by Jody Holford
Lucy lowered it, frowned at him but before he could ask why, she gave him a smile that made his stomach tilt. She was more than just beautiful with the sun setting behind her, highlighting the red and gold strands peeking out of all that dark. He wanted his hands in that hair.
With her camera in front of her like a shield, she glanced at him through lowered lashes. “I hope that didn’t make you feel special.”
Alex grinned. Her lips pursed into a small pout that he found adorable. He probably wasn’t the only guy with memories of Danielle behind the rec center, but he cared less about that and more about Lucy’s slightly snide tone.
“At sixteen, I didn’t care if I was special as long as I—”
Lucy cut him off by putting her hands up to her ears, letting the camera hang from her neck. Alex laughed and stepped closer to her but instead of pulling her hands down, he reached for the camera. Her hands came down immediately, stopping him from slipping it off of her neck. He arched an eyebrow and gave a small tug. With her lips pressed together, she continued to hesitate.
“You let Carmen have a turn.” This close to her, it was hard to keep his focus on the camera and where it was resting against her chest. “She told me she held Mia without dropping her, so it seemed like she could handle my baby.”
He slipped a strap over her head. “I held Mia without dropping her, too, you know.” He chuckled, putting his eye behind the viewfinder.
“Alright. Just be gentle.” She put her hands on her hips and watched him.
He clicked the camera, surprised by the little thrill that the sound inspired. He turned the camera toward her and saw her frown in miniature. “Take pictures of the view.”
“I am. It’s an excellent view,” he laughed. She rolled her eyes and walked toward the field.
Doors slammed from the parking lot as people loaded up supplies and families and took off for the evening. Alex was enjoying seeing the town come together for something that would benefit them all. Following behind Lucy, he found that it was a bit tricky to navigate the camera and move at the same time.
“I don’t remember you dating Danielle,” Lucy said, her tone stiff.
“Never said I dated her. She was just a girl,” Alex said, wondering what all of the different buttons did. What was wrong with just ‘point and shoot’?
Lucy and Danielle had never been chummy, but her tone suggested there was a reason for this. Confirming his suspicion, Lucy added, “Just a girl who kissed a lot of boys wherever she could.”
Definitely a story there, but he didn’t want to talk about the past. He was pretty damn happy with the present. “I know. But I didn’t care at the time,” he answered easily, zooming in on the trees in the distance. They were in full bloom, blending together and melding into one another as if they couldn’t exist without touching. So much beauty. He loved this town and being in it.
Lucy stood beside him as he snapped a couple photos. His skin buzzed, like his body was completely aware of her next to him. He could feel her gaze. “And now?”
He lowered the camera, meeting that questioning gaze. Very clearly, he replied, “Now I still don’t care who she kisses.”
Her smile spread slowly before it reached her eyes and she nodded, accepting the camera as he passed it back to her. She carefully removed the extended lens and loaded it into the bag on her shoulder.
He was still staring at her with a smile of his own when she looked back up. A soft breeze had her brushing back a few strands of hair from her eyes. Then she turned and tipped her face to the sky.
Lucy sighed, as though she was tired or just happy to stand still. “I forgot how beautiful it can be here.” Tendrils of hair stuck to her neck, reminding him he needed to get home and shower if he was going to make an appearance at the BBQ. Before he could stop himself, his thoughts wandered to her needing a shower as well.
“You heading to the Kellys’?” he asked, clearing his throat, hoping his train of thought didn’t show on his face. She looked over at him with eyes that held a hint of sadness. Her smile matched.
“You okay, Luce?” he asked, giving into the urge and brushing the strand she’d missed behind her ear. Her eyes closed briefly and his breath stuck in his throat.
“I’m fine. I think I’ll skip it. I’m tired and not really in the mood for another crowd. Especially since Kate has roped me into more work tomorrow.”
He tucked his hand back into his pocket and told himself that the electricity between them was just a combination of lust and his own stupid memories. “Are you headed over?” She turned and began walking back toward the building, kicking blades of grass and stray rocks as she stared at her feet.
“I haven’t decided. I don’t know if I feel like another crowd either. How about some dinner? I’m starving.” Their shoulders brushed as they walked side by side.
“Together?”
He laughed at the surprise on her face.
“It would be nicer than alone, I think. It would definitely be better than Bruce’s burgers. I think it’s some sort of sacrilege when a man can’t BBQ.” Lucy laughed and, finally, her smile reached her eyes.
“I don’t know. Kate suggested that I leave you alone.” She looked away, and he put a hand on her arm, pulling her around gently. “What? What does Kate have to do with this?”
He was sure he’d never sent mixed signals to Kate. He’d never thought of her that way. He’d only ever wanted Lucy. “She says you’re long-term and should be off limits to a girl like me,” she said, her tone flat.
He wasn’t surprised by her candor—Lucy had always been direct. Though she made light of it, he could see she was bothered by what Kate had said. She stood in front of him, not quite meeting his eyes.
“Well,” he mused, closing the small space between them so their bodies were all but brushing against each other, “last time I checked, I didn’t let anyone tell me who I should or should not get close to.”
He could kiss her—press his mouth against hers as he’d been dreaming of for years. Her eyes were half closed and her breath was sawing in and out in short bursts. He could see the tiny spattering of barely there freckles on the bridge of her nose, and he had the ridiculous urge to run his finger from one to another. She wet her lips quickly, making his stomach—and lower—tighten. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He leaned in, moving his hand to her arm, which was soft and sun warmed. He trailed his fingers up until he could cup her cheek. She watched him through lowered lashes and he wondered if he’d ever wanted to kiss anyone more than he wanted to kiss Lucy Aarons.
Regardless, he knew better than to let attraction rule over caution. “Besides,” he murmured, his lips narrowly missing hers to travel up and graze her ear, “I only suggested dinner.”
The sensual cloud scattered from her eyes and she rapped him on the chest. “Jerk, “she said, her lips curving up.
Shaking her head at him, she nudged him again and the tension, sexual and otherwise, between them eased. They walked back to the parking lot in time to see Kate loading up her trunk. He was surprised by how quickly the lot had cleared. Maybe others didn’t know about Bruce’s burgers.
Kate glanced over and gave Lucy another odd look as they walked toward her. He felt Lucy stiffen beside him. “You know what? Dinner sounds great,” she said, louder than necessary.
“You guys aren’t going to head over to the BBQ?” Kate slammed her trunk closed.
“No. We’re going to shower and grab a bite to eat,” Lucy answered in what could only be described as a defiant tone. She seemed to realize belatedly what she had actually said.
“I mean,” she stammered, her eyes darting back to him and then over to her sister, “we each have to shower. In our own showers. And then we’ll eat. Together. After we each shower alone.”
Kate chuckled and, just like that, the sisters were at ease with each other, despite Lucy’s cheeks now looking sunburned. As Lucy stowed her camera gear in the backseat, Kate moved in and kissed Alex’s c
heek.
“Hang on to your heart. I love her, but she won’t stay,” she whispered so low he wasn’t even sure he’d heard her right. “I’ll drive with Kate and meet you at your house in an hour?”
“Sounds good,” he agreed.
He watched as both women got into the car. The day had definitely not gone as he’d expected. There’d been no major issues in town, he’d actually enjoyed working with his hands, he’d almost kissed Lucy Aarons, and he would be having dinner with her, alone. He was more than a little curious to see what the night would bring. He caught himself whistling as he moved toward his truck.
Chapter Three
Lucy ignored the not-so-subtle looks Kate was shooting from her position on the bed. Her sister had a far more expansive wardrobe than Lucy, who was currently rifling through to find something decent to wear.
“Stop it.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Kate replied grumpily.
Lucy pulled on a black-and-white-striped V-neck tank top that was slightly longer in the back. It looked good with the dark cargo shorts she was wearing.
“You’re shooting daggers, and it’s starting to annoy me. You act like I’m some sort of femme fatale. I’m pretty sure Alex can take care of himself,” Lucy huffed, turning around and waiting for Kate to comment on her outfit.
Kate glanced her way with little interest but gave a slight nod of approval.
“More like Julia Roberts in the Runaway Bride,” she replied, closing her sociology text and pushing up off her perfectly made bed. Kate was in her final year of college and had taken the smart route, staying at home until she finished. She wouldn’t be starting her career with a mountain of debt.
“Wow. That’s low. And I’ve never left a guy at the altar,” Lucy reminded her, doing her best not to stomp out of her little sister’s room. She also resisted the urge to shove her down onto the bed as she walked past her and silently applauded her own maturity.
“How about the prom?”
Lucy stopped in the hallway and turned around slowly. People rarely brought up the prom. At least not people in her family. The story was legend in their small town. She’d refused to come down and meet her date, Lewis Mandrake, when he’d shown up with his limo and corsage, his tie the color of her lilac dress. She’d never shared the reason with anyone, so the story had snowballed and Lucy had never corrected any version she might have overheard with the truth.
“You know what, Kate? I think it’s sweet that you’re protective of Alex. If it’s because you actually do have a thing for him—”
“I don’t!”
“Then knock it off and mind your own business. I’m going for dinner with an old school friend. Our neighbor. The town sheriff. I’m not going to molest him or kidnap him or use his goddamn handcuffs on him, so let it go!”
Her hair whipped over her shoulder as she made an effort to turn dramatically and walked smack into her dad’s chest. She closed her eyes and wished she had one of those trap doors in the floor like Ellen DeGeneres had for games on her talk show.
“Going out with the sheriff, honey?” Her dad’s hands gripped her bare arms to steady her.
“Yes,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes on the tiny check marks decorating his polo shirt.
“Well, I’m glad you ruled out handcuffs for the evening. I think Alex is kind of an old-fashioned sort,” Mark said solemnly.
She looked up and tilted her head to the side. “When did you become funny?”
“Your mother wrote a self-help book on it. How to Heal Others and Yourself with Laughter,” he grinned as Kate chuckled from behind her.
“You know, I’m not so sure I missed you guys after all.”
Her dad let go of her arms and allowed her to move past him. She grabbed her purse from her own room before sprinting down the steps, ignoring both her dad and her sister, who were still chuckling like loons, their laughs so similar that it made her chest ache.
“Going out, Luce?” Julie asked as Lucy came into the kitchen. Julie was chopping carrots and Lucy snuck one quickly, popping it into her mouth. “Just out for a bite to eat with Alex,” she replied lightly and moved to give her mom a quick squeeze.
“Alright, well, take a key this time,” her mom suggested, moving to take her own off her key ring that still hung by the door on a homemade key holder. Lucy and Charlotte had made it for Mother’s Day when they were ten and fourteen from a long stick and some hooks they’d found in the garage. Julie had treated it like prized silver, and looking at it made Lucy smile.
“You know I could probably buy you a new key holder now, right?”
“Don’t you dare. There is no better gift than one that is made with love.”
Julie pulled her in for an embrace, and Lucy realized that every time she left her mom’s side, Julie hugged her as though she wouldn’t see her again for a long time. Tears stung the corners of her eyes.
“Well, it was definitely made with more love than talent. Still, I need to do some shopping—I only have a few outfits. Want to come with me sometime this week? If I promise not to buy you a key hook?” she asked. Her mom pursed her lips and turned back to the cutting board, re-chopping the carrots that were already in small chunks. Her shoulders stiffened, and Lucy thought for one brief moment that she was mad.
“This week is quite busy for me, honey. If I don’t stick to my schedule, I get behind in my writing. It really doesn’t take much to throw me off track. I’m sure you had deadlines and cut-offs while you were taking pictures, right?” Julie answered, glancing up briefly before pulling all of the carrots toward her and scooping them up.
Lucy knew her mother meant well, but she hated that she referred to her work as taking pictures. There was something grade school and inadequate about the term. Still, no sense in picking on little things. She shrugged off the irritation and sense of unease.
“I’ll see you when I get home, okay?”
“Of course.”
“I love you, mom.”
“I love you more.”
“Just call me if anything about it seems overly suspicious,” Alex told Mick, his aging deputy. Alex was pretty sure that Mick Harper was nearing seventy— though no one dared to ask—but he was one of the sharpest men that Alex knew. He’d rather have Mick at his back than any of the twenty-somethings coming straight out of training.
He heard the knock on his door and frowned as he checked his watch.
“I gotta go, Mick. I’m going to dinner but, seriously, call me if you need to…Yeah…Alright.”
He moved toward the door as he turned the phone off and tossed it onto his couch. Water droplets dribbled underneath the collar of his still partially open shirt. Fastening the first few buttons, he opened the door to find Lucy kneeling down, playing with the strap on the sexy sandals that wrapped around her calf.
“Hey,” he chuckled, smiling down as she glanced up. He finished doing his shirt.
“Hi. My strap isn’t tight enough. Actually, Kate’s strap because I stole everything I’m wearing from her. Well, not the underwear or the bra but—you know what? I’m going to shut up,” she babbled and stood up.
“Don’t stop on my account. I have no problem hearing about your bra or your underwear. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I’m also wearing my own underwear.”
“I don’t remember you being so funny. Must be something in the water around here,” she smirked at him and moved into the house, her strappy sandals clicking on his hardwood floors.
“I don’t remember you hanging out with me enough to know.”
He walked toward the kitchen to find his wallet and heard the tapping of her step behind him. He wondered if the fact that he was thinking about whether her shoes would scratch his floors made him old.
“This is breathtaking, Alex.”
He could hear the smile in her voice and turned to see her taking in the newly renovated kitchen. Sam had done a great job. The floor matched the rest of the house but seemed darker surrounded by the a
ntique white wood of the cabinets. The granite countertop shot little specks of gold and bronze when the sunlight from the wide window over the sink hit it. The smile of genuine appreciation on her face warmed him, as it was his favorite room in the old house that he was working so hard to make his.
He liked the permanency of owning a house, having a mortgage. It still surprised him that he wanted that sense of roots here, in Angel’s Lake. At twelve, he had hated the thought of his mom leaving him with his old man in this nothing town. Then he’d spent some time hating her and the town. Once he got the chip kicked off his shoulder, he’d come to love the town and tolerate his mother. His love for the town came far easier.
“I had some help from Sam with the design and construction, obviously,” he told her, watching as she ran her hand along the granite top of the island.
“It’s so rich but still homey. This is the kind of kitchen that makes me wish I knew how to cook,” she laughed. He liked her laugh. It had a musical quality to it that made you feel like humming along. He wanted to be the reason for that laughter.
“Would you prefer we stay in? I could make something,” he suggested. She sat at one of the barstools. “I don’t want you to have to cook for me,” she blushed.
He wouldn’t have admitted it to any person he knew, but as he looked at her across the counter, the pink spreading up her cheeks, his heart and stomach fell into one another, sending a tremor up his spine.
“I would love to cook for you. Unless you’re picky.”
“Not really, no. I prefer things without tentacles,” she considered. He walked over to her side of the island. She turned in the swivel stool as he approached so that they were facing each other. Lucy smiled somewhat awkwardly, and he wondered if it made her nervous for him to stand so close.
“No tentacles. I can work with that.”
“Do you cook for a lot of women in your kitchen?”