When It Was Us

by Larissa Weatherall

  “Nothing really. I bolted out of there pretty quickly.”

  “So he’s not engaged?” Layla reminded Anna of the fact she hadn’t been able to forget.

  “No, I don’t think so anyway. The talk from my sister’s salon on his relationship status seems fuzzy.”

  “Well, that is something to consider,” Layla replied, clearly treading lightly on which side of the Great Drew Debate she should fall. She’d seen Anna crazy in love with him, and she’d seen her cry so hard she couldn’t get out of bed.

  “And he called me Sunshine,” Anna added.

  “Oh no! Pulling out the big guns. Is the boy still smokin’ hot?”

  “Layla!”

  “What? Those tight-ass baseball pants he wore in all those games you dragged me to. Those biceps, those thighs. He was super freaking hot back then, but maybe he’s fat and ugly now?”

  Anna laughed a full-on swerve off the road laugh as she turned left onto Highway 311. Leave it to her bestie to make her smile in this situation that made her brain ache. “No, smokin’ hot still describes him pretty perfectly. The muscles have only filled out, and I’m certain there was an eight pack under that dress shirt. Oh, and he’s added scruff to the face.”

  “Oh not the scruff. Damn, boy doesn’t play fair.”

  “Yeah, but I’m so not playing. Okay, go do some work. I’m pulling into the job site.”

  “Get the project over and come back to me. I miss you staying with us. Ryan won’t eat cookies and ice cream with me at midnight, and I miss you at work even though I agree this time away will be good for you. I’ve still banned Ryan from bringing him anywhere near our home, so if you feel like a visit we are an ex-husband free zone.”

  Layla and her husband Ryan had generously let Anna stay in their guest room these past several months, which hadn’t been easy on any of them considering Mason was Ryan’s oldest and best friend. “Thanks, love. I appreciate that.”

  “Give all those boys hell!” she yelled as they hung up, and Anna stared at the construction trailer in front of her. Pulling herself out of the soap opera of her life, she forced her brain to focus on rocking this building project so at least one area of her life would feel stable.

  Anna leaned her head against the headrest, pulling in a deep breath and steeling herself to be the boss in that room. The local construction company’s crew would be showing up soon, and she wanted to be ready when they got there.

  Stepping out of her 4-Runner, she took in the majestic scene in front of her. The backdrop of these cabins alone would draw visitors from all over the country. The rock bluffs in the distance, the river rushing by, the sunrise over the water. It screamed relaxation, and for Anna, it screamed home.

  Walking up the rickety metal steps, she pulled out the key she’d been given, but the door wasn’t locked. Chris Stapleton’s latest album played inside as she stepped through the door. Someone sat at the small counter top that passed for a desk, so focused on his task she wasn’t sure he’d heard her. Anna set her bag on the table, turning to hang her coat. The stranger’s chair squeaked as she turned back to him.

  A goofy smile appeared on the man in front of her. Not a stranger after all.

  “Anna Presley, what in the hell are you doing in my trailer, girl?” Luke immediately stalked toward her. He swept Anna in one of the bear hugs he’d been giving her since they were toddlers and he’d passed her in height.

  Luke is the foreman on this project. So much for forgetting about Drew.

  “Long time no see.” He raised an eyebrow, his signature grin tugging his lips as he sat Anna back on her feet. He’d never met an awkward moment in his life.

  “Yeah, it has been a while.”

  “They told me some tight-ass dude would be working with us from Green & Russell. You don’t look like a dude.” He gave Anna a once over with a wink, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I believe you are referring to Gary. Another project came up that Gary is now working on, and the boss thought I might have some insight into the area and keeping the locals on task.”

  “Good luck with that,” he said, a smirk firmly in place.

  Anna hugged him again, her arms drawn to wrap around his waist. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Me too.” He squeezed her, then pulled back so he could look in her eyes.

  “So…I saw you and Drew talking at the wedding?” He raised a questioning brow, never one to beat around the bush. “You ran out of there pretty fast. You know he’s not engaged, right?”

  She shrugged, turning away from his stare. “If you’re about to give me the same speech as Beth, I’ll tell you what I told her. It doesn’t matter.”

  “Doesn’t it?” Luke challenged. “So if I told you right now that he was getting married next week, you wouldn’t care.”

  Anna tried to hide the cringe from her face, but Luke knew her too well and caught it immediately.

  She looked away, and he took her hand in his. “He’s not with anyone, Anna. He ended his last relationship the same day Beth told me you were coming back home. Though when I called him on the timing, he denied one had anything to do with the other.”

  “What are you saying?” Anna asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

  “I’m saying what everyone but the two of you already know as fact. That you were always perfect together. Life just got in the way. Everyone in this town is rooting for you two, even if you’re both in denial.”

  “Perfect? Denial?” She let her gaze bore into his. “Do you remember me sobbing for two days on your grandparents’ porch while you tried to hold me together? It could never work, Luke. Too much has happened. You know that better than anyone.”

  He raised both eyebrows in question. “Why? And I want a real reason, not some bull about mistakes that happened years ago. You guys were so in love it was a little disgusting to watch.”

  A smile curved Anna lips. Luke’s gaze turned from teasing to sympathetic as he continued. “If you’re asking for my opinion…”

  Her hands fell to her hips as she tilted her head in mock consideration. “Pretty sure I didn’t.”

  “Well I’m giving it anyway. I think you two should give it a chance. He needs you; he’s always needed you even when he was an idiot, and I think you need him too. Everything got tilted on its axis the day he left you, but now, you guys can fix it.”

  “Wow.”

  “All profound and crap, right?” He tapped his finger to his temple as Anna rolled her eyes. “Damn, I only get better with age.”

  “Your opinion is duly noted. Now, let’s get to me bossing you around.”

  Luke smacked her on the back, threw on a hard hat, and held open the door. “Sure thing. Right this way, Anna Banana.”

  Anna scowled but grabbed her own hat and followed him outside. Even if Luke was right, could she ever let herself back into a relationship? Her stomach clenched with the memory of those divorce papers sitting in front of her, of signing her name and ending the marriage she and Mason shared.

  She’d once been able to see the positive side of every situation, but on this one, her heart couldn’t see past the potential for another break to consider the possibility that Drew or anyone else might ever be able to heal it.

  ***

  Six Months Earlier

  Standing in the doorway that led inside, Anna squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to take another step into their home. It had been almost two weeks since she left, since Mason told her that he’d broken their vows. He’d called, but she couldn’t hear his voice yet without breaking, and she couldn’t cry anymore.

  Anna desperately needed to pull herself out of the misery and figure out how to move forward, whether she and Mason had a chance to fix their marriage, if she could trust him. She wasn’t quite ready to consider any other alternative yet.

  She did need to stop wearing the same four outfits over and over, so she came to pack more clothes. Ryan assured her Mason would be out of town for three days, and it still took
her two of them to drive there. A tiny part of her heart hoped he’d be waiting when she walked in, but the house was empty.

  Layla’s hand on Anna’s back and her gentle smile nudged her into the kitchen, the one she and Mason had painted together a year ago. He hated painting almost as much as he hated going to the dentist, but when she asked for his help, he smiled, smacked her butt, and started taping off the room. They hadn’t even gotten halfway through when she streaked bright yellow paint across both his cheeks. His eyes grew wide with retaliation, and he tackled her to the ground with a mega-watt smile. His expression quickly changed from one of teasing to desire, the rest of the afternoon lost to their passion on the kitchen floor…then the counter.

  Anna ran her fingers across the spot where he’d lifted and placed her gently on the granite as she’d squealed from the cold. Her gaze drifted to an open file folder, and curiosity got the better of her as she scanned the document. Her heart split in two with every new word she read.

  Mapleton County Court

  Application for Divorce

  Petitioner: Mason Chambers

  Respondent: Anna Chambers

  Petition number: 41798123198

  This application for divorce is initiated by the petitioner Mason Chambers, requesting the dissolution of his marriage to respondent Anna Chambers. The petitioner and the respondent were married for five years…

  She couldn’t read any more. He wanted a divorce? He wanted…someone else? Anna’s shaky legs gave out as she turned and slumped against the cabinets to the floor.

  “What is it?” Layla asked.

  Anna couldn’t speak the words, so she simply pointed in the direction of the papers that would end their marriage.

  “That son of a bitch,” Layla whispered, crouching in front of Anna. The sympathy in Layla’s eyes broke her when she swore she wouldn’t cry another tear.

  Layla brushed them away, tucking Anna’s hair behind her ear. “Let’s go, sweetheart. Pack your bag and you can talk to him when…”

  Anna cut her off, stumbling up from her seat on the floor, the anger now burning the tears away. “There’s nothing to talk about. There are divorce papers on the freaking counter! He’s probably on that trip screwing her again while I sit here and sob like a freaking idiot.” She grabbed Mason’s favorite clicky-top pen from under the folder. “He wants a divorce so he can be with her. There’s just…there’s nothing to talk about.”

  With a shaking hand, Anna signed her full name on the line that was clearly marked with an orange tab.

  Tears ran unchecked as she placed the pen on top of the document. “Can you please call Ryan? I need him to bring his truck.”

  “Anna…”

  “Just call him! Please, Layla. Call him.”

  Layla moved into the living room, already dialing her phone as Anna took a notebook from the drawer beside her.

  Mason,

  I signed your papers, and I’m taking the very few things from the house that I want. Your father bought you this house, and I don’t want any part of that. Please don’t make me go through the hiring of lawyers. The only thing I ask of you is to finish this divorce petition, and I won’t contest your wishes. I will deposit half of our savings in my checking account tomorrow; you file your papers and send them to me when it’s final. We can go our separate ways.

  I’m sorry it came to this.

  Anna

  Anna stared at their wedding photo across the room on the living room mantle as she heard Ryan pulling into the driveway. Hands gripping the counter for dear life, she ugly cried until she couldn’t breathe, wiped the tears away, and started packing.

  Chapter Four

  Drew

  “So, you know, Drew…”

  “You can just stop right there. I don’t need to hear it from you too.”

  “I didn’t even say anything.” Beth leaned back with a scowl, the exam table paper crinkling under her. At thirty-seven weeks pregnant, she’d started weekly check-ups today. Drew’s father was still her doctor until he officially decided to retire, but he’d taken Drew’s mother out of town for their anniversary. Unfortunately, that left Drew to endure the inevitable conversation with Beth that he’d been lucky to avoid the last few weeks.

  He gave Beth a listen to the little girl’s strong heartbeat, a smile on his lips at the steady whooshing sound. Helping her sit up, he wondered how to get her out of there before she brought his thoughts back to Anna, as they had consistently drifted in the ten days since she’d driven away from him at the wedding. He’d gone almost three hours this morning without obsessing over her being so close, just a short drive to Yoakum Ridge. Luke had not so subtly tried to convince him to bring lunch and stay for a visit every single day.

  Drew and Beth had always been like family, but he hadn’t really considered the consequences of being sandwiched between Anna’s family on both sides when purchasing the Collins’ farm last year. While he welcomed their friendship, some days their presence caused the ache of something, or maybe someone, missing in his life.

  “Is this how you talk to all your patients?” Beth asked, breaking him from his thoughts. “When is your dad coming back anyway?”

  “Just the ones who are about to tell me something I don’t need to hear. And he’s only gone for a few days, don’t worry.”

  “I’ve spent ten years cutting your hair and feeding you information on Anna’s life.” Drew started to protest, and Beth stopped him with a glare. “And don’t even try to deny it. We both know it’s true. So now you want me to shut it?”

  “Beth, I…”

  She stood, her hands resting on his shoulders with a too-sympathetic gaze he felt deep in his gut. “What? Are you dating someone else?”

  “You know I’m not,” he answered with a heavy sigh.

  “Then I don’t see a problem. You loved each other once. There’s no reason you can’t find your way back now.”

  Drew let out a humorless sound. “She married someone else. Why does everyone seem to forget that? What makes you think she would even want us together again?”

  “Do not doubt my wisdom, young one. And I don’t see you actually denying that you miss her.”

  Miss her? Hell, he’d spent over ten years missing her. She wasn’t just the love of his life; she was his very best friend. The first person he’d shared his happiest moments with, as well as the hurt. Drew knew what he and Anna had was special even back in high school, but he didn’t realize how rare it was until he’d tried and miserably failed to find it with anyone else. No one knew every part of him the way she did.

  But none of those things would bring them back together. Drew was sure Anna still hated him for the way he’d hurt her, and even if she didn’t, he hated himself enough for the both of them. Losing her once, watching her marry another man, had wrecked him to his very core. He couldn’t imagine what a second time might do.

  He realized then that Beth still stared at him, waiting for his response with a knowing smile. “Did you just call me young one? You are exactly one year and one day older than me.”

  Beth patted his cheek, like she would her stubborn four year old, and walked to the door. “She’s right there, Drew. You’ve been waiting all these years, and she’s right next door to you. Go get her.”

  Before Drew could respond, Beth slipped out the door, leaving Anna to consume his mind once again.

  He distracted himself with his next appointment waiting in room four. Mrs. Booth, the mayor’s seventy-five-year-old secretary, had held the job for fifty of those years. Her nasty cough concerned him, so he asked her to come in again tomorrow for another listen and made her promise to go home and rest.

  After calming Payton Chaney, a toddler from Mrs. Williams’ kindergarten class who’d taken a block to the face, Drew stitched up her cut and found himself sitting in his office, no patients for the next two hours. Luke’s invite to check out Yoakum Ridge stuck on his mind. It wouldn’t hurt to visit and say hello. He could have a conversation wi
th Anna and not grab her face between his hands, kissing those lips he knew would still feel like perfection on his.

  He was an adult. He could have a friendly conversation.

  He was almost positive he could.

  Sara, the clinic’s nurse who’d known Drew since he was in diapers, peeked her head around the corner of his office door. “I’m running across the street to Darby’s Café. Want me to bring you something for lunch?”

  “Nah, I think I’ll go visit Luke for lunch, but thanks.”

  Sara nodded slowly in that way women always did when they were reading into his words. “I see.”

  “No, nothing to see. Just a slow afternoon and I want to visit my friend for lunch. Nothing more. Give me a call if you need me.”

  “Uh huh.” She smirked, raising her hands in surrender as she disappeared back down the hall.

  The drive to Yoakum Ridge took Drew less than fifteen minutes, but the nervous tension in his stomach only grew worse as he neared the site. He’d seen Anna a handful of times over the years in town, even with that guy, so why did seeing her now feel so completely different? Like every word he might say would directly affect the course of his future.

  As soon as the chain-link construction fence came into view, he decided to turn the truck around and leave before he could be noticed. It suddenly seemed like a much better plan to continue hiding out in his office and steal glimpses of Anna on her parents’ back porch when he took his horse out to ride.

  Did he need to check the fence row that connected the Presley’s land to his every night?

  No.

  Had he done it every night for the last two weeks just to try and catch a glimpse of her?

  Yes.

  Just as Drew was about to make his getaway, he noticed Luke frantically run to his truck, throw open the door, and search the cab. Curiosity won out over nerves, and Drew parked next to him.