CHAPTER THREE

I gripped the wheel tighter as I rolled into the small town my friend called home. Giant willow trees bowed over the road leading up to Main Street, the rays of the sun sneaking through here and there. My gaze flicked to my rearview mirror, a sigh of relief blew over my lips the instant I saw that there were no other vehicles behind me.

This paranoia was going to destroy what was left of me. It had to stop.

I turned left, admiring the little shops that made up Willow Creek. I wondered which one of them was Kenzie’s. Before she married Brett, she’d been the CEO of her father’s PR company. She left all that behind to come here and open a bridal shop.

To say that I was shocked was an understatement. However, Kenzie had always had a good head for business. I was positive that wherever she went and whatever she did, success would follow.

I pulled into the first empty spot I saw and just sat there. What now? I probably should have phoned ahead and warned my friend that I was coming. In my defense, the only thing on my mind had been to get as far away from my house as possible.

That thought pulled my troubles straight to the forefront of my mind. I closed my eyes and all I could see were orange and yellow flames engulfing my gallery. A sharp pain shot through my chest. So intense that my hand immediately came up to apply pressure.

From a very young age, I’d done some questionable things. People used to say I was acting out, seeking attention. They never understood that I’d done what I had to do to keep the pain away. I was trying to keep the pain away the night I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.

Eventually, everyone has to pay the piper.

Two warm streams running down my cheeks alerted me to the fact that I was crying…again. How many tears did my body have? I was certain I’d cried myself empty over the past few months. Angrily I swiped at them, hating how this entire ordeal had turned me into someone unrecognizable.

Did you ever really know yourself? That question had been playing in my mind a lot lately. I wasn’t even sure whether the girl I used to be had been the real me. For so long, I’d hidden behind false bravado, molding myself according to someone else’s wants and needs. It was easier to do that than to let anyone in.

My phone dinged somewhere, pulling me from my pity party. Again, I ran my hands over my eyes to dry them. I bent over and grabbed my purse from the passenger side floor and rested it on my lap. After rummaging through the thing, I finally found my cell.

Swiping my thumb over the screen revealed a message from my mother.

Mom: He did it again.

I just knew she was referring to my brother, Adam. They’d been having a tough time with him after the accident that had cost him his family and turned him into a recluse. Adam didn’t only refuse to leave the house, he hadn’t been out of his room in weeks.

Under the impression that they would be able to live with him, my parents had moved from Texas City to Jameson Falls to help him get back on his feet. My brother didn’t take too kindly to that. In the end, they opted to hire a housekeeper of sorts, someone to keep the place tidy and cook for him. Yeah, Adam wasn’t keen on that idea either. No one lasted longer than a week.

I couldn’t bring myself to blame him for his anger; he’d lost everything that meant something to him. And when you’re that down, that broken, you don’t want people witnessing it.

A little lesson experience had taught me.

My thumbs glided over the screen as I promised my mom I’d call her later. There was no way I would be able to hear her voice and not break down. After dropping the phone back into my purse, I adjusted the rearview mirror. One look at the woman staring back at me had me groaning out loud.

“Ugh, I look like the lovechild of a scarecrow and a raccoon.”

Luckily, I never went anywhere without my makeup pouch. I splashed some water on a tissue and proceeded to wipe the black smudges from my skin. A little foundation, a few swipes of mascara and I almost looked human again.

I dragged my fingers through my hair and winced as they got stuck in my tangled tresses. What I needed was a hot shower and a nap… but first, coffee. Pulling my hair into a messy bun, I did a quick scan of my surroundings and spotted a diner a few shops down.

An elderly lady walking her English bulldog kindly greeted me as soon as I stepped from the car. In return, I gave her a small wave and headed down the sidewalk. The moment I reached The Diner, a smile tugged at my lips. Had to appreciate the practical name.

The bell above the door chimed as I stepped inside, curious eyes focused on me. It never used to bug me when people stared. It may sound conceited, but I was used to the attention, and sometimes I even reveled in it.

Was being the operative word.

With every step I took, my unease multiplied. It was all I could do not to turn around and rush back to the safety of my car. I hated feeling like this, detested the need to run and hide. With a steadying breath, I slipped onto the stool at the counter.

A woman with a thick auburn braid and a coffee pot at the ready appeared in front of me. Her smile was wide and seemed genuine. I remembered her from Kenzie and Brett’s wedding, her name I couldn’t recall, though. Lindy, Letty, Libby?

In all fairness, my attention had been elsewhere that day. For the first time in a while, I allowed my mind to slip to that moment at the creek. I’d had my fair share of kisses before that day, but none of them had ever affected me the way that one had. That had also been the first time a man had walked away from me.

Maybe that’s why Eli Jackson was never far from my thoughts.

“Hey!” The redhead’s voice drew my attention. “I know you. You’re Kenzie’s friend…Zoe, right?”

Well, now I felt bad. I gave her as friendly a smile as I could muster. “Right,” I felt my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. “You’ll have to forgive me, I suck at remembering names.” Hopefully, my little white lie wouldn’t send more bad karma my way. Heaven knew I’d had enough.

“Lizzy.” She winked while she aimed her coffee pot at the door. “What brings ya to town?”

“Kenzie has been so busy lately, we haven’t seen each other in ages. I miss her, so I thought I’d come see what she’s up to.”

Lizzy pulled a mug from below the counter before placing it in front of me. She lifted the carafe in question. Shaking my head, I asked, “To go?”

Her smile was even wider as she said, “Sure, sweetie.” After placing the coffee pot on the counter, she disappeared behind the side door that I presumed led to the kitchen. A few seconds later she reemerged, to-go cup in hand.

“She’s going to be so happy to see you,” Lizzy placed the cup in front of me and filled it. I inhaled deeply, sending the delicious scent of coffee straight to my lungs. “She misses you too.”

My heart squeezed; Kenzie and I had been as close as two sisters. She was the only person, besides my family, who knew every broken part of me. Well, everything except—

“Are you heading to the cabin or meeting her in town?” Again, Lizzy’s voice pulled me from my own thoughts.

I secured the lid onto my cup. “I was going to surprise her at home.”

“What?” Her excited squeal drew the attention of a few patrons. “She doesn’t know you’re here?” When I only shook my head, Lizzy came rushing around the counter. She cupped my shoulders and squeezed. “Oh my gosh, she’s going to flip in the best way.” Her head whipped around to look at something on the wall. “We have to have lunch together. All four of us.”

“Four?” I managed to get out.

“Yeah,” she nodded furiously. “You, me, Kenzie and Harper. It will be so much fun.”

To be completely honest, she was freaking me out a bit, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her that. Plus, I knew from Kenzie’s frequent vents that living in a small town meant everyone knew everyone else’s business.

“I’ll…uh…ask Kenzie.”

Lizzy squeezed my shoulders harder. “Yes!” she exclaimed and then repeated, “It will be so much fun.”

Carefully extracting myself from her grip, I asked, “What do I owe you for the coffee?”

“Pfft,” she waved me off. “It’s on the house.”

She was being kind, and I wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there. Lifting the cup in the air, I muttered a quick, “Thanks,” before spinning on my heel and heading toward the door.

From inside my purse, my phone dinged again. Still walking, I rummaged through the bag dangling from my arm, cursing myself for throwing the device back in there. I was so focused on finding the damned thing that I didn’t pay attention to where I was going.

The moment I realized that it would probably be best to keep my eyes in front of me it was too late. I walked straight into a newcomer, dousing the person with the contents of my cup.