Back for You

by Anara Bella

  He stepped up to the counter, smiling at the owner as she bustled in from the back of the store. The kind, slim woman had been a fixture in this town since before his family had moved here. He couldn’t imagine the place without her. “Hey, Mama Biggs. How are you?”

  “Cain.” A warm smile lit her face. “I’m good, dear. You down visiting your mother?”

  “Actually, I’ve just moved back, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of me from now on.”

  She blinked, looking surprised, but didn’t ask the obvious question of why, for which he was grateful. “How wonderful. Your mother must be thrilled. Is she feeling any better?”

  “Yes, she is, thanks.” Her recent poor health was just one of the many things that had made him realize he wanted to be back here. “I want to get some of her favorite cookies. Do you have any left?”

  “I sure do. The usual dozen?”

  “Yes, please.”

  As she got his order ready, he thought of all the times he’d come here with friends, and with Thea. But, as he looked more closely, he couldn’t help but notice the place needed a few repairs, making him wonder if she was having trouble keeping up with things.

  When his order was ready, he pulled out his wallet to pay, but she waved him off. “It’s a welcome back present. Say hi to your mother for me.”

  Her warm-heartedness was legendary, and the familiarity of it made him feel good. “I will. Thank you.”

  He took the box of cookies from her, and turned to leave, but not before making a mental note to come back tomorrow and see if he could help out with those repairs. He used to do handyman work part-time as a teenager to help build up his college fund. In fact, he often missed it. He’d learned the trade from his father who’d supported them by picking up odd jobs as they’d moved from place to place. Teaching Cain to work with his hands was one of the few good things his father had done for him.

  All he had to do was dig out his tools. They were stored over at his mother’s place along with everything else he hadn’t been able to take on the road.

  With that thought, he left the bakery to meet his best friend for lunch, feeling happier than he had in a long time. Strange how the idea of working with his hands again made him feel that way.

  Once at Lettie’s Diner, he spotted Jake in a far-corner booth and headed over.

  He’d kept in touch with most of his friends over the years via email, and by touching base with as many of them as possible whenever he’d come back to town to visit his mother. But out of everyone here, Jake was his best friend by far, and the only one who knew about his plan to win Thea back. He was also Cain’s go-to guy when he needed to run things past a friend, like now.

  He placed the box of cookies on the table, and slipped into the booth across from Jake. “Hey.”

  Jake nodded at the box. “What’s the matter, Lettie’s pie not cutting it for you anymore?”

  Cain grinned. “Nothing beats Lettie’s coconut cream pie. I picked up some cookies for my mother.”

  “Hey, boys.” Lettie herself had come out from behind the counter to take their order. “I saw your mom yesterday. She says you’re back in town for good.”

  News sure spread fast in this town. He’d forgotten just how efficient word-of-mouth was around here. “You heard right.”

  “I thought you loved that job.”

  Of course she would think that. Ever since he’d gained a little bit of fame in his hometown, people assumed his job as a reporter was the most important thing in his life. After all, he’d spent the past ten years travelling around the world following one story after another. The truth was he’d simply loved the adventure of it all. Very few knew that in recent years he’d grown tired of the rootless existence.

  Cain gave her his most charming smile. “I did, but I missed your roast beef and mashed potatoes too much.”

  Lettie laughed, taking the hint and dropping the subject. “So I guess that’s what you’re having for lunch?”

  “Oh yeah. And don’t spare the gravy.”

  Jake piped in. “Same thing for me.”

  “Coming right up.”

  When she left to place their order, Jake leaned in. “She’s not the only one who’s surprised you left your job. You kept talking about coming back but I never thought you were serious. What happened?”

  What had happened was he’d had a life-altering experience. One Cain didn’t like thinking about. “The short version is that I was at an outdoor café talking with a source when he was gunned down in front of me.”

  Jake’s face registered his shock. “Damn.”

  Cain looked away. “Yeah. One moment he was sitting there talking. The next, bullets were flying and he was face down on the table.” And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do but watch the man’s warm brown eyes turn blank and lifeless.

  Cain shuddered at the horrifying image he’d never be able to erase from his mind. In one heart-stopping instant, everything had changed. It made him take stock of his life, reevaluate what he really wanted. And his priorities had shifted. Because in that moment, it was Thea’s image that had passed before his eyes, making him realize he’d never stopped loving her. “That was it for me. I finished the assignment and made arrangements to leave.”

  “Man, that’s rough.”

  Cain glanced back at Jake. “Coming that close to death made everything crystal clear. About coming back here to live, and about Thea. Life’s too short not to spend it surrounded by the people you love. Sounds like a cliché, but it’s true.”

  A waitress dropped off their drinks, and Cain was grateful for the interruption.

  As if reading his mind, Jake leaned in and changed the subject. “So, how’d it go with Thea?”

  Cain grimaced.

  Jake laughed. “She shot you down, didn’t she?”

  Cain frowned at Jake’s succinct summation of his first meet-up with Thea since coming back to town yesterday. “With the force of a powder keg dropped right on my head. She all but kicked me out.”

  Jake chuckled. “I told you she would.”

  “Yep, you did. Not that I thought any different. It didn’t help any that I kissed her.”

  Jake’s eyes goggled. “Holy hell! You kissed her? You’re lucky she didn’t kill you.”

  “Stupid move, I know.” Cain shrugged. Yet another thing to regret. “I don’t know what came over me. Before I knew what I was doing I was kissing her. I guess I wanted to prove she still had feelings for me. That the chemistry was still there.”

  “Did it work?”

  “Yeah, I proved it all right. And then she kicked my ass out of there.”

  Jake chuckled. “That’s just what you deserved.”

  “I know. I didn’t think it through.”

  “No kidding.”

  Truth was, he hadn’t thought at all. He’d seen her anger and wanted to break through her walls. It was pure impulse, and a big damned mistake. One he could add to all the other big damned mistakes he’d made with her.

  “I’m not giving up though.” No way.

  He’d tried keeping his distance, but he’d been drawn back to her. There was no way he could stop himself from trying again. He still wanted her, still loved everything about her, her smile, her spunk, her strength, and the way she instantly turned him inside out without even trying. She was still the only woman for him. As far as he was concerned, giving up wasn’t even an option. He just wished he’d stopped to think about how to handle things with her instead of rushing over to see her and making things worse.

  “Never thought you would. So, what are you going to do next?”

  Cain’s mind raced with the possibilities. “I’m not sure, except that I’m going to give her a little space for the next few days. Give her a chance to cool off. Who knows, maybe I can wear her down.”

  Jake laughed and shook his head. “Not the Thea I know.” He nodded at the box of cookies. “You need to do some romantic shit like sending her flowers and candies, or something.”

/>   “Yeah, I was already thinking that.”

  “I wouldn’t wait too long though. As far as I know, she’s not seeing anyone, but I’m not sure, and a woman as hot as she is won’t stay on the market for long.”

  Cain’s gut twisted in knots, and he fought back the instant flare of jealousy. He’d tried not to think about the fact that Thea might be seeing someone. “Maybe I should rethink giving her space.”

  “Yeah, maybe. I think what you really need to do is figure out how to prove to her you’re serious about her, and about staying here in town.”

  Cain knew he was right. Had known it before he’d come back. “Don’t worry, I’ve already set things in motion. Soon enough, she’ll know I’m dead serious about being back to stay.”

  Chapter Three

  “Cain’s back?”

  In Thea’s apartment above the bar, her best friend Asia sat back against the well-worn couch. Her incredulous expression would have made Thea laugh out loud if she hadn’t been in such a foul mood.

  As it was, she couldn’t keep the snark out of her voice. “That’s what he says.”

  Asia placed her half-full margarita glass on the end table with a loud snick. “I thought he was gallivanting around the world living the glamorous life of a freelance reporter.”

  “Yeah, me too. And I can’t tell you how much I wish he was.”

  Asia shook her head, amazement evident in her pretty features. “Did he say why he’s here?”

  “He claims he’s come back for me. Not that I believe him.”

  Asia’s eyes went wide. “You’re kidding. How do you feel about that?”

  Now there’s a really good question. Thea sat back in the chair across from her and tried to corral her emotions. “I don’t know. Confused, angry, annoyed, panicked, worried. Pick one.”

  “Worried? Why?”

  Thea hesitated, concerned that giving voice to her thoughts would somehow make them more real.

  The front door flew open and her other good friend, Lexi, bustled in to join them. She’d only moved into town about six months ago, but the three of them were kindred spirits and had become as close as sisters almost immediately.

  “Sorry I’m late, guys.” Her shoulder-length glossy brown hair caught the light as she plunked herself next to Asia on the far end of the couch. “What did I miss?” She dropped her purse on the floor and turned her full attention on them.

  When Thea didn’t comment, Asia tucked a stray blonde curl behind her ear and answered. “The love of Thea’s life has come back to town with his sights set on winning her back.”

  “Wow. I miss all the good stuff.” Lexi looked from one to the other of them in confusion. No doubt because Asia looked worried and Thea probably looked like she wanted to chew someone’s face off. Also, she didn’t know anything about Cain. “Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Bad. Very bad.” Thea filled Lexi’s glass from the pitcher of margaritas on the coffee table.

  When Thea didn’t elaborate, Asia explained. “Ten years ago Cain left town without a word to Thea. Just left her a note saying he was sorry but he had to see the world and pursue his dreams.”

  Lexi scowled. “What a jerk.”

  “Yeah, no kidding.”

  Thea turned thoughtful. “You know, I could have come to terms with Cain wanting to see the world. And I always knew he wanted to be a reporter. What I can’t get past is that he didn’t tell me to my face. He left me a damned note. I thought I meant more to him than that.”

  “At least he did that much, I guess. He could’ve left you wondering what happened.”

  Thea shrugged at Lexi’s comment. “Color me not impressed. It didn’t help. All I could think was that he couldn’t wait to get away from me.” Just like every other important person in her life. Her parents’ deaths had proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

  Lexi’s intelligent face scrunched up in disgust. “Guys can be such pigs.”

  Asia piped in. “Not all of them.”

  “Easy for you to say, now that you’ve snagged the best guy in town.”

  Asia’s secret smile wasn’t lost on Thea. “It’s true. Marcus is awesome. Sorry, ladies.”

  “Yeah, right. Sure you are.”

  Concern etched Asia’s face. “Well, what do you want me to say? I am sorry neither of you have met a great guy like Marcus.”

  Thea took pity and stopped teasing. “We know. And we’re happy for you. But sometimes it’s hard to see how incredibly happy you are.”

  “Don’t worry, I get it. It wasn’t too long ago that I was in the same boat. So, what are you going to do about Cain?”

  “Aside from avoiding him like the plague, I have no idea.” Thea grinned with satisfaction. “I wasn’t very subtle about telling him to get lost.”

  Lexi hooted. “Atta girl.”

  Asia’s laughter joined in. “I’m sure you weren’t. But are you sure that’s the right thing to do?”

  “What do you mean? Of course, it is.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  “Why not?” Thea and Lexi asked in sync, they grinned at each other and raised their glasses in a silent salute.

  “Because this might be the perfect time for you to put your past with Cain behind you.”

  “I already did. A long time ago.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You haven’t gotten serious with anyone in all these years. I’ve always suspected it was because you weren’t over Cain.”

  “That’s crazy talk. Of course I’m over him. I’m way over him. I’m so over him I barely felt a thing when he kissed me.” Thea ignored the pang of guilt over the out-and-out lie.

  Lexi jumped in. “He kissed you? Man, I really do miss all the good stuff.”

  “You didn’t miss a thing. I’ve had mosquito bites that affected me more than that kiss did.”

  Lexi wagged her finger in Thea’s direction. “Methinks she doth protest too much.”

  Asia grinned. “Methinks you’re right. Just like I’m right about this.”

  “You two are nuts. I could never trust him enough to be around him for any reason.”

  “Not even to work him out of your system?”

  Thea frowned. “Especially not for that. Besides, there’s nothing to work out.”

  Asia nodded as if Thea had confirmed something for her. “You’re afraid.”

  “I am not.”

  “Of course you are. You already admitted you were worried just before Lexi arrived. That’s pretty much the same thing as being afraid.” She waved it away with her hand. “It’s okay. It’s totally understandable.”

  Thea bit back a growl. “Okay, so I may be a teensy bit apprehensive—” Thea indicated a miniscule amount between her thumb and forefinger, “—which is not at all the same as being afraid. But I have a legitimate reason for feeling that way.”

  Asia nodded. “Of course you do. But here’s the thing, your past with Cain is holding you back from moving on with your life.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Yeah, it is. You haven’t given any of the other guys you’ve dated a real chance. Oh sure, you go out with them for fun and laughs—”

  Lexi threw in. “And sex.”

  They all laughed at the truth of that statement before Asia continued. “And sex. But that’s it. Nothing more and certainly nothing serious. You break things off before anything serious can develop.”

  “No, I don’t. I break things off when the guy starts to bore me.”

  Asia tossed her an incredulous look. “Really. In ten years you haven’t met one guy you like enough to get more serious about?”

  Thea didn’t like the direction this conversation was going. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Liar. Without even trying, I can think of at least two who were great guys. Things could have moved to the next level with either of them, but did they? No. Because you broke things off claiming they bored you to tears.”


  “Well, they did.”

  “What was so boring about them?”

  Thea shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but in truth this topic was hitting way too close to home. “I don’t know. There was something missing. A spark I guess. They just didn’t measure up.”

  Asia pounced. “Didn’t measure up to what? Or should I say, to who?”

  “You’re imagining things.” Thea couldn’t keep the defensive tone out of her voice.

  “I don’t think so.” Asia caught Thea’s eye, her expression sympathetic. “I’m not saying any of this to hurt you. I want to help you. Just like you helped me get past my fears. Without you and Gram, I never would have taken a chance on Marcus.”

  There was nothing but concern in Asia’s eyes. Her friend loved her and wanted her to be happy. Just like Thea had when she’d prodded Asia to get a life.

  Touched, Thea nodded. “I get what you’re saying, but I don’t think this is the same at all.”

  “But it is. It’s exactly the same. Okay, so unlike me you’re at least willing to date, but even though you do, you still don’t let any of those guys get close to you. You cut things off long before anything serious can happen. The end result is the same. You may as well not be dating at all.”

  Thea snickered. “Strictly speaking, that’s not true. At least I get me a little somethin’ somethin’ every now and then.”

  “Yeah, but that’s just sex. It’s not the same, and you know it.”

  “That all depends on the guy and his skills between the sheets. There’ve been a few who definitely made it worth my while. ’Course, there were some duds in there too.”

  Lexi snorted. “Ever notice the duds far outnumber the studs?”

  “Ain’t that the truth.”

  They all laughed in wholehearted agreement.

  Refusing to let the subject drop, Asia continued. “All I’m saying is you’ve never really gotten over Cain. It’s up to you how far you take it, but maybe you need to spend a bit of time with him. If you do, maybe you’ll come to see he isn’t everything your memories have built him up to be. Maybe he’ll bore you too. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll set you free from the past and let you move on and find someone else.”