Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1)

by H. C. Bentley

  Two masked faces turned up towards Carter, who smiled and nodded that it was okay. All at once, the masks came off, and the guys made their way to the kitchen in a run. They came through the doorway to see that Lynn had set out cupcakes that looked like mummy faces, and glasses of ghoul juice, otherwise known as green Kool-Aid. Everything else forgotten at the sight of the snacks, the boys climbed into chairs to enjoy them. Nodding when their father told them they could have one apiece for now, they turned their attention to Lynn.

  "Did you make these?" Logan asked, as he licked frosting off of his thumb.

  "Yes, I did."

  "They're good," he declared around a mouthful of cake.

  "Well, thank you."

  "Dad says we're all going trick-or-treating tonight."

  "That's right. But only if you want me to go."

  "I don't mind."

  "Thanks, I'd love to go with you. I haven't been trick-or-treating in a long time." Turning to the older brother, she asked, "What about you, Nathan? Do you mind if I go, too?"

  Nathan, his mouth full of chocolate cupcake and sticky white frosting, shook his head.

  "Guess that's settled then," said Carter from where he stood, leaning against the counter eating his own cupcake.

  "Guess so," Lynn agreed. "So, Logan." She turned back to the boy. "I've not been around little boys very much, so can you tell me who you guys are dressed up as?"

  Logan nodded before slurping at his ghoul juice. He put the glass, now covered in icing fingerprints, back on the table and pointed to his brother.

  "Nathan is Iron Man, I'm Spiderman, and Dad is Batman."

  "Nice. And do you know who I am?"

  "I think so. You look like the girl from that movie we watched where her brothers turned into bears."

  "Very good!"

  "Cool! Do you have the bow and arrow too?"

  "As a matter of fact I do."

  "Wow. Can you shoot it?"

  "Okay, Spiderman, enough with the questions. What do you say to getting cleaned up, then hitting the sidewalks and begging for candy?" At the enthusiastic answers from the kids, he glanced at Lynn.

  "The bathroom is down the hall and to the right."

  "Alright, guys, you heard the lady. Head to the bathroom and get cleaned up. No touching the walls with sticky hands and no playing in the water!" Turning to Lynn as the boys took off down the hall, he smiled. "Helluva an idea there, bribing them with cupcakes."

  "Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." She laughed as she cleaned up from the snack. Carter pitched in, washing the cups the boys had used.

  "And sorry about the gazillion questions. Once he gets rolling he doesn't know when to stop."

  "It's fine." She assured him. "They're sweet kids, Carter."

  "Now they are. Wait until the sugar kicks in, then we'll talk." She laughed again as the boys came running back into the kitchen, masks in hand, ready to get started. It was going to be an interesting night.

  8

  Between work, kids, and life in general, it wasn't very often schedules meshed so thoroughly and allowed Lynn, Kari, and Bethany to all be available to meet for lunch. So it was a rare treat for all three women to find themselves in the café, sitting together at a little round table on a Tuesday. Their first time getting together since the bonfire, the friends were eager to catch up with one another. Lynn hadn't told either of them about the argument with Carter from that night, or the nightmare that had followed. She also hadn't told them about Hillary's phone call or trick-or-treating with the boys.

  She studied the menu as she listened to her friends chat and carry on around her. Lynn was deciding between the club sandwich or the chicken alfredo when a set of fingers snapped in front of her face.

  "Earth to Lynn!" Kari laughed as Lynn's startled eyes darted up to meet hers. "Still with us, champ?"

  "Sorry." Lynn closed the menu and set it off to the side. "Couldn't decide on what to get."

  "No worries," Kari replied. "I know just what to get you." With that, Kari stood up from the table and bounced back to the kitchen to place lunch orders for the table. Lynn toyed with her straw, poking at the ice cubes slowly melting in her sweet tea while Bethany tilted her head to study her friend.

  "Everything okay?" Bethany asked quietly.

  "What?" Lynn picked her head up, switching her focus from her glass to her friend. "Yeah, fine. Why?"

  "You just seem distracted."

  "I guess I am, a little." Lynn pushed the straw back to the bottom of the glass before setting it off to the side. "Just a lot going on is all." She gave a small shrug before attempting to change the subject. "How are the girls?"

  "They're fine." Now Bethany turned to fully face her friend, to concentrate on her face in earnest. "Something's bothering you. I can tell."

  "Geez, what are you? Psychic?" Lynn gave a huge sigh as she closed her eyes. "Okay, yes. There are a few things bothering me. But I don't want to ruin our lunch talking about them."

  "Talking about what?" Kari asked as she slid back into her seat.

  "About whatever's eating at our girl, here." Bethany threw a thumb in Lynn's direction.

  "What's wrong?" The tone of Kari's voice went from carefree to concern in the blink of an eye.

  "Nothing's wrong, per se." Lynn rubbed her fingertips to her temples, feeling the headache starting to brew. "It's a few things. Some good, some bad."

  "So tell us about them." Bethany gave Lynn's arm a comforting rub.

  "You want them in good, bad, or chronological order?"

  Bethany and Kari exchanged glances, each silently considering what they may be about to hear.

  "Chronological. It'll give us a timeline of events." Another glance and the two friends nodded in agreement.

  Lynn went back to the night of the bonfire, told her friends about the argument she'd had with Carter about the night Jason had attacked her. Partway through the story, she was interrupted.

  "Wait." Bethany held up a hand, much like a traffic cop would to stop the flow of cars. "He got mad because he thought that you let Jason attack you?"

  "Something like that. But, to be fair, he told me that he was mad about any man attacking a woman that way. And once he heard me out, realized that I had fought back, he apologized."

  "I can actually see his point on this." Kari shook her fork at Bethany, who had swung her head over to glare at her friend. "Don't give me that look. I'm just saying I can understand that he was coming from a place of rage. Not at Lynn, but at Jason. And since Jason wasn't there to be on the receiving end of said rage, Lynn took the brunt of it. Not saying it's right, but I can see it."

  Bethany's eyes went from narrow to considering as she thought over the scenario Kari had laid out for her. She didn't think it was right for Carter to react the way he had, but she could see Kari's point.

  "I guess." Bethany turned back to Lynn. "Go on, tell us the rest."

  Lynn told them about Carter coming by her house to hear the rest of the story, about the almost kiss. The nightmare she'd had as she'd relived the attack in her dreams.

  "Oh, honey." Kari was all sympathy as she reached across the table to lay her hand on Lynn's. "Why didn't you call us?"

  "Because it was one in the morning by the time I woke up and realized I'd dreamed about it again."

  "Next time, call." Bethany used her mother-knows-best tone. "I don't care what time it is. You shouldn't of had to deal with that alone."

  "But I have been."

  "That's because you were thousands of miles away, and keeping it all to yourself. Shame on you for that, by the way." Bethany tempered her scolding with a small smile. "But you're here now, where we're just a phone call and a short car ride away. No more dealing with it alone. Okay?"

  "Okay." Lynn nodded, then looked down at the plate the waitress had just set before her. All she could do was laugh.

  "What?" Kari looked at her, confused.

  "Chicken alfredo," she said, pointing to her plate. "Earlier I
was trying to decide between this and the club."

  "So," Bethany began after everyone had dug into their meals. "We've started with the bad...I'm assuming that's all of it."

  "No, afraid not."

  "There's more?" Kari was incredulous. "I didn't realize Carter was such an ass."

  "He's not." Lynn laughed at the expression on her friend's face. "It wasn’t Carter. It was Hillary."

  "His ex?"

  "The one and only."

  "I'm almost afraid to ask," Bethany murmured.

  "Well." Lynn played with the pasta on her plate before twirling it around her fork. "She called me. The night of the Halloween party. I didn't even realize it was her at first. But I clued in pretty quick when she made some threats, called me some nasty names."

  "Her usual."

  "Yeah. She told me to stay away from Carter and the boys, that if I didn't she'd make life hell for me. Told me that she read some of the emails that he and I had sent back and forth."

  "She got into his email again?" Kari asked. She and Bethany both knew about Hillary's antics from times in the past where her jealousy had gotten the better of her.

  "So she says. And proceeds to tell me that she'll do it again, just because she can." She took a small bite and swallowed before she continued. "She hung up on me, and all I could think was 'here we go again.' Only I think she's crazier now than she was back then." Lynn sighed as she set down her fork and reached for her tea. She took a sip, her mind back on that evening, when she heard Bethany give a small gasp.

  "Speak of the she-devil."

  Lynn set her glass down as she followed Bethany’s gaze to see Hillary stomping her way through the door and directly over to their table. Not one to sit and be looked down upon when she could stand and fight, Lynn rose from her seat. She felt, rather than saw, her two friends do the same and come to flank her.

  Hillary walked up to stand mere feet away from Lynn. Carter's soon-to-be ex-wife was looking rough these days. She wore jeans that had holes ripped across both knees. The stained tee shirt, one that looked two sizes too big, was covered by a faded denim jacket, and her feet were encased in ratty, worn tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and looked like it hadn't seen a brush, much less a hairdresser, in days. Hillary's already pale skin now seemed translucent, stretched over hollowed out cheeks and protruding collar bones. The dark shadows under her eyes showed how little she was sleeping. She wore little makeup, if any, on a face that radiated pure anger and disdain.

  "You really are stupid, aren't you?" Hillary spat as she stood with her hands on her bony waist.

  "And hello to you too, Hillary."

  "Don't try to be cute." Hillary's eyes narrowed before she stabbed a finger in Lynn's direction. "I told you to stay away from Carter. I told you to stay away from my boys. But you just don't listen, do you? And because you don’t, I'm here to kick your slutty ass."

  All activity in the dining room had come to a complete and silent halt the minute that Hillary had started talking. The only sounds to be here were the clinks and clatters coming from the kitchen. Every customer in the place was now watching the scene unfold.

  "Hold on just a damn minute here." Kari pushed her way around Lynn to put herself front and center before Hillary. Though she was petite, Kari was a crate of dynamite when she got angry. "Let's just forget, for one second, about the fact that you just walked into my place of business attempting to start a fight. We'll get back to that in a minute. The fact of the matter is that you have no right to tell anyone that they can't see Carter. Or, if Carter wishes it, the boys. Because you two are divorcing. You need to get that through your head and grow up, Hillary." Kari tilted her head, watching as Hillary's eyes narrowed to thin slits in a gaunt face. "Oh, that pisses you off, huh? So sorry about that. This probably won't help, then. Get the hell out of my café before I call the cops."

  "Shut up. This is none of your business." With that, Hillary gave Kari a firm shove, sending her scuttling into an empty chair. All her customers gasped in unison, and one of her regulars, a gentleman named Earl, came over to make sure she was okay.

  Lynn wasn't a redhead for nothing, so when her gaze went from checking on her friend back to the woman standing before her once again, there was a light of battle in her hazel green eyes. Knowing her friend, and her willingness to go to jail if the situation called for it, Bethany gently pulled Lynn away from the confrontation.

  "She's not worth it," Bethany whispered in her ear before taking her by the shoulders. "Lynn, look at me." When Lynn's eyes met hers, Bethany continued in low tones. "She's miserable and jealous because she wants what you have. She wants Carter to look at her the way he looks at you. She wants her boys to adore her the way they adore you. Don't let her win by taking the happiness you've found away from you."

  Lynn nodded, looked over to where Hillary stood with arms folded and foot tapping as if she couldn't wait to get the confrontation under way again. Behind Hillary, Lynn could see that Kari had regained her footing. Though she looked steamed over the whole thing, the look Kari gave Lynn told her she'd back her up in whatever she decided to do. Nodding, she turned her attention back to the situation at hand.

  "Hillary, you need to go." She told the woman firmly as she looked back at her. "You've made a fool of yourself in front of everyone here and it's not going to do you any good. It won't change things. You need to go."

  "I'll go when I'm good and ready. You need to be put in your place, reminded where you are in the scheme of things. And I'm just the woman to take care of that for you." Just as Hillary stepped forward to make good on her threat, the bells above the door jingled, signaling a customer coming into the cafe. As one, the people in the dining room all looked over to see the county sheriff walk through the door. Sensing that there was something going on, he paused and took in the room.

  Sheriff Lakewood, a veteran cop of twenty years experience, knew a domestic disturbance when he saw one. He could usually tell, without asking, who the instigator was and who was simply defending themselves. Just as he could tell here. The ragged looking woman was full of attitude and spit, while the other young woman facing her was weary and more than a little agitated. He sighed inwardly and gave a little shake of his head. All he'd wanted was to come in, grab some lunch before climbing into his cruiser and heading back to the station. But it looked like he would have to wait on that.

  The sheriff studied the room as he made his way across the dining area. He was not a small man. Standing right at six feet tall, the officer was stocky but solid with broad shoulders. Grown men usually pulled back a little at the sight of him. However, Hillary continued to stare at him defiantly as he walked toward her. The slight squishing sound of the soles of his shiny shoes on the floor, along with the gentle sound of the leather rubbing on his holster, were the only sounds in the room, as the kitchen staff now all stood behind the counter watching everything along with the diners.

  "Is there a problem here, Kari?" Sheriff Lakewood glanced over to where Kari still stood with Earl.

  "As a matter of fact, Sheriff, there is." Kari walked over to stand next to Lynn again. "My two friends and I were eating lunch, minding our own business, when Ms. Mathis here came in and tried to start a fight."

  "Is that so?" The sheriff folded his large arms across his chest, causing the brown fabric of his uniform shirt to stretch across his shoulders. He shifted his legs, encased in the same brown material, so that he faced Hillary completely. His thin brown mustache twitched as he frowned. "What seems to be the issue?"

  "It's personal." Hillary's curt reply came as she mirrored the officer's stance. "Just trying to iron out a misunderstanding."

  "A misunderstanding?" Kari snorted from where she stood next to Lynn. "Was a misunderstanding that had you knocking me on my ass in front of all my customers?"

  "She physically assaulted you?" The sheriff looked over at Kari at her comment.

  "Shoved me to get me out of the way so she could go after
Lynn." Kari nodded her head at her friend. "That was about thirty seconds before you walked in the door."

  "You want to press charges for assault?"

  Kari glanced over at Hillary, gave a smirk. Hillary may have had an I'm-a-badass expression on her face, but her eyes said that she was scared of going to jail.

  "No. I'll let it pass this time." She gave him a quick smile before turning back to Hillary. "But she's not welcome in the café in the future."

  "Like I'd set foot in this shithole again." Hillary gave Kari one last glare before giving the sheriff a bored look. "Can I go? Seeing as how she's not pressing charges."

  "You're free to go." Sheriff Lockwood gave her a hard look. "However, I'd suggest in the future that you find a different way of 'ironing out' your misunderstandings. Preferably one that doesn't involve assault or domestic disturbance."

  "Whatever." With that, Hillary stomped out just has she had stomped in, leaving the diners to wonder what would happen next. They soon found out when Kari addressed the room.

  "Sorry for the disturbance, folks. Everything's fine now. Your waiters will bring you all one of our deluxe cookies for dessert, compliments of the cafe." Her diners appeased and now murmuring to one another once more, Kari turned back to the officer. "There's one for you as well, Sheriff. And your lunch is on the house today." She patted his arm in thanks as she moved towards the kitchen, where her staff was drifting back to work.

  "Care to tell me what that was about?" The sheriff relaxed his stance, hooking his thumbs into his pockets as he studied Lynn.

  "Let's just say, she was attempting to express her disapproval at the fact that I've been seeing her soon-to-be ex-husband and their sons."

  "Ah." Lakewood nodded in understanding. "Gotcha." He narrowed his eyes, tilted his head. "She didn't get physical with you too, did she?"

  "No. She wanted to, but didn't get the chance."

  The sheriff hummed under his breath as he mulled over the situation. He'd known the woman standing before him since she'd been a small girl. Which is how he knew that she wouldn't pull any punches in a fight, should it come to that.