Plus, I’m the last person that Lucas would look at as more than a friend, whether I rebrand or not.
2
LUCAS
Maybe I will see you around?That’s all I could manage to say?
Probably because I wasn’t expecting to see her. She looks slightly different than I remember, with light brown hair and soft green eyes, full mouth and perfect teeth. Last time I saw her, she was getting over her wild years of high school and college when she dyed her hair black and crashed parties she wasn’t invited to.
Now she appears sweet, calm, pretty… and divorced.
I shouldn’t really think about these things as I’m still in the process of my own divorce. But it feels like the longest divorce ever that has already cost me a freaking year of my life. What a mistake that marriage was. While I thought it was love with Isabella—maybe it was at one point—she changed after the birth of our son Theo a few years ago.
The signs were there, but I wanted it to work for our son. But that isn’t always enough, and it was for the best we ended. She kept the house in Denver, and I decided to move back to Sage Creek, the place where I grew up. The place where all my family and friends are.
I sit in a booth at Matchbox, the bar my little brother Nate owns, refurbished from an old warehouse at the edge of town near the river. This is the epicenter for all our friend gatherings in recent years.
Leo, our resident corporate tycoon, comes to join Max and me at our booth with beers in hand. I’ve known these guys my whole life and we never lost contact. Even though I haven’t been living here, I always came back for birthdays, holidays, and occasional visits.
I take a sip of my beer. “This is a good brew,” I comment.
“That’s because it’s the Matchbox local brew,” Max remarks as he scratches his face, his dark features steely.
Leo throws a hand through his wave of brown hair as he leans back in his seat. “So, how is the big return, Lucas?”
“Yeah, good. Nice meeting the new patients. Theo went back to his mom’s yesterday. Nearly killed my parents’ dog, and his vet just happens to be someone I fooled around with once in high school,” I say, needing to take another sip of beer.
“You mean Abby? Oh yeah, forgot about that little mishap.” Max seems to find my history humorous.
Leo chuckles because he remembers it was at his party that it happened. It’s crazy that we’re in our thirties and still relive memories from high school like it was yesterday.
“It wasonce,and yes,” I answer and hold up one finger. Then I shrug a shoulder, “It was only kissing…uhm maybe a feel here or there. How did you know I meant Abby?” I’m curious.
“Because,” Leo explains with a grin, “Max is convinced getting a puppy will get him the ladies, so he ran into Abby at an adopt-a-pet event. He went for a puppy and left with three numbers.”
“Abby is also close with Jess. Abby’s parents are friends of your folks, no?” Max says, searching his brain. He owns a real estate company with Jess.
“Yeah, that’s her. She looks a little different these days, though.”
“You mean hot?” Max shoots out as he downs some beer.
I throw him a strong look.
“Whoa, man, your face. Relax. She’s not my type. But by the looks of it, she is yours,” Max cracks out.
“How long has it been, Lucas? I mean since you, well, blew off some steam?” Leo nudges my arm.
I give him the death stare. “You try going through a divorce and tell me about blowing off steam. But yeah, it has been awhile.”
In truth, a year and three weeks. The night Isabella decided to tell me her true feelings, which weren’t positive, and I countered with let’s get divorced… after sex. Talk about going out with a bang.
“I am positive you have passed the window to date again,” Max assures me.
I hold a hand up. “Whoa, who said anything about dating?”
I just want to see Abby again and catch up. I ran into Abby once ten years ago at my parents’ holiday party, and to be honest, there were a few sparks flying, more than there should have been for two people who were not on the market. But we kept it innocent.
“Let’s leave the man alone. I’ll upgrade us with some whiskeys from Nate,” Leo mentions as he gets up out of the booth.
