Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,29
those manicured fingernails. “At least I’m not the sad little spinster aunt with grease under my nails. Nico always wondered: Why hasn’t Toni ever gotten married? Why can’t guys see how great she is?”
It was a common poor-Toni tactic, even in her own family, unfortunately. Toni rolled her eyes. “Maybe I’m not married because I didn’t want to get married. Is that too hard for your little brain to understand, Marissa? Some of us don’t need a man to make us feel complete in life, okay? You’d probably be better off if you understood that.”
“And you’d be better off if you understood that men don’t like women who make them feel emasculated.” Marissa’s face was all pity. “Putting on a dress doesn’t change who you are.”
Had this conversation outlived its usefulness? Probably. “Okay. Whatever, Marissa. Why was Whit Fairfield dating you? Or sleeping with you anyway. Was it just convenient, free sex?”
Marissa’s mouth curled up in the corner. “Like I said, unlike Nico, Whit understood exactly how valuable I am.” She turned and walked to the counter, opening her purse and taking out a tube of lipstick. “By the way, how’s Henry?”
“Henry?” Toni schooled her features carefully. “Nico’s winemaker?”
“You know exactly who I’m talking about.” Marissa laughed a little.
“He’s fine. Why do you care?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why was she asking about Henry? What did that mean?
“No reason.” Her voice was breathy. “Such a promising young man. We all know he’s the only reason Nico’s wine is starting to win awards. I’m surprised he’s still working for him. Henry’s so… talented.” Her lips curved into a mauve-slicked smile.
Toni wanted to slap Marissa, yank her hair, and smash her fist in her smug mouth for letting Henry’s name cross her lips. “Sure, Marissa. Whatever.”
“Nice to see you, Toni. You should go now. We both know you’re not even close to being a member here.”
“That’s a feature, not a bug.” She unlocked the door and looked over her shoulder. “So what was that with Poppy earlier?”
Marissa’s eyes went cold.
“Let me guess.” Toni flipped through what she knew about the ladies who lunched and what Megan had told her on Friday. “Poppy was warning you—now that you foolishly kicked Nico to the curb and your new sugar daddy is gone—not to go looking for any new hookups at the club, right? No one trusts you around their husband. Did I guess that right?”
The red spots on Marissa’s cheeks told Toni she’d nailed it in one.
Toni pretended to wince. “Harsh. But kind of smart. After all, we all know you don’t have any money of your own, Marissa. Without Whit Fairfield, whatever will you do?”
And with that last bomb thrown, Toni walked out of the bathroom and back to the hornets’ nest of the Moonstone Cove Country Club. She sat back at the table with Katherine and Megan, who were both staring with curious expressions.
Toni sighed. “You know what?”
“What?”
“Not being able to drink free champagne sucks.” She glanced down at her still-flat stomach. “This better be worth it.”
Chapter 10
“So Marissa thinks she was valuable to Fairfield in some way.” Megan sat on Katherine’s back porch, sipping wine and staring at the ocean. “How? Does her family have money?”
“No. Her mom and dad are normal middle-class folks. Dad was a farmer and Mom was a teacher. I have no idea where she got the idea that her shit doesn’t stink.”
Katherine asked, “Does her family have land Fairfield might want? Does she have any kind of inheritance?”
“I don’t think so. Pretty sure her brother is still running their farm and it’s all vegetables. Not the right area for wine at all.”
“Hmm.” Megan tapped her finger against her cheek. “Oh, by the way Toni, your read on what got Marissa all riled up was dead-on. I heard a bunch of Poppy’s friends talking about how Marissa wasn’t even going to let Whit get cold before she hooked up with someone new, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be their husband. That kind of thing.”
“Did they know he’s already been dead for about a week and a half?” Katherine said. “He’s far past cold.”
“Pretty sure it was a figure of speech.”
Katherine nodded. “Right.”
Baxter came out, carrying a tray of enchiladas and a salad. “Dinner is served.”
“Oh, thank God.” Toni was starving. She’d barely picked at her lunch that afternoon because she’d been focused on getting information from Marissa and surfing the emotional waves at the country club.
“Toni!” Baxter smiled. “You look lovely. I don’t think I’ve seen