Book of Luke (Book 2)

by Chrissy Favreau

  I chewed a fry. “I’m sure he deserved it.”

  She looked down at her food, near tears. “He only hit me once.”

  “Like he only cheated on you once.” Luke narrowed his eyes. “Or was that twice?” His fingers tapped the table. “Never mind, it was twice before the third time.”

  She heaved a sigh. “I get the point.”

  He touched her hand. “You’re important to me. And I’ll always look out for you, no matter where I live. Make sure he knows that.”

  “I know,” she whimpered.

  Luke tossed a napkin on his plate. “So did you decide on a college?”

  Nikki groaned. “Jasmine and I got into Berkeley, but I can’t go now. We were supposed to be roommates, and I don’t need a replacement.”

  Luke took her hands in his. “I’m sorry, Nikki.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe I’ll take a year off and see where that takes me.”

  Luke bit his lip. “Do what makes you happy. Things will fall into place.”

  Her head fell. “I hope so.”

  Luke sat back in his chair. “Guess who I saw in the Alps.”

  Nikki looked up. “Who?”

  “Andre LeBlanc.”

  Her spirits lifted. “How’s he doing?”

  Luke smiled. “He’s getting married.”

  Her head fell into her hands. “Luke! You’re supposed to make me feel better, not worse!”

  Luke and Burke laughed. After a minute they got up and went to pay the tab.

  I slid her my number. “Call me,” I said, “if you ever want to talk.”

  She smiled. “Really?”

  I hate to admit it, but I really liked the girl. “Anytime. We can talk about anything, don’t be shy!”

  Well, except me thinking you were bangin’ your cousin—I don’t care to talk about that.

  ~ ~ ~

  My parents waited at the airport. My dad’s hair looked crazy, like he’d been pulling it the whole time I was gone.

  It wouldn’t surprise me.

  “Hi, sweetheart!” Mom said, pulling me aside and hugging me. “How was your trip?”

  “I had fun.” I smiled and glanced at Dad, who was getting what he thought was a full report from Burke. I pulled my hand out of my pocket to move some hair out of my face, and kept it there for a moment, so she can see the ring.

  Mom was slack-jawed.

  I put a finger to my lips and glanced at Dad.

  “Sweetheart!” she hissed, and hugged me again. It turned into a huge squeeze and she burst into tears. Then she gripped Luke’s shirt, pulled him into our embrace, and cried.

  “Don’t tell Daddy,” I whispered. “Not yet.”

  Mom’s arms were wrapped around us both, and Luke’s arms followed.

  “I hope it’s okay,” Luke said softly.

  “I am more than just okay with this!” She let me go and hugged him tight. “You’re perfect, Luke!”

  Luke hugged her back. “Thanks, Mrs. Morrison.”

  “Mary,” she insisted, squeezing his shoulder.

  “Thanks, Mary.”

  She pulled away, her hands still firm on his shoulders. “Oh my goodness, I never expected such big news!”

  My mom clearly can’t help herself. Now I know where I get it.

  XV

  On Wednesday afternoon, Lilly, Anna and I hit the mall. We had twenty-four hours until the big date, and Lilly still had to find the perfect outfit—like it would somehow save her relationship when she spilled the truth.

  We wore matching blue jeans and hot pink tee shirts, and I’d managed to wear my hand in my pocket for most of the day.

  I guess I could’ve taken the ring off so Dad wouldn’t see it, but my heart sank every time I tried. Luke put it on my finger for a reason, and I couldn’t take it off like I was ashamed of it. I was far from ashamed of it; I wanted the whole freakin’ world to see it!

  The whole world. Minus Dad, Sullivan, and my best friend. Because my best friend had enough on her plate.

  Alas, when I mindlessly reached for a dress she held up to her shoulders, she grabbed my hand and gasped. “What is this!”

  My heart stopped. “A ring?”

  “Oh my God!” she shrieked. “Oh my God!” She ordered Anna over, so they can both stare in awe.

  “Wow!” Anna said. “That’s magical! Seriously, it looks like it’s for royalty. What did that cost?”

  I laughed, eyeing Lilly. “I didn’t ask.”

  Lilly sighed and shook her head. Her eyes looked glossy.

  “Are you mad?” I breathed.

  She made a face. “Why would I be mad? I saw it coming from a mile away!”

  I hung a dress back on a rack and looked around the little clothing store. We were the only customers in there. “You really did?”

  She nodded. “If he’s not talking about skiing or the damn Olympics, he’s talking about you. All the time.” She pulled me in for a hug. “I told you! We’ll be sisters!”

  I squeezed her tight. “Don’t tell my dad!”

  She knitted her eyebrows. “Why not?”

  I set my hands on my hips. “Why do you think? He’s ridiculous!”

  “Well,” she said, taking a fuchsia dress to the checkout counter. “You should probably remove the ring, then, because that diamond isn’t exactly discreet. What’d he do, get you the biggest one he found?” The cashier rung her up and folded the sparkly long-sleeve dress. “So that’s where all Lukasz’s money went,” Lilly remarked.

  “What money?” I asked, standing beside her. Anna was checking out a brown dress on the other side of the store.

  Lilly glanced at me. “He’s been tutoring math and giving ski lessons the past few months. He said he’s saving up for when you guys move out, but I suspected it’s for something else.” She shook her head. “Silly boy.”

  “I had no idea he’s been tutoring or giving ski lessons! I thought he’s getting ski lessons from that Olympic trainer guy.”

  “He’s getting professional training, but he’s also giving ski lessons to anyone who will pay for them. And if he didn’t tell you about it, gee, I wonder why!”

  I bit my lip. “Well I’m relieved to hear your dad didn’t fund it,” I said, looking at my ring. That would make having puked at lunch even worse.

  Lilly laughed. “My brother would never let my dad pay for something so personal! My dad pays for stupid crap, like skiing and hotel rooms.”

  She took her bag and we walked over to Anna.

  “What do you girls think of this?” Anna said, holding it up and looking at herself in the mirror.

  “Is there someone you’re wearing it for?” Lilly teased.

  Anna shot her a look. “Of course not. But it is pretty.”

  I pulled a tight lock over her shoulder, letting it drop on her back. “Get it! It’s amazing!”

  After Anna paid for her dress, I dragged the girls into the bookstore I’d met Luke in. In a way, I went in there to celebrate my new-found life.

  “I was sitting right there when I first saw him,” I said, pointing to the base of a bookshelf in the back of the store.

  “And he caught your eye why?” Lilly asked, trying to understand.

  “Because he’s smokin’ hot!”

  Anna nodded in agreement, and Lilly grimaced at her, too. “Ew!”

  “And now,” I said dreamily. “He wants to marry me!”

  “If your dad doesn’t kill him first,” Anna noted.

  I sighed. “Party pooper.”

  “He has good taste in friends, at least,” Lilly said, glancing at the romance novels. Then her eyes lit up. “Did you show Anna a picture of Mr. Incredible?”

  “No need,” Anna said with a wave of the hand. “I’ve seen that Pixar movie once too many times!”

  We all giggled. I took out my phone, pulled up the pictures and showed her.

  Anna’s eyes widened. “Wow, what a stud!” She pointed to his arm. “He has tattoos?”

  “At least one,”
I said. “It’s a Chinese dragon.”

  Lilly licked her lips. “The guys in the Alps are majorly hot.”

  I laughed. “He’s French-Canadian—he used to live in California—he just has grandparents there.”

  “Really!” Lilly and Anna said at once.

  I nodded. “Luke didn’t tell you? He’s coming back to the U.S. tomorrow afternoon!”

  “Really!” they exclaimed, their eyes wide.

  I put a hand on my hip, about to drop the bomb. “Luke didn’t tell you? He’s moving into your house!”

  “What!” Lilly squealed, grabbing my phone and staring at him. “This guy is moving into my house?!”

  The clerk at the front of the bookstore put a finger to his lips.

  “Yeah,” I said with a chuckle. “Weren’t you informed?”

  Now Lilly knows what it’s like being me: Hello, you’ve had a brother your entire life? And I wasn’t informed?

  “My mom kept trying to tell me something but my mouth was running,” Lilly said. “I didn’t think it’d be that.”

  “Well that’s what you get!” I lectured. “Now this hottie will see you in your granny underwear!”

  She gasped, her hands shooting to her face. “Oh my God! We need to hit the lingerie store!” She bit her lip. “Does anyone know of a lingerie store?”

  “In Alaska?” Anna crossed her arms. “The best lingerie store around here is on Amazon.”

  Lilly put a book down and dragged us out of the bookstore. “Come on. I saw a silk nightgown a few stores back. I’m not letting this guy see me in a pink princess nightshirt and bunny slippers.”

  XVI

  “Hi, Mr. Morrison,” Luke said in our foyer. He wore his silver chain, leather jacket, black jeans, and a white tee shirt. “Adonia and I are going to pick up a friend at the airport, then on a double date with my sister and Gino.”

  Dad crossed his arms in protest.

  “Mary said Adonia can go,” Luke added.

  “Who?” Dad asked, frowning.

  Luke cleared his throat. “Mrs. Morrison said Adonia can go.” He looked about. “Is she here?”

  “Dad, Mom’s always telling him to call her Mary. Stop giving him a hard time!”

  Dad shot me a look. “My wife isn’t home, she went out with coworkers.”

  Luke’s eyes rolled from me to the hand in my pocket. I wore a cute turquoise dress, long-heel boots, and my coat.

  I walked past my father. “I’m going, Dad. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “By nine, I hope!” Dad called.

  I stopped in the driveway. “Dad, we’re going on a double date. Can we please make it ten?”

  “Fine,” Dad said. “Nine twenty. And who are you going to pick up at the airport, if I may ask?”

  “Troy De La Fontaine,” I said, opening the car door.

  “The jaywalker?” Dad demanded.

  “Yeah, Dad. The criminal!”

  “Why are you picking him up?”

  “He’s moving in with Luke, Dad!”

  Dad’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  I shot him a look.

  “Luke?” Dad said, pointing to his watch. “Nine twenty, please.”

  “Sure thing, Mr. Morrison!”

  In the Jeep, Luke set his hand on the one I’d pulled out of my pocket. We sat quietly for a minute.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  I pecked his cheek. “I’ve missed you, too.”

  He checked the front door for my dad, like to see if he saw that.

  I giggled.

  Luke smiled weakly. “It just feels like this may be the only privacy we get tonight.”

  “We can always ditch them all,” I joked.

  “Nah, it’ll just cause more drama.” His eyes glimmered. “My sister will make sure of it.”

  We chuckled and Luke put the Jeep in reverse.

  “We’re meeting Lilly and Gino at the airport. Should we drop Troy off at my place or let him tag along?”

  “Let him come,” I said. “Anna’s dateless.”

  Luke grinned. “Does she even date? All I ever see her do is study.”

  I laughed. “Well all the hot guys at our school are taken.”

  I know Luke thought I was kidding, but—sadly, for the rest of the female student body—it was the bitter truth.

  We got to the airport at five o’clock. Lilly, Gino, and Anna arrived minutes later. Lilly wore her fuchsia dress and the necklace Luke bought her. Gino matched Luke in his black leather jacket, white shirt and black jeans, and Anna wore the cute brown dress she’d bought. For a sizable crowd, we didn’t say much.

  “Which plane is his?” Lilly whispered, watching the screen that displayed the flight information. Anna, who sat beside her, also leaned forward to listen in.

  “I’m not sure. I think the one from Seattle.”

  “The one that just landed?” Anna breathed.

  “Pretty sure that’s the one.” My eyes shifted to Gino, who watched Lilly anxiously. He sat beside Luke, but they weren’t talking.

  The terminal doors opened, and a swarm of passengers walked through. Dozens of people went to greet them, and after a few minutes, the crowd was thinning out.

  Troy finally emerged, wearing blue jeans and a white tank top, carrying a black jacket. His brown hair covered his shoulders, his arms were bulky and bare, and every off-duty flight attendant in the vicinity stopped to drool.

  They weren’t the only ones.

  “Hey hey hey!” Troy grinned. Luke walked to him and gave him a brief hug. Troy’s eyes shifted from him, to me, glided by Anna, and rested on Lilly. They twinkled, and the grin I didn’t think could get any bigger, did.

  “Troy, this is my friend Gino Barone,” Luke said, pointing to him.

  “Hi,” Troy said, like Luke had just introduced Lilly.

  “Over here,” Luke said with a light laugh, pointing to Gino.

  Gino clenched his jaw and wrapped an arm around Lilly.

  “Nice to meet you,” Troy said, glancing at Gino.

  “Likewise,” Gino mumbled. His chest heaved.

  “This is my friend Anna,” I said, gripping her shoulder. She smiled at him, clearly lovestruck.

  Troy kissed her hand. “Mademoiselle…”

  “And you’ve seen pictures of Lilly,” I said, gesturing to her. “Here she is in real life!”

  “Impossible not to recognize her,” Troy said, his eyes lustful. He seemed tempted to kiss her hand, too, but Gino probably would have decked him, and Troy surely noticed.

  Gino leered and squeezed her tight.

  “How far along are you?” Troy asked, pointing to her stomach.

  She shrugged, her cheeks a deep pink. “How far along do I look?”

  Troy pinched his eyebrows. “Not at all!”

  She laughed. “I’m like four months or so.” She looked at me. “Or five? Four…?”

  I put my hands out. “I dunno.”

  “Something like that!” Lilly said through a nervous laugh.

  “Oh, but you’re glowing for sure,” Troy said, gesturing to her face. “Stunning!”

  “Yes, pregnancy does that!” Lilly exclaimed.

  Anna rolled her eyes, and Luke’s eyes suddenly narrowed.

  Then silence fell upon us.

  After a moment, Troy went to grab his bags from the baggage claim. Luke grabbed one and they joined us again.

  Luke checked his watch. “It’s 5:30. We should go.”

  Gino drove Lilly, while Troy and Anna hopped in Luke’s backseat. Luke powered the engine, and we were off.

  At exactly six, we pulled into The Italian Affair restaurant on Main Street.

  “Is something wrong?” Luke touched my hand as I gazed out the window.

  “No, I just didn’t realize we’ll be eating at Gino’s parents’ restaurant.”

  Luke looked out the rear windshield just as Gino’s metallic gray Chevy Camaro pulled into the packed parking lot. “Well, this is where Gino said to meet him.”
>
  I looked in back. Troy watched intently as Lilly got out of the Camaro, adjusting her long veil of blond hair. Anna just stared at Troy, her mouth hung a bit; I can’t say I’d ever seen her so interested in a guy.

  Looking at him, I also can’t say I was all that surprised.

  Outside the car, we gathered in a group. It was a warm twenty degrees out. Lilly and Gino walked towards us, his grip on her waist tight. Lilly looked surprised that we were eating there as well.

  It was quiet inside. The place was dimly lit as usual, and the waiting area was vacant, except for us. From the look of the parking lot, I’d expected a wait.

  “Hi, Gino!” The hostess is a pretty Italian girl of about twenty, with long lashes and curly dark hair. Her eyes moved from Gino and rolled across Luke’s arms. “Luke…” she said dreamily, moving on to the next, where they ballooned. “And who are you, Fabio?!”

  “No, I am Troy De La Fontaine.” His eyes glistened. “Nice to meet you.”

  She sucked a breath through her teeth. “Wow! It gets hotter every time you guys are in here,” she mumbled, and in her normal voice said, “Let’s go.” She grabbed some menus and we followed her fabulous swaying butt through the restaurant doors, just as the lights went out.

  “What on earth?!” Lilly shrieked.

  “Power outage,” Gino said. “Walk slow.”

  And yet they still walked right into us!

  “Ouch!” I screamed when the giant put all his weight on my foot.

  “Sorry,” Gino grumbled.

  The lights came on suddenly.

  “Surprise!” shouted like a hundred people.

  We all drew back—except Gino—and Lilly covered her gasp. The room was covered in greens, yellows, and browns, with teddy bears, balloons, gifts, and a huge pink and blue swirl baby shower cake resting on a center table.

  Okay, so there weren’t a hundred people there, but there seemed to be a good sixty. It certainly explained the unusual clutter of cars in the parking lot.

  “She’s stunning!” gushed one lady.

  “She does not even look it!” cried another.

  Gino’s mom rushed over to Lilly, her dark locks bouncing. She’s a beautiful woman, with rosy cheeks and dark green eyes. “Surprise, sweetheart!” she said, cupping her hands around Lilly’s white face and kissing each cheek.

  To my displeasure, my mom and Mrs. Jacobson appeared beside us.