Page 106 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

“Just get out there!” she barked. Her voice lowered to its normal, girly timbre. “And then call me later, because I want all the details.”

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just get going already.”

It took me ten minutes to get ready. I’d been schlubbing around in old t-shirts for the last few weeks, too busy with the show to care very much, but I had a feeling I was going to need a little more confidence tonight. I settled for the straight jeans and tank top that I’d worn that night we played the Hotel team. It had caught a guy like Chase’s attention, so I couldn’t look too terrible in it. Then I knelt down in front of Gordie.

“I’m not going to be very long,” I promised. “No chicken bones, okay?”

He lowered his head right back to his paws, closing his eyes.

“I love you too, buddy.”

It was a warm night, but the earlier clouds had returned, blocking the stars. I reached the square in a matter of minutes and considered my next step. I could either continue down Lilac until I reached Pine, taking that across to his little cottage on the water. Or I could try the establishments in town first. Someone came out of Rose’s down the street and the sounds of laughter and conversation spilled into the street.Ask Eddie, I thought. Eddie might know where he is.

The main dining room was crowded, the bar area filled, a three-piece band in the corner adding to the atmosphere. I saw Zane right away, going from table to table to greet the patrons.

“Riley,” he said when he saw me. “You look hot tonight, girl. What’s the occasion?”

It was a pretty sad state of affairs when nicer jeans and a tank top made me look dressed-up. Maybe I should lay off the T-shirts. “I was actually looking for Andrew. Have you seen him around? Or maybe Eddie?”

“They’re upstairs, actually,” he said. Someone called out to him and he turned, raising a hand. “Look, I should get to it.”

“Go, do your thing. I’ll see you around.”

I made my way up to the second floor. It was much quieter up here, only a few of the tables filled. From the floor-to-ceiling windows there was a gorgeous view of the bay. In the darkness you could see the lights of the mainland, twinkling off in the distance. And to the left of that view, in a table by the corner, sat the Powell twins.

The sight of them stopped me in my tracks. Andrew was sitting with a beer in front of him, his head tilted down, eyes on the table. Eddie was next to him, a hand on his brother’s shoulder, their heads close together. Eddie was saying something and Andrew was nodding. Even with his head down, I could tell that he was miserable.

I need to get out of here, I thought. I didn’t want to hear him tell me what had him so upset. Because I already knew, didn’t I?

I was just turning to go when someone called out to me.

“Riley, honey, don’t you look nice.”

Sherry was sitting a few tables from Andrew with her husband. I waved weakly as the boys both looked up at me. Edward looked worried and a little bit sad. Andrew looked—God, Andrew looked like a mess. Eddie said something to him and he stood, nodding, and made his way over to me.

“Hey,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought we should talk.”

He nodded. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Neither of us said a word as we made our way downstairs and outside. It wasn’t until we were on the sidewalk heading down to the marina that Andrew opened his mouth. “Look, I think we should take a step back.”

So there it was. The blow off. Even expecting it, it still took my breath away. “That’s it, huh?” I whispered.

“Riley, I really care about you—”

“I don’t want to hear that.”

“But it’s true.”

“And it was true yesterday and last week and last year. And then last night happened. You have nothing to say about that?”

He stopped, shoving his hands into his pockets, his attention out on the bay. “You don’t have to worry about last night. I won’t get the wrong idea.”

Hang on. That didn’t really sound like a blow off.