Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1)

by H. C. Bentley

  "How long has she been giving you problems?"

  "Not long."

  "Lynn." He folded his arms again, his eyebrows dipping into a vee and his mouth forming a thin line.

  "Honestly, not long. She's called me one time, that's it."

  "How'd she get your number?"

  "No clue."

  Lakewood relaxed his arms, putting one hand on a hip as he scratched his head with the other before placing it on the other hip.

  "How'd she know you were here?"

  "Other than maybe seeing me in passing or asking around, I really don't know." A thought occurred to her that had her closing her eyes as she attempted to keep her cool. "Actually, I may have an idea on that."

  "Yeah? What's that?"

  "Emails." Lynn opened her eyes, met the man's gaze. "She's been hacking into her estranged husband's email account. I sent him an email yesterday telling him I was meeting my friends for lunch today." She watched as this man, this officer that she'd known most of her life, frowned over this new piece of information.

  "I think you'd better be careful and watch your step on this."

  "I am. Trust me, I am. Plus, my friends are looking out for me. And Carter, too."

  "Carter?" Lakewood tilted his head, looked up at the ceiling as he jogged down memory lane. "Carter Mathis?"

  "Yeah." Lynn laughed at the expression of genuine surprise on the officer's face.

  "Huh. How about that?" Knowing they’d been a pretty serious item at one time, he gave a chuckle before he sobered again. "She seems pretty bent on getting back at you. Maybe you should consider a restraining order."

  "I don't know, Sheriff...."

  "Now, don't be stubborn. It may seem like just a piece of paper, but it may also be the deterrent you need to keep her away from you. The prospect of jail can keep people from doing stupid things."

  "I know." She laid a hand on his shoulder before giving it a pat and stepping away. "I'll think about it. I promise. Now, I have to get Kari to get me a to-go box, so I can get back to work before I get fired." With a smile for the Sheriff, she stepped over to the counter to request her box, then headed down the hall towards the bathroom where she immediately pulled out her phone. Lynn figured she'd better text Carter and fill him on what happened before the small town grapevine took care of that for her.

  * * *

  "So, tell me again...she just came into the café?" Carter's confused voice carried across the telephone line later that afternoon.

  "Yep. With guns blazing. Metaphorically speaking, of course." With her phone sandwich between her ear and her shoulder, Lynn looked over the papers she held in her hand. She'd gone back to work after the scene at the café, and was trying her best to focus on the tasks at hand.

  "Wow." Carter, sitting in his truck as he waited to unload, ran a hand through his hair.

  "Yeah.” She shifted the phone from one ear to the other. “Listen, Carter, I'm not trying to brush you off, but I'm really behind here." She lifted another folder from her desk, then dropped it again as she gave up momentarily. "I'm sorry. I'd love to talk to you, but I've got somebody coming in about five minutes."

  "Sure, no problem. Why don't we meet up for dinner later? You can fill me in then."

  "You’re sweet to offer, but I don't really feel like going out anywhere."

  "How about ordering take out? Maybe some enchiladas from Casa de Mexico?" He knew those were her favorite, and hoped they would tempt her into agreeing. "My house around, say, six-thirty?"

  Lynn looked over the stacks of files waiting for her attention, crowding her desk. And decided that if she didn't get a break soon, one that didn't involve her sitting in an empty house and eating a microwave dinner, she'd scream.

  "Six-thirty sounds perfect. I'll see you then." Hanging up the phone, Lynn got to back work.

  * * *

  By the time an exhausted Lynn pulled into Carter's driveway later that evening, the sun had already set and stars were winking at her from the sky. One of the downfalls of this time of year was what always seemed to be perpetual darkness. It was dark when she drove to work, dark when she drove home. And during the daylight hours, she was closed up indoors. No wonder people became more depressed in the late fall and winter months.

  Shaking off her somewhat gloomy mood, Lynn gathered her things and stepped from the car. She was looking forward to getting out of the suit she wore to the office and into the stretchy jeans and sweatshirt she had in her large tote bag. Even more, she was looking forward to curling up next to Carter, eating copious amounts of Mexican food till she burst, and letting a relaxing evening wash away the strains of the day.

  At least that's what she hoped.

  With a quick knock at the door, Lynn let herself into the house, calling for Carter as she closed the door behind her.

  "In the living room!"

  Dropping her bag and purse by the door, Lynn made her way through the foyer into the living room. At the sight before her, Lynn's heart did a slow melt. Instead of making dinner a formal affair at the kitchen table, Carter had set everything out buffet-style on the large coffee table that sat in front of the couch. Some giant throw pillows, piled on the floor between the table and the couch, invited someone to pull up a patch of carpet, relax, eat. Small votive candles burned bright in their glass holders, adding a touch of romance to the setting.

  "Carter! This is so sweet! You didn't have to go to all this trouble, though."

  "It was no trouble." Carter rose from the couch, wandered over to drop his hands on her shoulders so he could look into her face. He saw tired eyes from a long day of work, but no stress over the incident in the café. Satisfied, he smiled. "That's the great thing about take-out. Super easy." He pulled her forward to kiss her on the forehead.

  "It smells amazing." She smiled up at him as she rested her hands lightly on his hips. "And suddenly I'm starving."

  "Well, that's good. Because I went a little overboard." He gave her his boyish grin as he angled himself to slide his arm around her shoulders, gestured grandly to the low table with the other hand. "We have the supreme enchiladas, as promised. We also have tortilla chips and guac, some of the white queso dip you like. Some soft shell tacos. Fajitas, one order with chicken, one with beef. Rice, refried beans. Oh, and a six pack of Dos Equis to wash it all down with."

  "¡Ole'!" Lynn laughed as she slid her arm around his waist. "All that food and fancy Mexican beer too? I'm so in. But first, I'd like to change clothes. This suit may look great, but it gets a tad uncomfortable after it's been worn for eight or nine hours."

  "Sure, go ahead." Carter gave her a quick squeeze and a kiss on the head before releasing her. "I'll get the plates and such while you're changing, then we make total pigs of ourselves." He shot her another grin as he started to walk towards the kitchen. Stopping to look at her, he asked, "You want a glass for the beer?"

  "Pfft." She waved away the question with her hand. "Please. Why waste the time and the glass? Just give me the bottle."

  "I knew I liked you." With another laugh, Carter headed to the kitchen while Lynn made her way down the hall to change.

  Ten minutes later, the pair of them were sitting on the floor, cold bottles of beer open and plates mounded with food. As they began to eat, Lynn groaned in appreciation and let her head fall back, her eyes closed in bliss.

  "This is so good. So. Good." Picking her head back up, she opened her eyes to look over at Carter, who smiled at her around a mouthful of fajita. "Thanks for this Carter. Not just the food, but the company."

  "One of my better ideas." He took a swig of beer, surveyed his plate as he contemplated what to go for next. "So, now that we're comfortable, and are settled in with much food and beer...you want to fill in the details about what went down at lunch today?" A soft shell taco won the debate, and he took a healthy bite as he waited for Lynn to speak.

  Between bites of her own meal, and sips of beer in between, Lynn took him through her lunch break. When she got to Sheriff L
akewood's offering of a restraining order, and her indecision on the matter, he paused to study her.

  "Just out of curiosity...why wouldn't you get a restraining order? Obviously, she's not going away."

  "It would be...weird, I guess is the word. Because we’re dating, because of the boys." Lynn toyed with a forkful of rice before dropping the utensil to her plate and reaching for her beer. She took a sip as she mulled the question over, then gestured with the bottle, tipping it to the left. "On the one hand, a restraining order would make me feel better, like I'm being proactive in getting her to leave me alone." The bottle now tipped to the right. "On the other hand, a restraining order could just add fuel to the fire, give her another reason to be pissed off and come at me again." With a sigh, Lynn took another sip before setting the bottle back on the coffee table. She shot a look at Carter. "How is this not weird for you? I mean, this is your almost ex-wife we're talking about here. The mother of your children."

  "Because I know how she is. How she can be. And I'm concerned about you. That trumps any weirdness."

  "Well, when you put it that way." Lynn tipped her head back against the seat of the couch and closed her eyes again. "In all honesty, I don't think a piece of paper - no matter what force is behind it - will do much good with Hillary. It may come in handy in the long run, say if she comes after me and tries to assault me. But I really don't think it will stop the phone calls, the visits. She's going to do what she wants regardless." She rolled her head, opened her eyes a fraction to bring Carter's face into focus. "What do you think?"

  "Well." Carter picked up his beer, resting it on his leg as he, too, sat back against the couch. "I agree with you. On all points. I think that if you have her served with a restraining order, she'll just laugh and keep on coming. So the decision's on you as to whether you want to go through the motions of getting one." He propped his arm on the edge of the couch as he turned towards her, gave her a serious look. "But whether you do or don't, you need to make sure you have some sort of a deterrent, a form of self-defense."

  "I'm not carrying a gun."

  “No, not necessarily a gun. I was thinking pepper spray. Small enough to keep on a keychain, but potent enough if she comes around and catches you alone, and things get out of hand."

  "That's not a bad idea, actually."

  "I have them every now and again."

  Lynn laughed as she sat back up and started to eat her dinner once more. She mulled everything over as she spread the seasoned chicken, bright bell peppers and tangy onions of a fajita over a soft taco shell. Adding a generous dollop of sour cream, she rolled it up and took a bite, watching as Carter did the same.

  "Will you talk to her again?"

  "Sorry?" Carter spoke around his mouthful, wiped his chin with a paper towel as he looked her way. "Talk to Hillary again? About what happened today?" He thought about it while he chewed, swallowed. "I could, if you want me to. Doubt it'll do any good though. I told her before to leave you alone, and the first thing she did was track you down so she could confront you."

  "Yeah, you're right. No sense in you rocking the boat any more than necessary while you are trying to get this divorce through the courts. Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it."

  "You have nothing to apologize for. It's a screwed up situation all around."

  "Yeah, it really is."

  "There is one thing, in all this mess and drama, that I do know."

  "What's that?"

  "I know she's wrong about you in so many ways, but most especially when it comes to the boys." He reached out to gently tuck stray strands of hair behind her ear. "You are a positive influence on them, a point of good in a not-so-good situation. And because of that, the boys really like you. Know what else?"

  "What?"

  "No matter what Hillary does or says, I'll still want to see you. Still want to be with you. Because I know the kind of person you are, what's in your heart. And that's the kind of person I want to be with."

  With a sniff to hold back the threatening tears, Lynn leaned over to lay her head on Carter's shoulder.

  "You're so sweet to me." Another loud sniffle. "Everything you just said to me?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Right back at ya. You're the kind of person I want to be with, too."

  "Good." Carter slid his arm around her shoulder to hold her a little closer. laid his cheek on her head. "Now that we understand that, what do you say we put the rest of today behind us, put a movie in, and pig out on the rest of this food?"

  Lynn pulled back slightly, just enough to be able to mirror his grin. Glad to be done with the drama of the day, Lynn toasted Carter with the remainder of her fajita.

  "I'd say that's the best offer I've had all day."

  9

  Life seemed to be coming together for Lynn. She'd been home for two months now, and she felt settled. She had a job she enjoyed, much to her surprise. A house that, though technically not hers, she could claim as her home. A relationship with a man she'd loved half her life, and whose two sons she adored. And friends and family close by, people who were now informed of the entire reason she left the service, thanks to Carter's support.

  Lynn couldn't help but feel content as she drove home from work on a Friday afternoon. She had the radio cranked up and was singing along to Adele, while admiring the holiday decorations that were popping up for Thanksgiving. Still providing backup vocals, she turned onto the road leading to her house, tapping her hands on the wheel with the beat. Her house was almost in sight when she heard her phone ring from inside her purse. She held off on answering until she was in her own driveway, so she let it go to voicemail. Sure enough, moments later the beeping of her phone again told her that the caller had left a message.

  Pulling into her driveway, she let the song finish out before killing the engine and grabbing her purse. When she took the phone out, she saw that the call had been from Bethany, so she dialed into her voicemail.

  "Lynn, it's Bethany." Her friend's voice was tearful as the message started. "You're probably driving home right now and I know you don't answer the phone when you're driving. Something's happened and I need you to call me right away. On my cell or home phone, either one. Call me as soon as you get this." There was a sniffle, and then the call ended.

  Alarmed, Lynn pulled up Bethany's cell number in her phone and hit call. The phone rang once before it was answered.

  "Hello?"

  "Beth, it's Lynn. What's wrong?"

  "It's happened again." Lynn could hear the tears.

  "What happened?"

  "There's been another accident at the mines."

  Lynn sat, silent, as the cold chills covered her body. Prayed it wasn't the mine she feared it was, she spoke again.

  "Which mine?"

  "Three Rivers."

  "Oh, God. No. It can't be." Not where Carter was, not where Shane had lost his life. This couldn't be happening. "Where are you now?"

  "I'm at home." Bethany sniffed. "The girls just got off the bus."

  "Hang tight," Lynn ordered. "I'll be there in five minutes." She turned the engine over again, put the car in reverse and sped down the road. The drive to Bethany’s was a blank, as she'd gone into autopilot, only to realize that she was pulling into her friend's driveway minutes later.

  Rushing to the front door, her purse in one hand and her phone gripped in the other, Lynn let herself into the house.

  "Bethany?" She called out, not sure where her friend would be. "It's Lynn!"

  Bethany appeared from the hallway, her eyes red and puffy, her face streaked with tears. Seeing Lynn standing just inside the front door, she rushed over to give a hug.

  "Thank you for coming. It's silly, but as soon as the news broke, it all came rushing back. It was like it was yesterday when I got the call that Shane was trapped underground. I didn't know what else to do."

  "You did the right thing," Lynn assured her as she hung up her purse and coat. "How are the girls? Are they okay?"

  "For now."
Bethany nodded. "It reminds them, but I think they're alright. They're in Harper's room, watching a movie."

  "Good." Lynn and Beth moved to the couch to sit. Lynn reached for Bethany's hand, still gripping her phone in the other. "Are there any details? Anything at all?"

  "No." Bethany shook her head, taking in a ragged breath. "Nothing's been released so far except that there's been some kind of explosion or collapse, and they're in the process of making sure everyone is accounted for."

  Nodding, Lynn looked down at her phone. It hadn't rung since Bethany had called her. She was urging it to ring, telling her Carter was okay.

  "Oh, honey! You haven't heard from Carter?"

  Lynn felt the tears prick her eyes as she shook her head. Bethany scooted closer, wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Lynn closed her eyes, leaned into her friend, and prayed.

  "Kari's on her way over, so we can all be together. And I've told her to tell any of Shane and Carter’s old friends she sees that they are more than welcome to come and wait out the news here if they want. It's better for everyone to be together than to worry on their own." Bethany leaned back and looked at Lynn. "Let's go into the kitchen and get some coffee."

  Not wanting coffee, but knowing she wouldn't be able to sit in the living room while she waited, worried and panicked, she followed. She was halfway to the kitchen when the front door opened again, this time bringing in Kari, who had a stack of food containers in hand.

  "Hey, are you two doing okay?" Kari slid the food onto an end table, dropped her purse on the floor, and immediately gathered her friends into a group hug. "Any news?"

  "Nothing yet." Bethany replied.

  "Carter?" Kari looked to Lynn.

  "No word," Lynn whispered, looking down at her phone again.

  "Oh, hon." Another squeeze. "I'm sure he's okay. I can feel it." Kari leaned back and rubbed Lynn's upper arms.