Page 20 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
xx,
Liz
CHAPTERSIX
LIZ
Liz let the drapes fall back in place in her front window where she’d been waiting for over thirty minutes now. Where was Rose?
She’d called, but her sister wasn’t answering. Liz supposed she should be worried, but this was typical Rose behavior. Tonight, of all nights, Rose needed to be on time. They couldn’t miss Jo’s celebration of life. It was important.
Tears gathered in Liz’s eyes. She was dressed in a pair of pinstripe pants with a royal-blue top and a soft-cream cardigan sweater because it got chilly on the waterway at night, even this time of year. Now it looked like she might not even make it to the celebration after all. Maybe she should just put her pj’s on and curl into bed. The thought was fleeting. She was a lot of things, but a quitter wasn’t one of them.
She’d ride her bike. If she rode fast, she could be there in fifteen to twenty minutes, tops. She’d miss the mingling and the part where people said a few kind words about the dearly departed. But she’d be there for the main event. Over the years, Jo would talk about her grand send-off one day. She had made it sound like she was going on a cruise or something, instead of dying.
Liz grabbed her purse and keys and hurried to the garage, freeing her bicycle from its rack on the wall and pulling on her helmet. Then she straddled the seat and coasted out of the driveway. At its crest, she started pedaling with determination, mostly fueled out of irritation at Rose.
She made it to theSTOPsign, looked both ways, and then pumped her right foot to go when a truck pulled up beside her. Liz glanced over into Matt’s rolled down window. She felt her lips part a little because she wasn’t expecting to see him at this moment.
“My instructions are to escort you to Jo’s Celebration of Life. Hop in, my lady.”
Liz blinked. She was still slightly out of breath from racing down her street.
Matt pushed his truck door open and stepped out. “Here, let me help you put your bike in the bed of the truck.”
Liz swung her leg off and watched as Matt picked up her Schwinn like it weighed nothing. “Careful with it,” she said, unable to help herself.
“Of course.” He grinned at her over his shoulder and when he did, a million butterflies stormed her stomach.
She ignored the fluttering sensation in her belly and unsnapped her helmet, placing it into the bed of his truck next to her bike. Then she headed over to the passenger seat, opened the door, and ignoring her inner reservations, climbed in. “Thank you,” she said once he’d returned to sitting behind the steering wheel.
“You could have called yourself, you know?” His gaze lingered on her a long moment before returning to the road.
Matt was ever helpful. And kind. She had his number programed into her phone, of course, but she didn’t want to have to use it. No, she wanted her sister to be a responsible human being for once.
“You were running late too?” Liz asked.
“I got home later than expected. I was working a wreck on Conch Avenue.” He cast her an apologetic look. And there it was. The reason she didn’t call Matt. They had a history that started with her very own wreck. Every time they were together, something happened or was said that created that very look he was giving her now. The concerned divot between his eyes, pulling his brows into a slight tilt. He’d pulled her to safety, held her as she’d cried—although that’s just what she was told because she didn’t actually remember anything. She was in shock.
He remembered though. She could see it on his face when he mentioned an accident or a scene. That was his job. It was what he did, day in and day out.
Matt lifted his foot off the gas pedal just a notch. Without thinking, she clutched the safety handle on the truck door. He continued to drive five below the speed limit all the way to Sunrise Park, where he pulled in at the end of a long trail of vehicles.
“Look at that,” Matt said.
Liz followed his gaze to the turquoise and fluorescent-orange-colored horizon, melting behind the distant coastline. “It’s beautiful out here.”
“Jo had the right idea. You can be buried below the ground or you can have your ashes out there in nature’s beauty.”
Liz knew not to look at Matt right now. She was already feeling everything. Frustrated and irritated at Rose. Sentimental and mourning Jo. She didn’t need to mix in anything else. Especially not anything romantic. Instead, she pushed open her truck door. “Thank you for the ride,” she said. “I’m sure Rose can take me home afterward.”
He stepped out too, meeting her on the other side of the truck. “You’re sure Rose is coming tonight?”
Liz looked at him. “Rose knew Jo. I’m sure she’ll be here.”
“Well, you have my number and I have your bike. You know I don’t mind giving you a lift if you need it.”
Liz offered him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
