The Goodbye Bride

by Denise Hunter

  “I’m sure it’s just a fluke.”

  Throughout church Lucy worked to stay focused on the message. It was about perfect love casting out fear. That scripture had always been a mystery to her. But she couldn’t focus on what Pastor Daniels was saying. All she could think about was the article. She couldn’t imagine why she’d be news to anyone.

  After church she followed Eden down the aisle, pausing whenever her friend stopped to introduce her to someone. The townsfolk seemed to be softening toward her—or maybe they felt guilted into being friendly simply because they were in church.

  “Nick’s over by the drinking fountain.” Eden tugged her along. “I’ll introduce you.”

  Lucy wasn’t really in the mood to meet a potential date, but she had to get Zac out of her head somehow.

  She scanned the foyer as they neared, her eyes settling on a handsome man leaning against the wall. He had short brown hair, a clean-shaven face, and he wore a button-down with khakis, a black belt circling his trim waist. She recognized him from when she’d lived here before.

  “Look, Eden, I’m not sure about—”

  “Hey, Nick,” Eden said as they approached.

  He straightened, his eyes smiling before his mouth. “Eden, how you doing?” His gaze moved to Lucy.

  “This is Lucy Lovett. You might remember her from when she lived here before.”

  He held out his hand. “I do. Nice to see you again, Lucy.”

  “You too.” His handshake was firm, his smile kind. He wasn’t much taller than she was, but then, she did have on three-inch heels.

  “I hear you’ve been in Portland.”

  She gave a wry grin. “So I hear.”

  He chuckled. “Good that you have a sense of humor about the whole thing.”

  Eden touched her arm. “I have to go grab Micah from class. I’ll call you later.”

  Don’t leave me, Lucy said with her eyes, but Eden either didn’t read the plea or chose to ignore it. With a final wave she shuffled down the hall toward the classrooms.

  Lucy turned back to Nick, cognizant of the awkward tension weaving through the space around them. “So . . .”

  He smiled, his brown eyes twinkling. “That wasn’t obvious at all.”

  “Not one iota.”

  “I like the way she thinks though.”

  “Listen, Nick—” Lucy shifted, and as she did so, her purse slipped from her shoulder. It thumped to the ground and fell to the side, spilling its contents. “Whoopsie.” She stooped down.

  “I’ve seen you around the Roadhouse,” Nick said after he’d helped her gather the things. “You working for Zac now?”

  She couldn’t blame him for getting the lay of the land. No doubt there were all sorts of rumors flying about. “Um, I was just filling in for one of his servers. I’m working at the visitor center now, and I’m getting my own apartment right soon so I won’t be staying at the Roadhouse anymore. Zac and I aren’t, um, involved anymore . . .? In case you were speculating. Although to be completely honest, I’m kind of still hung up on him, though I guess I burnt that bridge, but even so, I’m really not looking for a relationship.” She pinched her bottom lip as heat suffused her face. “I reckon I’ll stop talking now.”

  He gave a warm laugh. “I like you, Lucy. We should hang out sometime. As friends.”

  Lucy sagged with relief. “I’d like that.”

  They made plans for the following Saturday. He had a nice smile and warm brown eyes. If there was anything she needed in her life, it was more friends.

  Lucy pointed a family of five to the brochure rack, pulling a few activities she thought might be of interest to them. They were from Georgia, and their accents reminded her of home. She talked to the woman for twenty minutes while her husband studied the trail map of Acadia National Park.

  Once they were off, Lucy straightened up the brochures. The phone rang, and she swept across the room, feeling happy and productive. She loved interacting with people and helping them use their time wisely while they visited the area.

  “Summer Harbor Visitor and Natural History Center, how can I assist you?”

  “May I speak with Lucy Lovett, please?”

  “This is she.”

  “Hi, I’m Frank Whisman from the US Enquirer. I wondered if you might have a few minutes to answer some questions.”

  Lucy’s stomach sank to her toes. “What? No, I don’t think so.”

  “Is it true that you can’t remember being engaged to Brad Martin?”

  “I don’t—no comment.” She hung up the phone, her hand trembling. What was he from? The US Enquirer? He must’ve seen the USA Today article yesterday. But how had he known where to find her?

  Lucy jumped as the screen door squawked open, but it was only a couple of hikers wanting information on the Blackwoods Campground. After going over the wall map with her, they left with a handful of brochures.

  She took a short break, grabbing a sandwich at Frumpy Joe’s. The afternoon flew by as she took phone calls and helped customers. The game warden stopped in and introduced himself, and by five o’clock Lucy’s stomach was growling.

  She was beginning to turn off lights when the screen door opened. She turned with a ready smile, but the men slipping through the door didn’t look one bit like tourists. The first fellow was somewhere in his twenties. He wore a suit and a Colgate smile as he approached. An older man followed. Lucy’s heart plummeted when she spotted the camera perched on his shoulder.

  “Lucy Lovett?” the man with the teeth asked. “I’m Ethan Everson with Celebrity Tonight.”

  Lucy’s feet froze to the floor. “I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

  “I just have a few questions. How do you feel about—?”

  “I’m not answering any questions.” She walked to the door, but they didn’t follow. The camera was pointed her way, the light indicating he was filming. “Y’all need to get out now, you hear?”

  “Just a few moments of your time—”

  “Get going.” She pushed open the screen.

  He gave a sympathetic smile. “This is a public building, Miss Lovett.”

  “And it’s closing time. Read the posted hours on your way out.”

  “Is it true you don’t remember running from your wedding?”

  “If you don’t leave, I’m calling the sheriff.”

  “Do you remember your relationship with Brad Martin? What brought you to Summer Harbor?”

  She walked toward the phone and snatched up the extension.

  The reporter held up his hands. “All right, all right. If you change your mind, I only need a few minutes of your time.” He held out a business card.

  Lucy pressed her lips together, glowering, the phone in her hand.

  He gave a tight smile and set his card on her desk.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when the men left. She closed the door behind them, watching through the small window. She’d expected them to get in their vehicle and go, but they stopped at the end of the wooden walkway and made themselves at home.

  Great. Terrific. There was no back door. She’d have to pass them on her way out, and she’d walked to work this morning. They’d follow her all the way back to Zac’s.

  Or she could wait them out. Do a bit of paperwork and catch up on the new inventory Miss Trudy asked her to process, some gift shop items. It was almost suppertime. Surely they wouldn’t tarry long.

  Lucy got busy with the new T-shirts and trinkets, keeping occupied until the sun set low on the horizon. She peeked out the front window and what she saw made her heart seize in her chest. More people, seven or eight of them, more cameras and equipment.

  No.

  Stupid paparazzi. What right did they have to trap her here?

  She had a mind to call Sheriff Colton. But before she touched the phone, reality took hold. They were on public property. They weren’t doing anything illegal.

  She should’ve set off when it was just the two men. Now she’d have to get past a
whole gaggle of reporters. Maybe she should just answer their questions and be done with it. They’d go away and tell their story, and it would be over.

  But would it really? Or would it only stir more interest? It was hard enough to work out her own feelings on her memory loss without a bunch of strangers sticking their noses into it. She couldn’t deal with this right now. She just wanted to be back at the Roadhouse in her little room.

  She picked up the phone and dialed.

  Zac peeled from the lot and took a right out of the parking lot, clenching his teeth. Beside him Lucy clamped onto the armrest. The parasites had followed them to the parking lot, and a quick check in his rearview mirror showed some of them getting into their cars.

  He turned left onto Tipsy Avenue and made a hard right into the alley behind the stores.

  “Buckle up,” he said.

  Lucy complied, then turned in her seat. “I don’t see them.”

  “We’ll go around the block just to be sure.”

  “Why are they doing this?”

  “How long were they there?”

  “An hour or so? There was only one crew at first. They came into the center and started firing questions at me. It was all I could do to get them to leave.”

  Anger flushed Zac’s face with heat, and he held back a growl. Scumbags. He had half a mind to go back there and slug a few of those pretty boys.

  He made a left onto Jackson Street, checking his rearview mirror. “I think we lost them.”

  He made another left on Bayberry, heading back toward the Roadhouse. “It’s only a matter of time before they find where you’re staying though.”

  “Then they’ll be hanging out in front of your restaurant. Zac . . . I’m so sorry. You’ve done nothing but come to my rescue.” She turned toward the passenger window. “And I’ve been nothing but trouble.”

  He wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear her whispered words. His chest tightened. Maybe he’d stepped up for Lucy, but he hadn’t exactly been the welcome wagon.

  “I’m not worried about the restaurant. I’ll contact Sheriff Colton, and he’ll make sure they mind their manners.” He turned into the Roadhouse parking lot to find a smattering of the usual cars and trucks.

  He pulled into his spot and shut off the engine. “But in the meantime it’s not going to be much fun for you.”

  Chapter 23

  Lucy waved Eden over to the corner booth at the Roadhouse. The place was moderately busy, a baseball game on the overhead TVs and a game of pool under way in the back room. The savory smells of clam chowder and buffalo wings lingered in the air. Zac was stuck in the kitchen after one of his cooks failed to show.

  Her friend gave a sympathetic smile as she slid into the booth. “How long are those guys going to be out there?”

  It had been three days since the reporters had turned up in town, but they’d kept their distance since Sheriff Colton stopped by.

  “They don’t seem in a big hurry to leave. Maybe I should just go on out there and make a statement. Maybe if they got what they wanted they’d leave me be.”

  “Don’t say a word to those vultures. They’ll just twist everything you say, and next thing you know you’ll be pregnant with your alien lover’s child.”

  Megan stopped by their table and took their orders.

  “I can’t even go jogging without being harassed,” Lucy continued after Megan left. “I can’t run to the post office or get things for my new apartment. I’m trapped. I’ll bet I’m really all the gossip now.”

  “I’m not going to lie; that’s pretty much true. On the bright side, people are more sympathetic toward you. I overheard one of Zac’s staff giving them what-for outside. He told them to get lost and—this is a quote—‘stop hassling one of our own.’ ”

  Lucy blinked. “Is that so?”

  “And when Miss Trudy and I passed them yesterday in front of the visitor center, she gave them an earful. I practically had to drag her away.”

  The thought warmed her. Maybe everyone here didn’t hate her after all. “I hope they get going soon. Poor Zac’s been running me to work and back every day, and they’re blocking his establishment. This isn’t fair to him.”

  Eden’s gaze drifted around the restaurant. “It doesn’t seem to be hurting business any. And he wouldn’t be doing it if he didn’t care.”

  Lucy couldn’t think about him caring. He’d made it clear he wanted nothing more to do with her. He was just too softhearted for his own good. Too softhearted to leave her at the reporters’ mercy, too softhearted to leave her at her own mercy after the concussion. She had to stop confusing compassion with love.

  “Maybe you should think about staying here at the Roadhouse until they’re gone,” Eden said.

  Lucy’s eyes met Eden’s. She’d told her friend about their kiss and the way Zac had pushed her away. Even now, the memory of his rejection made her want to curl up in a corner.

  “No,” Lucy said. “I need to get out of here. For both our sakes.”

  Eden gave her a heartfelt smile. “You still don’t remember anything?”

  “Not a single thing. I wish it would come back though. All of it. Then maybe I’d be as over Zac as he is over me.”

  Eden tilted her head, giving Lucy a thoughtful look. “Did you ever think that maybe God brought you back together for a reason? I mean, amnesia . . . what are the chances? Maybe it’s all part of His plan to get you two back together.”

  “Well, if it is, He failed to inform Zac. It takes two to tango, you know.”

  “Maybe he’s just not listening for the music. We should pray about that. Or, as my daddy says, ‘time to wear out the knees in those jeans.’ ”

  Lucy smiled through the prick of guilt. When was the last time she’d really prayed about anything? Maybe that was how her life had gotten so out of whack.

  Eden looked as if she wanted to say something, but their drinks arrived and the moment passed. They made small talk once their food arrived, glancing at the TV whenever the crowd cheered or gave grunts of disapproval. Their server passed by with a seafood platter, and the tantalizing aroma wafted her way.

  As Megan brought the bill, Nick entered with a couple of friends. He waved at Eden and Lucy as they ordered drinks, then they proceeded to the poolroom.

  Awhile later, Eden glanced over Lucy’s shoulder. “He keeps looking over this way.”

  “He’s probably trying to figure out what the media find so fascinating.”

  Eden smiled, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, that’s exactly what his expression is saying.”

  Lucy’s new phone vibrated in her pocket. She paid the bill, then checked the screen.

  It was from Nick.

  Up for a game of pool?

  She glanced at Eden, who was fishing her wallet from her purse, then typed I’m really bad at pool. Hopeless.

  And that was no joke. She could never seem to get the cue to balance right on her fingers. It inevitably slipped, ruining her shot.

  A few seconds later another text arrived.

  I’ll teach you.

  When Lucy looked up, Eden was eyeing her with a knowing look. “He’s texting you, isn’t he?”

  “He invited me to play pool. But I don’t know. It’s a little weird, you know, with Zac here and all.”

  “I haven’t seen Zac since I’ve been here. Besides, he’s been perfectly clear where he stands.”

  Even the gently delivered words were a kick in the gut. “True enough. Besides, Nick and I agreed we’d just be friends.”

  Eden nudged her foot under the table. “Go play. Have fun. I have to pick up Micah anyway before he completely wears out my dad.” She scooted out of the booth. “Call me if you want to talk.”

  After Eden left, Lucy drained the last of her iced tea and headed toward the poolroom. Nick introduced her to his friends, and they set up a game. Nick broke the balls, sinking two solids.

  When it was her turn, he helped her choose a ball that was close to the corner pocket. She
bent over to line up the shot.

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Nick said. “You’re too close to the table. Scoot back.” He tugged her away from the table. “Okay, you want your hands like this.” He leaned over her, his arms coming around her. “Spread out those fingers. There you go.”

  His voice was low in her ear, his hands over hers on the cue. “Okay, a nice, smooth stroke. Let’s do it together. Nice aim, here we go . . .”

  They pulled back the cue and brought it forward. Crack. The cue ball kissed the six and shot off at an angle. The ball rolled across the felt and dropped into the corner pocket.

  “I did it!”

  He backed away as she straightened, giving her a high five and a half smile. “Awesome, Lucy. You got the touch. Okay, now line this next one up. Which one you going after?”

  “The four?”

  “Great choice. Line it up. Spread your fingers. Yeah, that looks good. Now give it a nice, even stroke.”

  She pulled back the cue and followed through. The cue ball touched the four, but the ball bounced off the corner of the pocket.

  “Nice try, nice try.” Nick squeezed her shoulder.

  Nick’s friends beat them the first and second games. Nick continued to give her pointers, and by the third game Lucy was on fire. They won the game hands down. She could tell even Nick was impressed by her progress.

  She lost all track of time. So much so that she was caught off guard when some of the lights in the dining room went off. She was surprised to see the restaurant empty and one of the staff turning chairs up onto the tables.

  “Closing time,” Zac growled on his way past the room. He looked like he’d been ridden hard and put away wet.

  Was he just tired and ready to close, or was he vexed that she was spending time with Nick? Well, he couldn’t have it both ways. Either he wanted her or he didn’t. And he’d made it perfectly clear that he didn’t.

  She said goodbye to Nick and his friends. Zac had gone into the kitchen, and she wasn’t yet tired, so she finished stacking the chairs on the tables.

  When she was finished, she peeked out the front window. The reporters had given up for the night. She should get the mail. Her ATM card and new credit card were supposed to arrive any day. She was down to her last twelve dollars, and she didn’t want to have to borrow money. She already owed Zac far too much.