“Nothing,” he says quickly, wiping the grin off his face. “Who’s Luke talking to?”
“I’m not sure who she is.” My voice sounds sharper than I intend it to.
Zane, of course, notices this, his signature grin making a second appearance.
“Wanna dance to make them jealous?”
Am I that obvious? If Zane can read my true feelings, I know Luke can as well. I twist around until I am no longer facing him and reply, “No thanks. I think I’ve danced enough tonight. I’m going to call it a night and head home.”
Zane looks behind me at Luke then gives me a knowing smirk. “Alright. I’ll see you later.”
I wave goodbye to Zane before making my way to Luke’s table so I can retrieve my purse. All the while, my stomach is twisting into itself the closer I approach him. When he looks up at me and our eyes lock, there’s this subconscious pull toward him that I have to fightagainst.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” I say as I snag my purse. “I just need to grab this.”
“Hey, Liv, this is Latasha,” Luke says, gesturing to the beautiful woman whose piercing blue eyes scan me up and down. “She’s visiting her grandparents for an early Christmas. You know Daniel and Piper Potter.”
“Yes, of course. Your cousin Cindy is one of my dear friends. We’re happy to have her art studio in our community.” I take her hand into mine, my cheeks aching from the large smile I force on my face. “It’s nice to meet you.”
At least Latasha isn’t from here and I don’t have to worry about anything long-term happening between her and Luke. I want to smack myself because that thought shouldn’t even cross my mind. As Luke’s friend, I should want him to find someone to settle down with.
Reminding myself that Luke has mentioned before that he doesn’t do long-distance relationships sends a small wave of relief to wash over me, especially once I hear her northern accent as she replies, “It’s nice to meet you too.”
I bounce onto the balls of my feet nervously, my hands fidgeting with the hem of my shirt, before I glance at Luke, who is studying me. It’s clear that he can read right through whatever persona I’m trying to create in front of this woman. His glance lingers on me before Latasha interrupts, gaining his attention once again.
“The family is celebrating her and Elliott’s engagement in an hour. Luke, would you like to join me?”
Yes, I totally noticed that she made sure to say Luke and not include me in these plans, which is silent girl code for ‘Get lost. He’s mine.’ There is a small part of me that acknowledges, briefly, that I wish he were only mine. That it could be me that he’s focused on. I know that wishing for something more with Luke can only lead to ruining everything we’ve worked so hard to rebuild. Luke had his chance, and he didn’t take it.
Luke looks up at me, a question behind his gaze, and there'sa moment of hesitation before I choose to ignore my internal struggles and say, “Well, I’m going to head home. I hope you two have a wonderful night.”
I give them both a wave and turn to leave but not before I catch it—the glimmer of disappointment in Luke’s eyes. The way his mouth opens, like he’s about to say something, but nothing comes. So I walk away, fast, before I can change my mind. And as the bar fades behind me, I do what I’ve always done. I bury every feeling I have for Luke so deep I almost believe they’re gone.
Almost.
Chapter Nine
Olivia
Luke and I have been on the road to Indiana for two hours. The warm and familiar voice of Cody Lee Meece,one of our favorite Kentucky musicians,comes through the speakers. I’m just finishing the last bite of my brisket sandwich from our stop at Buc-ee’s when the music pulls me back to that night we snuck into a private barn party just to hear Cody play live.
I smile at the memory. Luke had slipped in a pile of horse manure and ended up rinsing off in the pond behind the building. A kind older gentleman lent him some clothes, and when Luke stepped out of the camper dressed like a backup banjo player, I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe.
A quiet giggle slips out as Luke glances over. “What are you laughing at?”
“Just a memory.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Do you still have your cowboy outfit?”
He squints at me for a moment before returning his gaze to the road. His lip quips up, just for a moment, causing my smileto grow. “This song always takes you back to that night, doesn’t it?”
I laugh harder, snorting as I recall the details to him. Every so often he peers over at me, one side of his mouth hitching up into the faintest smirk.
“To answer your question, I donated those to Preloved Finds the second we got back to Covewood.”
“You did not. Those types of clothes were sacred to the old cowboys. He gave you suede leather pants, Luke. With fringe!”
