by Vivian Wood
I’m getting relieved from on-call duties this evening, be home for dinner, Jack texted.
Is he going to act like nothing had happened? After two days of silence? she thought.
Sounds good, she texted back. It was already almost four in the afternoon.
Shit. Did I really spend all freaking day on Facebook and fantasizing about weddings? Addy jumped up and threw herself into making a lasagna. Thank God for a stocked kitchen.
It had been one of the tasks besides work in the past two days to keep her busy and away from possibly running into Jack.
She preheated the oven and put on a pot of water to boil. Addy warmed olive oil and browned ground beef in a saucepan, then added garlic and oregano. As she added in the marinara, salt and pepper, she drained the cooked noodles and drizzled a touch of olive oil across them to prevent sticking.
This was her zone, in the kitchen and surrounded by food.
I should have relieved one of the cooks instead of busting my ass on tables the past two days.
Addy pulled out one of the heavy glass bowls from the cupboard and began to combine the ricotta, parmesan and parsley. She layered the sauce, noodles, and cheese in a casserole dish precisely and expertly. Even in her rush, she saw that it was restaurant quality.
“Perfect,” she whispered as she opened the oven door to start baking.
Addy almost dropped the entire dish as her phone rang in her shorts pocket. Kenzie.
“Kenzie? Everything okay?” she asked as she put the phone on speaker and set it on the counter.
“No,” Kenzie said quietly. She could hear the tremble in her voice. “It’s Dad—”
“What happened?” Addy pulled the phone to her ear. “Is he okay?”
“He’s… distraught,” Kenzie said.
“Distraught. What does that mean? What happened?”
“He won’t get out of his chair. Can you… come help?” Kenzie used the little girl voice that always worked on everyone in the family.
“Kenzie! Is he breathing? Is he alright? Do you need to call an ambulance—”
“Yes! He’s breathing, he’s alive, if that’s what you’re asking. God, do you think I’d call you if I thought he was dead?”
“I don’t know, Kenzie! Yes? Probably.”
“Wow, thanks! But seriously, Addy, he’s really out of it.” Really drunk, you mean. “Can you please just come help? I know you had the whole day off—”
Addy gritted her teeth. “I—fine. Yes, okay. I’ll be there soon.”
Addy hung up, slammed the oven door, and set the timer for twenty minutes. That was one of the perks of Jack renting at the best complex in town. Fancy kitchen gadgets with automatic timers. She pulled a sticky pad out of the junk drawer and started to scribble a note to Jack.
“Hey.” Addy nearly jumped out of her skin at his voice.
“Jack! I didn’t hear you come in. I was just leaving you a note—”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said defensively. “Why?”
“Addy, I can tell you’re upset. What’s wrong?”
She sighed. “It’s my dad—”
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah, sure. If you consider drunk and passed out okay. Kenzie just called, she wants me to go over there and help.”
“I’m going with you.” He looked exhausted in wrinkled scrubs.
“No, stay. Dinner will be ready in twenty, so just help yourself to—”
“Addison. I’m going with you.”
Something in his voice told her not to argue. She let him usher her toward the door as visions of what they were walking into raced through her head.
“Jack, my dad doesn’t even know you. What will I say? Honestly, I don’t even know how much he knows about our whole… situation.”
“We’ll read the situation when we get there,” Jack said calmly. “I’ll just be your doctor friend if he doesn’t know.”
Jack opened the passenger door for her. It overwhelmed her, all of it. He didn’t have to be so kind to her. She leaned up and hugged him close. But the scent of him, the nearness of him, knocked her right back to the bar bathroom.
“Let’s, um… let’s go,” she said.
He’d barely parked in the driveway before she had the door open and rushed up the stairs. The front door was open, as always. It looked like Kenzie had every light in the house on.
“Dad! Come on, let go!” Kenzie cried from the living room.
Addy rushed toward the sound, faintly aware of Jack’s footsteps behind her. Kenzie leaned over the recliner and tried to pry a bottle of whiskey out of their father’s hands.
Instantly, Addy was embarrassed.
I shouldn’t have let Jack come.
She saw her whole messed up family in a new light. Even from feet away, she could tell her dad smelled awful. He obviously hadn’t showered or eaten a decent meal since she’d moved in with Jack.
God. Have I really not seen him since then?
Her dad rolled his eyes toward Addison. Well. At least he’s awake.
“You,” he stammered. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I called her, Dad,” Kenzie said.
She took his distraction as an opportunity to finally wrench the bottle from his hands.
“I don’t need you interfering in my life,” her dad growled at her.
She frowned at him, but he wasn’t about to start taking her social cues.
“Ungrateful. Just up and leave us when we need you—who’s this?” he asked, finally aware of Jack.
“I’m Jack Stratton,” Jack said calmly. “I’m a doctor at the new hospital.”
“A doctor, huh?” her dad asked as he eyed him. “Well, good for you.”
“Mr. Fuller, do you mind if I ask you a few questions? Do a basic checkup?”
Addy was shocked her father didn’t immediately object. Instead, he looked at Addy and Kenzie carefully.
“Since you’re already here…” her dad said.
“Addy, Kenzie? Do you mind giving us some privacy?” Jack said.
It wasn’t really a question.
Kenzie gripped Addy’s arm as they bolted out of the living room.
“Oh my God, thank God you’re here,” Kenzie said. “I didn’t know—”
“How could you let him get this bad?” Addy demanded.
She shook Kenzie’s grip off her arm.
Kenzie blinked. “He’s an adult, you know …”
Addy hung her head. She felt betrayed—and responsible.
Of course Kenzie didn’t take care of him. You knew she wouldn’t. What the hell were you thinking?
“Kenzie,” she said slowly. “I came back here, dropped out of college, to take care of things so they wouldn’t turn out exactly like they are right now. It’s only been a few weeks, and… and…”
She stopped as her dad walked straight through the kitchen, took a water out of the fridge, and continued to the back of the house toward his bedroom.
“What the…” Kenzie started.
Jack followed close behind. “Your dad is going to take a shower,” he said. “Then all of us are heading back to my, uh, our place, for dinner.”
“Dinner? But I had plans…” Kenzie started to complain. Addy shot her a look that shut her up immediately.
Good to know the big sister warning shot still works.
“How did you do that?” Addy asked. “What did you say to him?”
“I’ve been trying to get him to just sit up for days,” Kenzie said.
“It’s nothing,” Jack said.
The three of them hovered in the kitchen in silence as they listened to the sound of the shower running.
“All set!” her dad said.
He appeared in the kitchen freshly showered in a button-up shirt and jeans. His eyes were still bloodshot and there were burst vessels across his nose, but it was the nicest—and soberest—she’d seen him in years.
“Let’s take two cars,” Jack sa
id. “Kenzie, you mind driving your dad?”
Addy kept an eye on the headlights behind them as they wound toward the condo. There were a million questions she wanted to ask Jack, but none of them managed to make their way out.
As soon as the four of them stepped into the condo, they were hit with the rich, hearty aroma of a perfectly crafted lasagna.
She was nervous as she served the table and kept an eagle eye on her father. He behaved perfectly, though she kept waiting for his usual drunken self to emerge.
It was something about Jack, she realized. It had her dad on his best behavior.
“This is amazing, Addy,” Kenzie said. “Seriously, we should add this to the menu.”
“Good stuff, kid,” her dad said. He sat beside her and smelled like his old self, of Old Spice aftershave and Dove soap. Like how he used to smell when Mom was alive. “You know, you should find yourself someone like Jack, here,” he said.
Addy shot a look to Kenzie.
Really? She hadn’t told their dad? Kenzie’s eyes widened to feign innocence.
“I think your daughter’s doing pretty good,” Jack said quickly.
Addy hurried to clean up the plates as they finished up. “Kenzie, it’s getting late. Maybe you should get Dad home?”
Kenzie looked at her phone.
“Yeah, I have something to get to tonight, anyway,” she said. “Come on, Dad. I’ll take you home.”
For once, Kenzie’s social life worked in my favor.
It felt strange to hug her dad goodbye, but for a second it felt like the old days.
“Need some help washing?” Jack asked.
“Sure,” she said with a shrug. “Just need to get the cheese off, mostly. The dishwasher will take care of the rest.”
She stole glances at him beside her at the sink. When she checked to make sure the table was clear, she returned to his broad back bent over the farmhouse sink while he scrubbed away at the casserole pan. Overwhelmed, she embraced him from behind.
“Thank you for today,” she whispered.
He started to turn. Before she could get herself into trouble, she ran off to her room.
15
Jack poured the creamer generously into the thick coffee mug emblazoned with Addy’s family’s restaurant logo. He sprinkled in two spoonfuls of Splenda and swirled the sweet concoction.
From the bedroom doorway, he paused. She was beautiful when she slept, innocent and unconcerned. It was the only time he ever saw her without worries visibly dotted across her face.
Addy was sprawled across the bed with one tanned leg slung over the sheet. Her t-shirt had inched up during the night to expose a stretch of her toned stomach.
With each deep breath, he couldn’t help but notice the rise and fall of her chest. Clearly braless, for a moment he almost thought he could see through the white material.
“Morning,” he said, just as his arousal started to shift in his scrubs.
“Morning,” she murmured, eyes still closed. Slowly, she opened them and squinted. “Is that coffee?”
“With creamer and Splenda, just like you like. You know, those fake sweeteners will kill you,” he said with a smile as he moved toward her outstretched hands.
“So will a morning without coffee,” she said before she took a sip. “Okay, you got my attention. And now I know you want something. What’s up?”
Jack grinned. “Get up. Get dressed. The stars have magically aligned, and we both have the day off.”
She groaned. “Do I have to?”
“Yes, doctor’s orders. And wear workout clothes or something.”
“We’re working out? No, I don’t think so,” she said and put the coffee on the nightstand. “No coffee is worth that.”
“We’re not working out. But wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.”
“What?”
Before she could argue, he left the room and shut the door.
“What are we doing?” she called behind him.
“It’s a surprise! Hurry up,” he yelled from the living room.
Twenty minutes later, she appeared in the living room freshly showered wearing black yoga pants and a heathered gray Santa Fe University top with a generous V-neck. A strappy black sports bra could be seen underneath.
“Okay, I’m ready. Now tell me,” she said.
“Everything’s in the car. You’ll see.”
She groaned, but let him grab her hand and drag her toward the Jeep. Addy peeked in the back, but all she could make out were duffel bags.
“Are we going on a hike?” she asked. She slipped on a pair of aviators and stuffed her hair under a baseball cap.
“Quite the opposite, actually. But that’s all the hint you get,” he said. “Here, eat this,” he said as he handed her a meal replacement bar. “You’ll need it.”
From the corner of his eye, he watched her break off pieces by hand and chew slowly. Jack checked the distance. They were getting closer. Soon, signs for Black Chasm Cavern started to appear. He watched her take them in and shot him a curious look.
Jack pulled into a gravel lot.
“Come on,” he said. “We’re going spelunking.”
“No way,” she said.
Addy shook her head vehemently, but took the blue jumpsuit he handed her. She stepped into the belay belt and warily took the red helmet he handed her from the bag.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re in good hands.”
As he hoisted the belt over her hips and cinched it tight at her groin, he couldn’t help himself. Being this close to her, his hands inches from that sweetness he’d been teased with.
Addy audibly gulped. Jack looked up from where he squatted before her and saw a deep blush spread across her face.
“Let’s go,” he said, and gave her belt one final test tug.
He led the way into the first cavern and gestured for her to turn her light on.
“I didn’t know real spelunking, or whatever you call it, was allowed in here,” she said. “I thought it was like a tourist trap.”
“From what I could tell, it isn’t allowed,” he said.
“Jack!”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I did my research. Lots of people sneak in for a little private caving.”
As they rounded a corner, he held up a flashlight to the first formation he’d read about.
“Check this out, it’s an aeolian.”
“What’s that?” She came up behind him, mildly breathless from the touch of fear the darkness tends to bring.
“It was created by the wind.” Jack turned off the handheld light and slipped it into his pocket. Only the lights on their helmets illuminated the whirling pattern.
“Come on,” he said. He couldn’t see her hand, but he felt it and she grasped him tight.
“Where are we going?” she said. Addy whispered it, the sacredness of the cave omnipresent.
“The first belay bolt.”
He helped her up the first minor ascent and then scrambled after her. In the oily darkness of the little perch, the sediment walls pressed in around them.
He felt like kissing her. She smelled of flowers every time he got close.
The rest of the morning unfolded with plenty of close calls. Once, in the dark zone of the cavern where daylight could never reach, he almost couldn’t stop himself.
He came close, crouched down to avoid the low overhang. Addy didn’t need to duck at all. Instead, she looked up at him, her chin tilted upward and those plush lips nearly begged him to close the distance between them.
Yet he resisted.
This was a stupid idea, he realized as they made their way through the tightest quarters of the cavern.
It required them to be on hands and knees. Addy moved ahead of him, her heart-shaped ass punctuated by the outline of the belt. He steadied his breath but couldn’t look away.
It took all his willpower not to grasp that belt, pull her back to him, rip off her clothes and sink his hardness deep inside
her. With every inch she moved forward on hands and knees, he grew harder.
As they cleared the tunnel, she glanced back at him over her shoulder. Only his headlight illuminated her face.
Ask me to take you, right here, he thought.
But she didn’t. She only smiled and stood up, brushing her knees with her fingertips.
“Oh, wow,” she said. “What’s that called?”
Addy pulled out her own flashlight to illuminate the swirling column.
“Helictite,” he said. “They’re amazing, aren’t they?”
He prayed she wouldn’t shine the light down and see his raging hard-on. Jack had never been so thankful for the darkness.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said quietly.
She reached for his hand and wove her fingers through his easily. It should have been romantic, but it was beyond that. Jack had seen many things in his life, incredible things, but with Addy he saw them with fresh eyes—her eyes.
Had he come alone or with anyone else, he would have simply ticked it off as another helictite featured in one of his many adventures. She made it different, special. She showed him the wonders right in front of him.
He let her lead the way and choose the next fork. As he watched her ass sashay in front of him and her hips swing side to side, he tried to figure it out. He’d never obsessed about a girl so much in his life.
But she’s not just any girl, is she?
All the others had basically thrown themselves at him. Even Rosalie. He was used to all the games they tried, whether they were flirty or aloof. The ones like Rosalie who were skilled at playing hard to get were still easy to read.
Rosalie had slept with him on the third date and swore she’d never done anything like that before.
But not Addy. She wasn’t like any of them. It was refreshing, and strange, especially after he’d been awarded his MD title. The girls came easily enough before that, but afterward? Even a hint that he was a doctor made the most exquisite of women flock to him.
Why was Addy immune to it?
If anything, she seemed to be the one trying to keep everything light and breezy.
Fuck. If this is a game, she’s better at it than I am.
Had he met his match? He couldn’t tell. But Addy’s seeming indifference to him made him want her even more. And that little incident in the bathroom? He couldn’t be totally certain that she would have fucked him had Kenzie not interrupted.
