So Over You

-1-

February was probably Thea Quinn's least favourite month of the year. The excitement that came with the first flakes of winter was long gone, the snow had turned brow and dirty, and the wind, ugh. The wind wasn't pleasant in November, and she was sure as hell over it by February. As far as Thea was concerned, the snow could disappear after Christmas and the world would be a much happier place for it.

These were the thoughts that Thea tried to distract herself with as she burrowed her face deeper into her heavy scarf and dodged yet another snow-and-sand filled drift in her efforts to cross from roadway to sidewalk.

It wasn't working.

Her misdirected anger just kept circling back to the true object of her frustration.

Dex Mitchell.

Of all the people to wind up stuck in a business arrangement with, of course it would end up being with Dex Mitchell. The one person she was quite happy pretending no longer existed in this world, the one person she would really rather not see ever again.

Thea sighed to herself. You would think that after seven years her anger would have cooled, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that it hadn't. The phone conversation she'd had with the lawyer's office that morning had proved that. All her memories were making their way to the surface, creeping into her head no matter how hard she tried to keep them out.

What on earth had old Maggie been thinking?

The tiny coffee shop she frequented was within sight now, and Thea quickened her steps, ready for the warmth that would greet her. Not to mention the company that she knew would commiserate with her.

"Thea!" the voice was loud and friendly, carrying through the entire shop as soon as she opened the door. It was accompanied by an overenthusiastic wave that nearly knocked over a passing customer's fresh coffee.

Thea inwardly cringed, but forced herself to smile and made her way towards her best friend. Kate Andersen couldn't help it. She drew attention wherever she went. It was a combination of her outgoing, charismatic nature, her statuesque, blonde good looks, and her tendency to be slightly accident prone. Normally, Thea found all these things charming about her longtime friend, but today she was feeling more like blending into the woodwork. Impossible, when she was with Kate.

Hanging her coat up, Thea slunk into the booth Kate had snapped by the window. Gratefully, she accepted the large hot chocolate that her friend pushed across the table.

"I would have found you without the yelling and waving," Thea grumbled.

"Don't be crabby with me, Thea Quinn," Kate admonished. "Now, spill. What the heck is going on with Maggie's cottage. I thought you'd have packed up and been long gone by the time I got home."

Trust Kate to get right to the point, Thea thought to herself.

Maggie's cottage was supposed to be the start of making her dreams come true. Maggie had been Thea's landlord during her university days and they had grown close, spending lots of time together. They had kept in touch after Thea graduated, right up until the end. During her illness, Thea had made the effort to stop in several times a week, bringing meals and making sure the apartment had stayed clean and habitable. Even though Maggie's death had been expected, it hurt more than she'd like to admit.

She had been overwhelmed when the lawyer's office had called the day after the funeral to let her know that she had been included in Maggie's will. Mags had known her dreams for the future, her desire to get out of the big city and create a life that was a little less stressful and a little more...relaxed. Learning she had been left Maggie's old cottage, and that Maggie had helped to make those dreams become a reality, had touched Thea more than she would like to admit.