by Ciana Stone
What hurt, emotionally, was that she'd chosen someone else over him. He didn't know how to come to terms with that. He'd never cared for someone the way he did her, and he didn't know how to erase those feelings or the jealousy that gnawed at him.
He just needed to get away. Take a road trip and get a change of scenery. He'd been in one place too long as it was. "I think I'm gonna head out for a while."
"To where?"
"Don't know. Colorado, maybe. I feel the pull of the mountains."
"And do what?"
"Don't know. Ride."
"And what about the smithy and your clients?"
"They can find someone else."
"Just like that?"
"Yep."
"Well, I guess they will, but chances are they won't be interested in giving you their business when you return."
"If I do."
"You're not coming back? You'll miss Wiley's kid being born and the wedding?"
"No, I'll be back for that. Just maybe not to stay."
"Well, I hope you change your mind."
"We'll see. Thanks, Mathias. Take care." Lincoln stood, picked up his bag of empty bottles and extended his hand.
"You too, Linc." Mathias grasped Lincoln's hand. "Ride safe."
"Always."
Lincoln headed back to town. He had one more stop to make before he hit the road. He hoped he'd find Wiley home alone, but when he knocked on the door, it was Molly who answered.
"Well, where've you been hiding?"
"I haven't been hiding."
"You could've fooled me. It's been a week, and you don't bother to even return a phone call?
"I was busy."
"You weren't home, where were you?"
"Away. Is Wiley here?"
"He's on the phone in his study. What's up?"
"I'm headed out."
"To where?"
"Don't know yet."
"Lincoln, what's going on?" She reached for his hand, but he pulled back.
"Don't."
"I wasn't going to pry. I'm just concerned. I know what happened. With you and Lula. Talk's all over town that she and the football coach are involved."
"Good for them. We weren't serious, so it's no biggie. Listen, just tell Wiley that I'll give him a call in a couple of days, let him know where I landed."
"You're—you're not leaving for good, are you?"
"I'll be back for the wedding and to meet my new niece or nephew. Beyond that— I don't know." He pulled her into his arms for a hug. "Take care, okay?"
"You too, Linc. And come home soon."
He pulled free and smiled. "I'll be seeing you."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Then be safe until then."
"Always."
Once on his motorcycle again, Lincoln headed for the town limit. A couple of times he thought about heading south instead of north, of driving to Lula's and facing her about what she'd done. But in the end, he headed north. He knew why. He'd been in her shoes too many times not to understand.
She'd taken up with Dillon Walker because she was ready to be done with him.
Which meant, for the first time ever, he was the one who'd gotten dumped.
It sucked.
Chapter Eighteen
Three weeks had passed since Lincoln disappeared. Lula couldn't think of it any other way. He just vanished. His truck was parked in his driveway but his motorcycle was gone and he'd not answered any of her calls or responded to her texts.
Lula was finally to the point of admitting defeat. She'd cried and cussed and dissected every moment they spent together and what had happened the night of the Halloween festival and knew, in her heart, that she'd not done a thing to make him turn away from her.
He'd done that because of something inside him. Either he'd used what he saw as an excuse for breaking away from her, or he had issues he couldn't deal with. Whatever the case, it was out of her control, and as much as she still cared, she wasn't going to spend the rest of her life mourning a man who'd turned his back on her.
The blessing in her sad tale was that his family, his brother Wiley, Molly and Mercy had welcomed her as their own despite the breakup. Amazingly, so did Deacon and Mica and all their friends. Lula was grateful and humbled by their generous natures. She'd asked if anyone had heard from him, only so she could stop worrying about his well-being.
Wiley said Lincoln had never been a man to stick in one place too long and he'd been in Cotton Creek for a while. And as much as Wiley loved his brother, Lincoln had never been a man a woman could count on.
That didn't make her feel one bit better, but it did make it easier for her to decide it was time to try and put that chapter behind her. Not that she was interested in trying to find another man. Her life was already complicated enough.
As far as anyone other than Naomie was concerned, Lula was involved with Dillon Walker. They continued to put on a show now and again, allowing people at school to see them kiss or touch. Sometimes she'd wait for him to finish with the team after a game and catch a ride with him, making sure they were seen being affectionate.
It wasn't a hardship to pretend. Hell, Dillon was one fine man. And not just in the looks department. He was fun to be around, smart and passionate about what he did and as far as she could tell, a genuinely nice person.
He just wasn't Lincoln. Damn it all, how long would it take for her to stop pining after a man who didn't want her? Was what happened a result of the curse her grandmother had put on her, or just plain bad luck? If it was the curse, then she desperately needed to help the spirit of the little girl and find her fourth soul to save.
Would that make it possible for her to get Lincoln back? Stop it. You're just making it worse. He walked away. Accept it and move on.
She was trying. So rather than sit home on Saturday night alone, here she was, headed for Netta Bloom's house to have dinner with Netta, Naomie and their friend Nellie Mae Baker.
Saturday night excitement. If you were retired. What did it say for her and Naomie's social life?
When she pulled into the driveway, Naomie walked out onto the front porch, then down the steps. "Hey," she greeted Lula as Lula got out of her car.
"Hey, yourself. What's up?"
"Not much. Well, I did decide that I'm definitely moving to Heritage the day after New Year." They walked toward the porch as they talked.
"Seriously? That's just a little over a month away. Why wait so long?"
Naomie stopped on the first step and leaned against the handrail. "You know Reese and Mathias are getting married, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, I'm her maid of honor, so I want to be close to help her with whatever she needs help with. And I want to give her a bridal shower, and I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it at Heritage. Netta volunteered her house and Reese said she was fine with that, but I don't want Netta doing all the work so—"
"And it keeps you away from Russell Walker a little while longer. Maybe just long enough to convince yourself that you don't have it bad for him?"
"If you weren't my friend I'd tell you to kiss my ass."
Lula laughed. "Girl, I get it. We can't help what we want, but we can help how or if we act on it and I respect your resolve. You know that. I just don't know that it would be such a bad thing if the two of you got together."
"Well, it's not happening, so that's that. And hey, talk is all over town, you know. You and Coach Hotness."
Lula blew out her breath and sat on the step. "This is a lot harder than I imagined."
Naomie sat down beside her. "Talk to me."
"I swear, I don't get it. I know Lincoln saw Dillon kiss me, but surely he couldn't have thought I was carrying on with Dillon behind his back. And even if he did, why didn't he just confront me? Why run away like—like a coward?"
"I don't know. You know what Wiley said. And I talked to Reese. You know she has a history with them. She said Lincoln had never gotten emotionally involved that she
knew of and she was honestly surprised when it happened with you. She thought he'd really fallen for you."
"Then what the hell?" Lula put her elbows on her knees and lowered her head into her hands. "Maybe it's that damn curse."
"Your grandmother's curse?"
"Yeah, that one. She said I wouldn't know love until I made recompense."
"And you believe it?"
Lula looked at her friend. "Maybe it's insane, but yeah I do. And before you say it, I know that I could be sabotaging myself, but I didn't do anything to drive Lincoln away that I know of and I just can't believe one fucking kiss would send him running."
"Look, we all have our buttons, and who knows what his are, but one thing I can say for sure is that you didn't deserve that treatment and when he comes back—and I believe he will—I hope you give him hell for it."
Lula smiled. "Thanks."
"Are you gals gonna sit out there all evening, or come in?" Netta's voice from the door had both Lula and Naomie standing.
"Coming right in," Naomie replied.
"Nellie and I are getting supper on the table, so come on back to the kitchen," Netta said over her shoulder as she led the way.
"Mrs. Nellie Mae, this is my friend Lula Duval," Naomie said as they entered the kitchen ahead of Lula.
"Well my goodness, I've been just chomping at the bit to meet you."
Lula didn't know what was the biggest surprise. The chubby elderly woman with golden hair and the voice of a teenager or the spirit of her ghostly child companion, standing behind Nellie Mae.
"It's a real pleasure," Lula tried not to look at the spirit. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you."
"Oh, sugar, that's so sweet. And aren't you exotic?"
Lula chuckled. "Well, that's a nice way of putting it. Yes, I'm something of a mish-mash. My father was Cajun, but rather heavy on the French bloodline. My mother's parents were an interracial couple, and that leaves me ...well me."
"Well, you're gorgeous honey, just gorgeous."
"Thank you, Mrs. Baker."
"Oh shoot, you call me Nellie Mae."
"Thank you. Oh, and I brought a little something for after dinner. Or before – whatever you want." She handed the paper bag to Netta.
Netta pulled out the quart jar, looked at it and then at Lula. "What is it?"
"Apple shine. Best you ever tasted. My brother makes it and woo baby does it pack a punch."
"Then let's have a sample."
"Really?" Naomie asked. "I thought dinner was ready?"
"Oh honey, I've got it all in the oven under foil. It'll keep. Naomie get us some glasses, hon."
"You got it."
Once they were seated, Netta poured them each a good half glass full. She raised hers, and everyone followed suit. "To old and new friends, all precious."
"Amen sugar." Nellie Mae agreed.
They all drank, and Lula couldn't help but snicker at the reactions. Naomie had sampled it before but her face still flushed. Netta and Nellie Mae were surprised. They let out little "woos" and had another sip.
"Hmmm, just like apple pie." Nellie Mae said.
"With a hint of cinnamon," Netta added. "Lula, we might need you to hook us up with your brother."
"Oh, I promise the next time I go home I'll make sure to get you more."
"So where is home?"
Lula tried to ignore the sad little spirit as she told them about her family farm back in Georgia, her brother and his family. She asked about Nellie Mae and Netta's families, and before she knew it, they'd drank almost the entire quart of apple shine and were all a bit on the drunk side.
And still, the little girl stood there. Lula was having a hard time ignoring her. I swear by all I hold dear that if you just tell me what you want from me, I'll try my very best to do it, to help you. But I can't help you if you don't give me something to go on.
The little girl stepped up beside Nellie Mae, and Lula choked on her drink. It took a minute to stop coughing and get her breath back, and by the time that happened, the spirit had vanished.
But she'd given Lula an answer. Now the question became, how did she act on that knowledge?
"Okay, I can't stand it another moment," Nellie Mae said. "I heard from one of the girls at the game on Friday, that you started up with the Coach while you were dating Lincoln Shaw. Is that true?"
Shit. Lula hated telling a straight-up lie, but there was no way she could be totally honest. Aside from the Walker family, Naomie was the only one who knew the truth. But she could tell the truth about some of it. "Well, this is what happened. Dillon and I got selected to work the dunking booth. Most of the football team volunteered, and it was hectic. The kids were having a ball with it."
She paused. "Could I get a glass of water or something without alcohol?"
"I have sweet tea and some cans of ginger ale," Netta started to jump up.
"Don't move. I'll get it." Lula got up and walked to the refrigerator. "Anyway, when it was time to close, the kids challenged Dillon to take a turn, but he said he wasn't going to let them dunk him. So they said they'd let me try.
"Well, he went for it. I guess he figured what the hell, right? After all, I'm a girl. I probably can't hit the broad side of a barn. But he said if I missed three out of three, that I had to take a turn on the seat."
Lula opened a can of ginger ale and took a drink. "Woo, that hit the spot. Anyway, what the good coach didn't know is that this girl played baseball when she was young. Not softball, but baseball. On the boys' team. And ladies, I can sling a ball."
Nellie Mae actually clapped her hands. "Did you dunk him?"
"You know it. You should have seen the look on his face when that seat beneath him opened up. Total shock. I felt kinda bad for him, so I grabbed some towels and took them over to him."
She took a seat and had another drink of the soda. "Well, when I went to hand him a towel, he pulled me in. I mean, I fell right smack on top of him and down we both went. I bet I was a sight to behold and that's no lie. I'd put a ton of black face paint around my eyes to make myself all vampire-like, and I know for a fact that stuff ran right down my face. Girl, I was a sight for sure."
"Oh, I bet he laughed like crazy," Netta said.
"He did, and I don't blame him but then...then he grabbed me and kissed me. I almost fainted."
"Oh honey, I wouldn't mind having a man that hot put a lip lock on me," Nellie Mae said.
"Amen to that," Netta agreed, and even Naomie chimed in with, "Well, you have to admit that he's all kinds of fine."
"Yeah, he is. But I'm crazy about Lincoln."
"What did you do?" Nellie Mae leaned forward.
"I pushed him away and said, "what the hell, Dillon?" And that's when I saw Lincoln, standing in the crowd, watching. Our gazes met and honest to goodness, I could feel his mad. He turned around and left, so I hauled ass out of the booth and tried to follow, but I couldn't find him.
"I haven't seen or talked to him since, and I've called him a hundred times. I swear I don't get it. Why wouldn't he give me a chance to tell him what happened? Was he that pissed off or was it something else entirely?"
"Like what?" Netta asked.
"Like maybe it was just a convenient excuse. His family has all told me how he's not a guy who's into relationships, staying in one place or with one woman. Maybe he got scared or bored or whatever, and this just gave him an excuse to dump me. But for fuck's sake! He could have been a little more adult about it."
Every woman at the table agreed and offered words of support, then Nellie Mae asked. "So, now that he's gone, you and the Coach...?"
Here was the point where things got sticky. "Yes, Dillon and I have been spending some time together."
"But you haven't—you know..." Nellie Mae prompted.
"No, we haven't."
"Well, no one would blame you one bit, honey. As handsome as that Lincoln Shaw is, he treated you badly. And it's not like you were engaged or married or anything, so you don't owe h
im a dang thing."
"Amen," Netta added.
"Well, thank you both. I really appreciate that. You know, for the first time, Cotton Creek is feeling like home so thank you. I miss having a family and tonight you've made me kind of feel like part of one."
"Oh, you poor dear." Nellie Mae reached out for Lula's hand. "Bless your heart."
Lula smiled and gave Nellie Mae's hand a squeeze. She hadn't lied about missing her family or being part of one, and the people here did give her a sense of family in a way. And it took the attention off her and Dillon, which was a relief.
She fully intended to do her job and do it well, but still wished Lincoln had given her an opportunity to explain what he saw. Lula couldn't say that she would have told him the real reason she was there, namely to watch over Dillon, but she could honestly say she would have been very tempted.
Not that it mattered now. Lincoln had shown her quite clearly how he felt about her, and she was just going to have to learn how to get over that hurt and move on. The problem was, she didn't want to move on to someone else. Just her luck, to fall for a man who, as it turned out, didn't want her after all.
Chapter Nineteen
Lincoln nudged the woman who lay face down on the bed. "You need to go."
"Say what?" She turned her head to look at him.
"I said you need to go."
"Are you shitting me? I just fucked your brains out, and you want me to leave?"
"Yes." He reached out for his billfold on the nightstand, pulled out two twenty dollar bills and offered them to her. "For cab fare."
"Cab fare? You're not going to take me home?"
"No, I'm going to call you a cab, so get up and get dressed."
"You're a fucking prick, you know that?" The woman rolled over, got off the bed and started gathering up her clothes.
Lincoln didn't bother to answer. At the moment he was disgusted with himself. Why had he picked this woman up at the bar? She was pretty enough and had a killer set of after-market breasts, lips plumped up with just the right amount of collagen and an attitude that promised a man whatever he wanted.
She'd delivered on that in the sex department, but for the first time in his life, he actually felt a little sullied by the act. Maybe that's because Lula's face kept appearing in his mind, reminding him that this woman wasn't who he wanted to be with.
