Can't Forget You

by Rachel Lacey

  “Whoa,” Mandy said. “I may have underestimated you, Jessica. I always thought you were kind of buttoned-up, but you go, girl. I hope he takes you on the ride of your life.”

  Jessica chugged the remainder of her beer. “If so much as a word of this makes it to Ethan or Ryan, you guys are dead to me.”

  “Our lips are sealed.” Emma mimed zipping her lips with a grin.

  “Absolutely,” Gabby agreed. “But you have to let us know how it turns out.”

  “Girls’ night,” Carly said, “at one of our houses so that you can spill all the deets in total privacy.”

  “Do I even want to know?” a masculine voice asked.

  Jessica looked up to see Ryan standing beside their table, a wide grin on his face.

  “Nope,” Emma told him. “This is for girls’ ears only.”

  “Hmm.” Ryan surveyed the table. “Interesting. Very interesting. So who’s ready for the Adrenaline Rush this weekend?”

  “Totally pumped,” Mandy said.

  Emma pouted. “I’m so sad I can’t race this year.”

  “Team Flower Power won’t be the same without you,” Carly told her.

  “But we’re finishing this time.” Gabby lifted her beer, a determined expression on her face.

  “Yo, I have no doubt about it,” Ryan said, giving Gabby a fist bump. “All right, ladies. I’ve got to get back to the bar. Behave yourselves.” He winked as he walked away.

  A mixture of excitement and trepidation swam in Jessica’s stomach. Maybe running in an obstacle course race wasn’t the best idea for her right now, but then again, why not? She had several appointments scheduled next week to have more tests done, and in the meantime, there was absolutely no reason she shouldn’t go about her life as usual.

  Emma had to drop out of the race when she got pregnant, and they needed four members to compete, which meant Team Flower Power was counting on Jessica. If she was lucky, she might even forget about her aches and pains for a few hours while she was at it.

  “Here’s to Team Flower Power,” Mandy said, lifting her beer.

  * * *

  Saturday morning dawned cold but clear. With a projected high of sixty-five degrees and sunny skies, it was the perfect day for a race. Mark was at Off-the-Grid by five to run final checks on the course.

  “Fuckin’ freezing out here,” Ryan grumbled as he met Mark out front.

  Mark nodded. Probably wasn’t much more than forty degrees right now, but that would change once the sun was all the way up.

  “That mud pit’s going to be cold as balls,” Ethan said with a grin. “You guys ready?”

  Together, they set out into the woods, checking and double-checking every obstacle on the course. This year, teams would start out on the ropes course and then navigate their way into the woods using compasses through a series of team-based obstacles ending in the mud pit. Once the entire team had completed the course, it would be a race to the finish line.

  After making sure everything was ready, he, Ryan, and Ethan headed back to the registration area. Already their volunteers were starting to arrive. Emma came out of the office carrying three coffees in a cup carrier from the coffee shop.

  “Thought you might need these,” she said, setting the tray down on the registration table.

  “Do we ever.” Ryan leaned in to give her a kiss. “Thanks, babe.”

  “Lifesaver. I mean it,” Ethan said, grabbing one of the cups.

  Mark nodded. “Thanks, Emma.” He snagged a coffee for himself and took a grateful sip.

  “As bummed as I am that I can’t race this year,” Emma said, “I’m not all that sad about staying warm and dry today.”

  Ethan grinned. “The Adrenaline Rush is late this year because of mine and Gabby’s wedding, but we’ll be back to our summer schedule next year.”

  “I’m so there,” Emma said with a smile.

  Mark’s gaze caught on a familiar figure headed their way. Jess had on black jogging pants and a long-sleeved purple athletic shirt, her hair in a ponytail.

  “Hey, Jess!” Emma called out, heading toward her. “I’ve got flowers inside for everyone’s hair. Plus, we can hide out in there for a while where it’s warm.”

  “That sounds perfect.” Jess glanced over and caught his gaze. She looked tired. More than that, she looked ill, and it raised his protective hackles.

  More than anything, he wanted to go to her, pull her into his arms, and hold her tight, but he couldn’t do that. She’d been the one to suggest they keep their relationship under wraps. It had suited him fine at the time. But right now, he fucking hated everything about it.

  * * *

  Jessica sucked in a deep breath and jumped. With a splash, the muddy water swallowed her up, and holy shit, it was cold. She kicked against the muck beneath her feet, and her head broke the surface. Spluttering, she scooped mud off her face while her feet scrambled for purchase against the bottom of the pit.

  Gabby shrieked as she splashed into the mud beside her. Carly, the tallest of their group, was already walking along the edge of the pit. She hadn’t even gotten her head dirty! Jessica scowled as she swiped more mud out of her eyes. Her whole body tingled from the cold.

  “Come on, ladies,” Mandy—the smallest member of Team Flower Power but also their leader in Emma’s absence—called as she swam through the muddy water, headed for the opposite side.

  “I’m going to kill Ethan for dreaming this up,” Gabby grumbled as she sloshed—half walking, half swimming—after Mandy.

  “Oh, come on, this is fun!” Mandy said with a laugh.

  “Sorry, but I have to agree with Gabby on this one.” Jessica headed for the edge of the pit, where it was shallower, so that she could walk like Carly was doing. The muddy bottom sucked at her shoes and oozed around her ankles.

  “Gross. Gross. Gross!” Gabby chanted as she splashed after Mandy.

  Jessica slipped and almost went under again. She enjoyed the mud baths she offered at the spa, but this was not at all the same. For one thing, she had mud up her nose, in her ears, and who knew how many other places she’d rather keep clean. For another, it was so friggin’ cold, she couldn’t think of anything else but getting out as quickly as possible.

  She’d had a headache since she got up this morning, and the icy mud didn’t seem to be helping matters. Pain stabbed at her temples, matching the throb of her pulse. Her hands cramped, and ugh…

  “Oh no!” Gabby stopped, staring down into the muddy water swirling around her. “I lost a shoe.”

  “Uh-oh.” Jessica sloshed over to her, feeling around in the mud with her sneakers as best as she could.

  “This is so bad.” Gabby giggled as she bent lower, searching for her shoe.

  Mandy and Carly had already reached the other side. They stood on the bank, dripping with mud and staring back at Jessica and Gabby.

  “I don’t feel it anywhere,” Jessica said.

  “Me neither.” Gabby’s foot bumped into Jessica’s as they rooted around in the mud looking for the missing sneaker. “Screw it. I can finish barefoot.”

  “Um, are you sure?” Jessica was shivering now, and pains were shooting up her arms. “How much of the race is left after we get out of the mud?”

  “It’s not far. We just have to run past the zip-line to the field behind the house. I can totally do it.”

  “If you’re sure.” Jessica hated the thought of Gabby running all that way without a shoe, but they couldn’t stand here all day in freezing cold mud looking for it either.

  “I’m sure. Last year, I fell and was disqualified. This year, I’m crossing the finish line no matter what.” Gabby pulled herself up straight, muddy water dripping from her chin.

  “All right then, let’s get the hell out of this mud.” Jessica had no idea why it was causing her so much pain, but the longer she stayed in here, the worse she felt. She sloshed off toward Mandy and Carly as fast as she could go with Gabby at her heels. A few minutes later, she finally, finally p
ulled herself out onto dry land. Her knees buckled under her, and she landed on her butt at the edge of the muddy trail.

  “You all right, Jess?” Mandy asked, extending a hand to help her up.

  “My muscles are cramping up from the cold.” And she couldn’t stop shivering.

  “Better keep moving then,” Mandy said. “Oh crap, Gabby, you lost a shoe!”

  “I know,” Gabby said with a smile. “I’m ready to run for it in my sock. Let’s go.”

  They certainly weren’t the fastest team as they headed for the finish line. Gabby half limped, half jogged over the rocky terrain in one shoe. Jessica was powering through on sheer adrenaline as her muscles cramped and chills wracked her body. Carly looked similarly miserable. Only Mandy was still in good spirits, jogging energetically and cheering the rest of them on.

  “Almost there, ladies!” Mandy called as they rounded a bend on the trail and the finish line came into sight. “Come on. Let’s finish strong.”

  I can do this. Jessica forced her legs to keep moving. Gabby grabbed her hand, and together they sprinted toward the finish line.

  “You got this, sweetheart!” Ethan called out from beyond the finish line, and Gabby lurched forward, dragging Jessica along with her.

  Then they were through the inflated archway marking the end of the race. A volunteer draped a medal around Jessica’s neck. Someone handed her a bottle of water and one of those space blankets that looked like tin foil to warm up with. She wrapped it around her shoulders, but it didn’t seem to do much good.

  “We did it!” Mandy pulled them all in for a group hug.

  Gabby was grinning from ear to ear. “I finished. I really did it. This was so great!”

  Emma ran toward them from across the field. She barged into their group hug, flinging her arms around Jessica and Carly, and then she shrieked, “Holy shit, you guys are cold and wet!”

  “Um, yeah. We just swam through a mud pit that was slightly warmer than ice,” Carly told her, teeth chattering.

  “Jess, are you okay?” Emma’s eyes crinkled in concern.

  “Really c-cold.” Jessica couldn’t stop shivering, and these awful pains were shooting down her arms and legs.

  “You look…blue,” Gabby said.

  Mandy gave her a discerning look. “Yeah, you really do.”

  “Sweetie, let me get you some hot chocolate,” Emma said.

  “I’m f-fine, you guys.” Jessica hugged the silver blanket closer around herself. “We should go rinse off.” There was a line of outdoor showers along the edge of the field so that they could douse themselves in fresh water to rinse off the worst of the mud. But, oh God, it was going to be cold. And she was already so friggin’ cold.

  “Hang on a second.” Gabby toed out of her remaining sneaker and then ran off toward Ethan in her socks.

  Jessica looked down at her hands, which were shaking uncontrollably and still caked in mud. She’d just rinse off quickly here so that she could go straight home and take a long, hot shower.

  Gabby walked back over and nudged Jessica in the direction of the house. “Come on. Spouse privileges.”

  “What?” Jessica started walking in the direction Gabby was guiding her.

  “We’ll catch up with you guys in a little bit, okay?” Gabby called over her shoulder to Carly and Mandy. They both nodded.

  “You get Jessica warmed up,” Mandy said. “Beers later to celebrate?”

  “Definitely,” Gabby said, still marching Jessica toward the house. She led them over to the table where they’d checked bags earlier with clean clothes to change into. “Grab your bag.”

  Jessica handed her claim tag to the teenager behind the table, and he handed her the black duffel bag she’d brought. “Where’s yours?” she asked Gabby.

  “Inside. Spouse privileges, like I said.” She winked at Jessica over her shoulder.

  Right. Because Ethan and the guys owned this building. That was handy. Jessica stumbled as they reached the front door. Seriously, what was the matter with her?

  Inside, Gabby led her down the hall behind the reception area. “You know Ethan used to live here, right? There’s a full bathroom in back. The guys shower here all the time.”

  “Really?”

  Gabby nodded. She went to a closet and pulled out a blue towel, which she shoved into Jessica’s arms. “So go on in and take a long, hot shower.”

  Too miserably cold to argue, Jessica did just that.

  * * *

  Mark made his way up to the main building around three o’clock, long overdue for some grub and eager to see how Jess and her team had done. He hadn’t seen her since she’d passed by his station on the ropes course hours ago. The yard was filled now with muddy racers wearing finishers’ medals and the friends and family who’d come to cheer them on. Here and there, groups posed for selfies, and all around, he heard happy laughter.

  Looked like a successful event, and he’d relax and appreciate that fact as soon as he knew Jess was okay.

  “Hey, man,” Ethan called from his position near the finish line, “everything secure on your end?”

  Mark nodded. The last team had completed the ropes course about thirty minutes ago. He and a couple of volunteers had just finished securing all the equipment and closed up the area.

  “There are sandwiches at the house,” Ethan told him. “Emma brought enough food to feed a small army.”

  “Great. How did Team Flower Power do?” he asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.

  Ethan broke into a wide smile. “They’re in tenth so far overall. Gabby lost a shoe in the mud pit, but she still finished strong.”

  Mark smiled too, relieved to know that the women had finished the race successfully.

  “She took Jessica up to the house, said she was really cold or something,” Ethan said with a shrug.

  Mark was already striding toward the house by the time Ethan had finished speaking. He’d known Jess didn’t look well that morning. Dammit, if she’d aggravated whatever was wrong with her by racing today or worse…

  By the time he’d reached the house, his heart was pounding against his ribs. He shoved through the front door and then stopped in his tracks as the sound of laughter reached his ears. Jess and Gabby sat on the leather couch in the reception area, coffee mugs in hand. They both had towels wrapped around their hair and looked fresh from the shower. Jess glanced up at him and gave him a small smile.

  “Hey, uh, everything okay?” he asked.

  “We’re great now that we’re warm and dry,” Gabby told him.

  Jess nodded, both hands wrapped around her coffee mug.

  “Good,” he said.

  “I’m just so happy I finished this time.” Gabby held up the medal around her neck. “We’re going out for beers later to celebrate.”

  “Okay.” His gaze slid back to Jess. She was awfully quiet. “You okay?” he couldn’t help asking.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “She got really cold in the mud pit,” Gabby added, “so I brought her up here for a hot shower and some coffee.”

  “Good thinking.” He hoped that’s all it had been, but at least she seemed okay now. As he turned to go into the kitchen and fix himself a sandwich, he could have sworn he saw Gabby give Jess a high five out of the corner of his eye.

  What was that about?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Mark was deep in the woods, taking down a wooden platform they’d built for one of the obstacles on the Adrenaline Rush, when his cell phone rang in his back pocket. The sound seemed so out of place here among the trees, surrounded by nature. He slid it out of his pocket and checked the screen.

  Jess was calling.

  His heart picked up its pace as a sizzling jolt of awareness raced through his body at just the sight of her name. After their group went out for beers on Saturday night, she’d begged off early to rest up before work the next day so he hadn’t been alone with her—hadn’t even kissed her—in days, and he was missing her somethin
g fierce. He brought the phone to his ear. “Jess?”

  “Hi,” she said. “Got plans tonight?”

  “No.” And if he had, he’d have canceled them at the urgency in her voice.

  “The Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight. I thought maybe we could take some blankets and find a nice spot to watch them.”

  Memories of their one full night together as teenagers on a blanket beneath the stars swept over him. Fuck, yes, he wanted to do that again. “Yes.”

  “Great. And Mark, I was thinking we should make a night of it, for old times’ sake.” Her voice had gone all low and throaty.

  His dick grew heavy. “Yes.”

  “You bring the condoms. I’ll bring the blankets.”

  “Done.”

  “Mark…where are you right now?” Her voice had dropped to a whisper, and the sound was so erotic his whole body tightened with the need to hold her, touch her, taste her.

  “In the woods.”

  “Are you alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “I am too,” she breathed. “Alone, not in the woods.”

  “Where are you?” His voice sounded like gravel. He was rock hard and aching for her. Tonight felt like a million years away. The sweetest form of torture.

  “I’m at the spa, in my office. I’m about to close up for the night. Everyone else has already gone home.” She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice had gone even lower. “Sometimes, after everyone’s left, I take a dip in one of the spring-fed hot tubs. They’re amazing, you know.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” He adjusted himself in his jeans, but the mental image of Jess alone at the spa, getting ready to go into the hot tub, only intensified the ache in his groin. “Do you wear a swimsuit?”

  “No.”

  Fuck. He clenched his fist, desperate to touch her.

  “Mark…” She made a breathless sound that he felt all the way to his dick. “Are you as turned on as I am right now?”

  “Yes.” He eased himself onto what remained of the wooden platform, wincing at the pressure in his jeans.

  “Are you touching yourself?” she asked.

  “No.” His fist clenched tighter. “Are you?”