Starting Over at Lane's End (Harlequin Heartwarming)

by Galloway, Shelley

  As they walked down the hall, Amy seemed a little more distant than the last time they’d talked. So far, she’d hardly met Gen’s gaze. Instead she focused on her feet.

  “Is everything okay?” Gen asked.

  “No.”

  “Anything you want to talk about?”

  “Not unless you know how to get my dad to pay attention to me. He was going to take me shopping last night but got home too late.”

  “My dad was always busy, too.” Studying the girl, Gen asked, “Shopping for anything special?”

  “Maybe. I...wanted something to wear to the next basketball game.”

  Gen was surprised. Everyone had been supercasual at the games she’d gone to, just dressed in simple jeans and sweatshirts. “I hope he has time to take you shopping soon.”

  “I do, too.” Amy turned to Gen, her brown eyes looking bigger than usual in her pale face. “Everyone who matters is going to be at the game.”

  “I guess so. Anyone special you’re hoping to see?”

  For a moment Gen was sure Amy was going to tell her. But then she shook her head. “Forget I said anything.”

  “If you need a friend to shop with, I could take you.”

  Amy rolled her eyes. “I don’t think so.”

  Gen didn’t know whether to be amused or offended. “I’ll see you later, Amy.”

  But, once again, Amy had already taken off.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “GEN, WAIT UP!” Cary called as she exited the building on Wednesday.

  As Gen turned to watch him approach, she smiled. He was loping again, just as he had the first time they’d met. Of course, now she doubted she’d refuse any offer he sent her way. “Hey! How was your day?”

  Warmth slid into his eyes. “Good...and on its way to getting better.”

  Her stomach tightened when she felt his gaze settle on her lips. Oh, it was dangerous for her to be anywhere near Cary Hudson.

  Acting as if he hadn’t just said anything suggestive, he grinned. “I was going to go pick up Sludge and take him to Paxton Lake Park. He loves it there...lots of trees and statues to inspect. Why don’t you bring Sadie along?”

  Going to the park sounded good, and bringing the beagles sounded even better. “Tell me where and when and I’ll be there.”

  After quickly giving her directions, he looked at his watch. “It’s four-thirty now. Meet you at the park in thirty minutes?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  * * *

  PAXTON LAKE PARK WAS exactly as Cary had described it. Filled with statues, there were a hundred things for a hound to sniff and explore, making it a beagle paradise.

  Comfy in her jogging outfit and tennis shoes, Gen grinned as she spied Cary. Dressed in a torn red sweatshirt, faded cargo shorts and beat-up tennis shoes, he looked as if he’d just crawled out from behind a rock.

  He laughed when she told him that. “You, on the other hand, look like you’re modeling workout gear.”

  “Ha-ha.”

  “Seriously, you look pretty, Gen.”

  Those simple words brought forth a rush of pleasure.

  Gesturing to his own ratty clothes, he said, “I’ve learned never to wear good clothes while walking Sludge.”

  “I haven’t forgotten our hike, but they seem relaxed and happy today. Sludge seems particularly mild-mannered right now.”

  “You weren’t here the day he spotted a group of rabbits and followed them across a muddy field. Or when he bit though his leash and chased a four-year-old.”

  “I’m glad I wasn’t.”

  “Oh, he didn’t want the kid. Just his ice-cream cone.”

  Taking a closer look at Sludge, Gen patted Sadie. “Sadie might be constantly hungry, but she’s not a menace.”

  Cary looked skeptical. “Yet.” With a motion of his hand, he led the way. Slowly they walked through the park, Cary pointing out various statues and the dates they were dedicated.

  The day was glorious. After twenty minutes, Gen pulled off her hooded jacket and tied it around her waist. Sadie and Sludge inspected each other and the statues, but generally minded their manners.

  “It sounds like you come here a lot,” she observed.

  “I do. See the church with the white steeple in the distance? That was my dad’s. I spent many afternoons over here while he did ‘just one more thing.’ Once, Dean and I spent a whole summer here, playing Frisbee baseball. We had a blast.”

  “Bases were statues?”

  “Yep. Almost ran over an old guy sleeping in the sun one day. Scared him half to death. Boy, we got in trouble for that.”

  His life seemed so quaint. So normal. Easy. Gen wondered if she’d ever felt that connected to her sister or her parents. More often than not she’d spent her time trying to get out from under their scrutiny.

  Woof!

  Startled by Sludge’s sudden deep howl, Gen glanced at the dog in alarm. “I wonder what—”

  Woof, woof!

  Sadie pulled on her leash as though her life were on the line. In her confusion, Gen lost her grip on Sadie. Unfortunately Sludge pulled away from Cary, too.

  Before they knew it, the dogs were off, their leashes trailing behind them like kite tails. They barked madly as they dashed over an expanse of grass, then over a bed of shining daffodils. An elderly lady walking a golden retriever hastily stepped out of their path.

  And still they ran.

  “Oh, no,” Cary muttered. “Look!”

  Gen gasped as she saw the dogs’ target—two teenagers eating a large pepperoni pizza on the grass.

  “They’re picnicking!” she yelled, imagining what was coming next.

  “They’re being attacked,” Cary corrected, as with one mighty howl Sludge leaped forward, Sadie at his heels.

  Gen groaned.

  The two kids yelped in surprise.

  Sadie, that beast, howled again.

  Sludge just stuck his muzzle in the middle of the pizza pie and opened wide.

  Within seconds, the two beagles were chomping as if they’d found nirvana.

  Cary reached them first. “Sludge, you horrible animal. What am I going to do with you?”

  Sludge burped.

  Hastily Cary wrapped the end of the leash around his hand. “Sorry about this, kids,” he told the teens.

  “Mr. Hudson, your dog sucks. I used my last twenty to buy this,” the boy said.

  After grabbing Sadie, Gen looked regretfully at the teenagers. “I’m really sorry about your pizza. The leashes slipped.”

  “The dogs have no manners,” Cary finished. Fishing in his pocket, he pulled out a bill. “Brandon, here’s twenty dollars to make up for our dogs’ deplorable behavior.”

  “I really am sorry. These dogs...they egg each other on,” Gen added. “They also haven’t learned to listen.”

  “They haven’t learned to do much,” Cary mumbled.

  Brandon looked from Gen, then to Cary and back to Gen again. “You’re the new cop.”

  “I am.”

  With a grin, Brandon cast a sideways glance Cary’s way. “Dating, Mr. Hudson?”

  The teen’s smirk said a thousand words. Cary wasn’t inclined to give him any more ammunition for gossip at school. “Maybe.”

  “How’s it going?”

  Cary’s cheeks began to redden. “My dog just got loose and ate your pizza. So far, pretty good.”

  Brandon pocketed the money. “No hard feelings.”

  “Thanks.”

  The girl laughed. “See ya, Mr. H.”

  Taking the dogs securely by their leashes, Cary and Gen glanced at each other. “I hadn’t planned on this.”

  “What? Seeing students?”

  “The at
tack of the beagles.”

  “If you had planned it, I’d be pretty impressed. Not every guy can summon dogs to be completely unruly on command.” Now that the adventure was over, Gen threw back her head and laughed. “You trotting over those flowers was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

  Cary soon joined in. “I thought you were never going to help me. For a moment you looked as stiff as those statues!”

  She tried to catch her breath. “Did you see the way Brandon stood in front of his girl?”

  “As if he was going to save her from Sludge’s vicious appetite.” Cary threw an arm around Gen’s shoulders as they walked back toward the parking lot. “So...you okay?”

  Gen leaned her head on his shoulder. “Other than being a bit unprepared for a ‘relaxing’ day in the park? I’m fine. Thanks for this. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages. It...did me good.”

  “It did me good, too.” He dropped his arm.

  She missed his touch already. “So, see you at school tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. See you, Slate,” he muttered right before he pulled her to him and kissed her.

  She wrapped her arms around him, just as Sadie howled again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “AND NOW...I BRING you...the Lane’s End Lions!”

  The gymnasium walls practically shook as the crowd roared to their feet. Chants and whistles blew as the team entered the gymnasium one member at a time.

  After a full minute of applause, Coach Jackson began calling out the starting lineup. Each player stepped forward as the crowd chanted his name.

  After standing up and sitting down for about the tenth time, Dave looked at Cary. “This pep rally is nuts! If we have to stand up one more time to sing the fight song, my knees are going to give out.”

  “Mine, too. All our years of running are taking a toll.”

  As if on cue, the band started playing again. The crowd dutifully got to their feet, Dave grunting with the effort. As the Lions’ mascot raced out, the fans’ shouts reached a higher decibel. “This is crazy!” Dave exclaimed.

  Cary had to agree. Not only was the whole student body there, but a large segment of the general population was in attendance to cheer on the Lions, too. Everyone stood together, shoulder to shoulder, waving bright gold-and-black pennants and signs. The band played, the cheerleaders screamed, the crowd whistled and yelled for all they were worth.

  Cary figured there was only one person present who wasn’t firmly gripped by Lion pride: Gen Slate.

  She was easy to spot in the crowd. Clad in her blue uniform, she stood by the main entrance, her mouth conspicuously shut, her eyes continuously scanning the crowd.

  She was on duty today to keep the peace. From her strained expression, Cary thought it was pretty obvious that peace was fairly hard to come by. Every few minutes she’d speak into a walkie-talkie. A couple of times, she directed the cheerleaders to stand back or asked people to leave the exits free.

  Noticing the direction of his gaze, Dave nudged him. “Officer Slate doesn’t look like much of a basketball fan,” he said. “I haven’t seen her smile yet.”

  “I think she likes basketball fine. I have a feeling everything else is making her crazy.”

  “It could be worse. From my point of view, the event looks fairly organized.”

  Cary had to agree. The pep rally was loud and chaotic, but it was basically under tight control. “At least Jimmy and Brian are behaving themselves,” Cary said, nodding to the two star forwards.

  “They couldn’t be any farther apart and still be on the same team,” Dave joked.

  That was true. Jimmy and Brian were doing their best to stay a good ten feet from each other. Brian also seemed to be keeping a careful eye on Melissa.

  At the moment, Missy was holding a large foam board with the word ROCK painted on it, while the band played the perennial Queen favorite “We Will Rock You.”

  Dave clapped along. “I gotta tell you, I feel as happy as the kids. When was the last time we had a day off for a sporting event?”

  That answer was easy. “Never.”

  “You going to the game tomorrow? Wilmington’s about an hour north.”

  “It’s the final game in the division championship to decide who’s going to state. Of course I’ll be there.”

  “Taking Gen?”

  “If she wants to go.”

  When the crowd quieted down so Coach Jackson could speak, Cary focused on Gen again. Though she’d probably say he was crazy, he admired how the uniform did incredible things for her figure.

  He felt almost proprietary as he watched her. Over and over, she spoke to more people, including a six-year-old who wanted to feel the badge clipped to her hip.

  She really was a great cop. She commanded authority even though she was smaller than about half the population in the gym.

  As two kids stood nearby and joked with her, Cary realized that she’d accomplished one of her objectives since moving to Lane’s End—she’d made friends with a number of the students.

  He laughed as a man who blocked the exit faced a very different Gen Slate. She treated him to a glare that would make anyone shake in his boots.

  On closer inspection, Cary realized he knew the guy she was chewing out—one of his father’s parishioners. Gene Clancy was probably going to think twice before crossing Officer Gen Slate again.

  Later that afternoon, after the Lions roared to victory and had officially made it to the finals, the crowds disappeared and the cleanup was well under way, Cary walked Gen out.

  “You didn’t have to wait for me,” she said.

  “I wanted to.”

  “I’m glad.” Her eyes sparkling in the bright sunshine as they exited the gym, she said, “I’m getting used to seeing you all the time.”

  “Me, too.” He couldn’t resist slipping his hand down her arm, finally linking her fingers with his. “Where are you off to now?”

  “I have a gardening lesson.”

  He didn’t even try to hide his surprise. “Of all the activities I picture you doing, gardening isn’t one of them.”

  She laughed. “It’s a long story about how it came about, but Bonnie said she had time to help me today. I’m growing lilies.”

  Because he loved to see her smile, he teased her gently. “Growing lilies? Is that police code for something?”

  “You’re ridiculous,” she countered, flashing him a beautiful grin. “For your information, I planted Easter lilies...but they’re not doing well. I’m either giving them too much water or not enough. As of right now, they may be dead by Easter instead of blooming prettily.”

  Blooming prettily. “I never pictured you as a gardener.”

  “That’s the problem! I’m not.”

  He squeezed her hand. “How about I stop by later and check up on those lilies?”

  “Now you sound like you’re the one who’s talking in code.”

  Pausing at her car door, he said, “Maybe I am. Maybe I want to do more than check out your flowers.”

  “Maybe I’ll let you stop by.”

  The look in her blue eyes made him step a little closer, wrap his arms around her waist...and press his luck. “Tomorrow, how about you let me take you to the game? It’s a big one—if we win, we’re going to state.”

  “What do I get if I say yes?”

  “Anything you want.” Grinning, he leaned toward her, moving close enough to smell a hint of lemon. The tangy scent brought up memories of the other evening when he’d rubbed her back.

  Gen looked around. “You’re not even thinking of kissing me here, are you?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I’m in my uniform.”

  “So?”

  “So? Cary, that would be a mistake. That would—�
��

  “Be a really good idea,” he said quickly.

  After all, Cary Hudson might be Lane’s End High’s favorite teacher. He might have been a preacher’s son. He might have been known to have the patience of a saint. But he’d never been one to run from a challenge.

  As their lips met, he ran a hand along her back, loving how right she felt in his arms, how she responded to him, as though what was happening between them was almost too good to be true.

  Laughter in the distance pulled them apart.

  “I’ll come by soon,” he said, trying not to let Gen see how much their kiss had affected him, but he was sure he wasn’t fooling her for a second. “I’ll bring Sludge.”

  “Can’t...wait.” She looked dazed.

  He nuzzled her cheek. “We can order in. I’ll look at your flowers...your lilies.”

  Gen looked as if she’d forgotten what lilies were.

  Just as Cary turned away, he spied two teenagers from his third-period class. “Hi, Kylie. Jason.”

  Kylie blushed. “Mr. Hudson.”

  Because they were still staring at him in surprise, he said, “It was a great pep rally, wasn’t it?”

  Jason laughed. “For some more than others.”

  Cary couldn’t resist agreeing as he unlocked his car.

  * * *

  AN HOUR LATER, GEN stood next to Bonnie and surveyed her four pots filled with

  lilies. “What do you think?”

  Bonnie examined each leaf as though she were the lead detective in a crime lab. Gen found herself holding her breath as she waited to hear the results.

  “They’re still alive.”

  Only she would get a landlady who had a real affinity for sarcasm. “Bonnie, even I can tell that. How are they doing? Do you think they’ll bloom by Easter?”

  With a frown, Bonnie stuck a finger in the dirt before rubbing her fingers together. “Maybe.”

  “I’d hate it if they died before then.”

  “That would be a real shame.”

  Oh, good grief. Bonnie might as well have been speaking Greek. So far she hadn’t said one meaningful thing. “Thanks for the advice.”