Short and simple -- WAITING ON YOU by Kristan Higgins touches my heart and reaches right into my soul to give me some of my best reading moments. I could pretty much say the same about any of the Higgins books I've been delighted to read and add to my list of all-time favorites.
WAITING ON YOU has a central theme about life. In this case it's about a life spent waiting for someone to belong to -- someone to love and someone who wouldn't be literally torn away by death or other circumstances. And yet truth be told Lucas was the one to actually pull away when things got messy. Perhaps to protect himself from what he felt was the inevitable.
For Lucas and Colleen it was a kind of hiccup in their relationship that quickly evolved into something with a life of its own.
Lucas and Colleen seemed destined to be together but they let life interrupt what could have been an amazing love story -- the stuff legends are made of. Actually in Mansport Colleen was herself a town legend. A gorgeous quick witted young woman with a heart big enough for all to share and benefit from. Colleen actually pictured herself some kind of matchmaker -- if you were single you were on notice.
According to Colleen love could be summed up with some specific attributes or clues like nausea, tingling and wobbly knees to name a few. But mostly she was an advocate for true love which should definitely include a healthy dose of respect.
Colleen and her twin brother Connor had a bit of a dysfunctional family that they admirably dealt with. And unfortunately this clearly colored their attitude about relationships.
The love of Colleen's life left town years ago and had done quite well for himself. What had bothered Colleen wasn't Lucas' success but the fact that he had turned his back on any serious relationship with her and yet married a relatively short time after leaving town.
Once burned twice shy was Colleen's mantra and watching her parents' marriage dissolve just convinced her further.
Lucas' return to town was sure to stir up old gossip and feelings. Colleen knew better than to expose her heart to any more heartbreak especially from the man who had basically crushed it.
But the heart wants what it wants. Neither Lucas nor Colleen are ready to pursue any type of relationship including friendship. Small towns make it difficult to remain neutral and in Mansport the folks are ready to take sides. Lucas has been closed mouth about his personal life after leaving his home town. Perhaps when he is ready to talk about it then he will be able to really move on.
Perhaps when Colleen really listens and opens her mind and heart to what transpired when Lucas left she too will be able to really move on.
Protecting your heart is like closing the door on possibilities. Smart people know that. But it's a difficult lesson to learn.
Lucas and Colleen will possibly become one of your best loved characters thanks to the amazing writing of Kristan Higgins. WAITING ON YOU not only captures your imagination but your heart as well. These are characters you will remember long after you close the book. WAITING ON YOU also stars a really great and a bit crazy cast of co-stars. Hopefully we will get a chance to revisit this town and these people who have already become friends. Higgins has a wonderful handle on getting to the soul of her characters with the use of witty smart conversational dialog. Don't be surprised if you find yourself smiling or perhaps even laughing out loud. It is inevitable and somewhat expected.
In which Colleen O’Rourke sees the man who broke her heart
for the first time in ten years.
“What are you doing?” said a low voice behind her.
Colleen’s heart froze, as though she’d swallowed a large ice
cube, and it was stuck right over her heart.
She turned around.
Yep. Lucas Campbell.
None other. Standing approximately two feet from her,
looking at her with those knowing, dark eyes.
Her skin suddenly felt tight. Mouth: dry. Brain: dead.
“What are you doing, Colleen?” Lucas asked again.
“Nothing,” she said as if it hadn’t been ten years since
she’d last seen him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m here to see my cousin.”
“So go see your cousin.”
“What are you doing to my cousin?”
“I’m not doing anything to your cousin.” So mature. And did
they have nothing else to say to each other? Ten years
apart? A river of tears (hers) and blood (his…well, she
wished it was his blood).
Lucas just looked at her, his pirate eyes unreadable.
Shit.
Of all the gin joints in all the world, she started
thinking, then squelched a blossom of slightly hysterical
laughter.
Lucas Damien Campbell was here. Here in her bar. You think
he could’ve called? Would that have been so much to ask,
huh? Hmm? Would it? Hey, Colleen, I’m coming to visit my
cousin, so be prepared, okay?
Colleen took a ragged breath, then coughed to cover.
Unfortunately, the cough became genuine, and tears came to
her eyes as she hacked and choked.
“You okay?” he asked in that ridiculously sexy, river-of-
dark-chocolate voice.
“Yes,” she wheezed, wiping her eyes. “Just great.”
“Good.”
He dragged his eyes off of hers and looked over at the
little knot of people at the end of the bar; Jess was
laughing, Bryce smiling and Paulie looked like she was
praying for a swift death.
“Are you trying to fix Bryce up with Paulina Petrosinsky?”
he asked. Damn. She’d forgotten how…observant he was.
“No,” she said, proud of getting that one word out.
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes. You are.” He raised an eyebrow, and her knees wobbled.
Sphincter! He was here. Here and beautiful, and damn it,
older. A decade older than the last time she’d seen him, and
yet it seemed like yesterday when he’d walked with her down
to the lake and broke her heart. Irreparably, the bastard.
Her breath wanted to rush out of her lungs, but she held it
in carefully, not wanting to induce another sexy choking
fit.
She’d forgotten how he looked, like a pirate, like
Heathcliff of the moors, dark and slightly dangerous…except
for his eyes, which could be so sad. And so happy, too.
His black hair was slightly shorter than it had been years
ago, but still gypsy beautiful, curling and black. He’d lost
his boyish skinniness, had broadened in the shoulders. He
hadn’t shaved today, and he seemed taller now than he had
back then.
Back when he loved her.
He seemed to read her mind, because something flickered
through his eyes.
In the year after Lucas left her, Bryce would come into the
bar and mention him occasionally. Went to see my cousin last
weekend, or Hey, Lucas is taking me and Dad to a White Sox
game! Finally, in a rare show of vulnerability, Colleen had
asked him not to talk about Lucas anymore. And in an even
rarer show of understanding, Bryce seemed to get it.
She knew he was married. No kids—surely Smiling Joe Campbell
would’ve mentioned that. She knew he worked for his father-
in-law. That was about it.
She had told him never to call her again, never to write,
and he took her at her word.
And now, her heart was jackhammering in her chest, and
though she hoped like hell her heart wasn’t written all over
her face, she was…terrified.
Lucas took a breath. “Colleen, I’m only back in town because
Joe asked me to come. I imagine you know he’s pretty sick.”
Her heart gave an unwilling tug. “I do,” she said, then,
fearing that sounded a little too matrimonial, she added,
“Know he’s sick. I do know he’s sick, I mean. He’s sick, I
know it, the dialysis, not easy, I guess, and I’m sorry.”
Her Tourette’s of Terror, Connor called it when she babbled.
Not that she was terrified often, but hell, she certainly
was now.
“Thank you.” He glanced again at Bryce—right, right, there
was something going on with Bryce tonight, whatever—then
looked at Colleen again. “It’s good to see you.”
“Can’t say the same,” she answered.
His mouth tugged on one side, causing a respondent tug in
her special places. Five more minutes, and she’d be back in
love.
“Bryce doesn’t need more complications in his life right
now.”
“And by complications, you mean what, exactly?”
“The Chicken King’s virgin daughter.”
“Oh, cool! That sounds like a Harlequin romance. I would
definitely read that.” The Chicken King’s virgin daughter
was nowhere to be seen at the moment. “And how do you know
Paulie’s a virgin, huh? Maybe she’s the town slut.”
Yeah. This wasn’t going well.
“I doubt she’s the town slut.”
She bristled. “What are you implying, Lucas?”
He gave her a strange look. “Nothing. Just that Paulie
doesn’t seem like the type.”
“Well, what if she is a slut, huh? Maybe Bryce likes sluts.”
Time to shut up now, Connor’s voice—her conscience—advised
sagely.
“I’m sure he does.”
“So what’s your problem, then?”
“I’m trying to have a rational conversation here.”
“Yeah, and I haven’t seen you in ten years, and you just
waltz into my bar and start insulting me and bossing me
around. I do know about your uncle and how sick he is,
because guess what? I visit him. I like him. I bring him
magazines and cookies, and he likes my dog.”
“You have a dog?”
“Yes, I do, so just…you just, um, put that in your pipe and
suck on it.” Smooth, O’Rourke. She tried to look haughty and
dignified. “Maybe I happen to think that Bryce needs someone
to help him through this difficult time.”
“Maybe he has other things to deal with.”
“And maybe I’m right and you’re wrong.”
He tilted his head to one side. “I’m getting the sense that
you’re still mad.”
“I’m not.”
“Leave my cousin alone, all right?”
“Make me.”
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