Lincoln follows my gaze, a smile touching the corners of his lips. “Yeah, we did,” he agrees.
“Thank you for bringing this to life.” His eyes lock onto mine, deep and soulful, and for a moment, I glimpse the man behind the professional facade.
“It wouldn't have been the same without Dr. Montgomery, the storytime hero.”
He chuckles, a sound that seems to dance around us, light and free. “I think the real hero is the one who planned all this.”
“Heroes come in pairs, haven't you heard?” I tease back, unable to resist the playful spark between us.
An hour later, I make my way out of the hospital. My phone buzzes in my pocket, breaking the silence. It was a message from Red.
Call me ASAP! You won't believe the gossip going around town...
“Always something,” I mutter, thumb hovering over the call button. I tap my foot impatiently against the sidewalk.
“You have to hear this…”
“What's going on?”
“You remember Carrie Anne Baxter from high school?”
“Vaguely,” I reply, my mind flicking through yearbook pages to place the name. “Why?”
“Well, she's back in town too. And guess what? She's been asking about Lincoln.”
“Lincoln?”
“Yep. Apparently, she's on the prowl again, if you catch my drift.”
My heart does an uncomfortable flip-flop. A high school sweetheart is not something I factored into this equation. “Well, that's...interesting.”
“Interesting? Girl, this is Lawson Ridge! It's practically a soap opera episode,” Red squealed.
“Right…” I trail off, unsure whether to laugh or groan. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
“Anytime, sweetie. Oh, and Heather?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful, okay? Things are about to get interesting around here. Real interesting.”
“Got it,” I say, though 'interesting' is the last thing I need and hang up.
Carrie Anne Baxter or not, today has been perfect.
Chapter Fifteen
Lincoln
My phone buzzes on the coffee table, but I don’t want to move. Heather is snuggled up on my chest. It’s been a perfect day off so far.
“You gonna get that?” she asks.
I lean over and grab my phone, swiping to open the text.
Blake: Heads up. Carrie Ann is back in town.
I want to hide forever. When my old friend from high school calls to give me the heads up, my heart stops. Listen, yes I was heartbroken when she broke up with me right after Prom, but it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me. Heather and I were always meant to be, and I just didn’t pull my head out of my ass back then to realize. I won’t make that same mistake now. However, the town is small and eventually I will run into her. It’s only a matter of time.
