Harlequin Heartwarming April 2018 Box Set

by Amy Vastine

  “Yeah…”

  “Hey, nobody can blame you for keeping your guard up. She put you through hell. You’d be crazy if you weren’t a little edgy.”

  Nodding, Jase sipped his water.

  “Here’s a dumb question for ya, bro. Do you want to pick up where you left off with her?”

  More than anything, Jase thought. But he said, “I’m not sure.”

  “What’s the main bone of contention? She still owes you money?”

  Jase paused as the waiter delivered their meals.

  “No, she paid back every cent, with interest.” He pictured the plaque she’d made him. The sentiment sure seemed sincere. So far.

  “How long has she been back now? Three months?”

  “She got home the week of Mother’s Day.” Easy to remember, since he’d avoided talking marriage with Whitney, even as Lillie and her dad talked about gifts for Amelia.

  “Sounds to me like you two need a good old-fashioned sit-down. Lay your cards on the table, as Dad used to say, and hope that when the game’s over, you’re both holding a winning hand.”

  That’s just it, Jase thought. This wasn’t a game. He winced, recalling her recent outburst.

  “Afraid she might go back to her old ways, huh? Well, like I said, who wouldn’t under the circumstances?”

  “I guess.”

  “Sit her down. Get specific. Talk until she convinces you that won’t happen.”

  He didn’t feel like repeating the many times and ways she’d delivered the “drugs are in the past” speech, because Drew had been the go-to guy when Jase needed help picking up the pieces.

  “I hate to sound like a cynic, but when all’s said and done, there are no guarantees. You’re gonna have to trust your gut.”

  “I guess,” Jase repeated.

  Ian pulled out a chair and joined them. “Well as I live and breathe, if it isn’t the Yeager brothers.”

  The men exchanged handshakes and “what’s new” conversation.

  “Enjoying the meal?” Ian wanted to know.

  “As always,” Drew said.

  Ian rested tattooed forearms on the table and studied their faces. “Why so serious, guys? Somebody lose their job?”

  Drew chuckled. Jase did not.

  “Lillie’s back,” Drew said.

  “Ah. That explains a lot.”

  “Little brother, here, can’t decide whether or not they should pick up where they left off.”

  “I changed,” Ian said. “Maybe she has, too.”

  Jase had heard stories about Ian’s background—serving ten long years in prison for joining his pals in a convenience store robbery before he’d even turned twenty. It couldn’t have been easy, joining society again, not with a thing like that hanging over his head, but he’d done it. Couldn’t have been easy convincing Maleah, the love of his life, that he wouldn’t hurt her again—especially not with a decade-long gap between his release and their reunion, but he’d done that, too.

  “Give her a little credit,” their friend said.

  Jase only nodded.

  “What’s the worst that can happen?” Ian pressed.

  “Drugs,” Drew offered.

  Jase’s heartbeat picked up as he added, “And this time, they could kill her.”

  “Neither of those things are very likely.” Ian studied Drew’s face, then aimed his gaze toward Jase. “You know that, right?”

  Again, Jase only nodded.

  “Let me ask you something…”

  Jase braced himself to hear what he’d been asking himself since Lillie came home: Do you have what it takes to help her stay straight? Better still: Are you man enough to handle it if she can’t?

  “If you two get back together, what’s in it for her?”

  Guilt shot through him, because until that moment, he hadn’t given a thought to whether or not Lillie wanted to start over. Or if that would be best for her, for that matter. Guy has to be pretty selfish not to consider a thing that important…

  Memory of those moments in the gazebo rumbled in his heart. If that was how she behaved if she didn’t want to renew what they’d had—

  “Sounds corny, I know,” Ian said, “but I’ll be forever grateful to Maleah, to her family and mine, for giving me a second chance. Without that, who knows where I would have ended up.”

  Drew snorted. “Gimme a break, pal. You put in ten long years of clean living before you two hooked up again. That hard work is responsible for the success of this place, and for your close ties to your aunt, your dad, your employees.”

  A waitress stepped up and whispered something in Ian’s ear. Nodding, he got to his feet. “Sorry, guys, but duty calls. Good to see you both,” he said. “Don’t be such strangers, okay?” He gripped Jase’s hand a tick longer than before. “If you want to talk, you know how to find me.”

  “Thanks.”

  And with that, their host left them alone to finish lunch and discuss their respective jobs, their mother’s health and the upcoming surprise birthday bash Colette’s sorority sisters would throw in a few months, right here at Sur les Quais.

  Jase’s attention on the conversation was half-hearted at best, because already he’d started thinking about how he’d convince Lillie to sit down for that much-needed heart-to-heart.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “I HAVE GOOD NEWS!” Lillie’s sister said. “You’re not going to believe this!”

  Molly had a reputation for exaggerating, so Lillie smiled as she dropped onto the nearest kitchen chair. “How many guesses do I get?”

  “One.” Shoulders raised with excitement, she folded her hands on the table.

  “You and Matt decided to stop globe-trotting?”

  “No! You know how much we love traveling.”

  “You’re adopting a dog? A cat? A parrot?”

  Frowning, Molly said, “You’re so far off base, it isn’t even funny!”

  “Then…you’re selling the house so you can afford that place at the beach you’ve been dreaming about?”

  Brows high on her forehead, Molly gave that some thought before saying, “No, but that isn’t a half-bad idea.” She knocked on the table. “C’mon. I’ll give you one more chance…”

  “Matt got a promotion.”

  “No! It isn’t good news for Matt and me, it’s good news for you! Great news, actually.”

  What her sister needed, Lillie thought, was a kid or two. Or at the very least, a cat or a dog, a bird, some fish even, to give her something to focus on besides planning the next exotic trip. And maybe then she wouldn’t be so inclined to turn everything into a never-ending game.

  “Molly, you know I love you to pieces, but I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

  “I ran into Jase’s girlfriend this morning.”

  “But…I thought she moved to California…”

  “She’s only back for a week or so, to pack up her town house and arrange to have things shipped to San Francisco. I barely recognized her! Her hair is almost white-blond, and she’s as tan as a caramel. One loose end to tie up, she told me, and she’s done with Baltimore for good.”

  “Well, good for her,” Lillie muttered. And then it dawned on her that the loose end might be Jase.

  “Stop looking like you just saw a ghost. It didn’t take her long to replace Jase. She’s dating some hotshot restaurateur with—as she put it—‘establishments in LA, Vegas, Sacramento and San Francisco.’” Molly rolled her eyes. “I have no idea what Jase ever saw in her. He’s always been so down to earth. Even after all those hours on TV, with women calling in and blatantly flirting and show hosts falling all over themselves around him, he’s still the most grounded guy I know.”

  Lillie couldn’t get her mind off Whitney’s last move.

  “So here’s the best part,” Moll
y continued. “She’s moving her family to California. Found an assisted living center for her mother, and a one-bedroom apartment nearby for her sister, whom she’s paying to—” Molly drew air quotes “‘—to take care of Mom, because I’m way too busy to oversee things, myself.’”

  “Well, to give credit where it’s due, at least she’s seeing to their needs.”

  “Lillie, Lillie, Lillie.” Molly sighed. “She gets no credit from me. Think how hard that’ll be for her poor ol’ mama, packing up, flying all the way across the country, adjusting to a one-bedroom apartment after living in a big house on an acre of ground, leaving all her friends behind. Same goes for the sister. Nope, nope, nope. Whitney gets no credit from me. She’s doing this to make her own life easier, not her family’s.”

  “She shared all that with you during a chance meeting?”

  “You’d be surprised what I can get out of people when I set my mind to it.” Helping herself to a glass of iced tea, Molly turned from the sink. “Can I pour one for you, sis?”

  “Sure. I could use a little caffeine kick. I have some final touches to put on the grand opening flyer. After my shift at the hotel, that is. I might need a little help, staying awake.”

  After delivering the drink, Molly sat across from Lillie again. “How are things with you and Jase these days?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “I heard you two rehearsed for some shindig at Hopkins?”

  “That isn’t going to happen. Little Jason died.”

  “Oh, Lill… I’m sorry to hear that. I know you really cared about that boy.”

  Lillie sipped the tea.

  “Don’t let it get you down. He’s in a better place. No more suffering. No more tests. No more hospitals.”

  She knew her sister meant well, or Lillie would have pointed out that those were precisely the things people didn’t need to hear after experiencing a loss. Why couldn’t people just say “I’m sorry” and be done with it?

  “Mom said you turned down a great offer from some fancy record producer. She was mistaken, right?”

  “I didn’t hear an offer. The father of one of the Hopkins kids thought he could make a deal if I wanted him to, but—”

  “You didn’t want him to?”

  “Too many other things to adjust to right now.”

  “But, you’ve had your eyes on that prize for as long as I can remember!”

  “Yeah, well, that was then, and this is now.”

  “Oh, c’mon. What kind of gobbledygook is that? You don’t really expect me to believe you don’t want to at least try to make your Nashville dreams come true.”

  “Believe it or not, that was more Dad’s dream than mine. I sort of bought into it, for a little while. But my dreams have changed.”

  Molly scrutinized her. “It’s because of Jase, isn’t it?”

  She shook her head. “Jase is… He and I… We…” Lillie honestly didn’t know how to explain things.

  “If you want him, go after him.”

  “It isn’t that simple. I’m sure the things I put him through are front and center in his mind. In his shoes, I wouldn’t trust me either.”

  “First of all, you couldn’t wear his shoes if you tried. Size 12 on a size 5 foot?” Molly laughed. “Now, there’s a picture for the Rourke family photo album!” One look at Lillie was enough to sober her. “He’s not a fool, I’ll give you that. But you two had something truly special. He’s footloose and fancy-free now, so…” She paused before adding, “Unless…unless you don’t care about him anymore.”

  Lillie didn’t trust herself to speak. Not with a huge sob stuck in her throat.

  “I can’t say as I blame you. He was pretty tough on you before you left for New York. For a long time, I blamed him for making you leave.”

  “Nothing that happened was Jase’s fault. Nothing.”

  “Okay, then what about that mean-spirited speech you told me about when I visited you at Rising Sun?”

  “I drove him to it.”

  “Excuses, excuses. What’s your sponsor say about you and Jase getting back together?”

  “I haven’t made a big deal of it, because it isn’t a big deal.”

  Molly harrumphed. “In other words, you haven’t told him.”

  “Not in so many words.”

  “Because you know what he’d say.”

  Lillie glanced at the clock. Why did the hands seem frozen in place?

  “You can fool your friends, maybe even Mom and Dad, but you can’t fool me. You’re still head over heels for the guy. It’s written all over your face, and I can hear it in your voice. Seems to me if you hope to stay off the pills, you need to make life as easy as possible. Reconnecting with Jase will accomplish that.”

  How would living with his doubt and mistrust make life as easy as possible?

  “Okay, all right, I’ll butt out.”

  “Too late for that,” Lillie teased. “But I appreciate what you’re trying to do. I love you for it.”

  “I’d do anything for you, sis. Anything. If only I could think of something.” She swiped condensation from the sides of her glass and wiped it on a paper napkin. “Hey, here’s an idea… I’ll track him down and knock some sense into him.”

  Laughing, Lillie patted Molly’s hand. “You’d have to catch him first, and with those long legs, that’s all but impossible. But even if you got lucky, like you said, size 12 shoes versus size 5…”

  “Good point. I suppose.” Her sister fell silent for a moment. “I just want you to be happy, you know? You’ve worked so hard, you deserve every good thing life has to offer.”

  “Oh, my life is pretty good, even without Jase,” she admitted. “I have a great family, a safe place to live, jobs that pay fair wages and my health.” Sitting up straighter, she added, “Did Mom tell you I finally bought a car?”

  “Yup. I saw it in the driveway. Pretty cool, sister dear. Pretty cool.” She chugged down the last of her tea, and while putting the glass into the dishwasher, said, “What can I do to help with the grand opening?”

  “Just show up on Saturday. There’s bound to be something I’ve forgotten.”

  Molly shouldered her purse and, one hand on the back doorknob, added, “Is Jase coming?”

  “He knows about it, but I haven’t shared the specifics.”

  “Call him. Spell ’em out. Trust me, he’ll be here.”

  “Wish I had your confidence.”

  Molly winked and sent Lillie a knowing smile. “I have it on good authority that he cares more than you think.”

  “Oh, yeah? What authority?”

  “Whitney. She said if you hadn’t come back to town, Jase never would have let her move to California alone. Said he can do his mother’s bidding from anywhere in the world, so he would’ve followed her out there in a heartbeat.”

  “She makes him sound like a well-trained pup. I think you’re right. Jase is better off without her.”

  But was he better off with Lillie?

  Only one way to find out, she thought, waving to Molly. The instant her sister’s car was out of sight, she dialed his number.

  Voicemail. Lillie cleared her throat and said, “It’s me. I know I told you about the inn’s reopening party, but I don’t remember if I gave you any of the details. Mom and Dad—and the rest of the family—would love to see you here.” Lillie hesitated. “I’d like to see you here, too, so if you have time on Saturday, between noon and six, bring your appetite.”

  She pressed End, then kicked herself for not saying “Call me if you can make it.” The way she’d left things, he could show up, unannounced. Worse, he wouldn’t show up at all, and say it was because he didn’t know he was supposed to RSVP.

  Lillie looked out the window, where the big white gazebo loomed in the backyard. Inside, on the bench farthest from the double screen
doors, Jase had taken her in his arms and kissed her so tenderly, so longingly, that Lillie worried she might melt, slide from his lap onto the floor, like unpredictable mercury that had escaped a broken antique thermometer.

  “It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it?”

  Lillie startled at the sudden sound of her mother’s voice. She turned and smiled. It’s more beautiful than you know, Mom.

  “I hope a lot of wonderful memories will be made there.”

  Lillie’s heart beat a tick faster. “I have a feeling it’ll be the favorite place of lots of people.” It’s already one of my favorite places!

  “Working tonight?”

  “’Fraid so. I’m on duty until 2:00 a.m.”

  “Goodness, Lillie. That isn’t very safe, is it? All alone there at the desk at that hour?”

  “There are always a few maids on duty, and the night manager. Nothing has ever happened, but if it should, help is as close as the phone.”

  Frowning, Amelia propped both fists on her hips. “If you can get to the phone, that is.”

  If only she knew how many crazy risks Lillie had taken walking the dark, gritty streets in search of her next fix.

  “Love you, Mama.” She gave her a big hug. “But please don’t worry. Trust me, I can take care of myself.”

  “Supper will be ready any minute. Will you be able to eat with your dad and me?”

  She glanced at the clock. “I can. But I’ll have to hit the road as soon as we’re finished, so leave the dishes soaking in the sink, and I’ll do them when I get home.”

  “We’ll do no such thing! You’ve worked miracles in the flower gardens. I can’t even count how many neighbors have told me they look like something from a landscaping magazine.” Amelia took Lillie’s hands in her own and inspected the palms. “No girl should have hands like this. What if you wanted to give Jase’s cheek a gentle pat? Why, you might scratch him with these calluses!”

  The image of Jase holding her face in his big hands—seconds before he kissed her—came to mind. Oh, what she wouldn’t give for a chance to repeat that sweet and intimate moment!