Gretchen made the introductions. “Lucy and Mason, this is Scott. Can we join you?”
We nodded, and Mason and I murmured polite greetings as we shook hands with Scott, although Mason’s seemed even less welcoming than mine.
We scooted into our booth to make room. Jack sat next to me and placed his arm on the back of the booth behind my shoulders. His cologne wafted by me, but it wasn’t Drake’s, and that made me miss him more. They looked a lot alike, but there was only one Prescott who made my pulse beat faster.
Gretchen sat between Mason and Scott, and she seemed a little subdued, almost sad.
“How have you been?” Her voice was sweet, filled with genuine concern for me.
“I’m really sorry I left North Carolina without saying good-bye to you or your family. I just couldn’t stay any longer. I hope you understand.” I glanced at them both, and Gretchen nodded her understanding.
Jack, on the other hand, frowned at me. “My brother is a mess.”
I didn’t expect him to say that, and by the gasp his sister let out, she was just as surprised.
“I don’t want to make you feel worse about things,” he added, “but I’ve never seen Drake so lost and confused. He’s a take-charge guy and doesn’t let his emotions cloud his judgment, but right now my big brother has a storm raging in his head.”
“Lucy.” Gretchen’s voice was compassionate, the opposite of her brother’s. “I don’t know the entire story, but I want you to know if you need anything, I’ll be here for you. We all will, won’t we, Jack?” She gave him a pointed look, and even I could see her nudge him under the table.
“Yes, of course.” He took a swig from his drink, but I wasn’t convinced that he was totally on board.
Scott glanced at his watch. “Gretch, I can’t stay long. I have work to do.”
His voice wasn’t as deep as I expected, nor was his demeanor. Gretchen was so outgoing and bubbly, but Scott was a dud. All she did was nod, and Jack shifted in his seat, frowning.
“You can leave now if you’d like to. I’ll take my sister home.”
When I looked up to who said that, Dane was standing at the end of the table.
Is this a Prescott reunion or something?
Scott slid out of the booth and leaned over to kiss Gretchen on the cheek. “I’ll catch you later.”
Dane took his spot and shook his head as he watched Scott hurry away. “He’s such an asshole, Gretch. I really think you need to reevaluate your standards.”
Mason chuckled as he tried to flag down a waitress. “Are there any other Prescotts lurking around?”
I automatically looked up toward the door, half expecting Drake to walk in, but found myself disappointed when Dane shook his head.
“Where’s Drake?” The question came out before I could stop it.
Dane motioned to a passing waiter and asked him to bring us a pitcher of beer and five glasses. Glancing at me, he said, “He’s on his way back home. I just talked to him.”
My phone buzzed, and my eyes widened when I saw it was a text from Drake.
DRAKE: I’d like to see you tomorrow.
I glanced around the table before typing out a response. Thankfully, our pitcher had arrived and everyone was too busy pouring glasses to notice.
LUCY: Okay. When and where?
DRAKE: Can you meet me at the National Harbor around six? The dock near the Capital Wheel?
What an odd place to meet. Maybe he wanted a neutral meeting place. Whether he meant to tell me his decision or wanted to hear mine, I wasn’t sure, but I’d be there regardless.
LUCY: Okay. I’ll see you then.
I didn’t bother to tell anyone at the table Drake had texted me. The only one who noticed I was texting was Mason, and he knew I’d tell him about it later.
“So, Dane. What’s next for you?” I asked, deciding to focus on others rather than myself. It didn’t hurt as much.
“I have a few qualifiers before I try for my PGA card.” He smiled and took a sip of his beer.
“Well, I wish you all the best.”
“Thank you.” He leaned over the table, took my hand in his, and brought it to his lips to kiss it. “Don’t give up on my brother,” he said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving mine.
Biting my lip, I just nodded.
When Dane looked at me, there was something in his eyes that made me feel for him. I loved all the Prescotts, but there was something about Dane I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was as if he had so much more to say, but held it back. He joked and teased his family incessantly, but something was off.
It was a shame that he wasn’t home very often. I was sure that whatever was bothering him—if anything—wouldn’t seem so bad if he was with his family.
• • •
The next day, I decided to head to the harbor early since I didn’t want to get caught in rush-hour traffic. It was a beautiful day, and I was sure the area would be filled with families since school was over.
Sure enough, it was pretty crowded when I arrived. Maybe Drake picked this time and place because he didn’t want to be alone with me, or was afraid I’d make a scene. All I knew was we needed to talk. Not to mention, I missed him terribly.
Nervous, I ran my hands down my sundress to smooth it, happy I wore flats because I knew when I saw Drake, all I’d want to do was run into his arms. A gentle breeze lifted my hair, and I prayed he would want me again.
When six o’clock rolled around, I scanned every person in the area to see if I could find him. Finally, I saw Drake walking toward me, and sucked in a breath at the sight of him.
His hair was longer and the ends stuck out of his Nationals baseball hat, his scruff was thicker, but his eyes were what was most different, making me look twice. The beautiful sparkle was missing, and my heart clenched at the thought that I did that to him—I dimmed the light in his eyes. Although his stride was confident enough that outsiders would see a self-assured man, what I saw was a conflicted one, and it hurt my heart.
He stopped in front of me, and my throat was tight as I swallowed.
“Hi, Lucy.”
I didn’t say anything; I couldn’t speak. Instead I did what I’d intended to do and that was be in his arms. More than anything, I needed to feel his strength, for him to hold me and tell me we were okay, that he understood my past.
Pressing my cheek to the center of his chest while I held him tightly, I didn’t want to let go. His heartbeat was so strong and steady. I just needed a few more minutes, but he slowly pulled away.
I looked up at him. “Drake, I’ve missed you so much.” Then I went to hug him again, but he stopped me.
“Let’s sit for a minute. I have some things I need to talk to you about.”
This couldn’t be good. My instincts were right. This was why he wanted a public place—he was going to tell me we were finished.
We walked to a bench and as soon as we sat down, I grasped a lock of my hair and began spinning it. When Drake glanced at my hand, I dropped it to my lap and twisted my fingers together instead.
“What is it, Drake?”
Scanning my face as if he hadn’t seen me in years, he said, “God, you’re so beautiful.” Then he took my hands in his and blew out a long breath. “I went to Georgia.”
“Why were you in Georgia?”
“This isn’t going to be easy for me to say, and it’s probably going to be harder for you to hear, but after you told me your story, something didn’t sit right.”
My heart stopped. “You didn’t believe me?” How could he think I’d make up such a horrific story?
“No, of course I believed you. Please know that what I did was out of love for you, because I do love you, Lucy. I think I started loving you the day I walked into your classroom and you told me about Marcie. Your kind heart and compassionate soul drew me to you.”
“I love you, Drake,” I said quickly, needing desperately to tell him in person. But I was terrified to hear what was coming next, a
nd completely confused about what it could have to do with Georgia. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
He looked at me and shook his head. “I can’t believe we just told each other we love each other, and now . . .” His voice trailed off as he stared unseeing at the Ferris wheel at the end of the pier.
“What? You’re scaring me, Drake.”
“Like I said, something didn’t sit right with what you told me. So I called in a favor and found out that Greg Madison didn’t die in action, nor was he missing.”
“What?” Tears filled my eyes and I stared into his.
“He’s not dead, Lucy. I found out he was near Fort Benning. He was injured, but he survived.”
My hand went to my chest, pressing against my heart as warm tears slid down my face. “Greg’s alive? Oh my God. He’s okay?”
Drake nodded. “He is, and when I talked to him—”
“You talked to him?”
“Yes, I asked him about you. At first he didn’t say much, but then he told me he looked and looked for you. He even went to your parents to get information. But of course, they didn’t have any, and he said it would be a long shot because they never liked him.”
“Because I changed my name.” I was sure I was going to hyperventilate.
Drake took my hand in his and held it tightly. “Right, because you changed your name.”
“Does he hate me?” I lowered my head but still kept my eyes on Drake.
“No, he doesn’t hate you. I think he still cares for you.”
I stared at him, speechless. What could I say that would make any sense?
“Lucy, are you okay?”
He lifted my chin with his finger and wiped my tears with his thumb. The sensitivity this man had warmed my soul.
I nodded. “I just can’t believe he’s alive and you did this for me. You told me what I needed to hear to feel better. Thank you, Drake.”
I leaned in to hug him, but he pulled back. “That’s not all I did.” Drake stood and pulled me up. He put his hands on my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.
“Abbi?”
My eyes widened as I looked at Drake, who was peering over my shoulder. He gave me a gentle nod, and I slowly turned around.
Greg. The years had been good to him. He was a grown man now, filled out, not the slight teenager I remembered. He was also taller, his light brown hair cut short and tight, and the T-shirt he wore stretched over his muscles. The military had been good to him.
“Greg? Oh my God. It’s you!”
When I threw my arms around his neck, he hoisted me in the air and spun me around, his grin as wide as mine. I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me.
Once I was back on solid footing and Greg released me, I just stared at him. “I can’t believe you’re alive. I’m so sorry for not being there for you when you came back. When I heard you were MIA and presumed dead, I lost it.” I knew I was rambling, but didn’t care. I had years to make up for. “There wasn’t anything left for me in Colorado, so I moved. I should have contacted your family, and I’m so sorry I didn’t.”
“It’s okay, Abbi, I understand why you did what you did. Everything that happened back then wasn’t your fault. You did it to protect me, and I understand it and appreciate it. More than you know.”
“How long are you in town?” I asked, having a hard time grasping that he was actually standing in front of me.
Greg gave me an apologetic smile. “I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon. I run a farm with my fiancée in Georgia, and I need to get back. She knows all about you, so when Drake found me, she encouraged me to come. I just couldn’t leave right away.”
“Thank her for me, please. And congratulations; I’m so happy for you.”
And I truly was. After everything we’ve both been through, we turned out okay. Not only was Greg alive, but he had a future—a bright one. I was thrilled for him.
Greg grasped my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. “I’m happy for you too,” he said against my hair. “Drake is a really great guy. I don’t know many men who would seek out their girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend to reunite them.”
Hugging him back, I pressed my cheek against his chest. “Thank you; I think he’s pretty special too. I told him our story and how guilty I felt for everything that happened.”
Remembering Drake, I gasped. When I turned around, he wasn’t there. I quickly scanned my surroundings, but there was no sign of him.
My chest ached and my heart wept. Drake was gone.
CHAPTER 18
~ Drake ~
Lucy’s face had lit up when she saw Greg, which warmed my heart and broke it at the same time. Greg might have called her Abbi, but she was Lucy to me, and I couldn’t imagine calling her anything else.
I knew I’d done the right thing in bringing him to her. There was nothing left for me to do but to leave them to catch up. My job was done. Lucy was happy, and that was all that mattered. So I left to go home.
My head was in a fog as I sat on my couch and flipped on SportsCenter. I wasn’t paying attention and really couldn’t care less who won or lost their last game. But that didn’t stop me from numbly watching the highlights and reading the ticker at the bottom of the screen. It might as well have been displaying stock market information, because I wasn’t paying attention.
All I kept seeing was Greg holding her in his arms as he spun her around. How long would that scene invade my brain?
My phone dinged, reminding me I had a fundraising event that night to benefit the veterans’ hospital. I had completely forgotten about it, but it was an important event. Reluctantly, I texted Gretchen to see if she could go with me, and she agreed.
Then I heard another beep, and glanced at my screen to find a message from Lucy.
LUCY: Are you okay?
DRAKE: Yes. Are you?
LUCY: Yes and no. We need to talk.
Talk. She wanted to talk, and for the first time in my life, I was scared. All I could imagine was her telling me she was moving to Georgia to be with Greg. No. I didn’t want to talk, not now anyway.
DRAKE: I’m on my way to an event. Can it wait?
LUCY: Sure. Have fun.
Fun? That was the last thing I was going to have, but I didn’t want her to feel bad about that.
DRAKE: Thanks.
• • •
My bow tie felt like a noose around my neck; I must have retied it ten times. Gretchen was meeting me at the event, and we were already late. It had started forty-five minutes ago, and I was still at home. Frustrated and not caring anymore, I left my tie as it was and headed out.
The ballroom was packed with people from all walks of life. There were civilians, men and women in uniform, and since this was a bipartisan event, the politicians were out in full force.
Scanning the crowd, I spotted my beautiful sister in a navy cocktail dress talking to a man. I didn’t know who he was, but she looked happy.
Wait—did she just do a hair flip?
As soon as she spotted me, she said something to him and walked in my direction, leaving him behind. Thank God.
“Hey, big brother, you look like hell.” She kissed me on the cheek.
“Thanks,” I said wryly. “I was going to tell you I thought you looked stunning tonight, but forget it.” I chuckled.
“Aww, you think I’m stunning?” She batted her eyes at me. “Let’s get a drink, and you can tell me why you look like you lost your ability to shave.”
If there was one person in this world who could make me smile, it was my baby sister. We headed toward the bar, where I got a Woodford straight while Gretchen ordered champagne. Once we had our drinks, we moved to a cocktail table just past the bar and sat down.
“Okay, spill it. Not only do you look like a mountain man, but you’re drinking bourbon.”
“I just got back from seeing Lucy.”
Gretchen’s face lit up. “That’s fantastic.” Then her brows lowered. “Wait, why am I here and not her?”
&n
bsp; “I’m going to tell you something, and you can’t repeat it. This is Lucy’s story to tell, but I need to talk to someone about it.”
She nodded solemnly and lifted three fingers in the air, just like we did when we were kids and swore each other to secrecy. Scout’s honor.
I took a deep breath. “When Lucy was in high school, she got pregnant.” When Gretchen’s hand immediately covered her mouth, I added, “It’s a long story.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, I’m listening.”
I went on to spill the details, including how she changed her name from Abbi to Lucy.
“To me, she’s Lucy,” Gretchen said, waving a hand in the air, “and that’s all that matters.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised that Gretchen’s feelings mirrored mine. My sister was wise beyond her years.
“Her parents sound awful,” she added, and I couldn’t disagree with her. “So, when you went to Georgia, you went to find her high school boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
Gretchen’s eyes widened. “Wow, Drake. You really do love her, don’t you?”
“More than I ever thought possible.”
The band started playing, so I took my sister for a spin around the dance floor. As we swayed to the music, I counted my blessings, thankful to have such a great family. I had wanted to make Lucy a part of it one day.
Then I heard Gretchen groan, and glanced down to see her rolling her eyes.
“What is it?” I turned to follow Gretchen’s pointed gaze, and saw my ex-girlfriend Emily in the arms of Grissett’s campaign manager.
“Holy shit,” I said, then lowered my voice. “She was using me the other night. I knew she was a bitch, but this takes it to a different level.”
“Who is he?” Gretchen asked.
We froze on the dance floor next to the pair, and when Emily spotted me, she stopped dancing and a sly smile transformed her face.
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