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Samantha hugs me next. Her scent of lavender and eucalyptus and ginger reminds me of Grams, and I sink into her hug a little more, wishing she were Grams.
“If she did,” Samantha says, “you can guarantee Rose would’ve already told us about him.”
Delores lifts her chin, the familiar impish gleam in her eyes. “Maybe Simone has a secret boyfriend Rose doesn’t know about.”
Samantha chuckles, the sound of old paper softened with time. “If that’s the case, do you really think she would tell us? You’d spill the beans faster than I can cable-knit a row in a sweater.”
“I’m too busy with my career to worry about finding someone.” I avoid looking at Lucas.
In reality, there’s no point being in a relationship when no man wants to be with a car wreck like me—as my ex-boyfriend so kindly pointed out.
“How long are you in Maple Ridge for?” Lucas asks, and I don’t have a choice but to look at him. He’s smiling at me as if he can’t believe I’m standing in front of him. Like I’m some sort of mirage.
And I can’t help but smile back. “For as long as it takes Grams to recover. I quit my job.”
“You did?” The only way I could have surprised Zara more would be if I’d told her I was moving to Iceland.
“I didn’t get the job promotion. And what happened to Grams was a wake-up call. I’ve got money saved up”—the advantage of being a workaholic—“and I have a plan.”
One of Zara’s employees tells her she’s needed in the kitchen. Zara replies that she’ll be right there. Delores and Samantha return to their table.
“It’s my turn to host game night tonight. So you can tell us all about your plans then. I’m dying to hear them.” Zara tells the girl at the counter to give me two apple strudels, on the house, and rushes into the back.
And I’m left standing here with the man I’d rather not see and his brother.
Game night always included Lucas and his brothers and my brother. “Will you two be there tonight?” My palms grow clammy at that possibility.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Lucas says.
Troy nods. “Yup. Kellan and Garrett will also be there.”
Oh, good. About Kellan and Garrett. That means I won’t be alone with Lucas.
I could skip out on game night, but I want to see my friends, and I can’t avoid Lucas for the rest of my life—even if I was doing a great job of that until today.
“Soooo.” Paragliding naked would’ve felt less awkward. “What are you to up to these days?” The question is for both men, but my gaze is focused solely on Troy.
“I own a construction company,” Troy says, “that specializes in renovations and restorations.”
“He also improves the accessibility for clients who have disabilities.” Lucas smiles.
“That’s great,” I say to Troy and turn back to Lucas. “What about you?” The last I heard, he went on to do his physical therapy degree.
The smile on Lucas’s face slips into a flat line. “Until this morning, I was a physical therapist at the Veterans Center. But I lost my job after someone planted narcotics in my house, and I was arrested for possession with the intent to sell.”
Crap.
I stare at him for a second, positive I misheard him. The Lucas I knew would never have touched illegal drugs. And he certainly wouldn’t have sold them. Why would the cops even think he’s guilty?
Troy folds his arms, a frown on his brow. “Now he’s working for me until we can clear his name.”
“You mean while the cops clear his name.”
Both men snort a derisive laugh, their expressions far from amused. A cold shiver skittles through me at the meaning behind the sound.
The hollowness where my uterus used to be, where our baby once grew, whispers for me to put as much distance as possible between Lucas and me. “I should go now. I’m going to the hospital to check on Grams.”
I snatch up the box with the desserts and escape the café before anyone can ask me more questions.
