“I love your shoes,” she said, eyeing his saddle shoes.
“Me too,” he said excitedly. “They’re new.”
She grinned at him, and silence fell between them again until Skyler asked, “Have you really never slept with a client?”
“Never,” she confirmed.
“Besides Lucas King, right?”
She cast him a sidelong glance. “Not since he’s been back in town. No, I haven’t.”
“Why not? That man is hot,” he said.
“It’s complicated,” she said with a sigh.
“Doesn’t look complicated from where I sit,” he said, patting her hand. “Looks to me like you two are always going to be drawn together. From what I’ve pieced together from listening to the town gossip—”
“You can’t trust those lies,” she insisted.
“True, but I’m good at reading between the lines. Let’s see if I’ve got it straight.”
She pursed her lips and raised one eyebrow, indicating she was skeptical. “You can try. But if I laugh, don’t take it personally. These types of guesses always make me chuckle.”
“Excellent.” He turned to face her head-on. “It looks to me like he’s your childhood sweetheart. Right?”
She nodded.
“Then he was likely your first everything. Or at the very least, the first person you were in love with.”
“Yeah.”
“Then he left for college and you broke up. Fast forward a few years. He shows back up in town, and you two pick up where you left off until he left town for a job.”
“What are you getting at, Skyler?” she asked, not enjoying the trip down memory lane.
“You two are magnetic together. Fighting it is useless. And if you’ve found the one who sees all your facets and loves you because of them, then that’s the one to hold on to. Hold on and never let go, Hope. Love is the only thing that really matters in this life. Hold on with both hands and never let go.”
There were tears in her eyes as she listened to him. She was choked up and suddenly really needed to see Lucas. “I need to go.”
He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I know you do. Get going. I’ll cancel your massage appointment.”
Damn, she’d really been looking forward to that. But when she thought of Lucas and telling him how she felt, her heart fluttered in her chest and the tension disappeared from her body for the first time since Lucas had rolled back into town.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hope pulled her Toyota Highlander to a stop in front of the two-story craftsman that she’d always imagined herself living in one day. When Lucas had purchased it, she’d felt that it was a sucker punch in the gut. He knew how much she loved the place. They’d talked about it often enough when they were younger. But now she knew he’d bought it with the intention of winning her back.
A few weeks ago, she’d have recoiled at that thought. Maybe even thought it was manipulative. But now? The gesture felt sincere. Like he finally was ready to commit to a life with her in Premonition Pointe and was willing to prove it in any way he could.
“Hope Anderson?” Bell King called from the flower garden as Hope started to make her way up the path. A couple of dogs started barking from around the side of the house, and Hope assumed Lucas’s two labs were in his yard.
Hope smiled at Lucas’s mom. They’d been close back when she and Lucas dated and had remained friendly over the years. “Hey, Ms. K.”
“It’s about time you came to see me.” She held her arms out, inviting a hug.
Hope embraced her, and they held each other for a long moment. “How are you doing?” Hope asked her.
“Really good. I’ll be even better when Lucas finally comes to visit me.”
“What do you mean?” Hope asked as she pulled back to study her.
“Oh, you know. Since he moved to Boston, I don’t see him that much. I miss my boy.” Bell took Hope by the arm and led her up the path to the front door. “Come in. I’ll make us some tea and we’ll sit on the porch and catch up.”
Hope wasn’t sure what to say or do. Lucas had told her that his mom had early stage dementia. Her illness was the catalyst that brought him back to town. But this was the first time she’d witnessed it.
“Hope? Are you ready to go in?” Bell asked.
She nodded and followed the woman she’d once considered her second mother into the house.
“Bell?” a woman called from the back of the house.
“That’s Janie,” Bell whispered to Hope. “She’s the woman Lucas hired to keep an eye on me when he’s not here.”
Hope nodded, trying to fit the pieces together. Just a few seconds ago, it seemed Bell thought Lucas still lived in Boston, yet she knew that Janie was her caretaker. “Where is Lucas?” she tried.
“He’s meeting a client about some custom cabinets,” Bell said with a proud smile as she took a seat in an armchair.
“It’s custom built-ins,” the woman Hope assumed was Janie said as she emerged into the living room, carrying two glasses of lemonade. She was tall with long dark locks and was dressed in a cotton skirt and tank top. Janie looked more like someone Hope would find selling handmade soap at the farmer’s market than an in-home caregiver.
Bell took her glass and frowned. “I could have sworn he told me cabinets.” Then she chuckled. “It’s so hard to keep his schedule straight these days.”
Janie handed Hope the second glass and nodded at Bell. “He is a busy guy, but he’s usually home in time for dinner. Can’t complain about that.”
“You’re right.” Bell nodded and glanced at her lemonade. “Oops, I promised Hope tea.”
“It’s okay. This is perfect,” Hope said, taking a seat on the stylish cream couch while admiring the gorgeous curved hardwood coffee table in front of her. Lucas really was incredibly talented.
“I’ll be in the kitchen working on dinner,” Janie said. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Please tell me you’re making manicotti. I’ve been craving it for a week now,” Bell said.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“You’re the best, Janie,” Bell said.
Janie chuckled as she started to walk back toward the kitchen. “That’s what you keep telling me.”
“Thanks, Janie,” Hope called.
She waved just as she ducked out of the room.
“You know, I really resented Lucas when he told me he was getting me a keeper, but she is a really good cook. If he’d told me he was hiring a personal chef, that conversation would’ve gone over better.” Her eyes crinkled as she laughed. “Getting old sucks, Hope. But having my boy home sure helps.”
It was strange how most of the time Bell seemed to be completely lucid and aware of everything that was happening but then periodically slipped in and out of reality. It made Hope feel so much for both Bell and Lucas and what they must be going through. As tough as her relationship with her own mother had been, if Angela kept forgetting details of her life, it would be very disorienting to watch. She wanted to hug Lucas for what he must be going through. And Bell too, for that matter, because she seemed completely aware that her mind was slipping. “I’m glad he’s home, too,” Hope said quietly.
“He’s a good boy, Hope.”
“He is,” she agreed.
“You still love him, don’t you?” Bell asked.
Hope, who’d been taking a sip of the lemonade, choked, and when she was done coughing, she looked at Bell and said, “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
“I think it’s obvious how you feel about each other. Why not speak the truth?”
“Because admitting I love someone to his mother without telling him first just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do.”
Bell nodded and then tilted her head to the side. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why didn’t you move back East with Lucas? Your mom had already left town. I always wondered what was
so important to keep you here.”
If anyone else had asked her that question, Hope would’ve bristled. But Bell’s tone was full of innocent curiosity. “The first time, I was still in college. The second time, my art gallery had just started to do well. I had a choice to make… stay here and build the business I’d put so much effort into or give it all up to follow a man across the country. I just couldn’t.”
Bell nodded. “Choices. We all have our reasons. Of course, I’m sure you understand why Lucas felt he had to leave. After everything that happened with his father.”
Hope frowned. She’d never met his father. By the time Hope moved to town, he was already out of the picture. Lucas never wanted to talk about him either. He just said that his father had left them and they’d never heard from him again. That was the end of it. “Lucas hasn’t told me much about his dad,” she admitted. “Only that he left when Lucas was fourteen and never looked back.”
Bell nodded. “I’m not surprised. We never talk about him either. There’s really nothing to say. Or so I thought. But it turns out I was wrong.”
“How so?” Hope leaned forward, realizing that whatever Bell was about to say, it was important for Hope to hear it.
“Lucas’s father was a very charismatic guy. When we met, I fell for him very quickly. He’s the type of person who can make you feel like you’re the center of his universe. It’s very intoxicating and not very healthy, but when you’re young, it’s hard to understand these things. The problem was that, even after I married him, he was making other young women feel the same way.”
“Oh. He cheated?” Hope asked, feeling terrible for Bell. She was a warm, lovely woman who deserved so much better.
“Yep. But not only did he not know how to be faithful, he also couldn’t hold a job or stick to a budget. While we were married, I often worked three jobs just to keep us from going bankrupt. Looking back, I can’t believe I put up with it for so long, but I was and am a believer in vows. And I wanted my son to have a father. What I didn’t realize was how badly Randall was affecting Lucas. I finally hit my tipping point when he started drinking.”
Hope winced. It had been worse than she’d thought.
“Randall and Lucas had a good relationship up until the point when Lucas started to understand that his dad never worked, drank too much, and spent too much time with other women. Lucas started to resent that I was working all the time while his father acted the playboy. And when Lucas confronted him about it, Randall told him they were just alike and to stop dreaming of college because he’d never make anything of himself. It was ugly and went on for months before I caught wind of it.”
Tears stung Hope’s eyes. Lucas didn’t deserve that from his father. No child did. And she was beginning to understand why Lucas had been so focused on doing well in school and getting a scholarship. His mother couldn’t pay for his education without it. Hope suspected that doing well in life was a big FU to his father, too. “He sounds like he was a very unhappy man.”
“That’s the truth,” Bell agreed. “He didn’t like being known as the town drunk and playboy who couldn’t hold a job and ultimately took it out on his son. When I learned what was going on, I threw his ass out and told him to never come back. And that’s exactly what happened.”
“Good for you,” Hope said, wiping at her eyes. “I know that couldn’t have been easy.”
“You know, once I made up my mind, it wasn’t so hard. I had Lucas, and he was and always has been my first priority.”
Hope suspected Bell wanted her to learn something from the story; she just wasn’t sure what. “Bell, why are you telling me this now?”
“Because, sweet girl. I love you, and I’m not sure you understand exactly why he left Premonition Pointe.”
“Because he needed to make something of himself. I understand that part. I just don’t understand why he couldn’t do it here with me. Why was his career so much more important than mine?” There. Hope had finally said the words out loud that she’d been carrying around with her for the past fifteen years.
Bell reached out and cupped Hope’s cheek. “It wasn’t. He knows that. He left because he needed to prove to himself that he’d never become his father. That he’d make something of himself and not have to rely on his woman to pay the bills. He left Premonition Pointe and the memory of his father, Hope. Not you.”
Oh damn. The tears were running unchecked down her cheeks. Why had Bell never told her this before? If she’d known, if she’d realized Lucas had to leave for his own peace of mind, she might have reacted differently. Instead, she’d dug her heels in and remained angry and convinced herself that he’d opted out of the life they’d tried to build together and that her needs hadn’t been an important component in their plans. But it had been the opposite. She hadn’t realized what he’d needed and supported him. Instead, she’d told him not to call her. She wouldn’t do long distance, even though he’d asked her more than once to try.
Hope dropped her head into her hands and let out a deep sigh. “We really messed everything up, didn’t we?”
“It’s not too late to try again,” Bell said softly and sipped at her lemonade.
“No, it’s not. You’re right about that.” Hadn’t that been the entire reason Hope had shown up unannounced at his house? She knew she wanted to try again and make this time forever.
Bell blinked, staring at the lemonade glass and then back at Hope. “I thought we were having tea?”
“Janie made us lemonade. It’s good,” Hope said, holding her glass up.
“Who’s Janie?” Bell glanced around, looking confused and a little stressed.
Hope felt panic well in her chest. Clearly, Bell’s memory was slipping again. Hope didn’t know how to handle it. She decided the best course of action was to remain matter-of-fact and just fill in the details. “She’s here to help you around the house while Lucas is at work.”
Her frown deepened. “Lucas lives in Boston.” Bell glanced around the house, studying all the beautiful details of the restored home. “Wait. Lucas bought us this house. We live here now.”
Hope nodded. “Isn’t it wonderful? That forest view out the back window is really majestic.”
“Lucas told me you always did love this house,” she said with a cheeky grin. “Maybe one day you’ll move in here with us.”
Hope’s face warmed, and she knew she was blushing. There wasn’t much more she wanted other than to live there with Lucas, his dogs, and Bell, her second mother. “You know, Bell, I think I’d love that.”
Bell got up and moved to sit next to Hope on the couch. The older woman gave Hope a big hug and said, “Just tell me when. I’ll be ready to help you unpack.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
It had been twenty-four hours since Hope had left Lucas’s house with a new perspective on their past relationship. They both had their reasons for their choices, and it wasn’t that they’d chosen their careers over the other person, it was that they’d each chosen themselves. Hope because she needed roots and to invest in herself after being abandoned by her mother, and Lucas because he needed to prove he’d never become like his father.
But now? They’d done what they each needed to do, and she was ready to tell him that she was all-in with him. That she was ready to make a commitment to him, whatever that looked like in the future. That they’d make decisions for their life together. It was too bad he’d worked late the night before. It turned out the client he’d gone to see was a few hours away and had a large house that needed both cabinets and built-ins. Janie and Bell had both been right. He hadn’t gotten in until late and had an early morning meeting scheduled with another client. So even though Hope was giddy and desperate to talk to him, she was holding off on spilling her guts until she could talk to him in person.
She’d spent the morning going over her appointment book, and when she realized her business was down forty percent, she sprang into action, working on how she could win back some of her lost clients. No
w she was on her way to talk to Yasmeen. She was going to try to clear the air about the rumors that had caused the woman to cancel her grand opening event. Hope had prepared a proposal that she hoped the owner of the town’s new glass gallery couldn’t pass up.
Hope parked her car a block away and had to walk through a light drizzle to get to the gallery. She hoped that meant Yasmeen wouldn’t be too busy. There weren’t a lot of tourists out when it was wet and overcast.
The bell on the door chimed as Hope walked in. The three people at the counter all turned to stare at her. Yasmeen’s mouth dropped open, and she shook her head, pointing as if ordering Hope out of her store. But Iris Hartsen, the mayor, didn’t see Yasmeen’s antics because she was too busy smiling at Hope and waving her over. The third person was one of the men from Gigi’s party. Troy something. The photographer if Hope remembered correctly.
“Hope, you’re just the person I wanted to see,” Iris said. “Come over here. We’re brainstorming how to attract more artisan shops to Premonition Pointe.”
Part of the mayor’s plan for growing the small town was to turn it into an art lover’s haven. In addition to the handmade glass shop and a few art galleries, she wanted the downtown to be populated with a few dozen stores all devoted to arts and crafts. She’d ordered an economic development study, and the numbers were in; tourists spent more time and money in the art shops than the tourist trap places that sold mass-produced items that could be ordered from anywhere. The mayor wanted to turn Premonition Pointe into a destination city that had something more to offer than just the beach.
“Uh, okay, but I’m not sure I’m the one to help with that,” Hope said.
“You did have an art gallery, didn’t you? And your friend Joy is on the board for the Art’s Market, right?” the mayor insisted.
“Sure. But I closed my store a while ago, and most of my artists were too busy creating to run their own shops. But I could put some feelers out for you if you’d like,” Hope added, wanting to sound helpful. Since the mayor seemed to be ignoring the town gossip, Hope was more than willing to try to give her a hand.
Witching For Hope: Premonition Pointe, Book 2 Page 16