Just Add Friendship (Everly Falls Book 3), page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Just Add Friendship
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
About Heather B. Moore
Copyright © 2023 by Heather B. Moore
E-book edition
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles. This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Interior design by Cora Johnson
Edited by JL Editing Services and Lorie Humpherys
Cover design by Rachael Anderson
Cover image credit: Deposit Photos #467469484
Published by Mirror Press, LLC
EVERLY FALLS SERIES:
Just Add Romance
Just Add Mischief
Just Add Friendship
PINE VALLEY SERIES:
Worth the Risk
Where I Belong
Say You Love Me
Waiting for You
Finding Us
Until We Kissed
Let’s Begin Again
All For You
PROSPERITY RANCH SERIES:
One Summer Day
Steal My Heart
Not Over You
Seasoned with Love
Take a Chance
HISTORICAL TITLES:
The Paper Daughters of Chinatown
The Slow March of Light
In the Shadow of a Queen
Under the Java Moon
Until Vienna
Love is Come
Esther the Queen
Ruth
The Moses Chronicles
Mary and Martha
Hannah
Rebekah and Isaac
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Thank you!
Heather B. Moore
Ten years of dating since he left. Ten years of nothing working out. Is it her, or is it him? Or can no one else measure up?
Stephenie Grady can’t figure out why every man she dates turns into a troll. Well, not an actual troll with green skin and warts, or the kind of troll who stalks the internet with negative comments, but the kind of troll who dumps her. Yes, she’s been dumped every time, by every guy she’s dated. She’d blame it on the male population, but her girlfriends have amazing men in their lives.
Steph could also tell herself she hasn’t met the right man yet, and that could be true, but what if she already has? What if the right man was in her life ten years ago, and what if he comes to their ten-year high school reunion? And what if her memories of a past relationship don’t measure up to the realities of the boy-turned-man, Cal Conner?
BRANDY, ARE YOU BRINGING IAN? Stephenie Grady texted her group chat of high school friends on her short break at the salon. Well, the ladies were her former high school friends. It had been ten years now. After they’d all split up and gone to college or followed other pursuits, somehow they’d ended up back in Everly Falls. Best friends once again.
Yeah, he’s coming. Brandy added a heart emoji. She and her older sister Everly were both in the group text. Are you bringing a date?
That was the question of the day, or maybe of the year. Steph dated a lot. But nothing long term, and therein lay the problem. She didn’t have a special someone to bring to her ten-year high school reunion. And in a small town like Everly Falls, showing up without a date would scream one thing: I Don’t Have My Life Together.
Well, that might be a tad dramatic, but it was how Steph felt some of the time. Okay, most of the time. Especially when her closest friends were either married, married with kids, engaged, or about to be engaged. Lori was the exception, but she was sort of a closed-off person and didn’t really seem to care about having a plus-one at social events. Besides, she’d be out of town for the reunion.
A customer came into the salon, but from where Steph sat toward the back, she could see it wasn’t anyone for her. So she returned to her texting.
Haven’t decided yet, Steph texted the group. If Lori were coming, I’d just go with her.
Sorry, again, Lori wrote. The committee should have checked my schedule first. Winking face emoji.
Steph sent a crying emoji because she was in fact on said committee. Which made it even more awkward to show up without a date. Everyone on the committee was buzzing about what they were going to wear and what their spouse/significant other would be wearing.
Maybe she could catch a sudden illness. Was the flu going around yet? It was September … No, even as she thought it, she knew she’d suffer from a severe case of FOMO—fear of missing out. It was her crutch in life. She supposed staying off social media would help, but that would be like a bee abandoning its hive.
Speaking of bees …
He had called her Bee.
A nickname that led to their one and only date, because she’d tutored him in English class. He’d told her she was freakishly good at spelling, and she’d confessed that until junior high, she’d entered all the spelling bees and won.
He might be at the high school reunion. Might being the operative word because apparently he wasn’t on social media. Not anywhere. Yep, she’d checked, and short of hiring a private investigator, she had no idea where he currently lived or worked. So either Cal Conner received the mailed invitation to his last known address, or he didn’t. Maybe he’d moved, or he was in jail, or he was dead.
Yes, Steph had considered all options.
Especially the more desirable option of Cal coming to the reunion—by some miracle only the cosmos knew how to make happen. But what if he brought his supermodel girlfriend, or perhaps even a supermodel wife. Neither would be surprising.
What’s going on with Nate? Julie texted the group. She was married, with a toddler and another baby on the way. Her plus-one would be her husband Dave.
Ah, Nate … Steph drew in a breath before replying. Our date the other night ended with a phone call from his ex, which he took while I was in the car. Let’s just say I got out and called an Uber to take me home.
The sympathy texts poured in after that. Steph usually reported on her dates right after they were done, mostly because Julie begged her to—entertainment for the “boring married woman,” according to her. But Steph wasn’t quite over this incident, so she hadn’t shared it right away.
The bell over the door of the shop tinkled as a customer pushed their way inside. It was her next client. She stood and walked through the salon, skirting around the clumps of cut hair on the ground and bypassing the murmuring conversations of the other stylists and their clients.
“Mrs. Kane,” Steph said once she reached the front of the shop. “How are you?”
“Call me Lydia, dear.” The woman, who was Brandy and Everly’s mother, smiled her perfect lipstick smile. Steph didn’t know Lydia Kane’s age—maybe late fifties? But she was definitely someone Steph aspired to be: a woman impeccably dressed, dolled-up hair, perfect makeup. Today, Lydia wore a colorful plaid scarf with a soft beige sweater, paired with herringbone trousers and suede boots. She looked like she’d stepped out of a fall fashion catalog.
“You’re looking beautiful today, Lydia,” Steph said with a smile.
“Thank you. You’re kind to say so.” Her blue gaze swept over Steph. “I love that dress.”
“Oh, thank you.” She flashed another smile. Dresses were her signature outfit. Once it grew colder, she’d have to pull out the thick tights. Although winters in Everly Falls were more rain than the rare snow.
Lydia sat in the salon chair, and Steph settled a soft black cape over her shoulders.
“What are you thinking today?” she asked as she ran her fingers through the older woman’s fine strands.
Lydia’s eyes were a darker blue than Brandy’s, and her short bob with silver and blonde streaks had grown out a little jagged.
“Oh, more of the same, I think.” Lydia smoothed a hand over her neck and tilted her head. “Maybe more of an A-line cut versus the usual blunt bob?”
“I can do that.” Steph met Lydia’s smile in the mirror. “And the color? Any changes?”
“If you think I’m going completely silver, that’ll never happen. Just give me the usual highlights.” Lydia’s smile turned speculative. “I have a date tonight.”
“Wonderful,” Steph gushed, while inside her stomach knotted. “Do I know him? Is he local?” Did her daughters know? From all the conversations she had ever ov erheard, Lydia had sworn off dating. Surely the topic of Lydia going on her first date in a long time would have come up in the group chat. She’d been widowed for many years, and no man could match up to her dearly departed husband.
“You don’t know him. He’s from the next town over.” Lydia grinned like the Cheshire Cat.
“Oh, interesting.” Steph gathered the foils and color, then dropped her voice when she returned. “Is this your first date?”
“Yes,” Lydia confirmed. “But it feels like I already know him. We’ve been messaging for weeks.”
The phrase sent Steph on alert. “Messaging? You mean texting?” She mixed the color in a small plastic bowl.
Lydia’s eyes crinkled with humor. “No, dear. Messaging on a dating app. Isn’t that how it’s done these days? I hear you date a lot—isn’t that how you meet all those men?”
Steph opened her mouth, then closed it. She sectioned off Lydia’s hair and started on the first foil. “I, uh … I’ve been on some apps, but not for a while.” It had been too hard to filter through the crazies. Her last app date was two years ago, when she showed up at a restaurant, only to be met by a man twice the age he’d claimed on his profile. She hadn’t stayed long enough to ask him where he’d dug up the photo he’d posted.
That night she’d deleted the app, and hadn’t regretted it for a second. Except now … “Which app did you use?” Maybe things had cleaned up in the past couple of years, and there were more filters or something.
“Oh, it’s kind of a spunky name.” Lydia pulled out her phone from her glossy red purse. “Friends to More. You can set your profile to ‘friends only’ or ‘looking for more.’ Spiffy, huh?”
Steph had never heard of the app. She finished up one section of hair, then started on the next. “Sounds interesting.” She was pretty sure all dating apps had those features, but she didn’t want to deflate Lydia’s excitement. “What do your daughters think?”
Lydia laughed. “I’m not telling them—they’d throw a fit. If the gentleman turns out to be everything I hope he is, then I’ll let my daughters know.”
Steph laughed as well, but her gut had tightened again. There were so many scams going around, and a beautiful—and somewhat naïve and small-town—woman like Lydia Kane would be the perfect target.
Steph drew in a steadying breath. “I hope your date goes well. I’m excited to hear about it later. Where are you meeting?” She told herself she was only asking out of curiosity, but a small warning bell continued to ring in her head.
“It’s a Mexican restaurant in Wintree,” Lydia said in a breezy voice. “He said he’d send me the directions later this afternoon.”
Steph’s smile stiffened. “Do you like Mexican food?”
“For the most part,” Lydia said. “I just don’t usually eat it for dinner.” She lowered her voice. “Heartburn, you know.”
Steph nodded and said in a light tone, “I’ve heard all about heartburn from my grandpa. Say, do you have a picture of your mystery man, and does he have a name?”
“Sure do.” Lydia looked about the shop as if she expected someone else to be leaning over to listen to their conversation. Seemingly safe, she opened her photo app and showed a picture of a forty-something man in a plaid shirt, posing next to a fishing boat.
Steph’s eyes widened involuntarily. “Oh, he’s … good looking.”
“He sure is.” Lydia released a swoony sigh. “And I know what you’re thinking—he’s too young for me. But he said he’s looking for a mature woman. Not too mature, of course. Oh, and his name is Greg. Kind of catchy.” She laughed.
Steph memorized as much as she could about the man’s features. Dirty-blond hair, mustache, looked just under six feet, bit of a paunch. Maybe it was fine. Maybe he was fine. But she didn’t want to take any chances.
After Lydia’s appointment, Steph took a deep breath and texted both Brandy and Everly. Probably nothing, but your mom came into the salon today. She said she’s going on a date tonight—and apparently it’s a secret! She met the man on a dating app, so of course I’m a little suspicious. I didn’t know your mom was dating, and well … I didn’t want to betray her confidence, but I thought I should give you gals a heads-up.
Everly’s reply was immediate. I’m out of town at Austin’s parents’, so I’m kind of stuck here. Do you think I should call Mom?
Which dating app? Brandy wrote back at the same time.
Steph typed the name of the app, and within a few minutes, she and Brandy had set up a reconnaissance mission. They’d follow her mom’s car to the restaurant and wait outside. It was the least they could do, and it would hopefully ease the worry that kept gnawing at Steph.
“CAN YOU STILL SEE HER?” Brandy asked over the phone.
Steph stood inside a drugstore across the street from the Mexican restaurant Lydia had walked into about five minutes before.
Brandy had parked about a block from the restaurant, and she was now heading to the drugstore as well.
“Not anymore,” Steph replied. “She was talking to the hostess. I’m assuming she’s sitting down in the lobby waiting for Mystery Guy Named Greg.”
“Okay. I hope to get to you before he shows up. Don’t want any run-ins with my mom’s date.”
Steph scoffed. “Right. Especially since you’re her mini-me.”
“Yeah …” Brandy sighed. “See you in a few.”
Steph pocketed her phone and pretended to look at a greeting card rack while keeping an eye on the sidewalk across the street. Maybe she’d overreacted, maybe they all had, but better safe than sorry, right?
The drugstore door opened, and in waltzed Brandy. She was several inches shorter than Steph, making her petite and almost wispy looking. Currently, her shoulder-length blonde hair was covered by a floral scarf, and she wore huge sunglasses. Her signature pearls would give her away to anyone from Everly Falls, especially her mother.
“That’s quite … obvious.” Steph arched her brows. “Undercover?”
Brandy’s lips pursed. “Something like that.” She joined Steph at the card rack and looked toward the window. “Seen him yet?”
“We literally hung up like fifteen seconds ago.” A motion caught her attention, and she grasped Brandy’s arm.
“Is that him?” Brandy asked.
Both women looked toward the man who’d come around the corner. He wore a button-down, khaki pants, loafers …
“It’s definitely him,” Steph said, even though she’d only seen his picture for a handful of seconds earlier that day. “Same mustache. Same paunch.”
Brandy puffed out a breath of air. “I don’t like the way he walks.”
Steph arched her brows. “What’s wrong with it?” As far as she could tell, he walked normally.
They watched in rapt silence as he slowed in front of the restaurant, checked the watch on his wrist, then pulled open the door and disappeared inside.
“He has a watch,” Brandy mused. “Old-fashioned, or creepy?”
“A lot of men wear watches still,” Steph said, not sure why she was defending a total stranger whom she was currently stalking.
“Yeah, but he’s too young and too old,” Brandy said. “Older men wear them because they aren’t tied to their cell phones. Younger men wear them to show off that they’re wanna-be scuba divers. But men in their forties? It’s weird.”
“Hmm,” Steph mused. “Maybe you’re right.”
A couple heartbeats passed.
“Hungry?” Brandy asked.
“Don’t even think it,” she said. “There’s no way we can go in there and have your mom not notice us.”
Brandy adjusted her giant sunglasses. “She’ll be so caught up in her date, she won’t be paying attention to the two women wearing scarves in the corner booth.” She pulled out a scarf from her small beaded purse.
How it fit inside, Steph wasn’t sure. “I’m not wearing this.” But she took it anyway and shook it out. “My red hair will be like a flashing beacon no matter how much I can get covered up.”
“Either you come, or you don’t,” Brandy said, handing over the keys, too. “Sit in the car and wait, or try the chicken enchiladas with me.”
Steph stared into her friend’s lake-blue eyes. There were times when Brandy could be a pushover, but this wasn’t one of them. “What’s our excuse? Your mom told me about a Mexican restaurant in Wintree, which we both know only has one Mexican restaurant.”
