The Great Escape

Temple stalked toward Lucy. “It was bad enough for you to walk out on Panda, but I didn’t do anything, and you had no right to walk out on me. Did you stop for one second to think how I’d feel when I heard you’d run away without a word? I’m so furious with you that I don’t care if I ever speak to you again.”

“Then why are you here?” Bree’s jaw set in a newly stubborn line.

Temple spun on her. “Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you.”

“This is my house, and Lucy’s my guest. That makes it my business.”

Lucy forced herself to step in. “Have the two of you been properly introduced? Bree West, this is Temple Renshaw. Temple, Bree.”

“I know who she is,” Bree said tightly.

Lucy regarded her ruefully. “Believe it or not, Temple really isn’t quite as rude as she seems.”

“Don’t you dare apologize for me,” Temple retorted, taking in Lucy’s chin-length and much neater hairdo—compliments of Bree and her scissors. “I’m still infuriated with you.”

“I understand,” Lucy conceded. “And you’re right. I’m sorry. I should at least have left you a note.”

Temple sniffed. “You deserve to be sorry. When are you coming home?”

“She’s not,” Bree said firmly. “She’s staying here.”

“That’s what you think.”

Listening to the two of them argue over her made Lucy feel better than she had in days. Temple turned her back to Bree. Some of her aggression faded, and her brow knit with concern. “What did he do to you? He told me what happened at that dive you went to, but I know he didn’t tell me everything.” And then, to Bree, with forced politeness, “Would you mind going away so Lucy and I can talk?”

Lucy reluctantly put a halt to their tiff. “Stop glowering at her, Temple. She has every right to be here. I was planning to talk to you. I just didn’t want to go back to the house to do it.”

Wrong thing to say. Temple’s brow shot up in righteous anger. “Then obviously our friendship isn’t important to you.”

“That’s not true.” Lucy dropped her beach towel in a patch of shade and sat on it. As the spicy scent of basil drifted toward her, she filled Temple in on more of the details of what had happened at The Compass. When she was done, she hugged her knees to her chest. “I thought I was so tough.”

“You’re not seriously blaming yourself for not being able to fight off those gangsters,” Temple said.

“Other women do it.”

“In the movies.”

Her indignation was comforting, but Lucy couldn’t give herself a free pass.

In a single graceful movement, Temple dropped beside her on the beach towel. “I don’t understand why Panda was so stingy with the details.”

“Client privilege, I’m sure.” Lucy swallowed her bitterness. “Basically, that’s how he still sees me. As his responsibility.”

“He protected you,” Temple said adamantly. “So why are you so pissed with him?”

“I’m not,” she said. “I’m pissed with myself.”

“Sure. Blame the victim,” Bree interjected.

“It’s not that,” Lucy said. “All summer I pretended I was so tough. Joke’s on me, right?”

Temple brushed that away. “What about Panda? Why did you walk out on him?”

“Because our relationship was as phony as my tattoos.”

“It didn’t seem phony to me.” Temple looked over at Bree. “Anybody who sees them together can tell how hot they are for each other.”

Lucy didn’t like that. “I dumped my fiancé at the altar, and two weeks later, I jumped in bed with another man. Nice, right?”

“Normally, no,” Temple said. “But when the man is Panda …”

Lucy wasn’t letting anybody make excuses for her. “It’s time for me to deal with what’s real in my life and what isn’t. Panda’s not.”

“He seems real to me. And you’re in love with him.”

“Stop saying that!” she cried. “Believe me, love isn’t what I feel for Panda.” That word belonged to Ted. She’d worshipped him, and she definitely didn’t worship Panda. How could you worship someone when all you wanted to do was rip his clothes off? Or laugh with him, or snarl at him, or exchange those looks of perfect understanding? With Panda, she felt like bad Lucy, good Lucy, and Viper all rolled into one. Who needed that kind of confusion?

Bree loomed over the beach towel, rescuing her from further explanation. “Lucy is staying here,” she told Temple.

“No, she’s not.” Temple jumped to her feet. “I want her back.”

“Too bad. I need her.”

“You think I don’t?”

“Tough. You can visit her here whenever you like.”

Lucy’s eyes stung. “As much as I love watching the two of you fight over me, you really shouldn’t.”

Bree moved toward the side of the house. “I have to check on Toby. There’s iced tea in the refrigerator.” She spun back to Lucy. “You stay here. Don’t let her bully you.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Temple’s mouth as Bree disappeared. “I like her.” Her smile quickly faded. “What do you hope to accomplish by running away? You keep telling me I need to face my problems, but what do you do when things get tough? Big talker runs away.”

“Be nice.”

“Fine,” Temple said in a huff. “If that’s your attitude, I won’t tell you about the phone call I made.”

“Tell me,” Lucy said, because she knew Temple wanted her to ask.