by Jacie Floyd
Jillian’s spine stiffened. There were few secrets in Sunnyside. But having someone make snide comments about her father’s finances after all he’d done for the town hit her like a fist to the stomach. “You know Daddy. Knew him.” How long would it take for her to get used to the past tense? “He had fingers in a lot of pies. It’s going to take some time to make sense of it all.”
The woman shifted with her to the mushroom selection. “How long will you stay in Sunnyside?”
“As long as I need.” She added a bag of Brussels sprouts to her cart and turned to the onion bin. “How’s Bonnie doing? I didn’t see her at the house the other day.”
“Doing fine. Living in Indianapolis with her boyfriend. She said to tell you she was real sorry about your daddy. He was always nice to her the summer she worked at the car dealership.”
Oh, dear Lord, she should have made the time to drive to Springfield for her groceries. How many more items were on her list? “Be sure to tell her I said hello.”
Spinning her cart in the opposite direction, she ran smack dab into Liam. Of course. It was Sunnyside. Impossible to avoid the main person she didn’t want to see.
“Oof.” He gripped her cart and pushed it away from his mid-section.
“Sorry.” Why had she thought it was okay to come out in a sloppy ponytail, sweatshirt, and yoga pants? She looked around for a convenient hole to crawl into.
“No problem.” He rubbed the booted-toe of one foot against the back of a jeans-covered calf. “I’m sure I’ll walk without a limp again very soon.”
Her lips might have twitched an automatic response before confusion overrode it. Their tense meetings of the past few days, and the way they’d left things all those years ago should preclude joy, relief, and amusement from being her go-to reactions every time she saw him. As she scrambled for a more appropriate emotion, Mrs. Butler jumped in. “Isn’t that something? The two of you running into one another here. Like old times when you were inseparable.”
“Not exactly like old times.” Jillian stepped aside to make room for yet another cart and body entering the miniscule, suddenly over-populated, produce area.
Noreen Watkins, the woman steering the other cart, stopped stock-still beside the fruit display. Her face drained to the color of white rice.
Well, cripes. Now Jillian wished for an invisibility cloak. Noreen Watkins was probably the only person in Sunnyside she wanted to avoid more than Liam. The woman looked far older than she had the last time Jillian had seen her, but to be fair, that had been twelve years ago. Hard years for Noreen, apparently, and Jillian couldn’t help but feel a dash of sympathy for that.
Noreen scowled at Jillian, shot a glare at Liam, turned on her heel and left. Not one to lose sight of a sale or a juicy story, Mrs. Butler high-tailed it after her customer.
Jillian shook her head at the inevitability of creating a scene on her first public outing. “We’ll be the talk of the town before dinnertime.”
Liam’s lips twitched into a smile. “What’s new about that?”
“She made me feel like I was guilty of something.”
“She’s gifted that way.”
“Has she never forgiven you? Or Leah?”
He looked around the store for prying eyes and ears. “Is this something you want to talk about? Here? Now? After all this time?”
The time to talk about Liam’s betrayal was long past due, but she couldn’t stomach the thought of hashing it out in public. Even though the end to their relationship had occurred in a spectacularly public display. “I guess not.”
He nodded to the contents of her cart. “Looks like you’re making salad.”
“Yep, picking up some stuff.” For about ten of their closest friends, but she was not going to invite him to join them. “Guess I better get going.”
“Guess so.”
“You go first.”
Cocking his head to the side, he studied her intently, the way he used to when he could read her mind. “I’m not going to follow you.”
“I know, I just…” Don’t want you behind me? Watching me? In the same vicinity? What possible reason could she have for wanting him to go first that didn’t sound insane, immature, or paranoid?
He shook his head. “The ice machine at the club broke. All I need is ice and dog food for Shelby. I’ll wait here for Mrs. Watkins to clear out before I go to the register.”
Disgust for anything to do with the strip club rose in her throat, at the same time as her admiration for his consideration of Mrs. Watkins. Crazy contradictions, but he’d always brought that out in her. “Thank you.” She mustered all the calm dignity at her disposal, turned her cart, and crashed into a stack of canned goods that clattered to the floor. Simultaneously, they leaned down to pick them up. Their hands and arms collided and retreated as if from fire. Her face flamed as well.
Liam waved her away. “Just go. I’ll take care of it.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. Her grocery cart practically left skid marks as she raced away.
Chapter Five
Routine chopping, dicing, whisking, and pureeing tasks settled Jillian’s nerves and focused her attention away from her father’s death and other pressing concerns. As she worked, she didn’t feel a bit bad about not inviting Liam to her party. Not that it was a party so much as it was a get-together. A mini-reunion. Or something.
Okay, so it was a party.
She ladled an appetizer of Brussels sprouts prosciutto bites onto a warming griddle as the first knock sounded on the back door. At the wake, everyone came in through the front, like they were guests. Tonight, the group from high school would come in through the back, like old friends.
Rachel and Kate arrived first, loaded down with pizza boxes.
“My God, how many pizzas have you got there?” Jillian grabbed a stack from Rachel, placed them on the gigantic island with the other food, leaving room for Kate to drop her stack beside them.
“Twelve,” Kate said, before exchanging awkward hugs with Jillian.
“Something for everyone,” Rachel explained.
Before they had their coats off, Grady, Josh, and Susannah came in with a cooler of beer.
“Poor Zach’s held up at the hospital,” Susannah told Jillian. “He and Harper will be late.”
“Better him than me.” The youngest Novak sibling, Josh’s affable, teasing manner made him easy to like. With his good looks and Susanna’s beauty, the two were as cute together as they’d been in high school.
The next knock produced Junie and Doug, Jimbo and Tina, with Natalie and Scottie coming up the steps behind them.
Junie and Doug breezed in with a covered dish. “Thanks for inviting us!” Junie offered Jillian an exuberant hug. “We don’t get out without the kids very often, so this is a real treat. I brought some pigs-in-a-blanket. They’re kind of my specialty.”
“Thank you!” She faked a smile as she peeked under the lid. Pigs in a blanket! She hadn’t had those since she left Sunnyside. She guessed they were still a popular appetizer here. “I’m so glad you could make it. You look fantastic!”
Junie spread her arms and looked down. “Still hanging on to some extra baby pounds, but I’m going on a serious diet after the holidays.”
“Just more of you for me to love, babe.” Doug cuddled his wife from behind. “Don’t diet on my account, or I’ll have to slim down, too.”
Jimbo and Tina brandished a frosted pitcher of margaritas. “Tina was hoping we were going to The Lucky Dog to dance,” the muscular sheriff said as he stored their pitcher in the fridge.
“Jim!” His red-headed wife’s face flamed. “I didn’t care about that. Hanging out with friends was the important part.”
“We love our little girl to pieces, but sometimes we need conversation that doesn’t include the ‘Whose got your nose’ game.”
Jillian laughed. “I can’t wait to catch up with you. Take off your coats, get drinks, make yourselves comfortable in the family room, and I’l
l join you as soon as I can.” Steeling herself, Jillian turned to Natalie. “Welcome. Thank you for coming.”
“Thanks for including us.” Her hug was as stiff and cold as the icicles hanging from the deck. “It’s been too long. When was it you left again?”
As if Natalie didn’t know. “About twelve years, I guess. Right after graduation. But you left for a while, too, didn’t you? I understand you’ve only been back a short while.”
“That’s right.” The class witch’s false lashes flapped as she narrowed her eyes. “Sunnyside hasn’t changed much, has it?”
“Hey, Jillian.” Scottie, a bulky guy swimming in a sea of overpowering cologne, moved in for a warm hug with too much personal contact.
She removed his hands from her hips and stepped away. “How’s it going?”
“Going good. I have my own landscaping company now.” He whipped a business card out of his wallet for her. “We clean gutters in the off-season. I noticed the other day yours could use some attention. We can take care of that for you this week, if you want.”
He came prepared to peddle his services to her? “Sorry, I haven’t had time to think about anything like that.”
“Bert and I already talked about it, and he was in favor.”
News to her. And he’d said he’d noticed the problem the other day. “Has Dad already signed a contract?”
“You’ve been in the city too long.” His beady-eyed gaze darted away from hers as he mansplained the situation. “You know how it is around here. It was more of a verbal agreement.”
“Then I’ll wait, thanks. I’ll keep your card and call when I need help.” Which would be never, unless he ended up being a lot more likeable than his first impression indicated.
“The longer you wait, the worse it’ll get.”
She tried smiling graciously but doubted her success. “Let me take your coats. We’ll have drinks in the family room while we wait for Zach.”
Happy hour came and went and still no Zach. “He wouldn’t expect us to wait,” Josh said, as everyone returned to the kitchen.
“And Josh is starving and doesn’t want to,” Susannah teased.
Filling their plates, the group elbowed their way in and out of the line around the island.
“Who needs another beer?” Grady pulled several bottles from the cooler and dried them on a dish towel.
“What’s this pink stuff?” Doug brought a spoonful of one of Jillian’s appetizers to his nose and sniffed. “Smells fishy.”
“It’s salmon mousse.”
Junie poked him in the ribs and plopped some on his plate. “Try it. You’ll like it.”
“I don’t know. I’m not much for fish.” He slipped another slice of pizza on top of his first two. “Where are those pigs-in-a-blanket you made, hon? I love those.”
“What kind of salad is this?” Kate asked, serving spoon in hand.
“Quinoa avocado with spinach.”
“Interesting.” The gym teacher dropped the spoon back in the bowl.
Rachel’s heart sank. “It’s one of my signature dishes, but not everyone likes quinoa.”
“Shoot, no. I like to try new things. What’s the point of having a great chef around if you want to eat the same old stuff you’ve eaten all your life?” Kate gamely added some to her plate. “You know who’ll really like this? Zach’s fiancée, Harper. She’s a vegetarian, you know. From Chicago.”
“I’ve heard.”
“Everything looks delicious.” Grady loaded pizza on his plate, then took a scoop of the salad and moved on. “Even these…” He scrutinized the Brussels sprout/prosciutto bites. “Whatever they are.”
Since her menu choices were falling flatter than a French crepe, Jillian gave an ironic bow of acknowledgement to the advice she’d ignored. “Rachel said not to make anything New-York fancy, but after all the down-home food I’ve been eating this week, I was in the mood for some healthier choices.” A rap sounded on the backdoor. “That’s probably Zach.”
As she reached for the knob, the doctor barged in with his soon-to-be bride, Harper, and standing on the deck behind them—Liam!
“Jillian!” Zach swooped her into a big hug. “There you go. That’s the way to greet an old friend. That polite little hug at the wake didn’t get the job done. Do you remember meeting Harper on Thursday?”
“Of course, Harper, thank you for coming.” Jillian kept her focus strictly on the happy couple, afraid of what her face would reveal if she looked at Liam too soon. “Josh and Susannah said you two would be late, so we started without you, but fix a plate, get whatever you want to drink, and go on in with the others.”
“When I stopped for gas earlier, I ran into Liam and insisted he join us.” Zach clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “No impromptu Sunnyside High reunion would be complete without him, right?” The acknowledged bright shining light of their group put her on the spot with a raised eyebrow.
Her gaze flicked to her former boyfriend. He hung back, remaining on the deck, shoulders hunched, with a death-grip on a foil-wrapped tray. If Jillian sent Liam away now, it could put his acceptance in Sunnyside back by a decade. If she sent him away now, Zach—Liam’s best friend since pre-school—might never forgive Jillian. And the three of them had been through so much together. Too much.
“I won’t stay.” His breath frosted each word in the chilly air. “Zach wanted me to drop by and say hi to everyone, but I’ll take off.”
With both men focusing their attention on her, what could she do but agree? She couldn’t bring herself to send him away because of her personal preference. If the others didn’t want him here, that was his battle. “Don’t be silly, come in. What have you brought?”
He stepped into the warm kitchen. “Some wings from the club.”
“Hot, fried, and messy? I’m sure they’ll be a hit.” Her food sure wasn’t. She removed Junie’s empty pig-platter and replaced it with the wings.
“Hey, ’bout time you guys got here.” Josh re-entered the kitchen and greeted them with a hug for Harper and fist bumps for his brother and Liam. “Everything okay with Lilah?”
As the only two doctors in town, the brothers split the duty and shared the worries. Zach gave a stiff nod. “For now. They’ll call me if they need me.”
“Get something to eat before the pizza gets stone cold.” Jillian shooed them toward the feast.
“Hey, who brought wings? You guys missed out on Junie’s pigs-in-a-blanket but try that salmon stuff Jillian made. Then, we’re gonna play some pool.” Josh rubbed his hands together with diabolical glee. “And I would love to take your money.”
Zach snorted as he scarfed up a couple of chicken wings. “Like you could beat either one of us.”
“You could try…” Liam shrugged at the pointless effort. “I think you beat me once when I had the flu. And a broken arm.”
“Are you into pool, Harper?” Jillian didn’t want to leave the new librarian out of their activities.
“I’m still learning the game.” The newcomer shrugged out of her jacket to reveal a gorgeous fall dress and scarf that would’ve been right at home on Fifth Avenue.
“Don’t let her fool you.” Zach took Harper’s jacket and nuzzled her neck. “What she lacks in experience, she makes up for in natural talent.”
“You mean she sits there and uses her womanly charms to distract you.” Josh smirked. “We might even pay her to do that.”
Zach hung their coats by the door. “I’ve been at the hospital all day, and I may sit this one out. Who all’s here? I saw Rachel’s car out there. Is Grady here and the whole group?”
“Yep.”
Josh grabbed a beer and a helping of wings while Zach and Harper filled their plates. “This salad looks great, Jillian,” Harper said. “Is it vegetarian?”
“Yes, and there are a couple of veggie pizzas, too.”
With her plate loaded up, the librarian stretched up to kiss Zach’s cheek. “I’m going to find Rachel. We need to talk.
”
He nodded. “Wedding details, no doubt. I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
Liam eyed the spread from the end of the island. “Quinoa, avocado, and spinach salad?” His eyes met Jillian’s. “I had that in a restaurant in New York once.”
The comment sent shivers down her spine. “When? Where?”
“About three years ago. At Le Dish.”
She’d worked at Le Dish then. Was it coincidence that he’d gone there?
It had occurred to her over the years that they were living in the same city, but it was a big city with hundreds of unique neighborhoods. The possibility of running into him existed, but she’d heard he lived in a pricy loft in Tribeca, and she shared a cozy place with Lance on the Upper West Side.
He worked on Wall Street. Le Dish had been situated in SoHo while her current restaurant, Belfontaine, served capacity crowds over in Hell’s Kitchen.
According to the tabloids, he had partied with the rich and famous in Brooklyn’s trendy underground Pops-ups. On her rare evenings off, she preferred to spend her time in the quiet wine bars and coffee shops of the West Village.
In a city of eight million people, it was unlikely they’d cross paths unless one of them purposely looked the other one up. “Did you just randomly show up there?”
His eyes crinkled, but his mouth stayed serious. “I read a review about the stellar chef and went to check it out.”
“How many times?” She occasionally left the kitchen to make forays through the dining room. How would she have reacted if she’d bumped into him? Ignored him? Thrown herself at him? Tossed a glass of wine in his face? Probably good she’d avoided the test.
“Once or twice. I heard the chef went to Belfontaine not long after that.”
“Hey, that’s cool,” Zach said. “I didn’t know you’d been to Jillian’s restaurant.”
Liam had been following her career? Zach, too? To cover the fact that her mouth had dropped open, she stuffed a Brussels sprout/prosciutto bite into it. “Did you eat at Imperial, too?” That had been the small restaurant she’d first worked at in New York.
“What’s he doing here?” Scottie lumbered to a stop on a return trip to the food line. He jerked his chin at Liam.
