Waiting On You (Blue Heron #3)(51)

But that didn’t keep her from missing him, his dark, steady eyes, his workingman hands and low, smoky voice. The feeling of his mouth, his slow smile, and yes, that little-boy-lost shadow that he still carried with him. His voice when he called her mía. Mine.

Of course she wanted to marry him, more than ever now. Her own family was screwed up beyond repair, but they could make a new family. They’d get married and have a relationship that was ten times better than what her parents had had. Lucas would have a home, a real home, and his sister and the girls could come stay for the holidays, and Connor would be in and out, and he and Lucas would be best friends, and they’d be able to handle anything life threw at them. Including her parents’ divorce and her impending sibling.

They were better together than they were apart. He needed her; she made him smile, she made him happy, she made him whole, and he did the same things for her.

It was possible, Colleen thought late at night, that she’d been a little...rash.

But pride kept her from calling him. She wanted that first move to come from him. He was the one who’d lied, and of course she’d forgive him. All he had to do was ask.

And then, one day, he was here. Finally.

It was July, and the town was hosting the Days of Wine and Roses, a garden tour/wine extravaganza. Colleen was helping at the Blue Heron booth; the Hollands had just hired Mom in the tasting room for the season, and thank God for that, since the job was at least a distraction. Faith was home for the summer and had been absolutely stalwart.

The whole town was out, the sun was shining, the green was covered in tents, and mason jars filled with roses adorned every table. Dogs and children ran around in the park across the street, and every business was offering goodies on the sidewalks.

Connor waved to her from Hugo’s doorway—You doing okay?

She waved back. You bet. You?

He raised his chin. Doing fine.

Good. She turned back to the wine-tasting table and reached into the cooler for another bottle of the unoaked Chardonnay, which always ran out first.

“Colleen.”

She jumped as if electrocuted.

Lucas stood in front of her table. With him was his cousin.

“Hey, Coll!” Bryce said as if he hadn’t been at the Black Cat just last night “How you doing?”

“I’m good,” she said faintly. “Hi, Lucas.”

“Hi.”

He was so beautiful. No, that wasn’t the right word. Bryce was beautiful. But Lucas...he was enthralling, and dear God, she’d missed that face. His voice. He wasn’t smiling, not yet, but that was okay.

She felt a smile start in her heart, warm and full. Finally, he was back.

His eyes dropped. “Can I talk to you?”

“Sure! Um, Faith, I have to—”

“Get out of here, go, away with you,” Faith said, smiling. “Hi, Lucas.”

“Hey, Faith.” He gave her a nod.

“Should I say something bitchy?” she whispered to Colleen.

“Are you capable of it?” Colleen whispered back. She untied her Blue Heron apron and skirted around the table. He was here. Finally, he was here.

“Where should we go?” she asked.

“We could get a drink,” Bryce suggested.

“Bryce, I need to talk to Colleen alone,” Lucas said. She could smell his nice smell, soap and laundry detergent and sun, and holy St. Patrick, her knees almost buckled with longing, and she felt so damn right again that she wondered if she’d just float away.

But yeah, privacy. That would be good because she wasn’t going to last long without wrapping herself around him and kissing him with some happy crying possibly thrown in for good measure.

He took her hand and led her off the green, and Colleen felt like a blushing bride leaving the wedding...as if everyone knew where they were going and exactly what they’d be doing. His hand was work-roughened from the construction work he did each summer, and his olive skin was darker than usual from the sun.

The library was closed for the festivities. Lucas took her behind the pretty limestone building, where it was shady and cool and quiet.

“About time you came to see me,” she said, and her voice was shaking. “I missed you so much.”

“I think you should listen to me before you say anything,” he said, not quite looking her in the eye.

A tremor of fear wriggled through her knees. But no, it was okay. He wanted to go first. That was fine. That was better, really. “Apologize away,” she said with a smile.

He looked at her. Still no smile, his eyes dark and fathomless. A second passed. Another. Another. The tremor became a spasm.

“I’m getting married,” he said.

It was so...freakish...that she almost didn’t understand the words. A chipmunk cheeped from under a dogwood tree, and the sounds of music and people drifted from the green.

“What...what did you say?” she managed.

“I’m getting married, Colleen.”

There was something wrong with her lungs, because she couldn’t breathe. “That’s not funny.”

“To Ellen Forbes. I think you might’ve met her once or twice.”

He was serious.

Colleen closed her mouth. “I don’t...I don’t understand.”

He didn’t clarify.

Colleen took a step backward. Her legs felt watery.