Chapter Thirteen
Lucas
“You’d, of course, give me the theme in advance, so we can prepare properly.” It wasn’t a question, more like a polite demand. Vivian was a breath of fresh air in my line of work. She didn’t compromise or kiss my ass just because I was known.
She was who she was—no sorries about it.
“I can give you that now.” I pulled a folded piece of paper with the show’s cooking schedule on it.
“Oh, this will do just fine. Kayson and I will have the flowers over every morning. Kayson is my nephew but more like a son. He and his husband have a baby and another on the way. Are you married?”
Her smirk told me she knew I wasn’t married. There was no ring on my finger. It was a question that led to a discussion—or at least, she wanted it to. Vivian’s demeanor and charm made me feel like I knew her—could trust her.
I trusted no one.
And yet, my mouth began to run.
“I’m not married. I have—there’s someone. He’s pregnant with my child. But he’s not really…”
“He’s not into you.”
I laughed but then sobered. “I think he is. I hope he is. He...you know him.” I remembered that Vivian was with Harrison when they went into the hardware store before, in town. “You already know the story, right?”
“I may have speculated, but I’d enjoy hearing it from the source. I love a juicy story.” She shimmied her shoulders a little.
“He doesn’t like the fact that I’m famous or a celebrity or whatever he thinks of me. But, when I’m with him, I’m just Lucas.” I sighed heavily and chuckled.
“Why stop now?? You were just getting started.”
“I’ve worked hard to get where I am, Vivian, and now this one thing that I hold so dear is the one thing stopping him from wanting me.”
“Speak of the devil.” Vivian stood up and opened the door. A young man walked through, followed by the one man in the world for me.
“Vivian, I know you have some cookies in here.” Harrison shut the door behind him and made his way to the kitchen, never sparing a glance my way. I smothered a grin at his cravings.
“Harrison, there’s only chocolate chip. If I had known you were coming, I’d have baked your favorite, oatmeal raisin.” Vivian zeroed in on me while she spoke. A hint about the man carrying my baby. He loved oatmeal raisin cookies.
Oatmeal raisin cookies I could do in my sleep—and a million varieties of them, too.
“I don’t care. I just need sugar…” Harrison came back into the room with one handful of cookies and another hand holding an enormous glass of milk with ice in it—tragic. “Lucas?” he said around a mouthful of said sugar.
“I should go.” I jumped up and grabbed my keys, which I had set down on Vivian’s coffee table.
“No, don’t go, Lucas. There’s no reason we can’t all be friends.”
There was no way Vivian could’ve planned this, since I was the one who requested a private place for our meeting, but from the glint in her eye, she was overjoyed at the circumstances.
Harrison looked stunned. Like I was invading his safe zone.
“I’m gonna go.”
I started toward the door, pushing down the need to go to him and wrap my arms around him, envelop myself in his smell.
“Don’t go, Lucas. There’s no reason we can’t…”
Stand in the same room like perfectly civil enemies?
“Yes, come on, gentlemen. Oh, Henry should be here. If you all were interested in women, there would be trouble brewing.”
Vivian certainly knew how to break the tension in the room.
She continued, “Harrison, I saw Lucas’s set today. I think he has a dozen of every project you’ve ever attempted.”
Harrison settled in a chair across the room. My chest burned with need to be next to him. He wore a navy T-shirt stretched a little over his belly. I barely stopped myself from smiling.
“Oh? My stuff?”
He seemed genuinely stunned that I would try to keep a piece of him with me.
“I bought you out that day at the craft fair, remember? Well, not me, but my assistant did, at my request, when I went outside to hide from the crowds.”
“I remember that day well.” He stuffed another cookie into his mouth.
“Lucas, do you know Jaxon? He takes all the pictures of Harrison looking fine—working around his shop—and the pictures of all of his projects.”
I nodded at the kid who was shuffling his feet back and forth. At least I wasn’t the only one in the room feeling the awkwardness.
“Nice to meet you, Jaxon. You’ve done some great work. I’ve been following the Instagram account and the blog.”
“Thank you.” Jaxon took the praise.
“You’ve been following me? I mean the account?”
I nodded. “I have.”
“It’s the only account he follows,” Vivian chimed in. “What? I follow the Instagram. I know what’s up.”
I believed her.
“It is, actually.” I shrugged, unashamed of my desire to know what Harrison was doing. “I didn’t find out about it until a few weeks ago when we chose Mapleville for the show’s home, but it’s really well done.”
Jaxon nodded and the tips of his ears blushed a little.
“Would it be okay if I came to see the set?” Harrison spoke up. The sound of my heart throbbed in my ears.
I cleared my throat, certain my voice would break if I didn’t. “Of course. I can take you over there whenever you have time.”
He set down the cookies and milk and wiped his hands on the thighs of his jeans. “I have time now.”