Happily Ever Never

15. Lucas

15

LUCAS

It seems like the whole town, adults and children alike, have turned out for movie night under the stars. Food trucks line the street, and a movie screen is set up right in the middle of the park.

It’s just as well to have something to pass the time with. I’m used to filling every waking minute with work, and I’ve gotten so desperate to have something—anything—to do that I’ve actually been going into the temporary office and studying Jasper’s plans.

They’re still ridiculous. I mean, they’d work if this town had about fifty times the population. The architectural designs are sound. The buildings would be attractive.

But if what Serena says is true, they’ll never be built anyway.

So tonight’s a good night to take a break from worrying and just relax, I guess. And Brooke loves movie musicals, and I’m supposed to be getting to know her better, for the book’s sake, of course.

And also because I find her interesting, and I like to spend time with her, if I’m being honest with myself, which I occasionally am.

Brooke put together a picnic dinner of sandwiches and fruit and soda, and we’ve snagged a good spot on the green, right near the front.

I help her spread out a gingham blanket on the grass. Everything here is so small-town cutesy it makes my teeth ache.

But, as I’m looking around at the crowd, people look happy. There are families with their kids, people who can actually leave their workday behind and just enjoy themselves. People greeting each other, coming together as a community.

People who know that there’s more to life than the office. A lesson that I know deep down inside, but which I’ve never taken to heart. If I fail at work, then my father will feel like a failure because of me, and I can’t live with that thought.

What is my father thinking and feeling right now? I’m surprised by how fiercely I miss a man who never showed me the faintest glimmer of affection.

“There’s Serena,” Brooke says. She waves at Serena, who’s standing maybe twenty feet away from us, deep in conversation with Phillip, the desk clerk from the hotel. It’s mildly chilly tonight, and Serena’s wearing a bulky sweatshirt and jeans.

Brooke frowns. “Interesting. I wonder what they’re talking about.”

“Maybe she’s got the hots for him.” I honestly could care less about anything to do with Serena at this point, other than her ability to possibly help us figure out how to get home.

“He doesn’t seem like her type, somehow. And also she’s in her mid-thirties and he’s in his early twenties.”

I shrug. “Whatever floats your boat. The age gap isn’t that big.”

Brooke frowns. “I’m telling you, something is off about her. Oh, there’s Brenda!” She waves wildly. “We need to get Brenda over here. ”

I sigh. “Or we could just sit and enjoy the movie and relax for one single night.”

Brooke hands me a soda. “No rest for the wicked. I’m trying to fix her up with Officer Hernandez. The B-line plot, remember?”

“Whatever you say.”

She gives me a sidelong glance of annoyance. “Okay, Jasper, we’ll just give up and stay here forever.”

“Don’t call me that.” I shudder.

The fact that Jasper’s memories are starting to creep into my head is really starting to unnerve me.

For instance, I see a man working one of the food trucks, and I have a sudden, irrational urge to confront him.

That asshole is James Hardcastle, the owner of the Green Acres grocery store, and I remember that damned candy bar incident like it was yesterday. Even though it didn’t happen to me.

I set my soda down on the ground. “I’m going to get a hamburger,” I say to Brooke. “Be right back. Good luck with your matchmaking efforts.”

“I bought sandwiches,” she protests. “I promise that even I cannot ruin sandwiches. Mostly because these are cold cuts that don’t require baking.”

“I’m in the mood for something hot.” I stalk off.

I reach the food truck and stand in line behind Mr. Vickers, the chamber of commerce jerk, who turns to glare at me. “Ah, there’s the man who’s going to tear down Green Acres grocery store and replace it with a national chain. Destroying the building that James Hardcastle built with his own hands. Come to gloat, have we?”

“Maybe,” I say coolly, feeling Jasper’s irrational rage swelling up inside me.

When I get to the food truck counter, I expect to see Mr. Hardcastle looking at me with hatred. I expect him to refuse to serve me.

“One cheeseburger, medium,” I say. I pull out my wallet to pay for it, still feeling that defensive sting of being suspected of being a thief. Hell, I’ll even tip him generously. I can afford to.

Mr. Hardcastle nods at me, his expression serious. “Coming right up.”

I feel a little disappointed, and I realize that I wanted him to refuse. I wanted to fight. I want him to push back.

I close my eyes. I am not angry at this man. He has not done anything to me. I mean, I am an angry man in general, but not at him.

If I’m mad at anyone, I guess it’s my father, the man I’ve never been able to stand up to.

He swiftly makes the burger and serves it to me on a plate. “On the house,” he says.

I give him a look of surprise. “Why?”

“It’s an apology. Listen, when you were a kid, I treated you badly, and when I think back on it now, it makes me sick to my stomach. You were not your father. Just because your dad stole from us, it didn’t mean you were going to. I never actually saw you steal a thing.”

He blinks at me, and I see genuine remorse shining from his eyes.

“My dad stole from you?”

“Doesn’t mean he has the right to tear up our downtown!” Mr. Vickers says loudly.

“Doesn’t it?” Mr. Hardcastle sighs. “I was a grown man and I embarrassed a little boy who just wanted a candy bar. That is the worst possible kind of bullying. He was half my damn size. How many of us ever gave this boy a chance?” He looks around, and I realize a crowd has gathered.

People’s gazes drop, and they shrug and mutter defensively .

“How much do I owe you for what my dad took?” I open my wallet.

Mr. Hardcastle shrugs. “Water under the bridge.”

“I insist.” I’m sick of having everyone in this town judge me as a loser. I mean, judge Jasper as a loser. I’m genuinely getting pissed off on Jasper’s behalf.

“Okay, why don’t you donate whatever you like to the animal shelter, for the new roof?”

He points to a glass jar on the counter with a sign saying Raise the Roof! and a picture of some adorable dogs.

I pull out a handful of hundreds and stuff them into the jar.

“Thank you,” he says, looking surprised.

“It’s all right.” Some of the anger leaks out from me. “And... don’t beat yourself up too badly. I was an angry little boy with a lot of attitude back then. I wasn’t nice to you, or anyone, and I didn’t make much of an effort to let anybody get too close to me. Anyway, I left town and made good, so everything worked out the way it was meant to. But thank you for the apology. It means a lot to me.”

I turn on my heel and walk away as a strange emotion floods through me and threatens to bring tears to my eyes.

Angrily, I clear my throat and go sit on the blanket, where Brenda is now sitting with Brooke. The movie will be starting in a few minutes.

I spot Officer Hernandez standing by the edge of the crowd.

Okay, Brooke’s right. While we’re here, I don’t get a night off, and we don’t have time to relax. We need to get to work on this B-line story or whatever it is.

With a sigh, I wave at him to come over.

As he’s making his way towards us, Mr. Vickers walks up, holding a plate. “You forgot your cheeseburger,” he says gruffly. “If I was ever rude to you when you were a kid, I am sorry. Doesn’t mean that you should come and rip out the heart of our town. There are other ways to get your point across. ”

I take the plate and he walks away.

“You're starting to get past the grudge you always held, or rather, your character is. Dorkian McJerkbutt doesn’t like that at all,” Brooke says. She points at Dorian, who’s sitting on a folding chair by himself. He’s staring at us with an intense gaze. When he sees me looking, he turns away with a frown. “He seems very, very invested in making sure that you go through with your plans.”

“He gives me the creeps, to be honest.” Brenda shudders.

“Your instincts are on point.”

Officer Hernandez reaches us and sits down, facing Brenda.

“Brenda bought you a cheeseburger!” Brooke blurts out.

“I did?” Brenda’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Oh, that was so nice of you.” Officer Hernandez smiles apologetically. “I can’t eat cheese, I’m afraid. I’m lactose-intolerant. But thank you for the thought.”

“Of course.” Brenda looks mortified. Brooke winces.

“Uh, I actually need to talk to, uh, Susie, for just a minute. Business talk.” I grab Brooke by the arm and help her up, and we hurry away.

“Oh my God. I am so bad at this,” Brooke moans.

“It’s not the end of the world.”

“What did you want to talk about?”

“Nothing. I wanted to give them a couple of minutes alone. Look, they’re talking. He’s smiling.”

“They are!” Brooke says in relief. “She’s smiling too now. Oh, she’s laughing. She did the head tilt! She’s leaning towards him!”

“She just did a hair flip,” I point out.

“A hair flip!” Brooke gasps. “The universal sign of female interest. They’re angling their bodies towards each other. Maybe I’m not so terrible at this after all?”

I consider my words carefully. “You are very, very good at... a lot of things. I wouldn’t set your heart on a career as a matchmaker.”

“Oh, shut it, Lucas-ifer.”

“No, you shut it, Babbling Brooke.” But now we’re both smiling.

“Let’s give them a little more time together. We’ll go talk to Serena.” Brooke leads me in her direction, and then suddenly stops short. “Her clothes,” she murmurs to me. “That’s what’s off. She never, never dresses like that. She’s known for her sense of style. She’s been featured in magazine spreads. She’s very à la mode.”

I nod thoughtfully. Fashion is a big part of my world, in a way, because my father has always cared deeply about appearances. Clothes make the man, he says. And it’s true that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they dress.

And Serena’s suddenly gone from city slicker to country girl.

Serena glances over at us. “Oh, hello,” she says. “Phillip and I were just discussing the plans for the hotel. Maybe re-opening in a different spot if Jasper goes through with his plans. Be a shame to let my grandparents’ legacy be destroyed completely.” She makes a face as she says it, shooting me a dirty look.

“Serena.” Brooke stares at her. “It’s happening to you too.”

“What’s happening to me?”

Brooke winces in dismay. “You’re... you’re turning into a townie.”

“I beg your pardon?” Serena’s eyes widen.

“You’re forgetting who you really are. You are actually talking about the hotel as if you own it,” Brooke says. “And you called Lucas ‘Jasper.’ You addressed him as if he lives in this town.”

“I certainly did not!” Serena says indignantly. “And I know who I am. I am Serena Lovelace, bestselling author. I am not a townie, thank you very much. ”

“How do you explain all this, then?” I say, waving at her clothes. “Since when do you do bag lady chic?”

That earns him a glare, and she turns and stomps off.

“I just used my out-loud voice, didn’t I?” I say wryly.

“Yes, you did.” Brooke shakes her head. “I mean, I know it’s obvious, but there are better ways to tell a woman that she looks like caca. I’ll go talk to her again tomorrow.”

We make our way back to the picnic blanket, where Brenda is sitting alone, looking forlorn and eating the cheeseburger.

“Where’s Officer Hernandez?” Brooke asks.

She shrugs glumly. “Everything was going great until my brother called me. I tried to get him off the phone fast, but then Miguel started making excuses about some fight he had to break up, and then he ran off.” She takes another bite and chews. “It’s okay. It was a good reminder that he’ll never get over the fact that I’m his best friend’s little sister.”

Brooke shoots me a despairing look. “I’m making things worse,” she whispers.

“Story can’t resolve itself too quickly, right?” I murmur to her, and she nods and smiles a little.

“Look, the movie’s starting,” Brenda says disconsolately, and she shoves the rest of the burger in her mouth and chews savagely.