Virtually Yours: A Virtual Match Anthology

by Kait Nolan

  ~*~

  When Anna got home, she went to her room and lay down across the bed. She took deep breaths, trying to calm down her racing heart. She’d taken a chance with Luke, and now she would just have to wait and see what happened. She was disappointed that things weren’t okay between them. She knew he wasn’t sure how he felt about the whole thing. Even with the truth out, they would still have to overcome the problems caused by them being on opposite sides of town. She didn’t care at all, but she knew he did, and it was scary to think that might keep him from giving them a chance.

  Tears trickled down her face, and she brushed them away, angry at herself for her weakness. If this didn’t work out, then something else would. She would never give up the hope of finding the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She just hoped it would be Luke.

  Chapter Twelve

  A week later, Anna hadn’t heard a word from Luke. She hadn’t tried to contact him because she wanted to give him time. And she wanted it to be his decision to make contact. Her heart felt hollow inside because she was sure he had made his decision. He wouldn’t have gone a whole week without at least emailing her if he’d planned to give the relationship a chance. She should have known it wouldn’t work out.

  “Anna, are you going to the barbeque with us?” her mother asked as she walked into the library, where Anna had been staring at the same page of a book for half an hour.

  “I don’t think so, Mom.”

  “Are you sure? This year, we’ve talked everyone from the south side of town into coming, too. This is the first year the whole town will be coming.”

  Anna smiled at her mother. “I think it’s great that you made sure everyone was invited specifically.”

  “It was time. And we’re going to get together with some of the people and talk about restorations. I’m going to put a different spin on it. It won’t be about charity, but about the whole town working together for the good of everyone.”

  “Good luck, Mom. I’m proud of you.”

  Constance kissed her daughter’s cheek and said, “If you change your mind, come on to the park.”

  Her dad bent down and gave her a hug as he went by her, and then her parents were out the door. She picked the book up then set it back down on the table beside her. She got up and paced the floor, trying her best not to succumb to the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She would not cry, even though her heart was breaking.

  The doorbell rang, and she turned in surprise. She couldn’t imagine who it would be. Everyone was at the barbeque. Anna slowly turned the door knob and pulled open the door. Standing in front of her was the last person she’d expected to see.

  “Luke?”

  “Hi, Anna.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to take you to the barbeque. I know I’m several years late, but I was hoping we still had a date.”

  “Um…I don’t know what to say.” Her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure he could hear it.

  “Say yes.”

  “Yes.”

  He took her hand, and they walked out to his truck. “I hope you don’t mind riding in this. I know it’s not what you’re used to, but it’s what I have.”

  “Don’t be silly, of course I don’t mind.”

  Still holding her hand, he helped her up into the passenger seat, and the thrill of his hand wrapped around hers caused a lump to form in her throat. After he let go, she pressed her hands together in her lap to stop their shaking.

  They drove in relative silence to the park, which took less than five minutes. He helped her out of the truck, and he didn’t let go of her hand as they walked toward the crowd gathered in the center of the park. They got some curious looks, but no one seemed to mind that they were together. Maybe this town could pull together and be more united. Maybe it just had to start with two people who cared for each other and didn’t care which side of town they came from. As she looked around, Anna felt like she might be more at ease with Luke’s friends than she was with those she grew up hanging out with.

  Lucy came up to them and gave her big brother a poke in the ribs. “It’s about time you came to your senses. You two have been pining for each other since high school.”

  Anna looked at her in surprise, but Luke just laughed and flicked his sister on the nose. Many of Luke’s friends came and talked to them, and she had never felt happier.

  “Come on, I want to show you something,” he said.

  He led her away from the crowd and toward a crop of trees on the other side of the park. When they walked through, Anna gasped in surprise and pleasure. There had always been a pond here, but now the area all around it was lush with greenery and flowers of all colors. It was breathtaking.

  “Did you do this?” she asked.

  “I did. The town council decided they wanted to spruce up this area of the park, and they gave me free reign.”

  “You’re so talented, Luke. This is beautiful.”

  “Not nearly as beautiful as you are,” he said, his voice almost a whisper.

  “Luke….”

  He put his hands on each side of her waist and pulled her toward him. His lips brushed hers in a feather of a kiss. Her stomach fluttered at the contact, and she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her up. He slid his arms around her until his hands were resting on the small of her back. He deepened the kiss, and her arms went around his neck, bringing him even closer to her.

  Luke lifted his head and looked at her, and the passion darkening his eyes spoke volumes. She knew this was going to work. He bent his head and took her mouth again, his arms holding her tightly. His lips moved across her cheek, and he said in her ear, “Anna, I think I love you.”

  She pulled back and studied his face. “You think?”

  “This has all happened so fast now that we know the truth about what happened in high school. We’ve come full circle, and here we are at the barbeque we should have been at back then.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you all week long, but I really did need time to think. And now I’m ready to try if you are.”

  “It’s all I ever wanted, Luke. I want this to work. I want it so badly!”

  He drew her back in for another searing, mind-blowing kiss, and she gave herself completely to it, reveling in the joy she’d been missing for so long.

  “Slumming now, Anna?”

  They broke apart, and Anna saw Shea and her two minions standing there with amused looks on their faces.

  Anna burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. She saw how pathetic these women really were, still acting like they were in high school.

  “You know what, Shea? I feel really sorry for you. I hope you find out what real happiness means someday.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Shea said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She turned and stalked off.

  Anna and Luke strolled hand in hand back toward the crowd. At the tables that were set up for the occasion, she saw people from both the north and south sides of town sitting together. She looked at Luke and smiled. Maybe they would be a part of something big.

  A Note From Catherine

  Catherine Lynn is my brand new pen name. I’m an established author in another genre, but as Catherine Lynn, I write sweet romances and mysteries. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, dear reader, and let’s embark on this journey together. Find out more about my books at http://catherinelynnauthor.com or connect with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherinelynnauthor.

  Home Field Advantage

  By Kate Davison

  Heat Level: 2 Flames

  Written and published by Kate Davison

  Copyright 2016 Mary Kathleen Mancos

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE: The following is a work of fiction. All people, places, and events are purely products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or even
ts is entirely coincidental.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. The ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter One

  Shelby Steele rolled her overnight case through Jacksonville International Airport toward the rental car counters. When she’d spoken to her brother, Max, before her plane left New York, he said someone would be waiting for her. So far, she saw no one who looked familiar or held a sign with her name written on it. Renting a car wasn’t a hardship, but driving to her hometown of Suwannee Grove under the press of unrelenting grief would be unbearable. At least on the flight down she’d been surrounded by other passengers. Driving alone in a car for an hour and a half was going to stretch her coping limits.

  Oh, God. Shelby I don’t know how to say this...Lana is dead.

  Her brother’s call the night before had seriously sent her reeling. She’d never expected it. Not in a million years and not by Lana’s own hand.

  Lana. The oldest of the three. The golden child.

  Tears burned her eyes, and a lump clogged her throat. The next few days were going to be horrific. There was a reason this was her first trip home in thirteen years. She probably wouldn’t be making it now if not for Lana’s irrevocable decision. Family duty and a need for answers as to why someone as intelligent, confident, and successful as Lana chose suicide rode her hard.

  “Shelby!”

  At the sound of her name, she stopped, turned, and slammed headlong into her past.

  Of all the people in the world, why did Max send Dallas Lane to pick her up? Back when they were teens, he was the one person she would have stayed in Suwannee Grove for...and he had asked, but had waited until the last possible moment to even give her a hint he returned her feelings.

  Years melted away as he came closer. He’d filled out through the shoulders and arms. Lanky limbs had grown to muscle. Life had turned the boy to man, but there was no mistaking him.

  She gripped her suitcase handle tightly. He stopped a few feet from her, breath coming hard as if he’d run through the airport searching for her.

  “Sorry, I’m late. I hit construction traffic on ten.” He stepped forward. “I’m just...Christ...I’m sorry about Lana.”

  She tried to utter a thank you, but her voice caught and broke. Then she was in his arms, feeling as if she’d never left to follow big dreams and find her place in the world. And Jesus it felt good to be held by someone who had meant so much to her.

  Her first crush. Her first love.

  Dallas rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. After a moment of silence where the bustle of people and sound of overhead announcements faded into the background, she pulled away and looked up into his face.

  “How did you get roped into playing chauffer?”

  Without seeking permission, he took her bag from her and began rolling it toward the door. “I offered.”

  Her heart gave a little lurch. Of course he had.

  He raised a brow and glanced over as they walked. “I was in Orlando helping my Uncle T.C. flip a house when Jae called and told me about Lana. I called Max and asked if there was anything I could do.”

  And that was Dallas in a nutshell. Always willing to drop what he was doing to help. “Won’t your uncle miss you on the job?”

  Dallas lifted a shoulder. “He understood why I had to leave.”

  Of course he did. Dallas’s uncle was a good man. A big bear of a sweetheart who had taught Shelby how to drive the summer she’d turned fifteen. She’d always felt more a part of Dallas’s family than her own.

  “He sends his condolences and said to tell you he and Aunt Vela will be at the funeral.”

  A taste of nostalgia burned her throat and coated her tongue. Not all her memories of Suwannee Grove were bad. Some were actually quite good. The ones with Dallas and their friend, Asa Swan were the best. The three of them had been thick as thieves and twice as mischievous in high school.

  “How’s Asa? Did you or Jae call him?”

  Dallas’s jaw hardened and he gave a brisk nod. “Yes.”

  The automatic doors opened, and they walked out into wet Florida heat. Sunshine baked them from a pristine sky.

  “You and Asa have a falling out?”

  Dallas frowned as he shoved his sunglasses into place. “No. He’s still my best bud. Why do you ask?”

  Shelby didn’t answer. His body language told a lot about what he wasn’t saying, but she was having a hard time deciphering the message. There was some story going on there, one she’d have to ask Asa about when she saw him.

  She followed Dallas to a charcoal gray pickup with a silver tool chest in the back. A magnetic sign was fastened to the door: DL Repairs. A motto of no repair too large or too small was written underneath the logo.

  “This you?” Shelby pointed to the sign as she waited for him to open her door.

  “It’s the dream. I got the sign before the company. Every time I get in I’m reminded of what I’m working toward.”

  Shelby thought of her own business in the Village—a tiny bistro off LaGuardia Place near NYU that served Southern fusion cuisine. Starting a business, no matter the type, was not for the faint of heart. It took a lot of hard work, sweat, and more than a few tears.

  “It’s a good visual reminder. Nice logo.”

  The smile he gave her was shy—the same kind he’d given her in high school when she’d given him a compliment. It was the kind of smile that came straight from the soul and brushed up against hers, making her a little breathless.

  Down, Shelby. This isn’t about you and unrequited loves, or even near misses. This trip is about Lana.

  They climbed in and hit the highway to Suwannee Grove. Dallas turned on a country station, but kept it low. Every few miles he’d turn to look at her as if he wanted to say something, but refrained. The cab felt smaller, more intimate with every passing mile. So many questions she wanted to ask him. None of which were appropriate or even in good taste under the circumstances. Not that she’d ever worried about either around Dallas. He’d been her best friend and running buddy back in the day. They’d been tight, but then she moved away and contact dwindled. Now she had no idea how to open the conversation or if she even should.

  He gave her another sideways glance before putting his attention back on the road.

  “If you’re waiting to see if I fall apart on you, I promise I won’t.”

  “You don’t have to promise me that, sweetheart. Anything you need to do is all right with me. I just...” It sounded as if his throat tightened on him. He cleared it. “I don’t know what to say to make it better.”

  “There’s nothing to say. Not really.” Only the things she wanted to know about Lana, she couldn’t really ask. Max told her that no one was to know the accident that had killed Lana was a result of an overdose of prescription medication. As far as the rest of the world knew, Lana Steele had died in a single car accident—cause unknown.

  “When we get to town do you want me to drop you off at your dad’s or Max’s?”

  Shelby gave a snort of painful laughter. “A hotel.”

  He gave her a sympathetic look that could only come from someone who had been there to hold her hand through it all growing up.

  “Seriously, though, take me to Dad’s. Max is going to be staying there, too. I wouldn’t feel right staying at his house when he’s not home.”

  Neither of them said what stirred in the air between them: that she had never been to her brother’s house. Probably wouldn’t even know where to find it.

  “Suwannee Grove has changed a lot since you’ve been gone.”

  Shelby watched his profile as he drove. Thing
s had definitely changed in more than the town. Damn, Dallas looked like he belonged in a country music video about long Southern nights and kicking back with a beer. His hands were rough and work-hardened.

  “What kind of repairs?” The question came out of the blue, spurred by the need to get the images of how his hands might feel running down her bare back out of her head.

  He seemed taken aback. “Excuse me?”

  “Your dream business. What kind of repairs do you do?”

  “Ah. Home repairs, improvements, industrial upgrades, restaurants, that sort of thing. I’ve done a little bit of all of it but always working for someone else. I want to be my own boss.”

  “Being your own boss is nice, but it comes with a whole butt-load of headaches as well.”

  “I’ll take the headaches if it means being able to do things my way, not answer to a boss. Just me and the client.”

  Shelby reached over and patted his arm in mock comfort. “Working for clients is like working for multiple bosses. Before I opened my bistro, I worked for a company that did catering all over Manhattan and the five boroughs. What a nightmare. So glad it wasn’t on my shoulders.”

  Lana was the one who suggested she look into opening her own place. It had happened when Shelby had called her sister disgusted and angry after a run-in with a bridezilla. Catering was not something Shelby had ever really liked. What she loved was having a small, intimate restaurant with tables on the sidewalk and indoors right in the heart of the artsy shops and close to Washington Square Park. There was such energy in that area of the city.

  That kernel of an idea had taken root and grew into Shelby’s Southern Bistro.

  She owed so much to Lana and now she’d never be able to pay any of it back.

  The hollowed out feeling returned. Had it ever left? Looking at the world through the haze of shock and sorrow gave everything a dream-like quality she didn’t care for in the least. She was used to being in control. This was so far out of control, she’d never reach it or reel it in.