“Hey, Elvira and Sylvia. Taking the day off?”
Elvira patted her gray hair and straightened her old-timey gold-digging uniform. “A news reporter never sleeps.”
Of course. “Good to know. Found anything worth writing about?”
They giggled. “Want to give us an interview?”
“Maybe next time,” I called and hurried onto the wooden porch of the Red Onion. There was some sort of commotion going on inside. I walked in, and it was like a scene happening in slow motion. Drake had murder in his eyes as he moved toward a man like an unstoppable force.
“Lex deserves better than a piece of shit cheating bastard.”
In the blink of an eye, Drake punched the blond man. When he spun around, I gasped. Hollis. My eyes widened as Hollis fell off the stool. “Oh my! No!” I yelled.
Drake turned to me and dropped his fist. I ran to Hollis’s side as he held his face and moaned. He sat up, looking at the Alaskan madman. “What the hell, man? Is it a crime in Skagway to take a number?”
“Hollis, what happened?” I asked, looking at Drake with narrowed eyes. He was not a bit sorry for punching the town’s newest member and future doctor.
Hollis pointed to Drake. “That Neanderthal just punched me. For no reason.”
I winced as the bruise started to form. Hollis needed ice.
“Drake?” I prodded. There had to be some sort of explanation.
Drake folded his arms over his chest, which only made his muscles look larger. Definitely intimidating. “He was taking a woman’s number.”
Okay… I looked around to see if there was something I was missing. Samone and Jane were holding onto each other for dear life. Overdramatic.
I looked at Drake. “Why can’t Hollis get a woman’s number?”
Drake’s eyes narrowed. “A man doesn’t cheat on his woman.”
I paused, waiting for him to continue. When he remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line, it all started to click.
Oh no. He thinks Hollis and I are together.
Hollis stood. “No, he doesn’t. I agree. Good thing I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Drake’s eyes widened, and I realized people were staring at us. The Twiner sisters were “lurking” at the door and writing down everything that was going on. We had probably given them enough fodder for three special editions. No, more. “Can we go to your office, Drake? Get some ice for Hollis?”
Drake nodded, grabbing an ice pack from Crete on our way back to the office at the end of the hallway. The tidy, wood-paneled office was just as I remembered. I whispered to Hollis, “You okay?”
He moved his jaw and winced. “No wonder you wanted a doctor here if this is how they greet newcomers.”
“I think Drake thinks we’re together.”
Hollis nodded, probably already piecing together the situation. In the office, Drake handed Hollis the ice pack, which he put on his jaw.
Drake began to speak, but I cut him off, more than a little agitated. “You owe him an apology, Drake. Hollis and I aren’t together. We have never been together. Why would you think that?”
For a moment, Drake simply stared at me. Then he took a step toward Hollis. “Sorry, man. I had some bad information.”
“I can respect you looking out for Alexa. But next time, ask before you punch.” They shook hands. Hollis handed Drake back the ice pack and then turned to me. “I’m going to head to the hotel. What time are you going to the clinic tomorrow?”
“Probably eight or nine. It needs more work than I expected. I’ll call you when I leave here.”
Hollis grinned. “Sounds good. This is already starting off as an adventure.”
I let out a breath and rolled my eyes. Only Hollis would think getting punched was part of the Alaskan adventure he was looking for.
At the door, Hollis said, “I’ll meet you in the morning. We’ll be carpenters together.”
In some ways, Hollis was sheltered. He’d traveled the world but had never camped. He’d dined at the top of the Eiffel Tower but had never tried a s’more. Our worlds were miles apart, yet we’d connected due to our losses.
I waved. “I’ll bring the hammers.”
“Can’t wait.”
It was going to be a disaster. I doubted Hollis had ever held a hammer in his life.
The door closed, leaving Drake and me alone. Before I had a chance to speak, Drake said, “You’re not together?”
“No.”
He took another step toward me. “You’ve never been together?”
“No.”
My body hummed with excitement as he came closer. Light danced in his eyes.
“Are you seeing someone?”
“No.”
“You’re single?”
“Yes.”
I knew he had a lot of questions, judging from the way his caramel eyes searched mine. I had them, too. The connection between us was undeniable. There would never be anyone like Drake Foster in my life. Never. I knew this. But what do I tell him? He deserved more than I ever gave him. I wanted him to understand there had been no one. I tucked my hair behind my ear. “I haven’t seen anyone since I left two years ago. Not even a date.”
“Then why, Lex? Why?” The anguish in his voice twisted a knife in my heart. I had done this to him… to us.
“I… it’s just… Dad…”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Drake swore when the door opened. Crete poked his head around the corner, his dark hair a mess. “Drake, inspector is here. Wants to speak with you about some new codes to make sure you’re aware.”
“Okay, give me a few.”
“Will do.”
The door closed, and Drake turned back to me. “I have a lot of questions. Lex, I need some answers.”
“I know. I did it all wrong. I was messed up when Dad died. Really messed up. I’ll explain everything. Answer any question you have.”
His eyes softened. “I know it was tough. Where are you going to be later? I want to see you so we can talk.”
With all that had happened, I needed to stop by Mom’s house before her feelings were hurt. Not that it mattered much. When I’d tried to tell Mom when I would be in town, she’d blown off my comments and only wanted to talk about Hollis. And honestly, I was nervous about going home. I hadn’t been back since Dad died. I knew it would feel emptier now with him gone. And that scared me. When I’d been home the last time, his shirt had still hung on the back of the chair, and things had been as he’d left them. If I closed my eyes, I could still sense him. But I doubted Mom had left anything of his out.
I wasn’t sure what I would find when I went home. But I needed to face it and face my mother. “I’m going to head to see Mom after this. I haven’t seen her yet.”
“Okay. Text me your new number. Later, I’ll text you so we can meet up.”
I pulled out my phone and sent Drake my number. He went to the door. “This isn’t over between us, Lex.”
The door closed, and my heart thudded double-time in my chest. Drake Foster still wanted me. And I wanted him.
What am I going to do?
* * *
I drove up the long drive, anticipating the owens b&b sign. Some years ago, I helped carve our last name on the sign and then painted it with Dad. As I made the turn, I stopped abruptly. The sign was gone. The place had fresh paint, new landscaping, and new furniture in the yard. It looked like a completely different place. More sophisticated. Not the rustic B&B I’d called home for so many years.
Blinking a few times, I sat, frozen. This wasn’t home. This was something… new and not part of my dad. All I could see was the loss of what had been. The bench Dad and I made was gone. His rustic rocking chairs, too. My heart ached. I hoped Mom still had them.
I closed my eyes, remembering what it had looked like before, needing to have that connection to my dad. Our home. The place where he taught me to ride a bike. The pond behind the house was where I learned to ice skate. Dad had pushed me on the t
ire swing for hours on end.
Maybe this is a dream.
When I opened my eyes again, I realized it wasn’t. This was a foreign place to me. My eyes stung. Why didn’t Mom tell me she was doing this? Why? I would have come home sooner to see it one last time.
At least the tree where Dad and I used to read together was still there. Drake and I had memories under that tree, too. When we’d first started dating, we had to stay in public places because I was seventeen and Drake was nineteen. Every day, Drake came over to help me study under that tree.
Drake.
He’d thought I was dating someone. I wanted him more than I wanted anything else in the world. My head was still torn, but my heart felt alive for the first time in two years. Dad’s words bounced around in my head like a ping-pong ball.
Don’t settle. Drake is not the one for you.
The lawyer had given me the letter two days after Dad died, at the reading of his will, and it had turned my world upside down. I had loved Drake… I still loved him. But I never knew Dad felt that way about him. They hunted, fished, and did so much together. They were close. And yet it all felt like a lie. Did something happen while I was at school? The letter had been dated two weeks before he died, and I just couldn’t imagine Drake doing anything to break my trust.
A lump caught in my throat. Drake was a good guy, but at some point, for some reason, Dad had no longer approved. His last piece of parental advice had warned me against the man I loved. And now I was more confused than ever. If it had been the right decision, I didn’t think I should feel this conflicted.
Later, Drake and I would talk, and I’d work on sorting it out.
Mom stood on the front porch, stiffly waving. The grimace on her face probably meant I hadn’t come at the most opportune time. I got out of the car anyway and waved back. “Hey, Mom.”
She paused with a look of surprise. “Alexa, I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow. When did you get here?”
Well, that wasn’t the greeting I’d hoped for. Normally, I would correct her, but I felt out of sorts at the moment. Like I was a stranger in the one place that was supposed to bring me comfort. From the looks of it, the inside of the house had been changed as well. And it seemed I was a glutton for punishment; my feet brought me closer to the door. At least the flowery scent of forget-me-nots still filled the air. That was the smell of home.
I cleared my throat. “Yesterday. I came back to open the clinic.”
“Where are you going to open it?”
That was when I wanted to scream out in frustration. I’d asked her to look at the Doogle place for me—explained all my plans. Trying to keep the irritation out of my voice, I said, “The Doogle place, remember.”
She sighed, “Oh, Alexa. I had hoped you’d decide not to go through with that. Stay with Hollis in New York. That’s where the two of you belong.”
Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
I walked up the steps, holding out my arms. Mom greeted me with a stiff hug. Not the one I’d have expected from her after not seeing me for two years. Mom and I had never been super close. I mean, yes, I loved her, and she loved me… I thought. But she was closer to my sister, Raquel. My sister was married to the richest man in town, who was an asswipe, from what I could tell. Chazz thinks… Chazz says… Chazz agrees. Chazz, Chazz, Chazz. From the emails Raquel sent me, it was like my sister had lost all independent thought when she married him. But I’d never met him.
Opening the door, Mom said, “Come on in. I took a pie out of the oven.”
The smell of freshly baked apple wafted through the air, which helped ease my tattered soul. Pie was just what I needed. This was another familiar smell, helping to ground me. Dad and I ate apple pie so many times while working together.
“A lot has changed,” I commented. In the will, Mom had been given the B&B and the land around it. Raquel and I had received separate parcels of land that weren’t connected to the B&B.
Behind me, Mom let out a deep, disappointed sigh. She probably wanted me to tell her how wonderful all the renovations were. The lie died on my tongue. I couldn’t. It felt like the memory of Dad was purposefully being erased. I pressed again, trying to get answers. “What happened to the B&B sign?”
“I stopped doing that. Your sister wanted me to relax and not work so hard. Chazz agreed. With his stature in town, they thought it would be best if I stopped.”
Not her, too, with the Chazz stuff. I kept my thoughts to myself, though it was getting harder to stay quiet about Chazz.
“But you loved it. It was something you and Dad enjoyed.”
She shrugged. “Raquel understands the sacrifices I’ve made. I deserve to have a chance to take it easy.”
Move on. Nothing will come of saying anything else.
I touched one of the new chairs in the entryway. It was covered in fancy silk. It seemed out of place—or maybe I was the one out of place now. I felt like a stranger in my childhood home. The thought turned my stomach a little queasy. With her face set, Mom watched me. To keep the peace, I said, “I’m happy for you, Mom. Where did all the furniture Dad built go?”
“It was sold at auction. How about some pie? Tell me about Hollis.”
The words stung, and my heart seized in my chest. She auctioned off his stuff and didn’t ask me if I wanted it? Dad’s furniture is gone? The thought alone was a heavy weight on my chest. All those hours spent building the furniture together—all the precious memories. It was a pastime he’d learned from Drake’s dad, Ike.
Mom turned her back to me and began to cut the pie. Suddenly, the acid churned in my stomach. The earlier inviting aroma now had the opposite effect. The walls began to close in on me, and there was no way I could stay there. I’d rather sleep in my truck.
“Alexa? Tell me about Hollis.”
I blinked a few times, trying to not cry. Mom hated tears. “He arrived today. But, Mom, we’re just friends.”
After I broke up with Drake and met Hollis… Mom had been convinced he was the one for me. The room grew a little smaller, and I had to fight to stay calm as I searched for something concrete to remind me of home.
“I can’t wait to meet him. He sounds like such a nice man. Maybe he’ll be able to convince you to move back to New York.”
I felt like I was talking to myself. Always had been that way. It was why Mom and I had a “harder” relationship. Man, I missed Dad. He would’ve wanted to know everything about my plans. Dad would have insisted on helping me get the Doogle place ready. I kept glancing around the room. All the family photos… gone. Anything familiar… gone. Bile rose in my stomach. I needed to leave.
Before she cut another piece, I took a step toward the door. “I just remembered I need to do something. Rain check?”
“Sure. I had planned to meet Raquel for dinner, anyway.”
Mom looked almost relieved she no longer had to entertain me. Of course. Nothing had changed since I left.
There were only so many times my heart could break.
Chapter Four
Drake
Lex was single.
Had been single.
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as I drove out to my favorite thinking spot. It was still early evening, but I wasn’t ready to see her yet. I needed to get my head on straight and calm down before I jumped the gun with Lex. This new information changed everything. I just needed a few minutes. Then I’d text her.
She’d seemed ready to talk. I hoped we could get to the bottom of what happened.
Moochie had been understanding when I texted him to let him know Lex was back in town. He’d said I had a seat and could come later if I wanted to. If things went south, I’d probably take him up on it.
I thought back to everything that had been said over the last two years. Irene had insinuated that Lex had a big-city boyfriend. But, as I thought back, she never actually confirmed it. Her mother always alluded. Why? I’d made an assumption when I saw her running into his arms. I slammed
my fist against the steering wheel. Why the fuck didn’t I talk to her that day? Why?
I parked my truck and caught sight of her small frame on the end of the dock my parents owned. It was a small parcel of land not too far from their house. What are the chances? I shook my head and threaded my hands behind my head. This had been our place when we were together—to talk, to sit, to just be alone. Her head lifted from her knees and she glanced my way, a sad smile on her face.
I hated that look. And even though what she had to say might scare the shit out of me, I got out of the truck and headed her way. The pull to her was instinctive; the need to protect her was primal.
“You came here to think, too?”
She tilted her head back to look at me. “I did. Want me to leave?”
I tried to read what were behind those sad blue eyes. Shaking my head, I said, “No, I don’t. Not at all.”
I sat next to her and dangled my legs off the dock. There were so many conflicted emotions on her face. The breeze picked up, alleviating some of the stifling heat we’d had that day. Lex rested her chin back on her bare knees and looked out at the lake. “It’s so peaceful here. I should have called your parents and asked if I could come. But I—”
“You never have to ask to come out here.”
We grew silent again. I was impatient to get the answers I needed, but Lex couldn’t be pushed. From the distant look on her face, I imagined a war raging within her.
Finally, she responded, “I was a coward. And I was confused.”
“About?”
She looked me in the eye, and I could see the hurt she’d been hiding. It was raw, anguished, and I wanted to hold her until I could convince her everything would be okay.
Sighing, she shook her head. “Everything I thought was right in my life was suddenly wrong.”
That makes no fucking sense. I watched her closely, waiting.
“Remember after the reading of Dad’s will, Montgomery handed me a letter?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed, anxious to hear what had happened.
“It was from Dad.”
Intoxicated By You_An Exposed Hearts Novel Page 3