by Lisa Plumley
“Hmmm.” Tallulah nodded approvingly as she petted Crackers, her shih tzu. “Looks like somebody was paying attention during all those stints in the corporate office.”
Luke frowned. “Was it delivered or not?”
“It’s all set up in the downstairs library. Just as you ordered.”
Subdued, Tallulah nodded through the doorway toward the nearest room, which overlooked Blue Moon’s driveway and front lawn. With that room as Josie’s office, she’d be able to see students as they arrived, do paperwork, and take care of her dance school’s administrative details—all while enjoying a view of the pansies Luke had planted in the window boxes.
Nancy Day had told him Josie liked flowers.
Feeling unaccountably nervous, Luke strode toward the sound system wiring. His hand trembled as he picked up an input jack. After days of preparation, he couldn’t believe it was almost time to unveil his surprise to Josie. The only potential snag in his plan would be if she didn’t come to Blue Moon.
“Ambrose, did you call Josie about the ‘paperwork’ she’s supposed to come out here to sign on Saturday?”
“I did. I told her it was regarding the dispersal of the estate, exactly as you requested.”
If everything went as planned, Josie would think she was tying up loose ends regarding Tallulah’s bungled “gift” of Blue Moon. What she didn’t know was that Luke had other plans for the place. Plans that involved Josie.
“She seemed surprisingly amenable to the notion of coming here for a visit,” Ambrose went on, straightening the collar of his new golf shirt. “I think she misses you.”
Tallulah shot her husband a look Luke couldn’t decipher.
He decided his aunt must be trying to protect his feelings in case things didn’t work out with Josie.
“Hey, it’s all right,” he said, following the trail of the speaker wire to the jumbled pile of multicolored connectors, wires, and components. “I know this might turn out to be one gigantic ‘gotcha!’ If Josie doesn’t come, I’ll look like an idiot in front of the whole town.”
They’d invited everyone they could think of to the event Luke had planned, and word had gotten around pretty quickly to include even more people. Not that communication was a real problem in a place the size of Donovan’s Corner.
There’d been talk of the “big shindig at that old Blue Moon place” in the hardware store, in Frank’s Diner, and in the warehouse zone of the local Shop ‘N Save. If they could just keep the details under wraps for two more days, Luke would be in business.
“You’ll look like a lovesick idiot,” Tallulah corrected.
But Luke didn’t care. “If it brings Josie back, it’ll be worth it.”
He got back to the tangled wiring. While Tallulah and Ambrose nattered on about floral arrangements, parking accommodations, and the dearth of nightlife in Donovan’s Corner, Luke lifted and connected and plugged in. He fit the speakers in their designated positions, tested the connections and controls, then went back to wiring again.
Heavy footfalls sounded. “I should have known I’d find you taking something apart.”
It couldn’t be. Stopping in mid-connection, Luke glanced over his shoulder. Robert Donovan stood in the doorway to the ballroom, flanked by a grinning TJ.
“Actually,” Luke said, “I’m putting this together.”
“Then I guess TJ’s right. You have made some changes.”
As Luke rose, his father strode farther into the room. Dimly, he heard Robert greet Tallulah and Ambrose. He heard his aunt give her little brother hell for not telling her he was coming. He heard his own stupid heart, thudding with automatic rebellion and confusion and—damn it—even hope.
He glared at TJ. His idiot friend only grinned wider.
“What are you doing here, Dad? The boardroom’s that way.” Luke angled his head to the west, toward L.A. “You’re out of your element.”
“I’d say I’m right where I belong. Finally.”
Stubbornly, unwilling to hope this meant anything at all, Luke stood his ground. His father looked exactly the same as he always had. Business suit. Dark hair tipped with gray at the temples. Severe expression. But there seemed to be a few new wrinkles on the old man’s face, and his shoulders stooped a little more than Luke remembered.
“Whatever TJ told you, it’s bullshit.”
“Hey!”
“Shut up, TJ.” Luke skewered him with an impatient glance. “You’ve done enough already.”
But his dad only shook his head. “I knew hanging out with all those mechanics would ruin your language skills.”
“Screw language skills.”
That earned a full-on chuckle. “Your love of wiring and taking things apart isn’t the only thing that hasn’t changed.”
“Right. My patience hasn’t grown overnight, either.” Feeling himself weaken, just a little, Luke crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn’t giving in until his dad did. “So why don’t you cut to the chase?”
Nearby, Tallulah and Ambrose watched, not even pretending they couldn’t overhear the drama taking place. TJ waited, too, a dumb-ass grin on his face. Still.
“All right.” Seeming to gather his own patience, Robert Donovan gazed at the chandelier overhead, then at his son. “TJ tells me—”
“TJ told you a lot of things,” Luke interrupted. “None of them were true. You should’ve picked a more reliable spy.”
“Hey! That’s low, dude.”
“I wasn’t finished.” Sternly, his dad went on. “TJ tells me that you’re dating a showgirl. That you’re in love with a showgirl.”
Ah. It figured. All at once, Luke understood.
“Now I get why you’re here. TJ tells you I’m hunting for aliens, hanging out in the local loony bin, and building tree houses out of beer bottles, but it’s the news that I might be dating someone that brings you here?”
“Dating a showgirl,” his father specified, brows knit.
Luke swore. “Maybe you should leave.”
“Not yet. Not until I meet her.”
“What? Are you kidding me?” Luke moved closer, setting his chin at a screw-you angle. “No. You’re not getting anywhere near Josie. She’s too good for you.”
At that, his father looked pained. He glanced backward at TJ. Improbably, TJ gave him a go-ahead signal.
“Luke, that’s not all,” his father continued. “TJ told me about your mechanic’s shop, too. The one you’ve been running in the carriage house.”
“Jesus Christ, TJ! Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“Yours, dude. You don’t know the whole story.”
Luke didn’t believe it. He glared at his father, not surprised to find Robert Donovan frowning at his tattoos.
TJ nudged him. “Tell him, Bob-O,” he urged.
Obstinately, Luke’s dad remained silent.
“Men!” Tallulah rolled her eyes, then grabbed her husband. “Come on, Ambrose. Let’s go make out in the backyard arbor.”
They trotted away, Ambrose moving fast in his new sneakers.
Luke squared off against his father and his friend, both of them seeming determined to have a standoff. Right in the middle of his preparations for Josie’s surprise. Damn it.
“Look,” he began. “I don’t have time for this.”
“As it turns out,” his father said, “neither do I.” He cast a regretful look over Luke, then turned. “Sorry, TJ. I tried.”
With a sense of unreality, Luke watched his father leave. A minute later he heard gravel crunching in the drive—probably beneath the tires of his dad’s sleek BMW.
A wallop from TJ brought him back to earth.
“Dude! What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing. But I can’t say the same for you.” Luke tightened his jaw. “Looks like you’re out one spy job.”
TJ only shook his head. “You don’t get it. Do you seriously think I’d tell your dad all that crazy stuff about you?”
“You told him about Josie.”
<
br /> “Yeah. But that’s it.” Looking disgusted, TJ met Luke’s gaze in the mirror. “That’s it. The rest of it never happened. I’m your friend.”
“Yeah. My ‘friend’ who’s spying on me for my dad.”
“No way. That’s where you’re wrong.”
Luke stared at him, a dawning suspicion growing. Something nagged at him—something about the confusion in his dad’s face as Luke had ranted about TJ’s alien-hunting stories.
“Somebody had to make sure you and your dad didn’t lose touch with each other forever,” TJ explained. He pointed both thumbs at himself, his beaming smile returning. “Dude! You guessed it. I’m a freaking double double agent!”
Unbelievable. Luke released a pent-up breath.
“Your dad just wanted to make sure you were okay after the argument you guys had,” TJ said. “When he asked me to come after you, that’s what he said. ‘Make sure Luke’s okay.’ So that’s what I did. That’s what I’m still doing.”
At his meaningful look, Luke frowned. “I don’t need my dad here right now. This thing with Josie—”
“Is exactly why you need your dad here!”
Looking at TJ’s goofy, optimistic expression, Luke sighed. Why was everyone suddenly determined to meddle in his life?
“Your dad really wants to meet Josie,” TJ urged. “I told him all about her. He’s happy for you.”
“Wasn’t that a little premature?” Luke ran his hand through his hair, feeling exasperated, overwhelmed…and okay, fine—disappointed things hadn’t turned out better with his dad. “What if Josie doesn’t come?”
“Dude, she’ll come. And when she does, your dad will be there to see it!”
Oh, Christ. “TJ. You didn’t.”
“I did. I invited your dad to come here on Saturday for the big shindig.” TJ chortled, looking pleased. “He booked a room at your aunt’s hotel. He already said yes!”
Great. If Josie didn’t show, Luke would be humiliated in front of the whole town and his dad. And Tallulah and Ambrose and TJ and, probably, Amber. That was just terrific.
Feeling even shakier than before, he went back to his wiring. There was no backing down now. Luke only hoped he could pull off his reunion with Josie better than he had his reconciliation with his father.
On Saturday morning, Josie awoke with a smile on her face and not a stitch on anyplace else. After her showdown with Jenna—and her subsequent strategizing session with Tallulah—she’d reverted to her old ways…including sleeping in the buff.
Bare-naked snoozing might not be right for everyone. But to Josie, it felt natural. It felt as much her as Frank, her false eyelashes, and the tight pink pants she’d decided to wear today did. That was good enough for her.
More importantly, it was authentic. Powered by the realization that she’d never get anywhere—would never be honestly happy—if she wasn’t true to herself first, Josie had returned to her roots. Triumphantly.
Only in the figurative sense, of course. A girl would have to be crazy to give up the advantages of Clairol Sedona Sunset.
But oddly enough, the moment Josie had decided to quit worrying about making a good impression on Donovan’s Corner…she’d started making a good impression on Donovan’s Corner. Almost the same way Jenna had predicted during her “baking cupcakes” lecture at Glenda’s Clothing Cache.
As near as Josie could tell, the pro-Josie movement began with her dad’s cable-TV campaign. It picked up momentum when he welcomed her back home, and then reached a crescendo when she dared to appear in Donovan’s Corner as herself—false eyelashes, short skirts, and all.
The whole experience had been pretty liberating. But what mattered most to Josie was that having the town’s support would prove plenty convenient when it came to today’s events….
And the surprise she had planned for Luke.
Looking forward to it, she hopped in the shower and then got dressed, adding an improvised shuffle step here and a step-ball-change there. Moving felt good. Anticipating Luke’s reaction felt good. Being herself—really being herself—felt great. Finally, Josie had her self-respect back.
Next on the agenda was getting Luke back, too.
Flipping her head upside down, Josie squirted styling spray at the roots of her hair and then blow dried for maximum volume. That was her, too. Big hair, big dreams, big risk-taking. Her dreams would be on hold for a while, but that was okay. Postponing her dance school plans—modifying her plans, as her mom called it—would be worth it. It would be worth it if Luke came back to her.
With a grin, Josie thought about the scheme she’d cooked up with the help of Tallulah and Jenna and TJ and her mom. Thanks to Ambrose’s phone call earlier this week, Josie’s visit to Blue Moon today would dovetail with her plans nicely. Luke wouldn’t know what had hit him.
At first she’d worried he would bolt, wanting to avoid seeing her. But Tallulah had assured her that Luke was so busy working on Blue Moon—getting it ready for auction, Josie guessed—that he’d stick around. Reassured, she’d decided to go ahead.
Not that it had been easy. She’d had to swallow her pride and ask for help. She’d had to contact the same people who’d turned up their noses at her and ask them to pitch in for Luke. She’d had to organize and strategize and plan ahead…none of those skills a strong suit for her. But now that the day had arrived, Josie knew it would work.
It had to work. She needed to make things up to Luke. She needed a second chance with him. If she couldn’t do that….
Well, she would do it. She refused to admit the possibility of failure. All the same, butterflies tangoed through her midsection as Josie slipped into her pink pants and a cute halter top. Her fingers trembled as she fastened the straps on her rainbow wedgies. Her smile faltered as she examined her appearance in the mirror and wondered how Luke would react when he saw her.
Would he see her with love? With happiness? Or with the same disdain Donovan’s Corner had? She’d left it behind once, too. Regaining its trust had been an uphill battle all the way.
She guessed she’d just have to wait and see.
“It’s show time,” she whispered to her reflection.
Then Josie lifted her shoulders and—for courage—performed an exemplary showgirl walk, all the way to her car.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Somehow, when Josie’s back was turned, her simple real estate auction turned into a three-ring circus.
Arriving at Blue Moon, she couldn’t even park her convertible in the driveway. Gawking at the crowds of bikers, of running children, of Chardonnay-drinking PTSO members, Josie pulled past the estate house. She followed the handmade signs—where had those come from?—to a sandy improvised parking lot.
As she got out of her car, still confused by the hubbub all around her, a yellow balloon zoomed past her head. Powered by helium, it soared into the clear Arizona sky. Josie watched it disappear, feeling equally set adrift by this change of plans.
Well. She’d just have to get her bearings and go from there. Making her way toward the house, she waved to a few familiar people. She caught a whiff of hot dogs grilling. The citrusy tang of lemonade tickled her nose.
Hot dogs? Lemonade? Gazing across the lawn until she located them, Josie frowned. This was supposed to be an auction. An auction designed to gain Luke the money he needed for his motorcycle mechanic’s shop. Not a potluck barbecue.
Something was definitely off-kilter here. Did she have the wrong day? Did Luke have other plans? This sure didn’t look like the hard work of prepping the place for sale.
On the lookout for Tallulah or Jenna or TJ, Josie continued past the carriage house, feeling a pang as she looked up at Luke’s apartment window. Somewhere nearby, a band played. She couldn’t quite identify the song…probably because of the conversations taking place everywhere.
Visitors dotted the lawn that Luke and TJ had raced their competing mowers across. Laughter wafted from the distant open windows of Blue Moon’s estate house. Tallulah�
�s shih tzu barked at the neighbors’ curious cat as it streaked into the pine trees, rustling the boughs.
Here and there, Josie spied the well-heeled townspeople, contacts of her mother’s, whom she’d invited with the hopes of enticing big bids from them. Feeling mystified by the presence of everyone else—especially the kids and the bikers and the blue-collar families—she circled the house. Now and then she shook hands or passed out auction info sheets.
Where the heck was everyone? She glimpsed Luanne from Frank’s Diner, a contingent from the Donovan’s Corner ladies’ auxiliary, and—for one brief instant—David, with Emily in his arms and Hannah by his side. But Jenna was nowhere to be found, and neither were her mother or Tallulah.
Squinting, Josie checked her watch. The auction was due to begin in just under an hour. If her mother didn’t show soon, she didn’t see how she could pull this off.
Moving forward, Josie recognized one of the PTSO moms from Hannah’s school. On autopilot, she handed her the auction info.
“Hey, cute pants,” the woman said. “Where’d you get them?”
A compliment? From the super-judgmental Mommy & Me crowd? Now Josie knew something was wrong. She blurted out the name of her favorite discount store, then offered an apology and made her getaway. She felt seriously freaked out. If she could just find Tallulah or her mom….
Then, midway between the hot dog-covered barbecue grill and the spot where a clown was making balloon animals—no, scratch that, where TJ was making balloon animals—Josie spotted him.
Luke.
Her heart stuttered. A sense of unreality gripped her. Unable to move, she watched him instead. He wore a fitted gray T-shirt, jeans, work boots. His tattoos flashed, and so did his smile. As she watched, he leaned toward someone, talking, his dark head bent in concentration.
In that moment, Josie knew what yearning felt like. What need felt like. Because all she could do was stand there—stand there and wish it was her ear Luke murmured into, her arm he touched briefly as he spoke, her face he smiled at. In a rush, she remembered the sound of his voice, the callused feel of his fingertips, the warmth of his body.
