Chapter 1
“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
—George Bernard Shaw
It had taken exactly twenty-seven years for Lucas Abbott to wish he hadn’t been born a twin. Most of the time, he embraced his status as one half of the younger set of Abbott twins, who spread good humor and cheerful dispositions everywhere they went in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
But right now? He was furious with the man who was his doppelgänger in every possible way. Not only were they so identical that their own siblings often confused them, but he and Landon shared almost all the same interests. They had the same friends, the same schedule, the same everything, including, Lucas had discovered to his dismay, the same taste in women.
Earlier today, he’d overheard Landon talking about his date the night before with Amanda Pressley, the woman Lucas had been out with two nights ago.
It had been the best first date of his life, but then he’d heard Landon say the same thing to their brother Will. Hearing that, the euphoria Lucas had walked around with since his evening with Amanda had fizzled like steam hitting cold air.
Tonight, he had to go make nice with Landon and the rest of their family, who were gathering at the barn where the ten Abbott siblings had been raised, to celebrate his and Landon’s twenty-seventh birthday. Happy birthday to him and the last person on earth he wanted to hang out with right now. That, in and of itself, was a first. Lucas and Landon were known for being “thick as thieves,” as their grandfather often said.
Lucas stepped out of the shower in his loft over the barn at the family-owned Christmas tree farm that Landon managed. He hadn’t wanted to live on the property, so he’d given Lucas the apartment and found his own place on the outskirts of Butler, the town they called home. For a brief time, they’d entertained the idea of living together in the loft apartment.
Thank God they hadn’t done that, because Lucas would be packing his stuff after today.
Studying his reflection in the mirror, he encountered the face of a changed man. Maybe it was his birthday, or perhaps it was meeting a woman who truly interested him. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something was definitely different. He’d gone so far as to shave the beard he normally sported during the winter, because he’d thought she would prefer him clean-shaven. Now he was growing it back. Thankfully, his beard came in quickly. He didn’t want anyone mistaking him for Landon.
The situation had him unsettled and pissed off as he dressed in his usual winter uniform of thermals, flannel, denim and insulated boots before stepping into the frozen tundra to head to his parents’ house. He should’ve made up a fake illness to get out of the annual pizza and cake tradition, but like the rest of his siblings, Lucas was robustly healthy. They wouldn’t believe him if he’d said he was sick.
Since the last thing he needed was an Abbott family inquisition, he got into his truck and headed for Hells Peak Road, taking the most direct route through town. On Elm Street, he drove past the family’s Green Mountain Country Store on the right and his sister-in-law Megan’s diner on the left. Technically, his grandfather, Elmer, owned the diner, but Megan was the one who made it happen.
As he approached the one-lane covered bridge that was located right before the turn onto Hells Peak, he stopped short, slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting Fred, the town moose, who stood in the middle of the road, seemingly without a care in the world.
Lucas laid on the horn.
Fred gave him a perturbed look, but he didn’t move.
“Great.” Lucas shifted the truck into Park, accepting that he was going to be late for his own party. He wished he could’ve headed to his woodshop and lost himself in the work that fed his soul, especially at times like this when his soul needed nourishment. Being at odds with anyone in his family was the worst. Being at odds with Landon had the power to break him.
In a family of ten kids, there’d been plenty of arguments and actual fights. But he had never once truly argued with Landon, who had been his ally and best friend for every day of their twenty-seven years.
Until Amanda came to town and they’d both asked her out. Not wanting to hurt any feelings, she’d accepted both invitations. No one ever took him or Landon seriously, so why should she? Especially after the way they’d behaved during the intimate line demonstration she’d overseen on behalf of her company at his family’s store.
Lucas cringed thinking about the questions they’d asked and the comments they’d made. It was like they couldn’t help themselves, although who could be expected to behave in a room full of family members and sex toys? Amanda had handled them with skill that indicated it wasn’t her first rodeo when it came to dealing with buffoons. In her line of work, she probably met her fair share of guys like him and Landon, who’d found the whole thing hilarious.
She probably thought they were both jerks but had humored them by going on separate dates with them. Her company had landed a big account with their family’s store, so she was just being nice—and professional.
That made him sad and mad at the same time. If Landon hadn’t asked her out at the same time Lucas had, they wouldn’t be in the unfortunate position of pursuing the same woman. It was ludicrous when he really thought it over—neither of them had ever had any problem attracting female attention. In fact, they usually had more attention than they could handle. So why, when it truly mattered to Lucas for the first time ever, did Landon have to set his sights on the same woman?
Being at odds with Landon made Lucas feel ill. It went against every natural impulse he had to go out of his way to avoid his twin the way he had all day today. They had been the best of friends their entire lives. Even when their other siblings had fought like tomcats, he and Landon had risen above it. Sure, they had fought with their other siblings, but never with each other. Hunter and Hannah, their older siblings, who were also twins, had been the same way—best friends.
He ached at the thought of losing that bond with Landon, especially since they were together more often than not. Between their shifts as firefighters and the time they spent doing other things, such as skiing, rock-climbing, hiking and other outdoor pursuits, they were constant companions.
And if it came to a choice—Landon or Amanda…
“Ugh.” Of course he’d choose his brother over a woman he’d only just met, but what a bitch of a dilemma.
As if he could hear Lucas, Fred let out a loud moo.
Lucas laid on the horn again, hoping to convince Fred to move along, but Fred wasn’t intimidated by a horn—or much of anything, for that matter, except Hannah. She had a way of dealing with the moose that made her husband, Nolan, crazy. He feared tiny Hannah would be smooshed by the moose that Hannah called a pussycat.
Lucas tried the siren that was built into his truck for times of emergency, but Fred shot him a look full of disdain, as if to say, Is that all you got?
Thinking about Fred was preferable to wondering what the hell he was supposed to do about his brother and Amanda.
Lucas’s date with her had been close to perfect. The conversation had flowed, they’d laughed at the same things, had similar interests, and she absolutely loved their tiny town of Butler, Vermont, as well as the Green Mountain Country Store his family had run for four generations.