Wild One (Summer Rush #5)

by Cheryl Douglas

  He rolled his eyes as he shoved his hand in the pocket of his black pants. “So what? Coming back here is a mission of mercy?”

  “No, it’s…” He didn’t know how to describe the reason he’d returned to the place he once called home. “Uh, I guess it’s me following my heart.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve thought a lot about Marika over the past four years. Wondered how she was, what she was doing, whether she ever thought about me.”

  “She didn’t.”

  “You can’t know that.” Dec wasn’t used to taking shit from people. While he respected Marika’s father and his right to an opinion about the way Dec had treated his daughter, he wasn’t going to be the man’s personal whipping boy.

  “Fine,” he said, glaring at Dec. “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, she did think about you from time to time. That doesn’t mean she forgave you for—”

  “She did.” Dec stood and walked around the small stone patio. He couldn’t stand sitting any longer while Marika’s father looked down on him. “She told me she forgave me, and I believe her.”

  “I guess she must have or you wouldn’t be here with her now.” He set the steaks on a platter before he asked, “Just why the hell are you here? What’s going on with you two?”

  “We’re spending time together, getting to know each other.”

  “I’d say you know each other well enough,” he said, raising a bushy silver eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you?”

  If there was anything more uncomfortable than talking to a big, burly man who knew you’d had a one-night stand with his daughter, Dec couldn’t imagine what it was.

  “I’m getting to know her,” he conceded. “Better than before. And I love everything I’ve learned so far. I meant what I said. I think she’s amazing.”

  “My son told me you made a big donation to his charity. Did you do that to impress my daughter?”

  Dec could understand why he’d question Dec’s motives, but it was still offensive. “I donated to your son’s charity because I know it’s a good cause. They’re helping a lot of children. And whether you believe it or not, I donate a lot of money to causes I believe in. Especially causes to benefit kids.”

  He gave Dec a once-over, still looking unimpressed. “If you like kids so much, how come you were so dead set against being a dad?”

  A dad. Damn. It still stung to think he’d missed out on that opportunity. “I know you think your daughter was the only one hurting after her miscarriage, but she wasn’t. I was too. It may have taken me a while to get used to the idea, but once I did, I wanted that baby as much as she did. I just never got the chance to tell her that. I tried, but by then it was too late.”

  He tipped his head from side to side as he stroked his silver goatee. “I don’t know what the hell to make of you. When my wife told me you were coming to dinner, I was tempted to call my daughter and tell her that’d happen over my dead body.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “Because I wanted the chance to tell you off myself.”

  Dec nodded. “You’ve had your say. I’ve had mine. If you want me to leave your home now, I will.” He didn’t want to disappoint Marika, but he wouldn’t stay where he wasn’t welcome.

  “I want to know what your intentions are regarding my daughter,” he said, ignoring Dec’s offer. “And don’t tell me you don’t know because that’s not what I want to hear.”

  Dec had to admire his hutzpah. He’d never met a more direct man. “I’m falling in love with her.” He let that settle in before he said, “I don’t take that lightly, sir. Believe me, I’ve never said that about anyone else before.” There’d been a few times when he was a teenager and thought he knew what love was and he’d thought about saying it, but he’d never had the guts. He was too afraid of rejection.

  Mr. Boyd heaved a sigh. “Where do you see this going?”

  “I don’t know. Marika and I are still trying to figure that out. I plan to spend the rest of the off-season here so we can spend more time together, get to know each other better.”

  “And then what? A long-distance relationship?” He rolled his eyes. “I know I don’t have to tell you this, but she’s not twenty-one anymore.”

  “Neither am I.” Dec curled one hand around the back of an iron chair as he stared at Marika’s father. “I’m not a kid, and I’m looking for more than a good time. I can assure you I’m taking this seriously. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt her again.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “You shouldn’t.” Dec knew he still had to prove himself to Marika and her family. He’d given them good reason to distrust him and he’d done nothing to prove he’d changed. Yet. “But if you give me a chance, get to know me, you’ll see me for the man I am. And you’ll see how much your daughter means to me. I really believe I can make her happy.” He didn’t know how they’d work out the distance thing, but he did know one thing—Marika lit up when she was with him.

  “You do, huh?” He picked up the platter and gestured for Dec to follow him inside. “I guess we’ll see about that.”

  ***

  They’d agreed to spend the night at Marika’s apartment and were curled up in her bed after making love when she said, “I hope my dad didn’t give you a hard time tonight?”

  Both of her parents had been a little standoffish with Dec at dinner, but she hadn’t expected them to welcome him with open arms… yet. She just wanted them to see that he made her happy. That she was more relaxed with him. She smiled and laughed more and wasn’t checking her phone every five minutes.

  “He was fine,” he assured her, brushing her crazy curls off her face so he could kiss her forehead. “Exactly what I expected actually.”

  “That bad, huh?” She’d been afraid of that. Her father was a no-nonsense guy and there was rarely a doubt as to what was on his mind. “I’m sorry. Maybe it was too soon for you to see them again.”

  “Too soon?” He held her a little tighter. “It’s been four years.”

  “You know what I mean.” She ran her hand over his flat stomach. “Maybe I should’ve waited until we’d been seeing each other a little longer.”

  “I don’t think it would have mattered. Your dad needed to say his piece. I can respect that.”

  “Can you?” She tilted her head back so she could read his expression. “A lot of guys would have said I’m a grown woman and it’s none of my parents’ business.”

  “I’m not a lot of guys. I know family is important and I can respect that.”

  She loved that about him. His family meant so much to him and he respected the fact hers did too. “I wish I’d never told my mom about what happened between us. Then they wouldn’t have all these preconceived notions about the kind of man you are.” If only they could see him the way she did, someone who made it his mission to make her happy.

  “I’m not sorry you told them. It means there won’t be any secrets…” His gaze shifted to his phone, which was face down on the nightstand.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, nothing.” He cleared his throat. “Just wondering what time it is. You should probably get some sleep, no?”

  “In a little bit.” She liked cuddling and talking with him.

  “I think I’ll go into the living room and watch a bit of TV when you turn in, if that’s okay?” His hand skimmed her arm and she closed her eyes, feeling fatigue settle in. “I’m used to going to bed a little later.”

  “Sure, whatever you want.” She was just happy to have him here, in her little apartment, a part of her world. “I was thinking I’d go see Lorna and the baby after work tomorrow. You want to come?”

  “Um, I was thinking about catching up with some of my old teammates, maybe going out for a beer.”

  “Oh, of course.” She didn’t know why she hadn’t considered that. He’d lived here before. He surely had a bunch of friends that he probably wanted to spend time with. “Sorry if I’ve monopolized all your t
ime since you’ve been back.”

  “You haven’t. I’ve loved every second I spent with you. Besides, I have plenty of time to do my thing while you’re at work.”

  According to him, he’d spent his days at the gym he’d joined and doing a bit of volunteer work, signing autographs for charitable organizations he’d been involved with when he lived in the area.

  “Are you getting bored yet?” she teased, running her fingertips over his chest. “Counting down the days ‘til spring training starts?” She was dreading that day, but instead of fixating on the end of her time with him, she chose to appreciate every moment.

  “No way, I’m enjoying the time off. I love having this time with you. Besides, if I were back home, I’d only be listening to my buddy Loran whine about how this chick he’s into won’t give him the time of day.”

  She smiled, thinking about what Dec and his friends must talk about when they were alone. Sports probably topped the list, but given the reputation some of his teammates had, women must rank pretty high on that list too. “Why won’t this woman give your friend the time of day?”

  “The way he tells it, they went to Vegas together, had a good time, and then she bailed on him after…”

  She smiled at his reluctance to tell her the whole story. “They had sex?”

  “Right. Apparently he found her at the hotel bar chatting up some dude and he lost his shit.”

  “How does he know she wasn’t just being friendly? Just because she was talking doesn’t mean she was interested.” She got that a lot. Men who thought that because she’d made small talk, that was an invitation to ask for her number or to ask her on a date.

  “That’s what I told him, but I think he was really into this girl and it kind of freaked him out.”

  Marika laughed, slapping his chest lightly. “What is it with you guys? Why are you so afraid to admit you have feelings for a woman?”

  He pressed his lips to her temple. “I’m not afraid to admit I have feelings for you.”

  No, he’d been forthcoming and she loved it, but their first go-round, he’d been pretty tight-lipped, making it seem like she was just another one-night stand. That was another reason she’d avoided his calls and texts. She liked him too much to be another one of his hook-ups.

  “But you’ve changed. Matured maybe.”

  He laughed. “Maybe I have. Could be you’ve helped me to grow up, see what I really want. If that’s the case, my sisters and mom will be eternally grateful.” He curled his hand around hers, holding it against his chest. “Hey, speaking of them, I’d love for you to meet them.”

  She smiled. “I’d like that too. Maybe I could fly out when they do, to see one of your games.”

  He pouted, making her giggle. She never giggled. He was definitely a good influence on her. If she made him more mature, he made her giddy with excitement. Huh. Maybe they were a good influence on each other.

  “I don’t want to wait that long,” he whined. “I just visited them a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean I can’t go again. If you’ll go with me?”

  “Um, didn’t you say they lived in Virginia?”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Dec, I can’t just fly out on a whim. My schedule isn’t as flexible as yours.” And for the first time, she kind of resented that. When she’d decided to be a doctor, she knew her time wouldn’t be her own anymore, but she hadn’t considered how much she’d be giving up until she started to spend time with Dec.

  “Come on, it’s a short flight. We could do a three-day weekend. Surely you could get another doctor to take on your patients for a day or two?”

  Several pediatricians in her building owed her a favor because she’d picked up the slack when they were sick or needed time off. Maybe she could swing it. “I’ll see what I can do tomorrow. When would you want to go?”

  He lit up like a little boy who’d just gotten a new bike for his birthday. Too cute. “Seriously? You want to meet my family… and you’d be willing to rearrange your whole schedule to—”

  She kissed him. “I want to meet your family.”

  “How soon do you think we could go?”

  “Let me talk to a couple of my colleagues tomorrow. Maybe next weekend.”

  “Baby, I love…” He looked as if he was biting his tongue. “I love that you’re willing to do this for me. Thank you.”

  She wanted to tell him not to hold back, to say whatever he was thinking because she was feeling it too. Instead she smiled and said, “My pleasure, Dec.”

  ***

  “I can’t believe you’re going to meet his family,” Lorna said, staring at Marika wide-eyed while Marika rocked little Matthew to sleep. “That’s huge, no?”

  “I’m trying not to make too big of a deal of it, but I am pretty excited.”

  She leaned in to kiss his chubby cheeks, inhaling that baby scent she loved so much. She’d helped Lorna give him a bath after he was fed and asked for the chance to rock him to sleep. Her exhausted friend was more than happy to hand him over for a while, claiming she could use the break. But Marika could tell she was loving every minute of being a mom. She’d never seen Lorna happier.

  “You’re a natural with babies,” Lorna said, watching them. “Has it always been that way? I mean, I know you’ve always wanted to be a doctor, but why was pediatrics your calling?”

  “Hmm.” How could Marika explain that flutter she experienced every time a baby or child smiled at her or gave her a hug of thanks for making them feel better? It was indescribable. It made her feel as though she was making a difference, as though her life counted for something. “I don’t know. I guess I always knew that’s what I wanted. I never really considered any other options.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  Marika shifted Matthew from one arm to the other. She should put him down in his cradle, but she wanted to hold him a little while longer. She loved watching him sleep, the way his long eyelashes fluttered or his little bow mouth puckered. She even adored the way he’d kick his chubby legs and cry out when he had a little gas, prompting her to tap his diapered bottom until he fell back to sleep.

  Lorna was still watching Marika with the baby when she said, “Have you and Dec talked about your miscarriage?”

  She bit her lip. “Sure. We’ve talked about it.”

  “You really should, you know. It’s not healthy to sweep that kind of thing under the rug and pretend it never happened.”

  Marika appreciated her best friend’s concern, but she didn’t want to spend any more time thinking about their loss. She wanted to think about all she’d gained having Dec in her life.

  “Believe me, we’ve talked about it. I told him how scared I was when I found out I was pregnant, then how sad I was when I miscarried. He told me how sorry he was. I forgave him, and we’re moving on.”

  “You’ve really forgiven him?” Lorna asked, reaching into the wicker laundry basket beside her and grabbing a handful of onesies. “Because I’m not so sure I could if I were you.”

  That’s because she didn’t know Dec the way Marika did. “All I can tell you is I trust him, Lor. And you know for me, that’s saying a lot. Trust doesn’t come easily for me, especially with guys.”

  “Yeah, but let’s not forget Dec is a big part of that. Because of the way he reacted when you told him—”

  “I get that you’re concerned about me,” Marika said, smiling to soften her words. “But you’re just going to have to trust that I know what I’m doing with Dec. I know what I want.”

  “What do you want?” she asked, folding and stacking the tiny clothes.

  “I want to see where this goes. I don’t want to be guarded anymore. I want to be open, and if I get hurt, I get hurt.” She honestly didn’t believe Dec would hurt her, but if she got hurt through no fault of his, she still wouldn’t regret that she’d taken the chance. She was tired of walking on the safe side of the street. She wanted to take a risk and go after what she wanted for a change.

 
“Have you told him yet that you have dual citizenship?”

  “No, it hasn’t come up.” She’d been born in the States. Her father had been stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, and they hadn’t moved back to her mother’s home in Canada until almost thirteen years ago, when her father retired and her maternal grandmother got sick.

  “Uh, don’t you think it will?” Lorna asked, quirking her eyebrow. “You and he are from the same home state. How far is Norfolk from Richmond anyhow?”

  “Maybe an hour and a half,” Marika said. “Two, with traffic.”

  “Wouldn’t you like to visit when you’re going to be so close? Show Dec where you grew up?”

  “Sure, it’d be nice, but…”

  “But?” She rolled her hand before her eyes brightened with understanding. “Ah, you’re afraid if he sees how easy it would be for you to fit into his world, he’ll start putting pressure on you to move to Kansas City with him?”

  “It’s not that it would be easy. I still have my practice here. A practice I’ve busted my ass to build. And you guys and my family and…”

  “Your parents still have a place there, don’t they? In Virginia?” Lorna asked, ignoring Marika’s reasons for staying put.

  “Yeah, they like to go back every once in a while. They hung on to the house ‘cause they thought they might retire there when my nana passed.” She shrugged. “But it didn’t work out that way.”

  “Because they feel they need to stick around and look out for you and your brother.”

  Marika pursed her lips. “That’s not true. We’re adults. They don’t need to look after us anymore.”

  “Huh, do they know that?”

  Marika narrowed her eyes. “I know what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to convince me this thing with Dec isn’t impossible, but—”

  “It’s not! The States recognizes your medical license, so it’s not like it would be a big hassle for you to—”

  “I would still have to go through the licensing process in the state where I want to work.”

  “You’re throwing up obstacles. Why?”

  “No, I’m not.” At least she didn’t think she was. She was being pragmatic. She was a doctor, for crying out loud, not a waitress who could quit one restaurant and get hired at another the same day.