A Lie for a Lie (All In 1)

“There was a storm. A tree took out the phone lines and all the power. Even the generator didn’t work.” Her rigid stance wavers, and her bottom lip trembles.

That explains why the phone just kept ringing and ringing and eventually all I’d get was a click and a dial tone, but she could’ve left me with a way to get in touch with her. “I didn’t know about the phones. Why didn’t you leave me a way to contact you?” I take a step forward for every step she takes back.

She blinks, confused. “I did. I left a note with my phone number and email.”

My stomach twists with this news. I’d considered going back to Alaska after LA, but things had been so difficult with Max’s birth, there hadn’t been time. “I didn’t find one when I went back this summer.”

“I left it in your bedroom. And maybe it was a good thing you didn’t find it, considering you’re a liar.” Her chin trembles, and her hands flutter in the air before she clasps them together in front of her.

I was in such a rush that morning, worried about my brother and Joy and the baby, wishing I’d done things differently with Lainey. I didn’t even think to leave her my cell. “I made a mistake—granted, it was a big one. I just . . . you didn’t recognize me. I didn’t think . . . can I give you my number now? I get that this is a lot to take in, and maybe you need time to think? I can give you that, but please, at least give me a chance to explain.”

She shakes her head, but she pulls her phone out of her pocket, keys in the pass code, and hands it over to me. I quickly add myself as a contact before she can change her mind. Then I send myself a message to make sure I have her number before I hand it back.

I don’t know what to do with my hands, so I shove them into my pockets. “Can I call you later so we can set up a coffee date?”

She holds her phone to her chest, eyes darting to the STAFF ONLY door and then to the group of women gathered by the information desk before coming back to me. There’s no warmth, just wary mistrust. “I don’t even know you. Why would I go on a date with you?”

“Don’t say that. You know me, Lainey. The only thing you didn’t know about was my job. That’s it.” I take another step toward her, but she shakes her head and backs away.

“That’s it? It’s not a little lie, RJ. You told me you were an alpaca farmer instead of telling me you were the captain of a professional hockey team. That’s kind of a pretty huge detail to leave out, don’t you think?” Her voice shakes, whether with anger or another emotion I can’t be sure, but she looks as if she’s on the verge of tears, and I hate that I’m the one who did that to her.

The door behind her opens. “Lainey? Sorry to interrupt, but I need your help with the otters. Ollie keeps trying to make moves on all the female otters, and you’re the only one who seems to be able to control him when he’s like this.”

“Of course. I’ll be right with you.” I don’t like how relieved she seems by the interruption. She spares me another wary glance. “I have to go. Take care of yourself, RJ, if that’s even your name.” She spins on her sneakered heel and speed walks away from me.

Even in the awful beige pants her ass looks fantastic, which is a terrible thing for me to notice or focus on.

I take my hat off and run my hand through my hair, cursing under my breath. What are the chances that I’d run into her here, of all places? That she would end up in my city? At least I know where she works, and I have her number. Now I just have to work on getting her to agree to talk to me.I head back to the party, take part in the team photo, and watch fifteen kids from newborn to six years old turn a room upside down faster than a bunch of drunk frat guys on a bender.

Alex steps up beside me and sips out of a red cup. “You all right?”

“Yeah.” I nod, even though I’m probably the furthest thing from all right. For a few minutes I was ecstatic. Now I’m confused, disappointed, and freaked out. I just want to sit Lainey down and make her hear me out. And I want to understand what the hell happened to the note she left and why it wasn’t there when I went back this summer.