Chapter 15
LORI’S GROUP CHAT WITH HER friends had been lighting up all evening with chatter about their planned dinner the next night. Everyone, including significant others, would be meeting at Everly and Austin’s place. Lori was determined to go since she still felt a little guilty about leaving the weekend getaway early.
She set her hands on her hips and surveyed the light bulb strip above the bathroom mirror in her parents’ old house. The once-silver base was faded and chipped. It would have to be replaced. How hard could it be to replace a light fixture? She’d simply go to the hardware store, buy a light fixture and follow the instructions.
Does 6:30 work for everyone? Everly wrote in her text. I have to take Jessica to a friend’s birthday party at 6:00 p.m.
Sure, that works for us, Julie wrote.
Everyone else put a check mark on Everly’s text.
Lori pocketed her phone. She’d tackle this project tomorrow, or the next day. She needed to do a final check on the shop, something she always did, even when Marci closed. She turned off the lights, left the house, and headed back to her place.
As she pulled around the shop to park, she noted with pride how great the window display looked with the Thanksgiving decor in place. Marci had put in a couple of extra hours to help, which Lori was grateful for. She climbed out of her car and headed through the back door of the shop.
A quick check told her everything was in order, and she went upstairs to her apartment.
Tiger greeted her at the door, and she scooped up the furry bundle. “I missed you,” she crooned to the kitten.
Tiger licked her chin, then began to purr. Oh, how she’d missed having a pet.
“Malcom is missing out,” she told him. “I wonder what he’s up to.”
She hadn’t heard from Malcom all day. She’d even taken over some cookies from the local bakery, but he hadn’t answered when she’d knocked on the door of his trailer. His truck had been parked nearby, so maybe he was on a phone call or something. Or even napping. Whatever was going on, she didn’t want to pester him with a text or phone call.
Lori stroked her fingers over Tiger’s furry back as she walked into the kitchen to get a drink. The kitten purred away, sounding like a rumbling motorcycle.
The group chat was now in the throes of deciding the food for tomorrow night’s dinner.
What can I bring? Lori wrote. She’d have to find time to grocery shop tomorrow since she was pretty much out of everything. Which was kind of ironic, considering the note she’d left Malcom that morning to help himself to anything in the kitchen. She wondered if he’d looked around and found nothing.
Potluck 100% or assigned potluck? Brandy wrote.
Let’s get crazy, Everly wrote. Potluck 100%.
Not even assigning main dishes or desserts? Stephenie asked.
Come at your own risk, Everly texted. Or should I say, eat at your own risk .
A series of laughing emojis from all the women filled Lori’s phone screen. She’d definitely bring a main dish. It would be funny if everyone brought a dessert, but not very satisfying.
Are you bringing Malcom? Brandy texted.
Lori groaned. Leave it to Brandy to bring him up—and in front of the whole group. Now there would be a bunch of questions.
You’re worse than my mom, Lori texted. And that’s saying something.
“Friends” are welcome, Brandy wrote, then added a winking emoji.
Lori didn’t commit to anything. She just added a haha to Brandy’s text.
She blew out a breath. She could ask him—it wouldn’t hurt to do that. But did she want more scrutiny from her friends? And did he want to be in a social situation while he was dealing with whatever was going on with the company and his brother? What was going on? Had there been progress? New revelations? Bad news? Good news?
Lori moved to the kitchen window that overlooked the street. The sun was in its final stages of setting, and in the purple twilight, she could see that a light was on in the trailer across the street. Malcom’s truck was parked next to it. She’d noticed it had been gone the last couple of hours. But now, apparently, he’d returned.
Maybe she could text him. Just something friendly and casual to check in. She wouldn’t make him feel obligated to respond. Even though she told herself that, she still wanted him to. Was it selfish to want to ease her own worry? Inviting him to dinner the next night could be an ice breaker.
“What do you think, Tiger?” Lori said. “Should we go visit our friend Malcom?”
Tiger purred in response.
Lori didn’t know why she thought that heading to Malcom’s with the kitten was a good idea, but that’s what she did a few minutes later. She’d bundled up Tiger in a blanket so he wouldn’t get scared and leap out of her arms.
Her heart was pounding by the time she reached the trailer, and she second-guessed herself more than once. But she’d made it this far . . . She knocked on the trailer door, and moments later, it opened.
Malcom stood there, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, hair damp. Had he just taken a shower? He smiled, and it gave her a little more courage.
“Hi,” she said. “Tiger wanted to see you.”
He chuckled. “Is that so? Bring him inside. It’s getting cold.”
It was getting cold, although the daylight hours had been mild.
“Good timing,” he said. “I just got back from a run and showered.”
Tiger wriggled at the sound of Malcom’s voice, and once the door was shut, Lori let the kitten out of the confines of the blanket.
Tiger meowed at Malcom, and he picked the kitten up. “Thanks for the cookies by the way,” he told Lori. “I haven’t had a chance to text you yet.”
“Everything going okay?” she asked.
“Define okay,” he said, irony in his tone. He settled at the kitchen table, and she sat across from him.
He looked less stressed than he had the night before. “You went for a run, so that’s good.”
He nodded and scratched the top of Tiger’s head—the kitten immediately started purring. “It’s remarkable that such a small cat can make so much noise.” Malcom paused, then lifted his hazel gaze. “My partnership with my brother has been dissolved—I’ve already signed everything on my end.”
Despite knowing he’d wanted to leave the company, doing it this way was rough. “I’m sorry about all of this—especially your brother’s role.”
Malcom released the kitten, and it strutted across the table to Lori. “I am too. I do hope that someday I’ll get the real story. I don’t know where the breakdown happened—was it my brother’s idea? Kari’s? Penny’s? They’re all involved. It seems I was the only one in the dark. And I keep asking myself why they’d do this—is money really so important to risk fraud charges and family relationships?”
Lori’s heart hurt because even though Malcom’s tone was matter-of-fact, she could see the pain in the depths of his eyes. “Have you talked to any of them today, or are you letting your lawyer handle everything?”
“I talked to my brother this morning—well, ‘talk’ is a relative word,” Malcom said. “He brought up a bunch of stuff from our high school days, stuff I thought we’d worked through. He accused me of always trying to take the limelight, stealing his friends, stealing his scholarship opportunities. None of which is true.”
“So this was all payback?” she asked.
He rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. I mean, I think it started out as just wanting to keep tabs on me and profiting from my work—but I truly believe that once he married Kari and Penny got involved, things escalated.”
“But Penny was trying to date you—how does that all factor in?”
“That’s a good question,” Malcom deadpanned. “Maybe to have more control over me? To monitor me more?”
Lori winced. “As terrible as it sounds, it kind of makes sense.”
He gave her a half smile, a sad smile. “Like I said, someday I’d like the full story, but right now, I just want this to all go away. As if I never knew any of them.” He exhaled. “I’ve had to take myself off the condominium project. My lawyer says that even if I worked as an independent contractor, it would muddy up the legal waters.”
Lori stared at him. “You’re out of a job?”
He spread his hands. “As of five p.m., I’ve been unemployed.”
Her mind spun. Would Malcom leave Everly Falls, then? “What are your plans?” she asked in a careful voice.
“Good question,” he said. “I’ve set up my LLC. Austin texted me today and wants to meet tomorrow.”
This surprised Lori, but maybe she shouldn’t be. “As an architect, he probably has a lot of connections. Does that mean you’d be staying in Everly Falls?”
“I’ve never been opposed to it.” His gaze held hers for a couple of seconds.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it either,” she said. “I mean, you already have friends. In fact, we’re doing a dinner tomorrow night at Everly and Austin’s place, and I’m on strict orders to invite you.”
“I could go,” he said, his gaze leveled with hers again. “Do you want me to go?”
“I’m fine with it,” she said with a smirk. “I told everyone that we’re strictly friends.”
“Right, strictly,” he echoed, a bit hollow-sounding. “Do you want a drink or anything?” He stood and moved to the small fridge.
“Water would be great,” she said. “I don’t want to put you out. I should have brought over some dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Not really.” He pulled out a water bottle from the fridge and handed it to her. “I seem to have lost my appetite after talking to my mom, although I did eat one of those cookies you dropped off.”
Lori took a sip of the water. “You talked to your mom too? Is she involved, or was she just concerned?” She winced when she realized how her question sounded.
Malcom leaned against the table, his arms folded. “Well, apparently, she’s separated from her current husband, and my dad is getting a divorce from his wife, and now my parents are back together.”
Lori stared. “What? I don’t get it, I thought you said your mom was finally in a great marriage and . . .” She stopped talking at the sight of the angst on Malcom’s face.
“That’s what I thought too.” He scrubbed a hand through his damp hair. “I’m not sure if I’m more bothered by my parents’ news or my brother’s betrayal. Heck, I feel betrayed by everyone in my family right now.”
“It’s a lot,” Lori said in a quiet voice. Her heart literally hurt for him, and she could only imagine what he must feel like. “Awful, really.” She stood and moved toward Malcom.
He watched her approach, and her heart seemed to tug her closer. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. After a couple of seconds, he pulled her close.
Lori tried not to let herself be distracted by his clean shower scent, or the warmth of his torso, or the strength of his arms about her. She should be the one giving him strength. The hug continued, morphing from comfort to feeling intimate. Then she felt tiny pricks on her calf and realized Tiger was climbing up her leg.
“Ow.” She drew away with a laugh and grasped his wriggly body. “You want attention too?”
Malcom took the kitten. “He’s just jealous that you’re hugging me.”
Lori laughed, her stomach feeling tight with nerves. Had the hug been too much? But then Malcom grasped her hand.
“Thanks for coming over,” he said in a soft voice. “I appreciate all you’ve done.”
Lori drew in a thready breath. His fingers were warm, steady, strong. “I’ve done hardly anything. I’m happy to go grab dinner for you.”
“How about we go together and pick up something, then eat at your place? Let Tiger loose?”
And that’s how they ended up sitting on her couch, takeout on the coffee table, with some random comedy show on the television, and Tiger sleeping on Malcom’s chest. When the show ended, Lori turned it off, thinking that Malcom would go home soon.
But they continued to talk for another hour, until both of them started to yawn.
“Looks like you’re spending the night on the couch again,” she said.
“It’s not like I have to get up early to work,” he said in an amused tone. “I have plenty of time to be a cat bed.”
Lori laughed. She loved that Malcom’s mood seemed lighter. They’d talked more about his parents and his childhood while they ate dinner. She could see the pain that the divorce had caused him, and now the confusion of his parents’ relationship. He also let her listen to the voicemails from Penny. His lawyer had told him to save them. The first couple were sickly sweet, then the last one full of threats.
Threats that had no power since Malcom was no longer part of the company.
“My couch is always available,” Lori teased. She reached over to pet the kitten lightly. Malcom grasped her hand and threaded their fingers, making her pulse thrum.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.
Lori looked at their intertwined hands, his large, callused, strong. “It’s okay.” It was more than okay, but she didn’t want to presume. This man could be heading out of Everly Falls any day.
His thumb stroked her fingers, and goose bumps raced along her arm. “I like hanging out with you,” he said. “It’s like we’ve known each other a lot longer than a month.”
Her breath caught. “I like hanging out with you too.”
“What was your mom asking you about last night—before I fell asleep here?”
“Oh.” Lori’s cheeks heated at his question, but also because he was still holding her hand. “She wanted to know all about the kitten, of course, and she was very interested in my new friend.”
He smirked. “What did you tell her?”
“That we’re strictly friends.” Although right now, it felt anything but.
“There’s that strictly word again,” he said, the edges of his mouth curving.
She wondered what was going on behind those hazel eyes of his.
“I really should get going, though,” he said. “I’m getting way too comfortable here and could fall asleep at any moment.”
He did look tired, but his sleepiness was still appealing.
“Let me remove your encumbrance.” Gently, she lifted Tiger from his chest. “There, you’re free to go.”
Tiger stretched, then hopped off the couch and trotted away. “Did I tell you he’s litter-trained now?” she said. Talking about the kitten was a much safer subject than their friendship status.
Malcom’s brows lifted. “Already? He’s growing up so fast. I’m so proud.”
She laughed, then pushed to her feet. A little distance from Malcom would be good. He was too close, too easy to hang out with— it was too tempting to cross the friendship line.
“Let me know how your meeting with Austin goes tomorrow,” she said. “You’re still good for the dinner later?”
“I am.” Malcom stood, and Lori found that they were only inches away from each other. The sun had set hours ago, and the room was lit with only one lamp, leaving most of the room in shadow.
“Thanks for inviting me, and for including me in your friend group,” he said. “Brandy has been really helpful, and I suspect things will go well with Austin tomorrow too.”
Lori folded her arms because goose bumps were racing along them at his nearness. “I hope they will. I mean, it would be really great if you stayed around.” She gave a nonchalant shrug. “There are places to rent, like that apartment complex on the other side of town. And of course, there’s always my couch and Tiger.”
The edges of his mouth lifted. “I’ll let you know.”
She nodded, and expected him to step away and walk to the door. But he didn’t move, and she felt her heart rate double when he continued looking at her, his gaze lowering to her mouth.
Was he . . .?
When his hand lifted, and his fingers skimmed her jaw, she whispered, “What are you doing?”
“I want to kiss you, Lori.”
She drew in a breath, her pulse roaring in her ears. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I’d like to find out.” His hand slipped to the nape of her neck, and the touch of his fingers on her skin made everything heat inside of her.
She tentatively placed a hand on his chest, even though one part of her was telling her to step back, keep a safe distance from this man. To guard her heart. Yet she could feel his heart racing beneath his shirt, and ignoring any logic, she curled her fingers into the fabric and tugged him toward her.
His smile appeared.
Lifting her chin, she met his mouth. His lips were warm and soft, yet firm. Kissing Malcom wasn’t a good idea, her mind said, but her body wasn’t listening. Her eyes slid shut, and she let her body respond to his.
Malcom’s mouth moved over hers, slow and deliberate, like he wasn’t in any hurry. Like this wasn’t a rushed or impulsive decision. Like kissing her had been planned and very much on purpose. She wrapped her arms about his neck and seemed to fit perfectly against his torso. She tangled her fingers into his hair, and he responded by angling his mouth and taking their kiss deeper. One of his hands cradled her neck, and the other hand anchored her hips against his.
The kissing heated up, and she knew it could easily combust. Which meant she had to ease back. She moved her hands to his shoulders and put a half inch space between their bodies.
She felt his sigh. Was he regretting it already?
He lifted his head, his eyes dark pools, and his fingers a light touch on her jaw. “Should I apologize?” he asked in a raspy tone.
“Only if you think kissing me was a mistake,” she whispered.
“It wasn’t a mistake, but I know that you don’t want to date anyone.” His gaze was warm, teasing, but also hopeful.
The look in his eyes made her entire body flood with her own hope. “Well, maybe I’ll change my mind if you decide to stick around.”
His other hand left her hip and trailed up her back in a slow caress. “You’re giving me a pretty good reason to stay.”
She had to kiss him for saying that, so she did.
Malcom smiled against her lips. “Trying to bribe me?”
“Maybe,” she murmured.