Ready to Run

by Lauren Layne

He ran his hands through his hair again. “I don’t give a shit whether she whores herself out on television. What’s it got to do with me? With Lucky Hollow?”

  Jordan swallowed nervously, knowing that her job would be on the line if her boss found out she was about to say this, but she couldn’t not warn him. She couldn’t not prepare him. “They want to see her confront you. The heartbroken bride confronting the man who left her at the altar.”

  His face revealed nothing, but instinctively she knew he was reeling on the inside. How could he not be?

  To have Eva come back after all this time, to know that some TV scavengers wanted to record the moment…

  But apparently Luke didn’t want to talk about Eva. He wanted to talk about her.

  “And what did you say, Jordan?” he asked quietly.

  “I told Raven I thought the story wasn’t quite what Eva might have led them to believe.”

  “Did you tell them not to come?”

  Jordan flinched and crossed her arms once more, answering his question silently.

  “Got it,” he snapped.

  “Look, Luke, I will tell them. I just need something to work with. I need to pacify them, to keep my job and to protect you too, and I can do both if you’ll tell me what went on with you and Eva. Then I can tell them why it’s not a good idea that she come here—”

  He scoffed. “Right. Exchange one juicy story for another, right? Maybe if I give them a good enough version of my side, they’ll sweeten the deal. Offer more money to coax me into being part of their show, right?”

  Jordan’s heart quickened in panic at the way he was twisting this.

  “Stop. That’s not what this is. Luke, you have to know by now that this isn’t just about the show, it’s not about my boss.”

  “No? What’s it about then, Jordan?”

  She swallowed, made herself say it out loud, even though it came out as a whisper. “You make me want things I haven’t let myself want in a long time.”

  He studied her, then shook his head. “That’s it? That’s all I get? You tell me you’re dredging up the worst part of my life, and I get some vague crap about your self-discovery?”

  His rejection of her admission hurt, even as she knew he had a point. He deserved more, but didn’t he get that she wasn’t ready? This was all new to her. She’d spent her entire adult life avoiding feeling anything important for anyone, too terrified that she’d lose them, and he wanted her to change overnight.

  Her fear made her speak without thinking. “Well, gosh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Elliott. Not all of us have had three fiancées to practice our pretty talk on.”

  His expression registered hurt a split second before anger took over again. “You know what, City?” Luke stepped closer. “Go ahead and tell them to bring Eva on in. Roll out the red carpet and bring in the paparazzi.”

  She stared at him. “You don’t really want that.”

  “To see Eva again? No, not really. To put all that shit behind me, I do want that. You know why?”

  They were nearly toe to toe, and she tilted her face up to his, shook her head.

  “Because,” he said softly, raking his gaze over her features. “The sooner I get this over with, the sooner you’ll go back to New York and your precious job, and you and I can get on with our lives.”

  She recoiled in pain. “Luke—”

  He turned and jogged away before he could hear the rest of what she had to say. It was just as well. She was pretty sure the words on the tip of her tongue could destroy both of them.

  I love you.

  Chapter 23

  “Damn, Jordie,” Simon said sympathetically as he pushed a glass across the kitchen counter to her. “That’s cold.”

  She shrugged and shook the glass, watching the ice cubes rattle. “Not so much. I mean, I guess we both knew I was going back to New York. Maybe he’s right to say that everything will be less complicated the sooner I do.”

  Jordan took a sip of the drink and made a face. “What the hell is this?”

  “Lemonade,” Simon said in an offended voice. “Vicky gave me the recipe.”

  Jordan resisted the urge to scratch her tongue. “It tastes like pure sugar.”

  “That’s just your bad mood talking,” Simon said, taking the glass from her and squeezing a half lemon into it before handing it back.

  Jordan took another sip. It was slightly more tolerable, but not much.

  “So what’s our plan?” Simon asked.

  She appreciated the solidarity expressed in his use of the word our and tried to smile, but she couldn’t muster much more than a strained twitching of her lips.

  She kept seeing the coldness on Luke’s face when he’d pushed her away.

  Not that she’d expected him to declare undying love or anything, but after the decidedly sensual morning, she thought she deserved more than what had basically been a screw you and get out of my town.

  What bothered her more than anything was his reluctance to talk about Eva. She’d told him about her family—the hardest thing that had ever happened to her. But he’d brick-walled her on something that obviously caused him pain.

  Then shut her out altogether.

  Simon poured himself a glass of lemonade, took a sip, then winced. “Screw this.”

  He went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of sauvignon blanc and got down two glasses.

  “Um, it’s one o’clock.”

  “Yes, love, but you also just told your boyfriend that you’re bringing his ex-girlfriend into town for a confrontation on camera.”

  “Did you know?” she asked Simon, keeping her voice as non-accusatory as possible. None of this was his fault.

  “Found out this morning,” he said, meeting her eyes. “Must have been a recent decision, because just yesterday afternoon Boss sent me an email to book a flight back to New York, but then this morning he called and said never mind, because this nightmare was going down.”

  “So you think it’s a bad idea?”

  Simon blew out a breath. “Look, I like your hot firefighter. A lot. I think he’d have been an absolute doll if we could have talked him into Jilted, but…didn’t happen. So do I think what this Eva chick is doing is sort of sketchy? Absolutely. Do I think it has the potential to make for good television? Absolutely.”

  “Well, you’re allowed to think that,” she muttered. “You’re not half in love with Luke.”

  Simon reached across the counter and held her hand. “Shit. I was worried it was love.”

  “Half love,” she corrected, taking a sip of the drink. It was five o’clock somewhere, right?

  “Mmm-hmm,” he murmured. “And how does being half in love with him mean you’re going to deal with the bosses bringing his former fiancée into town?”

  “I don’t know,” she groaned. “As my bestie you’re supposed to have an answer.”

  “Well, my first thought was that if you cared about him even a little, you couldn’t let him be blindsided, but you’ve already taken care of that.”

  “Right, but now that I’ve warned him, he’s got it in his head that he wants it to happen.”

  “Well, then, perhaps you should let it,” Simon said gently.

  “You mean actually help Raven in setting up a meeting between Luke and Eva?”

  “It’s your job, Jordie,” Simon said quietly. “And babe, this thing is happening with or without you. You’ve just got to decide whether to get on board or get out of the way.”

  He was right. Jordan hated that he was right. Hated even more that she didn’t know what the right course of action was.

  “Do you know anything about this Eva chick?” she asked Simon.

  Simon looked away, and her eyes narrowed. “You do.”

  “I may have been sent a picture,” he said hesitantly.

  “And?”

  This time it was her glass that Simon topped off. Not a good sign.

  “Simon.”

  “She’s…one of the more gorgeous creatures I’ve e
ver seen.”

  Jordan groaned and leaned forward until her forehead touched the cool counter. “And I’m supposed to bring her here. To have a face-to-face with Luke.”

  “Look on the bright side. He left her at the altar. There has to be a reason.”

  “Yes, but what?” Jordan asked, going to the fridge and pulling out a block of emergency Brie. “What if the fact that he won’t talk about it means he’s still not over her?”

  “Well.” Simon took a sip of wine, then pulled out the small wooden cheese board he’d brought in his suitcase, because he was Simon. “Let’s look on the bright side. If Eva comes into town, I’d guess that whatever that secret Luke’s holding on to is? Not gonna stay secret for long.”

  Chapter 24

  “So exactly how long is this PMS going to last?” Ryan asked Luke, thumping him on the shoulder.

  Luke replied with a glare, a middle finger, and not a single word.

  They’d just gotten back from a pulled fire alarm at the high school, and he didn’t feel like talking.

  School alarms were the bane of a firefighter’s existence. Because even as you knew the chances were good that it was some sophomore wanting to get out of his geometry test, there was always the terror that it wasn’t—that you had hundreds of young lives at risk.

  Luckily, this had been one of the former times—a false alarm that resulted in a semi-organized evacuation, followed by Luke’s team’s thorough search of the building, which revealed not even a hint of fire threat.

  Luke was grateful. Mostly that everyone was safe, but also that the call had been a much-needed distraction from the women in his life.

  Oddly, it wasn’t the supposed confrontation with his ex that was eating at him, although there was definitely a stab of dread lodged in his chest at all times at the thought of seeing her again.

  Instead, it was the blond woman in his recent past who had him tied up in knots. He hadn’t seen Jordan since their fight last week. He knew she was still in town, only because everyone around him had a huge mouth. But he hadn’t heard from her.

  Or, rather, he’d ignored a couple of phone calls. Gotten a couple of Please call me texts that he’d deleted. Luke wasn’t even sure if he was mad at her. She’d at least had the decency to warn him about Eva’s arrival. Plus, if he bothered to call Jordan back, he could probably get more information on Eva’s grand entrance.

  But he wasn’t sure what they could possibly say to each other that wouldn’t make the ache in his chest worse.

  Luke figured the best they could end with was having had a good run and going their separate ways before anyone got hurt.

  More hurt.

  “I second the PMS inquiry,” Charlie said, following Ryan and Luke into the kitchen. “You’ve been edgy since Eva left and since Gil died, but this is a whole other level.”

  Luke swung around to face his friend, the Coke in his hand forgotten. “What did you just say?”

  Charlie winced but didn’t back down. “Look, man. I know we’re not allowed to talk about your ex, and I’ll respect that, but we all knew Gil. Yeah, you were closest to him. But we miss him too. And more than that, we miss the Luke we used to know before Gil died.”

  “Shut up, Charlie,” Ryan muttered.

  “No, it’s cool,” Luke said. “He’s got a right to speak his piece.”

  Two of the other guys came in, only to promptly back out again when they saw Charlie and Luke facing off, with Ryan ready to play referee at any time.

  “I don’t want a fight, man,” Charlie said tiredly. “I’m just worried about you. When you and Jordan hooked up, we finally saw the guy you used to be, and I hate to see that disappear because your head’s up your ass.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning that you two obviously are having some sort of dumb spat, and you need to work it out,” Ryan said, apparently deciding to join the conversation after all. And not on Luke’s side.

  Luke swore softly and took a sip of the Coke as he continued to glare at both friends. The silence in the kitchen became deafening, even as the noise of the guys out in the main area grew louder and more rowdy.

  Finally Luke cleared his throat, set his Coke on the table, and rubbed his hands over his face.

  Maybe they were right. Maybe it was time to let it all out and then let it all go.

  “I haven’t been the same,” he admitted slowly. “Not since I told Eva I wouldn’t marry her, not since she left. And definitely not since we lost Gil.”

  “Look,” Ryan said, clearing his throat. “We understand—”

  “No, hang on,” Luke said, holding out his hand. “Let me get this all off my chest. I’ve never told anyone why I didn’t marry Eva, and I think everyone believes I was protecting her. And maybe I was, a bit, but I was also protecting my pride. And…I guess on some level I was protecting Gil too.”

  Charlie frowned. “How are the Eva thing and Gil related?”

  Luke merely turned his head, met Charlie’s gaze.

  He saw the moment Charlie got it. Heard from Ryan’s muttered fuck that he understood too.

  “Gil and Eva…”

  Luke picked up his Coke again, wishing it were beer. Better yet, whiskey. “Caught them together. The morning of the wedding, I picked up my tux. Decided to run home to hang it up so it wouldn’t get wrinkled in my truck while I picked up my aunt and uncle from the airport. Caught my best friend and bride in bed. My bed.”

  Neither Charlie nor Ryan said a word, and for a moment Luke thought it was because they were shocked.

  A second later he realized that they were shocked but perhaps not so much at his revelation as the fact that…

  Their trio was no longer alone.

  Following his friends’ gaze, Luke looked over his shoulder and into the shocked blue eyes of Jordan Carpenter.

  Chapter 25

  Jordan couldn’t breathe—couldn’t move.

  She hadn’t been meant to hear this story, she knew that. Not like this, anyway. Luke had intended to share his horrible history with his friends, not an outsider.

  But she couldn’t unhear it, and…

  She sort of wanted to. Jordan hadn’t really understood until this moment that it was possible to hurt for another human being, because it felt like her heart was breaking for Luke.

  “I’m so sorry,” she managed, before finally ordering her feet to move and backing out of the room.

  Running in cowboy boots was awkward as heck, but she did it anyway, ignoring the puzzled stares of Luke’s fellow firefighters.

  She made it as far as her car before Luke caught up with her, his hand wrapping around her arm and pulling her to face him. “How long do I have?”

  She blinked. “How long until what?”

  “You said you were sorry,” he said, his face unreadable. “I’m assuming that’s a preemptive apology for you running to tell your bosses that my story is even more titillating than they could have possibly imagined.”

  Jordan went still and stared up at him. “That’s what you think? That I’m off to call my boss? To sell you out?”

  “Why the hell not? That’s the entire reason you’re still here, right? To see if I’d make for good ratings? Well, congrats, City. I’ve been holding out on you. It’s going to be more explosive than you can possibly imagine when you drag my ex into town.”

  “I would never tell anyone what I overheard,” she whispered.

  He made a derisive sound of disbelief. “Yeah right.”

  “This is what you think of me?” she said quietly. “After all we’ve been through…”

  “Which is what, a couple hot nights in the sack?”

  Jordan’s heart had been hurting ever since hearing Luke and Eva’s history, but her pain doubled, and this time some of it was for herself. She slowly pulled her arm away from his grip.

  His fingers tightened reflexively, but she gave him a death stare that had him slowly dropping his hand.

  “Jordan—”

  “D
on’t,” she said, cutting him off. “Don’t. You’ve made yourself clear. I think we’re done here.”

  “Like hell,” he said, reaching for her again.

  “Don’t touch me!”

  Her shout seemed to echo off the pavement, and she gave a quick glance to see if they had an audience, but everyone seemed to know well enough to leave them alone.

  “What am I supposed to think, Jordan?” he said, his voice low. “Last time I saw you, you told me you’re bringing to town the very woman who nearly destroyed me. Then you show up just as I finally get the courage to tell my friends the truth—”

  “Your friends, but not me,” she said. “I asked you what happened with Eva; you wouldn’t tell me. Because you don’t trust me.”

  He looked away, his silence confirming her statement. Jordan felt a tear in her heart.

  “I told you things I’ve never told a single person,” she whispered. “Things about my past, my family…I trusted you with everything.”

  “Sure, and then you blindside me with news that your fucking TV show is still a go and that I’ve been demoted from the star to a mere pawn in the Eva show. How was I supposed to interpret that? How was I supposed to think that our time together was anything other than you softening me up to drop a bomb, make sure I played nice?”

  “Are you kidding me right now?” she asked, genuinely stunned. “You think I would use sex for professional gain?”

  His glare was cold. “Tell your people I’m done cooperating. I’m not going to be a part of Eva’s story.”

  She snorted. “Right. When have you ever cooperated with any of this?”

  “Just tell them,” he said, taking a step back as though done with her. With them. “Then you can get back to New York and we can both pretend this whole train wreck never fucking happened.”

  Well, that was just fine. Because she was done too. Screw him. This was why she didn’t put herself out on the line; this was why she’d never let anyone in after what had happened to her family.

  Because people had power to hurt you if you let them. She’d given Luke that power.

  Biggest mistake she’d ever made.

  He’d hurt her. Badly.