Finding Me (Snowy Ridge: Love at Starlight, Book 3)

by Kris Jett

  He noticed she had a lot of cute strappy leather bracelets with small beads on her left wrist.

  “What happened?” Evan prodded.

  “Well, Bob invited her over for dinner at his house. I mean, that should have been a red flag. I told my mom, no more going over to these dudes’ houses. From now on, public meeting places only.”

  “Oh no, he didn’t lock her up in his basement or something, did he?”

  Luci giggled. “No, he wasn’t a psycho. Just peculiar. She brought over a bottle of wine and a chocolate cake she’d made for dessert and when she got to his house she quickly noticed that nothing was cooking. No dishes were out and there were no cooking smells in the air.”

  “Was he ordering take-out?”

  “That would have been a good idea; and at first, she wondered if that was the case, but no. They sat awkwardly at his kitchen table, making small talk for a few minutes and then he said, ‘Are you ready to get started?’ My mom said, ‘With what?’ He said, ‘Dinner. I have everything you need.’”

  “What?” Evan said, his eyes widened in disbelief. He leaned in toward Luci, too, and now they were only inches apart. “He expected her to cook the dinner?”

  Luci looked at Evan, her eyes dancing. “Oh, it gets worse.”

  “No way. It can’t.” Evan cringed in anticipation. “Okay, hit me with it.”

  Luci lowered her voice and looked directly into Evan’s eyes. “He handed my mom a card with his dead wife’s meatloaf recipe on it.”

  Evan gasped. “You’re kidding!”

  “Nope.”

  “That’s so morbid…and weird. What did your mom do?”

  Luci shrugged. “She made him the meatloaf. I guess it was pretty good too because he keeps calling her; but, she won’t return his calls.”

  Evan sat back in his chair, laughing. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t laugh.”

  “No, go ahead. My sisters and I laughed for a long time over this. Needless to say, we’ve

  moved on to Jake now.”

  “The snow plower for the highway?”

  Luci tilted her head and grinned. “Yeah. And I can’t believe you remember which one Jake was.”

  “Of course, I remember,” Evan said. “I’m highly invested in your mom’s dating life now. Jake was a good solid second choice. And he had never been married before, right? So, no dead wife’s recipes.”

  Luci nodded. “That’s a plus.”

  Someone behind the counter called out their names and Evan retrieved both of their smoothies and brought them back to the table. He held up his smoothie toward Luci for a toast and Luci did the same. “Here’s to your mom and Jake’s first date. Cheers.”

  “Cheers,” Luci echoed and they clinked smoothie cups.

  Evan took a long sip of his drink and then set it down on the table. “So, tell me about this book of yours.”

  Luci looked around nervously.

  Maybe she was shy about her writing, Evan thought.

  “Um, well, it’s women’s fiction. There’s a love story, family drama, a bit of a mystery…” she tapered off.

  “I’m intrigued,” he said. He took another sip of his smoothie. “You know, I love reading and I’m an excellent proofreader. I’d be happy to read your book for you.”

  Luci scrunched up her nose. “Really?”

  “Sure. I’d like to expand my horizons outside of Aunt Bets’s library,” he said with a smile. “Here, let me grab your number and I’ll shoot you a text so then you’ll have mine. Just let me know if you want me to read anything over or whatever.”

  Luci seemed hesitant. “Um, okay.” She gave him her phone number. “My book isn’t finished yet or anything,” she said. “But it would help to get an honest critique of it before I send it out to literary agents. My sisters and mom offered but I doubt they’d give me their real opinions. They’d probably just say it’s wonderful because they’re family, you know?”

  “I do. You’re talking to the number one best point guard in all of Michigan high school basketball history.”

  “Seriously?” Luci asked, looking impressed.

  “No,” Evan replied with a grin. “Not even close. But that’s what my dad says.”

  “Got it,” Luci said, returning his grin.

  “Hold still,” Evan said as he reached out one hand toward Luci’s cheek. He carefully wiped away the bit of smoothie near her lips with his thumb. “There.” He pulled his hand back and rest it on the table.

  Luci reached a hand up to her cheek where his had just been and stared at him wide-eyed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Luci smiled the whole way home after her impromptu smoothie date with Evan. She’d hoped it hadn’t been terribly obvious, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him the entire time. Luci had always been a shoulders person and Evan’s were unbelievably sexy. She’d bit her lower lip just then, thinking about them. Evan’s shoulders had tended to be hidden under those endless suits he was always sporting and when she saw them today all big and powerful and sweaty she wanted to throw herself at him and have his strong arms wrapped around her. The old Luci would have done just that in a heartbeat, but she was trying so hard to change. And his eyes. Evan’s eyes were big and brown and so focused on her that it was hard to think, let alone talk. She’d positively glowed having all of his attention lavished on her. And when he’d wiped the bit of smoothie from her cheek, she was sure she’d felt electricity zip right through her. Something was there. He was one hundred percent swoonworthy and though she wasn’t positive about how he was toward her, she felt certain she was developing a bit of a crush on him.

  Luci had ended up giving him her phone number. Though it was hard to tell in what context he was asking for it. Normally when guys asked for her number it was so they could call her up later and take her out. But if he was interested in her like that, wouldn’t he have asked for her number before now? Evan’s request didn’t quite come across in the same way a man asking for a date did. He’d offered to help her with her book so it was more of a here, you-need-my-contact-info vibe. Which was still awesome. She’d always meant to find a writer’s group to join or hunt down a critique partner online, but had never got around to it. Evan had texted her his email and she’d already sent him the first few chapters of her book to look over. She wanted him to just have a taste. She was a little nervous about someone else reading her work, especially such a cute someone else, but Evan said he was an avid reader so he seemed perfect. Every time she thought of him with the romance novel falling out of his pocket that day at MoonBeans it made her giggle. He was such an interesting character, this small-town realtor. Insanely hot, lived with and worked with his aunt, loved coffee and romance novels, and was for some strange reason, super interested in her mother’s love life. He was definitely unique.

  The more she thought about it, however, the more she felt like Evan probably just saw a friend in her. Which would be nice too. She could handle being friends with an insanely hot man. Maybe. She was happy that he didn’t hate her, anyway, like she’d originally thought from the whole trying to sell Starlight fiasco. They’d never even talked about it, actually. Evan seemed to have gotten over it and never brought it up in their few meetings alone. Maybe he’d had that kind of scenario happen twenty times before so it didn’t bother him anymore. Still, she probably should bring up the topic sometime, just so she could give him a sincere apology and explain what had happened. She didn’t want that one event to be a thing between them.

  Yep, the more she thought about it, the more she was sure that Evan didn’t feel anything more than friendship with her. His face in the MoonBeans window when he’d first spotted her, that look of disgust, cemented the feeling for her. While he might find her fun and someone to talk to, he didn’t have romantic feelings for her. Which sort of sucked, but was fine. She could always use another friend in Snowy Ridge. Between Becca and Evan, she was really starting to acquire them lately. She would just have to reign in her physical at
traction to him and enjoy their relationship for what it was.

  Speaking of Becca, Luci was feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement for their plans that evening. Luci had been thinking about what her mom had said about her needing to get out with people her own age and she was right. She needed a girls’ night. Back in New York, her and her friends went out every weekend to one hot club or another. When she’d scrape together some money or find a guy with an open wallet for the night, that was. Becca was thrilled when Luci had called her and asked her to go out. She’d exclaimed, ‘Oh my, yes. I’ll do anything to get out of the house. Even play Bingo in a church basement with a bunch of eighty-five year olds.’ Luci didn’t plan on them playing Bingo, nor did she even know where people in town played. And there were no hot clubs in Snowy Ridge. But they’d find something to do. She figured they’d start out getting drinks and see what happened from there. Jessie wasn’t working that evening and Cade was out of town for the night, meeting with a distributor for his store, so, she, and her best friend April, would be joining them. Luci thought this group might be a little awkward at first. They all knew each other at an acquaintance level from all having grown up in Snowy Ridge, aside from her and Jessie being family of course. But they’d never all hung out as friends. Still, she had hopes that it would be a fun night.

  It was a beautiful spring night and the temperature was in the low fifties. Luci was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with her favorite tall brown boots, a soft cream sweater, and her beat-up brown leather jacket. She walked to Novel Idea to meet up with the girls and immediately saw Jessie and April waiting in front of the store.

  “Hi, guys,” Luci said, joining them.

  “Hey, Luci,” April said and Jessie smiled.

  Just then Becca came racing out of Novel Idea, slipping her coat on as she made her way to the group. “Sorry, am I late? I tried to wrap up a few minutes early but you guys still beat me.”

  “No, perfect timing,” Luci said.

  “So, what’s on the agenda?” Jessie asked, looking at her sister.

  “Well, I was thinking maybe we’d start by getting a drink somewhere,” Luci said.

  “Oh, I know the perfect spot. Julio’s! It’s three-dollar margarita night plus they make the most amazing nachos and I’m starving,” Becca said.

  Jessie, Luci, and April exchanged looks.

  April shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Me too,” Jessie added.

  “All right, let’s go,” Luci said.

  The foursome begun walking up Main Street toward Julio’s. There were a few groups of people milling around, popping in and out of the kitschy stores that lined the street, but it was fairly peaceful.

  “I’m ready for summer,” April commented, pulling her jacket tighter around her slim frame.

  “Not me,” Jessie said. “I love the cold.”

  “Hey, isn’t that Nick’s girlfriend up ahead?” Luci asked.

  The other three women followed Luci’s gaze and sure enough, Amber Adams was walking straight for them, her face shielded by her long dark hair.

  “Hey, Amber,” Jessie called out.

  Amber recognized the women and waved. “Hey, everyone” she said when she’d reached them.

  Luci marveled at the girl’s perfect skin and doll-like features up close.

  “Are you headed home?” Jessie asked Amber.

  Amber was Jessie’s neighbor and also lived over the bookstore. She was young, only nineteen, and Luci knew Jessie felt protective of the girl. She’d come to Snowy Ridge for her Christmas break and fell in love with not only the town, but their bus boy at Starlight, Nick Jones. She wasn’t cut out for college and the pre-law life her parents were pressuring her into so she’d decided to follow her heart and passion for baking, and got a job at Patterson’s Bakery there in town. Jessie helped her get the small apartment next to hers and kept an eye out for her.

  “Yeah,” Amber said. “It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.”

  “Amber,” Luci piped in, “I’m not sure if you’ve met my friend Becca yet. We grew up together and she’s recently moved back home.”

  Becca nodded at Amber.

  “Not formally, but I think I’ve seen you through the Novel Idea window,” Amber said.

  “Yeah, I work there,” Becca said.

  “Well, it’s nice to officially meet you.”

  “You too,” Becca returned.

  “We’re just heading over to Julio’s for a bite if you want to join us,” Jessie said.

  “Thank you for the invitation,” Amber started, “but, I can’t tonight. Nick’s on his way over. We’re just going to chill and watch a movie. Oh,” she said, perking up, “I do have some exciting news though. I have my first wedding cake order this weekend!”

  “That’s fabulous!” Jessie exclaimed.

  “Congrats,” the other women echoed.

  “Yeah, Eileen has been teaching me all her tricks and she’s finally ready to let me have a shot on my own.” Amber beamed. It was her dream to own her own bakery one day and she was soaking up all of the training Eileen Patterson was giving her.

  “Eileen rocks,” April said.

  “Agree. She’s been wonderful to me. Well, I’d better be going so Nick isn’t waiting too long for me. I’ll catch you ladies later,” Amber said and the others watched her walk away.

  Fifteen minutes later, the foursome were seated around a table in the colorful, buzzing, Mexican restaurant with four massive frozen margaritas in front of them.

  “This is amazing,” Becca said after she took a large gulp of her drink.

  The others followed suit and made appreciative sounds.

  “It is good,” April said, “but I’ll have to make you girls one of my secret recipe margaritas some time. It’ll knock you out.”

  “April makes a mean margarita,” Jessie commented.

  “Did Jessie tell you I’m going to bartending school, Luci?” April asked. She took another sip of her drink.

  Luci glanced at her sister. “No, she didn’t. That’s awesome. How long will it take you to complete?”

  “It’s a forty-hour course. And it’s a great place to meet men. Bonus is we get to drink what we mix. And the field trips are amazing. We’re headed to a beer tasting on Saturday.”

  “That sounds so cool. Maybe I should go to bartending school, too,” Becca said.

  “Does this mean you’ll be switching jobs soon?” Luci asked. Luci couldn’t imagine MoonBeans losing April. She was such a big part of the coffee shop and everyone loved her.

  “No way, I’m keeping my job. I wouldn’t be able to afford my coffee habit otherwise,” she said with a grin. “I was just thinking this could be a way to make extra money. You know, work some weddings and parties and stuff on the side.”

  Becca sighed and fiddled with the lime hanging on the edge of her glass. “I need to find a job too.”

  “I thought you liked the bookstore,” Luci said.

  “I do. I mean a second job. Or one really great paying job. I need to make more money and faster. I need to get out of my parents’ house. My mom is driving me completely insane. She hasn’t been very supportive of my divorce. She doesn’t believe in divorce. But like I told her, she doesn’t have to believe in it.”

  “Wow,” Jessie said.

  “What about your dad?” April asked.

  “Eh, he’s been better about the whole thing. I don’t think he’s too thrilled I’m back home living with them. I’m sure I’m infringing on their privacy or whatever. But he doesn’t make little judgmental quips every two minutes like my mom does. Still, the sooner I’m out of there the better.”

  A young waitress with a swinging pony tail arrived and set a giant platter of their supreme nachos on the table. The ladies’ eyes grew big at the yummy dish and they thanked her.

  April reached out and took the first chip.

  “Have you started looking for a second job?” Luci asked.

  “A little. I
haven’t found anything yet.”

  Jessie popped a chip in her mouth and looked thoughtful. “Well,” she said after she’d swallowed, “I don’t know how you’d feel about it, but we do have an opening for a part-time bus person for the summer since Nick is leaving.”

  Luci whipped her head around to look at her sister. “What? Where is Nick going and why am I just hearing about this now?”

  “Because,” her sister replied, “I only just found out about it this afternoon. He’s been offered an internship in New York City for the summer and it’s too amazing of an opportunity to pass up. I told him to take it and we’d work things out. We always do.”

  “But what are him and Amber going to do?” Luci pressed.

  “Amber will be fine,” Jessie said. “She’s going to stay here and keep working and her and Nick will do the long-distance thing. Maybe they’ll visit each other over long weekends or something.”

  “Ick. Long-distance relationships,” April said. “You’d never catch me in one.”

  Jessie giggled. “True. You’re more of an instant gratification person.”

  “And I need to be gratified once, sometimes twice a day,” April replied.

  At this, Becca laughed so hard that margarita shot out of her nose. She quickly grabbed for a napkin and brought it to her face.

  April chuckled.

  “Warn me next time,” Becca said smiling, her eyes full of tears. “But seriously,” she said, turning toward Jessie, “I think I’d take you up on it if you’re serious. I do have a ton of down time and it would be fun to work at Starlight with you guys. Do you remember the summer I worked there?”

  “You worked at Starlight?” April asked.

  “Just briefly,” Becca said. “When Luci and I were sixteen. Mr. Foster hired Luci and me to wash dishes in the evenings. We goofed off so much though, remember, Luci?”