Chapter 13 Lucy
THIRTEEN
Lucy
I walk up the front steps, feeling like a drowned rat. And not surprisingly, I’ve seen a few wet rats before.
I fumble with my water bottle, purse, and travel mug while I try to hit the code to enter the house. When I shift the water bottle to pull the handle, the coffee cup tips, and I get some old coffee dripping down my leg.
Lovely.
“Ugh. Today is just not my day.”
I kick my dirty shoes off on the porch and stumble inside. I set the water bottle down on the ground so that I can slip out of my wet coat. I don’t want to drip all over the front rug. I hang it up on the hook above the tray so that the dripping water will at least be a little contained.
Miles’ shoes are on the tray, and I grab them, chucking them onto the rug. I don’t want my coat to drip on top of them and it’s not like shoes on the rug are the worst thing to happen in this world.
I straighten and stretch, groaning as water drips from my hair running down the collar of my shirt. It’s cold, making me shiver.
“Rough day?” a feminine voice asks.
I spin around to stare at a young woman wearing a thick sweater and yoga pants, standing in the kitchen, watching me with an amused look on her face.
She has dark red hair, maybe what could be called auburn, and has the build of an athlete. I can see the muscle definition in her legs and arms, even through that sweater. She’s gorgeous, and she has a nice smile on her face.
I clear my throat, think of three hundred reasons why there would be a strange woman in the kitchen, and then answer her.
“Well, this morning, there were two dogs that got into a porcupine. This afternoon, there was an escaped dachshund, who jumped out of his owner’s car in the parking lot.
I’m pretty sure he had some greyhound in him because I chased him around and around the outside of the vet clinic—in the rain—and then…
” I pause and hold up my bandage-wrapped middle finger.
“Julius Sneezer bit me after his shot. Then, before coming home, I did a house call for a lethargic llama out in a field.”
The woman’s face reveals multiple emotions as she listens to my tirade, and I suddenly have the urge to apologize to her. But then again, she did ask.
“Sounds like you need something warm,” she says.
“I wouldn’t turn it down.”
She smiles and walks over to the mug cupboard as though she’s very familiar with it. “Why don’t you get all dried off, and I’ll make you something?”
“It’s a deal!” I start toward the hallway, then pause. “Oh, by the way, I’m Lucy, Miles’s roommate. Who are you?”
“I’m Ainsley,” she replies simply, as though that should explain everything. It probably does.
She must be Miles’s girlfriend. There’s a strange lump in my throat at the thought, and it must be because he hasn’t mentioned her to me. I don’t like to be left out. That’s why it bothers me. So, I force a quick smile and disappear down the hall to take a quick shower.
After getting dressed into a pair of sweatpants and a matching crop top, I pile my hair up on top of my head in a wet, messy bun. I was going for casual and cute, but my hair is sticking out at all angles, like it has other places it would rather be.
I’ll look absolutely disgusting next to Ainsley. And there’s nothing I can do about it. I take a deep breath and walk back out to the kitchen.
“Here!” Ainsley—whoever she may be—hands me a steaming mug. It’s my favorite mug—and I know it’s Miles’s favorite as well, given the way we both reach for it all the time. “Okay, that’s an adorable sweat set. I’m going to have to look for one just like it.”
I smile but don’t have the heart to tell her that she’s so tall she’d have a hard time finding sweatpants long enough.
“I’m so glad to meet you. Come on. Let’s go catch up on everything before Miles gets home,” Ainsley says. She’s so genuinely warm that I just smile and follow her into the living room.
She has to be Miles’s girlfriend. The way she’s seems acquainted with the house. The way she acts like she belongs here. And there’s something familiar about her. Maybe she’s in one of the pictures lining the hallway.
I feel like an intruder. Why didn’t he tell me he had a girlfriend? I mean, it seems like something you would warn a roommate about. Like, Oh yeah, my girlfriend pops by randomly…but noooo, he didn’t warn me.
There’s still a hard knot in my stomach at the thought.
“Cheers to getting to meet the elusive roommate!” Ainsley says as she lifts her own mug and then takes a seat on the center corner of the L-shaped couch.
“Cheers to—” I lift an eyebrow as I finally smell what’s in the mug. “Did you make a hot toddy?”
She blushes. “I should have asked first, I guess. If you’d rather have some hot tea, I still have the water hot in the kitchen!” She jumps up as though she’s going to run and fix her mistake.
I take a long sip of the drink, then chuckle. “I think we’re best friends now.”
Ainsley sinks back down onto the couch with a bright smile. “Good. I sure hope so.”
“So…do you live in town here?”
“No, I live over in Bend actually. I came over to convince Miles to get married.”
I spew hot toddy all over my sweats and have to catch the dribble on my chin with my sleeve.
Ainsley is taking a long sip from her cup, and before I can ask for more details about Miles’s impending engagement. I hear a thump, a yelp, beeping, and then the door swings open.
“How did your shoes get so wet?” Miles asks as his eyes lock onto mine.
He steps inside and slips on the wet drips I haven’t had a chance to mop up yet. His tennis shoe connects with the water bottle, and he yells out a curse as he catches himself against the wall.
“You trying to kill me?” he mutters.
“That depends…”
He smirks and opens his mouth to fire back some snarky reply, I’m sure, but he freezes when his eyes land on the other woman in the living room.
“Ainsley?” His face drains of color.
“Miles.” Her expression can only be described as pure evil.
“What are you doing in my living room?”
Is she a stalker ex? Maybe that explains the casual reference to marriage. What the—
“Just visiting my big brother. Something wrong with that?” She sips slowly from the mug.
It takes that long for her words to register.
“Brother?” I say.
Miles looks at me sharply. “What did you think she was?”
“Fiancée?”
Ainsley tosses her head back and laughs. Miles slips off his shoes and slides them into the cubby under the bench.
He walks into the living room and pauses in front of me. His eyes land on the mug in my hands. I give him a sheepish smile.
His hand wraps around mine as he bends down and takes a sip from the mug. My breath hitches as he leans over me. I can smell a soft hint of his cologne. His eyes meet mine, and I stare into their green depths.
He straightens, lets go of the cup, and licks his lips.
I don’t realize I’m stuck in a Miles-induced trance until Ainsley clears her throat loudly.
Miles moves past me and sinks down onto the couch in between us. “What, you make Lucy a hot toddy, but not me?”
“I didn’t know when you were going to be home, and she was soaked.” Ainsley sighs loudly, then stands up. “I guess I’ll make you one.”
I tuck my legs underneath me and focus on getting my heart rate back down to a normal level. Sharing a sip of a drink with my roommate shouldn’t spike my blood pressure.
“Where’d you park?” Miles asks as he pulls his phone out of his jeans pocket. “I didn’t notice your car on the street.”
“I parked in your garage,” Ainsley replies as she putters around the kitchen, making him a drink. “But the car barely fit.”
He frowns as he checks his phone, then hits the side button to turn it off.
“How was work today?” I ask, hoping to break the awkward tension in the room.
“It was fine. Just piles of paperwork,” he says with a shrug.
I notice he sounds very monotone about it—again. Does he not like working at Kappa Holdings? I thought he was a part-owner with Kingston, but he doesn’t seem…happy.
Miles smiles briefly at me, then turns his attention on his sister as he walks into the living room and sits down on the couch next to me.
“To what do I owe the honor of a surprise visit from my least favorite sister?”
I laugh when Ainsley sticks out her tongue at him.
This is entertaining. I’m perfectly content to sit here and warm up while I watch this play out in front of me.
“Grandma increased the bounty.”
Miles grins at this. “She’s desperate, huh?”
“I’m here to talk some sense into you,” Ainsley says as she walks into the living room and passes a mug to Miles.
I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a private conversation at this point. Maybe I should leave…
“I’ll let you two catch up. Thanks for the drink!” I stand up and stretch, one arm in the air. “Are you staying a few days, Ainsley?”
“Don’t go yet! I need your help.” She smiles at me and moves her eyebrows up and down. “Pretty please?”
I laugh and sit back down. “I don’t know what I could possibly help with.”
“Easy. I’m trying to convince Miles to get married.”
Miles grunts. “Not gonna happen.”
“But you could make it happen,” Ainsley shoots back.
“To whom?” he demands.
Ainsley tips her head to the side. “Listen, I’m begging you. Don’t let Preston win this.”
Miles tosses his phone onto the cushion between us and folds his arms across his chest. “You could win the bet as much as anyone. It’s all fair game.”
“Yes, but I don’t have anyone I could win the bet with. Preston already has that horrid girlfriend.”
Miles chuckles. I don’t know who Preston is, but I’m already invested, and I want to know why the girlfriend is horrid.
“What’s wrong with her?” I ask.
Ainsley changes the pitch in her voice to mimic, “I’m not like other girls. Men have always just loved me. I just connect with men better. I don’t know why I don’t have any girlfriends, but you look horrible in that outfit.”
“Ahhhh. One of those,” I say.
“Yeah. Not to mention, she dated Miles at the same time she started going out with Preston.”
Oh, that is interesting information.
I glance at Miles, but he’s avoiding me.
“But Preston is definitely the worst,” Ainsley continues. “Now that I think about it, maybe he brings out that side in her. Anyway…all that to say, I need Miles to take one for the team.”
Hugging the mug to my chest, I lean forward in anticipation of the next comment.
“Lucy doesn’t want to get pulled into this mess,” Miles says with an exasperated groan.
“I don’t?” I ask with a quick grin.
Ainsley’s face lights up. “Miles! You genius! Lucy would be perfect.”
I glance at Miles to see if he knows what she’s talking about. He’s wearing a blank look, probably similar to my expression.
“Ainsley, what are you trying to say?” Miles frowns at his sister, then glances my way.
“You…Lucy. You could win the bet. It’s brilliant.”
Miles stands up quickly, like the couch just caught fire. “You’ve lost your mind.”
With that, he leaves the room.
I’m left wondering what the heck she means and why it would make Miles so mad.
Just as I open my mouth to ask, Miles storms back down the hall and into the living room. Coming back to the room kinda takes the steam out of leaving abruptly.
He points to Ainsley and scowls at her as he says, “Preston might be the worst cousin in the world, but it’s not fair of you to try and drag Lucy—who’s completely innocent—into the family drama.”
My eyes widen as I watch Miles stand between me and Ainsley. It’s like he’s trying to protect me from her in some way, yet I don’t understand what they’re even arguing about or what it has to do with me.
“Maybe you should let her decide for herself if she wants to jump into it,” Ainsley shoots back.
“Yeah, right, like she’s going to want to just jump in,” he replies with a sarcastic laugh. He flings a hand backward toward me without looking, but I catch it in mine to keep him from hitting my forehead. He glances back. “Oh, sorry about that.”
He pats my head. Freaking pats it. “Look at this, Ainsley. She’s smart. She actually uses her brain. And she’s not going to go for it, and it’s not right of you to break into my house and make her uncomfortable like this.”
“I’m actually not uncomfortable,” I pipe up. Despite the large, warm hand still resting on top of my wet hair.
“Why are you so cold?” Miles asks, abruptly changing the subject as he looks down at me.
“House call for a sick llama. I forgot to bring my rain gear, so I got soaked.”
He seems to realize he’s still touching me because he removes his hand, then grabs the soft throw blanket from the chair and tosses it to me.
“She says she’s not uncomfortable, Miles. Why don’t I just ask her?” Ainsley asks.
“Because she’s a great roommate, and she shares home-cooked breakfasts with me. I’m not letting you scare her away,” he replies firmly as he presses his hands over my ears.
His hands are huge against the sides of my head, and although it seems like he’s trying to prevent me from listening, all it does is send a strange tingling throughout my body.
I’m going to have to schedule a chiropractor visit after all of this head swiveling.
“I have to admit, I’m totally lost on this conversation. I don’t know what I have to do with your family drama.”
Miles looks at me in alarm, and I grasp his wrists and push his hands away from me.
Ainsley smiles at me. “It’s actually really simple. We need you and Miles to get married.”