“The money.”
“Oh.” “First, I’m going to try to buy my car back or find one close to it, and Lila Kate will have to do the same. Then, I’m going to the jeweler and buy back my grandmother’s ring, and then, I’m off to see Gary.”
“Ah, yes. Good ol’ Hockey Boy Gary.” Luke’s smile widened.
The conversation stayed light as we continued toward the clubhouse.
We shared a few silly jokes at Gary’s expense and some laughs about the types of cars I might buy. Somewhere along the way, I realized that my chest didn’t feel so tight anymore. The knot that had been there for weeks was starting to fade.
When we got back to the clubhouse, I knew Lila Kate was inside waiting on us, but I held back for a moment. And I was pleased that Luke did the same. There were things that needed to be said, but I wasn’t sure how to say them.
I took a deep breath, and emotion washed over me as I turned to him and said, “You know, a lot of that stuff Davis said about me was true.”
“Doesn’t matter now.”
“But it does... I want you to know that I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I was wrong to judge you like that.”
“Nah, I think you were right to steer clear of me. I was a player, remember?”
“I don’t care. I should’ve given you a chance to prove that there was more to you than the notches on your belt.”
“You should go see about Lila.”
I nodded, then paused for a moment, hoping he might mention something about seeing me again, but he didn’t. He just opened the door and held it as I stepped inside. I didn’t make it far before Lila came rushing towards me.
From there, it was blur of questions, excitement, and relief.
We both piled into the van and headed home.
When we got to Lila Kate’s apartment, I had to practically pry her out. She was excited and relieved, and she wanted to know exactly how everything had played out with Davis. And I told her everything, multiple times, and I was ready to call it a night and put this crazy day behind me.
I’d wanted to get home and go straight to sleep, but the second I crawled into bed, my mind started running with one thought after the next. And at the center of it all was Luke.
I could still hear the warning in his voice when he told his brother to leave town. There was no listening to excuses or apologies. Not that any were given. Davis took no responsibility for what he’d done. He just stood there staring at his brother with disdain in his eyes.
At that moment, it was clear that whatever ties these two had were now broken, and I had no idea what that meant for either of them. I just knew without Luke and his brothers, I would’venever known that Davis had tried to pull a fast one on Lila Kate and me.
He’d manipulated her. He’d manipulated me, too. He counted on my panic and the love I had for my sister, and it almost worked. I would’ve handed Davis the money and kept believing his horrific lies without ever being the wiser.
That was a hard pill to swallow, but it was the fact that Luke didn’t think twice about helping us. He had to know this would be a final blow to their relationship. He had to know Davis might never speak to him again. That didn’t matter. He saw the threat, saw the risk to me and Lila, and he did what he thought needed to be done, to hell with the consequences.
Now, he was left to carry the weight of it all like it was just another day of the week. Only it wasn’t. He knew it. His brothers knew it, and I had no doubt his father knew it, too.
I’d seen the despondent look in his dad’s eyes when we all started to leave. He was about to be alone again, sitting in that chair in a room full of silence and a head full of questions. The thought made my chest ache.
I had to do something. No. I didn’t have to, but I wanted to.
I would make him a pie. I would visit him for a short while, make sure he was okay, and then, I would be on my way. At least, that’s what I told myself.
But the next morning, when I was standing on his front porch steps, the pie felt heavier than I expected. It was silly. It was just a pie. Some flour, sugar, and butter. Nothing life-altering, but my heart was racing, and my palms were sweating as I tapped on the door.
Seconds later, the door opened, and my heart dropped when I found Luke standing in front of me. He looked equally as surprised to discover that I was the one at the door. He glanced down at the pie in my hand and asked, “What’s this all about?”
I lifted my shoulders in a small shrug and said, “After everything with Davis, I felt bad and thought I should do something.”
“Yeah, I thought the same.”
He eased the door open, revealing several bags of groceries sitting on the kitchen table. Seeing what he’d done made my chest soften in a way I didn’t expect. Without another word, Luke reached out and took the pie from my hand, carrying it into the house like it was something special.
