Authors: Dawn Pendleton
I was floored.
My eyes met the hard, chiseled body of a shirtless carpenter, complete with tool belt and a hammer in hand. His muscles were well defined and his skin was bronzed from the sun. I raised my brows and pretended to cough. When he turned to me, I couldn’t hide my surprise.
I was clad in nothing more than a flimsy towel and staring into the chocolate brown eyes of none other than Lucas Bates.
Chapter Two
Luke
I stared back at her, certain I was seeing some sort of mirage, not the girl who broke my heart three years ago. I barely managed to keep my immediate anger in check. What the hell was she doing here? Joe Wells had been dying from cancer for years, and she decided to come home when he was on his deathbed? Who the hell did she think she was?
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
She sounded stunned, but I couldn’t tell which one of us was more shocked to see the other. “I could ask you the same thing,” I muttered.
“What’s
that
supposed to mean?”
“Don’t play dumb, Mallory. Why are you here?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I
live
here.”
Was she serious? She was moving into Joe’s place? I sighed, a defeated sound. I would have to assign a new carpenter to do the repair work Joe hired me for. No way was I going to spend the summer at this house with her.
“Well then, I’m sorry to have disturbed you,” I said, looking her up and down.
She looked uncomfortable for a moment and then smiled brightly. “You could never disturb me, Luke.” She turned away, letting the door slam behind her as she went back into the house.
I let out a shuttering breath. The woman was as poisonous as a snake and just as quick, ready to strike at the first movement. I couldn’t imagine why she thought Joe needed her. He’d been battling his cancer for the last three years without a single visit from her. Hell, Joe even defended her when she demanded he visit her for holidays instead of coming home herself.
She was a spoiled rotten city brat now, though in all honestly, she was spoiled rotten before she even left Casper. She needed to go back to Boston and let her father enjoy his last few weeks on this earth. I wasn’t about to tell her that, though. I just wanted to finish my work for the day and hopefully not see her again for the rest of the summer. I turned back to the boards I was replacing and got to work. Maybe I could get finished early.
Spoiled or not, she was still hot as hell. Her blonde hair was wet and curled wildly around her face. Her skin was tanned and looked as soft as I remembered it being. Her blue eyes were fiery, her lips full and pink. She was every bit as gorgeous as I remembered. Not much about her had changed. Her good looks, her spunky temper, and her habit of jumping to conclusions were all just the same as they were three years ago.
It was forty-five minutes later when she emerged from the doorway once again. She seemed more sure of herself but still on edge. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a gray tank top, which reminded me of the summers we’d spent together while she was in high school. Her long hair was pulled back into a messy bun and several curls framed her face.
“Thank you for helping my dad with the porch,” she said with a forced smile.
I would have laughed if she showed any sign of sarcasm, but she seemed genuine. “Not a problem. Though, in his defense, he did hire me to do it,” I said.
Her whole demeanor changed drastically in that instant.
“What do you mean he hired you? You mean you aren’t doing it out of the goodness of your heart? What’s with you? Still money hungry, huh?” she said with venom.
I fought to calm my anger. Her speech was almost identical to the argument we’d had years before. She actually believed I didn’t want to go to Boston because I would have lost my job at J.P. Construction. Apparently, she still believed I was all about cash flow.
Little did she know, I took a portion of my paycheck every week and spent it on Joe, often bringing him dinner or renting a movie for him. I spent every Saturday fixing up the old barn behind the house, free of charge. I fumed at her assumptions but I wasn’t about to correct her. Her opinion of me was low and there wasn’t anything I could say to change it.
I taunted her. “That’s right, princess, not all of us get a free ride to college and a job that pays gobs of money and takes up so much of our time that we don’t have the time to pay a visit to our dying father.”
Her face fell and guilt set in. Even though she deserved it, I didn’t want to hurt her that way. I drew another steadying breath.
“Mal, I’m sorry.”
She pushed out her hip and thrust her hand on it in warning. “No apologies, Luke. Just stay out of my way while I’m here. I’m not going to have the same fights with you we had years ago. And if you think for a second that you know
anything
about me, or my life in Boston, I’d advise you to keep your opinions to yourself.”
“It’s probably a good idea for us to stay away from each other,” I muttered.
She stalked off the porch and to her sleek little car, tucking herself inside and driving away. I felt like laughing. The whole thing was almost identical to the last fight we’d had, the night of her senior prom.
I was late to pick her up. She was already standing on her front porch, anxiously awaiting my arrival. Her smile widened when she saw my truck, but it faded quickly, a more somber expression taking over. She was disappointed.
“Hey, Mal, sorry I’m late,” I said, truly apologetic.
She shook her head and glared at me. “We have to be a Grady’s Wharf in twenty minutes for pictures,” she huffed.
There was no doubt she was pissed. She was like this constantly, never satisfied with anything I did. It hurt, but I didn’t tell her that. I sucked it up and decided I didn’t want to fight tonight. Tomorrow would be soon enough for another discussion about her college plans.
“Of course,” I said agreeably.
I opened the passenger door to my old Dodge and helped her up. Joe Wells stood in the doorway of his home, waving passively at us as we drove off. I wondered when Mallory would notice how sickly he was.
We got to Grady’s in record time and Mallory jumped out of the truck to socialize with her girlfriends, which left me with the task of trying to fit in with a bunch of high school kids. It was more than awkward, especially since most of the guys just wanted me to get them beer. No matter how many times I told them I wasn’t twenty-one yet, they continued to ask. I was beyond frustrated by the time a few of the moms got us all lined up for a photo session. All the guys were against the railing with the ocean as a backdrop for the pictures.
“I can’t believe you almost made us late, Luke,” Mallory said, stepping in front of me.
She wasn’t quiet about her disappointment, either, which left me to deal with the glares from the teenage girls and the sympathetic nods from the young guys. I was pissed. How dare she treat me that way in front of all her friends?
“Smile, kids,” one of the mothers called out to us.
I put my arms around Mallory’s waist and gave my brightest smile. It was surprisingly genuine. Even with all the issues we had, I loved her. Nothing would change that.
I closed my eyes to ward off the memory. I didn’t want to think about the way we used to be or the close friendship we’d had during our four-year relationship. She’d been the love of my life and I would have done anything for her. If only she hadn’t pushed me away. That night was probably the worst of my life, bar none. I didn’t want to remember the breakup.
I glanced at my watch and realized I was going to be late. I pulled off my tool belt and walked around the house to where I’d parked my truck by the barn. I tossed the belt into the toolbox in the bed of the truck and grabbed a clean shirt from the cab. At least, I assumed it was clean. I took a whiff and it didn’t smell foul, so I was safe. I climbed in my truck and drove to Penny’s.
Penny’s was the local seafood take out place. They boasted the largest lobster roll in the state, and anyone who could finish the whole thing in one sitting got it for free. I’d only ever seen one person ever eat the damn thing, and that had been my best friend Chris Baker, who everyone just called Baker.
Baker had worked at Penny’s when we were kids, so he’d worked himself up to eating the whole lobster roll. I told him it was cheating. I wondered what he would think about Mallory Wells waltzing back into town. I would have to call him later and find out.
Penny herself was at the counter when I walked in.
“The usual, Luke?” She smiled.
She was in her forties, but she always managed to look fantastic, even working at a fish fry joint.
“Yeah, but I need an extra serving of shrimp,” I said.
“Oh, got a date?”
“Not exactly. Mallory Wells is back in town,” I explained.
Her sharp intake of breath didn’t surprise me.
“
Mallory Wells
! It’s about time she came home to take care of that father of hers,” she said.
“She’s only here because he’s on the last leg of the cancer,” I replied.
I didn’t trust Mallory, probably because of our history, but she hadn’t exactly proven me wrong over the last few years.
“I’m sure she just wants the best for her dad.”
Penny was more optimistic than I was. I made a noncommittal noise and she seemed to accept it. She wrote down my order and went to give it to the cooks. There was a line behind me, so I made my way to one of the chairs set aside for takeout and had a seat.
Several minutes later, I was on my way to the hospital with a piping hot meal to share with Joe Wells and his daughter. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.
The hospital was in the center of town. No one came or went without someone noticing and reporting it to someone else, who told all their friends, and so on. I knew, before I even stepped onto the pavement of the parking lot, that there would be rumors about my visit to Joe while his daughter was home. People would talk. It was the way life worked in a small town. Although I wasn’t excited about it, I’d learned a long time ago to just deal with it. Fighting the gossips only seemed to egg them on.
I carried the box that held our dinners into the hospital and up to the second floor. Before I got to Joe’s room, I stopped off at the nurse’s station. Carrie, a nurse whom I’d been dating for a month, waited for me.
“Hey, handsome,” Carrie said, leaning over the tall counter to give me a kiss.
It was chaste and void of almost all emotion. On my end, at least. She was nice enough, but I didn’t feel the sexual attraction to her I’d felt with other women. Other women namely being Mallory Wells. Now that Mallory was back in town, I felt even more dissatisfied by my relationship with Carrie.
“I brought you dinner,” I said, pulling the bag marked with her name out of the box.
She smiled. “I get off at nine. Want to come over tonight?” she asked, her voice dropping to what should have been a seductive level.
I wasn’t seduced; however, I was turned off. If anything, I felt like scum.
When the boisterous laughter of one Mallory Wells floated into the hallway, I felt even worse. The kick her voice gave to my gut was unwarranted and unwanted. I couldn’t stop the way I felt. Lust washed over me. Like her or not, I was still physically attracted to her.
“I don’t think so, Carrie. I’ve got to get out to Joe’s early tomorrow to finish up the porch,” I said.
Carrie’s face fell but she nodded her understanding. I was the one who didn’t understand. Hadn’t I told myself I should relinquish the job to someone else? Hadn’t I given myself more than enough reasons to stay the hell away from Mallory? Why, then, was I doing everything in my power to stay close to her?
I was one big ball of conflicting emotions, my brain mixed up with the feelings from memories and lust. I smiled at Carrie and went over to Joe’s room, where more of Mallory’s laughter filtered the hallway.
Chapter Three
Mallory
My dad was in high spirits; he was excited to go home. He was sitting up straighter on his bed when I walked into his room. I wanted to believe that meant he would beat the cancer and be perfectly fine in a few weeks. I knew better, but that’s what I wanted to believe.
We spent several minutes talking about memories from my childhood.
“Do you remember that trip we took to Niagara Falls when you were twelve?” he asked.
“How could I forget? You tried to throw me off the Maid of the Mist boat at the bottom of the falls. I spent that entire summer deathly afraid of water.” I laughed.
“You blasted your depressing emo music as loud as the car stereo would go the entire ride back to punish me. Longest ten hours of my life!”
I’d forgotten about that. I let out a full, hearty laugh and realized that even though my dad had come to visit me every year these past few years, I hadn’t really
talked
to him in a long time.
I missed him. He’d been the only adult in my life throughout my childhood. I didn’t have the luxury of going back and forth between parents. I was suddenly aware that he’d been mother
and
father and he’d done a pretty good job. I couldn’t find much to complain about in my childhood. Of course, when I was adolescent, I’d all but hated him. Now I wished I could go back to those years when life was simple, and the bond we’d shared was easy.
“I remember you telling me you were ‘a woman’ that summer,” he said, his eyes alight with merriment.
“Oh, God! That had to be the worst conversation of my life.” I groaned, remembering the conversation where I’d had to explain to my dad that I started my period. It wasn’t a memory I wanted to relive or remember.
Ever.
“You have no idea how much I wanted to laugh when you told me.”
I was appalled. “Wait a minute. You acted like you had no idea what I was talking about. You made me explain,
in detail,
what happened. Are you telling me you knew and just wanted to drag out my humiliation?” It was definitely something my dad would do, though, so I had to laugh.
“Dinner’s here,” a masculine voice called out from the doorway.
I wasn’t surprised to see Luke standing there. Dad had been kind enough to explain that Luke brought him dinner three times a week, even when he was at the hospital.
Especially when he was at the hospital.
“Good thing. I thought we were going to have to eat cafeteria food!” Dad said, feigning agony.
“The horror!” Luke mocked, thrusting the box at me. He shook my dad’s hand and asked how he was feeling.
“I feel great! I’ve got my daughter back home for a while and the doctor says I can go home in the morning,” he said.
Luke flicked his eyes at me but forced his gaze back to my dad. “I should have the porch finished by the end of the week, Joe.”
“There’s no rush, Luke. I know how busy you are.”
Luke sat in the chair next to me and I handed him the extra-large basket that was overloaded with French fries, fish, hush puppies, and a biscuit. My dad’s basket was nearly as full. I doubted either of them would be able to finish their meals. My basket was too much, of course, so I shoveled a bunch of French fries into Dad’s basket.
“Don’t hoard all that shrimp, girl,” Dad said.
I laughed and forked over several shrimp. He smiled and began to eat. The nurse explained that Dad only ate well on the nights Luke brought dinners, so the staff allowed him to break the rules and bring in outside food. Normally, they were sticklers about dietary needs.
“So, Luke, how’s business?” Dad asked. “I bet business is good this time of year.”
My curiosity was piqued. Was Luke the boss of his construction company?
“You and I both know it’s not my business, Joe. J.P. is a good guy to work for, though. I’ve got my choice of jobs and yeah, it’s really busy. This past winter damaged a lot of roofs and the resulting water damage means we’ve got plenty of work for a few weeks.”
“Well, if you’re too busy to work on the porch, you know you can drop the job anytime, especially since I can’t pay you right now,” Dad said.
Wait, what? Luke said Dad was paying him. Why would Luke lie? I stayed silent while they reminisced. Maybe Luke
had
changed over the years.
Luke gave my dad a huge grin and within minutes, the two of them were laughing uncontrollably. I was in awe at the ease with which Luke addressed Dad. It was odd for me to see him in my dad’s life, since we’d been broken up for years. The memory of that night flashed into my head before I could stop it.
“Smile, kids,” Mrs. Beacon instructed.
Even though Luke and I were at odds, I widened my smile, knowing these photos would show us as the “perfect couple.” And, to the rest of the world, we were. The only people who had any inkling of the impending disaster were my best friend, Rainey, and Luke’s buddy, Baker. They were attending the prom together in order for Luke to have someone his own age to hang out with since Rainey didn’t have a date.
Rainey looked as miserable as I felt. Her dress was too tight, which meant she had probably put on a few pounds since she ordered it. She wasn’t a skinny girl, but I didn’t care what she looked like. She was my best friend because of how awesome she was, not the way she looked. Plus, I couldn’t even imagine the problems a slightly overweight girl faced in high school. I’d been thin my whole life. What did I know?
Baker was attentive and he smiled at her constantly. I wondered if he actually liked her or if—and it wouldn’t surprise me—it was just some ploy. Luke didn’t have many friends, but Baker was my least favorite. He had little interest in making something of himself—no plans for college or getting a career. He just wanted to smoke pot for the rest of his life. I wasn’t impressed. But he was being nice to Rainey, so I put up with him. I hoped his positive demeanor was real. Rainey needed the boost in confidence.
Luke’s hands on my waist felt wrong, as if we weren’t supposed to be together. The feeling made us both feel awkward and clumsy. Definitely not normal for two people who’d been dating for almost four years.
Finally, the photo session was over and we all separated to head over to the school. The bus was picking everyone up at seven. I watched, jealously, as many of the girls were escorted to limos or town cars. Prom was a rite of passage and I was being driven to it in an old beat-up truck. As frustrated as I was, I forced a smile and tried to make the night memorable.
The prom committee decided to have our prom on a boat of all things. It was romantic, even if I was still wary of the water after Dad scared me a few summers before. I hoped Luke and I could work out our problems and maybe both head to Boston in the fall. Even if he didn’t attend college there, we could at least be together.
The giant yacht was decorated beautifully, our school colors displayed proudly throughout the vessel. There was a live band and the dance floor was dim, perfect for those intimate moments. I wondered if Luke would even ask me to dance or if he and Baker would go out on the balcony and sneak cigarettes.
To my surprise, Luke wanted to dance right away.
“Dance with me?” he asked.
I smiled up at him. We were the first couple on the dance floor, swaying to the music of a popular love song. His eyes burned into mine and I realized he was thinking about how to say the words neither of us wanted to speak. He remained silent until the song was almost finished.
“Do you think we can make this work?”
I drew in a breath. I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant, but I was positive I wouldn’t like the direction the conversation was heading in.
“What do you mean?”
“There are so many reasons for us not to go to Boston, Mal,” he said.
“What reasons?” I retorted. I knew he was afraid but he wouldn’t admit it.
When the song ended, he dragged me from the dance floor out onto the balcony and found us a quiet corner to talk.
“Where were we?” he asked.
He ran a hand through his hair, an action I’d once adored and thought was sexy, but now I despised. Every little thing he did annoyed me.
I folded my arms over my chest defensively. “Reasons for not going to Boston.”
“Right. There are so many reasons. Your dad, Mal–”
“My dad! That’s your reason? My dad has nothing to do with us, with our future. How dare you bring him into this! He has been the one pushing me to go away to college, to get away from the small town life. You don’t get to use him as an excuse,” I whispered harshly.
I knew better than to yell, but boy, did I want to. My dad was pushing me harder than anyone I knew to get out of Casper, to make a life for myself. He wanted more for me than he had in his life. And I wanted more, too. Girls in Casper ended up married and pregnant within two years of high school graduation. I didn’t want to be just another statistic. I wanted more.
“Okay, forget your dad. Do you really want to live in a huge city with so many people around day and night?”
He was grasping for straws and we both knew it.
“I’ve already told you how I feel about city life, Luke. If you don’t want to go, just say so. Stop trying to make me out to be the bad guy. I have been upfront and honest about what I want since the day we met,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Mallory. We just want different things,” he said hoarsely.
His eyes were red and I thought he might cry. His sadness only fueled my anger.
“Don’t apologize, Luke. Obviously, you don’t know a single thing about me. Do me a favor, though. Stay out of my way for the rest of the summer and in the fall, I’ll be out of your life for good. You win.”
The agony of that night had lasted all summer and well into my freshman year of college. I hadn’t dated much because of the ache my heart felt every time a guy called me “Mal” the way Luke did. As much as I told myself I wouldn’t, I ended up comparing every guy I dated to him and each one fell short.
I finally ignored guys completely and focused on my job and my studies. I kept busy enough to forget the pain, or at least bury it deep enough that I couldn’t feel it anymore. There was an occasional date, but only because my roommates forced it on me. But coming home had been like someone dug up the grave of my broken heart and spread it out for all to see. I tried to keep my conflicting emotions under wraps, but my dad suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked at me.
“Mallory? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Dad.”
I lied, the proof plain to see in the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes. It was all too much. I didn’t want to relive my past, especially not under the watchful eyes of Luke Bates.
“You’ve had a long week, girl. I think you should stay at the house tonight, get some sleep, and then you can come pick me up in the morning,” Dad said. “Luke, would you give her a ride home? She’s clearly exhausted.”
“Dad, I don’t need a ride. I’m fine,” I explained. I didn’t want to be alone in a car with Luke, no matter how tired I was.
“Don’t you talk back to me, Mallory Anne! I’m still your father and you’ll listen to what I say,” he replied. He tried not to smile but failed. A grin formed on his face and he turned to Luke. “Well, you going to give her a ride or not?”
“Yes, sir, I’d be happy to.”
Luke’s dark brown eyes flashed when they met mine and he stood, tossing what was left of his dinner in the trash.
I was trapped. Disobeying my father was out of the question but I wasn’t going to ride with Luke. I could probably just walk out with him and then jump in my own car. That could work.
“Fine, Dad. Whatever you want.” I stood to kiss his forehead. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning to pick you up.”
“That’s my girl,” he said with a smile.
I returned his smile and made my way out of his room. Luke followed me and when we were several doors down in the hallway, I stopped.
“Why are you going along with him?”
“Why? He’ll kick my ass if I don’t. Joe isn’t exactly someone I want to piss off, Mal.” Luke’s white teeth flashed out from beneath his wide lips. My breath caught in my throat but I regained my composure quickly.
“You’re afraid of him? He’s dying. You give new definitions to the word masculine.”
I laughed at him and kept walking down the hallway. I felt Luke’s hand on my arm and he pulled me into an empty room.
“You think this is easy? You broke my damn heart three years ago and I’ve been the one here, taking care of your dad. I’m the one who watched his health fail and brought him to the hospital more times than I can count. I’m the one who made sure he was taken care of. And what the hell have you been doing for the last three years? You’ve been living your life without a care in the world, including your dying father,” he spat.
He backed me up against the wall and moved closer until his face was inches away from mine. “And don’t refer to your dad like that! He’s a stronger man than anyone I’ve ever met, and falling short in his eyes is the last thing I would ever want to do, aside from spending any amount of time with his spoiled rotten brat of a daughter, of course,” he sneered.
I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. There were no words for the emotions Luke evoked in me. I stood, frozen by his presence and silenced by his speech. Guilt flooded my entire body, along with another emotion, one I hadn’t expected or experienced in a long time.
Desire
.
No matter how ill suited we were for each other, I was still painfully attracted to Luke in a way I couldn’t explain. It was more than just the way he stood up for my dad or even the way he looked. He’d grown up over the years. Luke was right—I was still a spoiled rotten child hell-bent on getting my way. Tears gathered in my eyes but I didn’t bother to brush them away. I was afraid if I moved, Luke would stop staring at me with that hungry gaze.