by Melissa West
Charlie.
Lucas also made her feel safe, but once he joined the army and moved up to the Special Forces divisions, she found herself more afraid for him than comforted by him. Which left only Charlie, the boy who’d always been around, always looking after her, always able to slow down her racing heart and remind her that fear lived in your chest, not in the world. Only that wasn’t really true, something Lila would never forget.
“Lila.”
Snapping herself out of the daze, she waved her hand through the air and tried to laugh, playing off the reaction as nothing. “Stupid nightmare last night still has me freaked out.”
She could tell her friend wasn’t convinced, but Audrey had always been the kind of person to listen, never push. “All right. Well, I was heading over to Maguire’s to meet up with the girls. Want to come?”
“The girls?”
Lila tried to ignore the sting of jealousy in her chest that her best friend now had new girls to call best friends. It wasn’t Audrey’s fault that Lila left for college, then vet school, then work. What did she expect, her friend to never befriend another person? No, she would never want that, but still . . .
“Yeah, Harper and Sophie are new to town since you were here, but you know Ella. Kate and Emery were supposed to join us, but something came up with their kids.”
Lila nodded. She hadn’t seen Kate Littleton in a long time, but she was always very sweet. A teacher now, Lila thought, and there couldn’t be a better profession for her. Zac, the eldest brother, was always domineering, forever a leader. He ran the farm. And then Brady, the youngest, always pretended to be wild, but really he was a lot like Charlie. Charlie wasn’t wild in the least, but he was a true free spirit, a creature of nature. Both he and Brady could have been happy on some beach somewhere, a drink in their hands as they stared at the water, waiting for their next adventure.
Lila wasn’t sure if any of the Littleton brothers had married, though she knew Kate had married a Hamilton from Triple Run. And then at the animal hospital, Lila didn’t notice a ring on Charlie’s finger, which gave her more joy than it should.
“So you’ll come? Please come.”
Glancing back at her car, then up at the night sky, Lila contemplated what she wanted to do. In truth, she wanted to go back to her apartment at Annie’s, change into PJ’s, and get lost in an episode of Gilmore Girls. Nothing about her life was flashy now, and though she knew her idea of “fun” would be classified as old and boring to anyone else her age, she liked to make it inside, check the closets and under the bed, lock the doors. It gave her comfort, something in short supply these days. “It might rain,” she said finally, knowing it was a thin excuse.
“Not inside the bar,” Audrey said with a smirk.
Lila’s lips twitched. “You always were such a smartass.”
“You love me.”
“I do. And I’ve missed you.”
Audrey reached out and grasped her hand. “Me, too, love. Please come hang out. I want to catch up. Lots to discuss since you left. Just a drink or two and they have fantastic wings. It’ll be fun.”
Fun sounded like something in a book or movie at this point, nothing that could be real in Lila’s world, but what the heck. The only person she’d hung out with since she arrived in Crestler’s Key was Annie, and though she adored the woman and her cooking, Lila could use some true girl time. Besides, eventually, she would have to push herself outside of her comfort zone; otherwise, she might never recover enough to become her old self again.
“Okay, I’m in.”
They decided for both women to drive, so Lila could leave if she wanted, which—let’s face it—was a very strong possibility. She needed to get out, but she also liked to be alone. Well, alone until Annie chose to use her spare key and make herself at home in the apartment, whether Lila was up for a visit or not.
Parking around back of Maguire’s beside Audrey’s red convertible, Lila stepped out, locked her car, and then came to a halt. Her eyes traveled down, from her too-dressy blouse, to her too-professional skirt. She was not at all dressed in bar-appropriate clothes. Or even dinner-appropriate clothes.
“Um, I’m a mess.” She motioned to her clothes and then Audrey, who was perfectly trendy in an easy skirt and tank top, sandals completing the look. No one in Crestler’s Key would dress skimpy, even at a bar, but still, there was an expected easiness that went with a bar look—fitted jeans, heels, cute top. Skirt, tank, sandals, like Audrey. Something.
But Lila was still dressed in her work attire—dress skirt and blouse, heels. Boring.
Audrey scanned her up and down, cocked her head in thought, then snapped her fingers. “Okay, we can work with this. Totally work with it. Do you have a tank under that shirt?” she asked and Lila couldn’t help but grin that her friend still knew her so well.
“Always.”
Audrey beamed. “I knew it. Okay, good, shed the outer layer.”
Lila unbuttoned her work blouse to reveal a black tank top, and then she remembered with a touch of horror that below the black tank, she’d worn a new black lace bralette. She’d bought one from Victoria’s Secret after the second time Annie had popped in unannounced—this time with Marty, the mailman—and found Lila in her PJ shorts and white tank top without a bra.
Double embarrassment.
She vowed then to wear a bra at all times, but no woman could comfortably wear a devil-bra all the time, so she bought the bralette. Only when she received it, it was so comfy that it spoiled her. She quickly ordered four more and hadn’t worn a devil-bra since.
Now Audrey’s eyes bulged, a slow smile spreading. “What is that adorableness? Turn around.”
Lila did as instructed and remembered the high-neck back with intricate lace detailing.
“That is so pretty! Where did you get it? I need one.”
Lila grinned. “Victoria’s Secret, but I’ll warn you, you’ll never wear a normal bra again. They’re addictive.”
“Yeah, that settles it. I’m ordering one tonight.” She eyed Lila’s outfit again, then went back to her car, popped the trunk, and pulled out a pair of sparkly black sandals. “Same size as me, right?”
God love her. What had Lila done without Audrey for the last several years? Clearly, her fashion sense had suffered, but what else? It had been a long time since she’d hung out with girls and talked about girlie things.
Slipping on the pretty sandals, she stared down at her new outfit—black skirt, black tank, and black sandals. Not half bad. It worked with her tan, and at least she didn’t have her work outfit on anymore. Mostly.
They walked around to the front of the bar, taking the sidewalk, and with each step Lila felt her pulse speeding up, her nerves twisting. It had been a long time since she’d been here. What would the town think of her now?
Music poured out from the bar as they reached the front door, already open from someone else slipping inside before them. Thankfully, Charlie wouldn’t be here, so at least she wouldn’t have to be on her A game. If she even had an A game, anymore.
Audrey waved to a group of women around a raised-top table close to the bar, and they started over, Lila’s nerves twisting again as she peered around.
This is Crestler’s Key, she told herself. Safer than safe. Plus, her brother was in town, and he could drop a person by look alone. Everything was okay.
“Lila!” Ella stood and started for her, and Lila grinned as she hugged her old friend. “We’re so excited you’re back. Are you here for good? I heard Old Baxter is giving you grief.”
Wow, talk travelled fast. She’d forgotten how quickly gossip spread here. Back in Charlotte, no one knew anyone else’s business. It was nice, and she’d enjoyed her time there, until . . . I’m not going to think about it. Not now.
Lila shrugged. “I’m working him down. But yes, back for good.”
“This is Harper,” Ella said, motioning to the red-headed woman beside her, her look natural and very Crestler’s Key. Lila imagine
d she fit in perfectly the moment she stepped foot inside town limits. “And this is Sophie.”
Lila’s gaze cut over to the woman beside Harper, her ultra-blond hair flowing down her back in waves, her face perfectly made up, a wicked glint in her eyes that Lila suspected never went away. It must have been an experience to watch the town’s reaction to her.
“Hey, you,” Sophie said, like they were old friends. “I was wondering when I’d get to meet the famous Lila Jacobs.”
“Famous?” Lila’s eyes widened.
Sophie’s ruby-red lips spread into a smile. “Yeah, Charlie talks about you and Lucas all the time.”
Her heart clenched. “You know Charlie?” Sophie didn’t look like Charlie’s type but then Lila didn’t really know Charlie anymore, now did she? His type could have changed. He could have changed.
But then before she could dwell on it more, Audrey piped up. “Sophie’s engaged to Zac Littleton,” she said, likely sensing Lila’s unease. Though they rarely talked about it, Audrey knew Lila had crushed on Charlie all her childhood and teen years.
“Wow, that’s amazing. Zac is a great guy,” Lila said, unable to hide her relief, and a knowing look crossed Sophie’s face.
“This is going to be fun,” she said, and Lila looked around as though she’d missed something.
“What’s going to be fun?” Maybe she meant the wedding planning, that sort of thing.
A look of absolute glee took over Sophie’s face, like she’d just found herself in the middle of a challenge she couldn’t refuse. “Oh, nothing.” Then she nodded to the bar. “I’ll get you a drink. What are you having?”
“She’ll have a Corona with lime. Same as me,” Audrey said, then she paused and looked over at Lila. “Or I guess that could have changed. There’s so much I don’t know about you now.” Her mouth turned down in a frown, but Lila quickly spoke up.
“Sadly, I haven’t changed all that much. Terrible, isn’t it? But yeah, a Corona would be great.”
Sophie beamed. Clearly her resting face was a smile. “Two Coronas coming up. Anyone else need anything?” She eyed the table, but Harper was still nursing a fruity drink with an umbrella and Ella shook her head.
“I’m good. I think Maguire put double the alcohol in this thing,” Ella said, shaking her cocktail. “It’ll be a miracle if I don’t have a hangover tomorrow, and this is my first drink.”
They all laughed, and then Sophie bopped over to the bar, her move almost giddy.
“What’s she so excited about?” Lila asked, glancing over at Sophie with intrigue.
“She’s like a town matchmaker on steroids,” Audrey said. “It’s like she’s happy now so she wants everyone else to be, too.”
“Aw, that’s kind of nice,” Lila said. “Who’s she trying to fix up?” She was still watching Sophie, so she didn’t notice that all three women were staring her down until she peered over at Audrey, then did a double take at the grin on her face.
“No. Not me. I just got here. Who would she want to set me up with?”
Audrey laughed. “You’re kidding, right? You’re back in town, the only girl Charlie Littleton has ever talked about with any real interest, and our fine matchmaker, Sophie, is marrying his brother. It’s like kismet.”
“What?” Thank God Lila didn’t have her drink yet, or she would have spit it everywhere. “Me and Charlie? No, no, no. That’s crazy.” Jerking back, Lila stared around the bar, hopeful no one had heard what she’d said. Especially someone by the name of Charlie. Or a friend of Charlie’s. Or anyone who might at all know Charlie. Which, crap, described everyone in the town.
Her cheeks burned and she tried to clear her face of any unwanted emotions that might reveal how very much Lila would have loved the idea of being with Charlie . . . six months ago. Now she wasn’t—couldn’t—well, she didn’t really know what she was anymore, but dateable certainly wasn’t on the table. Not now, maybe not ever if she couldn’t shake the panic in her chest every time she thought about it.
“The way I see it, it’s crazy y’all haven’t gotten together yet,” Sophie said as she set down the two beers and took her own seat, some pink concoction in her hand that Lila suspected Maguire had never made prior to Sophie requesting it. She read as the kind of woman who knew who she was and wasn’t about to stand down on her wants for anyone. Zac was in trouble.
“No, seriously. It really isn’t like that.” Lila took a long pull of her beer, then two, because clearly she needed alcohol in her veins to survive this conversation.
“But you like him, right? Or is that in the past?”
She choked on her beer, sputtering as she glared over at her old best friend. The key word there old, because Lila might not talk to Audrey again after this outing. Clearly, Harper, Ella, and Sophie were trustworthy people for Audrey, but Lila didn’t know them. Not really, and certainly not enough to talk about Charlie.
“It’s been a long time since I thought about Charlie like that.”
Lie.
“Honestly, I didn’t think he still lived here.”
Lie.
“Charlie’s the furthest thing from my mind.”
I am so going to hell.
Sophie’s eyes flashed with excitement, like Lila had said exactly what she wanted to hear. Clearly, she’d need to work on her poker face around these ladies if she hoped to hide her true feelings. “Well, you might not have thought about him, but he’s definitely thought about you. Probably thinking about you right now, by the way he’s looking around this bar.”
This bar? Did she just say this bar?
Lila spun around so fast she almost fell out of her chair, but not before Sophie threw her hand into the air and called out, “Charlie!”
And suddenly his eyes snapped to the table, scanning, until they landed on Lila, and then he was coming toward them.
Chapter Four
Charlie’s eyes fell on Lila, the bit of black lace peeking out from her tank top, her hair tousled and loose around her shoulders, those bright blue eyes staring back at him, and suddenly he wasn’t sure why he’d come there. Hell, he could scarcely remember to breathe.
He cleared his throat in hopes that it would settle him down, but as he started toward her, his heartbeat kicked up instead, until he stood over her, her perfect chin tilted up to look at him, her plump lips curved into a smile that lit her entire face. And damn. What was he thinking again?
“Hey there, little brother.”
His attention flicked over to Sophie, who still drove him insane despite Zac’s insistence that she wasn’t so bad. “Not yet. And even then, no.”
“You love me, admit it. I’m the sister you never had.”
“I have a sister.”
“Oh. Right.” She giggled, and he thought he ought to call Zac now to prepare him for the drunk call he’d likely receive in an hour, when the buzz she was showing now turned downright messy. Sophie was all spark and fire, and though Charlie had grown to appreciate what his brother saw in her, she would never have been his type.
Unlike the dark-haired woman sitting in front of him.
Lila was sassy, too, but in a more understated way. In fact, everything about her was understated. She was beautiful in a way that spoke for itself. She didn’t need loads of makeup or styled hair to show the world that she was gorgeous. That smile of hers told the story all on its own.
And now he was staring again. Damn it all to hell, he needed a drink to settle his nerves before he did something stupid. Like make a move on his best friend’s little sister. As though the thought of Lucas had been the cold shower he needed, he remembered why he’d come to Maguire’s in the first place.
“So what’s up with you, then? Looking for someone?” Sophie waggled her eyebrows and then glanced at Lila and grinned again.
Clearly, he would need to ask Zac to get his fiancée under control before Lila figured out that Charlie talked about her a little more than he should. Or a lot more than he should. Ignoring Sophie, he focu
sed back on Lila and forced his brain to work instead of absorbing another detail about her. Like the cute-as-heck freckle beside her right eye. Damn, he was in so much trouble, and she just returned to town. “Actually, Lucas sent me looking for you. Said he called you a few times.”
She pulled back. “Oh. I must have turned my phone off.” Fumbling through her bag, she pulled out her phone, turned it back on, and then her eyebrows knitted together in obvious concern.
“He called five times. Did something happen?” She bit her lip and peered back up at him, but Charlie was too lost in her mouth and those white teeth clamped down over her naturally rosy lips to hear her.
“Sorry, what?”
It was Sophie who answered, getting far too much joy out of this exchange. “She asked if something happened. You all right there, Charlie? You seem a little . . . distracted.” She laughed again, and he glared back at her, praying she could read minds along with that superpower of hers to wreck his mood. But instead of saying anything to his soon-to-be sister-in-law, he focused back on Lila.
“I don’t know. He just called me and asked if I’d seen you, then said he needed to talk to you. Both of us, actually. And so I said I’d find you and we’d head to his house.”
Immediately, she stood, grabbed her bag, and faced the girls. “Sorry to cut this short, but this doesn’t sound like Lucas. Okay if I head out to find out what’s going on?”
“Of course,” Audrey said. “Call and let me know, okay?”
“I will.” They hugged and then Charlie and Lila headed back out.
Charlie followed Lila outside, then down the sidewalk toward his truck. “That one’s me,” he said, motioning to it.
“He’s been deployed again, hasn’t he?”
Worry seeped through Charlie’s mind, coursing through him, until it settled in his stomach like a virus that would have him up all night. “Honestly? I don’t know. He didn’t say.”
