11. Lana
11
LANA
“ G ood morning!” Bea says as she carries a box, almost as big as she is, into the foyer of the sports complex. The woman behind her snorts.
“It’s not morning. If it was morning, I would still be sleeping. Also, I’ve had four cups of coffee and you’re still too much for me right now.”
“It’s my superpower,” Bea replies.
The one behind her is also carrying a box. She looks familiar, but I just can’t place her.
“What are you guys doing here? And what is all that?” I ask, confused as I stand from my desk.
“Coach Turner and his wife, Nellie, took one of my soap- and candle-making workshops over the winter, and I’ve successfully converted them to all things goat.”
“I don’t think that came out the way it sounded in your head,” the other woman says, earning a side-eye from Bea.
“Anyway,” Bea drawls, “Nellie is the sweetest, and she runs a book club with some of the ladies from her church group, and she has ordered a whole bunch of themed products for the book she picked.”
“That’s…a lot,” I say, confused because honestly, I attend our book club simply to drink, snack, and not have anyone ask me if I’ve seen their shoes.
“But so fun, right?! Nellie’s not home right now, so she asked me if I would drop off everything with Coach today.”
“He’s in his office.” I chuckle, thinking of Coach all cozied up with a book and coordinating candle. Ringing him, I watch in amusement as he comes bustling out of the back.
“Good morning, Bea. You’re looking lovely as always.” She swats at his arm and he laughs. “The missus is almost out of that lotion you made for her.”
“She is, is she?”
“Loves that stuff more than she loves me,” he says with a wry grin that makes Bea chuckle. “And those women from the church are just chompin’ at the bit to see what you’ve come up with.”
“Well,”—she gives the box a little shake—“they won’t have to wait long.”
“You’re an angel.”
“Remind my boyfriend of that,” Bea teases with a wink.
“Morning, Arden.”
“It’s afternoon,” she replies with a smirk. “It’s good to see you, Coach.”
“See you’re full of sass today.”
“I’ve been hanging out with my sister.”
Arden. Arden James.
I wouldn’t have made the connection to the newspaper reporter for the Blackstone Gazette, but it would make sense she’d know Coach Turner.
And everyone else in this town.
Like Bea, but my friend is just a busybody. Still, there’s something familiar about Arden I just can’t place.
“Nellie has your sister’s wedding card on the refrigerator. Are you helping with the planning?”
She nods. “Yeah, Ellison’s been dragging me all over town. Half the time I think she’s just doing it to mess with me.” She shrugs. “I don’t hate it. We’re still making up for lost time.”
“Ellison is your sister?!” I exclaim, causing three sets of eyes to swing my way.
“How did you not know that?” Bea asks, her brows furrowed.
“What do you mean, how did I not know? We’ve only been friends a couple of months and she’s never been to any of the things!” I wave my hand in Arden’s direction.
“I went to spend some time with my mom for the holidays,” Arden says as she lifts one shoulder and lets it drop.
The holidays seem like a lifetime ago.
“Well, looks like y’all have plenty to talk about at lunch,” Coach says with a nod. “She works extra hard here—never leaves her desk.”
“I thought you were on my side,” I tease and Bea grins.
“I can see that. But yeah, grab your purse and let’s go! I tried to talk Ellison and Cal into coming with us, but apparently their planning period is sacred and they’re already trying to figure out a way to change the locks on their door so no one can access them.”
Arden snorts. “I absolutely believe that.”
“Me too,” Bea agrees. “All right, Coach, don’t get into too much trouble. We’ll have her back soon.”
“Take your time, ladies. I’ve got it all under control.”
“Don’t do anything that’s going to make me have to reschedule your afternoon,” I warn, but he just gives me a toothy smile and a wave as he scoops up the boxes and heads for his office.
Sighing, I grab my jacket and purse as Bea pulls me into a side hug. “Cheer up, buttercup, it won’t be that bad.”
“I left him alone with the supply catalog once, and he ordered like seven boxes of purple highlighters for me because I offhandedly said I like the color.”
“That’s honestly adorable,” Arden says as we push out of the complex and into the parking lot.
“One single highlighter would have been sufficient. I could retire and still not use all of them.”
“I agree with Arden. It’s adorable and Coach’s way of saying he cares.”
“Fine,” I concede, “it’s adorable. Now where are we going? I’m starving.”
Boots on Bar and Grill is lively when we make our way inside. I hadn’t ventured to this side of Blackstone Falls and now I’m wishing I had. Holland and Beck would get a kick out of the place, and from the way Bea was raving about it, the food will be just as good as the atmosphere.
Eclectic memorabilia decorates the walls in a classic dive bar way, but the ceiling is a showstopper.
“What’s with the shirts?” I ask, my eyes scanning the neatly pinned squares of fabric tacked to the ceiling.
“Archer said that people bring them from all over to have them hung up there. I guess the catch is that you have to pitch the story behind the shirt to the owner and then the customers present get to determine whether it’s worthy for ceiling status because the ceiling is full now. If you get approved, you get to pick what shirt you replace.” She shrugs. “It’s apparently a very big deal.”
“That does sounds pretty intense.” I laugh as a gruff-looking man approaches our table. He’s ruggedly handsome, in an unapproachable kind of way, like maybe he’s had a hard life and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.
It makes me like him immediately.
Not because he’s attractive, but because I’m envious he may possess that kind of freedom from social constraints.
“What can I get you ladies?” he says curtly, his dark beard trimmed but not fussed over with oils and special conditioners.
Jacob would be horrified.
That thought makes me smile. Seriously, how much fun had that man sucked from my life?
“I’ll take a sweet tea, please,” I say with a smile that I hope comes across as warm and genuine. It’s not always easy to put my resting bitch face away, but I’m trying.
“Same, and Jude,” Bea says, sliding a package across the table toward him, “for you.”
He grunts a short thank you before turning his gaze on Arden, who is currently gaping at him. I kick her under the table and she yelps before clearing her throat and muttering, “I’ll have the same .”
Jude studies her for a beat before turning and heading back toward the bar.
“What was that for?” she hisses at me, her cheeks heating as she says the words. I can feel my eyebrows creeping up my forehead, and I glance at Bea whose are already well acquainted with her hairline.
“You just stared at him,” I reply.
“Openmouthed,” Bea adds.
“I was…surprised.” Arden sniffs and I chuckle.
“Because he’s all sexy, rugged man vibes?” Bea stage-whispers, her eyes dancing with amusement.
“Yes,” Arden hisses, making me snicker only to cover it with a cough as Jude approaches.
He sets our glasses on the table, the movement surprisingly graceful for his size.
“Ready to order?”
While we rattle off what we want, he writes nothing down, his posture never changing as we talk, just seeming to absorb it all.
When he leaves this time, I sit forward and rest my forearms on the table. “Is he single?”
“As far as I know,” Bea states, looking directly at Arden.
“What? Stop looking at me like that!” Arden whines.
“You’ve been here for months, and you haven’t dated anyone,” Bea says a little more gently. “You’re obviously interested.”
“I was going to say awestruck,” I add, earning a glare from Arden.
“Yeah, I haven’t dated anyone, but do you know how hard it is here to find an attractive single man?”
I put up my hand. “I do. But a guy eleven years younger than I am answered that call, and wow I’ve been missing out.”
Bea holds up her hand for a high five, and dutifully, I slap it.
“You go, girl.” She takes a sip of her drink and nods approvingly. “Mason is such a sweetheart. I’ve been dying to ask about it. Are you guys official?”
“No. We’re just having fun,” I say, suddenly not sure if that’s the right answer. We haven’t talked about it, but the idea of being involved seriously with someone so soon after my divorce isn’t something I wanted. Mason is nothing like Jacob, but it still scares the hell out of me that I could be attached to someone again.
“Hmm…” Bea says.
“What?”
“I’m trying to figure out if I believe you,” she replies with a slight tilt to her head.
“Not so fun when it’s you in the hot seat, is it?” Arden snarks, but all I can do is grin at her.
“The orgasms are worth it,” I tell her as Bea throws her head back and laughs.
Jude chooses that exact moment to drop our plates in front of us. He undoubtedly heard us but just leaves without a word.
Poor guy.
We laugh and dive into our food and it’s nice.
Lunch.
Friends.
And the hope that this is only the beginning.