Chapter 18
Opinion: When inspiration strikes, drop everything else and grab on tight.
—Delilah Dune, opinion writer
L yla wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting with her laptop. Long enough for her back to complain about not having a proper desk or an ergonomically sound setup. If her phone hadn’t started buzzing, she might have sat there longer, ignoring the subtle aches and pains that had seemed to come out of nowhere after turning thirty.
Picking up her phone, she eyed the screen before eagerly answering. “Hello?”
“Lyla. It’s Peter Blake. How’re you doing?”
“Good. It’s nice to hear from you.” Lyla hoped her parents’ real estate agent was calling with good news.
He cut to the chase. “I have another buyer looking for a house that fits your parents’ home’s description. Is the pipe fixed yet?”
Lyla sat up straighter. “It is. I was planning to contact you this afternoon and let you know.” Right after she’d penned her inspired article for Bob—“No Strings, No Rings, No Mess.” “You’d never know there was a burst pipe last week. My friends and I got all the water up and, thankfully, there’s no damage to the flooring.”
“Great to hear. So can I take the buyer out there this afternoon?” Peter asked.
Lyla ran through her mental checklist. All the boxes for donation had been delivered to the thrift store. The leak in the roof was fixed, and she’d painted over the water spot. The floors were also polished. The house was ready to be someone’s dream home. “Yeah, of course. I can find somewhere to go this afternoon.” In fact, she already had quasi-plans with Travis. “What time are you hoping to come by?”
“Is four o’clock good for you?” Peter asked.
“Sounds great. I’ll make myself scarce and cross all my fingers and toes. Second time’s the charm, right?”
He chuckled. “Maybe so. Thanks, Lyla. Talk to you soon.”
Lyla squealed softly as she disconnected the call with the real estate agent. Then she quickly reread her article for Bob, hoping it was as good as she’d thought as her fingers had flown across her keyboard. It was as if the piece had written itself. Sure enough, the article was golden. Inspired, even.
She rolled her lips together, sent up a silent prayer, and composed a brief email to her editor.
Bob, I think this is what you asked for. Enjoy, L
After hitting SEND , Lyla moved to get up and stopped when she saw a tiny fleck of light. Either she’d moved too fast or she’d seen another firefly. In her bedroom, of all places. She chose to believe it was the latter and that it was a positive omen about the work she’d just completed. She looked around for the little lightning bug, but it was as if it had vanished.
Continuing toward the bathroom, she showered and dressed. Her day was off to an amazing start, and she couldn’t help wondering if it was all due to her kiss with Travis. If so, she should have kissed him a long time ago.
She finished getting herself ready for the day and, since there was nothing to do at her parents’ empty house, she packed up her laptop and headed out to work at the coffee shop. Maybe, since the stars were finally aligning, Lyla would finish smoothing things over with Bernadette. Perhaps by the end of this summer, they could even be friends.
It would go over easier if she took Allison with her. She tapped Allison’s contact and let the phone ring as she walked to her car. No answer. She’d just drive over there and ask Allison in person if she wanted to hang out. Allison never seemed to mind her arriving unannounced.
Lyla drove the short distance to Allison’s home, slowing at the mouth of the driveway. There was a truck Lyla didn’t recognize parked next to Allison’s sporty little car. Did it belong to the mystery guy that Allison was trying hard to keep under wraps? After the way Allison had been teasing Lyla about Travis, it was only right Lyla tease her friend right back and give her a taste of her own medicine. Resolute, she headed up the driveway and rang the doorbell.
A tall, dark-skinned, and handsome man answered. He was wearing a ball cap and sunglasses, looking very incognito. “Oh. Hey.”
Lyla wasn’t sure she even knew this guy. Why would Allison care if Lyla didn’t even know him, though?
“Lyla. What are you doing here?” Allison stepped up behind the mystery man, her cheeks pink and her auburn-colored hair tousled as if she’d just climbed out of bed.
“I, well . . . My parents’ house has a showing this afternoon, and I wanted to go out to get coffee. I was stopping by to see if maybe you wanted to come along. But I can see you’re . . . busy.”
Allison pulled her robe tighter around her. “I can’t this morning, but, um, I have something for you in the kitchen.” She tugged Lyla inside, past the man.
“You can’t tell anyone about this,” Allison begged just as soon as Lyla was in the kitchen. “If people found out about me and Timothy—”
Lyla held her arms out to her side. “What would I even say? I don’t know him. Who is Timothy?”
Allison’s eyes widened in surprise. “No one. Never mind. Just give me my privacy, if you don’t mind.”
“We’re friends, Al. We share things. You know about Travis.”
Allison’s eyebrows lifted high as she looked at Lyla again. “What about Travis? Are you two a thing now?”
Lyla shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“See? You’re not being honest with me. Why should I spill the tea on my love life?”
“Love life? I thought you said this guy was just a fling.”
“I never said fling .” Allison waved a finger. “And keep your voice down.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I just, I don’t want to scare him off. I like him, and I haven’t liked anyone since Ernie. He makes me laugh, and that’s good because I’m tired of crying.”
Lyla wanted to pull her friend in for a hug, but they might both start crying, and it was too early in the morning for that. “I’m sorry for barging in. If you don’t want me to know who he is, I’ll leave and I won’t say another word.”
Allison unfolded her arms. “Thank you.”
Lyla blinked. “What?” She shook her head. “I was bluffing. You’re supposed to tell me who he is now.”
Allison laughed out loud, but the sound wasn’t one of amusement. “You are one big contradiction, you know that?”
“Oh, come on, Al. Who would I even tell? Bernadette?”
Allison’s eyes grew wider.
That was suspicious. “Is he Bernie’s old flame or something? Is he her ex?”
Allison’s skin blanched. “Bernadette would hate me if she knew. She holds grudges. I’d never get coffee in this town again.”
Grudges? Lyla couldn’t imagine who this Timothy guy was. Then it hit her. Bernadette’s first love, TJ, who’d dumped her just before Bernie had sat on sloppy joe? The TJ who had gotten the entire school to start calling his ex “Brownie” instead of “Bernie,” thus emotionally scarring Bernadette for life.
Allison avoided eye contact. “Timothy John Butler.”
“TJ?” Lyla practically shouted.
“Shh.” Allison glanced around as if the whole neighborhood might be listening.
“If it’s such a secret, why did he park in the front of your house for everyone to notice?”
“It was quick and he delivers meat. People can just assume that’s what he’s doing. I love meat.”
Lyla knew she should stop teasing her friend, but she couldn’t help one more comment. “Oh, I’m certain he’s delivering you meat.”
Allison crossed her arms over her chest. “Was that supposed to be dirty?” she asked in a clipped tone. “Because my freezer is stocked with the best steaks you’ll ever eat.”
Lyla grinned. “Bernadette will indeed spit in your coffee for this. She still hates me for letting her sit in the sloppy joe spit-up. I think you’re going to join me on her crap list.”
“He’s a good guy, okay? Yeah, he was a jerk back then, but weren’t we all at some point? It doesn’t make us bad people. Just people.”
Lyla understood that perfectly. She was guilty of doing hurtful things too, especially to Travis.
“Anyway, even after all these years, TJ is still kind of scared of Bernadette, so he wants to keep our relationship under wraps. We both do, for obvious reasons.”
Lyla pretended to zip her mouth. “My lips are sealed.” Then, unable to resist, she leaned in and gave Allison a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered against Allison’s cheek. Of all the people she knew, Allison deserved a happy-ever-after most.
“And I’m equally happy for you,” Allison said as she pulled away. “We both deserve a second chance. Oh, come on. You and Travis,” she clarified.
Nervous laughter rolled off Lyla’s lips. “No, it was just a kiss, and next week he’ll be on his way somewhere new. And so will I, if this house sells.”
Allison’s shoulders seemed to slump as her energy visibly drained. “Then your parents won’t live here and give you reason to come back. There’ll be nothing left to anchor you to Echo Cove.” Her lower lip poked out in a micro-pout. “Just when we’re becoming friends.”
“Stop with the sad face. You’ll invite me to your Dinnerware Parties, and I’ll travel down, assuming you have a couch where I can crash.”
“Always. Anytime.”
Lyla gestured toward the front of the house. “I’ll be leaving now. I’m going to work at the coffee shop and try to continue melting Bernadette’s icy exterior. Hey TJ,” Lyla said, walking past where he was still standing in the living room.
“Hey, Lyla.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and avoided her gaze. “I’m just, uh, delivering meat to Allie.”
Lyla worked to contain her laughter. “So I hear.”
“Would you, uh, like some meat?” he asked, offering brief eye contact. He seemed so much more awkward than the guy she remembered from school.
Lyla fielded a warning look from Allison and shook her head. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
A couple hours later, Lyla felt awkward standing in front of Travis wearing a bathing suit. She’d never been one to have body-image issues. She typically felt comfortable in her own skin. She always had. But standing next to Travis right now, she felt the need to tug at her shoulder strap and then at her bikini bottoms. The sun was beating down on her bare shoulders, and she could feel it burning the tips of her ears.
“Why do you look so nervous? You haven’t even gotten in the water yet,” Travis said.
“And I’m only getting in the water. I told you I wasn’t going to jump off the Pirate’s Plank today.” She wasn’t even sure if she knew how to swim anymore. She could probably back float and keep herself from drowning if she had to, but that was all.
“Stop worrying, Ly. I’ve got you. I’m not going to let you sink. And if you don’t jump off the Pirate’s Plank today, we can work our way up to it.”
Lyla liked the way he said we . As if she and he were an us . She hadn’t been part of an us since Joe. And even though she was better off without her ex, she had liked being part of an us . “Why do you guys get to wear shorts and nothing else in the water?”
Travis chuckled. He was wearing board shorts and a water shirt, and showing no more skin than he normally would. “You can wear shorts and a T-shirt in the water too. There’s no law about swim attire. But I like what you’re wearing right now.” He cleared his throat. “Not that I’m checking you out or anything.”
She squirmed a little, wishing she hadn’t brought the focus on her body. She’d meant to put the focus on his. “Thanks.” She shook out her arms and then her legs before stretching her neck from left to right. Then she rubbed her hands together and looked at Travis. “Okay. I can do this.”
“Yes, you can. I believe in you, Ly. Always have.”
She knew that was true. She’d cut ties with him all those years ago, fearing that he would hold her back, but all that Travis Painter had ever done was lift her up. Her chest ached when she thought of how she’d ignored Travis. He hadn’t deserved that. Not wanting him to see the sheen of tears filling her eyes, she started walking, hearing his footsteps following behind her.
The closer she got to the lakeshore, the faster her pulse raced. She knew she was being silly. She was only getting in the water today and only in the shallow end. But once upon a time, her life had flashed before her eyes in this lake. She’d nearly died, or at least, that’s the way it had felt. And afterward, she felt like she had died of embarrassment, as everyone around her had laughed and pointed. It was the stuff her nightmares were made of. It was also the reason Travis had decided that jumping off the Pirate’s Plank had to be on their final bucket list that summer. He’d said she needed to face her fears. Otherwise, she’d always be running away from them.
Dipping her big toe into the water, she sucked in a startled breath. “Cold, cold, cold.”
“No, it’s not,” Travis objected. “It’s ninety degrees outside and the sun has been up for hours. The water is fine.” He gave her a gentle nudge to plant her whole foot on the lake floor.
She turned quickly, without thinking, and found herself pressed into his chest. He wasn’t cold. He was warm, and it felt good to have his arms clamp around her. He kept moving forward, deeper into the water as she faced him, back stepping so that he didn’t knock her down. She held onto his forearms, appreciating the fact that he was moving slowly.
She appreciated that he had moved slow last night too. She vaguely recalled suggesting they spend the night together. What was I thinking? That would have been a huge mistake. She’d never had a one-night stand before. She was usually one to get emotionally attached to everyone and everything. If this reunion between her and Travis would be over in a few days, the last thing she needed was to become overly attached.
“We’re only knee-deep. There’s nothing to worry about.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him, feeling that cliché feeling of butterflies in her stomach. Then she saw that familiar mischievous spark flash in his brown eyes.
His movements were quick and unexpected as he scooped her up in his arms.
Clawing at him, she squealed. “What are you doing?”
Without answering, he plunged deeper into the lake’s depths.
“Travis?” She tightened her hold on him and didn’t plan on letting go anytime soon. “No. Please don’t do this.”
He stopped walking for a moment and looked down at her. “I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?”
“Tossing me in this water right now would hurt me,” she whispered, panic sweeping through her.
He lifted a brow. “Really?”
“Yes. Please put me down.”
That mischievous spark was still in his eyes. “Okay-y-y.”
Before she knew what was happening, Travis let her go. Her legs didn’t get under her fully and she plopped down into the water. Travis caught her under her arms to keep her from dunking under. Then she scrambled to find her lake legs.
“I hate you!” she called out to him, only teasing.
“You love me,” he objected, pulling her close.
The L-word made her feel the equivalent of standing on the Pirate’s Plank. She could fall and get hurt. Or leap and swim. He didn’t actually mean that he loved her romantically. She knew that, but it still affected her.
“Now that you’re here, you might as well enjoy yourself. With me.” He lay back on the water and started floating, his face tilted to the sun. His eyes closed.
On an impulse, Lyla lunged toward him, pressing his midsection until he sank under the water. Then she let go and swam because when he came up, she was certain there would be payback.