Run, Lacy, Run [Appledale] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lee Rose

  “Come with me,” Ally said, going out the back kitchen door and up some stairs on the back of the building. She unlocked a door and went in. “This is an empty apartment I own but don’t use. My son, he’s the town sheriff, used to stay here a lot but when my husband died he started staying home with me more. I’m gonna let you stay here until you get on your feet, Lacy. Later if you stick around we’ll talk about rent of some kind.”

  Lacy considered the room as she looked around. There was a small kitchen and a furnished living room with a couch and TV. It was small but very neat and clean.

  “But, Mrs. Clark, you don’t even know me. Why help me?” Lacy asked, feeling like her emotions were all over the place. She was thankful yet she wanted to break down and cry.

  Ally laughed and shook her head. “In the twenty-plus years I’ve been running my business I’ve met lots of people both good and bad and I have good instincts. I also believe in helping people if they need help, simple as that. There is a bedroom and bathroom behind that door.” Ally pointed toward a door down the hallway. “And please call me Ally. We’re not very formal around here.”

  Lacy was shocked. Here was a complete stranger helping her out when back at home people ran around avoiding each other and never taking a moment to help someone. She felt her chest tighten with emotion, and tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them back. She couldn’t fall apart right now. She had to stay strong until she could figure out what to do about her situation.

  She gave Ally a hug. “I can’t believe you’d do something so nice when I’m a stranger to you,” Lacy whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “I really appreciate it, Ally.”

  Ally patted her back soothingly. “I have a feeling you and I are gonna be good friends. Now get some rest and I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”

  Later that night Lacy took a long hot shower to relax her aching body. She lay in bed listening to the silence. In Detroit she was used to falling asleep to traffic noises, sirens, people yelling, or loud music. She looked around the strange dark room and suddenly the loneliness of her life hit her. She missed her familiar room at home and her favorite fuzzy pajamas her mom gave her. It was too quiet here, and she missed her mom so much her heart ached. Her mom would not have panicked the way Lacy had. She felt the tears come and couldn’t stop them this time. She gave in to her battered emotions and her silent tears soon turned into sobs that shook her body. She fell asleep wishing for her mom’s arms around her one more time, telling her it would be okay.

  * * * *

  “You did what?” Ryan Clark yelled when his mom told him about Lacy. “Mom, you can’t go around hiring complete strangers off the street just because you thought she looked like she needed a helping hand.”

  Ally had to look up since at six feet her son was taller than her. She looked into his green eyes that reminded her of her dear departed husband. “Son, you may be a grown man of thirty years old, but I bet I can still whip you if I have to.”

  Ryan smiled at his mom fondly and kissed her head. “I bet you can. Sorry, Mom, but you are way too naive sometimes.” He ran his hands through his short blond hair and sighed. It had been a long, tiring day, and he’d had to deal with Mr. Harris who kept reporting his cows were missing. He was just a lonely old man who wanted company, so Ryan had gone out there and sat with him awhile, which put him behind on his work. He was looking forward to sleeping when he got home but his mom stood there telling him she gave a complete stranger a job and an apartment and didn’t see a need to worry. “This girl could be robbing you blind right now since you generously let her have the apartment, too. Why didn’t you just hand over the keys to the restaurant, too?”

  Ally rolled her eyes. Her son had the tendency to be a bit dramatic at times. “You are suspicious of everyone. Guess that’s why you make a good sheriff, but Lacy is not a criminal. I trust my instincts. Anyways, this is all your fault, Ryan.”

  “Me?” Ryan said innocently. “How did I cause this?”

  “I told you not to date Emma.” She pointed her finger at his chest, making him feel like a naughty little boy. “But you did anyway. Then you left her brokenhearted when you broke up with her and she walked out on the spot, leaving me short handed.”

  Ryan snorted. “Emma was not brokenhearted. That spoiled brat was just pissed she didn’t get her way! We dated a month and she thought we should get married.” He shuddered at that thought. He was a bachelor and liked it that way. No way was he getting tied down to one woman for an eternity. And he didn’t mention how Emma still harassed him with phone calls all day long, pleading for him to go back to her. What a mistake he had made there. Why hadn’t he listened to everyone’s warnings?

  “I’ll be at the diner tomorrow to check out your little paragon,” he warned his mom and went upstairs to bed.

  Chapter Two

  “You are taking to this like a duck does to water, girl!” Stella encouraged Lacy the next day in a country twang Lacy thought was adorable. Her first day was going better than she had expected. She had been very nervous coming into a place where everyone else already knew each other. She expected it to be awkward, but instead Stella was very friendly toward her and Lacy was grateful for that. Stella was a little taller than Lacy with short black hair pulled back by two red barrettes, and had a slender build. She had a very bubbly personality which Lacy liked.

  Henry Jones, who helped Ally cook in the kitchen, came out in the morning for a few seconds to say a quick hello then went back to the kitchen right away as if he had been away from it too long. He was in his sixties with short gray hair and glasses and didn’t smile much.

  “Henry never has much to say. Doesn’t like dealing with people, so he stays back there,” Stella explained to her. “He’s harmless. You’ll get used to his ways.”

  Stella was giving her tips and catching her up on who was who in this town. She pointed out those who liked to gossip, which was almost everyone, much to Lacy’s amusement. Stella is a natural, Lacy thought with admiration. She greeted everyone by name and remembered everything they ordered.

  “It’s different than working at the pizza place but I really like it and people here are so nice,” Lacy told Stella as they sat down for a break. “It just amazes me. People in the city never have much to say unless they’re complaining about you or to you.” Lacy laughed. “You get so used to it that I never realized there are still nice people in the world.”

  It had been a very busy morning with people coming and going constantly, and Lacy was slowly getting to know the menu and the routine. She had made a few mistakes like taking the orders to wrong tables and forgetting things. She had felt so discouraged, but Ally and Stella told her it would take time to get into the groove of things. Even the customers had been patient and kind when she gave them the wrong order and got nervous. She was grateful she didn’t drop or spill anything on anyone. She expected to get yelled at a lot but everyone was kind. Delivering a pizza to a table was different than giving everyone an individual order, but she was determined to do a better job, especially since Ally had taken a chance on helping her out.

  “You should have seen my first day. I don’t think I gave any customer the right order. I spilled someone’s water all over them! I wasn’t sure I even wanted to come back the next day, but Ally was so sweet about the whole thing that I came back,” Stella said, laughing as she recalled her own first day. “Now, three years down the line, I am a pro and hardly ever spill water on the customers.”

  They had a little time before the lunch rush started, so Ally insisted they eat some of her beef stew. They sat down at an empty table. Lacy counted herself lucky to end up here in Appledale out of all the places the bus could have taken her. Her one day in this town had brought her good luck already. Never having been out of Detroit made this town and its people seem a little surreal, but she liked it. She had always dreamed of living in a pretty and peaceful place like she’d seen on TV, but it had always been just a faraway fantasy.
How ironic that her fantasy had come true under dire circumstances.

  “Lived here in Appledale all my twenty-eight years,” Stella told Lacy as they ate the stew. “Met my husband, Stanley, at the bank and knew he was my soul mate, so I snatched him up quick before anyone else could.”

  Lacy nodded and agreed with her. “Sounds like you are a lucky lady, Stella. You have this beautiful town and you have a husband you love. I’ve yet to meet my prince charming, a few frogs, sure, but no prince yet.”

  Stella was a romantic at heart and looked at Lacy thoughtfully. She was very young and pretty. “Stanley has a few single friends I could introduce you to,” she said excitedly, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

  “Let me think about that first. I think I need all my concentration for work right now.” Lacy laughed. She had never had much luck in the romance department and she wasn’t sure she wanted to try again, especially right now. Her life was in a mess and she needed to come up with a solution to fix it soon.

  They heard the bell above the door ring and turned to greet the new customer. Lacy’s breath caught in her throat and she almost dropped the glass of water she was drinking. In walked the most handsome man she had ever seen. At least six feet tall and lean but with muscular, wide shoulders, he was dressed in a khaki uniform. He sat down in her section. Oh, lucky me, she thought to herself, getting up.

  “Hi, Sheriff.” Stella smiled and waved at him but stayed sitting down. So this is Ally’s son, Lacy thought with interest. She walked behind the counter to grab the coffee pot and went over to where he sat by the window.

  She poured him some coffee. Up close he was even more perfect. He had short blond hair, classical features that belonged in a magazine, and beautiful green eyes that reminded her of a forest.

  Before she could even speak, he spoke in a deep, sexy voice that sent shivers up her spine. “So you’re the new girl my mom’s hired? What brings you to our little town?” he asked suspiciously, leaning back in his seat to look her up and down.

  She shrugged her shoulders, taking out her notepad, not looking at him directly. “Is it against the law to move somewhere new, Sheriff? What can I get for you?”

  His stare was making her nervous but she could also feel heat stirring up in her stomach and her heart racing at a fast pace. She had never felt physically attracted to a man this quickly. This wasn’t a good time to be feeling this way. Especially not with the town sheriff. “I’ll have the special, darlin’,” he answered, not bothering to take his eyes off of her or look at the menu.

  “My name is Lacy, not darlin’,” she corrected him with a frown and walked away to place his order. She was tempted to fan herself with the menu. He was one sexy man.

  Ryan watched her walk away and tried not to laugh out loud. She had fire in her. He liked that in a woman. She had an innocent look about her, too, but he didn’t want to admit that to his mom. Lacy was no hardened criminal. Pretty did not describe her. Gorgeous and sexy were better words to use. She had large breasts, a small waist, and her snug jeans showed off a plump ass that made him want to reach out and grab it. Her reddish-brown hair was up in a ponytail, making her look like a teenager. She had big, sexy brown eyes and soft pouty lips and tan skin that looked smooth and silky. How the hell was he supposed to intimidate her when all he wanted to do was take her upstairs and get naked with her? His body was giving him clear signals on what it wanted. He had never felt so strongly for someone at just one glance. He was definitely attracted to Lacy Martinez, but he had just untangled himself from a pesky relationship and didn’t want to enter another one so soon. He didn’t think Lacy was the one-night-stand type.

  She came back a few minutes later with a steaming bowl of his mom’s beef stew and cornbread and placed it down in front of him, glad her hands weren’t shaking. “Anything else, Sheriff?” she asked huskily, not looking at him directly. His eyes were mesmerizing and she didn’t need this right now. More problems were not what she needed.

  “Where you from, darlin’?” he asked, staring at her as if trying to figure out all her secrets at once, ignoring the food she placed in front of him.

  She lifted her chin up but didn’t correct him on the name. She knew he was doing it on purpose, but she wasn’t giving him the satisfaction of knowing it annoyed her. Since there was no harm in being truthful about where she came from, after all Detroit had millions of people in it, she answered truthfully, “Detroit.”

  Ryan could see freckles running across Lacy’s pert little nose and he thought they were so adorable. “That’s a long way from here, darlin’. Staying long?” He folded his hands across his chest, expecting an answer. Being in a position of authority gave him a demanding personality and people usually answered him immediately.

  “The interrogation will have to wait, Sheriff. I have other customers to see to besides you,” she told him haughtily. He was affecting her concentration but she didn’t want him to know that. Great, why did her body pick him to be attracted to—a sheriff of all people?

  He smiled flirtatiously and winked at her. “You can count on it, darlin’. I’ll be back.” He made it sound like a warning then he turned away from her and started eating his food.

  “Hmmm,” she said, and with that she walked away before she melted at his feet in a puddle. Next time she’d let Stella wait on him. It would be better to stay away from temptation, far away.

  Ally came out of the kitchen and walked up to her son, smiling at him smugly. “So what did you decide? Is she a criminal on the run or a serial killer maybe?”

  Ally watched her son rub his chin thoughtfully as he watched Lacy behind the counter making some coffee. “I haven’t made up my mind yet, Mother. I think I need to keep an eye on her.”

  “Oh no. I recognize that look in your eyes, son. You are not dating another one of my waitresses. I will not lose her. I really like Lacy. She’s so sweet to everyone and she gets along with Stella. You know Emma always had a bee in her bonnet about everything and everyone. Besides, Lacy doesn’t need you playing games with her, Ryan. That poor girl has her own troubles to deal with,” she said seriously. Lacy looked sad when she thought no one was looking at her. The poor girl didn’t need Ryan’s games. She doubted her stubborn son would ever settle down.

  Ryan threw a twenty dollar tip down on Lacy’s table. “Don’t worry so much, mother bear,” he teased. “I have no intention of playing games with your little cub.”

  “Why doesn’t that reassure me?” She shook her head with frustration and watched her son leave. He had his sights set on Lacy, and if she knew her stubborn son, there was nothing she could do about it but hope she didn’t lose another waitress. Maybe next time I should only hire married ones like Stella, she thought to herself and went back in the kitchen.

  Chapter Three

  Lacy was feeling more confident at work as the days passed by. She hadn’t delivered one wrong order in the last two days and that made her feel like she accomplished something great. She was enjoying not only the work at the diner but also meeting the residents of Appledale. There were a lot of interesting people to talk to and a few grouchy old men that Stella had already told her how to handle.

  “He’s all bark and no bite,” Stella said, patting Lacy on the back when a customer complained that the coffee was weak. “He likes to complain about everything, but you just smile, nod your head, and say okay—that’s all it takes.”

  She was adjusting to the small town ways slowly. It sure was different than a huge city filled with people, cars, and noise. When she walked down the street here, people smiled and waved and even stopped to chat with her even if it was just about the weather. Nobody ignored her like they did in the city. It took her a while to get used to being stopped when she walked down the street. The first time had been when she was walking down the block to Clyde’s General Store to buy some food with her tip money. She jumped nervously when someone called her name, thinking of Chico. She turned to find a customer from the diner welcom
ing her to the town and felt embarrassed at being scared. She hoped no one noticed her reaction. Now she was starting to like it and stopped to chitchat with the locals when she explored the town after work. Although the town was too small for a bus or cab service, you could walk to most places. She found a beautiful little park a few blocks away, filled with trees and flowers and a small pond filled with fish. She came and sat by the pond often to watch the fish. It was so peaceful and relaxing that she fell in love with the spot at first sight.

  She made enough money to buy some clothes and other essentials she desperately needed. Ally had given her a few T-shirts as her work uniform but she needed more clothes. She thought about her apartment back home and knew she had to make some decisions soon. Thank goodness she had just paid the rent a few days before she left. Her stuff would be safe for a little while. She made a mental note to call her neighbor across the hall, Mrs. Anderson, and ask her to collect the mail for her. Stella drove her to Liz’s Boutique across town one day after work. It was the only clothes store in town, but it had a lot of styles to choose from, Stella assured her. She confided in Lacy that she had been trying to set up her friend Liz, the owner of the boutique, with Stanley’s boss, but Liz was hesitant to go on a blind date. She said it sounded too desperate.

  “I just want her to find happiness like I did. Gary is a gentlemen and manager of the bank. I think they have a lot in common,” Stella admitted as they made the short drive to the boutique. The storefront window was an elegant creation filled with mannequins modeling clothes and handbags. It was a charming little building with pretty flowers and green plants in huge pots on either side of the doorway. “How cute!” Lacy remarked, loving it.

  Liz and Lacy hit it off right away. Liz had moved to Appledale from Chicago a few years ago and started her business here, she explained while Lacy looked around at the clothes, which she loved. Liz had casual clothes and elegant evening wear, too. They compared notes about living in a small town versus a big city. Liz had pretty blue eyes and short platinum-blonde hair angled toward her cheeks, and it made her look like a doll. She was petite and thin. She was also very charming and friendly.