Staying For Good (A Most Likely To Novel Book 2)

by Catherine Bybee

  “What are you waiting for anyway?” It was obvious that Wyatt and Mel were headed toward marital bliss.

  For a minute, it wasn’t apparent if Wyatt was going to answer. Then he sucked in a long breath. “My house is almost done.”

  Luke thought as much. Wyatt had lived in his home for six years now and had existed in a constant state of construction. Only after he met Mel and it was obvious they were crazy about each other did Wyatt fast-track his own project. Considering Wyatt was the one you called for any and all general contracting needs in River Bend, it was a continuous joke that his own home sat half-finished.

  “I knew there was a reason for the fire in your step. How much longer will it take?”

  “I’m pushing for a month. Any more and I think Mel will be writing the number six on every street sign and notepad in town.”

  Luke narrowed his eyes. “Six?”

  “Her ring size. ‘How about a six-pack, Wyatt?’ ‘Are six tacos enough?’ ‘Did you know that most women wear a size six ring?’ There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hear the number. I’ve even started betting Miss Gina how many hints I’ll get in a day.”

  The thought of Miss Gina shelling out betting money to Wyatt brought a grin to Luke’s face.

  “Poor Mel.”

  “Not sure what she’s worried about. I told her the day was coming.”

  “You have me there. I haven’t gotten to the ring stage of a relationship.” Not since high school . . . and at that time, he was young and dumb, as they say. “You might wanna give her a ring before she tattoos your arm in your sleep.”

  “I doubt it will get to that . . . branding with a fire iron, on the other hand . . .” They both laughed at the image that swam between them like a cloud. “So, Saturday?”

  “Yeah . . . of course.” Luke ran a hand through his slightly long hair. “I could get out of town.”

  Wyatt let a sly smile pass his lips. “Maybe we should make it a guys’ weekend. See if we can’t get you laid.”

  Luke would have taken offense if his buddy wasn’t on to the basic needs of a man in a small town. “Won’t Mel worry?”

  Wyatt shook his head. “If she thinks that’s who I am, then rings wouldn’t be on the table of discussion.”

  Luke knew his friend was right. Mel took some time to trust, but when she did, she did with her whole heart. Besides, Wyatt wasn’t that kind of guy.

  “So we drive up Saturday, drive back Sunday?”

  “If you find yourself busy Sunday, I’ll bring the new car back without you,” Wyatt said.

  Sounded like a plan.

  Luke slid back under the Jeep with a tiny lift in his chest after Wyatt left. Something to look forward to other than the underside of a car and the same dozen streets of the town he’d called home since he was born. He hadn’t had a serious relationship in town since Zoe . . . and that had been eleven years ago. He had the occasional hookup, but most of the time he left town for that. Nikka had scratched his itch in Eugene for a few years . . . nothing serious. It helped that she was a little older and didn’t look at him as anything but a bed warmer. The arrangement worked for both of them.

  But it got old and Nikka had eventually moved on.

  An out of town anything was way past due. Maybe he should convince Wyatt to take a weekend in Vegas for a bachelor party.

  Yeah . . . that sounded good.

  Vegas weekend.

  Lots of women in Vegas.

  When he pictured the women, he thought of long legs, thick dark hair . . . full, lush lips.

  He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed Zoe from his head.

  Luke took his frustration out on a stubborn cap holding Jo’s oil inside the engine. Only testosterone had a strange ability of giving strength that wasn’t there a few seconds before.

  The taste of motor oil never was something he’d learned to like.

  He pushed away and managed to grab a nearby bucket to capture what his face hadn’t. His father took that moment to kneel down and peer under the Jeep.

  “Don’t say it,” Luke warned.

  His father simply started laughing until the deep rumble walked out of the garage and into the office.

  “I need to get laid,” Luke whispered to himself.

  “I need your help.”

  “Need me to arrest someone for you?”

  Zoe once again cradled the phone to her ear. This time she was outside a coffee shop, her tablet open as she searched the Internet.

  “Nothing like that. You told me last winter you were in need of a vacation.”

  Jo chuckled before she spoke. “What’s a vacation?”

  “That thing you do every once in a while to take a break from that thing you do to earn a living.”

  “What does me leaving my post have to do with helping you out?”

  “I’m buying a house.”

  “Yeah, Mel said something about that. That’s exciting.”

  “And I can’t decide. Is it too big, is it too small? Wrong neighborhood? I don’t want to mess this up. It’s a big step. I’d feel a lot better if someone I know and trust was here helping me narrow down my search.”

  “You want me to come to Texas to help you house search?”

  “Yeah. I know it’s short notice . . . but there are several great options that are having open houses over the weekend.”

  “This weekend?”

  “Don’t sound shocked. If I’d asked you to plan a week away a month from now, you’d come up with an excuse.” Zoe paused and waited for Jo to deny her claim.

  She didn’t.

  “I could use a weekend away. Just make sure we have time to . . . play.”

  Zoe smiled into the phone. “You mean hook up?”

  “God, yes.”

  Zoe laughed. “I’ll plan a long weekend.”

  “I can cut out early Friday and take the late shift on Monday.”

  “Like anything happens in that town on a Monday night.”

  “Hey,” Jo almost shouted. “You’d be surprised.”

  “You’re right. I would. So Friday . . . text me your flight plans.”

  Zoe disconnected the call, opened up the calendar on her tablet, and blocked out the weekend using Jo’s name. Because Zoe knew her friend would still have her cell phone in her hand, she sent a final command via text. Leave your gun and badge at home.

  Zoe waited for the snarky friend inside the cop to show up. The dot, dot, dot on the screen proved her rebel friend was still in there somewhere.

  Fine, but I’m bringing my handcuffs.

  Instead of delivering the news to Jo with a phone call, Luke washed up and walked through the town to the station, where he was sure he’d find her.

  The town sheriff didn’t leave the station midday unless the weather socked in hard, making driving conditions on the outside of town dangerous. There wasn’t a need to patrol River Bend all that often. While Jo made some effort to vary her routine, she’d fallen into the same patterns as her old man all those years ago. A drive through town in the morning . . . again around happy hour, if you could call the group of yahoos that went to R&B’s after four the happy hour crowd . . . and another stroll after dark. Summers varied a little more due to the teenage population scoring liquor and playing a little too hard. They too knew Sheriff Ward’s routine and avoided her wrath. Or maybe Jo looked the other way so long as no one got hurt or attempted to drive.

  Luke pushed through the door to the station and greeted the longtime clerk. “Hey, Glynis. She in?” He nodded toward the back office.

  “Does she have somewhere else she needs to be?”

  He chuckled and moved behind the desk before briefly knocking on Jo’s door and letting himself in.

  Jo was standing over a filing cabinet, a stack of papers in her hand. “Hey,” Luke said, capturing her attention.

  “Oh, hi.” She seemed surprised to see him. A little nervous even.

  “How is your busy crime-fighting day?” He laughed at his own jo
ke and took a seat.

  “Don’t jinx me. I’m trying to get out of town.” Jo actually winced as she said the words.

  “You, out of town? As in a vacation?”

  She shrugged. “I guess you can call it that.”

  She didn’t elaborate.

  In fact . . . she turned back to the cabinet and started searching through her files.

  “Where ya going?”

  “Uhhh . . . Texas.” She pulled some papers and nudged the drawer shut without making eye contact.

  Texas. He understood the strange affect of his friend. “How is Zoe?”

  “Good. She’s good.” She took a hasty seat and put on a fake smile. “How is my Jeep?”

  Luke rolled with her change in subject. “It needs a new starter. I ordered it, but it won’t be here until Saturday.”

  “That bites. I’m flying out on Friday.”

  “Why does that bite if you won’t need your car?”

  “Need to get to the airport. I’m not taking a squad car and leaving it there.”

  “I can give you a ride.”

  Jo took a moment to stare at him before saying, “You ride a motorcycle and drive the occasional tow truck.”

  “I can take my dad’s truck.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t want to put you out.”

  No, she didn’t want to have him hyperaware that she was visiting Zoe. The whole town seemed to think he was a walking nerve when it came to his high school flame.

  “You’re not putting me out. In fact, Wyatt and I were planning to drive into Eugene on Saturday. Let me see if we can’t make it a day earlier and avoid two trips.”

  Jo hesitated but then started a slow nod. “Okay. That sounds . . . okay, sure.”

  Who knew doing a favor for a friend would sound so painful.

  “So my starter is fried, huh?” Jo shifted the subject once again.

  “Yeah. I should be able to get it in on Monday.”

  “That would be great.” When she glanced at the clock, he took it as a signal to move along.

  Luke pushed to his feet and patted the top of her desk. “I’ll get back to you on the carpool into Eugene.”

  “Thanks, Luke.”

  “No problem.”

  He made his exit with a nod to Glynis.

  The pine-scented air of River Bend filled his lungs as he walked down the block. He waved at the high school principal, who drove by before Luke jaywalked across the street. A breeze caught the wind chimes that hung from the eaves of the crafty gift store.

  He shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as he rounded the corner.

  Sam’s diner drew his attention. He noticed Sheryl’s old car and glanced inside the windows. Zoe’s mother brought a wave of mixed emotions inside him. He saw Zoe in her mother’s eyes, but that was about it. Sheryl’s hair was at her shoulders, and instead of the sleek black color of Zoe’s, she had a mousy brown that had started to gray. The woman was weathered beyond her actual years. Sheryl had been a big reason Zoe had fled their hometown. And for that, Luke had a hard time liking the woman.

  He’d never felt the need to leave River Bend. But lately, he wondered if that was a mistake. The world outside his town was huge, and he’d yet to experience much of it.

  Unlike Zoe, who had seen more countries than he had states.

  Luke hesitated only a second in front of Sam’s diner before walking the rest of the way back to the shop.

  He walked into the open garage, past Jo’s Jeep, and into the office. A note on the phone said his father had gone home for lunch.

  Luke glanced over his shoulder to the open workspace. Where else could a garage be left completely open and unattended without the worry of someone walking in and ripping them off?

  He wasn’t sure he wanted to be in a place where people had to continually lock the doors. Yet boredom had set in like a growing cancer over the past year.

  Ever since Zoe had returned, albeit briefly, for their class reunion.

  Her face, along with many others, reminded him of how little he’d done with his life.

  Maybe it was time he took a long, hard look in the mirror and determined if he was happy, or if he was simply lazy.

  Instead of contemplating his internal drive, he picked up the phone and dialed Wyatt.

  Taking an extra day in Eugene sounded like an excellent plan.

  Chapter Three

  “The town will not fall apart without you there, Jo. Relax.”

  “You’re right . . . you’re right.” She looked out the back window of Wyatt’s twin cab truck before twisting around to focus on the road in front of them.

  Luke placed his arm around the back of his seat and watched a play of emotions cross Jo’s face. The woman was a mess.

  “When was the last time you took time off?” Wyatt asked from the driver’s seat.

  “Uhm . . .”

  Luke glanced at Wyatt and back at Jo. “Unless you sneak out of town when I’m not looking, I’m guessing the answer to that was back before you took the badge.”

  “I have days off.”

  “You have overnights off . . . leaving town for something other than work is what the rest of the world calls a vacation.”

  “I’ve gone away a couple of times. And look who’s talking. When did you leave town last, Luke?”

  It was his turn to stutter. “Uhm . . . ah . . .”

  “Exactly! Pot to kettle.”

  “I drive into Eugene quite a bit,” he said.

  “Which is an extension of our backyard.”

  She was right. “I should get out more. It’s a big world out there.”

  “I always thought I’d see more of it,” Jo said.

  “You still can,” Wyatt said. “It’s not like you’re old.”

  Jo frowned as if in disagreement and continued to stare out the window.

  “He’s right, you know.”

  “I didn’t see anything of the world when my dad was sheriff, and I don’t anticipate the opportunity to now.”

  “Doesn’t mean you can’t change that.”

  Her eyes skirted past his and out the back again.

  That’s when it hit him.

  As much as Luke felt as if all his options in life were spelled out for him, that any big changes had already happened, they weren’t. He made enough money to live a simple, comfortable life in a small town, working in a garage with his father. He had a modest home of his own. Yeah, his parents had helped him with the down payment years ago and refused to accept any payment back. The anchor to River Bend was his parents, a job he didn’t hate, and a lifestyle that suited him. What was Jo’s anchor? Her job . . . which, if he had to guess, she wasn’t in love with. Her friends . . . and the legacy of her father. For Luke, staying in the town he’d grown up with had been a choice. A logical one. For Jo it was an obligation, a weight that kept her looking out the back window of Wyatt’s truck en route to the airport.

  The desire to learn Jo and Zoe’s weekend plans wasn’t just from his slight obsession with his old flame. He wanted to know that Jo would get her mind off River Bend. She needed to remember how to live a little.

  “What kind of crazy plans do you and Zoe have this weekend anyway?” he asked.

  “I doubt crazy is a word we’ll use.”

  “Neither of you knit.”

  She smiled. A smile Luke didn’t see on his friend’s face as often as he once had.

  “House hunting.”

  The image of houses in Texas did a dance in his head. It took a full thirty seconds for what that meant to sink in. “Zoe’s buying a house?”

  “Sounds like it.”

  “Wow.” He hated the knot in his throat. Hated that he knew her buying anything anywhere meant she wasn’t going to move home. He’d waited for years for word of her getting married. Or at least word that she was in some kind of meaningful relationship with one of those Hollywood types she always surrounded herself with. When he’d seen her at their ten-year high school reunio
n, and then again when Mel’s daughter, Hope, had gone missing, he’d felt his heart weeping once again.

  Jo nudged his arm off the back of the seat.

  His eyes snapped up.

  “Do yourself a favor, Luke. Don’t ever go to Vegas.”

  “What?”

  “You have no face for poker,” she told him.

  Hiding his emotions was something he had learned to do in Zoe’s presence, but apparently not with Jo and Wyatt. “I’ll have to work on it before the bachelor party.”

  Jo sat forward, all her attention out the back window shifted. “Bachelor party?”

  Wyatt slammed his arm across the seat to knock a little wind out of Luke’s chest. “Oops.”

  “Something you wanna share, Wyatt?”

  Wyatt glanced in his rearview mirror, then over at Luke. “Someday.”

  “Someday? As in someday soon?”

  Wyatt shrugged.

  Jo lifted her eyebrows in question toward Luke.

  “Don’t look at me. Man code and all. When the day comes, however . . . I think Vegas is in order.”

  “Mel will not want a Vegas wedding,” Jo said.

  “Bachelor party in Vegas.”

  Jo nodded in understanding and placed a hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “Just don’t let this one near a poker table, okay?”

  “Deal.”

  “I’m not that bad,” Luke defended himself.

  At the same time, both Jo and Wyatt said, “Yes you are!”

  “Damn it’s hot here!”

  Leave it to Jo to greet her with a smile and a bitch.

  Zoe made a slightly girlish giggle and squeezed her friend hard once she’d passed through the doors outside the secure zone of the airport.

  Jo offered a one-arm hug, holding on to her duffel bag.

  “It’s Texas . . . we’re always hot.”

  She dropped her bag and shrugged out of her jacket.

  Zoe reached down. “Anything in baggage claim?”

  “It’s a long weekend. How much do I need?”

  Zoe tested the weight of the bag with a bicep curl. “So long as you left your weapons at home.”

  Jo glanced around.

  “It’s Texas. We like guns here.”