Page 8 of Trust

“He’s 6’3”, two hundred plus pounds of muscle and determination. He was a Green Beret and could probably take out a man with nothing more than a post-it note. Nothing about him needs saving, and truth be told,” she let out a sigh, “it would be me who would benefit from his company.”

“Ooohhhh,” Lucy replied quietly. “You got the feeling, didn’t you?”

Picking at the crumbs on her plate, she nodded. “I did, and the closer I got, the more intense it became. It was like that force field Grams is always yammering about. It’s not nonsense, Luce, and I’m bewildered why God made it possible with a man who’s a grump and finds me more than a tad irritating.”

“Did you do that thing where you forget about personal space and chatter about any random thing that comes to your mind?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “It was so bad.”

“Think you’ll be able to get ahold of yourself next time you see him?”

She shook her head slowly. “Not a chance in the world. He’s a flame that I can’t stay away from. I sent my poor Bella over there this morning so he’d have no choice but to return her. I’ve stooped quite low and will likely do it again the minute I come up with a plan.”

Lucy patted her sister’s hand. “I guess the only thing we can do is embrace it and figure out a way to minimize the fallout.”

“Maybe there’s some spell I can cast on him so he doesn’t find me so unappealing. Do you have any of those witchcraft books on the sale table anymore?”

“No. Betsy Yarlin bought them when I dropped the price to $5.99. Lord knows what she plans on doing with them, but Hoyt Doherty is likely the center of whatever she’s got in mind.”

“Bless her heart.” Feeling a kinship with the woman who lived across the lake, she wondered if she might share the spells that succeeded.

“Don’t,” Lucy said firmly.

“I wasn’t,” she said with an innocent smile. “I’m not dumb enough to interfere with the universe’s plan.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Crossing her fingers under the table, she knew she wouldn’t interfere but might help things along should the right opportunity present itself.

THREE

Zane grabbed his tool bag off the hall table and heard the rumble of an approaching car. “Please don’t let it be well-intentioned town folks or anyone from my family.” He looked through the small window that flanked the right side of the door and groaned when he spied his older brother, Asher, emerge from a car.

“Why do they always send the golden boy?” he grumbled, swinging open the door. “Guess no one felt like paying attention to my request to be left alone.”

“Brother, you know us Hawkers don’t leave one another in peace for long. No matter the consequence, we’re genetically predisposed to be in one another’s business.”

Shaking his head at his sibling, that resembled a Ralph Lauren model, he told himself that a couple of days of brotherly bonding wouldn’t kill him. “Just know that I plan on sending the most troublesome family ghosts your way. So, don’t think a decent night’s sleep is possible while in residence.”

Asher pulled a bag out of the back seat along with a cooler. “We both know there isn’t a person, alive or dead, who can resist my charms for long. I will have them wrangled before the day on the calendar changes.”

“Sure, sure,” he replied, trudging down the stairs and taking the red cooler out of his brother’s hands. “Did Mama fill this with my favorites, or did you stop at the liquor store and load up on our favorite beer?”

“Both,” Asher replied before slapping Zane on the back. “And for the record, I probably need this visit more than you.”

“So, the family rumor mill wasn’t inaccurate?”

“Nope!”

“Am I gonna get the full download on your fiery departure from the Navy while you’re here?”

“Yep, just get me liquored up, and I’ll bore you with every gruesome detail.”

Taking a minute to study his brother’s perfect features, he noted something sad beneath his perpetual shit-eating grin. A thing he never thought possible for the man who never had a bad day or took a wrong turn. “Come inside, and I’ll show you the renovations.”

“Sounds good.”

Before they made it through the front door, he heard the now familiar bark of Bella and glanced over his shoulder. “Guess it’s time for her daily visit.”

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