Shooting For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Suspenseful Bad Boy Neighbor Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #2)

by Naomi Niles

  “Me neither,” Lizzie replied. “So I can’t imagine how it must be for you and Tyler.”

  “I wish I’d had more time with dad,” I admitted. “I feel like we never spent as much time together as we should have.”

  “Don’t do that to yourself, Dylan,” Lizzie said softly. “Just appreciate the time you did have together.”

  I fell silent, reflecting on how much better I felt in Lizzie’s presence. I realized it had always been that way between us. Whenever I felt angry or frustrated I would go to Lizzie and vent. She would sit and listen to me, sometimes she would speak and other times she simply held my hand, it didn’t matter what she did, I would invariably feel better. She had always been able to calm me down.

  “How have you been, Lizzie?” I asked.

  “I’ve been fine,” she said vaguely.

  “No really,” I said stressing the point. “I want to know how you’re life’s been.”

  “I’m divorced,” she said after a moment of hesitation.

  “I heard,” I admitted. “Paul Kapke huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did that happen?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

  “I was young and he was charming … at the time at least,” she replied. “It’s behind me now.”

  There was a note of bitter sadness in her tone and I knew it was painful for her to think about her failed marriage, but a selfish part of me couldn’t help but be happy about it. I hated that she was hurting and I hated what she had been through, I was just glad that there was no other guy standing in my way.

  “You’re still as beautiful as ever, Lizzie,” I said sincerely.

  She looked embarrassed by the compliment. “How long will you be in town for?” she asked.

  “I mean it,” I said deftly ignoring her attempt to change the subject. “You were always the most beautiful girl in the room to me.”

  Her eyes went dull with sadness. “Didn’t stop you from leaving though did it?”

  I was taken back by her response. There was no anger or accusation in her tone, she stated it simply, as though it were the unequivocal truth. “When I think back now, I really don’t know why I left in the first place,” I admitted. “I don’t know what motivated me to leave town.”

  She smiled and shrugged. “You don’t have to explain, Dylan. It was a long time ago. You moved on and so did I.”

  The way she said it made it seem like we were done with each other, but looking at her now, I knew I wasn’t done. It was easy to forget when you were on the other side of the world, training six hours a day and trying to figure out the best way to stay alive. But sitting there, under the shade, in front of the lake, and opposite Lizzie, it was impossible to think that the passion and tenderness we had shared all those years ago was behind us.

  “Maybe once the funeral’s over and things have settled … maybe we could do something fun,” I suggested terrified that she would turn me down. “We could go bowling or something?”

  She regarded me with those brilliant, blue eyes and just when I thought she was on the cusp of turning me down, she nodded. “Ok,” was all she said, leaving me to wonder if she was actually enthusiastic about the plan or if she had simply accepted me out of pity for my loss.

  We sat there, falling into a comfortable silence. I kept stealing glances at her, drinking her in as though she were the sun and I was a blind man who had just been given back his sight. She burned so brightly that I couldn’t for the life of me understand what had happened between us all those years ago.

  Chapter Ten

  Elizabeth

  I was impressed by how well planned the funeral was, especially considering that Tyler had been the one responsible for everything. The wreaths he had chosen were simple and pretty, they suited the old-fashioned rustic feel of the church.

  I walked down the aisle towards the pulpit, feeling sadness at my heels. I was staring at the coffin when my mother up behind me. “Elizabeth, honey,” she whispered as she wrapped a hand around my waist. “You’re here early.”

  “I’m playing the piano today,” I admitted.

  The nerves were starting to get to me. I would have loved the chance to practice a little more first, but I didn’t own a piano. I had gone to the resident music store in town and Gary, the sales clerk, had been nice enough to let me stretch my muscles a bit. Still, I felt as though I knew enough not to make a fool of myself but not nearly enough to give Mr. Thomas a great send off.

  “That’s wonderful,” mom replied. “I didn’t know you were playing again?”

  I turned to my mother. She was a small lady with dark-brown hair that she had been dyeing since her forties. We didn’t look much alike, and in my teens that had bothered me. Within a year of my parent’s divorce, my father already had a new family and it felt as though there was no room for me in his life anymore. I figured if my father wasn’t interested in me anymore, then I wanted no part of him, including his looks. After mom had gotten wind of this, she sat me down and looked me in the eye.

  “Forget your looks,” she had told me. “I’d rather you have my character than my features anyway.” And after that, it hadn’t bothered me anymore.

  “Tyler asked me,” I told my mother. “And I couldn’t say no.”

  “That’s good,” she replied. “That’s right. The Thomas’s were always so fond of you; I’m sure Derek would have loved that you’re playing today.”

  “I can’t believe he’s gone,” I said. “It doesn’t feel real.”

  “Death often feels like that,” mom replied. “It only becomes real once the person has been buried and the mourners have cleared away. When it’s just you and your empty house … that’s when it becomes real.”

  “I can’t imagine how Mrs. Thomas is going to get through this.”

  “She has her children,” mom said simply. “That’s enough for any mother.” I leaned against my mother, taking comfort in the familiar lines of her body. “I heard Dylan was in town,” she said after a moment.

  I nodded. “He is,” I replied. “I met him a few days ago when I went over to the house to drop off the food.”

  “I see,” mom said knowingly. “And how was it, seeing him again after so long?”

  “It was strange,” I replied honestly. “But it still felt the same somehow.”

  I knew I was contradicting myself but that was genuinely how I felt. Seeing him that day had been such a mix of emotions that I had had a hard time keeping up with them. There had been a jolt of some current that had surged through my body as I saw him.

  He looked amazing. He had the kind of body that you would normally see on the cover of a fitness magazine. He was all broad shoulders and hard muscle. His hair was cut short and shaved close to his scalp, which only heightened the attractive sharpness of his features. I’d forgotten how beautiful his eyes were. They were blue like mine, but his were subtle, soft, and held all the colors of the ocean.

  A selfish part of me had wished that he hadn’t turned out quite so good looking; it would have been easier for me to deal with his presence in town. I thought back to our adolescence and I remembered how bright we had burned together and I knew that I was only kidding myself. His looks had nothing to do with it. It would have hurt either way.

  “I know that doesn’t make much sense,” I said to my mother.

  She smiled at me. “It makes sense,” she said. “Are you planning on seeing him again after the funeral?”

  “I don’t know,” I replied. “I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t think getting involved with Dylan again is a good idea, mom,” I said. “He’s only in town for a month; it can’t go anywhere.”

  She didn’t say anything; she nodded and wrapped her arm around me again. I knew she wouldn’t push it; she knew how hard it had been for me to get over Dylan. Our conversation was put to an end when Tyler approached me. He looked calmer than I had seen him in days.

&nbs
p; “Elizabeth,” he called. “Are you ready?”

  I took a deep breath. “Yes,” I nodded.

  Tyler led me up to the piano that was placed on the side of the coffin a short distance away. I sat down and I felt a tingling in my fingers. I knew that everyone’s eyes were on me but I didn’t dare look up. I hadn’t seen Dylan yet and I didn’t want to at that moment. He would only make me more nervous. I tried to steady myself as I poised my fingers above the keys.

  “This is it,” I whispered to myself. “Don’t screw it up Elizabeth.”

  Then I started playing. It was a little shaky at first and I almost lost the tune a couple of times, but I willed myself forward and once I had got into the song, I managed to find a level of comfort that got me through the songs that Mrs. Thomas had personally requested. I concentrated on nothing but the keys and the music and when I finally finished playing, I noticed Dylan walk up to the microphone.

  He was wearing a dark suit that made him look like a model straight out of a perfume ad. I noticed that his gaze was on me and I gave him a small smile. He thanked everyone for coming, he introduced himself, and then he started talking about his father, about the kind of man he was and about his time in the Navy.

  “People knew how important that uniform was to him,” Dylan said. “They understood how proud he was to have been in the navy and that formed his identity. But he was made up of more than that; he was more than a soldier. He was a husband and a father. He loved his wife and he loved his children. And if you had asked him which one he identified with more, he would never have mentioned the Navy. He would have talked about my mother, who was the love of his life. He would have talked about my brother, whom he was so proud of. And he would have talked about me.”

  “That is the kind of man my father was. He had commitments, he had obligations, and he had a duty to his country. But he never forgot about the things that were important to him. He was away a lot when I was a child, but I never resented him for that absence. I knew he was out there doing something important and I knew he was thinking of me every second of every day. Even when he wasn’t around, he always made sure that we knew that he loved us. My father … he was a good soldier and a good man. But in my opinion, he was an even better husband and father.”

  “He’s a good speaker isn’t he?” Tyler said from behind me.

  I hadn’t even noticed he was behind me. I wiped away the tear that had slipped down my cheek and glanced at him. “I would have thought you’d give the speech?”

  Tyler shook his head. “This is Dylan’s forte; he did a good job.”

  “He did,” I nodded.

  “Thank you, Elizabeth,” Tyler said. “For playing.”

  “Of course,” I nodded and leaned in to give Tyler a hug and a kiss. I turned around and realized that people were queuing up to pay their condolences to Dylan and Mrs. Thomas who were standing on the opposite side of the church. “Shouldn’t you go and join them?” I asked.

  “I will,” Tyler replied. “I just … need a moment.”

  I nodded in understanding and made my way to join the line of people. It took five minutes to finally reach them, and when I did, I noticed that Dylan’s eyes were already on me.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered as I hugged him.

  He held on a little longer than I expected and then he let go of me. “Thank you for playing,” he said. “It was amazing to hear you play after so long.”

  “Yes dear,” Mrs. Thomas cut in. “Thank you for playing those songs.”

  “I hope I did Mr. Thomas justice.”

  “He would have been so pleased,” Mrs. Thomas said. She looked better than she had the first day I had see her, but the ache of sadness was still etched across her face. “Will you come to the house afterwards? The family will be there after the burial.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to impose—”

  “It’s not an imposition,” Dylan cut in. “Everyone will be there.”

  I nodded. “Then I will too,” I said before I moved away.

  I went over to the house straight after the burial with mom. The house was packed just like last time, so I left mom with the other mourners and headed for the patio. Tyler and Dylan were there, leaning against the patio railing and staring out at the lake in silence. They had both changed into pants and casual t-shirts.

  “The service was beautiful,” I said to them.

  Dylan turned around and I saw his eyes light up when he saw me. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

  I felt a blush creep up my cheeks and I tried desperately to stop it in its tracks. “How are you both doing?” I asked trying to skate over my own embarrassment.

  “Fine,” Tyler replied without turning his gaze from the lake.

  “I … I think I really need a distraction,” Dylan replied.

  I raised my eyebrows. “What kind of distraction?”

  “Beer by the old campsite?” Dylan suggested, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  We used to sneak out at night and meet just outside the woods. Then we’d walk about a mile north until we had reached this little creek that ran passed a tall thicket of trees. We’d bring beer and marshmallows, then we’d sit around the fire and toast them up and swap stories. Sometimes Dylan and I used to go there alone and when it was just the two of us, we’d take a blanket so that we could share.

  I’d sit between his legs and he’d hold me close and whisper ghost stories in my ear. They never scared me though. There was no possible way I could feel scared with Dylan wrapped around me like a human shield. I felt safe and warm and protected and like my youth, I had taken those moments for granted. I had simply assumed I would have them forever.

  “Lizzie?” Dylan said.

  “Sorry,” I said quickly. “I suppose we could do that.”

  “Great,” Dylan said. “We can leave soon.”

  “I’ll ask Maddie to join us,” I said quickly and then I turned to Tyler. “You’re joining us too right Tyler?”

  Tyler glanced at Dylan. “I don’t know if it’s … appropriate?”

  “We’re not going to a rave Ty,” Dylan said and I knew he was trying hard not to roll his eyes. “But if you don’t want to come, we’ll understand.”

  I frowned at Dylan. “Come,” I said.

  “All right,” Tyler said at last. “Maybe a distraction is a good idea. Mom will be surrounded by people tonight anyway.”

  “Great,” Dylan said, although his tone suggested otherwise. “Is Maddie here?”

  “She should be here by now,” I nodded. “She left the cemetery when mom and I did.”

  “Ok, then Tyler can bring Maddie in the car and you and I can take my bike.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Your bike?”

  “You remember her,” Dylan said with a secretive smile.

  “Of course I remember her,” I said. “I just can’t believe you still have that bike.”

  “Dad kept her for me,” Dylan said with a sad smile. “Will you ride with me?”

  I sighed internally. There was no way I could say no to that smile. “Sure,” I nodded.

  We left Tyler in the house to look for Maddie and Dylan led me out to the garage where the bike was kept. The moment I saw the bike, I felt a wave of nostalgia hit me. It was like I had stepped twelve years into the past. I approached the bike gingerly.

  “She hasn’t changed,” I said.

  Dylan helped me onto the seat behind him and I was forced to wrap my arms around his waist as we set off down the winding driveway. We were so close that I could smell him. I closed my eyes and reminded myself that I was not seventeen anymore and Dylan was not my boyfriend. I told myself that no matter how good this felt, at the end of the day, I would have to let go.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dylan

  I felt like I was sixteen again. I had the same tingling in my stomach that I used to feel any time Lizzie was near me. I wanted to kiss her, touch her, hold her all at the same time, and I never wanted to let her go. The more tim
e I spent with her, the more I simply could not understand what had ever made me leave her side.

  Her arms were tight around me but I could sense her need to let go, almost as though she were scared to get too close. I knew that shouldn’t have upset me but I was. We rode into the woods and stopped by the old creek nestled next to a wealth of trees. I used to think of it as our special place but in truth, there was nothing exceptional about it. We were the ones that made it special.

  I got off the bike and helped Lizzie down from it. She didn’t actually need my help, but it was an excuse for me to touch her. The campsite was pretty much the same, but it was clear that no one had been near it for a long time. Leaves, roots, and dirt were everywhere and I wondered whether bringing Lizzie here had been the right move.

  I turned and she had pushed aside some of the leaves and sat down on one of the larger logs that fallen to the ground. I smiled, remembering that she had never been one to shy away from nature. She didn’t mind dirt or bugs. She had always been an adventurer, even though she had never believed it herself.

  “It takes me back being here,” I said softly.

  She didn’t answer immediately. She was looking around at the campsite as though she were seeing ghosts. I sat down beside her and resisted the urge to put my arm around her. It was strange how certain impulses were sitting there, just underneath the surface as though it hadn’t understood that eleven years had passed and things were not the same anymore.

  “What are you thinking?” I asked, hating the fact that I wasn’t sure. I had always been good at knowing what was on her mind. Now, I could only guess and wait to see if I was right or not.

  “Nothing,” she replied, guarding her thoughts.

  She looked so beautiful, with that fiery-red hair and those burning, blue eyes. The soft prettiness that she had possessed as a girl had turned into bright beauty. She looked like she belonged some place magical. You could have painted wings on her and it wouldn’t have looked out of place.

  I was thinking about reaching out and taking her hand when we saw headlights some distance away and I realized that Tyler and Maddie had arrived. I tried not to look too disappointed as we waited for them to join us.