Built To Last (Saltwater Springs #1) (14 page)

“Nice try, sugar,” Shelby said. “Pretty sure you were the first one to throw back the Jack after Mrs. M—”

“Speaking of…there she is! I told her you’d give her a lift.” Scarlett didn’t want to hurt Luke with her reaction to the town gossip grilling her about their relationship.

Mrs. M waddled across the dance floor toward them.

“At your service.” Luke bowed in front of her with his hand on his chest.

Scarlett pressed her lips together, attempting to stifle a laugh. She thought she might have even seen a little color rush to the old lady’s cheeks, but she couldn’t be sure with the dim lighting in the bar.

Mrs. M swatted Luke across the arm when he rose. “Save your charm for this one, boy.” She pointed a rheumatic finger at Scarlett.

“Now, ladies, there’s more than enough to go around.” He held both his arms out at his sides and Mrs. M took one. Scarlett rolled her eyes and took the other with a grin. Luke escorted them outside after they shouted their goodbyes to all the girls, then he helped Mrs. M into the front seat of his truck.

She and her husband didn’t live far from Main Street, so the drive would only take a few minutes. Scarlett was thankful for that. Now that she was cocooned in the back seat of Luke’s truck, the constant humming of the engine—and the alcohol she’d consumed—had her eyelids growing heavy. She’d be even more grateful to see her bed.

“Why were you still working?” Scarlett asked, hopeful that some conversation would help to keep her from falling asleep.

He sighed. “More issues over at that one project. I wanted to get a head start on it so my guys could finish it up tomorrow.”

“Is that the—”

Luke abruptly cut her off. “Here we are, Mrs. M. Home safe and sound.” He looked over to Mrs. M, and it was probably just the alcohol but Scarlett swore that some type of understanding passed between them. The elderly lady gave a slight nod and then Luke hopped out of the car so he could help her into her house.

“Thanks for a good time tonight,” she said to Scarlett. “You girls remind me of my glory days. Can’t wait until next month’s meeting.” The sound of her laughter was the last thing Scarlett heard before she drifted off.

F
or the life of him
, Luke couldn’t figure out where the hell Scarlett kept her coffee. He stood in his boxer briefs surveying the dated kitchen, trying to think of where she might have it stashed. He’d already looked in all the obvious places, but had come up empty.

The last thing he wanted to do was to wake Scarlett, but he needed the caffeine to light up his bloodstream and get those synapses firing so that he could function. Opening cupboard door after cupboard door, he scanned the interior of the shoddy cabinets, but still—nothing.

Though it wasn’t all bad, he hated seeing Scarlett live in a place like this. Actually, it was pretty reminiscent of what he’d grown up in, but Luke couldn’t help it if he wanted to see the woman he loved living the kind of life she deserved—the kind she was accustomed to. And he finally had the means to provide that for her. Damn that felt good.

Now, if she’d only let him. He knew Scarlett was still holding back some and he was doing his best not to steamroll forward, but his patience was wearing thin. They’d wasted enough time apart, and all he wanted was for them to get on with their lives—together.

The low moan that sounded from behind him had Luke turning in that direction. “Feeling that bad?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Coffee. Please,” Scarlett said in a raspy voice. Her hand was on her head and her eyes were squeezed shut. Her long, dark hair looked to be half pulled back and half hanging down, and the t-shirt he’d thrown on her last night was wrinkled.

After making sure Mrs. M had made it into her house the night before, he’d returned to his truck to find Scarlett passed out in the back seat. He’d let her sleep, then carried her into the house, removed most of her clothes, and put her to bed. Luke hadn’t wanted to leave her alone in case she woke up ill during the night. Hell, he’d use whatever excuse he had to if it meant sleeping in the same bed as her.

“I had the same idea, but damn if I can find where you put the stuff.”

Scarlett slowly made her way over to the fridge, barely lifting her feet as she walked. She opened the freezer and blessedly pulled out a bag of coffee grinds.

Luke took the cold package from her and got to work making what would be their saving grace. “Seems like a strange spot to put coffee,” he remarked.

“Keeps it fresh,” she responded with a yawn. Scarlett tried to scoot herself up onto the counter, but when she couldn’t manage it, he stopped what he was doing, placed his hands around her waist, and lifted her so they were now eye level. Leaning in, he placed a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose.

“I must look and smell awful,” she said with a groan.

He mussed her hair a bit then returned to the coffeemaker. “Maybe, but I still wouldn’t give you up for anything,” he said, teasing. Luke spared a glance over at her to find Scarlett resting her head back against the upper cupboard, gazing over at him with a conflicted expression.

He hit the start button on the machine and then moved in front of her, nudging her legs apart to make room for his body between them. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” He slinked his hands under her t-shirt and around her waist, loving the feel of her soft, warm skin beneath his hands.

“I’m just tired…a little hungover, that’s all.”

Luke traced his thumb up and down her spine. “Did you see my note?” Before lying down beside her last night, he’d placed a glass of water, some aspirin, and a note telling her to take them before she got up, on her bedside table.

“I did. That was very sweet of you.” She paused. “Thank you for picking me up last night, too.”

With his other hand, Luke cupped her face. “Any time, Lettie. You know that.”

“I do,” she said softly. Her lids seemed to grow heavy and her breathing picked up a bit. Just as Luke leaned in to kiss her, the chime of the coffeemaker sounded.

He groaned. “I didn’t think I’d ever be disappointed to hear that sound.” He leaned in further, gave her a quick peck on the forehead, and then went about pouring their coffee.

W
hen they were halfway
through feeding caffeine into their bloodstreams, Luke’s cell phone rang from the pocket of his jeans upstairs. “I need to get that in case it’s my mom.”

“Of course.”

Luke took the stairs two at a time, hoping to catch the call before it went to voicemail. Picking up his jeans off the hope chest at the end of Scarlett’s bed, he fished through his pockets until he found his cell and then connected the call.

“Hello.”

“Hey, man, it’s Graham. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Not at all. What’s up, buddy?” he asked as he began to pace around the small space.

“I wanted to let you know that an arrest has been made. Seems Rich Duggal was conning people out of money all over the state. Some troopers in a neighboring county picked him up on a traffic stop, and when they looked him up, they realized he was a wanted man. Detectives there pressed charges after talking to him last night.”

Luke fist-pumped the air, elated that the weasel who’d screwed his Lettie over was going to see justice. “That’s such good news, man.”

“I thought you’d be happy.” He cleared his throat. “I tried to call Scarlett, but she didn’t pick up last night so I left a message on her voicemail. When she didn’t call back, I figured she wouldn’t mind me telling you. Can you be sure to pass it on to her?”

“I sure will. I’m with her right now, so I’ll make sure she knows.”

“She’ll probably need to testify if it goes to court, but with all the evidence against this guy, he’ll plead out if he’s smart. Tell her I’ll be in touch.”

“Of course. And hey…thanks. I know you kept a close eye on this one because I asked you to. I really appreciate it.”

“All part of the job.” Graham chuckled. “Dude, if I had a woman like that, I’d be doing whatever it took to please and protect her, too.

The two of them made plans to grab a beer the following week, and then Luke ambled back downstairs. Scarlett was placing some bacon in a frying pan at the stove. The t-shirt she wore barely covered her ass, and he forced himself not to focus on how fast he could strip her bare.

She must have sensed his presence because she looked over her shoulder at him. “Everything okay?” Worry crept into her tone and he tried hard to hold back a smile. Knowing she was concerned that something had happened with his mother—knowing that she cared—made him feel like he’d won the damn lottery. Never in his wildest dreams could he have pictured the two of them together again like this.

“Yeah, that was Graham. He called because he had some news.”

“Oh?” She placed the spatula on the counter beside the stove and stepped toward him.

Luke placed both of his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “They arrested the guy who conned you. He’d done it to a bunch of other people as well, and he’s been brought up on charges.”

Scarlett’s hand flew up to cover her mouth. “Really?” Unshed tears glistened in her eyes.

“Yeah. You don’t have to do anything right now, but Graham will be in touch if the case goes to trial.”

“I can’t believe it. I thought for sure there was no chance they’d ever find the guy.”

He rubbed her upper arms. “Well, believe it. That douchebag is gonna pay for what he did to you. How are you feeling about it?”

“I feel…I feel…” She trailed off, seeming to need a moment to put into words exactly what was going through her mind. “I feel relieved. Like a weight has been lifted…even though I didn’t realize I was carrying it around with me.”

A quick glance behind her told Luke the bacon needed to be turned. He scooted around her and reached for the discarded spatula on the countertop, then flipped the bacon.

Lettie’s small hands wound around his waist from behind and she squeezed, her chest pressed into his back. “Thank you,” she said, so softly he could barely make it out.

“For what?” He placed one of his own hands over hers.

“For convincing me to report what happened. I never would have if it weren’t for you. I feel much better knowing he won’t be doing it to anyone else ever again.”

Scarlett’s warm body had him twitching in his boxer briefs. Luke reached forward and turned the burner off, then spun around to face the woman he adored, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. That said, whenever you need support or need to draw strength from someone…I’m here. I’m here for the good, the bad, and every little moment in between, Lettie. Please don’t forget that.”

She pushed up on her tippy-toes and ran her hands through his hair as she placed her lips on his. Her tongue snaked out to meet his own and they languidly tasted each other while his hands roamed her backside.

Luke pulled away and gazed down into her emerald eyes to find her lids were heavy with the heat of passion. “What do you say we finish cooking this later?” He nodded back in the direction of the bacon. “I think we have some celebrating to do—preferably the horizontal kind.”

A slow grin spread across her face. “I like how you think, Luke Garrity. I’m all yours.”

And she was—more than once that morning.

S
carlett poured
the last of the Halloween candy into the bowl, just as she heard “trick or treat” ring out behind the glass panes of the front door.

Grabbing a handful of candy, she opened the door to see a pair of small kids standing there, pillowcases held wide open. The little girl was dressed as a witch, the boy as some kind of monster.

“Look at you two! You look so scary I almost didn’t want to open the door!” she said, faking a shudder. The two of them laughed and then screamed while making their best scary faces.

Feigning fear, Scarlett dropped the candy in their bags. They smiled, said their thanks, and then ran off to the next house.

Scarlett smiled to herself as she went back to watch TV in the living room until the next trick-or-treater arrived.

Saltwater Springs was beginning to feel like home again. Back in Boston, all she’d been able to do at her small condo was place a seasonal wreath on the door. And though Scarlett didn’t have a lot of money now, she’d managed to scrape together enough to visit the local thrift store and pick up a few small items to decorate the front of her rental house.

She’d just finished scanning the channels and had settled on a TV show to watch when another small voice rang out from her front door.

“Trick or treat! Trick or treat! Trick or treat!” This little girl sounded more excited than the first two, that was for sure.

As Scarlett approached the door, she saw the sweetest little girl dressed in a blue sparkly princess dress, her blond hair braided to one side of her head. She jumped excitedly up and down, and it wasn’t until Scarlett opened the door that she saw Luke standing beside her…only he didn’t look quite how he normally did.

Scarlett suppressed a laugh as she took in the reddish-brown wig on his head with braids falling down on either side. On his body he wore a tight-fitting dress with blue skirt, black bodice and pink cape trailing behind.

“H-hi,” she stuttered, half because she was surprised to see him there and half because she was trying her best not to break out into hysterics.

“Hey, Lettie.” He grinned at her, clearly as amused as she was by the scene in front of her.

“Are you Uncle Luke’s girlfriend?” the adorable girl standing in front of her said.

Scarlett looked askance at Luke. The last time she’d heard this question it was from a woman eighty years Gabbie’s senior. Scarlett still didn’t have the answer. Luke had made his feelings very clear, but they’d never actually had “the talk.”

“Um….”

“Uncle Luke says you’re his girlfriend,” she stated plainly, the smile dropping from her face.

Guess that answers that.

“Your uncle and I have known each other a long time,” Scarlett said.

“Do you love him?”

Scarlett’s eyes widened and she mentally scrambled for an answer she could give the small child.

“Do you like my costume?” Thank God for the scattered thinking of a five-year-old.

Scarlett bent at the waist so that she was eye level with whom she now knew had to be Gabbie. “You are the prettiest little ice princess I’ve ever seen.”

Gabbie smiled, seemingly impressed with her answer. “What do you think of Uncle Luke’s costume? He’s my sister, you know. But I’m the one with all the powers.” She swirled her hands in front of her like she was performing magic, and Scarlett smiled at her enthusiasm.

“Your Uncle Luke looks—”

“Please don’t finish that sentence,” he said. Scarlett just laughed, unable to contain her amusement any longer.

“Can I get my candy now?” Gabbie asked, tilting her head.

“Gabbie, don’t be rude,” Luke admonished.

“It’s okay.” Scarlett stepped back into the house to grab some of the small chocolate bars from the bowl. When she turned back around, Gabbie had walked into the entryway.

God, she was cute.

“Sorry,” Luke said, shaking his head but appearing amused.

Scarlett brushed it off with a wave of her hand. “So Gabbie, how much candy have you gotten so far tonight?”

“Oh, I got lots. Look!” She held open her bag for Scarlett to see, and then Scarlett made a production over how much good stuff the little girl had received.

“We’ve got lots more houses to hit, right kiddo?” Luke mussed up her hair a bit and she pulled away from him.

“Uncle Luke! Ice princesses don’t have messy hair.”

“Yeah, Uncle Luke. How would you like it if someone messed up your hair?” Scarlett brought her hands to her hips like she was scolding him, though the big smile on her face probably told Luke that she was more than enjoying ribbing him about his costume.

Luke narrowed his eyes at her with a playful look. “Do you want to come trick-or-treating with us?”

Scarlett’s attention shifted to the sweet girl in front of her. “I don’t want to intrude…”

“Can she come, Uncle Luke? Can she?” Gabbie was bouncing up and down, barely able to contain her excitement.

“We’d love for you to join us if you want to come,” he said.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to spend time with the two of them. Even though no good could come from watching Luke act as a father figure to Gabbie, the pull was too much.

“Let me put this candy out on the porch with a note and then we can go.”

“Yay!” Gabbie exclaimed, dancing on the spot.

She had a feeling that an evening in the little girl’s presence was all it was going to take for Scarlett to fall in love with her. Not that different from her uncle, she supposed.

“
W
here’s Denise tonight
?” Scarlett asked after they’d been walking around for close to an hour. Turns out Gabbie had
way
more stamina than Scarlett had counted on.

“She had a chance to take some overtime.” He shrugged. “And when Gabbie begged me to dress up with her instead, I couldn’t say no. I feel bad that Denise can’t take her out tonight, but I know she’s trying to save up some extra money for Christmas presents.”

Scarlett could see the pain in Luke’s features. She reached for his hand, interlocked her fingers with his, and squeezed. “You can’t always fix everything, Luke.”

He sighed as he watched Gabbie wait her turn behind some older kids at a neighbor’s door. “I know. I wish Denise would let me help out financially, but she’s a proud woman and says it’s not my responsibility. The most she’ll let me do is stuff like this.”

“And I’m sure that’s a load off her mind. She can go and do her job and not worry about who is taking care of her daughter.”

Luke kicked the toe of his boot against the sidewalk. “I guess.”

“Uncle Luke! Uncle Luke!” Gabbie ran down the driveway with a huge smile on her face. “They gave me three treats!”

Luke pinched one of her cheeks when she reached him. “I bet it’s because you’re the prettiest little ice queen ever.”

Gabbie smiled even wider, adoration shining in her eyes. “Can we go to the next house? Can we? Can we?” She jumped up and down on the spot.

“Lead the way, Munchkin.” Luke gestured in front of himself with his free hand.

They continued down the sidewalk hand-in-hand, trailing behind a fast-moving Gabbie. “You’re very good with her, and she obviously worships you,” Scarlett said with a note of melancholy.

“She’s an amazing little girl.” They waited in silence for a beat as Gabbie charmed the next person handing out candy. “What about you, Lettie? You still want a big family like you once did?”

Her chest constricted as if she’d been tossed in ice water. Luke looked on expectantly as she gathered her thoughts.

Did she still want a big family? Of course. Didn’t mean she’d get it though. “That hasn’t changed,” she finally responded, avoiding eye contact.

Luke squeezed her hand and Scarlett turned to see a slow smile spread across his face. Thankfully, before the conversation could continue, Gabbie came skipping down the driveway toward them.

“Gabbie, do you want to see one of the best decorated houses in town?” Scarlett asked her.

“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” Her eyes twinkled with delight.

“See that house up on the corner?” Gabbie nodded. “The Johnson family lives there, and they always had the best decorations when I was growing up. One year they even had a corn maze in their backyard.”

“Let’s go!” She grabbed Scarlett’s hand and began tugging her in the direction of the house.

Scarlett laughed and looked over her shoulder at Luke. “Let’s go, princess. Try to keep up.”

He chuckled and jogged to catch up with them. “I can see I won’t be living this one down anytime soon.”

Before she could stop herself, she said, “Oh, I can assure you I’ll be telling everyone about this for years to come.”

Damn it.
Why did she keep forgetting that there was no future for the two of them?