Azelie stiffened, the laughter fading. “Okay, I’m going to have to object to the way that sounds prejudiced. You absolutely can’t dismiss my man because he’s from Russia.”
“I don’t care that he’s Russian, honey,” Doug said. “Only that he’s from another country and looks as dangerous as hell. Not just looks it—he is. Any man worth his salt can see that.”
“Oh my goodness,” Penny exclaimed in an overloud whisper. “Do you think he’s a spy? He looks like he could be a James Bond kind of man.”
The Christian sisters nodded in agreement. “Super cool,” China said in a breathy tone.
“If only,” Blanc added. “Azelie, maybe he’s a government agent. Wouldn’t that be awesome?”
“Just the idea is sexy,” China pointed out.
Azelie was back to stifling a full-blown laugh. The merry widows were ecstatic at the idea, already weaving a fantasy around Andrii. Doug and Carlton looked as if their heads might explode.
“I hate to burst your bubble,” Azelie said. She had to press her lips together several times to keep from laughing. “Andrii is a United States citizen.”
“What?” Blanc looked deflated. “That’s too bad.”
“Maybe not,” China denied. “It’s possible he’s an agent for the United States. The boys are right; he does look sexy and dangerous.”
Carlton choked until his face turned bright red. “I never said the man was sexy. That was the three of you crazy women. Good God, we’re going to have to work to keep you in line. We were gone too long this time and left you alone with your conspiracy theories and your inclination to find men and pick over their bones.”
Penny straightened her back and squared her shoulders. “We don’t ever indulge in conspiracy theories. What are you going on about?”
Again, Azelie nearly spit out her iced latte at the outright lie. Practically everything the merry widows talked animatedly about was conspiracy theories or drop-dead, seriously hot men. Even when Azelie didn’t see any of the contenders that way—with the exception of Andrii.
“Woman, the three of you watch too many crime dramas, and you always think someone is a spy or a murderer,” Carlton said.
“Unless they’re hot, and then they become some kind of fantasy hero,” Doug qualified.
“I’m going to have you banned from our coffee shop,” Penny declared.
“You’ve tried to have us banned at least once a month for three years,” Doug said. “Shaila and David aren’t going to kick us out because the three of you are wacky as hell.”
“We’re wacky?” China sputtered indignantly. “We were sitting here calmly waiting for Azelie to give us a report on her new man, and you shot her down, so now she isn’t about to share.”
Doug instantly looked contrite. “I didn’t mean to do that, honey. It’s just that men can look at other men and see them for who they are, whereas women don’t always have that ability. Forgive me, but you’re very young. Andrii is a good ten years older than you, and he didn’t get those scars from playing in a play yard. I’m just worried.”
Azelie could see the conflict on his face and hear it in his voice. So could the widows. Their indignation vanished, and the three women immediately sat straighter, appearing somber and interested in what Doug and Carlton had to say.
“What do you see in him that we aren’t seeing?” China asked.
“A couple of things,” Carlton said. He glanced uneasily at Azelie. “I don’t want you hurt, honey. None of us do. You aren’t exactly experienced when it comes to men. Andrii is the kind of man women fall all over. He looks like he plays hard and then walks away. He’s probably got a hundred broken hearts in his past.”
Doug nodded, concurring. “Anything dangerous he’s done in his past aside—and it’s clear he’s done dangerous things—just having women falling all over you and then dumping them breeds enemies. Excuse me, ladies, but you know very well women can hold a mean grudge.”
He rolled his eyes toward the merry widows to indicate they all held a mean grudge. It was all Azelie could do not to laugh again. The women had to have seen his little gesture toward them, but it was clear he was trying to make Azelie laugh with his silent antics, and they didn’t take offense.
“Do you really think one of his past women might harm Azelie out of jealousy?” Penny asked, speculation and anxiety in her voice. “He is a heartbreaker. I didn’t think of that.”
“He isn’t a heartbreaker,” Azelie corrected. “You have a false impression of him, when you haven’t ever talked to him to get to know him.”
“Women always think they can change a man,” Carlton said carefully. “But leopards don’t change their spots. He’s a man women fall all over. They come easily to him, and he looks like he might know what he’s doing in the bedroom.”
Azelie felt color rising beneath her skin. Andrii certainly knew what he was doing when it came to sex. “Please don’t worry. I don’t rush into things with my eyes closed.” She had her own concerns about the relationship, but not the ones they had, and she wasn’t about to share. “I’m always cautious.”
She fiddled with her drink and then decided to take the plunge. “I’m aware all of you have to know about my past. My brother-in-law, Quentin, murdered my sister, niece and nephew and shot me three times before he turned the gun on himself. I lived with my sister and her husband for a number of years. I can’t say I thought Quentin was a great guy or a good man, but I did think he loved his children.”
Her fingers inadvertently tightened around the latte cup, nearly crushing it. She wasn’t as disconnected as she’d like to be. She thought of Andrii and what he’d gone through. He hadn’t told her about the scars on his body, but she could imagine how he’d gotten them. Or maybe she couldn’t. She didn’t have that kind of imagination. How could adults be so brutally cruel to a child?
“Don’t look so sad,” Doug implored. “We did know about your past, Azelie. We just never brought it up. It’s for you to decide you’re going to share with your friends and what you don’t feel comfortable sharing. Maybe we’ve gotten overprotective of you, but all of us feel you’re important in our lives.”
That was the nicest thing Doug could have said to her. Azelie felt the burn of tears behind her eyes. She had no idea he felt that way about her.
“You bring us joy,” China said. “If you’re in the room, it feels like you bring rays of sunshine with you, even on the stormiest days.”
Azelie blinked rapidly to keep tears at bay. She wasn’t a crier, but the sincere emotion China gave to her was overwhelming.
Blanc agreed, nodding solemnly. She placed her hand over Azelie’s briefly. “I sometimes get very depressed when we’re fogged in. You know San Francisco gets a great deal of fog. I always know if I come to the coffee shop and you’re here, I’m going to feel so much better.”
Azelie had seen Blanc depressed several times in the past. She would go very quiet and sit without speaking for long periods of time. Azelie would worry, and she often spent time telling funny stories about the antics of the children she babysat to make Blanc laugh. She had no idea Blanc deliberately sought her out to lighten her mood. That made her feel good.
“It’s true,” Penny said. “You have this way about you. I’ve seen everyone respond to it. Children especially.”
Azelie considered that. Children did respond to her. She could easily stop a baby from crying when sometimes the parent couldn’t. In the park, she got the children playing and laughing if they’d been fighting or arguing. Luke and Teddy Tudor, Bradley’s five-year-old twins, had been considered little hooligans by most of the other parents who frequented the park. The moment Azelie arrived, they changed their behavior. Betsy, Abigail Humphrey’s three-year-old toddler, would instantly stop fussing the moment she caught sight of Azelie.
“And seniors, older women and men,” Carlton added. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to be around you. You have an uplifting personality. Shaila and David have spoken of it many times with me.”
Azelie was uncomfortable with so much praise. She wasn’t used to compliments. Andrii gave them to her right and left. He did so casually, as if he were throwing out facts and she should just accept everything he said as gospel. Maybe compliments were catching, like a virus. Someone put them out in the air, and everyone around became infected and needed to hand them out.
