“What else?”
Allison put her hand over his pecs to push him away, but her fingers dug into his Henley instead. His heart pounded beneath her touch. She dropped her forehead to his chest and let the cotton of his shirt absorb her tears. “I don’t belong in Chicago.” Not with him. If Luke owned a diner, or a garage, she would move there in a second. She wouldn’t humiliate him if he was an average Joe.
But he was Luke frickin’ Hamilton. There were expectations for the owner of Le Cygne Noir. And Allison wouldn’t be a cause for his embarrassment.
She smoothed the front of his shirt, and gave him a wobbly smile. “And you don’t belong at The Pantry.”
“Now you’re telling me where I belong? That I don’t fit in at a diner?”
Pressing her lips together, Allison leaned back.
“Shit.” He gripped her t-shirt. “I didn’t mean it like that. I love your restaurant.”
“I know. But, Luke”—she covered his hand and kept it pressed close to her heart—“can you see yourself staying here? Be completely honest with yourself. Would you be happy cooking at The Pantry for the rest of your life?”
The silence in her office was absolute. Her heart beat once, twice, before he answered. “No.”
He looked devastated by his own response, and Allison smoothed her hands up and down his chest.
He cleared his throat. “No. I need more of a challenge.”
Allison nodded. Every muscle felt as heavy as lead. “So that’s it,” she said dully.
He reached for her again. “Allison—”
Holding up her hands, she shook her head. “No. It’s best this way. We had a good run. Lots of happy memories.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”
He was sorry. She was sorry. What the hell did it matter? “Please go now.” A fine trembling shook her, and she clenched her hands, trying to keep it together.
He stepped forward, and she turned her head. She couldn’t take a goodbye kiss. She felt as fragile as glass; one touch and she’d shatter.
“I’ll get my stuff from your house.”
She nodded.
“Goodbye, Allison.”
The air shifted, grew cold, and he was gone. She listened to each footfall of his boots as he walked out of her restaurant—out of her life.
Something primal tore out of her throat. Bending in half, she grabbed her stomach, but she couldn’t hold back the pain. If this was what it meant to fall in love, to become so attached to another person that their loss felt like an amputation, then she wanted no part of it.
She slid to the floor and stopped trying to hold the tears in. She cried until she was gasping for breath.
And then she cried some more.
* * * *
Luke found Colt in a trailer-turned-office at the site of a halfway-constructed strip mall. The contractor was pawing through different piles of invoices stacked on a rickety wooden desk. A small plastic Christmas tree perched on the edge of the desk, a touch of whimsy Luke wouldn’t have expected from the burly man and the only decoration in an otherwise utilitarian space.
Colt didn’t look up when the metal door snapped shut. “Janice, do you know where the Fisher Tile invoice is? I can’t find anything in this mess you call a desk,” he grumbled.
Well, that explained the Christmas tree.
“It’s me,” Luke said, shifting from foot to foot. This wasn’t a conversation he looked forward to, but Colt deserved a face-to-face. Luke only hoped to leave without having too much damage done to his face.
Colt snapped his head up, startled. “Sorry. Thought you were my secretary coming back from lunch. I swear she’s created a filing system only she could understand just so I’ll never fire her.” He went back to digging through the piles.
That wasn’t the reception Luke had been expecting. “You got a moment to talk?”
“Just. Between missing invoices, getting fitted for my tux, and getting home to make Sadie some soup, I don’t have much time to spare.” Colt frowned. “Damn fool woman’s made herself sick over this wedding. She’s been in bed all morning with a migraine—which reminds me”—Colt put his fists on his lower back and stretched—“I’m supposed to ask if you want to come to my bachelor party. It’s Thursday night at the Pins ’N’ Pints. It’d be great if you could make it.”
Luke shoved his hands in his pockets. “Haven’t you and Sadie talked to Allison? I thought you would have kicked my ass back to Chicago by now?”
Colt stilled. “What did you do to Allison?”
The man’s shoulders bunched up like two boulders, and his eyes narrowed. The space in the trailer got a whole lot smaller. Luke felt his own muscles tense, and it wasn’t just in preparation for battle. He knew Colt was Allison’s friend, that they’d known each other since they were kids. But that didn’t mean Luke had to like it that Colt made himself Allison’s defender. Stomach burning, Luke forced himself to relax. He was the one who’d hurt Allison. He should be happy she had friends who cared about her, not jealous.
Still, if anyone got to bust heads on Allison’s behalf, Luke couldn’t help feeling it should be his job.
“I didn’t do anything to her. Not intentionally.” Luke rolled his weight to the balls of his feet. “I lost twelve hundred dollars of your money trying to buy meat from the wrong man, and I’ve come to apologize and tell you that I’m good for it.” Luke pulled an envelope from his back pocket. “Here’s eight hundred dollars, the last of my cash for this trip. I’ll send the rest to you when I get back to Chicago.”
“Oh.” Colt shrugged, good humor restored. “That’s fine then. I’m glad I don’t have to mess up that pretty face.”
Luke twisted his lips. “You’re fine with me losing your money?”
“You said you’re going to pay me back.” Colt stretched out a hand and cocked his head. “I trust you.”
And like a pin to a balloon, all of Luke’s resentment was sucked out of him. He grasped the man’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. Just wish Allison had a bit of it in me.”
“She’s giving you a hard time, huh?” Empathy was etched across Colt’s face.
Luke ran a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t think we can make it work long distance. I don’t know; maybe she’s right. All I know is it’s over.”
Colt cursed. “You guys broke up? Is this going to mess with our seating chart? I swear to God, you’d better be at our wedding so Sadie doesn’t freak out about the empty chair.”
“Uh, I don’t think Allison wants to see me.”
Crossing his arms, Colt slowly shook his head. “I don’t care. You both will just have to suck it up. I’m not having Sadie worrying about one more thing. Do you understand?”
“Whoa.” Luke raised his hands, palms out. “Calm down.”
“Easy for you to say.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Colt blew out a breath. “Look, Sadie is flipping out over this wedding. I don’t want anything else to worry her.”
“I get that.” A vision of Allison dressed up as a bridesmaid floated through Luke’s mind. She was going to look beautiful, and for just a moment, Luke thought about attending. Spending one last evening with her. He rubbed his chest. “But I have to think about Allison. I think it would hurt her to see me again.”
Both men leaned back against the desk with twin sighs of disgust.
“Women,” Colt finally said.
“At least you have yours.” Luke rested his hands behind his head, clasping his fingers together. “Allison dumped me just because I don’t want to work at The Pantry my whole life.”
“Of course you don’t. You like making girlie food.” Colt shrugged. “I checked your menu out online after I heard your story. Sounds like some fancy shit. And that’s not The Pantry.”
Luke ignored
the “girlie” bit. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want Allison in my life.” Need her, more like. He dug his palm into his eye socket. In a few short minutes, he was going to drive out of Pineville and probably never come back. Luke’s breaths came in short, jerky bursts. The thought sent a wisp of panic fluttering through his chest. Luke pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do I do?”
He stared at Colt, hoping the man might hold the answers. He was getting married to the woman he loved. He must know something about winning over the fair sex.
“That all depends on what you want.”
Luke groaned. That wasn’t the decisive answer he was looking for. He wanted a plan of action, not a philosophical question.
Colt held up a hand. “Listen. It sounds like you were only here for the short-term anyway. Why does it matter so much to you?”
“Because…Allison matters. I don’t care about short term or long term. I just want her.”
Colt stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles. “So, you and Allison both want more?”
Luke nodded. “But our lives are five hundred miles apart.”
Colt scratched his chin. “That sucks.”
“‘That sucks’?” Luke stood, and paced to the door. “That’s all you can say? ‘That sucks’!”
Colt furrowed his brow. “What else is there to say? You guys hooked up thinking you’d only be together for a month or so, and now that you both want more, you don’t know what to do about it.”
“I already know the problem. What I need to hear is a solution.” Luke kicked a beat-up sofa that was wedged against the far wall. “Allison loves her life here in Pineville. And I get it. It’s a great town. But I have a restaurant to run back in Chicago. I have thirty employees who depend on me for a paycheck.”
“But do you like it?”
Luke stared at him blankly.
“Do you enjoy your life back in Chicago?” Pushing the pile of bills to the center of the desk, Colt scooted back. “I’ve heard you talk about your restaurant, and I got to say, I haven’t heard much love.”
Luke flopped onto the couch. “It’s who I am.” It always had been. His restaurant had defined him, given him purpose. The thought of losing it…wasn’t as horrible as it used to be. “What would you do?”
Colt shook his head. “That’s not for me to say. You and Allison have been doing things ass-backward from the very beginning.” He chuckled. “I thought she was crazy for inviting you into her house, her being a single woman and all. But Allison’s always done what she thought best, and to hell with the consequences.”
Warmth spread through Luke’s chest. Allison was so organized when it came to running her business but crazy impulsive in her personal life. She led with her heart. Was it any wonder that he loved her?
But loving someone wasn’t enough. The real world always intruded.
“I have to change something,” Luke said, more to himself than to Colt.
“Well, duh.”
Luke scowled at Colt. “Hey, I’m having an epiphany here. Give me a break.”
Colt shrugged.
“Allison deserves more than a long-distance relationship. She wants a husband, kids, the whole nine yards.” Luke waited for the panic to envelop him at the thought—and kept waiting. Having that life, having that life with Allison, wasn’t freaking him out like he thought it would.
Colt scratched his chin. “Yeah, women do tend to want those things. Men, too. I want to marry Sadie so badly. But weddings…” He shook his head, gloomy.
Luke ignored him. “I’d have to make lots of changes.” He started making a list in his head. The tasks were daunting.
“I don’t think I’ve been the man Sadie needs lately.” Colt rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve let this whole wedding business get her down.”
“Well, then do something about it,” Luke said.
Colt’s eyes snapped up to his, and the man frowned.
Luke stood. “I mean it. You’ve convinced me to do something about Allison. Take your own advice. Be proactive.”
Colt nodded slowly. “Proactive. I can do that.”
“And I can get Allison back. I think I know how to do it.” Plans wove together in his mind. It was a lot of work in a small amount of time. He needed to get it done before she went back to her original plan, started looking for her boring husband-material man. He’d hate to have to knock out the front teeth of some innocent stockbroker just because he made the mistake of going on a date with Luke’s woman.
“Proactive,” Colt muttered. A frown creased his forehead, and he nodded. He pushed off the desk and strode to the trailer door. “I’ve got to go, man. Things I have to do.”
Luke trailed out after him and waited as the man locked the door. He offered Colt his hand. “Thanks for understanding about the money and for the advice.”
Colt clapped him on the elbow. “No problem. Just remember, you hurt Allison, I hurt you. Don’t worry. I won’t take any enjoyment in it. But with her being my bride’s best friend, an obligation is an obligation.”
Luke grinned. “Understood.”
Walking to his bike, Luke tugged his fleece cap on and settled his helmet over it. Allison’s pink helmet was wedged in one of the saddle bags. His muscles tightened. That helmet would be on Allison’s head again soon. He swore it. After swinging onto his Harley, Luke drove through town on the way to the interstate. The Christmas decorations that had struck him as tacky when he’d first landed in Pineville now looked cheerfully kitsch. When he roared past the last light pole hung with a green wreath and big red bow, he opened the throttle.
Leaving town didn’t hurt the way he’d thought it would. Because he’d see Pineville again, soon enough. And the faster he got to Chicago, the faster he’d be back. Christmas was a week away, and Luke had no intention of letting Allison spend it alone.
Chapter Eighteen
“So you see, even without the wild boar in the filling, the roulade will still be delicious. I don’t want you to worry. I’ve got it under control.” Allison paced the living room, from the Christmas tree to the door and back. She slapped the newly printed menu cards, hot off the presses, on the pouf in front of Sadie without missing a step. She was filled with nervous energy and couldn’t shake it off. This was the time of night where she’d normally burn it off with Luke.
Maybe she’d take up jogging.
She executed a military turn at the tree, slipped on some fake snow, and caught herself just before her knee hit the floor.
Maybe no to the jogging.
“Or if you want, we can always go back to the original turkey dinner. I didn’t throw away those menu cards.” Allison tossed another stack on the pouf, and the 5½- by 8-inch cards fanned out in a slow slide.
Sadie pushed at the edges of the menus with the tip of her finger. “I’m sure the roulade will be fine. But are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Great. Why?” Allison plucked a folded quilt off the back of her sofa, snapped it open, and refolded it.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Sadie snatched the quilt from her hands. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you called me over; said Luke had lost our boar money, which just sounds really weird, by the way; and then shoved menu cards in my face.” Grabbing Allison’s hand, she tugged her down on the sofa. “What’s going on?”
Allison flopped back on the cushions. “You know Luke is taking a prolonged vacation from his restaurant. He’s told you about Le Cygne Noir.”
Sadie nodded.
“What you don’t know is the reason. He’s been avoiding process servers. He breached a contract, and now his supplier wants him to pay up.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Sadie said.
Allison blew out a sigh and watched one strand of Christmas lights blink on and off. When the hell had it started doing that? “I’ve discovered Luk
e is a genius in the kitchen, but he sucks at management,” Allison said. “He ordered your boar meat from the same supplier that wants to sue him.”
A crease appeared above Sadie’s nose. “Why would he do that?”
“He said it was the only supplier he knew that sold the game at a price you could afford for the wedding.”
Sadie placed a hand on her chest. “That’s so sweet.”
“What, that he’s an idiot?” Toeing off a boot, Allison kicked her foot onto the pouf.
Sadie rescued the menus and tucked them into two neat piles. “That he’d take the risk for you.”
Allison raised an eyebrow.
“Well, he didn’t do it for me, a woman he hardly knows,” Sadie said.
Allison grabbed the heel of her other boot and yanked. “I guess.” Sagging onto the couch, she rested her head back. “And he says he sent an anonymous cashier’s check, so I guess it wasn’t stupid.”
It had been three nights and four days without Luke, and the ache in her heart had only grown. It was easy to get angry at Luke, take any excuse to blame him for the hurt she was feeling. But it wasn’t fair.
“So how did the supplier find out it was Luke?” Slipping out of her wool-lined loafers, Sadie raised her legs to the pouf and nudged Allison’s feet until she made space for Sadie’s.
“Luke’s ex,” Allison grumbled.
They stared at the twinkling tree for a moment.
“I know Luke will pay you guys back”—Allison turned her head to look at her friend—“which might sound weird considering he’s in hiding to avoid paying off a debt. But this is different. The company that brought the suit isn’t really out any money. They’re suing over lost future profits, not actual damages. He won’t let you be out of cash for his mistake.”
“I’m not worried about the money,” Sadie said gently. “I’m worried about you. Things seemed to be getting pretty intense between you and Luke, and now he’s just gone.”
“You know we only pretended to be in a long-term relationship to get my family off my back.” Allison rolled the hem of her shirt between her fingers. “I never expected any other result than Luke leaving.”
The Christmas Wedding Swap Page 22