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

by Kris Jett

  Luci checked the time on the bottom right of her laptop screen. “We’ve been here a long time. Are you sure you don’t have something else you need to do or somewhere else you need to be?”

  Please say no, she thought to herself.

  “Nope,” he said.

  “Well, I can at least buy you another drink and some treats for all of your help. Be right back.” Luci stood up and made her way to the ordering counter in the coffee shop. When she looked back at Evan she saw him back at work, typing away furiously on her laptop. She was so grateful he was here with her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Evan picked a pepperoni off of the frozen pizza he’d just taken out of the oven. “Ouch,” he said aloud to the empty room and then briefly sucked on his burnt finger. He was alone at home. Aunt Bets was out meeting with new clients and wouldn’t be home for probably another hour or two. Evan sliced up the pizza, put three pieces on a plate, and carried them over to the coffee table in the living room. He was feeling antsy that evening and didn’t know what to do with himself. He was all caught up with work and had nowhere he needed to be. He could always flip the television on and find something to watch, but he wasn’t really in the mood.

  He blew on a piece of the pizza and then took a big bite. As he chewed he thought, this was kind of depressing. Twenty-seven, eating frozen pizza, alone in his aunt’s living room. Other men his age would be going home to their families or going out with their friends or girlfriends for a night on the town.

  He thought about Luci. He’d been thinking about her even more lately if that was possible. Yesterday had been great. Work was normal, no big excitement there. But he’d spent hours alone with Luci, pouring over her book. And he wasn’t just trying to make her feel good with all of his praise; her book really was good. Better than any of the books he’d been reading while staying with Aunt Bets, that was for sure. He was certain Luci would be able to sell this one and he was excited for her. He was happy to be a part of her adventure, no matter how small a part he was.

  Evan couldn’t be sure about anything, but he felt something shift in his and Luci’s relationship, yesterday. He felt a certain electricity when they were sitting together. A couple of times he even caught her staring at him. At first, he told himself she was just watching him read and it was only her interest and nervousness in him reading her book for the first time that was making her stare like that. But a couple of times he caught her looking at him like she wanted him. Which could entirely be in his head. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time his ego misinformed him of a woman’s desire. But, if it were true, it would completely thrill him.

  He still did have this date coming up the next night with Becca. He didn’t even know why he was doing it other than because Becca seemed so interested and Luci seemed to want him to go. But Evan didn’t expect anything to come from it. Not to mention his thoughts were so full of Luci as late and now caught up with the possibility that his feelings might be reciprocated. He probably should just cancel the date with Becca but that seemed sort of cruel. No, he’d have to go.

  Evan chewed on another bite of pizza. He couldn’t sit still. This wouldn’t be how his night was going to go. He picked up his phone and composed a text to Luci.

  How are the revisions going?

  He pressed send.

  Luci replied quickly.

  Brilliantly! Thanks to you!

  Evan wrote,

  :-) *blush* What are you doing tonight?

  A few moments passed before Luci responded and he wondered if she thought he was being too forward.

  Babysitting my niece, Melody. Everyone is on dates. Including my Mom!

  Evan smiled to himself.

  Wow! Go Mom. Hope this one works out.

  Me too. she wrote.

  Evan took a deep breath and then typed the next note before he could change his mind.

  Want company?

  He stared at his phone, waiting for Luci to reply.

  Really? You don’t have something more exciting/fun to do?

  You’re not having fun? Evan wrote.

  Oh, I’m having a blast. But then again, I love Mickey Mouse. :-)

  Show? Or is he in your home? ;-)

  Haha. Show! Okay, come on over!

  Evan grinned at his phone. The evening’s plans were definitely looking up.

  Thirty minutes later Evan was ringing the doorbell at the Foster’s home, a box of store-bought cookies in hand.

  “Hey,” Luci said when she opened the door. She held her arm out, inviting him in. “Cookies? You’ll be Melody’s new best friend.”

  “Hi, Hi!” an adorable tiny blond child called up to him.

  He squatted down so he was at her level and they could look each other in the eye. “You must be Melody,” he said.

  “You?” she asked.

  “I’m Evan,” he said.

  “I was just about to put her to bed,” Luci told him. “But I think we could squeeze in a quick cookie.”

  “Cookies!” she yelled, eyeing the box in his hands. She pulled the box from his hands and took it over to the coffee table.

  “Let me help you, Melody,” Luci said.

  Luci set her up at the end of the coffee table with a cookie, napkin, and her sippy cup of water and then motioned to Evan to take a seat on the couch beside her.

  “Mickey Mouse really is on right now,” Evan commented. He watched the television and saw that Mickey and Minnie were hosting some sort of surprise party for Daisy.

  “Well, I wasn’t just trying to make you jealous. It’s been a very exciting night.”

  “I can see that.” He nodded at her laptop. “Were you working, too?”

  Luci’s face lit up. “Yes! I just finished rewriting the one scene you noted. Here, read it and tell me what you think.”

  Evan pulled Luci’s laptop onto his lap and read silently to himself. When he was done, he looked up at Luci. “I love it. Nice job.”

  “Thanks. I’m moving quickly through the revisions. Everything with this book has been so easy for me, like I was meant to write it.”

  “Maybe you were.” The room was quiet and all that could be heard was Mickey and friends yelling surprise as Daisy walked into her party. “So, tell me about your Mom’s date.

  “Oh!” Luci said, getting more comfortable on the couch. She pulled a pillow onto her lap. “We went a new, Tinder-free, route this time. Mom was really down on the whole dating thing. But Wynn’s boyfriend, Bryce, had a great idea. He teaches at South Lake Community College and is friendly with this older gentleman who teaches Political Science there. He’s widowed, super smart, a really good guy, Bryce says. He thought he’d be perfect for Mom. She’s kind of a politics nut. She reads every political autobiography she can get her hands on. So, Bryce set them up on a blind date. And Mom’s not home yet, so, fingers crossed that it’s going well.”

  “Hopefully. Your mom deserves it.” Evan looked over at Melody and chuckled. “I think we bored her to sleep.”

  Luci glanced down at her niece who was now sleeping on the carpet, cookie still clutched in hand. “Aw, let me put her to bed.” Luci scooped up the toddler and carried her down the hall.

  While she was gone, Evan picked up the remote and flipped through the channels until he found one to settle on.

  A few minutes later Luci rejoined him in the living room. “Titanic?” she asked with surprise.

  “‘A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets,’” Evan said.

  “Wait a minute. Did you just quote Titanic to me?” she asked.

  He grinned at her. “I love Titanic.”

  “You do?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  Luci chuckled and settled back against the couch cushions. “You’re one surprise after another.”

  Evan settled back into the couch as well, until his shoulders were touching Luci’s.

  “You know Rose should have scooted over on that raft and let poor Jack climb on too,” Luci said.

 
; “Nah. The raft couldn’t support both of their weights.”

  Luci peered at him. “How do you know that?”

  “He tried and it started to sink. He made the choice to let her be the one who lived.”

  “Hmph.”

  Two hours later, Evan was jostled awake by a hand shaking his shoulder.

  “Wake-up sleepy heads,” Luci’s sister, Wynn said in a quiet voice.

  Luci stretched her arms in the air and rubbed her eyes. She blinked a few times as she looked at her sister’s face. “Is Mom home yet?”

  “No!” Wynn said in an excited whisper. “Good sign, huh?”

  Luci sleepily grinned and looked over at Evan. “I guess we fell asleep.”

  Evan stretched his arms in front of him and sat up. “Yeah. I should get going.”

  “Don’t let me run you off,” Wynn said and then winked at Luci.

  Luci narrowed her eyes at her sister.

  “No, I do need to get going. Thanks for letting me watch Titanic with you,” he said to Luci as he stood.

  “Titanic,” Wynn echoed, grinning.

  “I’ll walk you to the door,” Luci said, also standing up.

  The two walked to the front door and Luci stepped outside with Evan, pulling the door almost closed behind her.

  “Thanks for coming over to hang out. It was fun.”

  “We’ll have to do it again sometime,” he said.

  “But not tomorrow. You have your date with Becca,” she said, matter-of-factly.

  Evan studied her face, trying to tell how Luci felt about this. He also wondered how she knew, but of course, Becca must have been talking about it to her. “Um, yeah,” he said. “That’s right.” He wasn’t sure what else to say at this moment so he just said, “Thanks again,” and hurried down the front walk to his car.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Yay, Luci’s here,” Wynn announced as Luci rushed into Starlight.

  “Almost late. Sorry about that,” Luci said. She headed toward the cash register where both of her sisters were standing.

  “Hey, Luci,” Nick called out as he bussed table three.

  “Hey, Nick,” Luci replied. “I heard you’re leaving us for the summer. Congrats on that internship.” She hadn’t worked with him since her girls’ night out and hadn’t had a chance to wish him well.

  “Thanks, I’m excited. And I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Luci grinned at him.

  “Since you’re here, I’m taking off. I need to pick up Melody from daycare,” Wynn announced. “You’re closing, right? No plans with your boyfriend?”

  Jessie looked between Wynn and Luci. “Boyfriend? What boyfriend?”

  “Luci’s dating the realtor. You know, Bets’s nephew?”

  “You are? I thought you had the hots for Cooper,” Jessie replied accusingly.

  “Nope. I walked in on the two of them sleeping together last night. Right there on Mom’s couch,” Wynn said with a mischievous look.

  “What?” Jessie practically screamed.

  Two of the nearby families, who were having either a very late lunch or an early dinner, looked over.

  “Hold on there,” Luci said. “We were not sleeping together. We were literally sleeping. As in, we fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie. I was babysitting Melody.”

  Wynn started to giggle. “I was just messing with you, Luci.” To Jessie she said, “They were really sleeping. But they looked cozy. So, what’s up with you and Evan Monroe?” she asked Luci.

  “We’re just…friends,” Luci replied.

  “Sure looked like more than friends to me,” Wynn said.

  “I didn’t know you were hanging around with him,” Jessie said.

  “I guess I didn’t mention it,” Luci said. “And why do you think I have the hots for Cooper anyway?”

  Jessie shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, it just sort of seemed like you did the other night.”

  “Cooper’s a great guy, but no, I haven’t been lusting for him.”

  “Because she’s lusting after Evan,” Wynn interjected.

  “Wynn, stop!”

  Wynn laughed again. “Okay, okay. I really have to go anyway. Bye guys.” Wynn reached under the register where she’d stored her purse for a quick escape, and headed for the door. Before she made it out, she turned back. “Oh, Jessie, make sure to tell Luci about how you both owe me big for having the best boyfriend in the whole world.” With a quick wave, she was gone.

  Luci turned away from the door and looked at Jessie. “What was she going on about?”

  “Did you talk to mom this morning?”

  “No. She was asleep when I left this morning to work on my book and then she was already gone when I came back from yoga.”

  “It seems her date with Thomas went very well.”

  “It did? Oh, good! I’m so happy for her. I’ll bug her for all the details when I get home tonight or first thing tomorrow.”

  “Definitely.”

  “I’m going to go drop my stuff in back and I’ll be back in a sec.” Luci started to retreat but Jessie reached out and grabbed her arm.

  “Hold on, there. You’re not getting away that easily,” she said.

  Luci blinked. “What?”

  “You know what. Evan? Hello? You haven’t mentioned him at all to me. What’s going on?”

  Luci could feel her face becoming flushed. “Nothing. I told you; we’re just friends. He’s helping me with my book.”

  Jessie looked shocked. “He’s read your book?”

  Luci hesitated. “Yes.”

  “Interesting,” Jessie said. “Well, I won’t keep you.”

  “Be right back,” Luci said and walked quickly to the office. Once behind the door, she tossed her stuff behind the door and checked her reflection in the mirror. Was Jessie annoyed with her? Should she have told her sisters about her and Evan’s relationship? She didn’t even know where they stood let alone what she was ready to tell anyone about him. Not to mention, he was probably on his date with Becca right then. Maybe she should have told Wynn and Jessie about that, too. Becca had texted her half a dozen times that day to work through her pre-date nerves and ask for outfit advice. Luci responded each time, but she sure didn’t want to. She hated that Becca was going out with Evan. What was she thinking when she introduced them? She should have firmly told Becca then that she was interested in Evan herself and to back off. Or, maybe Evan should have told Becca he was interested in Luci. He was, wasn’t he? How else could she explain his coming over the night before to keep her company while babysitting Melody? No normal man just volunteers to help babysit.

  And they watched Titanic. Luci smiled to herself. She’d felt so comfortable with Evan that night, and while not originally a Titanic fan, it now ranked in her top five favorite movies. Evan had kept her laughing with his funny quips and insights throughout the film. And during the part of the movie where Rose and Jack have sex in the car parked in the bottom of the boat, Luci swore she could feel Evan giving her side glances. She hadn’t even realized until afterward that she had been holding her breath.

  The room had been dim and at some point, she had felt herself getting sleepy. She’d slowly inched her way closer to Evan on the couch and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn’t flinch or scoot away. He casually put an arm around her and she relished in the warmth of his embrace and snuggled in closer. She must have drifted off because the next thing she knew, her sister, Wynn, was slapping her awake. Luci had hoped she didn’t snore. Evan left quickly after that and she hadn’t spoken to him again yet. And now he was on a date with Becca.

  Luci left the office and re-entered the dining room to begin waiting on customers. The thought of Becca and Evan together right then was driving her crazy. She’d always held onto, in the back of her mind, that Evan didn’t like her in the way a guy likes a girl; so, she didn’t act like she normally did with men. Because she’d known that he didn’t like her, she didn’t come on strong or pretend to
be someone she wasn’t. The image of his first noticing her the day in MoonBeans had played on repeat in her head each time she’d considered the idea of being with him. But, if she was honest with herself, the happiest part of her days lately had been when they’d had plans or she’d just randomly bumped into him. Somewhere along the way she’d fallen for Evan Monroe. And now he was with her friend, Becca.

  Luci pulled her phone out of her jean pocket and glanced at the time. It was going to be a long evening.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Evan turned off the engine and stared at the small brick house in front of him. Am I really doing this? he thought. He had no interest in Becca and would rather be just about anywhere else just then, but instead he was sitting in her parents’ driveway, trying to muster up the motivation to get out of the car, walk up to her door, and ring the bell. Why did he even decide to go through with this? To make Luci jealous? Maybe. He could have, make that should have, cancelled the date first thing that morning. The night before with Luci only further showed him where his heart was. He was sure Becca was a nice woman and she certainly was pretty with her dark hair and dark eyes. But he just wasn’t interested. He wanted Luci.

  Evan took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

  “Evan!” Becca called. She ran out her front door and down the walk toward him. “Hi, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

  “Oh. Hey,” Evan said, surprised. He had started to walk toward the passenger side of his car to let Becca in, but he was too late. She’d already popped open the door and slid in. “Okay, then,” he muttered to himself as he walked back around to the driver’s side.