Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1) (4 page)

"We were in a no-win situation, huh?" Lynn murmured.

"Yeah, I guess we were."

"So. Where do we go from here?" Lynn looked at him imploringly. "We're both back here for good, so we will bump into each other from time to time. I don't want to pretend we don't know each other, but I don't want it to be awkward either."

"We could give a shot at being friends." 

"With our history?" Doubtful, she searched his face. "Do you think that's possible?"

"Won't know unless we try."

"True." Lynn held out a hand. "Friends?"

"Friends." Carter held her hand for a second longer than necessary before releasing it. Noticing the confusion in her eyes, he quickly released it and was reaching for his coffee when his phone rang. Lynn listened as Carter had a quick conversation, a call that sounded like it was regarding his kids.

"I gotta run." He pressed the button to end the call, and stood from the booth. "Hillary got called into work early, so I have to go pick up the boys sooner than planned. Coffee's on me." He took out his wallet, tossed some bills on the table. "I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I'll see you around," she replied. "And Carter? Thanks for the talk." She gave him a small smile which he returned as he made his way to the door.

Lynn looked over at the cup of her now-cold coffee, her thoughts all jumbled in her head. Their happiness, their future, was taken from them because of fear and circumstances. Where would they be now if things had worked out?

"Okay, I waited as long as I possibly could." The petite blonde broke into her thoughts as she slid into the seat that Carter had just vacated. "Was that who I think it was? And if it was, tell me
everything
."

3

Kari Nelson had been a friend of Lynn's for as long as either of them could remember. Standing at just over five feet tall, the perky blonde had been a friend to Lynn for as long as she could remember. Along with the third member of their group, Bethany Lewis, they had all played together as kids, went through the trials and tribulations of junior high, discovered boys together in high school, and dealt with the beginnings of adulthood. There was next to nothing this person sitting across from her didn't know about her life.   

"Wow, I almost got a 'welcome home' before you started snooping." Lynn laughed and slid out of the booth, with Kari mirroring her actions, to give her a hug.   

"God, I've missed you!" Kari rocked Lynn in her squeezing hug for a moment before releasing her.   

"And I've missed you! How is Jenna?" Lynn asked, referring to Kari's young daughter.   

"Great. Growing way too fast. Wait until you see her! You won't recognize her, I'm sure." She smiled as she slipped back into the booth. "How about you... how long are you in for this time?"   

"How does forever sound?" Lynn grinned at her friend.   

"Shut up! Are you serious? You're home for good?!?" Kari did a little dance that had her bouncing in her seat. "Ohmygosh! I can't believe it! Have you told Beth yet?"   

"Nobody else knows yet, except my parents." And Carter, she added silently. "I just got back yesterday."   

"I have a great idea then! What do you say I call Beth and see if she wants a girl's night? We do them often enough she won't suspect anything. You can show up like it's no big deal. She'll flip out. It'll be great!"   

"I think she’ll kill me for not telling her I was coming back, but girl’s night sounds like fun! When do you want to do this?"   

"Tonight too soon? Her kids are at their grandparents' house until tomorrow afternoon sometime, and Jenna's at a sleepover at a classmate’s, so who knows what time she'll be home. So, my house, say seven thirty?"   

"Works for me. I'll bring the wine."   

"Okay, now that that’s all nice and settled.... spill it."   

"Spill what?"   

"Don't play coy with me, missy. Was that Carter Mathis I saw sitting here with you?"   

"Yes." Lynn sighed. "We were just trying to take care of unfinished business, get some closure, and put the past behind us since we'll both be living in the same town again."   

"Uh-huh. And how'd that go?"   

"Better than I expected. I'll tell you guys all about it tonight so I don't need to rehash it all over again." Lynn gestured to her coffee cup and smiled. "Now, can I get a refill on my cappuccino, or am I going to forget to tip you?"   

"All right, tonight." Kari consented as she stood and tapped Lynn lightly with the towel she pulled from the waistband of her apron. "And you'd better not skimp on the details!"   

* * *
 

It had been much too long since Lynn had enjoyed a girl's night with her two closest friends. She realized how much she was looking forward to it as she approached the front door to Kari's cute little house. Lynn took a deep breath, she gripped the bottle of promised wine in one hand and rang the doorbell with the other, preparing to surprise one of her oldest and dearest friends with the news of her homecoming. The door opened slightly, and Kari peered through the narrow crack.   

"Oh, good, it's you." Kari hissed as she reached out and grabbed Lynn by the arm to pull her into the house.   

"Were you expecting someone else?" Lynn laughed quietly as she closed the door behind her.   

"No, no. I'm just so excited to see the expression on Bethany's face when she sees you!" Kari turned to Lynn and smiled. "We're in the kitchen. Give me a ten second head start before you come in?"    

Lynn smiled, nodded as she watched Kari make her way through to the kitchen. She heard Bethany ask who was at the door as Kari came back into the room.   

"Jehovah Witness."  

It took all Lynn had to keep from laughing out loud as she made her way to join them. When she reached the doorway, she took a second to study them, these two women who had been more like sisters than friends. Kari, the bubbly blonde, stirred something in a pot on the stove. And Bethany, the sweet brunette, sitting at the breakfast bar, leafing through a magazine while she chatted with Kari.   

"Got room for one more?" Lynn asked, holding up the bottle of wine. Bethany looked up from flipping the pages, tears welling up in her eyes and a look of stunned disbelief on her face. "Oh, my God! When did you get here?!?" She hopped off the stool, rushing to wrap her in a hug. 

"Yesterday," she replied, squeezing her friend. "Been getting settled in at Mom and Dad's or I would have met up with you sooner."   

"Doesn't matter." She sniffed, pulling back to look at Lynn. "You're here now, so that's what counts." She whirled around, pointed an accusing finger at Kari.   

"You!" She scolded, walking towards the stove. "You 
knew 
she was here and said nothing??"   

"Yes, and yes." Kari looked at Bethany, before glancing over at Lynn. "To be fair, I just found out this morning, but I thought it would be fun to surprise you. And it was. Besides, you're happy she's here, I'm happy she's here, and she's happy she's here, so you can't be mad."   

"You're right." Bethany sighed. "I hate when that happens." She did a little dance in place before going to Lynn, putting her hands on her hips.   

"How long are you here for this time, missy? A week, maybe two? I hope your leave isn't too short because the girls would love to see you."   

"Well, here's the thing." Lynn exchanged glances with Kari as she walked over to set the bottle of wine on the bar. "My leave doesn't end. I'm home for good." She turned and faced Bethany, who pointed the finger her way this time.   

"Don't you tease me. Don't you 
dare 
tease me!" She shook her finger. "Are you really? Truly?"   

"Really and truly. It’s gonna be hard getting rid of me now."   

"Oh, yay!" Bethany bounced before hugging Lynn again. "I'm so glad! Those goodbyes when you had to go back always sucked."

"Yep, major suckage." Lynn laughed as Bethany pulled away again. She peeled off her jacket, hung it on the back of one of the bar stools and rolled up her sleeves.   

"So, what can I do? Chop something? Get out dishes? Put me to work."   

"Nope." Kari shook her head. "Tonight we're celebrating your homecoming. The only thing I want you to do is open that bottle of wine and pour us a round. Corkscrew is in the silverware drawer, and the glasses are up there," she said, pointing to a cabinet by the sink.  

"I can handle that." With deft hands, Lynn pulled the cork from the bottle, gathered and poured three glasses of the cool, clear liquid.

"I'd like to make a toast." She handed out the wine, raised her glass. "Here's to two of the best friends a girl could want. I couldn't ask for a better welcome home."   

"Here, here!" Kari laughed as she took a sip, nodded. "Mmmm, that's good." She turned to the stove, glass still in hand.     

"Tell me about the girls," Lynn said to Bethany, as they both settled onto the stools at the bar. "I'll bet they've grown so much since the last time I saw them."   

"So much." Bethany set down her wine and reached for her phone. "I can't get over the fact Kristin is in fifth grade. I swear, she as just in kindergarten yesterday. And Harper! She just started at the middle school." She swiped through the photos to show Lynn how much her babies had grown. The smiling faces of two darling girls looked up at her.   

"Bethany, they're beautiful! I can't wait to see them again."   

"They'll be so excited when they hear you're back home. I won't be able to keep them from climbing the walls."   

"Kari, how's Jenna? Has she grown as much as these two?"   

"At least. Jenna's in class with Bethany's Kristin, and they are like two peas in a pod." Kari smiled at her guests. "Who would have thought that our kids would grow up, being pals themselves?" she asked, getting back to her cooking.   

Lynn looked down into her wine glass. She had hoped that she and Carter would have had kids together, children that would run and play with the children of her friends. After a healthy sip, she changed the subject.   

"So, what are we having? Because it smells really good."   

"I've got a pot of minestrone soup, a loaf of fresh baked bread, and for dessert, a pan of double fudge brownies."   

"Sounds great. Are you sure you don't need any help?"   

"Nope, I'm all set. Beth was just about to get the bowls and such so we can eat," She threw her friend the hint as she turned off the flame under the pot. "I figured we'd just take our dinner and pile up in the living room like old times."   

They ladled up bowls of hot, steamy soup, cut thick slices of crusty bread, and carried everything into the living room on trays. And just like old times, each woman took the same seat she always did. Kari and Bethany each staked out a corner of the long couch, while Lynn curled up cross-legged in the overstuffed armchair. Kari reached for her bowl and, settling in, pointed her spoon at Lynn.   

"You've got stories to tell." 

"Do I, now?" Lynn laughed as she stirred her soup.  

"Yes, you do." Bethany chimed in now, gesturing broadly. "Grand stories of travels in faraway lands." She lowered her arms and grinned. "We got the postcards you'd send, but it's just not the same as hearing it all firsthand." 

"Oh, well." Lynn expelled air from puffed out cheeks. "I don't know where to start." 

"Where all have you been?" Kari asked incredulously. 

"Let's see...there's Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg. France, both Normandy and Strasbourg. The World's Fair when it was in Hamburg. The Netherlands." Lynn took a sip of wine, thinking. "Different parts of Germany, of course." 

"Of course." Bethany echoed wryly. 

"Which was your favorite?" Kari asked. 

"Favorite trip or favorite place?" 

"We'll start with trip." 

"That would have to be when a few of us lived in a van on a four day weekend." 

"You did what?" This from Bethany, who would never stay anywhere that didn't at least offer basic maid service. 

"It's true." Lynn laughed as she remembered the trip with fondness. "We had some federal holiday, I can't remember which, so we we're given a four day pass. Three of us decided to rent a van, go to the World's Fair, see what else we could see on the road. I think that was the same trip where we went to Belgium, I don't remember. It all kind of blurs together. Anyway, we rented this van and hit the road. We ate and slept in the van for the most part of those four days. We'd get the strangest looks when we brushed our teeth on the side of the road in the mornings, using bottles of water instead of sinks. Oh, and we snuck into camping areas to shower. It was great." Lynn paused, and grinned at the expressions of mild horror on the faces of her friends before she continued. "And the World's Fair? Seriously cool, even though it drizzled rain off and on all day. I ate more food that day, from so many different countries and cultures, than I've ever eaten. It was so worth the pounds, though." Lynn laughed again as the memories came back to her in waves, then gave a wave of her hand. "My albums from all my trips are in my household baggage. When it gets here in a few weeks, we'll have to have another girl’s night so I can show them to you." 

"Sounds like a plan, and I'm so in for that girl’s night." Bethany sighed in envy. "To see all those places, experience all those things...you were so lucky to be able to do it all." 

"Yeah." Lynn agreed. "I think aside from the friends I made over there, the travel is what I'll miss most of all." Lynn toyed with her food as they all sat in a few moments of quiet. Kari, however, was determined to break the silence. 

"Okay, girl, enough beating around the bush. Let's hear it," she demanded.   

"Hear what?" Lynn questioned, as she snagged a slice of crusty bread off of her tray.   

"About the conversation you had with a certain hunky blue-eyed ex this morning at my café." Kari gave a little lopsided grin, a hitch of the eyebrow, as Lynn squirmed in her chair.   

"Whoa, what?" Bethany sat up at attention, scooted to sit closer to Kari. "Are you talking about who I think you're talking about?"   

"Uh-huh. None other than Carter Mathis, as he lives and breathes. Looks mighty fine too, if I may say so. The Navy did that boy good. All tan and muscles. Yum."   

"Yeah, we'll get back to that in a minute.... you've been home less than forty-eight hours and you've already seen him?" Bethany looked stunned. "How in the world did that happen?"   

"You wouldn't believe it. Hell, it happened to me and I'm not sure I believe it."   

"Start from the beginning." Bethany pointed her own spoon before dipping it into her bowl. "And don't leave anything out."