Page 3 of Keeping You
The rational part of my brain whispers that I’m being ridiculous, but my heart doesn’t care. It remembers the way his eyes could strip away every defense I’d carefully built, the way his presence could make me simultaneously invincible and completely vulnerable. And that wasbeforehe realized I existed as more than his little sister’s friend.
These past fifteen years might as well be fifteen minutes for all the protection time has given me.
When I finally force myself to turn around, everyone has already gone back to their business. The world kept spinning while mine tilted off its axis. Heart pounding like I’ve just run a marathon, I make my way back to the front desk on unsteady legs. I need to collect myself. Slip back into the mask of competence I’ve worn for years.
Because Luke Caldwell is back in town.
Chapter Two
Luke
Since crossing into Texas, the July heat has been beating down on me as punishment for staying away so long. Every muscle aches with the kind of bone-deep exhaustion that comes from running on fumes. Dad’s badge, the one Mayor Aldridge is so eager to pin on me, feels like a boulder, getting bigger and heavier with every mile, a constant reminder of why I came home. I still can’t believe he’s gone. And who knows how I would have turned out if he hadn’t sent me away. I hated him at the time, but as an adult, I know he did the right thing.
Of course, when I’m in desperate need of a shower, a beer, and a few hours of uninterrupted, dreamless sleep, the first thing I see when I hit town is Callie Cooper. Not exactly how I pictured my homecoming. Then again, nothing about coming back feels like I imagined.
Fuck, it doesn’t matter that the width of Main Street and more than a decade stand between us. One look and I’m right back to that night in the back of the truck I’d borrowed on a deflated air mattress, sweat dripping down my back, arms trembling, wrapped around my baby sister’s best friend, giving in to something I knew I shouldn’t. But that’s nothing comparedto the real reason I’m suddenly back home, a place I had no plans of returning to.
“Luke, I’m so glad you’re finally here.” Harper pulled me through the bakery door with surprising strength for somebody so little, her desperate hug making my gut tighten with a mix of guilt and affection. I hadn’t realized how much she needed me here. Hadn’t realized how much I missed my family.
“I came straight here because your text seemed urgent.” Harper’s been texting me constantly since I left Chicago. Whatever the problem is, I figured I’d find out the details first and then head to Mom’s.
Her voice is a frantic whisper as she releases me and steps back. “The whole town has turned against me, Luke. Mom’s been so sullen since Dad died, we’re really worried about her. Sales are down for Anna, and I swear Martha Jenkins and her bestcronie, Gloria, cross the street to avoid coming in here. What are we going to do?”
Her words fade as I take in what used to be Gram’s domain—now Anna’s territory—with its glass cases and checkered floor. The scent of butter browning and vanilla extract hits me like a time machine, yanking me back to afternoons watching Gram frost cupcakes with steady hands.
But the place is empty. Not a single customer in sight.
“Harper, slow down. I just got here.” I shrug off my jacket, feeling a prickle on the back of my neck. Turning back toward the front windows, I spot at least half a dozen faces pressed against the glass of the library across the street. They scatter like startled birds when they notice me looking, all except Callie. She’s still standing at the library’s front door, watching.
That woman has haunted my dreams often enough over the years. I thought for sure I’d see her at Dad’s funeral. She practically lived at our house during her childhood. I was only in town for a couple of days at the time, so I must have missed her.With everything happening, I didn’t think about that until right this moment.
For a moment, our eyes lock for a second time, and the same spear of heat jabs me right in the gut, and lower. Just like outside, I’m suddenly twenty-one again, fumbling with her bra clasp under a canopy of stars. Her hair damp from summer rain, her laughter nervous but certain, the air heavy with the smell of wet earth and our own sweat. She gave me more of herself than I deserved, and instead of holding onto it, I ran.
Blinking away the memory, I refocus on an older version of the girl who gave me her virginity. From this distance, she looks the same and yet completely different. Curvier. Her hair is longer now, falling past her shoulders in soft blonde waves. There’s a maturity in her face that wasn’t there before. And God help me, I realize I still want her.
“Are you even listening to me?” Harper snaps, jerking me back to the present.
She’s always been dramatic, but there’s a genuine worry in her eyes I can’t ignore. “Yeah, sorry. It’s just...” I gesture vaguely at the street. “Lot of eyes out there.”
Harper follows my gaze and scoffs. “Welcome to my life. It’s been like this since Kirk and I got together. You’d think we committed a murder instead of just dating.”
Ah. Now my little sister’s attitude makes sense. Not that I was keeping track or anything, but my sisters do like to fill me in on town gossip when we talk. This is about Kirk Adams, Callie’s ex-boyfriend. Now, Harper’s. That little word ‘ex’ is the only thing that keeps the jealousy in check. I recall the first time I heard about him. Harper had come to visit me in Chicago, needing a place to vent her frustration over what she considered losing her best friend to some new guy in town. The green-eyed monster gripped my throat so tight that night, I almost choked on the beer I’d been drinking as I tried to explain to my youngersister that people grow up, meet people, and live their lives. Somehow, between clenched teeth, I also wanted to tell her not to worry, that the relationship was new and Callie would be back.
“Look, I want to go see Mom and drop my bag off,” I say, already heading for the back door. “We can talk about all this later.”
“You didn’t even say hi to Anna.”
“I want to stretch my legs, so I’ll leave my bike here and walk over. I’ll say hi when I pass her in the kitchen.”
“But—”
“Later, Harper.” Her sometimes dramatic behavior can grate, but beneath it, I think she still needs her big brother, which in turn calls to my innate urge to protect. Regardless, my tone doesn’t leave room for argument. A habit learned from years in the Chicago police force. Helpful in controlling crime scenes and younger sisters alike.
After a quick hello and hug from my other sister, who’s in the middle of making multiple batches of muffins regardless of whether she has customers to eat them, I slip out the back, cutting through the alley to avoid curious stares from Main Street.
Cupid’s Creek hasn’t changed much in the decade-plus I’ve been gone. Same brick buildings, same old-fashioned lampposts that look like something from a holiday movie. Being watched like an animal in a zoo should bother me. Still, after years in Chicago, where neighbors barely made eye contact, there is something almost comforting about being noticed, even if it is to fuel tomorrow’s gossip.
The walk to my childhood home takes less than ten minutes, but each step feels heavier than the last. Fifteen years gone, and the place feels frozen in time. Dad’s funeral was a few months ago, and even then, I only stayed for two days. Long enough to help Mom through the service and wake before heading backto work. And my self-inflicted isolation. I didn’t even get the chance to talk to Dad about what happened in Chicago.
