Chapter Two:
Lyndie
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One day.
She just wanted one day that wasn’t a struggle.
Lyndie Hargood stood waiting after she swiped her debit card a second time.
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Craig Milton stood across from her behind the register. “It’s declined,” he said flatly.
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Shit. There had to be money on the card. She tried to go back over what she bought the last few days.
The bell at the door went off, signaling they were no longer alone in the store.
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Lyndie stared at the pack of diapers she was going to have to leave on the counter.
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If Sarah had been on shift instead of Craig, then she could have finagled a credit.
In a last ditch effort, she quickly searched her wallet for cash. Seconds ticked on, and embarrassment flushed her entire body.
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“We don’t take checks,” Craig added unnecessarily. She heard the smugness in his voice. “I hope you read the sign.”
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Lyndie’s teeth grit behind her lips.
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Her eyes snapped up from her wallet.
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Craig was looking over her shoulder, and Lyndie knew without turning that someone was standing behind her.
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“Fifteen on the pump.”
A deep voice filled the space behind her and she saw a large tattooed hand place a bill on the counter.
Craig nodded and she heard heavy footsteps, then the bell, signaling he left.
Lyndie swallowed and shoved the wallet back into her bag before turning to leave.
“Don’t forget your stuff.”
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She was about five steps away as Craig opened the register.
“You said my card declined.”
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“It did.” Craig gestured to the door. “He paid for it. And since he left, you can take his change.”
Lyndie glanced at the exit.
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He bagged the diapers and held out his hand with the change.
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For a second, she wondered if Craig was joking. He’d been an asshole since elementary school and was committed to not changing. Since his father owned most of the town, he never worried about consequences.
She stepped forward and took the bag from the counter before accepting the cash.
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“I know you need it,” he added with a smile.
Ignoring the sting she felt at his words, she left the store.
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On the opposite side of the lone working gas pump she could see the wheels of a motorcycle.
Lyndie held the money tightly in her hand as she rounded pump to face the bike.
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“Thank you for the –” she rushed out, then stopped when she realized she was speaking to thin air.
The motorcycle was huge, nothing but black and chrome that glinted in the sunlight.
It was an intimidating machine to say the least, but well taken care of.
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Lyndie wanted to at least give the man her thanks and return his money, but she was going to be late for work if she kept fooling around.
She scrambled in the pocket of her diner uniform and found her order pad and pen.
The idea was to quickly write a thank you note and find somewhere on the bike to tuck it with the bills.
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“You’re writing me a ticket?”
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Lyndie almost dropped the pad.
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“No,” she said quickly, turning around to his voice. “No.”
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The tattoos on his hand were just the beginning. They trailed up two massive forearms that were folded over his chest: fire, skulls and some too intricate to make out unless she got closer. Which she was not going to do.
The artwork continued up the sides of his neck. Both of his ears were heavily pierced with silver and a long goatee stretched past his chin into a triangle.
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A breeze caught a few ringlets of his dark hair, brushing them against his forearms. She was staring at him, and he was staring back at her with the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.
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She held the money out, not closing the space between them. “I wanted to thank you and give you your change back.”
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He didn’t even look at it and walked around her. “Forget about it. It’s cool.”
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Lyndie became more aware of his height. At 5’10” since fourteen she was still taller than most of the men in town. Plenty of teasing followed her in high school because of it.
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“I really don’t feel comfortable taking your money, sir,” she admitted.
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The man unscrewed the gas cap on his bike.
Lyndie could only imagine how he must look riding it.
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The wind picked up again and caused the massive coils of his hair to swirl around.
Dark lashes hid the color of his eyes for a moment before they were back on her again.
The suddenness made her catch her breath.
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The arches in his dark brows combined with everything else…
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What the hell was a guy like this doing anywhere near Amber Falls?
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“You’re making this way too hard,” he said while he pumped the gas.
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Standing there in her pale blue uniform, she just nodded, and then the diapers and work crashed against her brain. According to her watch, she had about eight minutes to make it across town or she’d be late for her shift!
Rushing toward her car, she called back, “Thank you again!”
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*
Noa watched the woman as she ran off.
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She backed out of her parking spot in the loud hatchback and sped away like the devil was on her heels.
While she spoke, he made note of everything about her, including the deep dimples that pressed into her cheeks. The old-fashioned diner uniform almost did a good job hiding her figure. But the wind helped out, shifting the fabric against her waist and hips. It was subtle, but more than enough.
When she started running, Noa’s eyes zeroed in on her lower half and the side of his mouth lifted for the first time in days. He’d always been an ass man.
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The town’s welcome sign claimed the population was less than five hundred, which Noa hadn’t been too keen on. But perhaps his stay here wouldn’t be so bad.
One minute late.
Of course.
After stopping to drop off the diapers, one light simply wouldn’t change, so she clocked in at 3:01. Mitch was going to dock her pay. He probably looked forward to it. And at some point, there would be a little meeting about it. Lyndie’s eyes rolled at the thought.
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But at least the day was over.
It was 9 p.m. and the diner was officially closed.
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Jeff, the only chef in town, made it a point to half-ass clean the kitchen before he left her alone to close up.
Lyndie had a routine she’d set over the past five years to get it done as efficiently as possible.
First, she checked all the booths then wiped down seats if they needed it, then she did the tables and the counters. Lastly, she’d sweep, then mop. It wasn’t so bad since the place was so small. But it was still the busiest spot in town in the mornings and evenings.
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Jeff was lazy, but the man was magic in the kitchen.
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Lyndie did a quick restock of the napkins before going to the register.
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The diner’s front door opened and boisterous laughter interrupted the peace.
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Mitch’s stomach pushed through the door before he did.
A Reno transplant, Mitch had lived in Amber Falls around six years. He bought the diner after the previous owner, Nick Pressley, died.
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Lyndie had been his second hire after Jeff.
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“Evening sir,” she said quietly, not sure if he heard her.
“Lyndie, Lyndie. Hey darlin’, how you doin’?” He pointed at her with a meaty hand.
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Mitch Rigetta was a short thick man with an even thicker New York accent. All his weight settled in his upper body and gut. He was balding, but groomed his ponytail within an inch of its life and never ran out of short sleeved silk designer shirts.
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“I’m fine. Would you like a coffee?” she offered, despite not wanting to make it.
“Sure sweetheart, why not? How was the take today?”
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Lyndie checked to see there was just enough water in the coffee maker to make him a quick cup.
“Why don’t you make that two. Man, I’m starving. Any leftovers?” the man Mitch had come in with added.
Lyndie had grabbed a paper cup and lid to prepare her boss’s coffee when she almost crushed it in her hand.
Her knuckles grew rigid resisting the urge.
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“The kitchen’s closed when Jeff’s gone,” Mitch said to her relief.
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“The sheriff can’t get a little grub?”
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Lyndie felt a knot in her stomach. She’d been on auto pilot for most of the day and just wanted to get home.
“Coffee’s what I got.” Lyndie kept her back turned to them both as she filled the cup while Mitch spoke. “Her shift’s up, I’m not paying for over time.”
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Lyndie put a lid on the cup and placed it on the table in front of her boss. “I just needed to cash out the register.”
“No need. I’ll take care of it. You can head out.”
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“No coffee for me?” Will was in full uniform, staring at her. Lyndie didn’t let her gaze move up past his tie.
“Here.” Mitch slid the cup over to him. “Have mine.”
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“No, no.” Will set the coffee back in front of Mitch. “That’s your coffee. I want Lyndie to make me a cup.”
Lyndie felt her face heat.
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“That was the last of the water,” she answered, hoping Mitch’s notorious cheapness would kick in and she’d be saved.
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“Make him a cup, Lyndie. It’s fine.”
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Without another word, Lyndie did as instructed, prepared and served Will the coffee while he made small talk with Mitch.
Halfway to her car, she heard the diner door open and close.
She sped up her steps.
“Lyndie.” His deep voice stopped her.
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When she turned, he was approaching the trunk of the hatchback, eyeing her.
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He’d taken off his hat so that his low dark brown hair wisped around his temples. Everything about his appearance was neat and clean. Just like his attitude. He always knew exactly what to say to people. Tall with a square jaw, in or out of uniform he appeared to be a Disney prince come to life and everyone in town treated him as such.
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“Yes,” she answered flatly.
“Heard you had an issue today up at Langley’s.”
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She somehow kept from rolling her eyes. Of course he’d find out about that.
Retrieving her key, she shoved it in her car lock.
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“You were trying to get diapers and your card declined.”
Lyndie opened the car door. A mix of anger and embarrassment jerked her movements.
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“If you need something for the kid, you can just text me-”
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“I don’t-” She strangled her voice then closed her eyes, trying to keep calm. “I don’t need anything from you.”
“I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about the kid.”
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“He has a name.” Lyndie shook her head slowly. “Max.”
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The moment she said it, she saw his puffy tanned cheeks, and the back of her eyes started to sting. She needed to get home to him.
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“You’re still bitter about me and you, huh?” Will had come closer and was now blocking her in the space of the open car door.
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“I need to get home.” She didn’t like him in her personal space. And part of her worried that his words were true.
After Lyndie’s grandmother had passed in high school, she’d withdrawn even further into herself. For a time, she considered leaving Amber Falls like most of her class. But one day while she was walking from the gas station, Will passed her in his car. He offered her a ride and it was so hot that day, she accepted.
He was kind to her and he listened when she talked. No one really did that.
Slowly, they developed a friendship.
He told her how he wanted to become Sheriff. How he wanted to make Amber Falls better for the people that lived there. She watched him volunteer at all the events when he forced her to come along. At some point, she came out of her shell and realized how special their town really was.
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A full year passed before they were intimate.
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Everything about them was so slow and genuine.
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That’s why she’d been so blindsided when it all fell apart.
What was actually genuine was that she was just a placeholder until something better came along.
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“My point was if he needs anything, I can take care of it. Just because we’re not together doesn’t mean we can’t communicate. And you don’t have to pull stunts to try to make me look bad in front of the town”
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The badge on his shirt glinted under the streetlight. His words forced her to look up at him.
“What?”
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“Don’t act stupid, Lyndie.” He looked down at her, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Don’t because you’re not.”
She didn’t want to explain herself to him, but he was being so ridiculous. “I needed the diapers for Max. I didn’t know the account was overdrawn.”
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“Are you gonna get emotional now?” The only emotion she felt was anger. It seemed she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding it. His condescending tone didn’t help.
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“No-”
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“No one told you to get pregnant, did they?” he interrupted. “I know I didn’t. You knew I had plans.” He almost stepped forward but held back, biting his lip. Then he shook his head.
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Will placed his arm on the hood of the car. “You and me. We’re done. I get that you’re hurt by it, but I’m not tolerating any games. You had that kid to trap me, and it didn’t work.” He leaned in closer to her. “It’s never going to work.”
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His eyes were dark moss green, but as he spoke, they carried no color. Lyndie stared into their darkness, trying to keep her mouth from gaping.
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He had looked down on her in another kind of way under the stars in the back of his truck.
“God, Lyndie,” he’d said, thrusting deep into her. “I’m gonna come in you so hard, baby.”
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Their cries rose up to the sky that night, miles away from down.
It was the night Max was conceived.
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Trap.
That kid.
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Lyndie felt the spit in the back of her throat, poised to hit his face.
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“Get away from me, Will.” It took every ounce of strength to keep her voice steady.
He didn’t move. “Or what?”
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Her right hand tightened into a fist at her side until her nails dug into her palm.
But what was she going to do, hit him?
He deserved it. There was no doubt.
But he was the Sheriff.
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Outside of Hugh Langley, he had the most power in their small town. He could easily make her life hell if he wanted to. The best thing she could do for herself and her baby was to keep her head low and stay out of his way.
“I’m not playing any games, Will. And I don’t want you. That’s the truth.”
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Will straightened, blowing out a breath. “No. The truth is all I have to do it push you on your back in that seat and you’ll gladly open your legs for me, just like you used to.”
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He tapped the top of the car twice. “You make sure you cut the bullshit.” Then he raised his voice as Mitch came out of the diner. “And have a nice night.”
*