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There was a pause on the other end, and then the sound of keyboard clicks echoed through the speaker. “Yeah, I've got it,” Lane said, the telltale signs of multitasking present in his tone. “You know, this isn't the easiest—or the most legal—thing to pull off on a whim.”
Luke's grip on the steering wheel tightened momentarily, a pang of guilt for what he was asking. “I know, and I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. Brian's out of prison.”
“Ooh alright then.” Lane let out a long breath, his brotherly concern evident over the air waves. “Alright, I'm sending the number to your phone now. Just... be careful, okay? I don't want you to get into trouble over this. You do realize who you're dealing with, I take it?”
“Yes. And if I remember correctly, he owes me one. Mafia or no Mafia.”
“And now you owe me.”
“Thanks, Lane. I would say more than one,” he laughed, feeling the vibration of his phone as the information arrived.
“Don't I know it,” Lane replied, a smirk in his voice. “You'll owe me a round of golf come spring.”
“That’s if I’m still in Pearl Lake come spring,” Luke said with a smile as he drove east out of the village.
“Oh, you will be, mom and Aunt Kim are already looking for a place for you to stay.”
“I’ll just stay over at Ava’s spa.” What the hell was he thinking? He didn’t want to live in Pearl Lake.
“No can do. Evelyn is staying there, and Ava said as soon as she moves on, she’s putting the place up for sale.”
He took his time as he drove down the highway. “Oh wow. News to me.”
Lane laughed. “That’s because you have Brit on your mind.”
“No denying that,” he said as he came to the bend. He could see the house from the road through the leafless trees. “Hey, I gotta let you go.”
“Okay, talk to you soon.”
Luke pulled off to the shoulder of the road and looked at Lane’s text message. He thumbed the phone number and put it to his ear. Waiting for the call to connect he never took his eyes off the house.
A deep voice said, “Who the hell is this?”
“Declan, how are you doing? This is Luke Petersen, from high school.”
“Luke! How the hell are you buddy! What do I owe the pleasure of this call?”
“I’m good. Remember that favor you owed me? I’m calling to collect on it....”
––––––––
THE SECOND SHE GOTinside of the inn; Brit ran upstairs to her room and grabbed a change of clothes before she headed off to the bathroom for a quick shower. She had to hurry because after she was done, she had to get to Mack’s store and get the ingredients for the dish she planned on making for Luke. She never told him what she was making so she hoped he enjoyed pork chops and mashed potatoes smothered in mushroom soup.
Turning the taps on she waited a moment before undressing for the water to come up from the basement. If it wouldn’t make such a mess, she would just get undressed in the shower because the frigid temperatures upstairs chilled her bones. Once the steam started rolling out above the curtain, she stripped down and stepped into the shower, welcoming the cascade of hot water that rushed over her. She reveled in the steam, letting the warmth chase away the chill from her.
As the bathroom filled with steam, she reached for her razor. Quickly she shaved her legs and decided to give her bikini line a once over; carefully she skimmed the razor over her skin to avoid nicks or razor burn. Once done, she washed and conditioned her hair, and used her favorite body wash, the one that drove Luke insane. She smiled to herself as she rinsed off, her mind already racing ahead to the meal she was planning. Hoping that the comfort food would be a hit with Luke, she decided that if it wasn't one of Mack's pies for dessert would make up for it.
She turned off the shower, and stepped onto the bathmat, wrapping herself in a fluffy towel. Brit dried off, dressed in the fresh clothes she had brought, and gave herself a once-over in the mirror. A flush of color touched her cheeks, not just from the shower's heat, but from the thought of the evening that ahead.
Time was ticking, she gathered up her dirty clothes, and headed across the hall to dump them in her bedroom. Getting her brush from atop her dresser, she ran it through her damp hair deciding to forego the hair dryer. It could air dry, knowing that it would be in its usual waves by the time she was done at Mack's store. That was if it didn’t freeze on the walk over.
Tossing the brush onto the bed, Brit put her coat and boots on then closed the door to her room and hurried downstairs. She headed for the front door when she heard Kim call her name from the kitchen.
“Hey,” Kim said, as Brit walked into the room. “Did you hear about Evelyn?”
“I did, Destiny texted me. What did the guy look like?” she asked, wondering if it was the one, she thought it was.
She shook her head, a frown knitting her brow. “I didn’t get a good look at him as he had a hood on for the most part.” Kim pushed a bag across the table. “Cookie?”
