by Deanna Chase
“That was sweet of you, Chad,” Abby said with a kind smile. She handed Luna the other menu and took their drink orders.
When she was done rattling off the specials, Chad asked, “What’s going on? Is there an event in town we don’t know about?”
“You’d think so, right?” Abby said. “But nope. There was an article that went viral online about the new brews Clay and Rhys have been working on. Ever since then, the place has been packed to the gills. People are coming from all over to check this place out. They’ve even filled up Noel’s inn. It’s crazy.”
“Beer enthusiasts?” Luna asked.
Abby nodded. “It’s pretty insane. I’m not sure what to make of it all.”
“Just enjoy it I guess,” Luna said with a smile.
Abby returned her smile and indicated she’d be back soon to get their dinner orders.
“So…” Luna started, nodding toward Chad’s hand. He’d been flexing and stretching it ever since they walked into the restaurant. “Did you make an appointment for a massage?”
He glanced down at his hand and pressed his palm to the table as if to stop himself from doing the small exercises. It was almost as if he hadn’t even known he’d been stretching his fingers out. “I did, but the spa is booked solid for the next three weeks.”
“It is?” Luna asked in surprise. She knew the place was doing well. The days she worked, she was booked solid. But she had no idea the backlog was that long.
“You didn’t know?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Lena runs the administration end.”
“You’re just the talent?” he teased, his eyes sparkling again.
Damn, he was gorgeous when he looked at her like that. He was so full of happy goodness that he was almost a drug. One she never wanted to give up. “Yeah, something like that,” she said. “But you don’t have to wait that long. Come in tomorrow morning. I’ll squeeze you in before my first appointment of the day.”
“You don’t have to do that, Luna.” But even as the words sailed out of his mouth, he started massaging the joints between his knuckles.
She laughed. “You don’t even realize you’re doing that, do you?”
“Huh?” He glanced down at his hands. This time it was his turn to flush. His cheeks turned pink, and all she wanted to do in that moment was press her hands to his face and kiss him. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and tried to pretend she wasn’t wildly attracted to this man who was ten years her senior and probably still saw her as the messed-up kid she’d been three years ago. He gave her a half smile. “I guess not. It’s just a constant ache most of the time. My new normal.”
“I’m not sure it has to be.” Luna propped her elbows on the table and cradled her chin in her hands. “How long did you have relief after the short massage I gave you yesterday?”
He frowned, clearly mulling the question over. “I think I didn’t notice the ache until this morning when I opened a jar for Barb. I’m staying in the apartment over the garage, and we usually have breakfast together.”
Luna grinned. It was cute that he felt the need to explain his living situation. Of course, she’d already known where he was living. The small-town rumor mill didn’t quiet for anyone. “That’s good. The relief lasted for at least twelve hours, which is remarkable since it was agitated from the move. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think I can probably help you ease that chronic pain.”
“I was already sold after yesterday’s sample,” he said with a chuckle. “Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“We’ll start with tomorrow morning and go from there.”
Abby arrived with their drinks, took their burger orders, and promised their food would be right up. But Luna didn’t care how long her food took, because for the first time in years, she felt herself relax and let herself enjoy the man across from her.
“Are you going to tell me how you hurt your hand?” Luna asked.
Chad’s jaw tightened as he crumpled up a napkin in his fist, his knuckles going white from the effort.
“You don’t have to talk about it,” Luna insisted, trying desperately to back out of the question. “I’m sorry I asked. Forget it.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m just embarrassed, that’s all,” Chad admitted.
That got her attention. It wasn’t the words; it was the way he said them. He wasn’t talking about some silly accident. This was about shame. She lowered her voice and stared him right in the eye as she surprised herself by saying, “It’s all right, Chad. Whatever it is, it can’t be worse than what I’ve done.”
Chad’s expression turned to one of surprise but quickly softened. He reached across the table and slipped his good hand over one of hers. “I’m not so sure about that. But can we talk about this after dinner? Somewhere quieter, maybe?”
She glanced around the crowded pub and nodded. She wouldn’t want to spill her secrets there either.
When their burgers arrived, Luna took a bite and let out a small moan of pleasure. The Townsends sourced their ingredients from small local farms and served grass fed beef. Fresh and flavorful were understatements.
“Agreed,” Chad said with a nod.
Luna put her burger down and took a long sip of her tea. Nibbling on a fry, she said, “Let’s talk about your music shop. What are your plans?”
As they continued to dig into their dinner, Chad launched into a detailed marketing plan that involved selling instruments, teaching piano, and bringing in guest artists for meet-and-greets and even organizing some concerts down by the river.
“Sounds ambitious and wonderful for Keating Hollow,” Luna said, admiring his willingness to invest in the community. It was just like him, though. Even though he’d traveled a lot for concerts when he’d lived in Berkeley, he still spent a lot of time down at the local community center, volunteering by giving piano lessons to the kids who came in after school.
He shrugged. “It’s a way to stay involved in music.”
“Your first love.” She smiled at him.
Chad hesitated for a moment as if he were contemplating exactly who or what his first love was, but then he let out a chuckle and nodded. “You’re probably right about that. Piano saved me when I was a teenager. I don’t know where I would’ve ended up without it.”
“Really?” Luna sat up. “Do you think you would’ve turned into a hoodlum like I did?”
Chad raised one eyebrow at that.
“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” she said, almost defiantly. Considering her past wasn’t anything she ever wanted to talk about, she’d surprised herself by bringing it up. But for some reason, she felt like she needed him to acknowledge what she’d done and not keep ignoring the elephant in the room.
“No. It isn’t,” he insisted. “You were never a criminal, Luna. You were a kid stuck in a bad situation and shit got real.”
Abby appeared with the check, and without even looking at the bill, Chad handed her a credit card.
“You can’t just pretend none of that happened,” Luna challenged. “Just because you saw me as a good kid, that doesn’t mean I actually was.” She leaned across the table and lowered her voice. “There’s a reason I spent time in juvy, Chad.”
“There certainly is, but it’s not because of—”
Abby reappeared. “Thanks, you two. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Thanks, Abby,” Chad said, smiling up at her. “Everything was great as usual.”
She beamed and waved as she took off to deal with other tables.
Chad added the tip, signed the bill, and stood, holding his hand out to Luna. “Come on. Let’s walk. There are some things we need to clear up.”
Luna stared at his hand, torn between wanting to clasp it and wanting to bolt. She’d come to terms with who and what she was. She didn’t need him to tell her differently.
“Please,” he said softly. “I have things you need to know.”
She’d been about to get up and walk ou
t, but the earnest expression on his face touched something deep inside of her. Chad was an honorable man. She was sure of it, and she suddenly desperately wanted to know what it was he had to say. “All right.”
She placed her hand in his and let him lead her out onto the cobbled sidewalks of Keating Hollow. The sun had just set, and the town was bathed in twilight. Chad was silent as they walked toward the river. Whatever it was he needed to say, he was obviously gathering his thoughts.
Luna let him take as much time as he needed. As much as she wanted to hear what he had to say, she was in no hurry to take a trip down memory lane.
But it was too late. Walking next to him, smelling his familiar woodsy scent, everything she’d tried to bury came roaring back.
Chapter Nine
Berkeley, Three Years Earlier
Despite it being June, there was a chill in the air, and Hope shivered. She’d forgotten her sweater back at Starbucks where she’d just ended a seven-hour shift. But she ignored the cold. Chad had called her a half hour earlier and asked her to stop by his house on her way home.
Chad never called her. Not at home and not at her job. But he was always there for her when she needed him. Always. Now she wondered what it was he needed from her. If she was honest with herself, she hoped it meant he was interested in more than just the platonic friendship they had going on. Maybe he needed a date to one of his charity functions. It didn’t matter to her that she was still seventeen. She’d just graduated high school. Wasn’t that good enough?
Probably not, she told herself. Chad was far too decent and honorable to consider dating a teenager. Especially one who was a product of the foster care system. Maybe once she moved into his spare bedroom when she turned eighteen, he’d start to see her as an adult, instead of a ward of the state. Hope’s living situation was perilous at best. Her foster mother didn’t care about anyone. Not even her own biological kid, who’d finally stopped coming to visit.
Casey, her son, used to come by and do chores for her, stock her refrigerator, make sure she was doing all right, but when Pam hooked up with Leo, the mother-son relationship had gone straight into the toilet. Leo was a controlling son of a bitch who verbally abused the foster kids and physically abused Pam. But no matter what anyone said, she wouldn’t do anything about it. She said Leo kept her safe and her light bill paid. After Casey and Leo got into a physical altercation over the bruise on his mother’s eye, Pam took Leo’s side, and Casey had split. No one could blame him.
Hope would’ve split too if she’d had anywhere to go. That night, as she did most nights, she’d ended up on Chad’s front steps, venting about her living situation. She’d have moved out that minute if she could have found someone who’d let her rent a room. But no one wanted to deal with child services or someone who was underage. And all of her friends from school were headed off to college. Hope had gotten into a state school, but her grades weren’t good enough for academic scholarships, and somehow her application for need-based help had gotten lost. Hope suspected sabotage by Leo, but she didn’t have any proof.
“I don’t know how or where yet, but you better believe that as soon as I turn eighteen and am no longer a ward of the state, I’m moving out,” Hope insisted. “I can’t stay in that house. Leo is too much of a loose cannon.”
Chad leaned back in the porch swing, contemplating what she’d said. “Do you have any friends who can rent you a room?”
She shook her head. “They’re all headed off to college. It’s going to be tricky, because I’ll only need a place until January. Maybe I can find a cheap monthly Airbnb for those few months. By then I’ll have my financial situation worked out with the college, and I’ll be out of here, too.”
He glanced at his small house and hesitantly asked, “Would it be weird if I offered you my spare bedroom?”
She froze, staring at him as if he’d just spoken a foreign language. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “Did you just offer for me to stay here?”
“It is weird.” He grimaced. “I was just thinking that I have extra space I’m not using, and I hate the idea of you using the money you’re saving for college on an Airbnb. But I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Just forget it.”
“Forget it? Hell no!” She jumped up and threw herself into the swing and hugged him with everything she had. Her chest was heavy with emotion as tears stung the backs of her eyes. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. Do you know that?”
He let out a soft chuckle. But then he turned serious. “I am honored to call you a friend, Hope.”
She’d clung to him for what seemed like forever. Then she’d wiped her eyes and steeled her resolve to get through the next three months until she was free of the system.
Two weeks later, when Chad called her at work to tell her he needed to talk to her, she went straight to his house and was surprised not to find him waiting for her on his porch the way he usually did. She knocked, and when he answered, he looked haggard, like he hadn’t slept the night before.
“Hey. Come in. There’s pasta on the stove if you’re hungry.” He led the way to the small kitchen and took a seat at the table, holding his head with one hand.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting across from him.
“I have news.”
She waited, her pulse kicking up. Was he sick? Did he have a family emergency? “Are you all right? Can I do anything to help?”
His regretful gaze met hers. “I’m so sorry, Hope. I found out yesterday that my contract isn’t going to be renewed with the symphony here.”
“You’re losing your job? They can’t just fire you. You’re like some sort of prodigy,” she argued, unable to believe anyone would let him go. He played the piano like an angel.
“They didn’t fire me. The company is disbanding. No one got a new contract,” he said, sounding miserable.
“Oh. That really sucks,” she said, wanting to reach out and grab his hand, but one was still holding his head up and the other must’ve been resting on his knee under the table. Instead she gave him an encouraging smile and said, “I’m sure you’ll land on your feet. You’re you for goodness sake.”
“I already have a new contract,” he said, sounding miserable.
She sat back, frowning at him. “Okay. Then why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?”
“It’s in Chicago. I have to leave tonight on the red eye.”
His words hung between them as the air got sucked right out of the room. This couldn’t be happening. Her birthday was just shy of three months away, and she’d gotten used to the idea of moving in with Chad. Everything was set in her mind. She’d even started looking for second-hand furniture for his empty spare room. “And this house?” she finally forced out. “When does the lease run out?”
“It’s a month to month.” He grimaced. “I’m so sorry, Hope. I’d keep the lease if I could, but I can’t afford this and a place in Chicago. I’m sorry. I know this really messes things up for you.”
And there was no way she could afford to foot the rent for the next six months. Not if she wanted funds for her college apartment. That meant three to six more months of her foster mother’s house if she couldn’t find anywhere else. She closed her eyes and prayed she wouldn’t cry. It won’t be that bad, she told herself. Pam would make her pay a little rent, but she could manage with some extra shifts at her job. “It’s all right. I’ve survived this long. It was kind of you to offer your house, Chad. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me more than you know.”
They hugged and wished each other well, and then Hope ran out of there before she completely broke down. Once she was back in Pam’s house, she headed straight for the tiny room she shared with another foster kid and climbed into the top bunk, ready to cry her eyes out. Besides losing her place to stay, her best friend was leaving, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever see him again.
“Hope!” Pam cried from somewhere in the house.
Rolling over, Hope ignored he
r. Maybe Pam would assume she wasn’t home.
“Hope! Get your ass out here. I have an errand for you to run.”
“No effing way,” she muttered and clutched her pillow.
The door slammed open and Pam’s cheap high heels clacked against the hardwood floors right before she reached up and grabbed Hope’s ankle and yanked. “Get your lazy butt up. I have something for you to do. Now.”
“Go away, Pam,” Hope said without any heat in her voice. Couldn’t the woman see that Hope was heartbroken? Actually, she probably didn’t. Pam only saw what she wanted to see, and in that moment, Hope was a means to an end.
“Get your ass out of that bed or you’ll never see this box of cash again,” Pam threatened.
Hope flipped over and sat straight up, her eyes widening in fear as she spotted her cash box, the one she kept under the floorboard in her closet. “Where did you get that?” Hope demanded as she flew off the bed and lunged for it. “That’s mine. I worked hard for that money.”
Pam just laughed and let her take the box.
Hope knew the moment she grabbed the box that it was empty. The money didn’t slide around, and it felt awful light. In addition to paper money, Hope had collected quarters. “What did you do with my school money?”
Pam stood there smirking in too tight jeans, a white tank top, and a cigarette dangling out of her mouth. “Relax, princess. It’s safe. I just needed insurance that you’d run my little errand. All you need to do is deliver my latest potions to Ricky, and then you can have your precious college money back. Though I am going to take some out for rent.”
“Rent! I’m still a ward of the state,” Hope insisted.
“You aren’t in three months when you turn eighteen,” Pam said with a sickly sweet smile. “The checks will stop, and that means no more money is coming from the state while you spend the fall here. You’ll officially be a freeloader. Unless you want to pack up on your birthday and head out, you’ll start contributing when I tell you to.”