Whole Again (Hometown Hero's Book 1) Read online

  Vicki pressed her forehead against her grandmother’s and stilled her shaking hands. “Grams, you couldn’t have prevented his heart attack.”

  “Well, no, but I could’ve made him take a break. We were both so driven and wanted to give our children all the opportunities in the world we never had. I miss him every day.” A lone tear streaked down Joonie’s cheek.

  “I do, too, Grams. I remember sitting on his lap and smelling his pipe. His beard tickled. He loved cuddling with his grandbaby.” Vicki’s gut twisted. He’d always been so down-to-earth compared to her go-get-’em grandma.

  That earned her a sweet smile from her grandmother and a pat on the cheek. “Yes, that damn tobacco was part of what killed him. But what I meant with all this maudlin nonsense is that you can’t just drive yourself to succeed. You need to take time to enjoy life, butter bean. You lived with that weenie for so long. I want you to have some fun.”

  “I get that, Grandma, but up until now, I spent my life trying to make other people happy. Right now, I want to make myself happy. I want a career I can look back on and say, I did this, and I succeeded. Not because I am Betty June’s granddaughter or Christine Masterson’s daughter or David Watters’s ex-wife. No, I want success because I am Vicki Masterson, and I can do it, just like you did. So please, don’t interfere.”

  Her grandmother’s eyes watered. “You’re such a good girl.”

  Vicki kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “Now, I’m going to be late if we don’t hurry. Come on now.” She tugged her grandmother forward, and they walked hand in hand toward the building. As they got closer to the entrance, an attractive dark-haired man in a sleek gray suit stepped out of a nearby car.

  “Check out that hottie.” Grams nudged Vicki.

  “Grams,” Vicki whispered and yanked her hands away from her grandmother’s to smooth her fitted jacket. “He might hear you.” Not that a cute guy catching her checking him out was a bad thing . . .

  “Good.” Grams waved her fingers at the man across the parking lot and raised her voice. “Hello.”

  The stranger turned toward the women, and Vicki’s world stopped. She stumbled into her grandmother. Grams cut her gaze to the side and narrowed her eyes at Vicki.

  Vicki’s palms began to sweat. She rubbed them down the sides of her suit.

  Holy shit.

  “John Lawrence.” The words slipped out unbidden. She’d thought about him last night, and well, look, there he was. And wow, did he look good. Grams was right. John was a hottie.

  He’d always been sexy, but now something about him screamed badass. Maybe the swagger or the twist of his lips. His dark brown hair was longer now and almost reached his collar, not buzzed like it had been. His cheeks were dusted with a five o’clock shadow, and a new scar marred his right eyebrow. And his eyes, God, she could get lost in his dark-chocolate eyes, warm with this evil little twinkle. She’d spent hours dreaming about those eyes staring into hers and those final moments before he’d walked away eight years ago.

  Said eyes sparkled at her now as he made his way across the parking lot toward them. He had a new rhythm to his gait, but the same lean body from all those years of running. She used to get up early on the weekends to watch him jog past her house when she was a teenager. How sad was that? But oh so worth it.

  Her pulse skipped a beat and then resumed at a gallop. Her fingers tightened on her grandmother’s arm. The last time she’d seen him, he’d left for the military. Now, he’d returned.

  “Hello, ladies,” he said as he approached. His voice matched his eyes, deep and rich and decadent. She had to press her knees together, the sound was so potent.

  “Hello, yourself, good-looking.” Grandmother batted her eyelashes at him.

  His gaze held Vicki’s for one more moment before skipping to Joonie’s. He grabbed her grandmother’s hand, bent over her fingers, and kissed the tips with an exaggerated smack. “Hello, fair lady.”

  Grams simpered and nudged Vicki again. “Did you see that? What a gentleman.”

  Vicki grinned. “I saw, Grams.”

  John straightened and looked right at her. Vicki’s heart fluttered. His lips were full and soft and oh so bitable, and his skin tanned and golden, betraying some Spanish ancestry. He looked older, seasoned. And God, that mouth. She felt a thrill shoot down her spine. She remembered the taste of those lips . . .

  Another nudge from her granny brought her out of her daze. “Aren’t you going to take his hand, Vee?”

  Vicki blinked and glanced down to see John’s hand stretched out. “Oh, sorry, I was out of it a second.” In a fog, she grabbed his fingers. His hand curled around hers. Goose bumps raced up her arm, tightening her nipples.

  “Hello, John.” Her words came out much huskier than she intended.

  He grinned and held on to her hand. His thumb grazed the back of her knuckles. “Hello, Vicki. I didn’t know if you would remember me.”

  “Of course, you saved me once upon a time.” From a drunken David and his groping. He had catapulted himself into the role of her childhood dream man, not that he hadn’t always been. The saving only cemented his status. All those girlie bits she’d lamented last night sang to glorious life.

  He smiled. Not a grin; a full-blown smile, uneven, a little more raised on the right than left. It took his serious demeanor and added a hint of playfulness she found irresistible. Vicki’s stomach flipped like a happy poodle doing tricks.

  “Wait, what is this about saving?” Grams interrupted.

  “Oh, never mind, Grams.” Vicki tucked a stray hair behind her ear and peered at John from beneath her lashes. “Um, John. What brings you out here? You were in the military, last I knew.”

  John shifted from one foot to the other. “Yes, the marines. But I’m out now, and I have an interview.”

  Vicki’s gaze slid to take in her grandmother. “Oh? At Growing Strong?” He wasn’t going to compete for the same job, was he? That would be awful. She furrowed her brows.

  “Yes. I need an internship to finish my MBA. From what I understand, they have some openings.”

  “Your MBA! Nice. When did you have time to do that while flitting all around the world?” Wow, sexy and educated. She was toast.

  John’s mouth flattened, and he dropped her hand, making her realize he’d still held it. She missed the warmth immediately. “I wasn’t exactly flitting, Vicki. I was at war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Wherever there was action, we went. Combat is hard, and it didn’t leave much downtime to go out and explore. But I did have time to get my GED and finish my courses.”

  Her hand curled. Stupid. She was so stupid. “Um, oh, sorry, I didn’t mean that. I mean I knew you dropped out—”

  Vicki’s grandmother intervened. “Oh, bah, my granddaughter is tongue-tied again. What she means is you are very accomplished. You’re Bethany’s boy, right? From Aliquippa?”

  John nodded, and his shoulders unwound a fraction. “Yes. Do I know you, ma’am?”

  Grams huffed and waved her finger at his nose. “And you lost all your lovely points from the finger kissing and flirting because of that ‘ma’am.’”

  Vicki grinned. “This is my grandmother, Joonie. I have an interview today, too, for an assistant manager position at one of the regional branches.” Her watch beeped, and her stomach fell. “Sorry, that was the alarm for the interview. I can’t be late. Um, talk to you later, John?”

  John nodded, the side of his lip tipping up again. “That sounds good. See you later, Vicki, Joonie.”

  That mouth was . . . it was . . . Wasn’t she too young for hot flashes? She fluttered her jacket and dragged her grandmother toward the building. John trailed them at a more sedate pace.

  Joonie fought her grasp. “Why did you leave the cute boy behind? We’re going to the same place, you know.”

  “I have an interview, or did you forget?” Vicki opened the door and pulled Grams over the threshold.

  “Bah, you’re too serious about things all the time.
I could practically feel the hormones radiating off the two of you until you made the flitting remark. Standing there, holding hands, gazing into each other’s eyes. Magical. You need to go right out there and ask that boy on a date. He is just what you need.”

  “Grandma.” Vicki groaned as the door opened, and John followed them in the door.

  “Hi again,” he said, moving to stand next to them.

  Her cheeks flushed, and she had trouble drawing in a deep breath. This was beyond stupid. She was no longer a teenager, and she needed to get ahold of herself right now. Her fingers curled.

  “Do it,” her grandmother insisted beside her.

  “Fancy seeing you two here,” John remarked.

  Grams giggled. “We were just talking about you. My granddaughter wanted to ask you something.”

  “Grams!” Joonie shoved Vicki forward. John looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The one with the tiny scar at the corner that made him look so damn cute. She stuttered a bit with the first words. “Um.”

  Her grandmother pinched her side, hard. Vicki smacked her fingers. “Ouch! Darn it, Grams. That hurt.”

  John looked truly mystified now. “Everything okay?”

  Deep breath. She could do this. She tugged at her tank. “Uh, did you want to go out for a drink sometime?”

  “A drink?” He glanced at her grandmother, then back at her, a smile forming on his lips, then fading away. “For some reason, I get the impression this is not your idea, and while I appreciate the offer, I don’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to do.”

  Joonie pinched again harder, adding a mean little twist at the end. Gah.

  Vicki kicked her foot back and hit Joonie in the shin. “No, oh, no, I want to do it. I do. Grams only encouraged me. Please?” God, how embarrassing. If he said no again, she didn’t know what she would do. Curl up in the corner and die maybe. At that second, she felt all eyes in the lobby on her. Wasn’t that lovely? She had an audience for her first bumbling attempt at asking a guy out.

  John tilted his head. His eyes assessed her. “You sure?”

  “Of course she is sure. She’s a little shy is all,” Grams replied for her.

  Vicki stomped on her grandmother’s toe, then nodded, caught in John’s gaze.

  John shifted and smiled that drop-dead smile of his. “Well, if you’re sure, then I would love to go get drinks sometime.”

  Vicki’s stomach dropped like she’d gone over the edge of the diving board. She felt a sappy grin spread across her face. “Well, great.” Look at all her smooth words deserting her. She sounded like a three-year-old. “Um, let me give you my number?”

  John pulled his phone from his pocket, pressed a few buttons, and then held it out to Vicki. She typed digits into the keypad as he leaned forward to watch. John’s pinkie brushed hers when he took the phone back sending sparks racing down her hand. She curled her fingers tight, holding on to the feeling. “So, ah, call me?”

  His eyes gleamed. “Oh, I will.”

  Just then, Mr. Reynolds cleared his throat behind them. “Ms. Masterson?”

  “Oh, right here.” She turned and stumbled into a table. After righting herself and throwing John one last glance over her shoulder, she entered the office to the sound of her grandmother’s laughter.

  Three

  John drove back to his apartment in a daze. His heart raced. He felt lighter than he had for ages. The interview had gone great. Turned out Mr. Reynolds was an old marine himself. Had that drill sergeant demeanor going on. John dealt with that a lot in his career. This job was in the freaking bag.

  And even better, he had a date, well, drinks anyway, with one Ms. Vicki Masterson, the star of his every waking wet dream. Life was looking up. He glanced down. Literally.

  A smile bloomed across his face. He closed his eyes and pictured her from earlier. She hadn’t changed at all since high school. Her features remained fine, soft with high cheekbones and big brown eyes. The same long blonde hair, svelte figure with firm, tight breasts, and long coltish legs. He’d envisioned those limbs wrapped around his waist. Fuck. He hardened at the thought. He was no teenager anymore, but Vicki . . . A hint of confused innocence surrounded her, which always brought out his protective yet carnal instincts, which were difficult to control. He wanted to keep her safe and all for himself. Hmm. Deep breath. Calm down, buddy.

  That one kiss in high school right before he deployed had never been enough. And he remembered the taste of her, hot with the tiniest hint of strawberry. His breath hissed out. Must think about something else. Now that he most likely had a job, he could focus on unpacking. And maybe drinks this Saturday? And maybe after . . . Damn it. Down, boy. He didn’t mean that. At least not yet. Soon, hopefully. Maybe. What the hell was he thinking? She was way too sweet for a screwed-up vet like him.

  He pulled into the parking lot and shifted to make his hard-on less obvious before he got out of the car.

  His new apartment was in Moon Township, a hop, skip, and jump from downtown Pittsburgh. The complex wasn’t in a bad neighborhood, and the price was right. That had pretty much been the deciding factor.

  The building was fairly new. It had cream siding alternated with red brick. Each unit housed four apartments, and three units formed a U-shaped complex with a central courtyard in the middle containing a small angel fountain and some foliage. Not much lighting. John frowned as he scanned the area, assessing the shadows. The dim lighting made it pretty easy for someone to lie in wait out here, and . . . He shook his head. He had to get out of the habit of scanning for threats now that he’d left the military.

  He sighed as he gimped to his new apartment and saw his old friend Sara standing outside his door with her back against the wall. The change in her appearance threw him. She was no longer the gaunt Goth chick he’d grown up with. She’d let her hair grow out and return to its natural chestnut color and silky waves. It looked so much better that way. Plus, she’d put on a few pounds in all the right places, as highlighted by her skinny jeans and blazer. Very nice. His heart pinched at how much time had passed since he had last seen her—at least three years. He sighed.

  At that moment, Sara grinned, her hazel eyes shining, her skin glowing. Brae was a jackass for letting this one get away.

  John yanked Sara into his arms. “Sara.”

  She hugged him tight. “John, so good to see you!”

  “You too! Thanks for coming by to help me unpack. Am I late?”

  She shook her head and patted his chest. “No, I’m early. Figured I would stroll by, just in case. Where were you off to?”

  John rooted around for his keys, hoping she didn’t see nor feel the tent winding down and get the wrong idea. “Got myself a job hopefully. Getting my MBA.”

  Sara bounced on her toes. “That’s great. So you’re definitely back for good.”

  John nodded and sorted through the keys, looking for the right one. “Yep, back for good.”

  “What about Brae?” Her gaze dropped. She tried to feign indifference. Her foot kicked a pebble nearby.

  John wasn’t fooled. Those two idiots needed to realize they belonged together. “He is back, too. I believe. Or soon will be. He had a lot less leave than me. When I was sick, he took all of his leave to help me recover.”

  “Yeah, sounds like him. So both of you, eh?”

  “Yep. What? You don’t want us home?” His voice rose on the last word, and he lifted an eyebrow. What was up with that? They were all still friends, best freaking friends forever. BFFFs as Sara used to say, making the guys cringe.

  Sara rushed to explain. “No, no, it isn’t that. Sorry. You know our history.”

  He pointed a finger at her. “Yeah, but it’s time you both got over that. We’re all friends. We can handle a breakup. And you two were always breaking up and getting back together in high school.” Every other week, it seemed like.

  She rolled her eyes and grabbed said finger. “Well, yeah, but we’re not teenagers anymore, are we?”

&n
bsp; “Nah, I can’t drink half as much as I could then.”

  Sara snorted. “Ha. You’re funny, Mr. Teetotaler.”

  John finally found the key and turned it in the lock. “We are both back for good. Accept it. It isn’t that big a deal.”

  “Not for you and your shadow maybe, but for me, this is a huge freaking deal. Why is he coming back? He hated it here. He left to join you on your adventures as soon as he finished school and never looked back.” She crossed her arms, her words dark.

  John shrugged and held out the door. “Seeing me injured made him reevaluate his priorities.”

  Sara snorted. “Reevaluate, huh? Good. About time he did. And, um, there is something I need to tell you. You will find out soon enough anyway.”

  John’s eyebrows hit the ceiling. That didn’t sound good. “Okay, let’s go inside. We can get drinks and talk.”

  “Okay . . .”

  ****

  Vicki pulled her car into the slot assigned to her apartment. Her nerves still sang with tension from the interview. Mr. Reynolds proved hard to read. He had that blank stare and beady eye thing going for him, along with crossed arms and a crew cut. But she thought she had the job. Assistant manager at the Robinson store. Oh my God. She shivered in excitement at the thought. She’d help with inventory and odd jobs, but everyone had to start somewhere. Soon, she would know how everything operated and be able to move up when her experience increased.

  Vicki’s stomach flipped in joy at the path her life was taking. Plus, she had a date with John Lawrence. Drinks actually, but a step in the right direction. A really good step. She hadn’t felt this perky in a long time. Look at me now, Mom. She straightened her shoulders and smiled at her reflection in the rearview mirror only to see a silly grin plastered across her face. She took a hand and brushed it off, firming her lips. Game face on.

  She stepped out of the car and trekked toward her apartment, a bounce in her step. The scent of mums drifted to her, enriching the night along with the gurgle of the small stone angel fountain in the courtyard and faint voices. When she walked around the corner, she stopped on a dime.