“Just forget it,” he snapped before reining himself back. “It wouldn’t have changed anything, but I’ll be damn sure to have a few words with them when this is all over.”
“It wasn’t so much his fault. His mother and my boss are good friends. She knew of Kyle’s service, and asked if he had any recommendations. That’s why he went to Graves.”
“I thought you didn’t know who the Marine was that you were meeting? If you knew Kyle recommended the person, you had to have had a name.”
She placed the garment bag over her suitcase, dug into her planner before finally finding a printout and held it out to him. “I didn’t know until we were on the plane, when I read the form I received before I flew to Virginia. That’s how I found out. I’d have told you, but you were trying to sleep. I didn’t want to bother you.” When he didn’t take the paper, she placed it back on top of the planner, and set it on the entryway table. “I only know what was in the paper, but there’s no wonder why he’d recommend you.”
“I don’t want to discuss it.” He snatched his bag off the tiled floor. “I need to get some sleep.”
“Take the bedroom at the end of the hall.” She nodded toward the stairs. “I’ll be in the one closest to the stairs if you need anything.”
“I take it you’ve been here.” He grabbed the garment bag before taking her suitcase as well. He didn’t want to have to come back downstairs for anything. He needed to put some distance between them, avoid that look of sympathy in her eyes.
“I was here two weeks ago to check out rental properties. Each contestant has their own rental with a chef’s dream kitchen where they’ll be staying with their handlers for the next two weeks. Being that I picked them out, I assigned the nicest to myself. There’s even a hot tub on the deck if you’re interested. A small work space for me and a kitchen that I hope will suit your needs.”
“I’m sure it’s more than I’m used to. The cooking supplies were extremely limited when we were deployed.” With one more glance at her, he took the first step to the second floor.
“I can take my bag,” she offered, but he was already a quarter of the way up.
“Don’t worry, Maddie, I won’t open it and look at all your sexy lingerie. I’ll be a gentleman and place it in your room.”
“I’d never expect anything less from you.”
After depositing her suitcase in her room, he headed farther down the hall to his room. The door was open, revealing a large, king size bed. The solid cherry wood headboard made it seem more imposing than it was, drawing attention to the warm blue accent wall behind the bed. The deep blue comforter reminded him of Ace’s dress blues, only this had a sliver threading creating panels within the blanket.
He dropped his bags on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and took in the rest of the room. There was a dresser, and what he assumed was a closet, on the same wall as the entryway. To the left was an adjoining bathroom, but it was the window that caught his attention. In the daylight, the large window would provide a stunning view of the mountains he’d noticed on the drive, but now he could only see darkness.
“If only this was a vacation instead of an assignment, I might actually be able to enjoy the mountains. Such a change from Virginia Beach,” he mumbled to himself as he began to strip out of his clothes.
He crawled between the sheets in his boxers, and was no longer able to push the memories away. In a semi-conscious decision, he decided to reroute his thoughts to Madison instead of recalling Kyle, which would only lead to doubt and rage. He let his eyelids drift shut, and the memories flooded back.
Two days before he was due to report to boot camp, they’d been curled up in bed at a small bed and breakfast two towns over. He wasn’t sure how he’d managed to talk her into it, but there they were.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and they had spent the night in each other’s arms. Neither of them had slept, as if they didn’t want to miss a moment of their time together. Four years dating, but friends for even longer, and yet every day had felt new and exciting. He wanted that, and he wanted her. While many of their friends had been thinking about college, and the careers they’d have, he was thinking that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. His plan had been to propose to her, but the moment had been so perfect he remembered not wanting to move from where he was, with her wrapped around him, to get the ring.
“Lucky…”
“Hmm.” He teased his finger along the curve of her spine.
“I love you.”
“Mmm.” He tipped her head up toward him. “Maddie, you’re the only woman for me. I love you, too.” He started to kiss her when she pulled back just enough to stop him.
“Wait, there’s something I need to say. Something I’ve wanted to say, but I wanted this time with you first. It’s selfish, but I wanted to remember us like this.”
“Remember us? What are you talking about? We’ll be together soon.”
“I’m leaving for college in two weeks, and things are going to be different. We’re not going to see each other. We’ll be living different lives.”
He wasn’t sure he liked where this was heading. “Maddie, we’ll get through it. It’s only for a little bit, and then you can join me once I have my duty station. You can continue with college wherever I’m stationed. I thought we discussed this.”
“We did, but things have changed.” She got out of bed, slipped into a long t-shirt, and went to the window. “I think we need to take a break.”
“A break?” He shot up out of bed, but didn’t go to her. After the night they’d shared, she wanted a break.
“I love you, Lucky, and I always will, but I think we need this. You can go to boot camp, and I can begin college.”
“This is because I joined the military, isn’t it?” When she remained silent, he grabbed his jeans and slipped them on. “I wouldn’t have joined the Marines if I knew it meant losing you.” Even as he said it, he knew it was true. She was more important to him then his desire to serve his country and follow in his family’s footsteps. She was the woman he wanted by his side, and a love like that wasn’t something to pass by, no matter how young they were.
“This is what you’ve always wanted. The Diamonds are a military family, and have been for generations. Look at Ace. He swayed from the path by becoming a Navy SEAL, but that doesn’t change the fact that the military life is a part of each of you. I’d never ask you to give that up.” She turned toward him. “Even so, that’s not the reason. Our lives are changing and we need to make sure this is what we want.”
“I already know you’re what I want. I fell in love with you when we were children, and I’ll never stop loving you.”
“Don’t you see?”
“See what?”
“We’re all we’ve ever known. You were my first boyfriend, the first guy I kissed, and the first one I’ve made love to.”
“I don’t see the issue there.” He slipped his shirt on and sat down on the bed to put his shoes on.
“I don’t want there to come a day when either of us regret not having time apart.” She rubbed her hands down her arms. “I’m not saying I want to be with someone else, because I don’t.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“Because…” She paused as if she wasn’t sure why. “I don’t want this to happen once you’re at boot camp. You don’t need to receive a letter telling you this, so I’m doing it now.”
“Your timing is impeccable.” He grabbed his jacket, and as he stuck his hands into his pocket, the ring box brushed against his fingers. “After the night we had, now you want to break up.”
“I’m doing this for both of us, but also to protect you. Let’s just see what happens.”
“Yeah, let’s.” He stormed from the room, thankful they had driven there separately.
“I’m sorry, Lucky.”
He didn’t even bother to reply, he just sped his pace. The military had been what was expected of him, and maybe
he wanted it, too. But what he wanted more than his next breath was the woman in that room. She was his reason for everything.
As Lucky tossed and turned in his sleep, the vivid memory drifting in his dreams, he knew his feelings hadn’t changed.
Instead of going to bed like she should have, Madison went to the kitchen for coffee and to reply to a few emails on her phone. Anything to keep herself from going upstairs only to climb into bed overcome with memories of Lucky. If it weren’t at the cost of her pride, she’d trade off with one of the other handlers, just to put some distance between them. Though, if her boss got wind of it, there’d be some explaining to do.
She’d suck it up and get him through this. Two weeks…fourteen days, and then he’d be out of her life again. The again thought had her sinking down onto one of the living room chairs without getting her coffee, or even pulling out her phone. The morning she’d told him that she wanted a break had been the hardest morning of her life, and up until recently, it had been her only regret. Now, she had two big regrets but only one had to do with Lucky. The other was her own fault.
Over the years, she had thought about him, but after they split, it never seemed to be the right time to tell him she had made a mistake. Instead, she lived with the regret and closed herself off from Gwen and Wynn to avoid the chance she might run into him. She had tried to forget him, but he always stayed with her. Even when it came to Russell.
Russell had been the most serious relationship she’d had since Lucky, and even that had been only part-time. He was the complete opposite of Lucky, and that had been some of the draw. It had also turned out to be the flaw of their relationship as well, especially when it came to the lying aspect of it. Liars were something she couldn’t move past, that and married men. Unfortunately, Russell was both.
“Forget about Russell, forget about Lucky. You need to focus on the next several months.”
She let her head fall back against the chair, and her eyes closed. Instantly, memories rushed forward. She could almost picture herself in the flame red prom dress, which had a slit up to the middle of her thigh. When Lucky had picked her up, his suit and tie had matched. He had been handsome in everyday clothes, but the suit had brought out an air of danger to him.
Her mind conjured images of what he might look like in his Marine uniform, contouring to his body, showing off his well-toned muscles. Her heart beat faster at the thought. Get control of yourself.
Morning arrived sooner than Madison would have liked. Even as she lay in bed trying to summon the strength to get up, she could hear Lucky as he moved about below. From the smell of it, he was already cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He had never been an early riser, so whatever had him up and in the kitchen at this time of the morning had to be something else. Could it be nerves?
Not able to put it off any longer, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She wanted to check on him before she showered and prepared for the day. She grabbed the heather gray cardigan from the top of her suitcase and slipped it on over her tank top and yoga pants before grabbing her cell phone from the nightstand.
On her way out of the bedroom, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The beginnings of dark circles were peeking through the skin under her eyes. Memories of their past together had kept her up most of the night, only to fall asleep shortly before the sun rose. Every time she closed her eyes, images of some of their dates popped into her thoughts. Even after she had gotten to sleep, memories of the two weeks between high school graduation, and that fateful morning at the bed and breakfast when she threw it all away, drifted through her thoughts.
He’d set up a romantic dinner on the rooftop of the building where he now lived. A friend of theirs, who’d graduated a few years before, had been a security guard there, and had pulled a few strings to allow them access to the rooftop deck. The dinner had been nothing compared to the views or the company. He had thought of everything, including music to dance to. Every day, he had made her feel like she meant the world to him, and that had been the hardest part of their breaking up. She loved him and never wanted it to end, but life was dividing them, sending them to separate ends of the United States. The jagged pieces of her heart were still there. Even after all these years, nothing had changed. She still loved him. Now, more than ever, she had to keep it to herself. He deserved that much from her.
Once again, she pushed her memories aside and ran her hands through her hair, pulling the long strands into a messy ponytail. “You can get through this if you just stop thinking about the past and focus on the future.” Even as she said the words, she wasn’t so sure. Their past was as much a part of their lives as tomorrow. It had brought them both to the place they were in now.
As she made her way downstairs, she once again wondered why she hadn’t checked each of the contestants for this competition before picking one for herself. If she had investigated things further, she wouldn’t have to spend the next two weeks stuck in a house with him as he prepared for the cooking showdown. Instead, she’d have only had to run into him a handful of times. Hindsight and all of that, but it didn’t change anything.
As she came down the stairs, she could see Lucky at the stove. Whatever he was doing, he had his back to her and he was mumbling to himself. She couldn’t make out the words, but something about his tone didn’t sound happy.
“Morning,” she called as she stepped off the last step.
“Morning. There’s fresh coffee in the pot and breakfast will be done in a few.”
“You didn’t have to make me breakfast.” The wood floors were cool under her feet as she made her way farther into the kitchen. Everything in her wanted to pour herself a mug of fresh coffee, but that was off limits now. Instead, she pulled open the refrigerator, grabbed the carton of orange juice, and poured herself some. It might not have the same wake-up abilities of heavenly coffee, but it was the best she could do.
“I’m supposed to be preparing, so here I am.” He placed a crepe onto the plate, tossed on a few raspberries, and grabbed another pan from the stove. “Crepe with fresh cream and raspberries. Along with a crab, red pepper, and onion omelet with a drizzle of rich hollandaise sauce.”
“Sounds delicious.” Even if it was more then she normally had in the mornings. Toast and coffee had been her morning routine for years.
“Sit, eat.”
“You’re not joining me?” She accepted the plates he held out to her.
“Not now, I’ve got to finish the mousse.”
“Mousse?”
“Black Tie Mousse Cake. It’s one of my specialties, and I figured if there’s a dessert part then I needed to brush up on my recipe since I haven’t made it in a few months.”
She took a seat at the bar so she could watch him. “There are three rounds. Appetizers, main course, and dessert. For appetizers, each competitor will be required to complete two separate ones. One of them will be with a mystery ingredient.”
“Mystery ingredient.” He turned to look at her. “Crap, I hadn’t considered that. Will that be an issue each round?”
“No. We’ve decided that since none of you are professional chefs who do this for a living, we wouldn’t make it that difficult for you. Only the appetizer round will have that, and only one of them will require it.”
“Then why do it at all?”
“It’s to throw each of you off-balance, to see how well you do under pressure. Well, pressure in the kitchen.” She took a bite of the omelet and almost moaned in pleasure. His cooking skills had been good before, but it seemed that over the years they had grown to a whole new level. If this omelet with the hollandaise sauce was anything like he’d prepare for the judges, he was sure to win.
“Good?”
“Better than good.” She took another bite and let her eyes close. “Mmm…this sauce is delicious.”
“That’s an old Diamond recipe with a few Lucky changes.” He smirked. “Besides the appetizer round, are there any other conditions?”
/> “Not really. Only that you have to prepare the food before the judges. We’ll shop for whatever supplies you need for your three choices that morning. One hour before we begin, you’ll find out your mystery ingredient and we’ll have someone standing by for a grocery run if need be.”
“Where will I be cooking? Will I be able to go over the kitchen and supplies before the actual day of the event?”
“You’ve already seen the kitchen.” With a fork full of crepe, she tipped her head toward the kitchen behind him.
“What? They’re not doing this in one location? How is it to be judged fairly, then? Wouldn’t that mean there’d be different judges?”
The questions flew at her before she had time to answer them. When he finally stopped, she took one last bite, and set her fork on the edge of the plate. “Unless we spent a couple thousand dollars, we weren’t able to rent one of the television studios with kitchens like on all those cooking shows. So, we decided to save the money. Because of that, we were able to offer a higher prize for the wounded veterans. Each house is well equipped, and we’ll be doing everything here. If there’s anything that’s missing, we’ll get it.”
“What about judging?”
“Everyone will have their own timeframes, and the judges will go from house to house. This won’t be televised. Well, not the whole thing. I’ve pulled a few strings and was able to get a news reporter here. She’ll do a collective piece with snippets from each house. There will be additional news reports for the one who wins.”
“If this was supposed to shine the military in a different light, why not televise it?”
She polished off the last bite of the omelet before answering. “Cost and time, mostly. It would require at least an hour spot, and would have been an expensive, time consuming undertaking to have national television exposure. My boss decided that since this was the first test in the new campaign, she wanted to play it safe. There’s a still photographer who will be recording every second so we can use it for marketing.”
Lucky Chance Page 3
