It was almost as if something had come over her without her permission and suddenly it was gone.
Now probably wasn’t the best time to offer her a job designing Cedar Grove. In fact, that whole sliver of hope disappeared the second she started talking. Lane might be the best, but that meant she had no time for a rinky-dink project like his.
Slowly she turned toward him and he could see the horror of her outburst registering on her face—no trace of amusement in those baby blues now.
He imagined Lane Kelley didn’t lose control very often. He tilted his head, knowing his silence made her uncomfortable and yet unable to help himself.
“I’m so sorry.” Lane still clung to a package of cheese.
He watched her for a few long seconds. “You’re hurting the cheese.” He reached over and slowly pried her fingers off it. “Sounds like you needed to get a few things off your chest.”
“I didn’t.” She turned, straightening the already-perfect line of packages on the table. “I absolutely didn’t. I just need to find a way to get to work. I need to get back to work.”
“Or you could take a few weeks off.”
“Did you hear the part about the major client? The design overhaul? The career-making account?”
“I might’ve missed a few details because you were talking so fast.” He took a step closer to her.
She spun around and found him standing only inches from her.
“Do you know anything about personal space?” She stepped back. He made her nervous—he could tell.
“I try not to live by too many rules.” He grinned and reached across her to set a cheese block down on the table with the others. Her nearness, albeit withdrawn, sent his mind into a tailspin. What was it about this woman? He’d always had a bit of an infatuation with her—the shy, quiet bookworm who wouldn’t give him, or anyone else, the time of day—but it was almost like those feelings had been plugged into an electrical socket and given a jolt.
Somehow it didn’t deter him. Some of the hair had escaped her ponytail, and he wanted to brush it away from her face so badly his fingers itched
“I believe in rules.” Lane’s voice was quiet.
“Sounds to me like you need to break a few of your rules.”
She straightened, folding her arms. “You don’t know anything about me anymore, Brooks.”
He opened a small container also marked Samples and popped a cheese curd into his mouth. “You’re right, but I’d like to.”
Her jaw went slack and she was off her guard again. It was so easy to throw her off-kilter, and he enjoyed it entirely too much.
“Are there any toothpicks in that truck?”
“Toothpicks?” She shook her head slightly as if to wake herself.
“For these samples?” He held up the container, giving it a slight shake.
“I-I think I saw some.” She walked away, and he had to force himself not to watch her as she did.
The long line of booths had started to come to life as more people arrived and set up their merchandise on the tables. Jeremy had wandered all the way to the end of the lane, where Jensen’s Dairy Farm had parked their big white delivery truck.
Ryan unfolded two chairs behind the sample table just as Lane returned with the cash box and a small container of toothpicks.
She handed them to him without a word and sat in one of the chairs, then disappeared behind her phone.
People began arriving, and the smell of fresh coffee filled the air. The Java Hut, parked nearby, was too tempting to resist.
“How about that coffee?” Ryan said, standing.
Lane looked up at him.
“I heard the part about the boyfriend, but it’s just a cup of coffee, not a date. Want some?”
“Actually, yes.” She leaned back in her chair. “But I’ll get it.”
He frowned. “I’m already up.”
“You’re better with people,” she said. “If there are customers, I’d rather you handle them.”
He knew she was introverted, but at the moment she almost seemed afraid.
“You take it black, right?”
He raised a brow. “Have you been spying on me?”
“I overheard you ordering at the hospital—don’t be flattered. I just have a good memory.”
He grinned. “Not flattered at all.”
She snatched the ten-dollar bill from his hand and walked toward the Java Hut.
And once again he forced himself not to watch as she walked away.
CHAPTER
13
THE AROMA OF CHOCOLATE and hazelnut intertwined with the familiar smell of coffee as Lane stood in line outside the Java Hut, an old UPS truck that had been converted into a coffee stand.
The booth was just two down from Summers Cheese, and from a distance, she watched as people strolled over to talk to Brooks. He’d always had such a way about him—warm, easygoing, and charming. It drew people in. She could see it by the looks on their faces as they walked away from the booth.
She had none of those qualities. At least not here. At work, she’d managed to strike a balance, but take away the design element and it was like Lane’s social skills disappeared. If anything, she was standoffish, maybe even off-putting. Her own shyness, or her fear of what people thought, kept her locked inside a box of expectations. Who she was versus who she used to be.
At one point, Ryan caught her staring, and before she could look away, he waved at her.
Why did he make her feel so exposed? There had been a time when she’d felt completely comfortable around him. Even after a game of truth or dare had gone mortifyingly wrong, he’d managed to prevent any awkwardness, and he’d never made her feel like the butt of that joke.
Somehow the gap between them had grown so wide it was like starting over with someone she didn’t know, and all of her insecurities were showing. It didn’t help that he treated her as if he’d always known her. Ryan threw her off guard—and she didn’t like being off guard.
Her phone buzzed.
Chloe. Just found out from Ashton’s assistant that Ashton had agreed to give us a few extra days, but Marshall pushed for Monday. I’m sorry, Lane.
Lane’s hand tightened around the phone as she processed her frustration. Why would he do that? He was forcing her to come back earlier than she wanted to, and he knew it.
Before she could fire off a heated text to Marshall, the girl in the brown coffee truck stuck her head out the window and shouted, “Can I help you?”
She grinned down at Lane, who forced herself to smile. “Just a medium black coffee and a skinny vanilla latte with no whipped cream.”
The girl gave a quick nod, then got to work.
While she waited, Lane’s eyes wandered back over to Summers as a young, pretty woman holding a little boy’s hand approached the booth. The boy had a mop of thick blond hair that bounced as he ran straight into Ryan’s arms. Ryan picked the kid up as if he weighed nothing and threw him over his shoulder, then somersaulted him back down onto the ground.
The woman had a familiarity with Ryan that told Lane she wasn’t just another customer.
“Miss?” The coffee girl poked her head back out. “Your coffee.” She handed Lane two cups.
“Thanks.” Lane paid for the drinks, then turned back awkwardly, not wanting to interrupt what appeared to be a private conversation between Ryan and this woman and her child. Their child? She realized she didn’t know Ryan at all anymore. What if he had a girlfriend? And a kid? What if he hadn’t been flirting with her at all?
How humiliating. Of course he wasn’t flirting, no matter what he said. He was Brooks. She was Lane. They’d grown up together. He wasn’t even an option in the romance department.
Brooks belonged with someone like this girl—cute, young, blonde. People would call them a beautiful family and it would be absolutely true.
He likely knew all about the disaster that was her love life—how the only guy who’d ever given her the time of day had dumped
her for her younger, prettier sister—and he felt sorry for her. It was pity kindness, not flirtation.
She should’ve known that.
As she approached, the woman noticed her before Ryan did. She gave him a soft nudge and he stopped talking and turned toward Lane.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Lane wished she could vanish. “Here’s your coffee. I can man the table if you all want to walk around.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, probably thinking of how only moments ago she absolutely did not want to man the table. But the alternative—interrupting a moment between him and this woman—was far more humiliating than answering strangers’ questions about cheese, which was saying something.
“Yeah, come walk around with us.” The boy tugged at Ryan’s arm.
Ryan made eye contact with Lane for a split second, then pulled the boy up as if he were using him to lift weights. “Sorry, buddy, I can’t today. Promised my friend here I’d stay at the cheese booth.”
She glanced at Ryan, who plunked the kid back down on the ground. Why wasn’t anyone texting her now? An excuse to leave this awkward encounter would be so great. Lane was terrible at meeting new people, especially probably girlfriends of good-looking guys she’d mistakenly thought might be flirting with her.
The woman’s skin was a light-bronze color that seemed to glow, her green eyes remarkably bright, her teeth perfect. Once upon a time, this woman would’ve been precisely the kind of person who intimidated Lane. She had to remind herself she wasn’t fourteen anymore. This woman hadn’t pinned her photo to lampposts or made pig noises at her.
The woman ran a hand through her long, wavy hair. “Lane, it’s me—Hailey.” She stuck out her hand as a greeting.
“Oh, sorry.” Ryan shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his attention to Lane. “Forgot you guys probably don’t recognize each other.”
Hailey flashed Lane a toothy smile. “It’s been a long time.”
Hailey? Little bitty Hailey? And she had a son who was older than Jett.
“You know Ryan. He’s always had terrible manners.” She tossed a glance at Ryan. “You’re living in Chicago, right?”
“I am.”
“Ryan told me you were back.”
“Did he?” Lane glanced at Ryan, who only smirked.
“If he gets too flirty, just give him a jab in the gut.”
Lane glanced at him. “I don’t think I have to worry about that.”
Ryan met her eyes. “Oh no. You do.”
Once again, Lane stumbled over her thoughts. Was he just teasing her? Surely he remembered how much she hated being teased.
“That monkey is Jack.” Hailey nodded toward the boy, who had somehow climbed up onto Ryan’s back and now hung there, one arm draped around Ryan’s neck. “We moved here a few years ago, right after Ryan. You don’t get back much, do you?”
Lane swallowed. Her mouth felt dry. “Not really, no.”
“Probably like the city life better. Harbor Pointe is kind of sleepy. I thought about moving to Denver a while ago, but I’m a Midwest girl at heart.”
Lane didn’t know what to say. She suddenly remembered how chatty Hailey had always been. “Denver’s nice.”
“It’s beautiful. The weather is perfect. I want to get out for a visit, but we haven’t made time. Gosh, you’ve got the coolest hair. I always wanted dark hair. Mine is naturally the color of old dishwater at Hazel’s after a really long shift.”
“Hailey works at Hazel’s during the days.” Ryan wrangled Jack, pulling him over to the other side of his obviously strong body.
“Oh, you know Betsy!” Hailey said. “She told me you guys went to school together. That’s all she said when I asked about you.”
Lane looked away. Betsy probably didn’t want everyone to know how awfully Lane had treated her—how she’d accepted Betsy’s friendship when it was convenient, then tossed it away when it wasn’t.
The conversation lulled, but only for a second. Hailey didn’t seem to appreciate silence.
“I didn’t think I wanted to stay in a small town, but we really love it here. Everyone is so nice.” A woman pushing a stroller caught Hailey’s attention. “Hey, Tasha,” Hailey said as she walked by.
“See what I mean?” She grinned. “And we just love your family. Jett and Jack go to school together. They’re a few grades apart, but of course they play together at Sunday dinners.”
For a split second, Lane had forgotten she was in a town where people knew Lindsay and Jasper and their perfect family. Her awkward lack of response halted the conversation, but her mind had gone blank.
Someone text me, please. She squeezed the phone in her hand as if she could make it so.
“On second thought, maybe we should go walk around.” Ryan set Jack on the ground. “Do you want me to bring you back some homemade kettle corn?”
Lane frowned. “Thanks, but no.”
“It’s good stuff.”
“I’m sure it is, but I don’t eat kettle corn.”
Hailey elbowed him. “That’s why she looks so good.” Then she turned to Lane. “I eat kettle corn.” She laughed.
Ryan leaned in closer to Lane. “Another one of your rules?”
She turned away. This whole situation made her uncomfortable.
“Mom, can I have kettle corn?” Jack hollered as if his mom were on the other side of the market.
“Quiet, kid,” Hailey said. “You don’t need to yell.”
“Let’s go get a donut!” Jack said, this time slightly quieter than before.
“Hey, that’s my line.” A policeman with a familiar gait walked up to the booth and stood next to Hailey. He picked up a wrapped block of cheddar and turned it over in his hand.
Ryan stiffened. “Walker, how’s it going?”
Walker? As in Walker Jones? Lane stepped back.
“Good. It’s going good.” Walker set the cheese down. “Morning, Hailey. You’re looking beautiful this morning, as always. Ryan, your sister got all the looks in your family.”
Lane begged to differ. Silently, anyway. Yes, Ryan and Hailey had the same eyes and the same propensity for talking too much, but his good looks could not be disputed.
“Can’t argue there,” Ryan said. “You probably remember Lane Kelley.”
Walker’s eyes landed on Lane, and after several seconds recognition washed over him. “Pudge?”
“It’s Lane,” Ryan corrected.
Well, that was nice of him.
“Right, sorry.” He took a step back, put his hands on his hips, and ogled her without an ounce of shame. “Wow, who would’ve thought you’d turn out so hot?” His laugh reminded her of a big, drunk guy in a bar. “You had some pretty rough years there, but Mother Nature must’ve just been holding out on us.”
“Walker.” Ryan’s tone sounded like a warning.
Lane’s phone buzzed. Thank you, Lord. “I have to get this.”
Her heart raced, and as she walked away, she heard Ryan say, “Dude, why are you such a jerk?”
“It was a compliment,” Walker said. “I’m admiring her form.”
“Well, don’t.”
Lane imagined Walker was staring at her as she walked away, but she wasn’t about to turn and find out.
She glanced at her phone. Chloe again.
Any chance you’ll be home earlier than you thought? I hate asking that because I think you should stay there as long as you need to. Just want to know when I should come to your place.
Lane glanced at Walker. Being here wasn’t good for her for so many reasons.
I’m going to try to get out of here early. I’ll text you when I know for sure. She sent off the text and pretended to have more to do on her phone, just to avoid any further conversation with Walker Jones.
“You know I’m just doing my job,” Walker said, loud enough for Lane to hear, though she pretended she didn’t.
“I already told you—and the other cop at the hospital—everything I remember,” Ryan said.
&
nbsp; Hailey grabbed Jack’s hand. “I’ll meet you later, Ryan.”
He waved her off without actually looking at her, eyes still focused on Walker.
“Look, Brooks, you know I’m not accusing you of anything. We just need to find out exactly what happened. Nate’s obviously not talking, and so far there were no other witnesses. Trying to do right by your friend.”
Ryan bristled. “And I’m not?”
Before Walker could respond, Ryan tossed his coffee cup in the garbage and walked away in the same direction as Hailey.
Lane glanced up and found Walker staring at her. “In my experience, only guilty people storm off like that.”
What was he saying? That Ryan was somehow responsible for what had happened to her brother?
“Maybe he just wanted to get away from you,” Lane said, careful to hold the man’s gaze like a person whose heart wasn’t racing.
Walker’s laugh sounded more like a scoff. “See ya later, Pudge.”
He sauntered away, leaving Lane to watch the booth on her own, with a jumpy pulse and a mind full of questions about Ryan Brooks, Nate’s accident, and what really happened that day.
CHAPTER
14
ON THURSDAY, Ryan spent most of the day working on Esther with Jerry and the rest of the guys. The day had been a long one, and he couldn’t get yesterday’s visit from Walker Jones out of his mind. Walker was a first-class jerk for the way he’d talked to Lane, but it was his insistence on digging into the accident that had Ryan nervous.
Just Look Up Page 14
