Surprisingly, the only real awkwardness of the night came, not from us, but from the arrival of Aidan’s estranged brother Riley. I didn’t actually know him growing up, having been five years behind him in school, and he’d left for college in the city before Aidan and I had even started at Llyn Lakes High. I gathered from Piper that Aidan and Riley had been close before he’d left but that their relationship was beyond strained now. Riley had moved away and essentially dropped off the face of the earth, making the occasional vague promise to visit after that first year, but never actually following through. It had broken their mother, Nora’s, heart and hardened Aidan’s. They’d only spoken again for the first time when he’d shown up–to everyone’s complete and utter shock–at Aidan and Piper’s wedding.
Now Riley was back, nearly seventeen years after having first left, with no apologies, no explanation for the years of distance, or the reason for his return. Nora had embraced him, welcomed him home like the prodigal son, and it pissed Aidan right the fuck off. Aidan’s spine had gone rigid and his hands had fisted at the sight of his brother that night, but that wasn’t even the awkward part. No … that had been when Riley, slumped at the bar, head down and nursing his beer, had looked up and locked eyes with Steph.
Noah and I were seemingly the only two to have noticed, Piper having pulled Aidan into a slightly inappropriate lip lock to distract him from his brother’s presence. I’d watched as Riley slowly raised his eyes and they’d immediately zeroed in on Steph as though they were a heat-seeking missile and she the target. She’d sucked in a breath at his gaze, and I’d done the same, unable to process the overwhelming emotion I’d glimpsed there as he watched her. They’d stared at each other like that, frozen, for what felt like minutes but I’m certain was only seconds, while I’d held my breath at the tension that coiled between them. Steph had shuddered then, and had I not been standing beside her I wouldn’t have heard the pained little whimper she let out before she spun on her heel and rushed toward the restrooms. I’d been about to follow her when Noah had placed a hand on my shoulder and nodded across the bar to where Riley was making a beeline through the crowd in hot pursuit of her. When she returned almost ten minutes later her face was pale and her eyes red and glassy, but before I could ask her what had happened she’d made her excuses and ducked out the front door.
Riley never returned and I’d stared at his untouched beer on the bar in confusion until the bartender had eventually cleared it away.
What the actual fuck?
I’d tried calling Steph the next morning but she hadn’t answered and she’d been dismissive when I’d texted her yesterday to see if she was alright. I had a vague recollection that she and Riley might have dated in high school, Steph being a few years older than us as well, but she’d never mentioned it in all the years we’d been friends and as far as I knew they’d had no contact since.
I make a mental note to check in with her again and maybe speak to Piper about it as well. It’s possible she may know more about what’s going on than I do, though unlikely since Steph tends to be pretty tight-lipped about her personal life save for gushing about her boys. I’m usually much more in the know than Piper about the goings on around town what with my place of business being a hotbed for the dispensation of local gossip. It’s a reality that has worked both to my detriment and enjoyment at varying times in the past depending on just who the current gossip happens to be about. Thankfully, news of my pregnancy has so far been contained and the only juicy gossip of late concerns Mrs. Abernathy and her potential run for mayor against the incumbent and somewhat disgraced Mayor Alcott–who also happens to be her ex-husband.
Now there’s a big steaming pile if I ever saw one. As the story goes, Vera and Brian Alcott were married right out of high school, but the match was by all accounts a bad one. Vera was prim and proper andveryuppity, even back then, despite her humble origins hailing from a long line of fishermen. Brian was her first attempt at social climbing, being the then-mayor’s son. He was groomed from a young age for politics and always knew how to work things to his advantage. I’m told Vera was a real stunner back then and I gather his family was willing to overlook her blue-collar pedigree for the sake of Brian having arm candy for the various political events he was required to attend. The marriage ended shortly–very shortly–after he took office when Vera found him getting sucked off by an assistant campaign manager right before he was to make his inaugural speech. She then went on to marry the wealthy, older, and very pious Mr. Abernathy to whom she was much better suited, while Mayor Alcott continued to enjoy the ‘perks’ of his position unencumbered. They’ve been at odds ever since.
Mrs. Abernathy–widowed now for many years–serves as the president of the Llyn Lakes Historical Society and enjoys nothing more than being a pain in the mayor’s ass. Mayor Alcott has held office for decades despite walking a very fine moral and ethical line at times. He’s run unopposed for the last three terms, but is now facing a full-blown scandal due to his close association with the recently convicted Leuen Davies–the man responsible for Aidan’s former partner Ava’s death, Piper’s kidnapping, and a whole whack of other illegal crap from drugs to human trafficking. Many believe Alcott was fully aware of his buddy Davies’ criminal activities and suspect that he even facilitated some of Davies’ dealings in town, though the authorities have been unable to tie him to anything as of yet.
Abernathy vs. Alcott. It’s messy. And bound to get worse, but I have no doubt it’ll be entertaining to watch. I have no idea who I’ll vote for–he’s shady as fuck and she’s a judgmental bitch who's never been afraid to let me know what a piece of trash she thinks I am.
Whatever.
I roll my eyes. Generally, I try to find humor in her disapproval, even going out of my way at times to annoy her. Just last week I’d run into her at the grocery store and–
“Lucy Sage?” a voice calls.
Noah’s on his feet in an instant, looking equal parts eager and alarmed.
I eye him with amusement, before responding. “That’s me!”
CHAPTER 9
LUCY
The nurse leads us down the hall to an exam room on the right. Noah’s hand lingers on my back as he ushers me through the door and I fight back a shiver.
“I’m Nell,” she introduces herself. She takes my blood pressure and then indicates that I should step on the nearby scale to be weighed. Noah is hovering against the far wall of the small room and I cast a glance over my shoulder at him muttering, “Stay over there and don’t look,” while she takes down the number for my file. When I turn back to him, he’s smirking and rolling his eyes.
Nell leaves a small plastic vial on the counter and explains that I’ll need to leave a urine sample on my way out. She then hands me a gown to change into and backs out of the room informing us that the doctor will be in shortly.
We stand there for a moment in silence, just staring at each other.
“Uh … I’ll step out so you can …” he gestures vaguely at my body.
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” I say with an exaggerated wink. “Unless, of course, you still don’t remember…”
“Oh, I remember,” he replies immediately, eyes flaring. “I–”
“Kidding!” I cut him off hands raised. I’m not sure I’m prepared to hear what else he’d been about to say.
He rolls his eyes again and then turns around to give me privacy nonetheless. I strip quickly and don the gown, folding my clothes and placing them on the counter beside my bag.
“Okay, you can turn around now.”
Noah turns, gaze traveling slowly over my body and then drifting to my folded clothes where I’d purposely left my bright purple G-string on top of the pile. His face flushes at the sight of it and I grin. He clears his throat and is about to say something when there’s a knock on the door and it swings open.
Doctor Lee is short and slender with dark hair cut in a blunt bob. She has dark brown, almost black eyes that somehow still manage to be warm. She introduces herself while she pulls over a rolling stool and takes a seat by her open laptop.
“So, I know you’re Lucy,” she says to me, then turns to Noah. “Are you Dad?”
