“No, I’ll be fine. But keep Kallie out of sight, please.” Amy grabbed a jacket and went to the front porch where Hope had left Lance waiting. Out in the cold where he belonged. She bit back a smile.
The air smelled like rain, though none had fallen, and a chill—that hadn’t been there a week ago—filled the air.
Stepping outside, she pulled the front door closed behind her.
“What do you want, Lance?” She hoped her voice sounded steadier than she felt.
Lance’s tousled golden hair was longer than he’d ever worn before, and he sported a three-day stubble. The style suited him. He never tried to be attractive, he didn’t need to. His brown eyes, rimmed by thick lashes, a prominent jaw, strong cheekbones, and full lips, drew women like a magnet. Though not muscle-bound, Amy had always thought he had a nice physique. No wonder he never had a shortage of women hanging on him.
Shaking herself for getting caught up in his good looks, she pictured the last woman she’d seen hanging on Lance, in her own bed. She couldn’t help but compare him toThe Men, and suddenly he wasn’t as good looking as she’d once thought. Attractiveness was so much more than looks.
“It’s so good to see you.” Lance stepped close as though to hug her, but Amy put a hand on his chest, stopping his advance. “Baby, I want you to come home.”
Amy shuddered. The endearment always sounded so condescending. “How did you find me?”
Lance glanced down at his feet. “I talked Celeste into telling me where you were.”
Amy had talked to her best friend two nights ago. Celeste had said Lance had been asking about her, but she didn’t say she’d told him where Amy was staying.
“As much as I miss you, it’s a good thing you left when you did,” Celeste said. “Lance’s band is struggling, and he’s drinking all the time now.”
“I’m glad I left when I did too, C. I like it here and things are going so good for me right now. I’m almost afraid it won’t last.” In a moment of weakness, Amy had told Celeste about her attraction to Ben, and her fear that she was turning out like her mom, especially since she wasn’t sure Ben would ever be able to move on.
Celeste’s words came back to her now: “You are a strong, capable woman, Amy. You don’t need a man to complete you. I’m not saying you shouldn’t keep your heart open, but don’t make your happiness dependent on a man.”
Amy studied Lance and agreed whole heartedly with Celeste. She didn’t need a man to complete her. Especially not the man standing in front of her. And she didn’t need a man in her life to be a good mother.
But what if I want a man? A man like Ben?
Pulling her thoughts back to Lance, Amy crossed her arms over her chest. “You should have saved yourself the trip. I told you I wasn’t coming back the last time you called.”
“I missed you, Baby.”
“I doubt that. You miss having someone to pay the rent.”
Lance shrugged. “I admit times are tough. We lost our drummer to a bigger band, and we’ve had a hard time finding a replacement, and keeping the gigs lined up. Dennis is trying out a new band tonight.” His brown eyes sought hers.
Amy glared at him.
Realizing he wouldn’t get any sympathy from her, he changed tactics. “I miss you and Kallie.”
“No, I’m sure what you miss is someone to support you.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets, shifting his weight. His short-sleeved t-shirt revealed something on his right bicep that hadn’t been there a few weeks ago.
“I see you got a new tattoo. How much did that one cost?”
Ignoring her question, he grabbed her shoulders. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you, Amy. I’m sorry for sleeping around with all those girls. I swear I’m done with other women.”
Amy shook her head. She’d heard so many of his empty promises. He always said what he thought she wanted to hear. But he never meant the words.
He shook her to emphasize his next words. “I’ve changed! I’m a different person now, I promise. I need you back in my life. I haven’t been able to write a single piece of music since you left.”
A twinge of sympathy pulled at Amy’s heart. Oh, how she wished the words were true. Not because she had any interest in going back to Lance, but because she needed to believe he really had loved her at some point.
She looked over Lance’s shoulder in surprise as two trucks entered the cul-de-sac. Robert’s sheriff’s vehicle followed by Ben’s Dodge. Hope must have thought she needed back up.
Seeing them boosted her confidence. She could deal with this. If she didn’t take care of the situation herself, Lance might drive away with a broken nose and missing a few teeth. His career was struggling enough, he didn’t need that kind of setback.
