Loving Her Fling

by Heather B. Moore

  He glanced over to see Gentry sitting at one of the small, round tables with another woman who had to be in her sixties. Both women’s gazes were expectant.

  “I’ve got to head out,” he said. “It was nice to meet you.”

  “Oh.” Gentry’s entire face fell, then she smiled again.

  How did she do that?

  “I’ll see you soon, then,” she called out. Once again, the entire coffee shop had been privy to their conversation.

  Everly still hadn’t looked over at him, but he had no doubt she’d heard the conversation. He pushed through the door of the coffee shop into the warming air. His suit really was too hot for the middle of June. Once in his truck, he set the coffee in the cup holder, then took a bite of the bagel. Food was good. Food would bring clarity.

  The few months spent in this town would be interesting to say the least.

  Then he started his truck, but just then Everly stepped out of the coffee shop. No cup in hand. Had she changed her mind? He watched her climb into a small car that she’d parked haphazardly at the curb where there really wasn’t room for a parking spot.

  Seconds later, she was driving down the street in the same direction he was going.

  Austin followed, not surprised when she pulled up to the building that was clearly marked as Town Hall.

  Everly was fast, but then again, she wasn’t trying to juggle a bagel and coffee.

  Austin left half of his uneaten bagel in the truck and walked into the building, his coffee cup still in hand. He’d entered the building in time to hear Everly’s heeled sandals click on the hardwood floor.

  She glanced behind her before she pushed open a glass door leading to an office . . . Mayor Stewart was inscribed on the glass.

  So . . . Everly was going straight to the top, it seemed.

  Austin paused and pulled out his phone, looking up the last email he’d received from Town Hall. There it was. Mayor Stewart had been cc’d on all the e-mails. Who knew what Everly was talking to the mayor about? And maybe he didn’t have to worry about it.

  He’d go with his original idea and visit the planning department to get the blueprints of the theater. The directory by the elevator told him the planning department was on the second floor. He bypassed the elevator and took the stairs up one floor.

  There he requested the blueprints from a young man who wouldn’t look Austin in the eye. Was the guy nervous or something? When he delivered the blueprints, Austin asked, “Can I take these, or at least take them somewhere to have them copied?”

  “I–I don’t think so,” the young man said.

  Austin glanced at the name plate. Josh. “What don’t you know, Josh? If I can take these or go make a copy?”

  Josh shifted his stance, clearly unsure of the answer. “Y–you can take them to have them copied,” he said at last. “But bring them back.”

  Austin was about to ask if there was a place in town where he could get that done when the door behind him opened.

  “There you are,” a woman said. Gentry again.

  Austin knew her voice well by now.

  He turned. “Hello, ma’am. Do you know where I can get these blueprints copied?”

  “Oh, none of that ma’am stuff, Austin,” Gentry said, stepping toward him and patting his tie.

  Touching him was a bit forward, but she moved away quickly. “Josh, why are you torturing the poor man? Are you hiding the blueprints or something?”

  “N–no, Gentry,” Josh said, his face fire engine red. “I f–forgot.”

  Gentry sighed, but it was more good-natured than anything. “Scoot over,” she said, walking around the desk. She bent and opened a drawer. A moment later she straightened, a smaller version of the blueprints in her hand.

  “Great, thanks,” Austin said. “These will help tremendously.”

  Gentry set her hands on her hips. “I’m good at reading those things if you want any help.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Austin moved to the door he’d entered through.

  “Don’t be a stranger,” Gentry said in a cheerful tone. “I can give you a tour of the place if you want.”

  Austin nodded and reached for the door to pull it open.

  “Oh, and by the way, steer clear of Everly,” Gentry said, her tone still cheerful as she approached him. “She’s as mad as a hornet. You don’t know the lengths that Genevieve went through to keep the renovation under wraps from Everly.”

  Austin paused at this. “Who’s Genevieve?”

  Gentry laughed, then stopped when she saw that his question was sincere. “She’s the mayor, of course.”

  “Right,” Austin said. He hadn’t known Mayor Stewart’s first name until now. “And why was the mayor trying to keep news of the renovation from Everly?”

  Gentry took a couple of steps toward him and tapped his tie again. “You’ll find out soon enough, dear.”

  Maybe Austin shouldn’t wear a tie next time he came to Town Hall. And dear? That was a new one.

  “Well, thanks for your help,” he said, opening the door this time and escaping. At least it felt like he was escaping. He took the stairs again to the first floor. Walking out of the stairwell, he paused at the sight of the mayor’s office.

  No sign of Everly through the glass doors. An older woman sat at the reception desk, her graying hair in a tight knot. She wore a red scarf tied about her neck and matching earrings. He wondered if Everly was still inside, talking to Genevieve Stewart.

  Might as well introduce himself.

  After opening the glass door, he stepped up to the desk.

  Louisa was the name on the name plate. No last name. The woman lifted her green gaze to his. “May I help you, sir?” Her words were casual, yet he was pretty sure she wasn’t missing a thing.

  “I’m Austin Hayes, the architect hired for the theater renovation,” he said. “I thought I’d introduce myself to the mayor . . . that is, if she’s in?”

  “She’s in.” Louisa didn’t break her gaze as she reached for a desktop phone. Then she pushed a button and said, “Austin Hayes here to see you.”

  There was a beat of silence, then a crackling voice said, “Thank you, Louisa.”

  A door behind her swung open, and woman with graying hair walked out.

  Austin guessed her to be in her early sixties. Her brown eyes were warm and lively.

  “Austin Hayes, it’s wonderful to meet you,” she said, extending her hand.

  He shook it, then froze. Behind the mayor, Everly hurried out of the office. If Austin wasn’t mistaken, she was upset. Everly glanced at him for an instant, then looked away as she strode past. In that instant, he’d seen her distress—her red-rimmed eyes, the tight line of her mouth.

  Had she been crying?

  She was gone before he could speak to her.

  “Come in,” Mayor Stewart said. “We need to talk.”

  5

  Everly

  It shouldn’t matter that she was single, Everly told herself as she walked up the driveway leading to her parents’ home. Well, her mother’s home now. Her father had passed away years ago, and events like her sister’s bridal shower made Everly realize how much her father had missed.

  Everly’s entire adult life.

  The house was lit up against the evening sunset, and laughter and conversation leaked through the door as she stepped onto the porch. For a moment, Everly felt completely separated from the those inside the house. Yes, she was related to a lot of the women who’d be in attendance, but Everly was different.

  She’d never married, had never been engaged, hadn’t finished college, owned nothing—unless she counted a sketchy car—and her best friend was a stray cat. Oh, not to mention, she had a pretend boyfriend now.

  There were worse situations in life to be in. Right?

  Everly took a deep breath and opened the door.

  Her mom, as usual, had gone all out with decorating. The living room looked like a glitter bomb had exploded, and silver streamers sp
arkled along with lavender paper flowers that decorated every available nook.

  “Darling,” her mother crooned, sweeping forward in one of her perfectly-tailored dresses. “You’re late.”

  Yes, yes, she knew. “Hi, Mom.” Everly kissed her mother’s cheek.

  Then Everly proceeded to greet myriad of aunts, cousins, Brandy’s friends, and then finally, her sister Brandy. Her sleek hair looked like it had been salon-styled, and there didn’t seem to be a wrinkle on her fitted floral dress anywhere.

  “Can we announce your new boyfriend to everyone?” Brandy asked, pulling her into a tight hug.

  “Very funny. As you know, it’s not exactly announcement material,” Everly said. “Plus, this is your party, not mine.”

  Brandy drew away, a playful pout on her face. “You’re such a good sister.”

  Yes, yes, I am. How many other sisters would be supportive of a boyfriend stealer?

  Not that Everly was one to stand in the way of true love. Yet . . .

  “So, Tom?” a silky voice spoke into her ear as a cool hand wrapped around her arm.

  Everly turned so see Aunt Madge, holding what was probably her third or fourth cocktail. “Your mother swore me to secrecy, but I’m dying for details. I hear he’s a lawyer.”

  Everly felt her face drain of warmth as Madge’s acrylic nails dug into her arm. Had Everly embellished her story about Tom? Apparently, she had. “Oh, you know. A very busy lawyer. I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like.”

  “I understand,” Marge purred. “My second husband, Bruce, was a lawyer. Bankruptcy. Utterly dull, I’ll tell you, but the paycheck was wonderful.” Her laugh was low and throaty.

  “Um, okay, I should really help with the food in the kitchen.” Please let there be food in the kitchen. She moved through the crowd of women and arrived in the kitchen. Sure enough, her mother had put together a beautiful spread, likely catered.

  Everly perched on a stool and snagged one of the miniature brownies with mint frosting.

  The day had started out poorly and hadn’t gotten much better after that. Mayor Stewart had assured her that the renovation on the movie theater was locked in, and no one at Town Hall would be changing their minds.

  “Why wasn’t it put to a vote?” Everly had asked.

  “Because it’s a renovation, not a new building, or a change in zoning.” Mayor Stewart had sighed. “Look Everly, I know that the theater means a lot to you because of your dad. But it doesn’t meet the new city codes, and the renovation is a must. I knew if I told you in advance, the approval process could have been delayed.”

  “What are the plans, then? How much will be renovated?”

  The mayor’s tone was gentle when she said, “Everything.”

  And that’s when Everly’s eyes had burned with tears. Her early memories with her father included going to the movies with him. Mostly it was just her and Dad. Sometimes Brandy and her mother would come, but as Everly got older, Brandy was too busy with her million friends. So Everly and her dad would go. Just them. Get the popcorn. Sit in the middle of the middle. Settle back and escape life for a couple of hours.

  Austin the architect had shown up before Everly could ask to see the renovation proposal—if the mayor would even let her see them—so Everly had left.

  “Does everyone have a paper and pen?” her mother’s voice rang out from the living room as Everly popped a second bite-sized brownie into her mouth. “Now, write out your best relationship advice to Brandy and Brock. Remember to be honest and not to hold back.”

  A few giggles and titters came from the living room.

  Dear Brandy and Brock, my advice is . . . Nope, she had nothing. But she had to join the women before she was missed and more clucking noises were made.

  Quickly, she googled Marriage Advice for Newlyweds. A long list popped up, and Everly chose one. She went back to the living room and picked up one of the pink pieces of paper, then wrote: Never stop being friends.

  Good enough.

  And now her stomach hurt. She could blame it on the stolen brownies, but she knew it was because Brock had been her friend, her best friend. And perhaps it was losing that friendship that had hurt the most. A person to laugh with, complain to, share the mundane parts of the day with, look forward to seeing . . .

  And it wasn’t that she couldn’t get over a breakup, it was that she was reminded of it every day. Sometimes every minute. She hadn’t been allowed to move on because Brock Hayes would be her brother-in-law in a few weeks.

  “Oh my gosh, it’s absolutely gorgeous,” one of her cousin’s said, examining Brandy’s engagement ring and effectively bringing Everly back to focusing on the party.

  “All right, is everyone finished?” Everly’s mom said in a brisk tone. “Let’s read through them, then time for presents.”

  Small cheers went up around the room, some of the women raising their already-filled wine glasses. Brandy read through each pink page, smiling, laughing, and finding the advice delightful. Thankfully the advice was all anonymous, and there were a few blushes when the advice turned to bedroom recommendations.

  Madge was looking as pleased as the Cheshire cat, so Everly could well guess who’d written that bit of advice.

  Then the gift opening commenced. Since Everly’s gift was something she and her mom had gone in on together, Brandy opened it first. As she unwrapped the crystal vase and silver picture frame with one of Brandy’s engagement photos inside, she grinned. “These will be perfect for our living room. Brock gets me flowers every week anyway, so I’ll always have fresh flowers to put in.”

  Brock used to buy Everly flowers. It seemed he hadn’t changed, and that should be a good thing in this case, right?

  She hid a sigh and ignored the hollowness forming in her stomach at all the smiles and laughs and general excitement. Everly was happy for her sister, truly. So why did it make her feel more lonely?

  Brandy had a bubbly personality, plus she was a drop-dead gorgeous blonde. All the things Everly wasn’t. And how did Brandy keep her hair so smooth and shiny? Everly was lucky for a day when her hair didn’t frizz like it was infused with electricity every moment.

  After the guests had finally left, Brandy snagged Everly’s hand. She drew her sister into the kitchen where their mom was wrapping up the leftover food that she hadn’t been able to send home with their relatives.

  “Now, tell us all about Tom,” her mom said, glancing over.

  Everly wanted to groan, or maybe confess everything to her mom right now. But her mom was watching her with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

  “He’s, um, great. You know, really busy and stuff.”

  “When can we meet him?” her mom asked.

  “I know,” Brandy said. “How about this Friday? Brock and I are going out to eat. Let’s make it a double date, then we can swing by Mom’s and make introductions.”

  “Uh—” Yeah, Brandy didn’t know whether to laugh hysterically or strangle her sister.

  “Perfect,” her mom cut in. “I could have dessert ready.”

  Everly shot Brandy a dagger-glare. “I’ll have him check his schedule.”

  “No courts of law are open on Friday night,” Brandy countered with a laugh.

  Everly fake-laughed in return. “I know, but he’s got all those cases to review.”

  Her mother frowned. “What type of law does he practice?”

  Everly froze, her gaze flitting about the kitchen. Come on brain, work.

  “Didn’t you tell me family law?” Brandy asked in a completely innocent tone.

  “He’s a divorce attorney?” Her mother’s brows shot up.

  “Yep.” Everly’s voice sounded very, very small. She shot her sister a look that said, Stop talking about my fake boyfriend.

  Brandy just gave her an innocent look. Then her phone buzzed, distracting her. “Oh, Brock’s coming over. He’s going to love all the gifts I got.”

  Time to leave. “I forgot I have a thing tonight,�
�� Everly said. “I told my boss I’d update the website for her.” It was true, but she didn’t have to do it tonight. Everly snatched her purse from the corner of the kitchen counter. “Thanks for the yummy food, Mom. And see you both soon.”

  Just like that, she was out the door and striding to her car. Away from any more potential questions from her mom, and Brandy egging it on.

  Everly drove slowly down the street, arguing with herself. She should have never told her mom she was dating someone. Just because her mom was obsessive about Everly’s love life, didn’t mean she had to inflate and create something out of nothing.

  Besides, Mr. Wonderful would come around someday. And until then, she’d be content and worry free from problematic relationships.

  Her car seemed to slow on its own as she drove past the theater. The final movie of the night was long over, but there were lights on inside. And a vehicle in the parking lot. A white truck to be exact.

  Huh.

  Austin Hayes must be inside. Strategizing how he was going to demolish her childhood memories.

  Everly pulled over to the side of the road and sat for a moment, gazing at the place she’d loved for so long. The place she never thought would change. Not in her small town.

  Before she knew it, she’d opened her door and climbed out. She had successfully avoided talking to Austin Hayes that day so far, so why was she now walking toward the theater? Maybe she could talk him out of making too many changes. But who was she kidding? Austin Hayes was an architect, and he’d do his job, then leave Hidden Hollows forever. He wouldn’t care about the sentimentalities of a woman he didn’t even know.

  The theater door was locked, and after peering inside, she couldn’t see Austin anyway. Had he gone through one of the back doors? She walked around the building and found the door closest to where he’d parked. Ah-ha. It was unlocked, and yes, she should have second-guessed her actions, but instead, she walked right in. The dim hallway led to office space behind the theater rooms. But he wasn’t there.

  He wasn’t in the lobby either.

  She peeked into one theater room to find it pitch dark. So, she headed to the second theater.