Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1)

by H. C. Bentley

  "Don't play coy with me, missy. Was that Carter Mathis I saw sitting here with you?"

  "Yes." Lynn sighed. "We were just trying to take care of unfinished business, get some closure, and put the past behind us since we'll both be living in the same town again."

  "Uh-huh. And how'd that go?"

  "Better than I expected. I'll tell you guys all about it tonight so I don't need to rehash it all over again." Lynn gestured to her coffee cup and smiled. "Now, can I get a refill on my cappuccino, or am I going to forget to tip you?"

  "All right, tonight." Kari consented as she stood and tapped Lynn lightly with the towel she pulled from the waistband of her apron. "And you'd better not skimp on the details!"

  * * *

  It had been much too long since Lynn had enjoyed a girl's night with her two closest friends. She realized how much she was looking forward to it as she approached the front door to Kari's cute little house. Lynn took a deep breath, she gripped the bottle of promised wine in one hand and rang the doorbell with the other, preparing to surprise one of her oldest and dearest friends with the news of her homecoming. The door opened slightly, and Kari peered through the narrow crack.

  "Oh, good, it's you." Kari hissed as she reached out and grabbed Lynn by the arm to pull her into the house.

  "Were you expecting someone else?" Lynn laughed quietly as she closed the door behind her.

  "No, no. I'm just so excited to see the expression on Bethany's face when she sees you!" Kari turned to Lynn and smiled. "We're in the kitchen. Give me a ten second head start before you come in?"

  Lynn smiled, nodded as she watched Kari make her way through to the kitchen. She heard Bethany ask who was at the door as Kari came back into the room.

  "Jehovah Witness."

  It took all Lynn had to keep from laughing out loud as she made her way to join them. When she reached the doorway, she took a second to study them, these two women who had been more like sisters than friends. Kari, the bubbly blonde, stirred something in a pot on the stove. And Bethany, the sweet brunette, sitting at the breakfast bar, leafing through a magazine while she chatted with Kari.

  "Got room for one more?" Lynn asked, holding up the bottle of wine. Bethany looked up from flipping the pages, tears welling up in her eyes and a look of stunned disbelief on her face. "Oh, my God! When did you get here?!?" She hopped off the stool, rushing to wrap her in a hug.

  "Yesterday," she replied, squeezing her friend. "Been getting settled in at Mom and Dad's or I would have met up with you sooner."

  "Doesn't matter." She sniffed, pulling back to look at Lynn. "You're here now, so that's what counts." She whirled around, pointed an accusing finger at Kari.

  "You!" She scolded, walking towards the stove. "You knew she was here and said nothing??"

  "Yes, and yes." Kari looked at Bethany, before glancing over at Lynn. "To be fair, I just found out this morning, but I thought it would be fun to surprise you. And it was. Besides, you're happy she's here, I'm happy she's here, and she's happy she's here, so you can't be mad."

  "You're right." Bethany sighed. "I hate when that happens." She did a little dance in place before going to Lynn, putting her hands on her hips.

  "How long are you here for this time, missy? A week, maybe two? I hope your leave isn't too short because the girls would love to see you."

  "Well, here's the thing." Lynn exchanged glances with Kari as she walked over to set the bottle of wine on the bar. "My leave doesn't end. I'm home for good." She turned and faced Bethany, who pointed the finger her way this time.

  "Don't you tease me. Don't you dare tease me!" She shook her finger. "Are you really? Truly?"

  "Really and truly. It’s gonna be hard getting rid of me now."

  "Oh, yay!" Bethany bounced before hugging Lynn again. "I'm so glad! Those goodbyes when you had to go back always sucked."

  "Yep, major suckage." Lynn laughed as Bethany pulled away again. She peeled off her jacket, hung it on the back of one of the bar stools and rolled up her sleeves.

  "So, what can I do? Chop something? Get out dishes? Put me to work."

  "Nope." Kari shook her head. "Tonight we're celebrating your homecoming. The only thing I want you to do is open that bottle of wine and pour us a round. Corkscrew is in the silverware drawer, and the glasses are up there," she said, pointing to a cabinet by the sink.

  "I can handle that." With deft hands, Lynn pulled the cork from the bottle, gathered and poured three glasses of the cool, clear liquid.

  "I'd like to make a toast." She handed out the wine, raised her glass. "Here's to two of the best friends a girl could want. I couldn't ask for a better welcome home."

  "Here, here!" Kari laughed as she took a sip, nodded. "Mmmm, that's good." She turned to the stove, glass still in hand.

  "Tell me about the girls," Lynn said to Bethany, as they both settled onto the stools at the bar. "I'll bet they've grown so much since the last time I saw them."

  "So much." Bethany set down her wine and reached for her phone. "I can't get over the fact Kristin is in fifth grade. I swear, she as just in kindergarten yesterday. And Harper! She just started at the middle school." She swiped through the photos to show Lynn how much her babies had grown. The smiling faces of two darling girls looked up at her.

  "Bethany, they're beautiful! I can't wait to see them again."

  "They'll be so excited when they hear you're back home. I won't be able to keep them from climbing the walls."

  "Kari, how's Jenna? Has she grown as much as these two?"

  "At least. Jenna's in class with Bethany's Kristin, and they are like two peas in a pod." Kari smiled at her guests. "Who would have thought that our kids would grow up, being pals themselves?" she asked, getting back to her cooking.

  Lynn looked down into her wine glass. She had hoped that she and Carter would have had kids together, children that would run and play with the children of her friends. After a healthy sip, she changed the subject.

  "So, what are we having? Because it smells really good."

  "I've got a pot of minestrone soup, a loaf of fresh baked bread, and for dessert, a pan of double fudge brownies."

  "Sounds great. Are you sure you don't need any help?"

  "Nope, I'm all set. Beth was just about to get the bowls and such so we can eat," She threw her friend the hint as she turned off the flame under the pot. "I figured we'd just take our dinner and pile up in the living room like old times."

  They ladled up bowls of hot, steamy soup, cut thick slices of crusty bread, and carried everything into the living room on trays. And just like old times, each woman took the same seat she always did. Kari and Bethany each staked out a corner of the long couch, while Lynn curled up cross-legged in the overstuffed armchair. Kari reached for her bowl and, settling in, pointed her spoon at Lynn.

  "You've got stories to tell."

  "Do I, now?" Lynn laughed as she stirred her soup.

  "Yes, you do." Bethany chimed in now, gesturing broadly. "Grand stories of travels in faraway lands." She lowered her arms and grinned. "We got the postcards you'd send, but it's just not the same as hearing it all firsthand."

  "Oh, well." Lynn expelled air from puffed out cheeks. "I don't know where to start."

  "Where all have you been?" Kari asked incredulously.

  "Let's see...there's Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg. France, both Normandy and Strasbourg. The World's Fair when it was in Hamburg. The Netherlands." Lynn took a sip of wine, thinking. "Different parts of Germany, of course."

  "Of course." Bethany echoed wryly.

  "Which was your favorite?" Kari asked.

  "Favorite trip or favorite place?"

  "We'll start with trip."

  "That would have to be when a few of us lived in a van on a four day weekend."

  "You did what?" This from Bethany, who would never stay anywhere that didn't at least offer basic maid service.

  "It's true." Lynn laughed as she remembered the trip with fondness. "We had some federal
holiday, I can't remember which, so we we're given a four day pass. Three of us decided to rent a van, go to the World's Fair, see what else we could see on the road. I think that was the same trip where we went to Belgium, I don't remember. It all kind of blurs together. Anyway, we rented this van and hit the road. We ate and slept in the van for the most part of those four days. We'd get the strangest looks when we brushed our teeth on the side of the road in the mornings, using bottles of water instead of sinks. Oh, and we snuck into camping areas to shower. It was great." Lynn paused, and grinned at the expressions of mild horror on the faces of her friends before she continued. "And the World's Fair? Seriously cool, even though it drizzled rain off and on all day. I ate more food that day, from so many different countries and cultures, than I've ever eaten. It was so worth the pounds, though." Lynn laughed again as the memories came back to her in waves, then gave a wave of her hand. "My albums from all my trips are in my household baggage. When it gets here in a few weeks, we'll have to have another girl’s night so I can show them to you."

  "Sounds like a plan, and I'm so in for that girl’s night." Bethany sighed in envy. "To see all those places, experience all those things...you were so lucky to be able to do it all."

  "Yeah." Lynn agreed. "I think aside from the friends I made over there, the travel is what I'll miss most of all." Lynn toyed with her food as they all sat in a few moments of quiet. Kari, however, was determined to break the silence.

  "Okay, girl, enough beating around the bush. Let's hear it," she demanded.

  "Hear what?" Lynn questioned, as she snagged a slice of crusty bread off of her tray.

  "About the conversation you had with a certain hunky blue-eyed ex this morning at my café." Kari gave a little lopsided grin, a hitch of the eyebrow, as Lynn squirmed in her chair.

  "Whoa, what?" Bethany sat up at attention, scooted to sit closer to Kari. "Are you talking about who I think you're talking about?"

  "Uh-huh. None other than Carter Mathis, as he lives and breathes. Looks mighty fine too, if I may say so. The Navy did that boy good. All tan and muscles. Yum."

  "Yeah, we'll get back to that in a minute.... you've been home less than forty-eight hours and you've already seen him?" Bethany looked stunned. "How in the world did that happen?"

  "You wouldn't believe it. Hell, it happened to me and I'm not sure I believe it."

  "Start from the beginning." Bethany pointed her own spoon before dipping it into her bowl. "And don't leave anything out."

  Lynn sighed as she swapped the bread for wine and told the girls how Carter had shown up at her door that morning. How he told her about seeing her at the grocery store last night, and how he wanted to meet to clear the air. She took them through the conversation over coffee at the café, ending with the phone call.

  "Wow." Bethany said simply.

  "Always the master of the understatement." Kari's tone had gone dry. "But in this case, I have to second that. Wow."

  "Yeah. I'm afraid I didn't handle it too well. We parted on such hard terms before, and this morning, it all felt ten kinds of awkward to me. I mean, I'm glad he did it. You know, so we could get everything out in the open and all. Because with both of us living here, things could get weird if we didn't." She took a deep drink of her wine, scowled into her glass. "But damn it, did he have to look so good while doing it?"

  "Told ya." Kari grinned as she elbowed Bethany. "That boy was fine. I mean, he was cute before, but now he's filled out and got muscles everywhere. Not enough to be gross like a bodybuilder or anything, just enough to go from cute to delicious."

  "You want to date him, or sop him up with a biscuit?" Lynn asked wryly.

  "Either way. Don't tempt me, sister." Kari laughed as Bethany snickered beside her. "I've been in the Sahara in terms of the dating scene."

  "Same here." Bethany raised her hand and nodded in agreement. "I get that it's okay to date again, but I still feel like it's not honoring Shane's memory the way I should if I did." she said, referring to her late husband, who had died in a coal mining accident.

  "Honey." Lynn leaned over to rub her friend's knee sympathetically. "It's been a few years now. You know that Shane would want you to be happy, to move on, even if it's with someone else."

  "I know, and he told me as much." She looked at Lynn. "You know those conversations couples have...'if something ever happens to me'. I just haven't found anyone who would make me want to take that step."

  "Well, don't rush it," Kari said to her. "When it's right, you'll know it, and you'll be ready to take the step when it's time."

  "I know." Bethany sighed, swirling her spoon in her soup. "But sometimes, I miss being part of a couple." She shook off her mood, she turned to Lynn. "Speaking of couples, what do you plan to do about Carter?"

  "Plan to do?" Lynn shook her head. "Nothing. He's married. Well, separated, but still married. We've decided to try our best to be friends, if for no other reason than to keep things from being awkward between us.” Lynn took a deep breath, leveled a look at her friends. “Now, if you don't mind, let's change the subject, shall we?" Lynn snatched the bread off her tray again, hearing the crunch of the crust and tasting the creamy butter as she took a healthy bite.

  "Okay," Kari agreed. "Let's talk about why you're home."

  Lynn felt her throat tighten, and the bread in her mouth seemed to expand as she tried to swallow. She looked down at the piece remaining in her hand, then back at the women who had known her most of her life.

  "It's a long story, one I don't particularly like to tell. Let's just say that there was an incident, not of my doing, that caused me to reevaluate where and what I wanted my life to be."

  "Give us the condensed version."

  Lynn sighed and picked apart the bread in her hand, ripping it into tiny pieces. She knew she'd have to get it out sooner or later, and she knew she could do no better than to have these two women as her sounding boards.

  "Okay, here's the short and sweet version. I was dating a guy, another officer, for a while. Things happened in the relationship, and because of his actions, because he was an officer, he ended up in trouble. And by me dating him, with him being in trouble, I was accused of trying to ruin his career. So I did some soul searching, and realized that if I couldn't get the support I needed and deserved, then I needed to move on to something else. So here I am." She dumped the now crumbled bread onto on her plate, picked up her empty wine glass, and stood to head to the kitchen.

  "I'm going for a refill. Should I just bring the bottle back?" She tossed the question over her shoulder as she left the room.

  "Sure, sweetie, that would be good." Bethany watched her walk away, the look of concern hard to miss.

  Lynn reached the bar where the wine bottle stood, but instead of reaching for it, she set her glass down, flattened her palms on the bar's cool surface, and hung her head, trying to regain her composure. That situation she had spoken of had been behind her for months, but she still didn't like to talk about it, and luckily, she had no visible physical reminders that would evoke questions. She lifted her head, took a deep breath, and poured another glass of wine. It irritated her that her hands shook, that just the memory of what had happened could do that to her. She set the glass and bottle down with a snap as Bethany came into the kitchen behind her.

  "Honey, are you okay?" Bethany asked quietly.

  "Fine." Lynn pasted on a bright smile as she turned to face her. "Just needed a minute, and more wine."

  "Okay." Bethany's tone said that she didn’t quite believe Lynn, but she would accept that answer. For now.

  "Come on, we're supposed to be celebrating! Let's take this wine back in there, and I'll tell you more about the places I've seen. The people I've met." Lynn picked up her glass in one hand, the bottle in the other, and headed towards the living room, talking over her shoulder. "There was this guy, in Belgium. Know how we were talking about yummy? I'm telling you, if he'd been a box of chocolates, I'd have wrapped him up and brought him home!" With th
at, Bethany and Lynn, laughing together, went to rejoin Kari in the living room and settled in for a night of long-overdue girl talk.

  4

  While the women were enjoying their girl’s night, the men were immersed in night of their own. Poker night. The time when men gathered to drink beer, tell lies, and lose money to their friends. As was the tradition, women never joined in on the weekly game. Not that Carter and his pals were sexist. They weren’t; the guys had great love and respect for the female half of the species. They just wanted to enjoy this time with their pals without having to explain how a flush beats a straight or listen to how unfair it was that they lost all of their chips on one hand. Being distracted by a pretty face and the smell of perfume that tugged at the hormones was another good reason to keep it men only.

  Yes, it was easier with just the guys. Their crowd was pretty much the same every week, with the occasional substitution or missing player. There was Jeremy Hall, the full-time soldier turned weekend warrior. Kyle Murray, goofy and fun-loving, worked with Carter at the mines, as did Anthony Bianchi and Michael Walsh. And they all played a mean hand of poker. They were a motley group of guys, but they'd all been friends for years, most of them since high school.

  Which was why, the men crowded around Carter’s dining room table, elbow to elbow, poker faces on and cards in hand. Leftover pieces of pizza and half-eaten crusts lay abandoned in the cardboard delivery boxes on the counter, next to empty brown beer bottles and used paper plates. Fingers shifted colorful plastic chips with one hand, letting them fall and clack back onto the stacks. Eyes peered over the cards held in the other, searching for tells in the faces of their fellow players.

  "Bet's to you, Jeremy. Call or fold?" Carter asked, eyeing the pretty pair of queens in his hand. Jeremy studied Carter's face, decided that with the measly pair of deuces, the bet wasn't worth it, and tossed his cards face-down on the tabletop.

  "I'm out." He took a swig of beer before leaning back in his chair and hanging an arm over the back, watching as Carter raked in the pot. "Must've been a helluva hand for you to bet like that."