Forged by Fire: A Small Town Second Chance Romance

by Cleveland, Eddie

  “Karen Baker and Luke Murphy.” Elijah smiles at us with a big dumb grin. He acts so casual, you wouldn’t think he’s staring at people who don’t have a lick of clothing on. “So you two are back together, huh? Good for you, buddy.” He reaches down and picks up my shirt, helpfully tossing it my way.

  “Um, I’m not sure.” Luke fumbles with his words. “Man, would you mind turning around for a sec? Like, can we have a little privacy?”

  “Oh sure, sure. Sorry about that.” Elijah turns his back and Mr. Stanford does the same.

  “I don’t see any reason we need to file a report or anything on this. As far as I’m concerned, we thought there might have been a broken down car up here, but it was gone by the time we got here.” The older officer nudges his elbow into the young rookie’s ribs. “Right?”

  “Oh for sure, yeah,” Elijah agrees. “Nothing to see here, am I right? Besides, from the look of it, we missed all the fun stuff anyway, hah!” He laughs loudly at his own joke, but everyone else is dead silent.

  I have a feeling that Mr. Stanford is just as mortified as I am about all this.

  “Okay, so we’ll be on our way then, folks,” Mr. Stanford calls out over his shoulder as Luke and I finish pulling our clothes on. “But, I want you to stop loitering around up here. It’s getting late and I think there are more appropriate places you could be, uh, spending time together.” He doesn’t look back at us.

  It’s really better that way. I can’t face his sweet, wrinkled cheeks or look in his milky blue eyes. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to again.

  “Absolutely. We’re heading out right now.” Luke nods emphatically, but Mr. Stanford doesn’t see it.

  “Well, best of luck there, buddy.” Elijah follows his senior officer back to the patrol car. He turns and gives us a friendly wave before jumping in. “I was always rooting for you two.” He smiles.

  “Damned kids,” Mr. Stanford grumbles and slams his door shut.

  The tires crackle and pop on the tiny rocks as they slowly drive away. Luke looks at me and we both burst out laughing. I feel like if I don’t laugh I’ll cry. The idea of being so very exposed tonight is more than I want to think about.

  “Okay, let’s get you home.” Luke smirks. “Unless you want to come back to my place instead.” His voice deepens, and I bite my lip.

  I want to go, but I don’t want to make my mother worry. I left for a walk hours ago. She doesn’t know where I am, and I definitely don’t want her hearing any rumors about how I’ve been passing the time.

  “No, I should get back.” I force myself to make the right decision.

  “You got it, no problem.” Luke gets in the car and I ease into the passenger seat.

  He drives down from the cliff back out to the road that will lead me home. Back to my barricade of twisted metal and junk. Somehow, the idea doesn’t bother me as much as it normally does. Luke grabs my hand and we lace our fingers together.

  “Hey, so I don’t know if you’re too much of a city girl now, but tomorrow night is the monthly spaghetti dinner and I was thinking—”

  “We’re not fucking on the fire department roof,” I interrupt him.

  “What?” He laughs as he remembers the first time we got busted for public nudity. “No, that’s not what I was getting at.” He snorts. “I was hoping you’d, I don’t know, would you like to go with me? Get our spaghetti on, have some drinks, you know?”

  “Luke Murphy, are you asking me out on a date?” I smile at him.

  He looks over at me and I can see the brilliant blue of his eyes from the moonlight streaking in through the windshield. “I guess I am.”

  “Sure, I’d love to.” I grin.

  Luke lifts the back of my hand to his lips and gives it a quick kiss. My heart fills with a comfort and contentment I’d long forgotten. There’s something so natural about being with him. I forgot how perfect each moment spent with Luke feels.

  I gaze out the window into the pitch-black night and try to push the little voice out of my mind. The one that keeps warning me. Nagging me. But it only gets louder.

  Don’t get comfortable. This isn’t your life anymore. Your dreams are in New York now. Any day now you might get a job you’ve been working toward your entire life, remember?

  This can be just a bit of fun while I’m here, right? This doesn’t have to mean anything. So then why is my stomach tied in a knot at the thought of going? When I leave Pine Grove again, will this all be a carefree fling I leave behind? Or will it end in a mess of heartbreak and despair that will destroy us?

  25

  Luke

  “Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?” I grasp Karen’s hand and she smiles. She looks so cute when she blushes like that.

  “You may have already mentioned it once or twice.” She giggles and tucks a strand of her long blond hair behind her ear.

  “I don’t think it’s possible to tell you too many times.” I squeeze her hand and she meets my eyes. “Thank you for being my date tonight. You’ve made me the luckiest guy in here by a mile.”

  I expect her to giggle or turn a deeper shade of pink, but instead, her lips slide down and her brows crinkle slightly as worry settles on her face. I’m not sure what I said that changed her mood. A second ago she seemed like she was loving the attention.

  “What’s wrong?” I murmur.

  Karen looks at the floor. That’s not good. She only avoids my eyes when it’s serious.

  “Nothing, it’s just, well, before I came out here I applied at a bunch of high profile—”

  “Who brought this shit?” I snap my head over to where Karen’s brother, Todd, is jutting his finger at a tier of pastries and cookies like a drunk poking someone in the chest at a bar.

  Karen looks up and sighs. “Here we go.” She walks over to him with her hands in the air, trying to calm him down. “Todd, don’t get so worked up.”

  I follow her across the floor and can see Todd’s normally pale face burning a shade of red that’s competing with his hair.

  “Don’t tell me what to do.” He sounds like a toddler with his comeback. “Everyone in this town knows that Cara brings the baked goods from her shop on spaghetti night. So, I don’t know what idiot brought this, but it’s going in the fucking trash.” People in the hall start to notice his little fit. They stop returning their spaghetti stained plates to the kitchen and turn to stare.

  “Those are Naomi’s,” Cara sniffs. She hovers her hand over the cookies and snatches one up. Taking a huge bite, she chews on it thoughtfully. “It’s actually really good.” Crumbs fall from her mouth as she talks around bits of unchewed cookie. “I guess that explains why my sales are down seventy percent.” She smacks her lips together.

  I roll my eyes. Yeah, that’s why the sales are down. Not because Cara’s cookies taste like burnt baking soda. Not because that bakery probably hasn’t had a proper cleaning since she took it over. And definitely not because her idea of good customer service is not cussing you out for five minutes. Nope. It must be Naomi’s fault.

  “Yeah, well, that bitch has already been stealing your customers. Now she’s trying to steal your spot at the spaghetti dinner? I don’t think so.” Todd lifts up the three stacked platters and walks them toward the garbage can at the end of the table.

  People in the crowd yell out. Byron shouts at him to put it down. Mildred tells a woman next to her that Todd is a moron. A rumble of disapproval ripples through the crowd, which is just about everyone in town.

  “No! Put it back, Todd.” Karen rushes in and tries to pry the desserts from his fat fists. Her brother shoves her shoulder and sends her flying back on her ass. A collective gasp fills the room as she hits the floor.

  I should run to her and help her up, but my eyes flash red and I lunge at Todd. Twisting his shirt in my hand, I pull him in an inch from my face and stare him down. “Don’t you ever fucking touch her again, you hear me?”

  “What the fuck, man. She’s just my sister.” He tries t
o shrug me off, but I’ve got a hold of him tight.

  “I don’t care who it is, don’t you ever let me see you pushing around a woman again, you sack of shit.” I let go of his shirt and shove him as hard as I can backward. Todd loses his balance and hits the wall. Cookies and turn-overs go flying across the room, each of them plopping down against the floor in sticky piles of goo.

  “Hey, fuck you, Murphy. You think you’re a big man? I’ll fucking destroy you right here and now.” Todd comes at me, but I easily sidestep him, and he lands on the floor.

  “You think I’m scared of you? You might be bigger than me and God knows you’ve got more fights under your belt, but I’m not the one strutting around with a fat lip, am I? I’ll be happy to match it up with a couple black eyes for ya, any time, any place.”

  “That was just a lucky shot, asshole. My grandma hits harder than you.”

  “Get out of here, Todd,” someone calls from across the room and the crowd cheers.

  “Yeah, just go home.”

  “He’s ruined all the sweets,” a little old lady chimes in.

  He stands back up and crosses his arms. “Shut up,” he yells. He might think he looks tough, but he looks like a little two-year-old pouting.

  “Come on, baby. We don’t have to put up with this.” Cara tries to soothe him, sliding her hand up over his shoulder, but he shrugs her off.

  “Whatever, fine, we’re out of here.” Todd acts like going is his idea. Like there isn’t a growing mob of voices demanding he leave. “But I’d watch my fucking back if I were you, Murphy.” He points in my face.

  “Yeah, I’m terrified.” I snort. “I’ll be sure to sleep with one eye open.” I shake my head.

  For once Todd doesn’t try to get the last word. He just grabs Cara’s hand and jerks her arm as he leads them out the door.

  Now that her brother is gone, I search the hall of familiar faces for Karen and push past everyone to get to her. “Hey, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good.” She looks humiliated. It’s easy to understand why. Karen’s family has been an endless source of embarrassment for her and this is just one more thing to add to that ridiculously long list.

  I pull her into me and ease my lips over hers in a slow, tender kiss. “Don’t let that fool ruin our date. He won’t be back tonight, and I promise to show you a good time, okay? The bar is opening up and the band is going to start playing soon. Let’s just have some fun,” I plead. If Todd ruined my night and Karen is too upset to stay I really will blacken his eyes.

  It’s like the band is trying to help me build my case, because they start playing a soft song from the Top 40 and a few people head out to the dance floor.

  “Well, I guess I could stay for a bit longer.” Her lips half-cock up into a smirk.

  “Great. I’ll take it,” and she finally lets her guard down long enough to give me a genuine and sweet smile.

  “Want to dance?” I loop my arm through hers and walk her toward the dance floor.

  Or I would, if her sister wasn’t standing on the edge of it with her hands on her hips and a mean glare on her face.

  Damned Bakers. Why is everything always a fight with them?

  I remember Rebecca’s not-so-subtle threat when she told me to keep my distance from Karen. I’m guessing she’s not too happy to see us back together.

  “Hey! Luke!” She jerks her head at me. “You and I need to have a little chat.” She gives me the stink eye and I sigh.

  Here we go.

  26

  Karen

  Not Rebecca too. She’s supposed to be the one saving grace I have from my embarrassing family. Now she’s also going to get in Luke’s face? I don’t know how much more of this I can take.

  “What’s up?” Luke stands casually beside my sister, but I can hear the wariness in his tone.

  “Look, Murphy, I know I told you to stay the hell away from my sister. I was dead serious too. The last thing Karen needs is to be jerked around again,” she digs into him.

  “Rebecca, I know you’re just trying to protect your little sister, but I’m not going to hurt Karen ever again,” he tries to explain.

  “Save it. I don’t want to hear it,” she cuts him off.

  So now Rebecca is about to lose her shit. Fan-fucking-tastic.

  “I just wanted to say that I was wrong.”

  I actually do a double take to make sure I really heard those words come out of my sister’s mouth. Rebecca is easily one of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met. For her to say she’s wrong, well, that needs to go on a calendar or something because I’m pretty sure Halley's Comet comes around more frequently.

  “What’s that?” Luke looks like he can’t believe his ears either. Clearly he thought she was coming over to tell him off.

  “I was wrong. Now, obviously, if you hurt my baby sis again I’m coming for you.” She gives him a pointed look.

  “I would never expect anything less.” Luke smiles.

  “But the way you just handled Todd there, that was pretty cool. Besides”—Rebecca looks at me and shakes her head—“I can see from the dopey look on her face that there was no chance I could keep you two apart anyway, so you have my blessing.”

  “Well, thank you.” Luke holds out his palm to her and they give a quick handshake.

  Suddenly the speakers crackle and the band’s song fills the air. They’re doing a cover of “Better Now” by Post Malone and I can’t help but laugh. Luke doesn’t care what the song is, he just wants to dance. He grabs my hand and tugs me out on the floor with him as the lights in the hall turn down.

  I’ve heard this song a million times at the clubs in New York. Maybe it’s the music or the dim lighting, but I get lost in the music. I breathe Luke in as I dance up close to him. Everyone around us disappears and I’m lost in his eyes. I turn around and grind my ass back into him, forgetting the conservative crowd around us. It’s just us. Him and me. The way it always was. The way it was always meant to be.

  “Whoa, hey! Why don’t you two get a room or something? This ain’t that kind of place!” a friend of my mothers’ scolds me.

  I stop grinding and step away from Luke. I have half a mind to leave this hall and just go home. Why can’t anyone just mind their business around here? If I want to dance sexy with my date, why do they care?

  Glancing around, I see a room full of disappointed faces looking back at me. There’s only one exception. Mildred Cantor is cheering for me from the sidelines. “Go get it, girl!” she calls out, making me wish for a brain aneurysm or some kind of other quick death to take me.

  The band jumps into another song and everyone hops out of their seats. The momentary scandal seems to have passed as the hall is filled with people of all ages out to line dance to their favorite song. “Cotton Eyed Joe” blasts through the building and I join the crowd with steps I didn’t realize I still knew by heart. All of the awkwardness fades to simple fun as we twirl and kick our feet to the high energy song we all love.

  As the band yells out, “Hey!” everyone hooks arms and swirls around in circles. Laughter and smiles lift my spirits as I get lost in the moment.

  When they finish playing, I turn to talk to Luke, but he’s gone. I search the room, looking so far over my shoulder that I turn around in a full circle, but he’s nowhere to be found.

  “Ahem, um, so the band has very kindly agreed to help me out with this one.” Luke’s voice comes over the microphone and I twirl back until I’m facing the stage. There he is, his face a ball of nerves, with the mic in his hand. “This one is for you, Karen.”

  The band begins to play, and Luke belts out the lyrics to Ed Sheeran’s song “Perfect.” People around me couple up and sway in slow circles as he sings a song that very easily could have been written for us. I clasp my hands to my heart and watch as he sings every word directly to me. You would think that being serenaded like this would be cheesy, but it’s easily the most romantic thing I’ve ever experienced.

  I can’
t help but think about our own lives, the way we grew up and grew to love each other as he sings the lyrics about childhood love. Finally, Luke brings the song to an end and hands the mic back off to the lead singer. I don’t let my brain ruin the moment. I just rush to the stage and leap onto Luke, wrapping my feet around his waist as he holds me, and our lips cover each other in a long, tantalizing kiss.

  I didn’t even realize people were cheering and clapping. I was so lost in our little world that this other one faded away. “Let’s get out of here,” I whisper.

  Luke nods.

  I’m not sure where we’re going. All I know is I need to feel him against me. I want him. I need him.

  Now.

  27

  Karen

  We rush into Luke’s car and I go to grab my seatbelt when he grabs me and covers my lips with his. I can feel the urgency on his tongue. He’s just as eager as I am to find someplace private and strip our clothes off.

  I groan as the realization hits me.

  “What’s the matter?” Luke still holds my face as he pulls back and his eyes study me.

  “We’ve got nowhere to go.” I sulk.

  “I’m sure we can figure something out.” He leans in to kiss me again, but I pull back.

  “No, really, though. Where can we go to be alone? There’s no chance you can come to my parents’ house. You’re still living at home. We don’t have a place of our own,” I complain.

  Luke eases back in his seat, a sexy smirk on his lips. “You know, I don’t think anyone will be at the firehouse tonight…”

  “No. Zero chance.” I flatten his suggestion like a bug. “Remember the last time we tried messing around there?”

  “Yeah, but what are the chances that’s going to happen again?”

  “No.” I sigh.

  “Okay, fine. No firehouse. Not my house. Not your house. No cliffs. So, um, where does that leave?”

  “Exactly.” I throw my hands up in exasperation. “We’re screwed.”