Kathryn Shay - Back To Luke

“You’ll do no such thing. You’ll stay here with me.” She gestured to Luke, who’d taken a break.

Following Eleanor’s gaze, Jayne watched him pull a bandanna out of his shorts pocket and wipe his brow, then take a swig of bottled water. Her attention riveted on his throat and she remembered with vivid clarity putting her mouth there.

“You can help me with my gardens, so Luke and Jess won’t have to do that, too.”

“It could take weeks to get a final verdict. I can’t impose on you that long, Eleanor.”

“At least wait until Jess gets back to make a decision.”

She’d known this was going to be tricky before she came to town. Jess hadn’t told his mother about Naomi’s dislike of Jayne or the breach his wife’s feelings had caused in Jayne’s relationship with Jess. As far as Eleanor knew, Jayne had been too busy to visit Riverdale. Now, if she refused to stay, it wouldn’t make sense to the older woman. Or to Luke. Jess had also kept Naomi’s suspicions from him—at least he had in the past.

Oh, who was Jayne kidding? She wanted to stay. She’d made the conscious decision to come to Riverdale despite the consequences. “I guess I could do that.”

“Then it’s settled. You’ll stay until at least next Saturday.”

After petting the dog, which had jumped up on her lap, then setting the animal on the ground, Eleanor stood. “Now go get Luke. It’s time for lunch.”

“He’ll eat with us?” The thought make her heart rate speed up.

Eleanor chuckled. “After he cleans up in the laundry room.”

When Eleanor went into the house, Jayne rose and reluctantly made her way down the steps and through the flower beds toward the gazebo. Surrounded by their colorful blossoms and scent, with the sun on her face, Jayne experienced a sense of peace. She stopped and took a minute to steep herself in the rare emotion of contentment.

“I feel that way, too, when I’m here.”

She hadn’t realized she was a few feet away from Luke. “What are you talking about?”

“The gardens. They calm me. Your expression says they do the same to you.”

Not wanting to encourage any connection with him, she turned her attention toward the gazebo. Unable to help herself, she ran her hand over the curved railing. “This is lovely. I especially like that the structure is cohesive with the house.”

“I’m glad to have your approval.” His tone was sarcastic.

Stiffening, she spoke curtly. “Eleanor said to tell you it’s time for lunch.”

He bit out, “I’m not fit for company.”

“That’s what I thought.” She ignored his raised brow. “But she said you can clean up in the laundry room. You’re sprung for the day, I guess.” I hope.

“Maybe.” He climbed down the ladder.

When Jayne turned to leave, he grabbed her by the arm and yanked her around. At the clasp of his strong fingers on her again, she startled. And damn it, she liked the feel of them. “How long are you hanging around?” he asked.

“Eleanor invited me to stay with her until Jess gets back.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I can do whatever I want.”

“Don’t you care about how you’ve hurt everybody here?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Stop playing innocent, like you did in New York. I never would have gotten you that contract with Madison Conglomerates if I’d known you’d slept with Jess.” His expression turned hard. “And I never would have had a fling with you.” His eyes narrowed. “It took me a while to figure out that was why you didn’t want anyone back here to know we were involved.”

“That had nothing to do with keeping our relationship quiet.” Her voice rose with anger ignited by his accusation. “I like my privacy, is all. And I never slept with Jess.”

“That’s not what Naomi thinks. Hell, I still can’t believe neither you nor Jess told me about her feelings.”

“Because they weren’t warranted.”

“Or because Jess knew I wouldn’t put in a good word with Granger Madison to get a junior associate from Prentice Architects a job on building those luxury condos.”

“It was a job I did very well.”

Crossing his arms over his bare chest, he glared at her. “Still, you ran away when there was a scandal at Prentice.”

“I finished my part on the condos for Madison Conglomerates. I didn’t like the direction Prentice Architects was taking, so I left when I got a better offer in California.”

“Is that what you’re telling yourself?”

“It’s the truth.”

“You ran, Jayne. Like you’ve been running all your life.” He shook his head. “And you didn’t even have the decency to talk to me about leaving. You didn’t even say goodbye to me!”

Well, that was true. She’d never told him she’d taken a job in California because he would have—could have—kept her in New York. Luke was a fighter, had always been one, and she knew intuitively he would have fought to keep her with him. When things had calmed down, that fact made her incredibly sad. Yet she’d never contacted him again.

“In any case, Prentice Architects was exonerated. I read it in their follow-up correspondence.”

“So you could have stayed.”

“I told you that wasn’t why I left.”

His expression softened a bit. “Look, Jayne, I know that what happened in college to you and Jess affected you. But you shouldn’t have run away at the threat of scandal.”

Damn it, why had Jayne confided in him about the Cornell incident? “The two had nothing to do with each other.”

From the porch they heard Eleanor call out, “Jayne, Luke, are you coming?”

Looking annoyed, Luke held up his hand. “If you stay in town, don’t hurt Jess and his family again, or you’ll answer to me.”

“That sounds like a threat.”

He stared down at her. His dark eyes had deepened to almost black and were intense. Angry. “If that’s what’s needed, then consider yourself threatened.”

Since she’d made her mark in architecture, Jayne had often needed to deal with men on building sites. Early on, she’d learned how to be confident—or, when she wasn’t, at least to look as if she was. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Back off, Luke. I’m not as easily intimidated as I was when I knew you in New York.”

He made a sound of disgust. “I never knew you, lady. Never.” With that, he stalked away.

She watched as he spoke quietly to Eleanor, unleashed the dog, picked her up and headed around the house. They made an incongruous picture—the big guy with the tiny puppy in his arms. Suddenly, Jayne wondered what had happened to him in the intervening years, if he’d ever married, had kids. And why on earth, after all this time, did the possibility of little boys with Luke’s eyes or tiny girls with his smile make Jayne feel so bereft?

LUKE SWERVED his red truck into the driveway of his sister’s house on Houghton Plot, got out and slammed the door. He tried not to think about Jayne Logan, but she’d gotten under his skin again, just like before, and it was a position he’d never put himself in with women since.

Little Karl came running out the door and toward him. “Uncle Luke!” he said as he flung himself at Luke. The boy was the spitting image of him, which always made him smile.

Right behind Karl was his brother, Kasey, tottering along on stocky little legs. His blond wispy hair was more like his dad’s. Luke hefted the youngest up to his chest, then clasped Karl’s shoulder.

Karl wrinkled his nose. “Eee-u, you stink.”

“Been sweating my…butt off all morning.” And since he’d made an excuse not to stay for lunch, he hadn’t cleaned up either.

His older sister had followed her kids out and smiled warmly at him. Of all the girls, he resembled Belle the most. They both had dark hair and eyes, which explained Karl’s resemblance to him.