Throwing her clothes in the washing machine, she grabbed her robe and turned on the shower. As the water warmed, steam filled the bathroom. She stepped in and sighed with pleasure.
As she washed her hair, the morning replayed through her mind. She couldn’t remember the last time she had so much innocent fun. Luke. The heat his kisses sent through her body made her feel wanton with need. He confused her. She knew he wanted her, could feel it with the merest touch of his hand to the small of her back, the glance from across the room that pieced her, and his ardent kisses. She’d relived in her mind their moment in the barn more times than she could count.
“Ugh! The man is driving me crazy.” She finished showering. Blowing out her hair was always a chore, but she had it down to a routine. Ten minutes tops. Sliding into her comfortable jeans and cable knit sweater, she sat cross-legged on the sofa with a hot mug of fresh black coffee.
Her photographs were scattered across the coffee table. She was cataloguing and organizing them based on category and theme.
She was pleased with the end results thus far. The interior looked like a home out of Architect’s Digest. As a matter of fact, she was going to suggest that Sara submit some of the photos to them for review. Couldn’t hurt to obtain a little extra publicity. The audience was the perfect market to bring in.
Chapter 8
Her cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID., she saw it was her agent.
“Hi, Terry. What’s up? Hopefully not any issues with the wildlife shoot.”
“No, of course not. They are thrilled with the last batch of photos. You’re the next best thing since sliced bread as my dad used to say.”
“Good. I’m so glad to hear that. To what do I owe the honor of this phone call?””
“I have a new offer that just came in for you.”
“That’s good news. Who is it? Where is it? I’m assuming it is something you think I will be interested in, since you’re calling me about it.”
She continued to sift and sort through the photos as she talked.
“Yes, I do. It’s for a charity in London. They want you to fly to several of their sites photographing the humanity work they are involved in. You’d be going to Scotland, Ireland, and England. Interested?”
“You know me well, Terry. Of course, I am. Sign me up. Send me over the details. When would I need to be there?”
“That’s the thing. You’d need to be there in three days.”
“Three days? Are you out of your mind?” The photos she’d been holding slipped out of her grasp.
“I know it is short notice, but that’s what they need. You’ve taken off on short notice before. Is it a problem this time? I thought you were enjoying some down time. I figured you’d be ready to jump on an assignment like this.”
“Normally, I would, but…” She glanced down, and her eyes landed on a photo of Luke, her mountain man. Picking up the photo, she stared at it, longingly.
“I…I’m not finished with a favor assignment I’m doing for a friend. Let me look at it and get back to you tonight, okay?”
“Alright, but that’s the latest, Lindsay. Otherwise, they will go elsewhere. They are a notorious firm with a large outreach. Good connections could come from this.”
“Thanks, Terry. We’ll talk soon.”
She fell back on the couch, Luke’s photo still in her hand. ‘What am I going to do?” she asked him. “You’re no help.” Her head fell back on the couch, her eyes closed. Why was she not jumping at the chance to go back Scotland? She loved it there. It was one of her favorite places to visit.
Her chest hurt at the thought of leaving Luke. The feeling was alien to her. She felt like a stack of bricks was sitting on her chest, blocking her ability to breathe. She jumped up off the couch, straightening the photos and sliding them into the sorted envelopes.
“This is ridiculous. I cannot be attached to a man I’ve only known for a few weeks. It’s best to cut the strings and move on.”
Now, how did she break it to Sara…and Luke?
Chapter 9
Dirty socks. That was the first mental image Lindsay had as they walked into the bowling alley. It smelled like the locker room after Phys Ed class. She winkled her nose in distaste.
“Don’t discount it until you’ve tried it, Hot Shot.” Luke couldn’t resist taking her hand, walking her to the shoe rental counter.
“I’m going to have to trust you on this one.”
He grinned as Nate and Sara caught up to them.
“What size shoe do you wear?” Luke looked at her feet. “Seven…seven-and-a-half?”
“The latter. Why?” she furrowed her brows when he handed over a red, white, and blue pair of strangely stiff shoes. “Uh, what am I supposed to do with these?” She held them up, pinching them in between her index finger and thumb.
“Bowling shoes. You bowl in them, Einstein. Come on. Keep up.” Luke motioned with his head for her to follow.
“Why did I let him talk me into this?” she muttered.
“Because you love new adventures,” Sara responded as she linked arms with Lindsay. “It really is a fun game. I promise. I can’t believe you have never been bowling before.”
“Guess I missed that on my bucket list. Yay! Something I can add and mark off.” Her words dripped with sarcasm.
She took off her boots and slipped her feet unwillingly into the bowling shoes, imaging all the other nasty feet that had inhabited them. She was so scrubbing her feet with sanitizer.
“Now to pick out a ball. You’re probably an eight or ten pounder. Here. Try one out. You need to be able to draw back and throw without pulling anything or hurting your hand and wrist. How’s it feel? Too heavy? Too light?”
Luke exchanged the eight with the ten for her to compare.
“I think the ten is good. I’ll give it a whirl.”
“That’s the spirit,” Sara cheered.
“I’ve filled out the board. You and Lindsay are up first, then Nate, and then me. Are we ready?”
Luke stepped up and took his ball from the rack.
“Gutter. Gutter. Gutter,” Nate chanted.
Luke ignored his trash talk as he stepped onto the platform. His focus zeroed in on the darts, lining up his shot. He pulled back and in three steps he had fully extended his arm and released the ball, the vibration from the initial contact rattling Lindsay’s ears. He stood watching as the ball shot down the lane, crashing into the pins. The explosion of wood against the ball echoed loudly. Lindsay had been holding her breath and jumped up excitedly as Luke knocked down all the pins.
“That’s good, right?” Lindsay asked excitedly.
“Yeah. That’s good.” He picked up the pink ball she had chosen and handed it to her. “Now do what I did. Do not step over the black foul line. It won’t be pretty.”
She attempted to mimic Luke’s actions, but as she swung backwards, stepped forward and extended to release, she dropped the ball too soon. It rolled infinitely slower than Luke’s ball.
“Blow, Lindsay. Maybe that will help get it down there.” Sara elbowed Nate.
Luke stepped up on the platform with her. “We’ve got a creeper.”
“A what?” Her lip was poked out in a pout.
“A creeper – a slow moving ball. In your case, a very slow-moving ball.” He planted a quick kiss to her lips. “Here. Let me help you get the hang of it. You can do it. It just takes practice.”
“I don’t want to play this stupid game.”
“Are you a sore loser, Lindsay McKay? I didn’t take you for a quitter…”
“Oh, give me the damn ball.” She yanked it from his hands when he picked it up from the ball return.
He stood behind her, his legs outside of hers. Placing his hands on the back of her forearms, he guided her motions.
“Slowly, draw back, then take your steps to position yourself. Don’t take your eye off the center dart. Don’t look at the ball. Focus on the dart. One. Two. Three.” He shadowed each of h
er steps. “That’s it. Extend with a little force and release. Now you try it.”
She sucked in a determined breath, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the task at hand. Following Luke’s instructions, she did as he had schooled her. He was counting with her.
“Now! Release it now,” he hollered. She let go, and watched as her ball sailed down the alley quicker than it had the first time. The first ball had been a gutter. This one stayed straight down the middle.
“Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.” She was shifting from foot to foot as the ball approached the pins, and score! Eight pins were downed.
“Yes! I’m on the board. We did it.” She jumped into Luke’s arms, pleased with herself.
“You did it. Nice job.”
“We make a good team,” she told him as she sipped her hot chocolate.
“That we do, Hot Shot.”
“You’re up, ass hat. Don’t hurt those pretty little guitar fingers of yours.”
“Suck it.”
Sara rolled her eyes in Lindsay’s direction. “Children. They never grow up.”
Lindsay managed to bowl two strikes in the first game and five in the second. She was a quick learner, not to mention competitive. Luke smiled to himself as he watched her shake her behind into position on the platform.
“You have feelings for her,” Sara said beside him.
He looked over at his best friend. “I do.” He sighed. “I’m not sure what to do with them, Runt.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt…either of you.”
“I’m a big boy. I’ll survive whatever happens. Don’t you worry.” He kissed the top of her head, Nate frowning in his direction.
Luke lifted his eyebrows, questioning. “Something you want to say?”
“Plenty, but I don’t want to lose my wife.”
“Good thing you have your priorities straight.”
Nate was up on the last roll. Lindsay plopped down in Luke’s lap.
“Okay, I’ll admit it. This has been a fantastic evening. I never thought I’d like bowling, but it’s awesome.”
She was running her fingers through Luke’s hair, massaging the back of his neck without realizing what she was doing. He shifted in the chair, his jeans tightening at her touch. She looked done into his eyes. They had darkened. His gaze was tense.
“I’ve got chocolate cake back at the house. Anyone interested?” Sara offered.
“Stupid question,” Luke growled. “Let’s go.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Nate whispered to Sara.
“If I were sitting in your lap, rubbing the back of your neck, would you be in a hurry to leave?”
“Oh. Gotcha. Let’s go. Will you sit on my lap when we get home?”
Back at the house, they were finishing off the last of the cake when Lindsay spoke up.
“Um, I’ve got something to share with you guys.” She pushed crumbs of cake around on her plate, not meeting their eyes.
“What is it, Linds?” Sara could see she was uncomfortable.
Luke’s gut tightened.
“I got a call from my agent this morning. I’ve been offered a job in London.”
“That’s wonderful! What will you be doing?” Sara asked.
Luke didn’t take his eyes off Lindsay. He was waiting.
“It’s for a big charity foundation. They want me to go to Scotland and a few other places to photograph their volunteer sites.”
“You love Scotland, don’t you? I’ll bet you’re excited to go back.”
She still hadn’t looked at him.
“When?” his gruff voice dropped the elephant into the room.
“Two days,” she whispered, finally meeting his gaze. Hers were glazed over. His expression was like granite, closed off.
Sara gasped, her hand on her heart. “Oh, my. Does it have to be so soon?”
“Guess this gig got old quick for your tastes, didn’t it?” Luke’s cheeks had reddened. He was angry.
“It’s my job, Luke. Can’t you understand that?” she pleaded with him.
“That’s all that matters to you, isn’t it? You won’t allow room for anything or anyone else.”
Nate and Sara were caught in the crosshairs, their hearts hurting for their friends.
“That is not fair. I love what I do. I’m great at it. There’s no crime against that. I’ve very lucky to be doing something I love for a living. How many people can say that?”
“I can. I still make room for other things.” He stood now. “You are good, Lindsay. You’re one of the best, but when you come home at night, it’s only the empty bed that keeps you warm. No one is there waiting for you. Don’t you want more than that?”
She sighed, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I don’t know.”
“Guess that’s my answer.”
He turned and walked out of the room, Lindsay calling after him.
“Luke, wait…please.” Tears pooled in her eyes. She blinked, and the first droplets trickled down her cheeks.
“I was always honest about how I felt, Sara. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Do you even know what this is, Linds? Have you really thought about that? If it didn’t matter, then why are you crying?”
“I don’t know that either.” She hiccupped and ran out the back door to her cabin. She flopped on the bed, burying her face in the blankets.
Inside the sitting room, Luke was pacing, taking his frustrations out on a bottle of whiskey.
Damn her. He didn’t want her to go. He hadn’t gotten through to her. Didn’t she understand that loving someone else didn’t require losing yourself in the process? And now he didn’t have time to convince her of that. What was she so afraid of?
He couldn’t leave things between them like this. He stormed out of the inn and walked the few steps over to her cabin. Banging on the cabin door, he wasn't sure if she would even answer. Minutes ticked by, and as he turned to leave, the door opened. Lindsay’s tear-stained face looked up at him.
No words were spoken. She opened the door to him as he pulled her into his arms. Tonight, she was his. If only for tonight…
Chapter 10
Luke was gone when she woke the next morning. She’d known he would be. Last night had been their bittersweet goodbye. She rubbed her hand over the pillow he had lain on. She pulled it to her, smelling his woody sent. Her mountain man.
Sitting up, she looked at the clock. No time to waste. No sense in dragging this out for anyone. She could catch an earlier flight to New York and head out to London as planned. She meticulously placed her feelings in a compartment and mentally locked it. She was good at compartmentalizing. That was her best survival skill. Had been since she was a child.
Luke didn’t understand her. He wanted her to choose him over her career. She couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t do it. They barely knew each other. That was crazy. She just needed to get out of here now.
Never a coward, she squared her shoulders and entered the great room, her bags in tow. She conducted a sweep of the room, expecting to see Luke at the breakfast bar.
“He’s not here. He left early this morning. Went to do some work in town.” Sara was in the kitchen, holding up a mug of coffee. “Thought you might need this.”
“And maybe five more to go along with it.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Have you really thought about what you’re walking away from, Linds? They guy’s in love with you.”
“He can’t be. Not that quickly, and besides, I told you, I was upfront from the beginning. No strings. That’s me.”
“Is it? It is really? I’ve watched the two of you together. You’re in sync. The connection is real. You challenge each other, make each other laugh, make each other happy. All I’m saying is, when you find someone who can do those things and gives you all the feels, it isn’t something you should take for granted.”
“I love you, Sara, but it’s just not meant to be. I’m not the girl for him. I’m not sure I’m the gir
l for anyone. Come here. Give me a hug. I’ve got to go.”
The women hugged, Sara holding on. “Promise you’ll call if you need anything. You are welcome here anytime. No reservation required.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
She boarded the shuttle she had ordered and watched the stores of Main Street pass by as the van rode through town. Something tugged on her heart as she left Wilson’s Hollow, but she ignored it. She had to.
* * * * *
London was cold and damp. Dreary. She’d just finished more meetings with the project team at their corporate offices.
“Would you like to grab a bite to eat, Lindsay? A few of us are going down to a pub nearby. I’m sure you’d enjoy some fish ‘n chips. Most Americans do.”
“Sure. Better than sitting in my hotel on a rainy night.”
The pub was a bar just down from the offices. The interior reminded her of a restaurant in New York that was fashioned after an English tavern. Warm, cozy, and lots of beer.
“How are you taking to our fine country? This is your third trip, isn’t it?” Ewan asked.
“Yes, it is. I love it here. I always have.”
They ate dinner and talked more about the trip to Scotland.
“Are you flying home for the holidays then?” Susan, the blonde with Ewan asked.
“No, I see no reason to. I’ll just enjoy it here.”
“Your family doesn’t mind not having you at home?”
“It’s just me, so…”
“Ah, well then, you’d be the lucky one. I’ve a bushel of kin coming over. It’s a madhouse, really. Consider yourself fortunate.”
“They talk before they think sometimes.” Murphy, the project manager had joined them.
“They’re a fun group.”
“Not as exciting as a safari I would imagine.”
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