by Brooke Page
“What’s up, babe?” He was still in his uniform. Not much had changed about Colt, besides the size of his arms and shoulders. He was always a buff guy, but while going through the police academy, he bulked right up.
Marcy crossed her arms and eyed him. “Vance Everett. When’s the last time you talked to him?”
Colt’s eyes found the ceiling of the front porch while he thought. “I don’t know, maybe six months ago?”
I swallowed. I had no idea Colt still kept in contact with Vance. “Really?”
He looked to me and shrugged. “We catch up every now and then. Why?”
“Because my Dad hired him.”
Colt’s eyes widened. “What?”
Marcy narrowed her eyes at him. “So you really had no idea?”
“No, and honestly, I’m offended he didn’t contact me. When does he start working?”
“I guess he was here today, scared the shit out of Lo, and rightfully so!” Marcy grumbled. “I don’t like that he’s here. He was a dick to you, Lauren.”
I pulled my legs underneath one another on the swing. “He wasn’t that bad.”
Marcy whipped her head in my direction. “He took your virginity, cheated on you, played with your heart, and even though you gave him another chance, confessing your love for him, he wouldn’t come home with you when your mom died! How is that not being a dick?”
My gaze found my tea. She was right, Vance and I ended on horrible terms, but after all this time, he still made my heart pound with passion.
“Colt, go back inside and read Tessa a story, would you?”
“She’s practically asleep.”
Marcy cocked her head and widened her eyes. He furrowed his brows at her, then nodded in understanding, silently walking inside and closing the front door. Marcy scooted closer to me on the swing.
“Look, I get it. Vance was your first love. He was exciting and new, and it was at The Shore, everything is better there. You still wear that damn bracelet he gave you,” She paused, looking around as if we might not be alone. Lowering her voice, she continued. “I know you loved him more than Colby, and that’s okay, Lo, really, it is.”
My eyelids clenched closed, not wanting to cry. “I loved Colby, too.”
Marcy’s eyes softened with pity. “I know, Lo, and I wish like hell he were still with you and Tessa, but he’s not.”
I rubbed my nose and took a deep breath. “I never felt guilty.”
Marcy put her arm around me. “Guilty for what?”
“For being with Vance. I should have wanted to erase that time from my mind, but I never did. I should have felt worse for not coming home to Colby sooner. I always knew it was the right decision to come home to Colby, but I never wanted to. I never told Colby about Vance.” I looked at Marcy, my eyes moistening. “Am I a terrible person for not doing that?”
Marcy’s shoulders slumped. “Of course you’re not a terrible person! A girl is entitled to her secrets, especially when it involves a bad boy who broke her heart. So, you and Colby might not have had that desirable, passionate, drive-you-crazy love, but you had something.” She tilted her head toward the window. “You made Tessa. She’s the real love of your life, Lauren.”
I grinned at the mention of her name. Tessa was my only constant, and I’d do anything for my little girl. “She is. I don’t need anyone else besides her.”
Marcy frowned. “What am I, chopped liver?”
I giggled. “You know what I mean.”
She laughed along with me. Standing from the swing, she wrapped herself in the blanket. “So what are you going to do about Vance?”
I stood with her, setting my tea down and began folding my own blanket. “Co-exist, I guess. I’m still shocked he’s in Harris and will be working at the arcade. It’ll be nice to have another set of hands at least.”
Marcy frowned. “From what I remember, Vance wasn’t a get-your-hands-dirty kind of guy, he was always working in his office at The Surf Shop.”
“Maybe he needed a change of scenery.”
Marcy opened the door for me to walk inside. “Still seems shady for Vance Everett to show up in the small ass town of Harris. I’d keep your distance.”
I held up my hand. “I plan on it.”
Just because Vance Everett was in my town, didn’t mean I would turn into a puddle every time I stepped foot in front of him.
At least I hoped that wouldn’t be the case, because I failed miserably today.
Chapter Six
Vance
Pete was waiting for me outside of the barn behind the arcade when I arrived. It was a little after eight, and I was still chilly from my morning run. I wasn’t used to the icy cold temperatures of Michigan.
“Morning,” Pete greeted. He was standing in a pair of jean overalls and boots, a red flannel covering his arms and a green John Deere hat. “Hope you’re ready to work.” He was squinting, his lips pressed together. I couldn’t tell if he was irritated with me or not.
“I’m ready for anything.”
“Good. I’ve got a lot to get done around here. Bonnie says we need to work on the landscaping first. I’ve got a mountain of pavers that need to go around the bushes out front. You know much about landscaping?”
I shrugged. “I’m sure I can figure it out.”
“All right then. Let’s get started.”
I followed him to the front of the arcade, pushing a wheel barrel with supplies.
“I’ve got a pair of gloves in there for you to use.”
“Hope they’re warm,” I mumbled. “It’s a lot colder here than I expected.”
Pete chuckled. “Welcome to Michigan. It may be late April, but that doesn’t mean snow won’t hit at any moment. You can never count on the weather for anything in this state.”
“I’m learning that.” I was thankful for packing a black wool hat.
“Once the sun comes out and you start to sweat, you’ll warm up. Mornings are extra chilly.”
***
Pete wasn’t kidding about the sweat. Landscaping was a bitch, especially when the ground was so cold. I’d been raking old leaves and sticks all morning, cleaning out the grass near the front entrance. It took me two hours to cover the small area.
This was the worst part about being undercover. I had to live two lives, and sometimes the real life part sucked. I wasn’t getting paid much at all, and I wondered how people survived on such small wages for gruesome work.
Throwing two garbage bags full of lawn junk over my shoulders, I trudged passed the batting cages to toss them in the dumpster. To my pleasant surprise, I saw the little white Neon cruising down the road and toward the arcade. My pace increased the closer she drove. I didn’t want to miss Lauren walking into work. It was a great opportunity for me to talk to her.
I grabbed the rake I had been using, fussing with another pile of leaves I had yet to put into a garbage bag. I kept my focus on the yard waste until Lauren got out of her car.
“Morning,” I greeted, waiting to look up at her until she came closer to the front of the arcade. I glanced up at her, and my insides did a somersault.
Trying my best to not be obvious, I checked her out. She wore tight, dark jeans that exposed her ankles with black Chucks on her feet. Her hands were in her sweatshirt pockets, her hair covered by a hood. She wore sunglasses over her eyes, and I was momentarily disappointed. She had such beautiful eyes.
“Hi,” she mumbled back.
I opened my mouth to say more, but she didn’t stop, only marched up to the front door and unlocked it to go inside.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I squinted into the sun. That wasn’t how I thought our second interaction would go. Maybe she had woken up late? Or had a bad morning?
Maybe she was still pissed off at me.
My jaw clenched. Our past wasn’t going to help me get Lauren back.
Setting down the rake, I went inside, taking off my gloves and putting them in the back of my jean pocket. “Mind if I use the rest
room?” I asked, unsure where she went. When I heard her mumbling something from the opposite side of the room. Following the sound, I found her in a small room before the pool table.
I opened my mouth to ask again, but my jaw only hung open. Her sweatshirt was off and she wore only a snug white t-shirt. She stretched to grab an apron, her tight jeans hugging the curve of her ass perfectly. Once she got the apron, I tilted my head, unable to look away while she tied it in the back. She jumped a mile when she saw me standing in the doorway.
“Jesus, Vance! You scared me,” she scolded, releasing a heavy breath in-between sentences.
“Sorry, I’m looking for the bathroom.”
She eyed me from head to toe, then sucked in her bottom lip. “Down the next hall.” Her stare found the floor when she breezed by me.
“Thanks.” She didn’t even acknowledge my appreciation.
Yep, she was holding our past against me, and I didn’t blame her. I was an asshole.
After relieving myself, I stopped at the counter, waiting for her to look my way.
“Did you need directions to anywhere else?” she asked, not bothering to look up from the starter drawer she was counting.
“No, I’m good for now. Is there a drink machine around here at all? I was hoping to find a bottle of water.”
She crouched down and opened a door, then rolled a plastic bottle across the counter. “There you go.”
I took it, the condensation from the refrigerator cooling my hand. “Thanks. Put it on my tab.”
I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to see it, but the slightest grin lifted on the outside of her lip. The interaction would have to do for now, and I’d take it as a win.
“I’ll be outside if you need anything.” I strolled back out the front door, taking a swig of the water bottle. After it was half gone, I tossed it on the ground and began to put my gloves back on. When I glanced back at the arcade, Lauren was peeking through the window in my direction. I looked down at my gloves, smiling to myself.
She wouldn’t be looking if she wasn’t still interested.
***
I had been on my hands and knees the last four hours, digging through dirt and stacking pavers. I was nearing the end of the giant pile, and my body was ready to be done. The sun had come out and my sweatshirt was long gone by noon, my white-t-shirt even feeling too warm.
“This is fucking awful,” I muttered under my breath.
“Who are you?” a quiet voice asked.
My eyes shot up, startled by the little person who was now casting a shadow over me.
I squinted in her direction. “Um… hi. I’m Vance.”
She crossed her arms. “Swearing’s bad. Don’t do it around Grandma, she’ll get mad.”
I raised a brow at her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“What are you doing?”
Brushing off my jeans, I nodded my head toward the pavers. “Making the front of the arcade look nice.” I stood completely upward now, checking out my handy work. “What do you think?”
She turned alongside me, examining the space. “Needs work.”
I laughed under my breath. “At least you’re honest.”
When she looked up at me this time, my shadow was casting over her, and I instantly knew who the little girl was. Big blue eyes scrutinized me. They were adorable, and along with the long blonde hair, minus her tan complexion, there was no doubt in my mind that this was Lauren’s daughter.
Warmth spread through me. She was just as beautiful as her mother.
I crouched down in front of her again. “I don’t think I caught your name?”
She looked toward the arcade and bit her lip, then ran inside. Her backpack was like a turtle shell, almost as big as she was.
I put my hands on my hips. “Good talk,” I joked to myself.
I continued to work, constantly feeling like a set of eyes were on me. I smiled when I realized they belonged to the little blue eyes that were watching through the screen door of the arcade.
After a half hour, a big diesel truck came roaring up the street, parking next to Lauren’s Neon. Jonah hopped out of the driver’s side, trekking up the steps with his hands in his pockets. The arcade door swung open, and a giggling little girl went flying to him.
“Uncle Jo!” She shrieked, jumping into his arms.
He lifted her with ease, pulling her in for a hug. “There’s my Tess! Is your momma inside?”
She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck while he carried her into the building, not bothering to acknowledge me. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t going to kiss his ass. Not yet.
Ten minutes went by, and Lauren came out with Tessa, holding her hand and heading to her car. Jonah was following them, his eyes on Lauren, then sent me a glare. Lauren’s daughter spotted me as well, and I waved at her. A timid hand waved back at me and she blushed, then hid her head into Lauren’s side while they walked.
Jonah waited for Lauren to put her daughter into the car, his elbow resting on her roof. She had her sunglasses on, but I knew Lauren’s expressions. She was biting her lip, and if I had to guess, she was squinting, trying her best to say no without sounding like a bitch. She hated hurting people’s feelings.
Finally, Jonah leaned in and hugged her, and I wanted to rip his head off. She wasn’t interested, I knew by her recused body language. She hugged herself, stepped from side to side in a shuffling motion. Damn it, why didn’t I go intervene? Just as my feet were about to move, Jonah let her go and wandered back to his truck, giving me a nod before he left. I did the same, my lip twitching when I tried to grin at him.
By the time my eyes went back to Lauren, she had already pulled away and drove down the road. Jonah’s truck went the opposite direction from where I was staying. I debated following him, but nothing important in my underground world happened during daylight hours.
Chapter Seven
Lauren
I was on my second attempt at doing my eye makeup when Tessa came skipping into my bathroom. “Mommy, do I have school today?”
Running the eyeliner cautiously along my eyelid, I said, “Of course, sweetie.”
She watched me. “We always leave after Doc McStuffins, and she’s not on tv anymore.”
Glancing at my phone, my eyes bugged out. “Oh, crap!” We were ten minutes behind, and if we ran out the door now, I’d get her to school in the nick of time. “Get your backpack, I’ll grab your lunch.”
She scrambled out of the bathroom, shoving her feet in her rain boots. I wouldn’t argue with her today to put on her tennis shoes. Tessa had her own style, and most days I didn’t bother fighting with her.
“Mommy, don’t forget my lunch!” She shouted when I hurried her into the backseat of the Neon.
“Oh, right!” I darted inside, snatching her lunch from the fridge and bolting back out the front door. Glancing to see she had buckled herself in, I closed her door and slid into the driver seat, peeling out of our driveway.
“Mommy, who was the man at your work?” she asked out of the blue.
“What man?” I said, although I already knew who she was referring too.
“The man outside when I got off of the bus.”
Clearing my throat to buy myself sometime, I finally responded. “He’s helping Grandpa.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Is he nice?”
“Yes,” I said honestly. I glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Why, baby?”
She was staring out the window. “I thought he was Daddy when I saw him.”
My shoulders fell. I hated that she couldn’t see him anymore. “Sometimes that happens, Tess, but you know Daddy isn’t really here anymore.”
She sighed, “I know. I miss him. What was that man’s name again?”
Pausing, I debated not telling her, but I knew that would have been absurd. She’d figure it out, and the last thing I wanted was for Tessa to get the vibe I didn’t like someone that in her eyes I didn’t really know. “His name is Mr. Everett.”
<
br /> “That’s not what he told me his name was.”
I rolled my eyes behind my sunglasses. “If you knew what his name was, then why did you ask me?”
“I can’t remember what it was, but I know it wasn’t a Mister.”
I laughed. “His name is Vance, and I think you should still call him Mr.”
“That’s right!” She giggled.
When we pulled into her school, I jumped out of the front seat, frantically opening Tessa’s door. “Looks like we got her at the same time as the buses. We made it, baby girl.”
I knelt down and fussed with her hair, twirling a strand with my finger. “Have a wonderful day. I’ll see you after school.”
Tessa wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a hug. “Love you, Mommy.”
“I love you, too.”
Letting her go, I stood and watched her walk toward her teacher. She turned and waved. “Don’t forget about your eye, Mommy.”
I flung my waving hand to my eye, completely forgetting I didn’t finish my makeup. I avoided other parents and slipped back into my car, praying no one noticed my half done up face. Thankfully I didn’t need to be in to work for another hour and a half.
***
I ended up washing away the majority of my makeup after reapplying it so many times. I couldn’t get it right for the life of me, and I was all thumbs while putting on the mascara. I settled for my bare minimal everyday wear. Light mascara, bronzer, and lip gloss with a basic white t-shirt and skinny jeans. I threw my hair up because it wouldn’t sit right on my head, certain pieces curling whatever way they wanted. It had gotten long, and it desperately needed a trim.
Why did I care so much what I looked like today? It wasn’t like I would interact with Vance that often. He’d be outside, working around the property, mowing lawns and repainting things, updating the putt putt course and fussing with the batting cages. How often would we actually see each other? So he had been out front of the arcade yesterday, making it impossible to not watch him. He turned me into mush, and I hated it. I should be irate with him for all he had put me through.