by Vella, Wendy
“I am.”
Lani opened the back door for Buddy to jump in, then took the passenger seat.
Hope drove slowly down the road.
“Just out for a run?”
“I was walking the trails.”
“Nice place to get your head on straight.”
Lani made a humming noise and looked over her shoulder. At the speed they were traveling, Noah would be passing them soon.
“Who are you avoiding?”
“What?”
“You’ve looked over your shoulder twice already.”
“Just enjoying the scenery.”
“Right.”
Lani didn’t say anything further. Her body still tingled, and she felt on edge. Noah had made love to her again and it was as sensational as the first time. It should not have happened, but there had been no way she could stop herself from wanting it. He’d said they could have a no strings attached, mutually beneficial sexual relationship. Lani knew different. Too much exposure to him could put her heart in danger, and no way was she having that happen.
And that’s why you need to leave.
“Shall we go straight there?”
“Where?”
“The baby party. Branna said you were invited. I can drive so you won’t get lost.”
“I’m not going.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have a gift.”
“No worries, I’ll add your name to mine.”
“I really don’t want to intrude, and it’s not like I’m a friend or anything.”
“Branna wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t like you.”
“What is with you people?”
Hope smiled as Lani looked at her. She wore a black T-shirt with some kind of heavy metal band on the front and a flowery short skirt. Her feet were laced into black leather boots.
“You’re all so nice and friendly. It’s like you need everyone to be happy and part of all the things happening in town.” Frustration and several other things she couldn’t name had those words coming out of Lani’s mouth.
“Oh, there has been plenty of ugly in this town, believe me. You’ve met my mother, right?”
“Should you speak about her that way?”
“I love her, don’t get me wrong, but she can be pretty mean when she sets her mind to it. I’m driving slower than a snail because there is always a fear she’s lurking in the bushes writing down the plate numbers of speeding cars.”
“She seemed nice when I met her,” Lani felt a need to say.
“No, she didn’t.” Hope laughed. “She’s meaner than a snake. But my point is, don’t be fooled. Some of the people in this town have been through hell, but they just want you to enjoy your time here. It’s really that simple.”
And didn’t that make her feel bad. Everyone had been nice to her, and all she could think was why? She’d spent the last few years looking for the bad; maybe she should try a bit harder to appreciate the good in people.
“So, you coming?”
“I don’t think I can just appear at the baby shower; it wouldn’t be right. I mean, it’s not like a dance party or something.”
“They’re a bit thin on the ground in Lake Howling, so we have baby showers instead.”
“My point is, I can’t just arrive at such an intimate event.”
“Sure you can. Branna invited you, and you’re coming with me, so that’s two people who will want you there.”
“That’s another thing. You’re all relentless when you want something.”
“Some of us are relentless; my man can be a marshmallow.”
“He’s nice, Newman.”
“He is the best thing that ever happened in my life.” Hope’s words were soft and dreamy now, and Lani was not jealous that she’d likely never have that. Well, at least not for a few years, anyway.
“I need a shower, so I’ll pass on the baby gathering, thanks, Hope.”
“So I really can’t convince you?”
“No, but thanks for trying.”
After Hope had dropped her off, she grabbed her things out of the Bronco. It was on the second trip that she saw the cat sitting with Buddy.
“You can’t be serious?” The dog wuffled. “Surely she has a home somewhere?” He didn’t answer. “I don’t have cat food, and besides, she could just be playing you, Buddy.” The dog whined.
The vet had said the cat, a she, was malnourished and likely a stray. He’d kindly fixed it up; however, now its ear was bent over at the top.
“You’re both going to break me,” she muttered, leaving the door open so they could follow her inside. “Big animals eat a lot.”
She showered, then went to the grocery store to buy cat food. After feeding the animals, she fed herself, locked the doors downstairs, and hid in her room. Buddy and the cat curled up on the bottom of her bed.
“I’m not keeping either of you, so get your heads around that fact.”
The cat stretched, then got to its feet and climbed into Lani’s lap.
“Seriously, I’m not.”
She fell asleep with Buddy on her feet and the cat on her chest.
Chapter Twenty
“Any chance of a coffee!” Noah banged his fist on the counter of the Hoot, but no one came out to serve him. The place was just about to close, so it was empty, but still, he was a customer, and he wanted a coffee and a wedge of that lemon cake with the thick icing. He couldn’t be sure but thought maybe it was cream cheese and lemon. His mouth watered.
“Buster!”
Nothing. He got the cake out himself and took a large bite. Definitely cream cheese. Wandering around the counter, he made for the kitchen. The idiot probably had his headphones on again while he prepped food for tomorrow.
“So I just passed a guy with a bag full of money, think he may have robbed you—.” He walked into the kitchen and stopped. Connor was there, standing really close to Lani while they looked in a bowl. They hadn’t heard him because the music was turned up.
“Where is Buster?” he said far too loudly. She turned, and the surprise in her eyes quickly cooled.
It had been four days since he’d made love to her. Four days of thinking about the feel of her body pressed to his, and the taste of her lips. Four days to acknowledge that yet again he’d behaved like a coldhearted idiot when he’d spoken to her. He’d said the truth about commitment, but he could have put it in better terms.
“He just went to get more supplies, should be back anytime,” Connor said. “You want a coffee, Noah?”
“I do.” He tried to lighten up and battle past the ball of jealous rage that had formed in his stomach seeing Lani close to another man.
“I can leave, Connor, if you’re busy.”
“No, you stay, Lani, it’s only Noah. Besides, the cake’s ready to bake, then you have to decorate.”
Connor rested his hand on Lani’s arm, and Noah had to dig his toes into his sneakers to keep from ripping it from his body.
This was not good… not good at all.
“You go on and make the frosting and choose your colors. Buster will be back soon. You want a hot chocolate, Lani?”
She shot Noah a look before nodding to Connor. “Please.”
Lani ignored Noah and carried two trays filled with cake batter to the oven when Connor had gone. He watched her open the door and put them in. She was sweaty, hair a mess. She wore an apron over a long T-shirt dress and boots. It was the first time he’d seen her in a dress. It wasn’t fitted or revealing, but just looking at her had his mouth watering.
Shut it down.
“Why are you baking in here and not at the Howlery?”
“Mrs. C has a group of women in there, and they’re making cakes for a bake sale. I—ah, it’s my break so I came for a coffee, and Connor needed help with the potato cake they’re making to sell at the auction. Buster asked if I’d decorate it; I agreed.” She said the words in a rush, one falling on top of the other. She was nervous being near him. So at
least he wasn’t alone there.
“Is Lani your birth name?”
The words shocked her so much she dropped the bowl she’d just picked up. It clattered onto the bench before her. He wasn’t sure why he’d asked the question, but suddenly he wanted to know more about her. Needed to know something personal about the woman he was far too interested in.
She gripped the bowl and then turned her back to Noah.
“I’m sure it’s short for something.” She’d answer him, he knew that. She was polite, and manners would dictate she had to. He just needed to push a little harder.
“I’ve been called Lani my entire life.”
She was lying to him; he could tell by the way her shoulders hunched. Funny how he knew that about her.
“Do you have family?”
“No.”
“None, anywhere?”
“No.”
“What did you want to do when you left school?”
She shrugged, slender shoulders rising and falling, but he couldn’t see her face.
“That’s not an answer. If I guess, you grunt once, okay?” She ignored him.
“You wanted to be an actress?”
She snorted.
“Singer?” Same response.
“Teacher?” No response.
“Pole dancer?”
She carefully lowered the spatula she’d just picked up to the bench before turning to face him. “Why do you want to know, Noah? This, what’s between us, is sex, and even that’s over now. What’s with all the questions?”
“Is it? Over, I mean?”
Just one jerky nod. “So you can stop with the questions.” Her words were clipped.
“Just being polite.”
“No, being polite is hi, how’s your day?” Her expression was clear now she’d composed herself. “And I thought that’s what we’d decided to do going forward.”
“You decided that, not me. Got something to hide, Lani?” It was a joke, something to lighten the tension between them they’d put there that day in the Redwoods, but she twitched.
“I have to finish this cake.”
“Here’s your hot chocolate, Lani.” Connor smiled as he handed it to her. “Where’s my head at, I forgot the mallows.”
“Don’t worry, Connor, this is fine.”
But he’d already hurried back out.
“Don’t mess with him, Lani. He’s got a girl, and they’re happy.”
“I beg your pardon?” She turned now, cupping the mug in both hands. “What the hell are you suggesting?”
Noah should have thought a lot more about those words before they left his mouth. The look on her face suggested that the contents of that mug would look good all over him about now.
“You make me sound like some kind of femme fatale.” Her laugh held no humor. “What do you think I’m doing in here with him, Noah? Stripping him naked and covering him in frosting so I can lick it off!”
His eyes nearly crossed at thought of her doing that to him, but he focused on the irate female and realized he’d just made a fool of himself again.
“I’m just saying—”
“What?” She was really pissed off. “Because clearly I dress to lure a man into my web.”
She had a point there. He’d never met a woman who took less care with what she wore.
“Connor is vulnerable—”
“And clearly I’m the kind of woman who preys on men like him?”
“Lani—”
“Why am I surprised a man like you has absolutely no understanding of my character from the time we’ve spent together. We had sex four days ago!” The words were an angry hiss.
He did understand her character, actually. Even though they hadn’t conversed a lot since that night in Brook, Noah knew she was sweet and innocent, and maybe a bit naive, and hadn’t deserved his words, which had sprung completely from jealousy. Noah couldn’t remember the last time he’d been jealous.
“A man like me?” He knew her words weren’t a compliment.
“Practiced, smooth, used to females falling into line and his way of thinking. Dare I add ‘loose’ to that?”
“I wouldn’t,” he growled. “That’s not true.” Noah felt his temper tweak, but he needed to regain control of the conversation while he still could. “I may not have worded things right.”
“You think? Actually, you know what?” She raised a hand. “It doesn’t matter, and this is probably for the best, as now I know what you really think of me, or should I say women in general. I was an itch that needed scratching, after all. I’m leaving once I’ve done helping Mrs. C, and you can find someone else to scratch your itch with, because I’m telling you now, it will never again be me.”
“No.” He tried to grab her as she walked away, but Buster arrived with impeccable timing.
“Hello, fellow bakers.” He strolled in carrying shopping bags. “You come to join spud fest, bud?”
“What?”
“Spuds, you know, potatoes. We’re baking stuff for the festival, and as luck would have it, I lured Lani in here to bake the raffle cake, seeing as we want to actually sell it and that wouldn’t happen if either Connor or I decorated it.”
“No. The Howler is doing fries and wedges for tomorrow. I want to use our usual potato supplies, but Faith wants to use the freakish ones.” He kept his eyes on Lani as he spoke. Her shoulders were hunched.
“Freakish?” Lani’s words came out covered in ice. “Ignorance is something I loathe, Noah. You should do a bit of research before you make sweeping statements.”
“Genetic modification is not normal.”
“Maybe, and maybe not. But you need to do more reading before you discard it completely.”
Noah watched Buster fold his arms out the corner of his eye.
“It’s wrong, end of story.” He was off-balance. He’d insulted Lani, he knew it, just as she did, then she’d insulted him right back. It disturbed him how much he hated the words she’d flung at him. Hated them just as much as she’d hated the way he’d labeled her.
You’re an idiot. Only with her did he seem to constantly suffer from this condition.
“What about in countries where they can’t grow food? Would you rather they starved?”
“So what, you’re an authority on it now? You didn’t say boo the other night at the meeting.”
“It’s not my town or my place to say anything.”
“Whatever, and I’m telling you it’s just not right.” Noah sounded lame, because she was right, and he likely didn’t know enough about it.
She turned and began throwing ingredients into the mixer. A cloud of powder plumed upward and coated her face.
“We have a ghost in the kitchen,” Buster teased.
She shot Buster a smile; him, she ignored.
“Lani—”
“I don’t have time for your small-minded talk now, Noah. I have to bake.”
He stood there feeling raw and pissed off and couldn’t do a damn thing about it because Buster and now Connor were in the kitchen.
“Whatever,” he muttered back, then walked out of the kitchen, through the shop, and out the front door.
Buster fell into step beside him after about ten paces.
“Go away and bake something.”
“I can do that any old time, but being with my friends is what really counts. Time to just hang out, relax, and soak up the love.”
“Asshole.”
“See,” Buster dug his hands into the pockets of his shorts, “you just can’t get that kind of love outside Howling.”
Noah sighed.
“You all good there?”
“Peachy.”
“She’s not Samantha, Noah.”
“Will you and everyone in this town stop saying that!”
“Militant Lawrence did not say that to you.”
“Ha.”
“Look, bud. You know me and my aversion to anything personal or mushy—”
“I do; that’s why we wi
ll leave that out of any conversation between us.”
“And yet, I find that since Willow came into my life—”
Noah groaned.
“I want those around me to be happy. It’s tough when you’re the local grinch, but the love of a good woman has changed me.”
“For the love of God, man, stop.”
“I shied away from women because of Jessica and the job she did on my emotions. I’m free now—”
“I just threw up a bit in my mouth.”
“I think Lani would be good for you, bud. You have to stop going for those types you love and leave.”
“No, and Lani is not my type, plus she’s leaving town.”
“No, you don’t love and leave them? Shame on you, Noah, I thought you had skill in that department at least.”
“If I punch you, will you stop talking?” Words he’d never thought he’d say to Buster.
“It’s unlikely you’d get more than one in. I’d have you on the deck before the second connected.”
“You could try.”
“Stop changing the subject.”
“I don’t like the subject.”
“That conversation I interrupted between you and Lani was about the creation of fake potatoes, but I have a feeling there was a lot more underneath that.”
“Genetically modified.”
“Whatever. The point here is the tension between you and Lani in there was so thick I could have swiped my spatula through it. So you’ve either got some serious chemistry, which is good, or you’ve been busy while my back was turned.”
“I don’t want to be your friend anymore.”
“Tough. You’re stuck with me, and as such that means I’m watching over you, bud. As are we all. You’re the last man standing, so it’s like we get to live our past stupidity all over again without the consequences.”
“There is no way I’m as stupid as you and those other idiots. I have way more class.” He only had a few more feet and he’d be at the Howler and this conversation would be over.
“True, and yet that shit in there didn’t have your usual stamp of smooth on it. In fact, I’d say Lani would have skewered you with one of my implements had I not arrived.”
Also true. He’d been an idiot to speak to her as he had, but he’d reacted without thinking. Not something he usually did… except around her.