Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction

Chapter Two - 2

It was five thirty when Lucy pulled her black SUV into the driveway of the grand Victorian house that used to belong to Ava and Martin Abbott, Max’s grandparents. The three-story brick building was the most beautiful house on the whole street, and in Lucy’s opinion, in the whole town.

Lucy loved this house. She’d practically grown up in it, as her mother had worked for the Abbotts for thirteen years. It couldn’t be more fitting that Caro and Max now called it home. Lucy hoped that when she walked through that front door, her day would take a drastic upturn.

It had been a little over an hour since she’d left Browned Butter, and Lucy’s mood had plummeted even more. She’d thought cupcakes and antagonizing Theo would put her in better spirits. Turned out, not so much.

Well, the jury was still out on the cupcakes making her feel better, as she hadn’t delved into them yet. Grabbing the brown box on the passenger seat, she got out of the car and headed up the path to the house. She pulled her jacket closed with her free hand.

The sun had already set below the mountains and the temperature had dropped significantly. If it was this chilly in November, she had a feeling they were in for some cold nights this winter. The front door was unlocked, and Lucy let herself in, a shiver running up her spine as she walked into the warm house.

“Hello!” she called out as she set the box on the table by the door and divested herself of her scarf, jacket, and shoes.

The sound of nails clipping against the hardwood floors filled the air a second before three dogs burst down the hallway. Leading the way was Beau, the fluffy white and brown dog that had been Ava’s and now belonged to Max and Caro. In the middle was Frankie, the reddish-brown dachshund that Caro and Max had rescued and adopted a few months back. She might be longer than she was tall, but she was fast. And bringing up the rear was Cooper, a black and brown scruffy mutt, and the current foster of the house.

Caro had been volunteering for Cruickshank Cats and Dogs Rescue since she was sixteen. She’d gotten countless animals adopted in those years, but she’d only started fostering a few years ago when their beloved Sweet Pea had died. The dog had been their mother’s and when she’d died, Caro hadn’t been able to get another dog.

That was until Frankie had come along. Now with Beau they had two permanent four-legged companions, but Caro hadn’t stopped fostering.

“Well, hello to all of you too,” Lucy said as she dropped down to give everyone the pets and head scratches they deserved.

“In here, Luce,” Caro said as she popped into the entryway at the end of the hall. The swinging door had been propped open and the scent of rosemary, thyme, and garlic wafted out, filling the air.

Caro was still in the middle of cooking dinner. Girls’ night didn’t usually start until six, but as Lucy hadn’t been able to sit still in her loft any longer—and couldn’t bring herself to grade another essay about the book-to-musical adaptation of Les Misérables—she’d texted Caro and told her she was heading over early.

“Be there in a sec.” Lucy gave Beau and Cooper one last head scratch before she scooped Frankie up. She settled the dog in the crook of her arm—getting a good face lick—before she grabbed the box of cupcakes and headed down the hall, following behind the other two dogs.

The amazing scent in the hallway was nothing compared to how it smelled in the kitchen, and her stomach growled loudly when she stepped inside.

“What’s for dinner?” Lucy asked as she set the box on the island.

“Slow-roasted salmon, crispy potatoes, and green beans.”

“That sounds amazing. Smells amazing too. Do you need any help?”

“I got it.” Caro shook her head before she nodded to the glass of red wine on the counter. “Max decanted some merlot before he left, and I poured you some. Sit down and take a load off. I’ve already started,” she said as she picked up her own glass.

Lucy pressed a kiss to Frankie’s head before she set her down. Once the dog had her feet on the tile floor, she took off for the mudroom, Beau and Cooper following behind and the doggy door flapping loudly as they all let themselves outside.

“Cheers!” Lucy grabbed her glass and clinked it against Caro’s, taking a sip as she slid onto the barstool. “Where’s Max off to tonight?”

“He and Dad went over to Jeremy’s to help with the kids and watch the football game. What’s for dessert?” Caro set her wine down, pointing to the box on the counter before she headed for the stove and pulled a boiling pot from the burner.

“Cupcakes.”

“Ahh.” Caro grinned as she crossed to the sink and poured the contents of the pot into a metal strainer. Steam rushed up as the potatoes and water spilled out. “Collecting on your winnings?”

“Yeah. I needed a pick-me-up, figured I’d share them tonight.”

Caro turned around and leaned back against the sink, her eyes narrowed as she studied Lucy, concern filling her features. “You okay? Why’d you need a pick-me-up?”

Lucy shrugged. “Long day.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Not really.”

“Okay.” Caro nodded, her gaze lingering on her sister’s face.

Lucy took another sip of her wine, and she’d barely swallowed it when she asked, “Who’s Jocelyn Fairbanks?”

Caro straightened, her eyebrows going up in surprise. “You met Joss? She’s working with Max on the Kincaid project.”

“Yes, she’d mentioned as much. What’s she doing for the Kincaid?”

“Joss is a lawyer out of Bergen and Hennings’s New York office. She’s dealing with the contracts and permits and everything.”

Bergen and Hennings was the investment property firm Max had worked for before he’d moved to Cruickshank. As they were the ones who’d invested in the historic building that had once been a spring factory, he still technically worked for them, just not in the same capacity as before.

Max used to exclusively find buildings for the company or their clients to buy, but now he was the one in charge of the Kincaid remodel. And once it was finished, he would be the one running the boutique hotel.

“So, she’s going to be in town for a bit?”

“In and out until the remodel is finished.”

Lucy swirled her wine around in her glass. “You like her?”

“I’ve only talked to her twice, but yeah, I like her. Why? You don’t?”

“I don’t have an opinion on her. What about Max? He likes her?”

“He’s worked with her before. Said she’s good at her job. Smart. Nice. Excellent with people.”

“Yeah.” Lucy frowned. “That’s what I thought.”

Caro’s focus sharpened on her sister. “What’s going on, Luce?”

“I met her today at the bakery, when I went to get the cupcakes, and she just seems too perfect.”

“And that’s why you don’t like her?”

Lucy’s frown deepened. “She’s going on a date with Theo, so something is wrong with her.”

Caro’s eyebrows rose high. “Theo and Joss are going on a date? Interesting.” She thought for a moment before adding, “They make a cute couple.”

“They do?”

“Sure. Why not?” Caro pushed off the counter and crossed over to the island, getting a closer look at her sister’s face. “Luce, why does this matter to you?”

“It doesn’t matter to me. He can date all of North Carolina for all I care.” She waved her hand in the air as if to encompass the whole state.

“Uh huh . . .”

“He can,” Lucy insisted. “I don’t know, it was just . . . jarring or something.”

“O-kay,” Caro said slowly, dragging the two syllables out way longer than necessary.

“What?”

“It’s just”—Caro tilted her head to the side, now grinning—“I thought something might be happening with the two of you. This is an interesting development.”

“What’s an interesting development?” A new voice filled the air and Lucy and Caro looked over as Lilah and Sasha walked through the kitchen doorway. Since the dogs were still outside, neither woman had been alerted to the new people in the house.

Well, shit. Lucy wasn’t sure if she was ready to have this particular conversation to the level that was no doubt about to unfold. Caro, she could handle. Caro, Lilah, and Sasha? Not so much. The three women in that kitchen were the people who knew Lucy the best in the world . . . and she was most scared of what Lilah had the potential to figure out. The woman’s chocolate-brown eyes had the ability to read anybody, especially people she knew.

Caro looked over at Lilah and Sasha and without hesitation said, “Lucy doesn’t like that Theo has a date with Jocelyn Fairbanks.”

“Thanks a lot.” Lucy frowned at her sister.

“Um, excuse me.” Caro waved a hand at Lilah. “I don’t mess around with her powers.”

“No one should,” Sasha agreed, shaking her head. “And who is Jocelyn?”

“She works with Max at Bergen and Hennings . . .” Caro started to explain. Lucy was only partially listening, more concerned with the fact that Lilah’s eyes had narrowed on her.

It had long been established by Lilah’s friends and family that she had some sort of weird clairvoyant ability; she just needed to make eye contact . . . which was why Lucy wasn’t quite meeting the woman’s gaze.

“Do you two want some wine?” Lucy didn’t even wait for an answer before she slid off the barstool and crossed over to the decanter. She knew Lilah was still staring at her, a direct beam of energy that was hitting her right between the shoulder blades.

Lucy had just begun to pour when Lilah started talking. “I like Joss. I met her last week when Theo brought her into Quigley’s for a drink. She was a delight, and he seemed pretty smitten with her.”

Lucy looked up so quickly that her hand jerked, wine sloshing over the side of the glass and landing on the counter. “Smitten? When has Theo ever been smitten in his life?”

The corners of Lilah’s mouth turned up in a smirk. “There it is.”

Dammit!

“There nothing is.” Lucy leaned forward and snatched the towel from the counter, cleaning up her mess.

Too bad it couldn’t clean up the mess that was this conversation. But mess or not, she really wanted to know about what Lilah had seen . . . luckily for Lucy, she wasn’t the only one who was curious.

“So, wait”—Sasha held a hand in the air—“how long have they been dating?”

Lucy did her best to keep her mouth shut as she walked back to the island and handed Lilah and Sasha their glasses. She wasn’t going to ask any more questions about Theo.

“I’m not sure.” Lilah shook her head. “They’ve been to Quigley’s a couple of times together, so my guess is maybe two weeks?”

Sasha took a sip of her wine and looked down, swirling it around in the glass. “Oh, this is some good stuff.”

“Max bought it last week from Cheese Wheel and Wine, and I liked it so much I asked him to get some more for tonight. We have two more bottles if needed.”

“Yeah, it might be needed.” Lilah was peering at Lucy again.

“What?” Lucy asked, doing her best to look like she was fine. Because she was fine . . . perfectly fine. She didn’t care. She was good. Completely and totally unaffected by Theo and his dating life.

She looked away from Lilah, sipping on her wine as she watched her sister grab the strainer filled with baby potatoes from the sink and bring them over to the kitchen island.

“So,” Caro said as she started to place the potatoes on a sheet pan in neat little rows. “Theo’s been seeing Joss for two weeks? With his track record they’re practically engaged.”

Lucy choked on her wine. God, she was a mess today.

“Okay.” Lilah put her glass down before placing her palms on the counter and leaning in close to Lucy. “What is going on with you and Theo?”

Lucy swiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “Nothing is going on.” Not currently at least. Lucy had never told anyone about those months she’d been sleeping with Theo.

Not a soul.

She was pretty sure the only reason she’d gotten away with it was because everyone had been so distracted with Lilah and Jeremy’s wedding. After her brother had finally popped the question, it had only been four months later that the two were walking down the aisle.

Yeah, if it hadn’t been for that, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell Lucy would’ve been able to hide what had happened from them . . . especially Lilah. And the secret had stayed safe as she’d hightailed it out of town shortly after . . . when things had gotten out of control.

Or, out of her control.

And during those times she’d visited over the years, she’d done her best to stay away from Theo . . . that was, until recently . . .

“Do you want there to be something going on?” Caro asked, pulling Lucy from her thoughts.

“No,” she said quickly . . . a little too quickly.

“Are you lying to us? Or yourself?” Sasha asked.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She rounded on her best friend.

“Come on, Luce, things have been different between the two of you since you got back.” There was something knowing in Sasha’s eyes . . . something Lucy didn’t like . . . something she didn’t want to look at too closely.

“No, they haven’t.”

“Sasha’s right.” Caro pointed a fork in Lucy’s direction, her expression thoughtful. “Things have changed. You two are almost . . . flirty.”

“We are not flirty.” Even Lucy was a little taken aback by the vehemence in her words.

“The lady doth protest too much,” Lilah said, that annoying grin of hers growing.

“You can say that again.” Caro at least had the good grace to try and hide her smile as she looked down at the tray and started smashing the potatoes with the back of the fork.

“Look.” Lucy waved her hands in the air before putting them down on the counter with a bit too much force. “All I wanted to know was who Joss was. I now know. I do not have feelings for Theo. Can we please drop this?”

“Sure.” Sasha shrugged.

“Absolutely,” Caro agreed.

“Anything you want.” Lilah nodded before she looked over to Caro and Sasha. “So how long before Lucy and Theo sleep together?”

“I am not sleeping with Theo again!” Lucy blurted out before she could stop herself.

The entire kitchen went silent—well, except for the clatter of Caro dropping the fork on the metal baking tray—as all eyes went back to Lucy.

It was Lilah who spoke first. “Did you just say you’re not sleeping with Theo again?”

Lucy cleared her throat, her eyes going to her glass as she ran her finger around the rim. “Yes.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now.

“Ummm, when was the first time?” Caro asked.

Lucy grabbed her glass, taking a sip and swallowing before she finally answered. “After we got back from Europe.”

“Seven years ago!” Caro shouted.

“How did I miss that?” Lilah looked like she was racking her brain, flipping through pages of the past. “I knew something was going on now but how did I miss it then?”

“How did we all miss it?” Caro asked. “And why didn’t you tell us?”

“That’s what I’ve always wondered.” Sasha tilted her head to the side, her eyes not leaving Lucy as she took a very dramatic sip of wine.

“You knew!” Lucy’s mouth dropped open.

“Yeah, I knew. You and Theo weren’t exactly masters of mystery. I saw you making out a number of times and put two and two together that you guys were, well, putting two and two together,” she finished, making a hand gesture that clearly meant sex.

“Thanks for that.” Lucy frowned at Sasha. “How did you not say anything to me . . . or anyone else for that matter?”

“It wasn’t my information to tell, Luce. I figured you didn’t want us to know for some reason.”

“And what was that reason?” Lilah asked, her hands on her hips.

“Well, Caro, you had just gotten back from New York and saw Max with that girl and thought that he’d moved on.” She gave her sister a slightly apologetic look. “And you were devastated all over again.”

A flash of pain tightened Caro’s face, the one Lucy was very familiar with as she’d seen it so many times during those years Caro and Max hadn’t been together.

“Sasha, you were still upset that Billy Dreskin cheated on you while we were gone and weren’t exactly in a great place yourself.” Lucy finally waved her hand at Lilah. “And then there was you and Jeremy. The second we got off that plane, he proposed and everything and everyone went into wedding planning mode. That time was about the two of you and I wasn’t going to steal your thunder.”

“Steal my thunder? When have I ever cared about anything like that?” Lilah put her hand to her chest.

“Well, considering it started at your engagement party, I think it would’ve caused a bit of a stir.”

“You had sex at their engagement party?” Sasha’s jaw dropped open. Apparently, she hadn’t known everything.

“Well, not at but right after.”

The party had been at Quigley’s and Lucy and Theo had ended up taking way too many shots of whiskey as they played darts against each other. A dangerous combination, as it turned out.

It should’ve never happened. One minute they’d been bickering about the game, and the next they’d found themselves in a back room making out. She’d wanted him to kiss her, wanted him to kiss her for longer than she could remember.

It wasn’t even an hour later that they’d ended up in the back seat of his truck, her panties on the floor and her legs wrapped around his waist as he moved inside her.

Everything about that night had been incredible, so much so that they hadn’t stopped for months. And all during that time there’d never been any discussion of what they were because it had only been about sex . . .

Right up until it wasn’t.

It was Caro’s voice that pulled Lucy out of the past. “Okay, so we now know it started at the engagement party. How long did it last?”

“Ummm.” Lucy dragged out the word, not because she had to think about the timeline, but because she was trying to prepare herself for their reaction. “Until I left for LA.”

“You were sleeping with Theo for four months and you didn’t tell us?”

“Excuse me.” Sasha turned on Lilah. “Didn’t you and Jeremy keep your relationship a secret for almost a year when you first got together?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “But that was different.”

“How?” Caro asked.

“Because . . .” Lilah trailed off, thinking for a second before finishing with “It just was.”

“Great reasoning.” Sasha smirked.

“Look,” Lucy started, waving her hands in the air to get their attention. “It wasn’t that I wanted to keep it from you guys. It was more that if I said it out loud, it would be real. And I was scared for it to be real.” She hesitated for just a moment before continuing on, her voice losing some of its steam. “But then it became too real, and I bailed.”

“How did it become too real?” Caro pressed.

“Theo told me he had feelings for me, and I couldn’t deal, so I moved to California a week later.”

For the second time that night, the kitchen went quiet. But this time it was Sasha who finally broke the silence. “Well, shit,” she oh-so-eloquently said.

“Theo had feelings for you?” Caro asked but it wasn’t really a question. “No wonder he gets all bent out of shape when you’re around.”

“Yeah, he’s got his reasons. I can understand if you guys want to switch sides now.”

“There are no sides.” Sasha shook her head. “We’re on Team Lucy and Theo. Team Leo!”

“O-kay, there is no Team Leo.”

“Do you want there to be?” Lilah folded her arms across her chest, giving Lucy another one of her penetrative looks.

“It wouldn’t matter if I did. I’m not staying in Cruickshank. Remember? Look, I haven’t had the best day, and I really don’t want to talk about this or him anymore. But I do need to know if you guys are mad at me for not telling you.”

“No.” Caro shook her head. “I understand where you were coming from.”

“Well, as it was pointed out, I have no ground to stand on as I kept my relationship with your brother a secret for much, much longer,” Lilah said.

“And as I always knew, I’m not mad. Besides, we all have our secrets, Luce.”

“What secret are you keeping?” Lilah looked over so fast she had to have given herself a crick in her neck.

“That’s for me to know and you to maybe find out.” Sasha grinned over her glass before taking a sip of wine.