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“Look, I get you probably heard about my relationship with Lucas Keagan. And seeing as your sister is married to his brother, I wouldn’t be surprised if you got more information than you should rightfully have been given. But I’m not interested in sharing that part of my life.”
That was mostly due to the fact that she’d been manipulated by him. Lucas had never been attracted to her. He’d been dating her so he could check off some invisible box that he had. She was a glorified checkmark.
Just that thought caused her a great deal more pain than it should have. The ache caught in her chest, making it hard to breathe, and she had to force herself to take a deep, measured breath before she smiled once more at Eloise.
“That being said, if you end up seeing anyone you think I might want to go out with—”
The light returned to Eloise’s eyes.
“Please don’t bother setting me up.”
And just like that, the light went out.
Ella offered her another smile and placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I appreciate your desire to set me up, but I’m not interested in dating anyone at the moment. I don’t want any excuse to feel tied down to this place. I still have to fix a few more things before I can head back home.”
Eloise nodded, her lips pressed together in a thin line. She dragged her gaze away from Ella, then let it flit back to her. “It’s just… Do you have something to go back to? I mean no disrespect, but you’ve been away from where you live working on this project for so long. I can’t imagine that you have a job waiting for you.”
Ella took another calming breath. Eloise didn’t know her well enough to understand what she had back home. And why would she? They’d only recently rekindled the friendship they’d had. She smiled, letting her hand drop to her side. “The company I work for understands that I needed to be here for my father. They assured me that I would be welcome to return when I was done with the projects here.”
It didn’t appear as though Eloise understood exactly what Ella was trying to express, but that was fine. She didn’t have to. Ella had her plans, and they were for her alone. In an effort to change the subject, she gestured to the barn. “Well, this is turning out perfectly. In the next hour or so, everyone will start to arrive. Do you know when the DJ will start setting up? I would have thought he would be here by now.”
“Shane said their plane got in late, but they’re on the road and will be here on time. I’m sure they’re only about ten minutes out by now.”
“Thanks again, Eloise. I’m so glad that you and Shane were able to help make this thing a reality. I’m going to check to make sure the caterer doesn’t need anything.” She couldn’t get awayfrom Eloise fast enough. She hurried so quickly that she nearly tripped over herself. If she could make it to the end of the night without having to explain herself and her lack of relationship, that would be a win.
The barn feltlike it was filled to the brim with everyone who lived in Copper Creek and the surrounding area. Ella had forgotten just how much the city had grown since she was a child. It was hard to see all this support and not feel like she’d made a big difference.
Ella stood back to one side of the room and observed those in attendance. Thankfully, no one from the Keagan family had shown up. She didn’t know what she would do if a certain someone appeared.
Lucas hadn’t shown up for the last day of work due to her request. She’d thought it safer for them to keep their distance, especially if Taven was still hanging around. And that was that.
Music filled the room and there was a large area for couples to dance. Most of the guests simply visited with each other, paying her no mind, which was exactly the way she wanted it to be.
The party might be in the building she had fixed, but she didn’t plan on staying for the whole event. She had plans to slip from the premises as soon as she got a chance. And that chance was going to come sooner than she thought.
Her father got on the platform where the DJ had been working and grabbed the microphone. This had been planned, and he’d asked to bring her into it, but she refused. With all the attention on her father, she inched closer to the door.
She was just about out of the building when she nearly bumped into the one person she hadn’t wanted to see.
Lucas was all smiles, and the person he stood beside was as well.
Taven took one look at her and let out a laugh. But when he tugged his date into the building, she realized he’d been laughing at something his date had said. Together, they passed her and joined the party.
She had little time to be grateful that he hadn’t said anything to her when Lucas’s date materialized behind him.
Trim and a bottle blonde, the woman draped her arm through his and leaned into him. “Where did Taven and Kris go?”
Lucas stiffened at the woman’s arrival and appeared to take a step to the side as if he wanted to distance himself from her.
But that could have been wishful thinking on Ella’s part. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced once more to the woman who was so different from herself. This was the kind of person Lucas usually dated. He went for the kind of girl who got everything she wanted by using her looks.
Ella smirked at Lucas as she crossed her arms. “Who’s your friend?”
The woman grinned, extending a manicured hand. “I’m Candy.”
Ella’s lips thinned. “Of course you are.”
“Her name’s Cassandra,” Lucas muttered.
