Built To Last (Saltwater Springs #1) (5 page)

S
carlett reared back
, almost hitting Luke with the back of her head, and swung around to face the front door where trouble had just walked in.

“Mrs. Gibbons, what are you doing here?”

“It’s a pleasure to see you, too, Scarlett,” the woman sneered at her. “Did you leave your manners in Boston?”

Obviously a decade still hadn’t changed
her
. “Forgive me. I’m surprised to see you is all.”

Mrs. Gibbons gave Scarlett a small smile and then pressed her lips together, looking down her nose at Luke. She began pacing through the store, taking it all in with assessing eyes while her expensive heels clicked on the concrete below.

Scarlett glanced over to Luke to see what he made of the woman’s visit, but his face was impassive. She didn’t miss the tick in his jaw though.

“I figured I’d stop by and see what you were up to here. Make sure there were no issues that the city council should be aware of.”

Mrs. Gibbons was the matriarch of a family not unlike the one Scarlett had been a part of growing up. The woman had been on the city council since Scarlett was in high school and apparently was still there. Her father had always been sure it was because Marlena liked to keep her nose in everyone’s business, and not because of any civic duty.

Scarlett had gone to school with the woman’s daughter, though they’d never been friends. Frenemies would be a more accurate assessment. Her daughter Phoebe had always competed with Scarlett on every level—grades, fashion, boys. She’d even made a play for Luke once during senior year, which had been the final straw for Scarlett. They’d stopped pretending to like each other after that happened. Scarlett figured some of that bad blood had spilled over to her mother’s feelings toward her.

“I can assure you there’s nothing of interest here for the council to worry about. I’m only trying to get my bakery up and running, which is allowed in the current zoning.”

Marlena simply nodded and continued to peruse the shop, stepping around building materials with her chin up and her hands clasped behind her back. When she reached the back area where the kitchen would eventually be, she looked over her shoulder at Luke.

“I’m sure you’re following all the building codes and whatnot, correct, Luke? We both know how much you used to love breaking all the rules.” She’d said the last part sarcastically.

“I wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise,” Luke responded in a clipped tone. Scarlett knew from the red tinge of his neck and ears that Marlena was working his last nerve.

When she’d finished her investigation of the back area, Marlena made her way over to where Scarlett and Luke stood.

“Make sure it stays that way,” she said to Luke. Then, without waiting for a response, she turned her attention back to Scarlett. “Phoebe heard you were in town again and asked me to say ‘hi.’ She would have stopped by on her own, but she’s been working in Jackson’s father’s law office since she passed the bar. Very busy, you know.”

Scarlett told herself it didn’t matter to her what Phoebe did with her life, and the fact that she was in a prestigious career while Scarlett was trying to scrape together enough money to open a simple bakery didn’t matter. She fought to gain control over the little green monster that had woken inside her, not interested in resurrecting a decade-old pissing match between the two of them.

“I didn’t know that, but it’s wonderful to hear she’s doing so well.” Scarlett fought to keep her expression neutral. “Give her my best.”

“I most certainly will. She’ll definitely be interested to hear what you’re up to these days.” Marlena’s gaze flickered from Scarlett’s face down to her casual attire, then she smoothed out the front of her own designer dress. “Well, I’d best be off. Lots to do. Scarlett, it’s been a pleasure. Luke, do try to stay out of trouble.”

She spun on her Manolo Blahniks and headed for the door, then stopped abruptly and turned back around to face them. “Scarlett, are you still friends with Layla?”

Scarlett scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. “Yes, why?”

Dipping her gaze down to Scarlett’s hands, she responded, “I’m sure if you give her a call she can get you in with the manicurist at her salon on short notice.” With that scathing comment, Marlena gave her an insincere smile and left.

There was only silence in the shop for a beat until Scarlett spoke. “She certainly hasn’t changed at all.”

Luke’s hands were fisted at his side, his entire body tense. “No, she’s still the same self-centered bitch she always was.”

“I don’t recall her having such a dislike for you before…”

“I think she resents the fact that I grew up and made something of myself. By not staying on my side of the tracks and ending up like my father, it doesn’t fit with how she sees the world and it threatens her.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him when it was easy to see that he’d been holding himself back while Marlena had been there.

“Well, hopefully she doesn’t make any more surprise visits,” Scarlett said, turning back around to the work area Luke had set up. “Should we get started?”

Luke nodded. “I’ll mark up all the pieces and if you can make the cuts, we should be able to make some good progress.”

He walked past her to the wall, not sparing her a glance, the intimacy of the earlier moment seemingly forgotten. Suited her fine—she was never one for torturing herself with what she couldn’t have anyway.

A
few days later
, Luke had managed to get all the framing done, as well as measure for the cabinetry Scarlett would need for the front counter and beyond. In the end, they’d only had to scrap a couple pieces of wood with Scarlett doing all the cuts. After messing up a few times, she’d become comfortable with the saw and no longer thought it was going to jump up off the table of its own free will to chop off one of her limbs.

The tension in Luke’s muscles relaxed some as the days passed and they got on with the job. They spoke very little, only doing so when he was directing her in some way, and she’d only speak to him if she had a question about something. He preferred it that way.

Scarlett’s voice interrupted Luke’s thinking while he surveyed what he was going to work on next. “How is your mom doing?”

This was the first time she’d asked about anything having to do with his personal life. “You know my mom, she rolls with the punches,” he replied with a small smile.

“Oh, that’s good.”

Since Scarlett had returned, any time they’d engaged one another in conversation it had either led to the feeling that there was still an intense connection between them, or him getting angry all over again for how she’d ended things so long ago. No good could come from exploring either of those feelings, so it was better to avoid each other as much as possible, despite the fact that they had to work together in the same small area for hours every day.

It was for that reason Luke didn’t tell Lettie that his mom was going through the fight of her life.

Scarlett was biting her lip and Luke knew it meant she had something on her mind. “What is it? Just come out with it.”

Drawing in a big breath, she paused before answering. “I’m sorry about what happened with your brother. I always liked him when we were in school together. I wanted to attend the funeral, but…”

Luke pressed his teeth together for a moment. “I don’t want to talk about my brother.”

With that, he turned away from Scarlett to try and focus on the job. There was something soothing about the smell of freshly cut wood and he inhaled deeply. It always seemed to calm him and make him think of new possibilities…things that could be built anew or repaired from old. A chance to make something built to last. He was in his element working with his hands and could almost pretend that working alongside his first—and only—real love was a regular day on the job.

He measured the space between two of the studs on the inside wall, willing himself to focus only on the job at hand. When Luke had suggested adding some inexpensive built-ins along one of the walls so she could put some books and other knick-knacks to help with the cozy feel Scarlett said she wanted, she’d pounced on the idea. It meant rearranging some of the framing they’d already done, but Luke was able to reuse a lot of the wood so there wasn’t a big issue.

“How long have you had the company?” Scarlett asked after the saw had quieted from a cut she’d finished making.

He heaved out a sigh. Someone was chatty today. “Almost eight years now. I screwed around for a couple of years after you left town and then finally decided to get my shit together and do something with my life.”

He glanced over his shoulder at Scarlett. The safety glasses and sawdust covering the front of her didn’t dull her beauty in the least.

“I see.” She dropped her head to look down at the floor. After a moment, she glanced back up at him. “It’s clear you’re doing something you love. You always did like working with your hands.” She smiled, though her eyes had a faraway look to them as if she was reliving a memory.

“It was the only thing I was ever good at.” He turned back around to hammer a nail into the wood, putting more aggression and force into his swings than necessary—the reminder of how her family had thought he’d amount to nothing now forefront in his mind.

“I don’t know about that…” She trailed off without saying any more and he gladly let her. “How did you get into construction?”

Luke set his hammer down and walked over to the cooler he’d brought along with him.

“You really wanna do this?” he asked with frustration.

“Do what?” Her forehead wrinkled in apparent confusion.

“Take a stroll down memory lane. It’s plagued with potholes and detour signs.”

“I was only making conversation. We’ve been here together for days and barely spoken to each other. I was curious how you started your business, that’s all. If you’d prefer we don’t speak—”

“No, I’m sorry. That was a jerk thing to say.” He needed to learn to regulate himself around her. He was hot one minute and cold the next. No one else had ever had that effect on him. “I was working in the hardware store for Old Man Jacobs, and when I’d help the contractors out with stuff, I’d pick their brains. One day one of them offered me a small job on the side that I could do on my days off from the store. Mom needed the extra money—Dad was still around then, drinking all her tip money from the diner—so I said yes.” He reached in the cooler and pulled out his bottle of water, twisting the cap off. “Another side job followed and then more after that. I learned by doing, picked it up quick, and struck out on my own.” Luke sipped from the bottle.

“At least one of us had the courage to do something we were passionate about,” Scarlett said with a furrowed brow.

Luke feigned shock. “You mean you weren’t passionate about accounting? I would’ve thought all that number-crunching was fascinating work.” He chuckled low under his breath and sipped again from the bottle.

She rolled her eyes. “You know as well as anyone that my parents pressured me into going to college to get a
real
job.” She pursed her lips for a moment. “What a coward I was.”

“You’re not a coward, Lettie.” The term of endearment had slipped off his tongue as sure as if it’d been coated in oil.

Her pupils dilated for a second and she held his gaze, shaking her head. “No, I am. Trust me on that.” Tears built up in the corners of her eyes—for what he wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t stand to see them.

A few steps and he’d closed the distance between them. He placed his hands on her shoulders and ducked his head down to look her in the eyes. “You uprooted your entire life, sold off your family property, returned home, and are starting a new business. Those aren’t the acts of a coward. So you took the long way around…” He shrugged. “The point is, you’re doing it now.”

Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then brought her hand up to cup his cheek. The feel of her willing touch on his skin had him holding his breath, afraid he might break the spell. “You always were such a good man.” She smiled a sad smile and let her hand drop, regaining her composure. “I need to head over to the flower shop to talk to Shelby about the opening. I want to make sure she has room in her schedule to help me out.”

Luke took a step back and cleared his throat, running a hand across the back of his neck. “Yeah, okay. I can hold down the fort here for a while.”

S
carlett drew
in a lungful of crisp autumn air as soon as she exited her store. She’d wanted to weep listening to Luke talk about how she wasn’t a coward, because if he knew—

No, she couldn’t dwell on the past. Even if six foot two, two hundred and twenty-five pounds of it walked through her door every day, she could
not
go there. It would do her no good to relive what
should
be ancient history. The truth was she’d barely gotten through it the first time around. Remembering the unfairness and tragedy of it all again would surely break her.

She was counting the days until Layla returned. Scarlett needed someone or something else to take her mind off Luke. Right now she’d have to settle for flower arrangements.

Spotting the pink-and-green Petal Pushers sign across the street, Scarlett quickly checked both directions and, deeming it safe, crossed the road then entered the shop.

The scent of different varieties of flowers all mixed together formed an overpowering but not unpleasant aroma. It was a charming little store. Smaller than what her bakery would be but well merchandised, with a counter on one side and a walk-in fridge housing the different blooms on the other. A large worktable with a well-used wooden top was centered by the back wall. Shelby was behind it, working on an arrangement in a large glass vase. The tops of the blooms must have stood at least three feet high.

“That sure is something,” Scarlett said as she made her way over to the petite blonde. Shelby had cut her hair into a shoulder-length bob since Scarlett last saw her, and it made her appear even cuter than she had before. She looked up from the stems she was wrestling into the jam-packed vase and smiled.

“I heard you’d rolled back into town. I’ve wanted to get over to see you, but as you can see, the Bridezillas in the county have been keeping me busier than a one-legged cat in a sandbox.” She laughed and set the flowers down to come around the worktable, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. Embracing her in a hug, Shelby said in her thick Southern accent, “How are you doing? It’s been too long.”

It had. The last time she’d seen Shelby had been at her parents’ funeral when her old friend had come to give her respects. “I’m okay. Still getting settled and used to the idea of being home.” Scarlett pulled out of the hug and shrugged. “Trying to get everything in order to open up the bakery.”

“I heard you were fixin’ to make something outta that empty storefront down the street.” She narrowed her eyes with interest, not animosity. “Also heard you got Luke helping you see to it.”

“I sure hope everyone’s interest in my bakery continues once the doors open for business,” Scarlett grumbled. “Why does the whole town seem to know what I’m up to?”

Shelby smacked her lightly on the side of her arm. “Honey, don’t tell me you don’t remember that gossip travels faster than a hot knife through butter ‘round here.” She cocked a hip and put her hand on her small waist.

Scarlett forgot how sassy Shelby could be. She’d moved to Saltwater Springs at the beginning of high school from a small town in Tennessee and had brought an abundance of Southern lingo with her. It never failed to give Scarlett a chuckle.

“It had escaped my memory apparently, but it’s all becoming very clear again.” She rolled her eyes.

Shelby laughed good-naturedly. “So, what can I do you for?”

“I was hoping to hire you to create some centerpieces for the opening of the bakery. Something small that I can put on each of the café tables.” Scarlett motioned over to the gargantuan concoction on the worktable. “Nothing like that.”

The owner of Petal Pushers rolled her eyes. “Please…who actually
wants
anything like that monstrosity? That there is a mother of the bride’s attempt to upstage her friend’s daughter’s wedding.”

“Well, I don’t have a big budget, so I was thinking something pretty but simple.” Scarlett wrung her hands in front of her, hoping her friend would be able to help her out.

Shelby placed both her hands on her hips and twisted her mouth for a moment. “I can do that. I’m thinking you wouldn’t want anything with too strong of a scent because it’ll be competing with the smell of your baking. And you definitely want low so you can see the person sittin’ at the other side of the table from you.”

Scarlett exhaled in relief. “Yes, this is exactly why I wanted to hire you. I knew you’d be able to help…
can
you help?” Scarlett bit her lip while waiting for Shelby’s response.

“You bet yer bottom dollar I can. Why don’t I come by when you’re closer to finishing, and then I can get an idea of the look of the place? We can discuss budget and colors then.”

“Oh, thank you.” Scarlett pulled the petite woman in for a hug, and a little of the weight she’d been carrying on her shoulders seemed to lift off.

“You’re welcome. Now that that’s out of the way, we need to figure out when we’re gonna catch up.”

“I’d like that,” Scarlett responded, meaning it.

“Why don’t you come along with Madison and me to the house party we’re going to this Saturday? A lot of the old crew will probably be there.”

Scarlett shifted her weight, unsure how to respond. While it would be good to see some of her old friends, and it’d certainly be good for business to be able to invite them to the bakery’s opening, she didn’t want to spend more time with Luke than she already was. A girl had her limits. Moving home had already been way more complicated than she had anticipated.

“You look about as lost as last year’s Easter egg, Scarlett. What’s wrong?”

With a deep breath, she decided to lay her cards on the table and ask about what was on her mind. “Is Luke going to be there?”

Shelby gave her a knowing smile. “Ah, I see. I can’t say for sure, but he doesn’t usually come to these things. Can’t recall the last time I saw him at one.”

She supposed that was as good a guarantee as she was going to get. “All right, then. I’ll go.”

Her friend hopped up and down on the spot, clapping her hands in front of her. “Yay. I’ll pick you up around eight.” Shelby walked over to the counter and reached for a business card sitting beside the register. Flipping it over, she grabbed a pen lying on the counter and wrote something on the back. Making her way over to Scarlett, she said, “I wrote down my cell number. Text me with your address.”

Scarlett took the card and pushed it into the back pocket of her jeans. “Will do. And thanks for the invite.”

“Of course, girl. I can’t wait to catch up. And I’ll be wanting to hear all about whatever is or isn’t happening with you and Luke.” She winked.

Scarlett managed to keep the smile on her face by some small miracle. “I’ll see you then.” She gave a small wave and left the flower shop, the bell ringing above her as she pushed open the door.

Unlike when she’d come in, she couldn’t help but hear it more as an alarm warning her to run, rather than a sound welcoming her in.