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Lucas shot a look toward the house and then sighed. “Fine. But you have to give me all the details the second you sit down for dinner.”
“Whatever,” Elijah muttered. He headed back toward the house but stopped just when Annabel came darting out the front door. She practically flew down the steps and at their visitor. That was when it all clicked.
He knew exactly who had come to visit.
Scarlett.
Elijah hesitated. At this point if he continued on the path he’d taken, he’d have to pass by Scarlett and say hello. Otherwise, he’d have to backtrack slightly to get to the path that worked its way around the house to the back.
Shoot. He’d never really gotten along with Annabel’s friend. She’d always seemed to manipulate Annabel into doing things. While his sister always claimed to want to do what Scarlett said, Elijah couldn’t be so sure.
When Scarlett wanted to sneak out and drink, Annabel went too. When she decided to straighten up and become one of those women who deigned marriage beneath her, Annabel followed along.
None of this would be a problem, but Scarlett had access to college and Annabel did not. So Scarlett got the job overseas and Annabel was stuck in this dump. What kind of friend did something like that? She practically abandoned Annabel from the time she went to college to… well, until this very moment.
Elijah worked his jaw, the irritation growing with each passing second as he saw the two women together. If Scarlett was here, that meant only one thing. Annabel would fall for whatever Scarlett wanted her to do.
He muttered a curse.
Annabel had been doing so well lately. What if she had a relapse with her AA program?
A sigh burst from his lips and he hurried toward the house with a quicker step.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t even realize she was having problems,” Annabel hugged Scarlett close. Her eyes darted toward Elijah when his boot connected with a stone, sending it skittering across the ground. “Elijah, it’s Scar.” She pulled back, allowing her friend to face Elijah. “She’s back in town because her mom passed.”
A myriad of emotions filtered through his body. His own parents weren’t worth the grief he’d spent on them, but Scarlett’s parents had been the good kind. “I’m so sorry, Scarlett.”
She offered him a small smile. “It’s been really hard. My dad is taking it the worst though.”
“I can imagine,” he muttered gruffly. “It’s good that you could visit. Will your company be allowing you to stay long?”
Scarlett’s dark brown eyes darted to Annabel and back to Elijah. “Actually, I’m not going back.”
Annabel gasped. “What?”
Elijah stared at Scarlett blankly. This was unheard of. A decade of working for a company and she was willing to walk away from that?
“What do you mean you’re not going back? Aren’t you like making a ton of money over there?” Annabel’s voice seemed to go up in pitch.
Scarlett clasped her hands together in front of her and looked away. “I know it doesn’t make sense. And maybe we can talk about it later, but right now I wanted to come visit my best friend.” Her voice sounded sadder than he’d remembered it.
For a moment he felt sorry for her. Losing a parent couldn’t have been easy. And if she’d been out of the country when it happened, there was a chance she hadn’t said her goodbyes.
That sadness was fleeting. His gaze trailed her up and down from the way she’d applied her makeup to the name-brand clothing she wore. This wasn’t the vision of a woman who had struggled much in her life. Scarlett Perez had more than enough going for her. Everyone had to struggle a couple times in their life. This was her time.
Elijah folded his arms. It would be wise to keep his mouth shut. Annabel was clearly thrilled to see her best friend, and he could see the excitement in her gaze over the prospect of having a friend back in town who she connected with.
Scarlett glanced at him briefly, then looked away. She probably remembered that he didn’t appreciate her much. Out of all the Keagans, he was the only one who was willing to voice his disdain for her—sometimes in person. And he wasn’t about to stop now.
Annabel pulled her friend into a tight hug again. “Well, I’m sorry for the reasons you’re back. And I can’t wait to hear all about your plans now that you’re staying. Do you want to join us for dinner? I’m sure we have plenty. Charlie makes more than enough because there’s so many hungry men.”
Scarlett’s brows shot upward. “Wait. Charlie? As in little Charlotte? You’re having her do the cooking?”
“She’s fifteen now. She’s more than capable,” Annabel said and laughed, looking to Elijah for backup.
Elijah nodded stiffly. “Around here, we all pull our weight. I’m sure you can appreciate that. Back when you took off to parts unknown, that’s what you were raving about, right?”
Scarlett shot him a flat look.
