by Jaci Burton
But after about twenty minutes he found himself staring at the ceiling, wondering why the hell his body wasn't curved around a warm Loretta.
He'd hightailed it out of there in a hurry.
Why?
She'd seemed disappointed when he told her he had to leave, so she probably would have been okay with him staying the night. It had been him who'd wanted to leave.
He just wasn't ready for that level of commitment yet. Sex had come as a total surprise. Anything else would feel like they were having a relationship, and he'd gone down that road with Loretta once before and had gotten burned badly.
Different circumstances, yeah. But still, it wasn't like they were totally different people now.
Disgusted with himself for thinking at all, he got up and went to the kitchen and made himself a turkey sandwich, then turned on the TV and found an action movie to watch. He needed something to drown out the overworkings of his mind.
Unfortunately, this particular action movie had a romantic pairing, which inevitably led to a love scene. As he watched it, his thoughts drifted back to earlier, to being with Loretta.
They were totally different people now. Being with Loretta tonight had felt different. They weren't teenagers anymore.
But that was physical. It didn't mean circumstances wouldn't end up the same way. She was just getting out of a bad marriage. And he--
Well, he sure as hell didn't want to get involved with the woman who'd dumped him all those years ago.
Sex was one thing. Being stupid twice was something different.
He finished watching the movie and headed up to bed, realizing he'd figured out nothing other than he was going to be really damn tired tomorrow.
Chapter 17
* * *
LORETTA HAD BEEN crushed all day with customers, package arrivals, and phone calls. Great for business, but it frazzled her a bit. Fortunately, she had good organizational skills, so she had both Kendra and Camila tending checkout and phone calls while Loretta helped clients find what they needed. The new shipments were delivered to the back, and she'd deal with those after the store closed.
She was grateful for the crowds, and several women had brought their kids in with them, making her happy she'd set up an expansive children's book section. One of her first loves as a child had been reading, and between the library and the bookstore, her love of reading had been born. She hoped to foster that not only in Hazel but also in her clients' kids.
So far today, Otis had been on his best behavior, and he was a big hit with the kids, who loved playing with him in the store. Loretta, in turn, was grateful to have all the kids in the shop today to hang out and play with Otis so she didn't have to figure out what she was going to do to keep him occupied.
Kids and dogs--always a great combination. She missed Hazel, though, and was counting the number of days until she came home. She'd spoken to her this morning and she could tell her daughter wasn't happy. When she'd asked her what was wrong, Hazel had said nothing, but Loretta knew better. Once Hazel got home they'd sit down and have a long talk and Loretta would get the details about her week with her father, since Hazel wasn't opening up on the phone about it.
Loretta was working at the front desk when the door opened and Josie walked in. She smiled when she saw her.
"Hey, Josie. How was your day?"
"It went well. I'm acclimating to Hope High. Of course, I don't have the happiest of students, but that's what you get in summer session. No one wants to be there, teachers included."
Loretta laughed. "I'm sure that's true. But at least you're getting your feet wet that way and everything won't seem so foreign to you once the new school year starts in August."
"Yes. That's why I agreed to teach this summer. Plus, I'm getting to know some of the new teachers, and that's helpful, too. Starting over at a new school is always so daunting."
"Have you done it before?"
"Once. It's always hard."
"I'm sure it is. Have you got a few seconds to have an iced tea with me?"
"Of course."
Loretta left her assistants in charge at the front desk and with helping customers while she led Josie toward the back of the store, where she and her friends typically met for book club. She poured a couple of glasses of iced tea, then sat in one of the cushioned chairs. Josie took a seat as well. Loretta noticed Otis had curled up in a shady corner and was asleep. Good.
"Have you settled into your house yet?"
Josie nodded. "Just about. I'm still picking out furniture, so I'm not completely furnished yet, but I have a couch and a bed, and those are the most important things. The rest will come along."
Loretta laughed. "Yes, those are important. I assume you have kitchen appliances."
"Oh, yes. The house came with those. You should come over and see the place, maybe toss out some ideas, or at least help me choose a few things I'm debating on."
"I'd love to."
"Great. How about tonight?"
Loretta blinked, surprised by the immediate invitation. But she was game for it. "Tonight would be lovely. What time?"
"Say six thirty?"
"That sounds good. I might be a little late since I'll have to drop Otis off at the house first."
Josie waved her hand. "Oh, don't do that. I have a nice-sized yard. You should bring Otis with you."
"Okay, I'll do that. Thanks so much for the invitation. Is there anything else I can bring besides an oversized dog?"
"Honestly, I'm just happy to have the company. Being new in town means I don't know a lot of people."
"You know our group of people. And I'm kind of new all over again to Hope, so I know the feeling. We'll be newbies together, Josie."
Josie beamed a smile. "Thanks."
Loretta got up. "Let me get those books you ordered. I'll be right back."
As she walked away, Loretta felt an unexpected burst of positive energy surge through her, a happiness that made her smile.
It was good to make new friends. Hope was starting to feel like home again.
*
SWEAT DRIPPED DOWN Deacon's forehead and into his eyes. He swiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt and heaved the hammer above his head. Until the sweat poured again. Then it was lather, rinse, repeat.
Dammit. He'd be really happy once they got all the ductwork and the new air-conditioning system installed and running, because it was hotter than the fires of hell in this place today. Plus, he was working on the third floor, which made it even worse than hell--if that was possible.
He finally took a break and headed outside, grabbing the giant Thermos from his truck that he had loaded with ice water. He poured water into the oversized cup and guzzled it down in several swallows, then poured another and drank that one a little slower. At least there was a breeze outside, so he stood under the shade of the porch to let his body cool down.
He had about an hour's worth of work left, then he'd be done. The rest of the crew had already left for the day. He was putting in longer hours to make up for some of the delays they'd experienced over the past week. Material delivery had been late, and that had put them behind. Nothing unusual in his business, but it was always a pain in the ass. As the owner, you dealt with it, and sometimes that meant a longer day.
A longer day in the goddamn hotbox attic. He was tired and sweaty, and he wanted this day to be over.
He caught sight of Loretta coming out the front door, holding Otis by the leash. Deacon leaned against the porch post to watch as she balanced a bag and Otis's leash in one hand and used the keys in her other hand to lock the door.
She smiled at him as she turned.
"Oh, hi, Deacon. I didn't see you there." She walked across the porch toward him.
She looked pretty in her yellow and white sundress, which clung to her breasts and waist, then billowed out, stopping at her knees. She was wearing white flip-flops, and, hell, he even noticed her toes, which were painted a cute shade of pink. He was pretty sure that last ni
ght her toes had been painted purple. He wasn't sure why he remembered that. Maybe because she'd been naked and he'd noticed everything about her.
And she was the last person he wanted to see right now. He was still confused about his feelings after their evening together. He knew he'd gotten too close to her, and he hadn't figured out what to do about that.
"Working late today?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"How come?"
"We're a little behind schedule, so I'm trying to get caught up."
She reached out and laid her hand on his forearm. "Sweaty work today, huh? And you have a cut on your arm."
He reacted to her touch, even though he tried not to. "Yeah, it's nothing."
He pulled his arm away. She noticed, and frowned.
"Something wrong?"
"No. I'm just tired. And hot."
"I'm sorry. I'll bet you want nothing more than a nice shower and a cold drink."
"Soon as I'm done here."
"You know, I have dinner with Josie Barnes tonight, but after that I'm free. Do you want to come over later?"
He shook his head. "Only place I'm going tonight is home with takeout. Then I'm having a shower and a cold drink and bed."
She had definitely picked up on his mood. She gave him a short nod. "Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you later, then."
He knew he'd hurt her feelings, but in his current mood he wasn't fit company for anyone. And there was the matter of still not knowing how the hell he felt after last night. "I'll see you later, Loretta."
He watched her tug Otis by the leash and walk off. Even Otis gave him a dirty look.
Yeah, he'd acted shitty to Loretta. He felt shitty. Whatever. He turned and walked back inside, heading upstairs to hell.
Where he belonged.
Chapter 18
* * *
LORETTA WASN'T SURE what was on the menu tonight for dinner at Josie's place, but she stopped and bought two bottles of wine, one white and one red. She also stopped at Sam's flower shop for some help with a plant that she hoped would signal a welcome to Hope as well as a kind of housewarming gift. Sam put together a beautiful bonsai in a gorgeous antique lavender pot. Loretta loved it, and she hoped Josie would, too.
She stopped at home to drop off her things and to feed Otis and let him run for a bit. After she'd thrown the ball for him what seemed like a thousand times, he drank a gallon of water and she brought him inside. He'd been pretty good lately, but she still shut all the bedroom doors, gave him several of his chew toys and plenty of water, then told him to be good. Otis gave her a cocked head look, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She hoped that was his signal of agreement.
She drove to Josie's house, which was located in the central part of Hope. It was near the high school, but also within walking distance of downtown. The neighborhood was filled with charming, well-maintained older homes. When she parked in the driveway, she smiled.
The house was a gray ranch frame with red shutters and a wide front porch. She could tell with a quick glance it had a large fenced backyard. She could see why Josie had chosen this place. It was stunning.
She gathered up her bag, headed up the steps to the front door, and rang the bell. Josie answered. She'd changed from her earlier outfit of black pants and a matching black short-sleeved silk blouse. Now she had on hip-hugger jeans with a wide brown leather belt, a bright red tank top, and a long silver chain.
She pushed open the screen door. "Come on in. I thought you were bringing Otis?"
"Oh, you know, he's fine at the farm. He has all his toys and food and water, and this way, I can sit back and relax and not have to worry about him eating parts of your house."
Josie laughed. "I wouldn't have worried about that, you know. I love animals."
But Loretta would have worried.
The inside of the house was magnificent, with curved archways, beautiful built-in shelves surrounding an amazing fireplace, and stunning wood floors. "This house is gorgeous, Josie."
Josie turned to her and smiled. "Thank you. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and knew I had to have it. I hadn't planned to buy right away. I was going to wait to settle in, but I was browsing online one day while I was here looking around, and the architecture was amazing. I just couldn't pass it up. Would you like some wine? I have Chianti, a chilled sauvignon blanc, and a pinot noir."
"I'd love the white. I also brought you a couple of bottles."
"Oh, that's so sweet of you. Thank you."
Loretta laid the box Sam had carefully packaged for her on the kitchen island. "And this is a housewarming gift for you."
Josie lifted her gaze to Loretta's. "Really? You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted you to feel welcome. Plus, you have a new house."
Josie opened the box, her eyes widening. "Oh, this is stunning. Did Sam make this?"
"She did."
"It's amazing. I love it so much." Josie came around the island and folded Loretta into her arms. "Thank you, Loretta."
Loretta experienced that warm friendship feeling again. "You're welcome."
"I know just where to put it, too. I have this idea for a table I want right under the living room window. This plant will look perfect on it."
"Now you have a reason to buy the table."
Josie laughed. "I do, don't I? Thanks for helping me make that decision. Now let's have a drink."
Josie poured the wine--the white for Loretta and the Chianti for herself.
"This kitchen is pretty awesome, too," Loretta said.
"Thanks. I was happy they modernized it. I'm all in for the retro look, but I didn't really want to cook in a 1950s kitchen."
Loretta laughed. "I don't blame you."
"Come on, we'll have a seat in the living room. It's a little warm today, so I grilled some salmon for dinner. We'll have salad with it. I cheated and bought bread at the store, since it's too hot to bake bread."
"That sounds amazing. And you bake your own bread?"
Josie sipped her wine and nodded. "Only in the cooler months. I'm not much for sweating in the house in the summer."
"I'm not, either. Then again, I'm not much of a baker."
"I love to bake. Mostly casseroles. And bread."
"You should get together with Megan Lee."
"She owns the bakery and coffee shop, right? I've yet to stop in."
"You have to. You two are meant to be friends."
Josie laughed. "I'll make a point of it, then."
Loretta took a sip of her wine. "This is excellent. And thank you for inviting me to dinner."
"You haven't tasted it yet."
"I'm sure it will be great. And I'm happy about the company."
"Me, too. It sucks being the new girl in town."
"So what made you decide on Hope?"
"Well, the job offer certainly helped," Josie said with a wry smile. "And being back in Oklahoma and near family is great."
"You said you have family in southern Oklahoma?"
"Yes. A few hours from here. But it's a very small town, and teaching positions there are hard to come by. When I saw this job opening, I jumped at the chance. I flew out here and interviewed and fell in love with Hope."
Loretta nodded. "It's a pretty great town. I missed small-town life when I was gone. Dallas is such a big city."
"So is Atlanta. I mean, there were great things about living there, but there's nothing like living in a welcoming community."
"Was that what drew you back? Small-town life?"
Josie stared at her wineglass. "That and the need to escape a hellish breakup."
There was some blunt honesty. "Oh. I'm really sorry."
"Thanks. So was I. I can't believe I was that stupid."
"You're preaching to the choir here, sister. I spent ten years being stupid. Only I married the guy."
Josie shook her head. "You'd think smart women wouldn't make dumb choices."
"I'm pretty sure it happens a lot. Then again, I don't
know that we can accept all the blame. Sometimes men make promises in the beginning and turn out to be not who you thought they were at the end."
Josie nodded. "And sometimes they start out sweet and end up not so nice after a while."
Loretta frowned. "Did your ex hurt you?"
Josie sighed. "You know, sometimes it's just best to leave the past in the past." She lifted her gaze and smiled at Loretta. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
The one thing Loretta did know about was that sometimes the past was painful to talk about. And her friendship with Josie was new, so she'd give it some time. "I'm definitely hungry."
"Good. Let's eat."
Dinner was amazing. The salmon and salad tasted cool and refreshing, and the bread was perfect. They ate and chatted about Josie's job and Loretta's bookstore.
"I love that you get to do something you love," Josie said. "That must be a thrill for you."
"It really is. Coming home filled me with some trepidation, but so far it's been pretty good."
Josie buttered a slice of French bread. "Why trepidation?"
"Oh, you know. Things change when you're gone for a while. I found that out with my old friends, as you recall from the bar."
Josie nodded. "Bunch of hags. They can go screw themselves. You don't need friends like that."
Loretta laughed. "And this is why I'm glad you and I have become friends. Between the bookstore and Hazel and now the dog, I don't have a lot of time for a social life."
"I know how that is. I'm curious, though--when I drove by your bookstore the other day, I noticed you talking with the hot guy working on the building next door. Deacon, right? The one you have the past with?"
Loretta nodded. "Yes."
"And how's that going?"
"It's . . . complicated."
Josie stared at her for a few seconds, then said, "Hey, I get it. If you don't want to talk about it, feel free to tell me it's none of my business."
She hoped she hadn't offended Josie. The last thing she wanted was to lose a new friend. "Oh, no. That's not what I meant at all. I meant it really is complicated. In fact, I could use an objective opinion."
"Oh. Okay. Well, then, hit me." Josie pushed her plate to the side and took a sip of her wine.
Though they weren't lifelong friends, there was something about Josie she really liked. Maybe it was her laid-back attitude. Maybe it was the fact that Josie had opened up to her some about her own past. Either way, she trusted her.