Chapter 4: Boy Tries to Get Girl Back

Of course, he’d pick a steakhouse. Lyle and his rare steaks. Heather could tell you his damn order before he even made it. He was such a creature of habit.

But then she walked in and the screams went up. Within 10 seconds, she was being hugged on two sides by young women who could only be Sophie and Scarlett. Damn, but they had grown so much.

Her heart swelled at the sight of Lyle’s daughters, who’d always felt like her own in some weird way during those complicated years. She wrapped her arms around them, laughing as their excited chatter filled the air, momentarily forgetting the reason of why they were all here.

They’d gotten so tall, so bright, a painful, beautiful reminder of the family she’d once been part of. Sophie was a full grown lady, a year older than Katie. Yet in Heather’s memory, she was still a girl. Scarlett too had outgrown her adolescent chubbiness and was beautiful.

She pulled back to look at them properly, her throat tightening with emotion. Her eyes softened with affection, though a flicker of sadness touched them, too. She can’t believe how much difference a few years could make.

Heather could not help but laugh along with their excitement to see her. The hugs went on long and hard and even Katie jumped into the fray. While this reunion was taking place, Smith stood on the outside looking in.

She glanced over the girls’ shoulders, meeting Smith’s patient but distant gaze, and felt a pang of guilt. She gently disentangled herself from the hug, reaching a hand out toward him, hoping to bridge the gap the past had suddenly carved between them.

When she brought him into the huddle for introductions, the girls stiffened and looked at their father aghast. He just smiled and nodded. She felt the girls pull back, their warmth cooling instantly under Lyle’s subtle influence, and her grip on Smith’s hand tightened protectively.

“This is Smith, my fiancé.” Her voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt, though Lyle’s calm smile felt like a challenge. He could even make a simple smile infuriating.

Her jaw tightened as she met Lyle’s gaze, that smug, knowing curve of his lips stirring old frustrations and newer, sharper anger. She forced herself to breathe, to focus on Smith’s steady presence beside her instead of the man who still owned a piece of her.

Then Lyle stepped forward and extended a hand to Smith. “I’m so glad you could join us. As you can see, Smith, this is like a family reunion to the girls and me.”

She hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking Lyle’s extended hand, her skin tingling at the contact, a familiar, but unwelcome electricity. She was here for Katie, not for old times. Her pulse raced as his fingers brushed hers.

Then Lyle turned to Katie, and they hugged. Heather’s stomach clenched as she watched him embrace her little sister with that same charming, predatory ease he’d once used on her. She instinctively stepped away from Smith and closer to Katie, her protective instincts screaming.

Both Katie and Lyle gave her a strange look like she’d overstepped her bounds somehow. She forced herself to relax her posture, though every muscle remained tense under their judgmental stares. Yet, she had an overpowering urge to throw herself between them.

“Sorry, just ... protective big sister instincts.” The excuse felt weak even to her, and Lyle’s knowing smirk made her want to scream.

“Whatever do you think she needs protection from? Do you think me a monster?” he asked quietly.

Her eyes locked with his, a flush of anger rising in her cheeks. “You know exactly what you are, Lyle.” The words came out sharper than she intended, and she felt Smith’s hand gently squeeze hers in warning.

As they all sat at the big round table, Katie attempted to sit next to Lyle, but Heather practically pushed her out of the way and took the seat. She settled into the chair beside Lyle with deliberate force, ignoring Katie’s surprised glare.

“Some habits are hard to break.” Her tone was light, but her posture was rigid, a clear boundary drawn between him and her sister. While she’d won that battle, now she was stuck sitting with Lyle Fucking Dupre while Smith was on the other side of Katie and next to Sophie.

She could feel Lyle’s proximity like a furnace, his familiar cologne stirring memories she’d tried to bury. She kept her eyes fixed on Smith, silently communicating her regret across the table, all while resisting the pull of the man beside her.

Scarlett broke the tension with a compliment. “I love your hair, Heather. Is that your natural color?”

She offered a genuine smile to Scarlett, grateful for the distraction. “Thanks, honey, and yes, it is. You’ve always been the observant one.” Her voice softened, momentarily forgetting the tension as she focused on the girl’s kindness.

“Did you know she was a redhead, Daddy?”

“I had my suspicions.”

“Doesn’t she look beautiful?” Sophie asked.

Heather felt her cheeks flush under their scrutiny, especially Lyle’s lingering gaze. She laughed lightly, trying to deflect, but Lyle’s low chuckle beside her sent a shiver down her spine.

“She is the most beautiful woman to ever walk the Earth.” It was an old line, one he’d said a hundred times, but the softness he said it with and the look in his eyes was somehow different this time.

Her breath caught in her throat, the old one phrase hitting with unexpected weight. “Don’t.” The word came out barely a whisper, her eyes darting toward Smith, afraid he’d heard the intimacy in Lyle’s tone.

“Time and distance don’t change the truth. Facts are facts,” he said.

Her fingers tightened around her napkin, knuckles whitening. “Some things belong in the past, Lyle.” She met his gaze, her voice low and edged with warning, “ ... and so do you.”

He only shrugged and then they were interrupted by the waiter getting their drink orders. She exhaled slowly, grateful for the interruption, and ordered a stiff drink—something to steady her nerves. Just a bourbon, neat. Her eyes avoided Lyle’s, focusing instead on the menu as if it held all the answers.

Once the waiter left the table, Sophia asked Heather about her new life in California. She thought it would be fun to live in a sunny place with the ocean. Heather relaxed slightly, grateful for the change in topic, smiling warmly at Sophia, intentionally keeping her tone light and away from the tension simmering beside her.

Smith jumped in saying their part of Northern California wasn’t all that warm and sunny. He quoted Mark Twain: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

She laughed, the sound genuine this time as she glanced at Smith with fondness. Her eyes sparkled, grateful for his grounding presence even from across the table.

She told the girls about her job mostly, since that was about all she’d done for the past three years. She described her work with pride, detailing the projects and challenges she’d overcome, carefully avoiding any mention of the lonely nights or the shadow Lyle still cast over her life.

“That sounds lonely. Dad’s been lonely, too.” Her smile faltered at Scarlett’s words, a cold dread settling in her stomach.

“Loneliness is part of life, sweetheart.” She spoke gently but firmly, not wanting to encourage whatever nonsense Lyle had fed them. “I’m sure your father has all the companionship he needs.”

“Not since you left. He’s been alone. Single and alone.”

Sure he has. “How is your mother, girls.”

“She’s very happy. Colt took her to Hawaii for their second anniversary.”

Her chest tightened, as she shot a pointed, questioning look at Lyle. No way the man is single and not dating. She’d never believe it. Maybe the girls believed this claptrap, but she knew better. He had this year’s girl stashed somewhere.

Lyle said nothing, just looked a little sad. This nonsense couldn’t be true. She refused to meet his manufactured melancholy, focusing instead on swirling the bourbon in her glass. Don’t play the victim, buddy. It doesn’t suit you.

He asked Katie what she was studying and when she said mass communications, so he mentioned that Sophie was a rising sophomore in that same program.

Heather’s protective instincts flared again as Lyle smoothly redirected his attention to Katie. She forced a tight smile, her mind racing with suspicion. “I’m sure they’ll have a lot to talk about.”

The girls started talking over Smith, who didn’t seem at all uncomfortable at having two pretty girls hovering over him. He, in fact, began to take part in that side conversation, adding stories from his college experience.

She watched, a knot forming in her stomach as Smith engaged with Katie, Sophie and Scarlett, his easy manners on full display. Part of her wanted to pull him back, but another part knew she couldn’t control his friendliness ... or Lyle’s calculated distractions.

She turned to him and fumed. Their conversation was isolated, and she could give him a piece of her mind. She leaned closer, her voice a low, heated whisper meant only for him.

“What are you up to? You leave my sister alone. I’m warning you.” Her eyes burned with accusation.

He just smiled as if he was completely infatuated with her. “Oh, how I missed that fire.”

Her jaw tightened at his condescending tone, her hand gripping the edge of the table. “You never missed a thing. I don’t know what you told the girls, but no one believes you’ve been celebate for the last three years.” She spat the words quietly, venom lacing each syllable.

“Yet, sadly, it’s true. You broke me.”

A bitter laugh escaped her lips, disbelief and anger warring in her gaze. He didn’t get to play broken, not after what he’d done to her. Her voice trembled with raw emotion. “Look around, pal. You broke us — all of us.”

“Yet, the girls have done fine. Katie has done fine. The only unhappy people here are you and me.”

Her eyes flashed with fury, her voice dropping to a seething whisper. “Don’t you dare lump us together. I’m perfectly happy with Smith. If you’re unhappy, it’s your own fault.” She leaned back, her chest tight. “You made your choices. Live with them.”

“But you see, I can’t be happy without you.” He said those words in such a matter of fact way, that it set her back on her heels.

She shook her head slowly, a cold finality in her gaze. “You had me, Lyle. You had all of me. Her voice was quiet but unyielding. And you threw it away by lying to me. Some losses are permanent.”

“But you see, I don’t think you’re all that happy. I also think you’re awfully angry for a person who is over me.”

Her fingers clenched around her glass, knuckles white. She met his eyes, her voice sharp and unflinching. “Anger is just part of healing. And I’m healing just fine ... far away from you.”

“Methinks she doth protest too much,” he said, a broad smile taking over his face.

She slammed her glass down a little too hard, the sound drawing brief attention from the others at the table. “Enjoy your Shakespeare, Lyle.” Her voice dripped with icy disdain.

Heather stood up and moved to sit by the girls and start a conversation. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Lyle moved closer to Katie and those two engaged in a one-on-one. Fuck! She’d let him use her anger to outflank her.

Her eyes darted toward Lyle, a silent warning flashing in her gaze as she deliberately angled to keep an eye on them. But then the food came and her sudden seating change became permanent.

She forced a pleasant smile as plates were set down in front of them, though her attention never fully left Lyle’s proximity to Katie. Every bite of steak tasted like tension, her protective instincts coiled tight beneath the surface.

She felt Smith’s eyes on her, judging her actions, but she’d deal with that later. Her priority was clear — keeping that bastard away from Katie. She cut into her steak with focused intensity, every slice of the knife a silent declaration of her resolve.

Lyle was taken aback by the power of her dismissal. Clearly, she had not forgiven him one lick since she’d written that note three years ago.

He watched Heather eating mechanically, as if she was barely tasting the expensive meal. She kept a vigilant watch on him and Katie, ready to intercept any attempt to ensnare her little sister. What kind of man did she take him for?

To make matters worse, he’d played it too smug tonight, too arrogant. He’d counted in his charm to carry the day as it always did. But not this time.

Well in for a penny, in for a dollar, he thought as he engaged Katie in conversation throughout dinner. He skillfully steered the topics to learn more about the younger woman he hadn’t seen in years and not paid that much attention to back then.

As dinner dragged on, Heather grew increasingly agitated by Lyle’s blatant attempts to monopolize Katie’s attention. Under the table, she gripped her napkin tightly, twisting the fabric until it strained against her fist.

As the dinner drew to a close, the younger set wanted to go out to a music venue and continue the night. Lyle didn’t know what to do, go and engage Katie to make her big sister jealous or give up and head home.

Heather tensed as the evening showed no signs of ending, the prospect of Lyle spending more time with Katie filling her with dread. She caught Smith’s eye, silently pleading for backup, but his expression remained unreadable.

“I’m rather tired,” she said, forcing a yawn. “This has been lovely, but I should call it a night.”

“You go back to the room then. I’ll hang with the kids.”

Her grip tightened on her napkin, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure. How dare Smith so readily agree to leave her alone? She turned to her sister, desperately questioning with her eyes.

“Yes, get some rest, Heather,” Katie added.

Then Heather spun around to Lyle, expecting him to take advantage of this opportunity, but he just said, “I’ll walk you back, Heather.”

Her shock nearly took her breath away at Lyle’s offer. The last thing on earth she wanted was to walk anywhere with him, but if it kept him from Katie...

She turned to her sister, plastering on a brittle smile. “I’ll wait for you guys in the room, okay? Let me know when you get back safely.”

They started out of the restaurant and into the street. As soon as they stepped outside, she quickened her pace, trying to put some distance between them. “I can’t believe you offered to walk me back, Lyle. Do you really think I wanted to spend even a second alone with you?”

“I’m sorry, darling. I know you’re still mad at me, but I can’t let an opportunity like this pass without telling you how sorry I am and how much I’ve missed you.”