Chapter 18
Lucas
It wasn’t that Lucas hadn’t enjoyed taking Sapphire to the Falls; she was a perfectly nice person and really funny too once you got to know her. The problem was, Lucas would rather have gone to the Falls with someone else, and he was wrongly making comparisons by going with Sapphire instead.
It didn’t matter how much time passed, the Falls would always be the special place that he and Willow had enjoyed as kids.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they pretty much lived there for a time.
And yeah, maybe it was partly out of spite that he had offered to take Sapphire there, but he was hurt.
Willow seemed so unbothered by the place; she hadn’t even visited it since she’d been back.
He honestly thought it had meant as much to her as it had to him. He was clearly wrong. Then again, he had been so wrong about so much, so was this really a surprise?
‘Sounds like you missed out on a pretty good opportunity,’ Greg mused after Lucas told him everything that had happened. ‘Man, she gave you her number and she was hot! Like – really hot! Willow only brought her to the bar for a little while, but that was enough. How could you not be interested?’
Lucas had been recounting the whole day’s events to Greg, though he wasn’t sure why he bothered. Greg was no better at giving advice than Lucas was at taking it.
‘She’s not my type,’ he replied casually. ‘She was nice and everything, but I don’t think we’d have anything in common.’
‘How would you know? You didn’t even give it a shot?’
‘We talked – but it wasn’t exactly deep, if you get my meaning?’
‘Why do you want deep?’ Greg winked at him. ‘Seriously, Luc – you need to just have some fun with a woman.’
Lucas choked out a laugh. ‘And this coming from a man who hasn’t dated in how long?’
‘Neither have you,’ Greg replied in his matter-of-fact manner. ‘And we’re talking about you, not me. And you messed up.’
Lucas grunted and moved past Greg. He had a meal to serve Macguire, who was sitting by one of the window tables.
‘I know what I like,’ he called over his shoulder. ‘There’s nothing wrong with knowing your taste.’
‘We all know what you like, or rather who,’ Greg muttered back. ‘The problem is, it’s been the same girl since you were like ten years old. Don’t you think you should give up by now? It’s getting a little boring.’
Lucas chose to ignore Greg. He served Macguire with a wide fake smile, knowing that he was taking in all this gossip. The man had an unhealthy interest in him. Macguire pushed back his laptop to make room for his plate and stared up at Lucas, clearly already intrigued.
‘Who’s this then, Lucas? Have you got lady trouble?’ he asked predictably, the eagerness to bond splattered all over his face. ‘You know I might be able to help? Give you a view from an older man’s perspective?’
‘It’s fine.’ Lucas’s smile was now rigid. ‘I’m fine, but thank you.’
‘Oh, it’s Willow, isn’t it? There were some vibes between you two earlier.’ Macguire picked up a fry and waggled it in his direction. ‘There is definitely some sort of heat between you.’
‘The only heat is between your ears, Mac …’ Lucas muttered. ‘Please keep out of my business. And enjoy your meal.’
He walked back over to the main counter, muttering under his breath. Greg was clearly stifling a laugh. Lucas swept past him, still murmuring a few choice words to himself. He really didn’t need this today. As far as he was concerned, everyone needed to get out of his face.
Lucas instead tried to focus on running The Diner and serving the few customers that were there, but it was tricky when his gaze kept drifting out towards the window. Why did that stupid van of Willow’s have to be in his sight line?
‘Seriously, man. You need to stop glaring like that. You’re ruining my appetite,’ Greg said loudly, prodding his burger. ‘Anyone would think you’ve just had the worst day ever.’
‘It was a good day. I didn’t say it wasn’t, did I?’
‘No, but your face says differently. Then again, when does your face ever look anything but miserable?’ Greg chuckled to himself. ‘Seriously, you need sex! Uncomplicated, no-nonsense sex.’
‘Oh, because you’re such an expert in it?’
‘More than you, evidently! At least I’ve had a few liaisons.’ Greg had such a smug self-satisfied look on his face that if Lucas didn’t like him so much, he would have punched him.
Greg’s liaisons were hardly much to write home about anyway.
Jenn and some girl he hooked up with occasionally who lived over in the Ridge and went to the same game night that he did.
Although, Greg was getting more action than Lucas.
But what was the point of a fling? That had never been Lucas’s vibe.
He always craved something deeper, something more meaningful.
Flings he had had before had never satisfied him.
Greg nudged the ketchup towards him. ‘You should come out with me, man. It’ll easily take your mind off things.’
Lucas shook his head. ‘Thanks buddy, but I don’t feel like one of your nerdy game nights.’
‘They’re actually not that nerdy.’
‘Whatever.’
He busied himself cleaning tables. Greg was right, of course; this should count as a good day and if Lucas had any sense at all he would call Sapphire.
It wasn’t as if he had had much action recently.
A brief relationship with a waitress in New York hadn’t exactly been that fulfilling and most of the women in Honey Springs were either taken, retired or not an option.
Or they were Willow, and he really didn’t want to go there.
He wanted to tell Greg that he recognized the look that Willow had given him when he had gone off with Sapphire.
He was sure he hadn’t imagined it. Her face had gone all tight and she had this little angry expression in her eyes.
Was that jealousy? And if so, what did that mean?
If she didn’t care, why had she looked that way?
Was Lucas crazy to even consider that it could mean more?
The hours slipped past and soon it was practically closing time.
Greg had left to go to the hospital to check on his dad.
Janice had selected some cheesy love song on the jukebox and was singing along as she swept the floor.
Macguire had packed up his laptop and was long gone, telling Lucas yet again that he ‘needed to follow his heart’.
Lucas was sitting at the counter, swiping on his phone, wishing that he could stop his obsession with all things Willow and Jake.
Willow had barely been online since coming back to Honey Springs.
There was one post announcing the opening of her wagon, one of the line outside on the first day and another of her hand clasping an ice-cold matcha.
It was all pretty innocent and not very revealing.
Jake, on the other hand, was still all over the internet; he was becoming quite the star.
Lucas scowled as his latest post burst into life on his phone.
He was standing, arms crossed, wearing his first-responder gear in a forest of some kind.
The post was on the dangers of hiking without the proper equipment.
Lucas knew, without even looking at the comments, that his fans were not interested in his tips but only in the times when he flexed his muscles or flashed that incredibly charming grin of his.
‘I only want to help people,’ he said at the end of the clip. It was what he said at the end of every video, and it made Lucas’s insides curdle. ‘I believe that is what I’m here to do. It’s my destiny.’
‘Wow! Who’s that stud?’
Lucas spun around. Janice stood behind him, gripping her mop and staring at the screen as if in a trance. ‘He is beautiful.’
Lucas stuffed the phone back into his jeans pocket. ‘He is nobody. Seriously. You wouldn’t want to know him in real life.’
‘I swear I recognize him?’ She screwed up her face and Lucas could almost hear the cogs turning in her mind. ‘Didn’t he live here once? He sure has grown.’
‘We all have,’ Lucas muttered. ‘But yeah. He lived here when he was much younger. He’s Eric’s son. Willow’s boyfriend.’
‘Oh.’ Janice nodded fast, understanding.
Eric came here sometimes, but not often; he was more Greg’s problem.
There were occasions when he decided to go cold turkey and would come to The Diner searching for black coffee, but those were often tricky days.
Lucas hated himself for it, but he was relieved he stayed mainly locked away at home now.
He caused less bother for everyone when he did.
‘Poor Jake,’ Janice added. ‘Having to put up with that. But I’m surprised we don’t see more of him around here.’
‘Oh, I’m not.’ Lucas’s jaw was locked. ‘He got away as soon as he could. He’s never been one to stick around.’
And now he was an internet star he was going to be even more insufferable. Not for the first time, Lucas wondered what the hell Willow had ever seen in him.
Janice was leaving. She wrapped her thin cardigan over her shoulders and kissed Lucas gently on the cheek.
She smelt of her familiar scent – vanilla and cherry blossoms. Even as a kid, Lucas could remember her smelling like this.
All this time she had worked at The Diner, first as Mel’s best friend and now as Lucas’s honorary auntie.
Part of him wanted to draw her into a tighter hug, to bury his head in her neck and admit to her that he was struggling.
But he didn’t. He held fast and smiled stiffly.
He needed to show he was still in control. People still needed to believe in him.
Nobody wanted to see a weak man flailing.
‘We still have your mom’s day to organize,’ she reminded him. ‘I’m looking forward to eating your blueberry cheesecake recipe; it’s going to be the best.’
‘I hope so,’ Lucas replied quietly. ‘I just hope I do her justice.’
Janice hugged him again. ‘You will, sweetie. You will. I’ll bring some more recipes in tomorrow, shall I? We can make some final decisions?’