Then Came You

by Susan May Warren

  You look like the kind of guy who’d help out a girl in trouble.

  Yeah, well, he should have known she was trouble, especially when he saw her grab her friend and duck behind the Chevelle. Who did that?

  But she’d impressed him with her car knowledge when she’d walked over. Promptly followed by the shock when she’d asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend. Yeah. Who did that?

  Have you never been in a parade before? You’ve got to wave to your adoring fans. Like this.

  In her panic, she still made him laugh though, and there was something entirely alluring about her. Not just her deep blue eyes and sable waves, nor the hint of jasmine that had embraced him when they’d sat down for ice cream. Like, maybe behind all the glitz and glamour, there was something…more.

  He’d had no intention of going along with the farce until he’d seen the other woman approach in her fancy shoes and designer skirt. And then the woman had started to drag out the dirty laundry in front of everyone like her sole purpose was to cause pain.

  He knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of public shaming.

  So, what else could he do but step in? Extract his new “girlfriend” from the degrading fangs of Venom-for-Blood.

  We can save each other.

  He hadn’t held someone’s hand since…he didn’t even know when. A long time. Her skin had been soft in his, as she’d curled her fingers around his. And she’d looked up at him like he might actually be the good guy.

  The one others believed him to be up until three weeks ago.

  She’d been on the verge of tears and then, just like that, she’d smiled and buried whatever pain Ms. Venom had drawn out.

  He’d spent too many years as a detective in Kellogg to miss those details.

  If only it hadn’t landed him in the middle of the small-town car parade where she’d transformed into a superstar before his eyes. Just kicked off her high heels and soaked in the limelight. She’d sung a few lines, her voice soft, sultry like the summer heat and quiet enough to make it seem like her words were only for him.

  Live a little. Laugh a little. Right. So much for laying low. Well, even he knew the next line had something to do with letting your heart break—and he’d had enough of that to last a lifetime.

  Tires crunched on the gravel drive and Boone set down his tea and walked to the back corner of the wrap-around deck. A silver Dodge Ram parked outside the cabin and he caught the smile of the driver through the windshield. Caleb Knight, his one friend in town, and the man who had told him that Deep Haven was “the perfect place to hide.”

  Apparently, Caleb hadn’t accounted for Miss Garbo.

  Well, at least no one else knew him in town and, by tomorrow, he could go back to being just another summer tourist on the lakeshore. Invisible. Unknown.

  He met Caleb on the driveway with a handshake before pulling him into a man-hug, sizing up the former medic. “It’s good to see you. It’s been too long—you look good.”

  The man wore a faded Huskies T-shirt with athletic pants, his prosthetic invisible. Even the thick burn scars on his neck, ears, and hands didn’t conceal the light in Caleb’s eyes. “I’m still staying in shape.” He patted his hip. “It got a lot easier once I came to terms with this.” He adjusted his ball cap on his head. “I couldn’t believe it when you said you were looking for a place up here. How’s the cabin?”

  “Well, now that I’ve been able to get into it, pretty good.” He gestured for Caleb to follow him up to the deck. “Have a seat—I’ll grab you a drink. Tea or Coke?”

  “Coke. Thanks.”

  When Boone returned, Caleb leaned forward in his chair and made an adjustment to his prosthesis. “I just got refitted,” he said to Boone by way of explanation. “Takes a little getting used to.”

  “Are you sore?”

  Caleb gave a noncommittal shrug.

  “So, that’s a yes.”

  The corner of Caleb’s lips curved in a crooked smile. “I’ll be fine. Just all the walking at Fish Pic.”

  Boone nodded. “It seems like our Army days were so long ago. I guess, in many ways, they were.”

  “Yeah. We were just kids.” Caleb took a drink of his Coke.

  “How’s Issy? It’s been ages since we met up in Minneapolis.” While Boone had only met his friend’s wife, Isadora, a few times, they’d spoken on the phone often. She’d always been eager to share Caleb’s latest football coaching stats when she’d been expecting him to walk in the door any minute.

  “She’s doing really well. Thinking about writing a book about her experiences as a radio show host and the most memorable stories.” He grinned. “Ours, of course, being tops.”

  “Of course.” Boone still couldn’t believe Caleb had fallen in love with, quite literally, the girl next door—who’d also been a radio love-talk-show host at the time.

  “How are your parents doing?”

  “Good. My mom’s still volunteering with several sobriety support groups. Attending Bible study weekly.”

  “She’s really turned her life around.”

  And, yeah, that caused a little bit of pride to swell in Boone’s chest. “She has. It hasn’t been easy for her. It took a long time for the fog in her brain to clear. She still has some memory issues.”

  “And your dad’s doing well?”

  Dad. Somehow, that still left a nebulous cloud of questions that he’d never figured out how to resolve. “Yeah.” Boone took a drink. “He’s good. Same old Roger Buckam.”

  If Caleb had read between the lines, he didn’t ask. Let the stories Boone had shared about his dad sit idly in the past. If only Boone could.

  “So, do you want to tell me how you got banished to the North Shore, five hours from home?”

  “My boss says I have some anger issues.” Boone let out a humorless laugh. “I’m just here to check off the boxes so I can get back to work.”

  “Oh, wow. You didn’t tell me that on the phone.”

  “It isn’t something I’m proud of.” Boone rubbed his hands over his face and released a breath. He let his gaze rest on a sailboat in the distance, its sails aglow with the setting sun. He still couldn’t believe he’d been encouraged to leave his gun and badge at home.

  “Something happened?”

  Not ready to go there. “There was a case I was working and…things didn’t go well.” He stopped. Swallowed. Pressed down the frustration starting to boil inside him at the injustice of it all.

  “You can’t save everyone, no matter how hard you try.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t. And then I got slapped with a brutality lawsuit.”

  “Oh, sheesh.” Caleb shook his head. “That’s terrible.”

  “Yeah. It was just an incident that got out of hand. The suit was dropped by the suspect, but Landry—my police chief—says I need to find someone to…” Boone looked out over the lake, not sure he could really talk about any of it because it still made him want to put his fist through something.

  “Find someone to talk to?” Caleb knew the code phrase.

  “Yes. His sister. She’s a therapist up here—Rachelle Newman.”

  “Oh, I know Rachelle. She’s excellent. Issy saw her. She’ll be the first to tell you how good Rachelle is.”

  “I’m not looking forward to it.” Boone took a drink. “It just burns me up. I try to save lives and I get put on leave. What am I supposed to do with myself up here? How am I supposed to relax?” He picked up his book. “He suggested I get into better shape. Find some hobbies. Read this book.”

  “You still look pretty fit.”

  Boone laughed. “He’s just worried about my health. My blood pressure’s too high and there are some other things my doctor’s looking into.” He set his drink down. “It should be a good thing that he cares, but it doesn’t feel like it.” Nope. Penance and punishment.

  “Well, it could be worse.” Caleb gestured toward the blue expanse of Lake Superior. “I mean, you can’t beat a view like this.” />
  “Maybe. I’ll give you that.” He smiled at Caleb’s optimism. Such a coach.

  “See? I knew you’d come around.” Caleb lifted his Coke and took a drink.

  “I’d hardly call that coming around.” Boone shook his head. Stared out across the shimmering water as the orange hues darkened to magenta. “Seriously, though. I need to get back to Kellogg.” His gaze shifted to a squirrel scampering through the branches of a birch tree. “I need my job back, Caleb.” Boone turned, looked his friend in the eyes. “Being here—as nice as it is—I feel lost. I’ve got nothing to do. This isn’t where I’m supposed to be, you know?”

  Caleb took a drink, set down his glass, and wiped the condensation off on his pants. “We can’t live by what’s ‘supposed’ to be.”

  The words, spoken gently, still pummeled Boone. Bounced off the shielded places in his heart. “There are…oh, you know—expectations.”

  Caleb stood and walked over to the rail to stand next to him. “I’ve learned you have to embrace the life you have, not the one you expected you’d have—or the one others expect you to have.” Caleb clapped him on the shoulder. “And that’s when I finally found where I belong.” He pointed to the book, abandoned on the table. “I’m sure you’ll find something to do here—besides reading.”

  Boone gaped at Caleb. “Like what? Fishing? Do you know how much I hate sitting around, waiting for something to bite? Stakeouts are more exciting than that.”

  Caleb laughed. “Okay, in between your reading sessions, you could help me coach football.”

  Yes. Now he was getting somewhere. Except— “I have to stay calm. This whole fiasco could turn into something worse if I don’t jump through Landry’s hoops.”

  “Nothing much happens here. I’m pretty sure you’ll find what you’re searching for.” Caleb looked out over the water.

  “It might be good to be on the field again, even if not as a player.” Maybe help a new generation chase the dream a broken ankle had robbed him of. “I could probably swing by and watch a practice. See where I might be able to help if it’s going to be low-key.” He finished the last of his tea. “After everything that happened with PJ, the last thing I need is drama.”

  Caleb nodded. “How is she?”

  “You know, she’s good. She’s with a guy named Jeremy.” He and Caleb had spent enough time on deployments talking about PJ Sugar, the girl who’d gotten away. It’d been a way to pass time for Boone. That was back when he still thought there was some sort of future for them.

  “So, it wasn’t meant to be.”

  “No. Definitely not. She’s moved on. I’ve moved on.” The ache had subsided years ago, a few hard lessons learned. “It just feels like I’ve never been able to shake free of it all. It’s hard, you know, living in the same town you grew up in. Having your past chase you around.” Feeling like he was always missing the mark. Second best. “I don’t know. Maybe there’ll be some silver lining to five weeks in this town. Only knowing you.”

  “Well, Vivien and me. I didn’t realize the two of you were friends.”

  Oh. “I don’t know her, actually.” Boone shook his head and pressed his fingers against his brow, trying to press away the tension. “That just sort of happened.” He looked up at Caleb. “You saw that?”

  “Everyone saw that.”

  “Everyone?”

  “Um, hello, parade through town in your convertible. The coveted People’s Choice award?” Caleb quirked a brow at him. “That did not look like you didn’t know her.”

  “Seriously. We’d just met—she was in a bit of a jam.” Vivien had seemed to know the entire population of her little…village. He’d lost count of the names she’d called out as she’d waved like a red-carpet VIP.

  “I’ll bet she was. Well, Vivien has a way of knowing everyone.” Caleb took another drink, looked out at the lake before glancing back at Boone, his eyebrows raised and a hint of a smile on his lips. “You’re supposed to stay calm, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Hmm.” Caleb gave him a look. “Interesting.”

  The way Caleb said it gave Boone the feeling that he’d just invited a little bit of trouble into his life.

  And he didn’t exactly hate it.

  Chapter 2

  Vivien deserved an Oscar for her Fish Pic performance. Granted, playing opposite Mr. Hottie hadn’t hurt. Oh, no. That hadn’t hurt at all and she wasn’t going to let Sabrina’s surprise visit or those stupid flowers on the porch ruin her day. Nope. No matter how much they’d rattled her, she’d shake it off just like everything else.

  She slipped into a T-shirt and running shorts before grabbing the trash can and returning to the front porch.

  Vivien squatted and went back to work, cleaning up the mess. She’d bag up every last charred petal and stem that littered the porch to destroy all vestiges of those ridiculous roses before Ree got home. The last thing she needed was an inquisition.

  She ignored the darkness tunneling through her as she snatched up each flower, the acrid smoky scent stinging her nostrils. The scorched petals disintegrated between her fingers. How dare Sabrina come to town, try to ruin her day. Well, she who laughs last, laughs best, right?

  And it sure felt like she’d bested Sabrina—for once—when her new friend had rescued her. So what if it wasn’t real? Real, it seemed, was highly overrated.

  She took deep breaths and stilled the wavering of her hands. There was no way Vivien would have been found by Freaky Fan Guy, right?

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to look at the name. Joslyn Vanderburg. Joslyn, the role- and boyfriend-stealing mean girl in New York City. She could just imagine the smug look on the woman’s face. She swiped the notification away. Nope. Not going to deal with a second mean girl in one day. She shoved the last ashy pieces into the can and moved it back into the kitchen. Her hands were smudged with black and she turned to the sink to wash them.

  “Dinner!” The front door swung open.

  Vivien dried her hands and stepped in front of the trash can that stood like a pillar of deception in the middle of the green-and-white checkered kitchen floor, the black roses still jutting out at all kinds of odd angles like Pick-Up Sticks.

  Ree carried in a few bags of groceries, nudged the door shut behind her, and let her purse slide from her shoulder onto the coffee table on her way through the living room and into their kitchen. She plopped the groceries on the counter.

  “A little help?”

  “Sure.” Vivien calculated it would take exactly three-point-two seconds to tuck the trash into the cupboard beneath the sink. She smiled, waited for Ree to turn away.

  Ree froze and looked at Vivien. “Is everything okay?”

  “Um, yeah. I mean, as well as it can be when Sabrina shows up out of nowhere and seems to—” She stopped. How did Sabrina know about what had happened in New York City? Vivien hadn’t even been able to tell Ree. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. You seem…off.”

  Vivien smiled. “Just a long day.”

  “Tell me about it. And remind me—why did I want to be a writer?”

  Vivien dried her hands on her T-shirt. As soon as Ree turned back to her bags, Vivien pivoted, snagged the can, and tucked it out of sight beneath the sink.

  “I think you said, ‘Change the world through the written word,’ or something whimsical and fancy like that.” She closed the cabinet door and stood to face Ree, who was still rummaging through the grocery bags.

  “I don’t know what I was thinking. Deadlines. I loathe deadlines.” She wrinkled her nose. “Would you believe I still need to sit down and write up my articles on Fish Pic and your community theater event before I can crash? I’m never going to get to bed tonight.”

  Vivien handed her a cold Coke from the refrigerator and took the yogurt from her.

  “Thanks.” Ree took a long drink and drew her finger through the condensation. “You may have outdone yourself today, Viv. Even Seth thought so.”
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br />   “How’s that?” Vivien began unloading the groceries and putting them into the refrigerator.

  “Riding in the parade with that guy? Wow. That was gutsy.” Ree tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

  “It was an accident that we ended up in the parade.”

  “That didn’t look like an accident. And then, winning the People’s Choice award?”

  Vivien smiled. “Well, the car deserved it.”

  “And the driver?” Ree waggled a brow. “Who’s he?”

  “Some guy passing through. A detective from Kellogg.”

  “Ohhh. A detective? Sounds like someone’s gotten herself into a little trouble with the law.”

  “Stop.” Vivien held up a palm toward Ree. “He’s only here for five weeks. And, as you know, I’m done with dating—maybe forever.”

  “Oh, there’s some irony there, Viv. Come on.”

  “How is that irony?” She held up a tub of baby greens and a carton of fried chicken from Ree’s purchases. “I like how you balance your nutrition. This is irony.”

  “It’s exactly irony. A straitlaced detective with our reckless Vivie?”

  “I’m not reckless.” She frowned. “Not anymore.”

  Ree reached out and touched Vivien’s hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you about that.”

  It was true, though. Vivien had been just a little too wild in her younger days. A little loud. A little rowdy. And a detective wouldn’t be her kind of guy, even if she were still looking.

  Except she wasn’t. Because she’d come to one solid conclusion after Ravil and his tryst with Joslyn—relationships were overrated.

  “I heard the announcement you gave. So, if you’re doing another community play, are you really not going back to New York City? Were you serious? You haven’t said anything about it.” She grabbed a chicken leg from the carton and took a bite.

  Vivien paused. “Yes. Like I told you earlier—I’m ready to direct. I just…needed a little time to finish the last show before I finalized it in my head. Yesterday’s final curtain call was the push I needed. West Side Toy Story was a success. This is what I want to do. I want to work with the youth. Work with the community.”