Staying For Good (A Most Likely To Novel Book 2)

by Catherine Bybee

  That was a good thing. “You still worry.” Zoe always worried, even if she hid it from the rest of the world.

  “After hearing my mom talk, I’m worried that if he did get out, she’d welcome him back.”

  “You think she’d do that?”

  “I don’t know what to think. I’ve always wondered why she never dated after he was sent away.”

  “Did you ever ask?”

  Zoe shook her head. “No. I asked her years ago if she divorced him.”

  “And?”

  “‘Of course,’ she told me. But sometimes she tells me things I wanna hear instead of the truth.”

  Luke ran a hand through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. “How can anyone stay married to someone like that?”

  “I don’t know. He gives men a bad name.”

  Luke remembered all the fear Zoe had early in life. How intimidated she was by his dad because of his size and how long it took to warm up to him. Luke had a brief conversation with his father a few months after he and Zoe started dating. From that day forward, his dad put every effort into making sure that Zoe knew she had a family with them.

  “If Jo says he isn’t going anywhere, you have nothing to worry about.”

  Zoe didn’t look convinced. “If he did get out, he’d come straight there. It isn’t like my mom moved or anything.”

  He hated the anxiety in her voice, the tense muscles in her neck as she talked. “What can I do?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. Listen, I guess.”

  “I can do that.”

  For the first time since they got off the bike, Zoe offered a smile when she looked at him. For a good thirty seconds they stared at each other without words.

  “You kissed me,” she said, changing the subject.

  “I did.” He knew the grin on his face said he wasn’t sorry. “You kissed me back.”

  “I did.” She sighed. “I haven’t decided if that was a mistake.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  He took a step closer. “Because you showed up in my garage.”

  Zoe tried to blow off her actions. “I needed to talk.”

  “Your best friends were right down the street. You chose me.”

  Luke was close enough to see her pulse beating from a vein in her neck. He felt like a vampire who needed to touch his teeth to that very spot.

  He placed a hand on her waist.

  She didn’t back away.

  “I don’t want to hurt you again, Luke.”

  “I was a boy when you left. I’m a grown man now.”

  “I live in Texas. My life is there.”

  He nudged her closer with a slight tug of his fingertips.

  “I know where you live.”

  Zoe looked up at him; the tip of her tongue moistened her bottom lip. The teasing smile she often wore was all but gone.

  The moment he felt her hand find his waist, his world came into focus.

  “This isn’t smart,” she uttered, her lips reaching toward his.

  Luke didn’t confirm nor deny. He simply removed the space between them and gave the woman what she was asking for.

  Unlike the hurried kiss in the airport, this one was slow and soft. A homecoming. She tasted like flowers and chocolate and gentle waves upon the shore. Her eyes fluttered closed and he pulled her in tight. Luke stopped thinking about roses and candy and relished the feeling of her in his arms. She was more assured than when they’d been together before, leading the way by opening to him, tasting him.

  When she clawed into his back, Luke matched her hunger with his. Their tongues danced, their bodies rubbed in all the right places.

  Her lips pulled away, her breath came in short pants. Luke found the spot on her neck he wanted to taste and gave a gentle bite.

  “Oh, God.”

  When they were kids, he’d back her against one of the trees and make her scream his name. He’d been her first, and that knowledge never left his thoughts. While she wasn’t the first woman he’d had sex with, she was the only woman he made love to. The distinction was a clear line in his memory.

  Her hand traced down his hip and rounded over his ass.

  The space inside his jeans tightened, his cock asking for attention.

  Luke took the liberty of filling his palm with her breast. He felt the hardened bud under her shirt and lowered his lips to the fabric covering her. Even through her clothing, she arched into him, her head tossed back.

  He smiled as he turned his attention to the other side.

  Zoe stopped his assault and brought his lips back to hers.

  Luke backed her against a tree but didn’t attempt to remove her clothes. He just kissed her until her lips were swollen, his hair tangled from her fingers fanning through it.

  When she tucked her hand inside his shirt, he broke away. “We aren’t doing this here.”

  She clawed his skin. “It didn’t stop you before.”

  He smiled, kissed her briefly until she opened her eyes. “We didn’t have a choice then. We do now.”

  Zoe rested her head on the bark of the tree and grinned. “We were reckless.”

  “Still are.” Lord knew jumping back into this fire was a lot like stepping off a cliff into a dark cavern filled with water. Ultimately, you knew you were safe, but the dark drop always made you believe things would turn for the worst.

  Luke liked the way she was staring at him.

  “How is it possible you look better now than when we were kids?”

  He ran a hand down her hair, tucked a strand behind her ear. “Good genes.”

  That had her laughing.

  “I shouldn’t be doing this anyway. Mel is going to worry.”

  Much as his body protested, he knew this wasn’t something to be rushed. “Damn maturity.”

  Zoe laughed again.

  “C’mon,” he said, pulling her away from the tree. “Before I change my mind.”

  She patted the tree like it was a thick mattress on a bed. “Lots of fond memories in this spot.”

  “I can make better ones in a much more comfortable location.”

  It was her turn to neither confirm nor deny his suggestion. Instead, she assumed her position behind him on his bike and wrapped her arms around his waist for the drive back to the shop.

  Zoe hummed while she waltzed around Miss Gina’s kitchen preparing a feast of finger foods. If anyone went hungry, it would be their own fault.

  Miss Gina snuck in and grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you’ve gotten laid.”

  Zoe hadn’t said a word to anyone about Luke’s sudden need to neck with her whenever he had the chance.

  “I just like cooking in your kitchen.”

  Miss Gina wasn’t convinced. “Tell that to someone who was born yesterday.”

  Just to put her off, Zoe said, “I’m sure Mel’s having sex . . . even Jo had sex. I haven’t in so long I think I’ve forgotten how.”

  Miss Gina talked around her apple. “You’re getting something.”

  Zoe rolled the last of the shrimp puffs and placed the tray in the top oven. “You’re the one who needs to get some.”

  “Who says I haven’t?”

  Zoe twisted around and stared. “Who?”

  Miss Gina chewed instead of answering.

  “You’re full of crap.”

  “Am I?” Miss Gina left the kitchen as quickly as she’d entered.

  Zoe stared at her retreating back. “No way . . .”

  “No way what?” Mel interrupted her thoughts as she walked into the kitchen from the parlor.

  “Miss Gina just implied she’s getting some.”

  “Some what?” Mel opened the refrigerator and removed a bottle of cold water.

  “Sex.”

  The screen on the back door slammed shut while Mel twirled around to follow Zoe’s stare.

  “No way.”

  “Has there been anyone?” Zoe ask
ed.

  “Not that I’ve seen. She drives into Eugene every few weeks, picks up a bunch of stuff at the warehouse store.”

  “Does she stay overnight?”

  Mel placed a hand over Zoe’s. “Oh, my God . . . yes. She said she didn’t like to drive that much in one day . . . wanted to use the break.”

  “She is totally getting laid.”

  Mel slumped into one of the kitchen chairs. “Why wouldn’t she tell us?”

  Zoe returned to her stuffed mushrooms. “I think she just did.”

  “That explains the spring in her step.”

  There seemed to be a spring in everyone’s step these days.

  “Hello? Anyone home?” The voice was male, and Mel seemed to know exactly who it belonged to.

  “William?” She bounced off the chair and darted to the reception area of the inn.

  Zoe went back to work and let Mel greet her future in-laws.

  The back screen door slammed again, followed by the sound of Hope running through the house.

  “Grandpa Bill and Grandma Kay are here!”

  The kid whizzed by, Sir Knight running to keep up.

  Zoe considered suggesting Hope not run in the house, then reminded herself that she was the aunt, not the parent. Cool aunts added sugar, they didn’t bitch about things like messy shoes and dogs.

  On the other hand, a dog in her kitchen wasn’t going to fly.

  Zoe kept on cooking as she heard the weekend guests arrive. About an hour before the party was going to begin, Zoe placed one of the last trays in the oven, removed her apron, and left her post to change.

  Mel had wrangled a couple of the young servers at Sam’s to help pass around trays during the party.

  Zoe slipped up the back stairs and into her room. She rinsed off quickly and slid into a little black dress. She wondered if the lack of sleeves would be a problem, then remembered the sheer number of people that would be mingling all night.

  She added a little blush, a splash of mascara on her lashes, and sparkly gloss on her lips. With one last brush through her hair, Zoe tucked her polished toes into a pricy pair of heels that she never thought she’d own.

  Instead of sneaking down the back steps, Zoe took the sweeping staircase in the front of the house.

  Laughter-filled voices rose from below, and music played in the background.

  The front door to the inn opened when she reached the halfway point of the stairs.

  Mr. and Mrs. Miller filled the doorway, pie in hand.

  Zoe’s heart warmed with the sight of them. She glanced beyond but didn’t see Luke.

  “Mrs. M!” Her name was Audrey, but Zoe always called her Mrs. M.

  “Look at you.” Mrs. M was all smiles and open arms.

  Zoe took the last steps right as Luke walked in.

  She hesitated, her gaze no longer on his mom.

  Her vision tunneled, and all she saw was him. Decked out in slacks and a long-sleeved button-up shirt, one that stretched across his chest and told her he wasn’t afraid of physical labor. The only times Zoe had seen him in something other than jeans was when he took her to prom and homecoming.

  Her mouth watered.

  Luke’s eyes traveled over her like a caress. The room felt hot with his gaze.

  Mrs. M was saying something.

  Zoe missed it completely.

  Luke broke eye contact and took the pie from his mom’s hands. “Hey, Zoe.”

  He’d always played it cool like that. “Mrs. M,” she said again, this time giving the woman a warm hug in welcome. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You’re too thin.”

  Zoe hugged her harder. “I love you, too.”

  She chuckled.

  Zoe hugged Luke’s father and quickly excused herself to the kitchen, where she smelled her food cooking. Hopefully no one had messed with her oven while she was away.

  The parlor was filled with familiar faces she had every intention of seeing throughout the night, but first she needed to put the finishing touches on her dishes and tell the kids what to serve first.

  The click of her heels followed her into the kitchen. She rounded the corner and found Luke’s arm snaking around her waist and his lips treating her with an unexpected kiss.

  She melted.

  “You’re gorgeous,” he muttered after breaking away.

  Her thoughts were mush . . . why had she entered the kitchen? “You’re distracting.”

  “Good.” Luke patted her ass and pushed her toward the oven.

  The oven . . . her oven.

  Luke was about to leave when it was her turn to stop him. Zoe grabbed a nearby paper towel and wiped her lipstick from his lips. “Behave yourself,” she whispered before taking his lead and patting his ass as he left the room.

  Chapter Eight

  Mel held a perpetual smile as she floated from one guest to another, Wyatt at her side. The two of them fit like pieces of a puzzle. Zoe knew the moment she met the man that they were destined for this massive step. She couldn’t be happier for her.

  The photographer in charge of capturing images of the engagement party was one of the track students Wyatt coached. The thinly built sixteen-year-old came equipped with acne, a digital camera, and a lot of ambition. He also came to the party with a sixteen-year-old assistant who sported a D cup.

  Jo stood beside Zoe, wearing her uniform since her deputy was out with a stomach bug and she needed to be available to run out if something came up.

  “Did our resident paparazzi just grab a cup of Miss Gina’s special lemonade?” Jo asked.

  She’d already seen the kid grab a red cup and pour it into a soda can. “Yep.”

  Jo grumbled.

  “I have ya covered.”

  Jo hated playing the heavy when it came to teenagers. A side product of her youth. Zoe didn’t mind stepping in so her friend wouldn’t have to.

  “Is your mom coming?”

  Zoe kept eyeing the front door, wondering the same thing. “She said she was, but who knows.”

  Luke’s laughter caught Zoe’s attention from the other side of the room. She found herself watching him.

  He was relaxed. More than she’d seen him in all the time they’d spent together since she left River Bend after high school.

  “What is going on with you two?” Jo whispered the question in her ear.

  “What?”

  “Luke?”

  “Nothing.” The knee-jerk denial sounded harsh, even to Zoe.

  Jo offered a cold, hard stare. “I was there when you told me and Mel you lost your virginity to that man. And second, I’m a cop. Would you like to rephrase ‘nothing’ for me?”

  Heat filled Zoe’s cheeks. “I don’t know,” she revised. “Nothing should be happening.”

  “But something is.”

  “He came to Texas.”

  Jo laughed. “So did I.”

  Zoe kept staring at Luke. “Yeah, but you didn’t take my virginity.”

  Jo choked on her soda.

  Another glance around the room prompted Zoe to take care of the adolescent photographer sooner than later.

  She approached the kid with her palm up.

  His eyes traveled from her palm to her cleavage, the voyeur. “You want my camera?” he asked.

  “Your car keys.”

  The braces on his teeth flashed as he smiled. “Excuse me?”

  Zoe let her eyes dart to Jo across the room.

  Paparazzi followed her gaze.

  “I’ve been drinking Miss Gina’s lemonade since you were in diapers. Hand over the keys, kid.”

  He turned a little white and dug into his pocket.

  She turned away to find Luke grinning at her. “Beat me to it.”

  The man made her smile. “Nothing we didn’t do when we were kids.”

  The kid’s keys made it into Luke’s hand. “You’re better off holding on to these. I have no idea what he drives.”

  “Miss Zoe?” One of the servers came up behind them,
asking for help.

  Luke dangled the keys. “Go. I have this.”

  “Thanks. And let him know he needs to take pictures.”

  He winked as she walked away.

  For the next fifteen minutes, Zoe kept her clothes from getting soiled by using an apron over her dress and making sure her help didn’t burn what only needed to be warmed up.

  When she stepped out of the kitchen for what felt like the hundredth time that day, she heard her sister’s voice. Just like Zoe had thought, Blaze was already in the arms of Mrs. M, who was giving her sister a break. It didn’t take long to realize that Zanya had arrived without their mother. Zoe wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or angry.

  “Hey, sis.” Zoe approached her younger sister with open arms. “I was hoping you’d come.”

  Zanya had a few more circles under her eyes and still needed to drop a good fifteen pounds of baby weight from her middle. She looked like she’d aged a few years since the last time Zoe had seen her.

  They hugged and Zanya whispered, “Mom didn’t come.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “You know Mom. Didn’t know what to wear.”

  Zoe had bought her mother clothes for Christmas and birthdays. She was sure there was something in her closet to carry her through an engagement party. Lack of an outfit was an excuse.

  She looked down at her own dress and guilt nibbled at the edges of her thoughts.

  “And before you ask, Zane is working. Said he was going to stop by tomorrow to see you before heading into work.”

  The two of them walked deeper into the room, Zanya waving to Blaze, who didn’t seem to have any problem letting someone else hold him.

  “Jo says he’s keeping his nose clean.”

  Zoe waited for her unasked question to be answered.

  “He’s not drinking as much, if that’s what you’re getting at. At least not that I know of. Comes home to sleep once in a while.”

  “Is he helping with the bills?”

  Zanya nodded, grabbed a napkin full of food from one of the passing trays. “Yeah. Not a lot, according to Mom . . . but who knows. She’s been acting odd for the past few months.”

  Zoe didn’t like the sound of that. “She wasn’t happy when I came by.” Zoe waited for her sister to bring up Blaze and babysitting.

  Zanya held a toothpick in the air. “These are really good. Yours?”