the window over the parking lot and I could tell she was crying. It made any trace of self-control that I had vanish. I turned on Fiona like a rabid wolf.

"I said leave. You've done enough. Now get out of here or I'm calling the police." My angry shouts would never be enough. She had no idea the karma that was coming for her.

"Bye, Nicky," she said, smiling and wiggling her fingers at me.

I turned abruptly and went straight to Scarlett's apartment door. I had no idea how much of that she'd seen, but she didn't have context. There was no way she could even hear what I had said to Fiona. If she'd seen that kiss without any context she'd be upset.

The door was locked and I knocked on it. "Scarlett, please open the door." I tried not to raise my voice too much. I didn't know how the people in her building would react or if they treated her differently since this all started. I really didn't want to make things worse for her by drawing attention to us. I justwanted to explain to her what happened and why. "Scarlett," I called again, but it was clear she wasn't coming to the door.

My shoulders sagged and I leaned against the door feeling defeated. I was tired, physically and emotionally, and I didn't have the energy to fight anyway. Both Scarlett and I deserved better from this town, and I knew as long as Fiona was messed up in this, we'd never catch a break. I hated Marjorie Whitman for sticking her nose back into my business last spring. If she never did that, Fiona would never have heard I was dating someone and none of this would be happening.

I slunk back out to the parking lot to finish scrubbing the car, but I never saw Scarlett in the window again, and she didn't respond to any of my messages or calls. I prayed she just needed a bit of space and that this wasn't her way of saying she was done with me. I wouldn't blame her if she broke it off. I never deserved her anyway. She would definitely be better off without me.

31

SCARLETT

The sweet older woman seated across from the small table in my bakery's dining area had such a pleasant smile and demeanor. It was hard not to like her. Though, her résumé had a lot to be desired.

"Well, dear, I don't have any official experience, but I've had forty-eight years of baking in my kitchen: cakes, candies, pies, donuts, and the occasional loaf of bread. Four kids, seven grandkids and counting, and none of them complain." She took a quick breath and kept going. "Though, I've baked a lot for charity—church fundraisers, school parties, you know."

I loved her long list of verifiable references but the minute she said "school parties," I felt tears welling up. Ethan's Halloween party was last week, and after having a rough night sleeping, I kept him home. Neither of us remembered it until the next day when he went back to school and the kids asked where he was, and I was devastated. He'd been so excited to wear his new Batman costume for his friends, but we both had a sick day and stayed locked inside. I didn't even open the door for Nick when he came up to explain why that horrible woman was kissing his cheek.

"Oh my, did I say something wrong?" Evelyn passed me a tissue from her travel pack in her purse and I accepted it gladly and dabbed my eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing." I waved off her concern, but just the fact that she was kind enough to ask made me cry harder. Not only had my entire business taken a hit, but for the past week Ethan hadn't been doing as well. I suspected it was something to do with the change of medication, but I'd been so upset about the incident with my car that I hadn't even spoken to Nick. I sent him a message saying the heat was too much and I needed a bit of space for a while, and he had respected me.

"Well something's the matter, dear. It's okay…I'm not like those others who like to talk badly about you. Alright?" She pulled another tissue out of her pack and then looked thoughtful and just handed me the pack.

Evelyn had been the only applicant to submit a résumé in a few months, and given what was going on I knew if I didn't hire her, I wouldn't ever find help. As it was, I had to make adjustments to my personal budget and reduce bakery hours more, but holiday orders were already coming in. I knew I couldn't handle them by myself. I needed someone to help out. I just felt foolish for breaking down like this.

"Oh, I'm just struggling around here. It's been difficult with everything. I'm sure you understand what people are saying." There was no point in diving into dirty details. I was positive Evelyn had heard them all already. She was wise enough to make her own decisions, and if she wanted to work for me, she either wanted juicier gossip—which didn't seem to be the case—or she didn't care what people said.

"Oh yes, I've heard. I don't believe them. There isn't a woman on earth who'd work so hard like you do here if you had a free money source." There was a twinkle in her eyes and her silver hair curled around her face, reminding me of childhood imagesof Mrs. Claus. "I'm sure they're boycotting and doing all sorts of awful things, but I'm here now. If you'll have me, that is."

"Oh, Evelyn, you are such a godsend. Thank you," I told her, standing to wrap my arms around her. I could already tell I was going to love her, and I'd probably learn new tricks from her along the way.

"You're so welcome. I appreciate you keeping me busy." She stepped back and smiled. "After retirement I got lonely. Herb died a year later, and now I'm just bored silly. This will give me something to do so I don't sit around at home all day every day."

I swiped at my face and blew my nose, then I smiled at her, feeling genuine happiness for the first time in days. "I'm so happy you applied. I can't wait to get started…" As I spoke, my phone started to vibrate. Normally I'd never silence it with Ethan off at school, but I'd turned the ringer off for this interview, and since it was over and I had decided to hire Evelyn, I pulled it and noticed it was the school calling. "One second…" I told her, holding up a finger.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Moore, this is Gina Smart from Evergreen Elementary." I heard her voice and my chest felt like it would explode instantly. "We have Ethan in the office and he's having a hard time breathing."

"Oh my God," I blurted out, instantly pressing my palm to my forehead. Evelyn hovered with wide eyes, knowing something was wrong. "What happened?"

"He was in gym class and he just passed out. The teacher brought him in, and we knew he had a heart condition. He wasn't doing anything too active, just bouncing a ball." The woman's voice sounded tense, like she was frantic but not showing her emotion.

"Are his lips blue?" I was already moving, reaching for my purse, waving Evelyn to follow me.