by Elle Linder
No matter how she felt or how Rick felt, ending the relationship was the right thing for all involved, especially her baby.
twenty-six
A Perfect Team
Backpacks, notebooks, gym shorts, oh my! The first week of school kicked off with a mind-boggling bang for Julia. There were bus schedules to follow, lunches to make, and open houses to attend. One meltdown from Brice and a panic attack from Heather later, and she needed a night alone with Luke to decompress.
Despite the hectic week, Julia had managed to make it through with minimal scars, always the optimist who never gave up. Not that she went it alone or was doing all the work herself. Luke had been by her side every step of the way. While she got ready for work, he took care of getting the kids up and fed them breakfast. In the evening after dinner, Luke would help with Brice’s spelling words while she helped Heather with English.
They were a perfect team.
Once Friday arrived, they needed a night together. Away from the lake house and the kids. Time to connect, love, and make love without worrying about being interrupted.
After Erika arrived with pizza, Luke and Julia made their escape over to the resort and into Julia’s old room, 214, which she’d kept blocked for her own personal use after moving in with Luke and the kids. She told Luke it had too many wonderful memories to turn over to resort guests. And, being the owner, she could do as she pleased.
“You were incredible this week. Superwoman.” Luke cuddled her close. “How do you do it all? Work, kids, sex goddess at night?”
She tilted her head up to look at him. Feeling the beads of sweat at her hairline and a flush in her cheeks, she gave him a sated smile. “Well…I’m Wonder Woman.” She laid her head back on his chest. With the tips of her nails she scraped them along his skin, digging into the hair. Up and down, her fingers danced along his skin.
“That you are, my love. Just better-looking.”
“Luke?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“How’s Rick? I don’t think I’ve asked about him all week.”
“Well, with good reason. You’ve been busy.”
“So? How is he?”
“I honestly don’t know. Each time I’ve called, I go to voicemail, and he hasn’t called me back.”
“Is that normal for him?”
“Sweetheart, think about it. The first woman he spent more than a week with dumped him. The man’s ego is bruised. He needs time to get over Lauren.”
“And you’re not worried about him? Maybe you should go see him.” She propped back up on his chest and gripped the hair on his chin. “Go see him,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am. And what about Lauren? How’s she doing? Back to her old drinking ways with one-night stands?” He chuckled, but Julia narrowed her eyes, and she felt the little line between her eyebrows appear. “Aww, come on. I’m only speaking the truth, darlin’. Rick is a changed man, but Lauren…she isn’t or else she wouldn’t have dumped him. I really thought they had a good thing going. I know Rick had never been happily in love until her.” He shook his head. “She crushed him, baby. That’s all I know.”
“First off, don’t talk about Lauren like that! Secondly, if he was so happily in love with her, why didn’t he tell her so? Why didn’t he fight for her? Why didn’t he include her in his goddamn five-year plan? Why didn’t he make a freaking speck of an effort in meeting her halfway regarding the long-distance relationship? Why didn’t he ask her to stay? Huh? Can you answer me that? Huh-huh-HUH?”
Luke stared at her shell-shocked.
“I’m waiting. Speak!”
“Woah. That was a mouthful. You sure you don’t have more to say?”
“Always the wiseass in these situations, aren’t you?” She went to roll off him, but he held her firmly in place with a strong hand on her ass. “Luke—” He cupped the back of her head with his other hand, crashing his mouth against hers. Fiercely, he kissed her, silencing her rant.
Except her eyes stayed open, focused on his. Luke grumbled, pulling back like he always did when he knew her rant was only paused and would resume when he released her. His attempt to shut her up annoyed her; she had more to say. A lot more.
With one final peck on her lips, Luke released her mouth and her head but kept his hand on her ass. “That’s some restraint you’ve developed there, Wonder Woman.” He failed miserably at being cute. He was not cute at all. “Aww, come on, sweetheart. That was a little funny.”
“Luke Eric Hamill, why would I want to laugh when my best friend is torn up because your friend is being a jerk?”
“Why are you using my full name? Is that something all women do when they’re pissed?” He huffed beneath her. “Shit, I’m not a kid.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right.” She gnawed on the corner of her lip, thinking about Lauren. Lauren and the baby. What was she going to do? Never tell Rick? Surely he would find out.
Luke cleared his throat. Sheepishly, she grinned at him and snuggled closer to him, but the look in his eye told her he knew she had stuff on her mind. “What’s going on in that stubborn head of yours?”
“Really? Rick and Lauren. You need to talk to him.”
“I don’t see why it’s any of our business. I’m not a counselor, a matchmaker, or God…well, I am a Greek god.” He snorted and she shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Right, not funny. But you get my point. I know you do. So tell me, Julia Rebecca Greene, why should we get involved? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
He studied her with his dark, intense eyes…or more like tormented her. She fought like hell to not dart her eyes around the room like she usually did when thinking or hiding something, but she couldn’t keep from chewing on her lip.
“You’re hiding something.” He grinned, and she knew he was pleased at having caught her. “What is it?”
“Nothing that concerns us.” She kissed him softly.
“As long as you’re not keeping any secrets from me.”
“And if I am because they aren’t my secrets to tell?” she said through her kisses. “You don’t want me to break a pinky promise, do you, Mr. Honor Above All Things?”
“No, I wouldn’t want you to break a pinky promise. That sounds life or death.”
“It could be.” She giggled, but down deep, her heart was heavy for Lauren. Julia had been hoping Rick would get off his duff and call Lauren. One of them had to take the first step if they were ever going to find their way back to each other. Undoubtedly, it wouldn’t be Lauren.
The last time Julia had talked to her, she’d been adamant about never seeing Rick again. But before Julia could talk any sense into her, she’d had the unpleasant experience of listening to Lauren barf into the toilet. Morning sickness had hit her hard in the last week, along with rampant pregnancy hormones that caused her to burst into tears over piddly stuff or launch her into swearing like a sailor.
The worst part about hearing Lauren’s tough-girl act was knowing it was an act. It shattered Julia. No woman should go through a pregnancy without the father by her side.
How could Rick have let her go so easily after acting like she meant everything to him?
What was he thinking?
twenty-seven
I Need Her
“Don’t you love this time of year?” Tiffani asked with a dreamy expression on her face. She sipped her beer and kept her bright blue eyes set on Bruce. For the last couple of weeks, she had been in The Peak nearly every day, leaving Bruce perplexed. Once a week was normal, but three times a week? He didn’t know what to make of it.
“I’ve always liked fall,” he responded.
“Me too! Pumpkin everything, leaves changing colors, red and orange mums! Candy corn and peanuts!” Her face lit up like he’d never seen before, and damn him, he liked it. “Spiced mules by a warm fire. Kettle corn and…” She sighed deeply as Bruce waited for more. “…and the harvest festival.” She batted her lashes as he stood across from her, his hands splayed out on the bar
and his heart pumping at maximum speed.
“What’s different about you?” he asked, befuddled by the feelings she was stirring in him.
“What’s different?” She took a slow drink of her beer as he studied her.
“Yeah, I don’t get it. For the last few weeks you’ve been…bubbly. Why? And now that I think about it…” He paused, looking around the bar. “I haven’t seen you with a guy in weeks.”
Bruce had known Tiffani her whole life. The day she was born, her dad Nathan had shown up at his favorite fishing spot while Bruce and his younger brother Aaron were spending the day on Lake Brooks. He was only ten back then and could smell the whiskey on Nathan’s breath when he sat next to him. The man hadn’t been out celebrating the birth of his second child, he had been out drowning his sorrows because it was a girl and not a boy. Bruce had had to endure Nathan lamenting “another girl” until dinnertime. It was then that Bruce learned Nathan had another woman on the side, Calvin’s mom, LeAnn. As Bruce had gotten older, he’d learned that Nathan Burns had been with many women in town. He didn’t have an ounce of respect for him.
The vivacious woman sitting in front of him, drinking her beer slowly, had always touched a hidden place in his heart. And now, that place opened when he wasn’t guarding it.
Tiffani put the glass down, biting her lower lip. “More like months.”
“Months?” he asked incredulously.
“Mm-hmm.”
The bar phone rang, interrupting their conversation. “One sec.” Tiffani nodded.
As Bruce jotted down a to-go order, the sudden relief he felt surprised him. Had it really been months since a random, slimy slug had sucked on her delicate ivory skin? He studied her from the kitchen window, unsure of what he was feeling. Attraction? After knowing her forever, it couldn’t be. Could it?
“Hey, Bruce, how about a shot of Don Julio?”
He hung up the phone and turned to see Rick. “How’s it going, Rick?”
“I’m alive.”
“That you are. And it’s a good thing too.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.” Rick hung his head, taking a seat at the bar. The guy looked downright sad, dark circles under his dull, droopy eyes.
Bruce quickly grabbed the tequila and a shot glass. “Salt and lime?” he asked, pouring the weary fellow a drink.
“Nah, just keep it coming.”
“You got it. So, what’s going on? Everything all right with the brewery?”
“Brewery’s fine.” Rick swallowed the shot, then pushed the glass across the bar to Bruce.
“Is it Lauren?” He filled the glass, then slid it back to Rick. He glanced over at Tiffani, who was talking to another woman. It was odd that he cared and that he was glad she wasn’t alone.
“Don’t pretend like word hasn’t spread around town that we broke up.”
“I never pretend. So, if you’re torn up about the breakup, what’re you doing about it?”
“Doing about it?”
“Yeah, are you trying to fix it? Get back with her?”
“Why would I do that? She’s the one who ended it.” He swallowed the shot, but before Bruce could refill it, he placed his hand over it, stopping him. “I’m good, thanks.” Bruce put the bottle down. “I’ll be straight with you.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I don’t beg.”
“Huh, okay. So, you don’t beg.” Bruce picked up rag to wipe the bar. “What does that have to do with fixing what went wrong?”
“Now don’t go all bartender psychologist on me. I know how that works.”
“Just a simple question.”
“No, you’re planting seeds of doubt in my head. Trying to make me see how I let her go and didn’t fight for her. I know your tricks.”
“Did you let her go?”
Rick looked down at the glass for a long spell. His jaw clenched, and he swallowed several times as if pushing down his emotions. Bruce had seen dozens of men like Rick over the years, fighting to keep their broken hearts buried deep inside them. But nothing could hide the sadness in a man’s eyes.
“Only a fool gives up the woman he loves,” Bruce said, pouring another shot. “Don’t let your pride stand in the way of your happiness.” He slid the glass to him. Rick stared off into the distance with watery eyes.
He’d gotten through to him, like always with his customers.
Rick lifted the glass to his lips, blinking back his emotion. “You’re an asshole.”
“The biggest.” Bruce chuckled, slapping Rick on the arm. “Call her. You’ll be glad you did.” Bruce turned his attention to the entrance of the bar when a brooding lumberjack waltzed in. “Well lookie there, Luke just walked in.”
“Shit,” Rick grumbled.
“Yeah, well he’s headed straight for you.” Bruce laughed, grabbing an IPA for Luke.
Luke took the stool next to Rick, nodded to Bruce, and then narrowed his eyes at Rick. “Why haven’t you returned any of my calls?”
Rick looked up at Bruce as if asking for help, but he couldn’t help him anymore. He would have to deal with Luke all on his own.
“Because I didn’t want a lecture. I’ll have another, Bruce.” Rick jerked his chin toward the tequila.
“Lecture? I don’t lecture, but maybe you need a good ass beating.”
Bruce had seen Luke like this before, with his intimidating stare and stern voice, and he pitied the man who had to face him. Luke had never gotten into a fight in town as far as he knew, but he imagined Luke could take anyone and give them a proper and painful “ass beating.”
“Wanna take this outside?” Rick challenged with a scowl on his face.
Now that, Bruce hadn’t ever seen. Rick obviously had balls of steel. “Guys, nobody is taking anything outside. What can I get you to eat?”
“NOTHING!” they answered at the same time.
“Okay. Keep yourselves in check.” Bruce double tapped the bar and left. It was better to give these old friends some privacy.
***
It was like old times, Rick and Luke sitting at a bar brooding over a stupid fallout they’d had, neither one willing to speak or apologize first. They sat there waiting on the other, even though this time they hadn’t had a fallout.
The day his relationship with Lauren ended, Rick had spiraled into a bout of depression. At the time, he hadn’t realized it while pouring all his energy and attention into the brewery and Izzy. He would go to bed early, stay in his room alone, and avoid everyone, including Luke. The last couple of weeks had been the worst of his life.
Nothing mattered after she left him.
Rick sighed, the first sign he was nearing his breaking point. He could never hold out longer than Luke; that was one of several differences between them. He was a talker, whereas Luke liked silence.
“I fucking miss her,” Rick finally admitted, breaking the silence.
“Then why haven’t you called her?”
“What if she doesn’t answer?”
“Keep trying if she’s who you want. Fight for her.”
“Isn’t fighting for her the same as begging?”
“Don’t be stupid. It’s not.” Luke shook his head. “I’d never expect you or any other guy to beg a woman to take you back anyway.”
“But if she doesn’t want me—”
“We all know she loves you.”
“You do? How?”
Luke turned toward him with a you’re an idiot expression. “Seriously? I’m marrying her best friend. I know all about you two, even your little erotic drive to the brewery.” Luke chortled.
“Julia told you and you’re just now mentioning it?”
“It’s none of my business. But the point is, Lauren loves you and you let her walk away.”
Rick hung his head again. He thought he was giving her what she wanted. Had he been wrong?
“Why didn’t you include her in your five-year plan?” Luke asked, guzzling his beer.
“What? I did.”
/>
“Not according to Julia…or Lauren. Julia said you never once mentioned anything long term with Lauren. That all your plans were about the brewery.”
“Because I thought it was a given. We were so happy. I never imagined she wouldn’t be in my life.”
“Now that’s where you went wrong. Women want to know they’re part of your future, that there’s a place for them, that marriage and kids are part of the deal. Otherwise what’s the point?”
What’s the point? Rick chewed on that thought. “But we were happy together. Even our last night together was intensely emotional. She wanted me to love her slowly…shit! Do you think she already planned to break up with me that night?”
“Sounds like it to me. She may have been hoping you’d give her a reason not to.”
“Dammit! I suck at relationships!”
“Don’t feel bad. It was your first, after all. Newbie.” Luke snorted. “So, what’re you going to do?”
“I need her. I’ve been miserable without her. I hope she loves me enough to give me a second chance.”
“For your sorry ass, I hope she does.” Luke elbowed him as Bruce walked up.
“Looks like you two kissed and made up. Ready to eat now?”
“Yeah,” Rick and Luke answered at the same time. They all laughed.
If what Luke and Bruce said was true, he had screwed up big time with Lauren. Rick had to make it right, confess his “undying love” for her. He’d once thought such declarations cliché, during his former Don Juan days, but he wasn’t that guy anymore. There wasn’t anything cheesy about his love for Lauren. He wanted to be with her more than anything. She needed to know that she surpassed his five-year plan; she was his forever.
After he left The Peak, he would call her from home. This time he wouldn’t give her up. He would fight for her.
twenty-eight
Mother Knows Best
Peanut butter chocolate milkshakes had been Lauren’s pregnancy craving for the last week. Each night she’d whip up a shake, suck it down, and crunch on tortilla chips and guacamole. They were her dinner after she retired for the evening to watch The Vampire Diaries.
