3. Not Going to Happen
three
Jack
Her parents own the place? Is she one of the Lawsons?
Everyone knows that Andreas and Suzanne Lawson own Andre’s Tavern. The two are fairly popular because they own the only bar in town. I know that they have four children, but I’ve never heard of Liz before.
That doesn’t just surprise me because it’s a small town, and everyone is in each other’s business. It shocks me because one of those four children works with me. Dylan is one of my mechanics, and never has he mentioned another sister aside from the three that I know about.
Who the hell is this woman? And why does she seem to be this town’s best-kept secret?
And why was her car piled high with stuff?
I know she said she was moving back, but she looked more like the type of woman who would hire movers rather than shove stuff in her tiny sports car.
When it comes to Liz Lawson, I have far more questions than answers.
Not that I should care.
I’m sure when I came into town, people had a ton of questions about me. I worked damn hard to make sure that all of my skeletons stayed in the closet. Maybe I shouldn’t be poking around in someone else’s.
I take one final look at Liz before she heads inside. The rain has made her far more disheveled than how I saw her earlier. Her straight hair, now soaking wet, is starting to curl, and her eyeliner and mascara are smudged. Her white shirt clings to her, and I can see her black bra underneath.
Although I’m in no hurry to spend any more time with this woman, I’m glad she let me help her. I know that all night long, I would have had a nagging voice in my head wondering if she was okay. That fact has nothing to do with Liz, though. I would feel that way about anyone in her position.
I drive back to the shop and rub my eyes. It’s been a really long fucking day. And it’s not over yet. When I get back to the shop, I still have some invoices I need to finish writing up and some parts to order.
As the owner of my own shop, my job never ends. But I love it. Keeping busy keeps my mind occupied. When I had to start my life over not that long ago, I knew I needed something that would give me some purpose again.
Thank God I found it here in Lilly Leaf Falls. I love this place.
Let’s just hope that I can stay clear of Liz Lawson as much as possible. She screams big city and reminds me far too much of my past. Much like the women I surrounded myself with back then, she is stuck-up, irritating, and rude. I don’t need that kind of energy around me anymore. Women like that have brought me nothing but trouble. Lord knows I don’t need any of that now.
Staying away from her may be harder than I imagine since her brother works for me. But I’ll do my damnedest.
I’ve made a good life here. I refuse to let someone like Liz ruin it.
An hour later, I’ve got Liz’s sports car off the truck and into the shop, and I’m knee-deep in paperwork. Usually, I leave this kind of work for the evenings because all day, my office tends to be a revolving door of people needing something or just wanting to shoot the shit.
The shop tends to stay pretty busy. I have a handful of guys working for me, and most days, they always have a full schedule. Not only do we cater to the people in town, but I befriended the owner of a couple of used car shops the next town over. Whenever he gets a new ride in, he brings it here for us to look over and get ready for resale. Everything put together has given me a nice little business to call my own.
As I’m finishing up my parts order, I hear the front door chime, and I wonder who the fuck it is at this time of evening.
But a chipper, “Hello,” tells me all that I need to know.
Misty Jacobs.
She pokes her head in my office. “Hey, you.”
“Hi, Misty.”
“I made some cookies today and made far too many, so I thought I’d bring some for you and the guys.”
“That’s nice of you, Misty, but I’m the only one here. Everyone else has gone home for the night.”
“Oh, I guess I didn’t realize how late it was.”
I have a feeling that she knew exactly what time it was. She chose this time carefully because she knew that I’d be here alone.
A few months ago, Misty and I hooked up. Truth be told, it never should have happened. But I was half a dozen beers in, and my cock was screaming that it wanted something more than my hand for a change.
Misty was at the bar, drowning her sorrows as well, and the two of us ended up back at her place in bed together.
The sex was fine—from what I remember. But for me, it was a mistake. I guess it wasn’t as much for Misty, though. She’s been trying to get an encore ever since.
The revealing outfit she’s wearing tells me that she’s going to try again tonight.
Don’t get me wrong—Misty is cute. Any guy would be lucky to have her, but she’s not my type. I know that she’s looking for a husband—someone to take care of her financially while she handles the house and cooking.
How do I know that’s what she wants? Because she told me when we were drinking.
I don’t think I want to be that guy. Hell, I can barely take care of myself most of the time. I’m lucky I’m able to keep my dog alive.
Misty walks further into my office and sets the cookies down on the small table by the door. “Well, the cookies will be here for the guys tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” I mutter. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”
She walks over to my desk, swaying her hips along the way. The low-cut shirt and short jean skirt leave little to the imagination. She looks good, but the answer is still no.
As much as I love getting laid, I’m not going to continue to lead someone on when I know there’s no possibility of it going further. If she was okay with keeping things casual, I would jump at the chance, but I know she’s not. Misty wants a husband—not a boy toy.
She stops in front of me, leaning against the corner of my desk. She pushes her long blonde hair over her shoulder and crosses her arms to try to push her tits together.
“What are you doing?” She asks.
“Just ordering some parts.”
“What do you say that when you’re done, you and I could get out of here and go get a drink?”
Trying to be nice, I reply, “I’m not really in the mood tonight.”
Misty isn’t getting the message, though. She takes her finger and gently runs it over my shoulder. “Well, we could skip the drink and just go straight for dessert.” The way she says dessert is filled with so much innuendo that there’s no questioning her meaning.
I guess I’m going to have to try to get it through her head…again.
“Misty, you and I have talked about this. It’s not going to happen.”
“We could have so much fun,” she purrs.
“It’s not a good idea. I’m sorry.”
For the briefest of moments, I see her face fall. But she doesn’t wear a frown for long. Misty is too nice to make anyone feel bad or uncomfortable.
“Okay, I understand,” she says, painting the smile back on her face. “I guess I’ll just talk to you later. Enjoy the cookies.”
I feel bad, but I know that if I don’t draw a sharp line in the sand, she won’t get the message. And I don’t want this to keep happening. I’d rather she stop wasting her efforts on me and go find someone else who could make her happy.
She goes to walk out of the office, but before she goes, I decide to pick her brain a little.
“Hey, Misty. What do you know about Liz Lawson?”
She turns around with wide eyes. “Well, there’s a blast from the past.”
“You know her?”
“Of course. Everyone knows her. Why are you asking?”
“Had to give her a tow today. She mentioned something about moving back.”
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Wow, I heard whispers of her maybe coming home, but I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Why do you say that?”
When she starts talking again, she lowers her voice as if telling me a secret. “Liz and I went to high school together. She was homecoming queen, valedictorian, and everything else you can imagine. Everyone loved her. When we graduated, she got into some fancy college down in California. After college, she got an even fancier job and stayed away. She would come home for holidays for a while, but even that stopped. It’s been years since she’s been home.”
“So, why now?”
Why the hell do I care?
“From what I hear, something happened to her and her business. Something bad. I’m not sure exactly what, though. I’ve heard everything from her owing a bunch of money to the mob to her running nothing more than a shell corporation so she could steal people’s money. But who knows? The whole family has been super tight-lipped about the whole thing.”
“Hm,” is all I say in response because quite frankly, I have no idea what else to say. I thought that talking to Misty would give me some answers about Liz, but really, it’s left me even more confused.
She adds, “Besides the family, I doubt anyone is pulling out the welcome wagon for the oldest child of the Lawson clan.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because ever since she left, she has acted like she’s too good for this place. Even when she would come home, she always walked around with her nose up in the air. People around here don’t like feeling like they aren’t good enough. I hope she isn’t expecting a warm welcome.”
I bite my tongue from telling Misty that I doubt Liz is going to be nice to anyone either. If how she acted toward Gina and I is any indication, I think people around here are right to think that she’s a snob. Apparently, I’m not the only one who has issues with her.
Just another reason to stay the fuck away from her.