Love By Accident (6 page)

"You okay, Lauren? You're looking a little peaked today," he asked.

"I was up later than I should have been last night," she explained. She hoped her grin looked more authentic than it felt.

He winked at her. "About time some boy caught your eye."

Lauren's smile wavered. If only it was something so simple and not the ugly scene which had taken place in her living room.

"Are you ready for a refill?" she asked, choosing not to comment. If she did the tears that hadn't subsided until the cold hours of the night might very well swamp her again.

He licked the icing off his fingers. "You bet. Fill'er up."

Betty arrived then, and not long after, more customers. With coffees to refill and breakfasts to serve, Lauren was kept busy and the morning rush was soon at its summit. She was reaching for a plate of Saskatoon berry pancakes when a dizzy spell hit her. The room spun around her. White spots danced before her eyes. Lauren grabbed the counter as her balance wavered.

"Honey, are you all right?" Betty asked, coming up beside Lauren and taking her elbow.

"Yeah, I don't know what happened. One second I was fine and the next I felt like I was going to faint."

She sat gratefully on the stool behind the counter.

"Have you had breakfast?" her boss asked.

"Yeah," Lauren lied. She'd eaten breakfast. Yesterday counted--it wasn't like Betty had specified it was this morning she'd been asking about.

"I'll take it from here. Go in my office, take a break."

"But we're almost full," Lauren protested.

"But everyone's ordered and Donna and Elsie have pitched in and poured coffee for me before."

"I can as well," Cougar volunteered. "Anytime, Betty, you just ask."

Betty patted his hand. "Ah, Cougar if you were younger and I wasn't married..." she teased before turning back to Lauren. "Now, go and rest, things are under control. Who were these pancakes for?"

When Betty was across the restaurant and the spots had vanished from Lauren's eyes, she moved to the small back office and rested her head on the desk. She really should have tried to sleep last night, not to mention force herself to eat something. Lack of food and sleep wasn't going to get her through her shift. And she was scheduled 'til three.

She groaned and closed her eyes. If she could only rest for a few minutes...

The cold winter wind whipped Lauren's face. She hunched her shoulders and hurried to unlock her car. The sooner she could get this awful night over with, the better.

"Hey, Lauren," Matt said, leaning drunkenly into her and nearly knocking her over in the process. "That was some party, eh?"

"Yeah, Matt. It was some party." And considering what she'd discovered, it was one she wouldn't soon forget. Struggling under his weight, she managed to push him back the other way. Only the car behind him kept him from falling to the snow-covered ground.

"Easy, honey, I wasn't going to bite. Well, not unless you wanted me to," Matt teased.

Finally she got her car unlocked, opened the back door for him. "Come on, Matt, get in. It's been a long day."

He leaned his upper body toward her, "Are you gonna make me?"

Dammit she'd hoped not to have to talk to Gil, but Matt wasn't leaving her any choice. "Gil," Lauren called, "I could use some help here."

Gil came around the vehicle. She felt his eyes on her, but she couldn't bear to look at him.

"Come on, buddy. Let's get you home."

And just like that Matt slipped into the backseat, face first across the seat. In seconds he was snoring. Lauren shook her head. She wished she could be so oblivious.

"He won't be your buddy come morning," Lauren said, unable to keep her bitterness contained. Her eyes met Gil's. "Not once he knows."

"Hey, Betty said you were back here and I--"

The words startled Lauren, shattered her dream until it was broken glass at her feet. She jumped to her feet, sending the chair slamming into the file cabinet. She stared, still caught somewhere between her dream and the present.

"Nick?" she managed when reality once again returned and it wasn't Gil she was talking to. It wasn't a dark night in Waterton and she wasn't about to get in the car and ruin three lives.

Nick Greensborough, dressed in his full green Parks uniform, watched her carefully. She'd met him here at the café. At first he'd come in on his lunch breaks, always sitting at the counter. Then he'd started coming in on his days off. A few times they'd gone out socially, or ordered pizza at her place. She'd even met his brother, Kyle, and the three of them had spent time together.

Though he'd asked her out several times, and flirted shamelessly, she'd made it clear friendship was the only thing she was interested in. Some days he needed more reminding than others.

"Jesus, you're white as a snow bank. Who did you think I was?" he asked, as jealousy slid behind his concern.

"Nobody. I was dreaming," she murmured. "I should get back to work." Though as she said it, a brute of a headache slammed behind her eyes.

"Like hell," he answered. "You look like you're about ready to pass out. Wait right here," he ordered, and walked into the café. He was back within a minute, Betty hot on his heels. A frown of concern creasing her boss's forehead.

"Lauren, you look absolutely exhausted."

"Just more tired than I realized," Lauren answered, not about to tell them she'd just taken a trip down memory lane and promptly landed in the ditch.

"Nick said he'd take you home. Go on, take the rest of the day off. I'll call Juliet in early. And if you need tomorrow, take it too. I need you better for this weekend."

The following Monday was Thanksgiving and the last big weekend before ski season began. Hotels had been sold out for months. Betty was right; she'd need all her staff for that one.

"Thanks, Betty. But I'm sure I'll be better by tomorrow."

Her boss gave her a measured look, then left her in Nick's hands. Since Lauren's knees felt like they'd been molded of Jell-O, she didn't balk when Nick put his arm around her waist and led her through the café and outside.

But she took exception when his hand curved over her butt.

***

Well hell, Matt thought, as Nick and Lauren stepped from the café arm in arm. If that didn't just cap it all off for him, he didn't know what would. Two of the people he liked the least in the world right now were draped over each other and it wasn't even eleven o'clock.

It hadn't taken more than a day to realize he and Nick Greensborough weren't ever going to be buddies. Nick was cocky and overconfident. And worse, he wanted Matt's job. Having been overlooked by what he considered an "outsider" didn't make for very warm feelings toward his boss.

Matt knew it, felt it, and ignored it. Nick could either do his job or quit. Either way, Matt was determined not to let Nick's attitude put a dark cloud over what he'd worked his ass to achieve. But seeing him, of all people, with Lauren royally pissed Matt off.

He didn't want anything to do with Lauren. But shit, did she have to pick Nick?

They stopped next to Greensborough's work truck, a replica of the one Matt was sitting in. Lauren shook her head. Nick let go the door handle, and again wrapped his arm around Lauren. Matt sat up straighter. Had the bastard's hand just slid over her ass?

It didn't matter that she immediately pulled away from Nick. Matt still saw red. And he forgot to breathe. When he remembered, he inhaled deeply and forced himself to relax. She wasn't his problem. Matt reached for the keys dangling from the ignition.

"Is this a bad time?" a voice asked cheekily from the passenger seat.

Holy freaking hell!

Matt jumped back so hard he tattooed himself to the door of the truck. He broke out in an instant sweat, his pulse thumped louder than STOMP. Blinking furiously didn't change what he saw. It was Gil. Holy shit, it was Gil. And his laughter filled the cab of the truck. It damn near broke Matt's heart.

Matt stared, partly because he wasn't sure his tongue would ever work again and partly just to soak up the image, an image he'd never forgotten. There Gil sat, wearing jeans, worn sneakers and his favorite blue golf shirt. The grin was so familiar it brought a lump to Matt's throat.

"What the fuck?" Matt mumbled.

"You haven't lost it. It really is me."

"But, how? Why?" And then because it felt so good to see him, to talk to him again, he asked, "For how long?"

Gil smiled. "Let's not worry about that for now. I came to see how you were doing."

"Doing?" Matt clenched the wheel, wanting desperately to reach out and touch Gil, but afraid he wouldn't be able to, which would only prove he was hallucinating.

"I'm here, buddy. For a while, anyway. It's okay to be a little freaked out."

"Yeah, just a little."

His friend laughed. "Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

"No, just my mind. Jeez, this is weird," Matt said, his hands tangling in his hair again.

"I know. It's not like you got up this morning and thought, wouldn't it be fun to talk to a dead guy?"

Matt gaped, then caught himself and shut his mouth.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Gil asked.

Matt felt himself smile. "I missed your sick sense of humor."

"Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?" Gil asked, stretching his legs underneath the dash.

"Shit," Matt feasted his eyes on Gil, "some things never change."

"Things change, buddy. You're about to find out just how much."

Matt closed his eyes and leaned back into the seat. When he opened them Gil was gone. Matt's breath shook out of his lungs. Holy shit, had he really just talked to a dead guy?

FIVE

Lauren logged onto Facebook. Within seconds, a chat window opened and her sister's words were there, offering support. Much needed support.

How are you? I've been worried.

I'm okay.

Have you seen Matt again? What's going on?

He came over, demanded to know how I could run out on him, stuff like that.

Are you sure you're all right? You can talk to me, remember?

Carm's words were a balm over her wounds. Other than Lauren, Carm was the only one who knew the whole story.
I know. But as much as I feared the confrontation, it's over. There's some relief in that.
Too bad there wasn't anything to relieve the pain of Matt's hateful parting words.

Still, it must have been rough. Sorry you had to go through it alone.

Yeah, so was she.

I miss our friendship most, we had some really good times together.

If only, Lauren thought, there was a way to get back the friendship they'd had. Only she knew there wasn't. They were different people now and it was too late, too much had happened, to ever go back.

Wasn't he the guy who dressed up as a pregnant granny one year for Halloween and passed out edible condoms?

It was their first year of college and she and Gil had gone as Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. He and Matt had had a field day with the cigar jokes and Lauren had blown beer from her nose when Matt had passed Gil a cigar, completely impaled in a banana-flavored prophylactic and Gil had handed it to her, leering.

Lauren caught herself smiling at the memory and went completely still. Her breath caught in her throat. When was the last time she'd actually had a memory of Gil that wasn't related to the accident? To what had happened at the party?

A knock on Lauren's door drew her attention.

Gotta go, someone's here.

Maybe it's Matt.

Lauren's stomach squeezed at the thought of another confrontation, but then it relaxed. Matt wouldn't be back, he'd made it clear what he thought of her.

Not a chance,
she typed regretfully. Not that she wanted to get yelled at again, but she would have loved it if Matt came for a friendly visit.
But better go see anyway.

Okay, love you.

Love you too. Bye.

The hallway was dim, the digital clock on the stove read six thirty. Somehow darkness had fallen and she hadn't noticed.

Without bothering to look first, she opened the door. Even knowing it wasn't going to be Matt, Lauren couldn't help the disappointment she felt at seeing Nick on her porch.

"You need to get that fixed," Nick said, referring to the grating noise her hinges made. "That's awful."

"I know. I'll get to it."

He smiled. "I didn't come to complain about your door. I thought I'd check on how you were doing."

"You didn't have to stop by for that."