Catching Lucas Riley

by Lauren Winder Farnsworth

  “Ah, don’t be too impressed,” Lucas replied. “He’s a cousin and practically begged Ashley for the opportunity to show off his mad skills.”

  Alex laughed and looked around, her eyes caught by an imposing figure with white blond hair, pulling himself out of the hot tub. Sealey.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize Sealey was going to be here,” Alex said, trying to hide her discomfort. They hadn’t talked at all for the rest of the football game the weekend before. Sealey had spoken intermittently to Ashley, but not to her. After the game, she had considered going to dinner with them all again (Lucas had texted her directly after the game to invite her), but she had begged off with a phony excuse. She couldn’t handle another double date. Not with the fake lovebirds—who were faking their relationship for some strange, unknown, and undisclosed (naturally) reason.

  Likewise, Sealey hadn’t spoken to her all week, and she had been surprised at how much she had missed his needling texts. With his avowal that, as far as he was concerned, the project was over, she wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t contacted her to discuss Lucas. But for some reason she thought that, at some point, he might have wanted to talk to her anyway—just to clear the air or something. But her phone had remained ominously silent.

  “Luke!” Sealey said cheerfully, rubbing a towel roughly through his hair and across his chest as he approached. “I think your mom’s about ready to kill you. Not awesome, when all the party guests manage to arrive before the guest of honor’s firstborn son. I think she was expecting you a couple of hours ago.”

  “I know,” Lucas replied sheepishly. “But I had a few places I wanted to show Alex. You know, the high school, the golf course. All the old haunts. Mom’ll forgive me.”

  “You’d better hope so,” Sealey teased. He turned to Alex and gave her a kind smile. “Hey, Foamer,” he said.

  “Hey,” she almost whispered. It was a distinctly awkward situation. She didn’t want to meet his eyes, because she was still feeling slightly ashamed from their last encounter. But she couldn’t keep her eyes focused on his shirt or anything either, because he wasn’t actually wearing one. And his lack of shirt revealed a frankly surprising physique. In fact, if everything had been normal between them, she would’ve given him a teasing compliment about it. But with the way things were since their argument, all she could manage to do was turn her blushing cheeks away from his swimsuit-clad frame and focus her eyes on the empty flower pots to her left.

  “You okay, there?” he asked, reaching out to nudge her shoulder with his fingers.

  “She’s a little nervous,” Lucas replied, putting his arm around her and pulling her into his side.

  Nervous. Right. She could run with that.

  “You know, meeting the family,” she said, allowing her eyes to flit up to Sealey’s momentarily. “It’s a big step.”

  “Yes, it is,” Sealey agreed, and he ducked his head slightly as he attempted to keep eye contact with her. “But I think it’ll all turn out okay.”

  Something in his tone caught her notice, but she wasn’t sure why. It almost sounded like a warning.

  “Well, better go appease the matriarch,” Lucas said, pulling her toward the tables loaded with food. “Good to see you, man. Let’s play some ball later.”

  “Sure thing,” Sealey agreed, heading toward the house. “See you later, Alex.” He smiled at her quickly before disappearing inside.

  Lucas grabbed her hand and led her to the side of a petite woman with short, caramel-colored hair. She was talking animatedly to a couple who could have been either thirty-five or sixty. Alex studied them, wondering if what she was seeing was the result of plastic surgery or just unfortunate coordinated pre-mature aging.

  “Mom,” Lucas said, clasping the petite caramel-haired woman around the shoulders when she noticed him standing beside her. “Sealey told me you’re mad at me, but I figure he was exaggerating. After all, who can stay mad at a face like this one?” He pulled an angelic face as he drew her into his chest, where the top of her head barely reached his shoulder.

  “I should be mad,” she said, laughing. “You were supposed to come early to help us set up the heaters. Your dad and Sealey had to do everything themselves.”

  “I know,” Lucas said, having the grace to look ashamed. “But I got distracted showing Alex around my old stomping grounds.”

  “Yes, I assumed as much,” said the woman, turning to look at Alex. “And this must be the woman herself.”

  “Yep,” Lucas said, smiling broadly at Alex. “Mom, this is Alex Foamer, my current fixation.” He winked at her. “Alex, this is my mom, Candace Riley. Everyone just calls her Candie, though.”

  “Hello, dear,” said Candie, her face breaking into a smile. Alex thought she might be paranoid, but it looked like the smile was a little stiff at the corners.

  “It’s very nice to meet you,” Alex replied. “Your home is breathtaking. And this area is absolutely beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Thank you,” Candie said politely. “We certainly like it. Are you familiar with North Salt Lake?” she asked.

  “No, actually,” Alex replied. “I passed by this past week on my way to a job interview downtown, but I didn’t get the chance to look around much. Most of my travel is a straight shot between Logan and California.”

  “Oh, are you from California?” Candie asked, raising an eyebrow in expertly feigned interest. But Alex could tell the difference. It was a very Ashley-esque expression and it was now clear to Alex that she had learned it from her mother.

  “I told you that, Mom,” Lucas broke in, and he looked a little embarrassed. “Remember? Alex is from Malibu.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I’d forgotten,” Candie said, airily waving a hand.

  “Hey, did you say that you had a job interview in Salt Lake this past week?” Lucas asked, frowning slightly at Alex. “I don’t remember you mentioning that before. What job were you interviewing for?”

  “Oh, it’s for a traveling speaker series,” Alex said, her voice gaining enthusiasm. “It’s a bunch of different classes on childhood obesity and nutrition, and I interviewed for a spot as a lecturer. My boss recommended me for it.”

  “Traveling?” Lucas asked, his eyebrow raised.

  “Yeah, just for a few months,” Alex replied. “We’d be doing symposiums in at least twenty different cities. It’s a really great opportunity for me.”

  Lucas cleared his throat. “It sounds like it,” he said. But he didn’t sound very enthusiastic about the idea. “I guess I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me about it.”

  “Excuse me,” Candie said, in a tactful attempt to give them some space. “That water looks like it needs some refilling.” She walked away, leaving them alone.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it,” Alex said. “I’ve been really distracted this week and it honestly didn’t occur to me to tell you. I kind of just thought I’d tell you about it if I got the job.”

  “So you’d tell me about it once you had already decided to leave me for three months?” Lucas said, and his voice sounded almost angry now. She’d never heard him like that. “Gee, that’s thoughtful of you.”

  “Luke, I’m sorry,” she said, reaching out to lay her hand on his arm. “I promise, I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you. I just didn’t think you’d be interested.”

  This didn’t seem to appease him at all. “We’re dating, aren’t we? Alex? This is a relationship, isn’t it?”

  “Um, is it?” Alex asked, biting her lip, afraid the question would make him even angrier. “We’ve never really established that formally,” she went on quickly. “I wasn’t sure that was what you wanted.”

  Lucas appeared to be calming down. He stepped forward, sliding his hand across her cheek. “Trust me, it’s what I want.”

  “But what about . . .” She glanced around furtively and lowered her voice. “. . . Olivia?”

  “Let me worry about Olivia,” Lucas said, pul
ling her against him. “From now on, I just want you to worry about us.”

  Alex sighed. For some reason, the thought of not worrying about Olivia seemed to lift a ton of bricks off of her shoulders. “I would love to just worry about us.” She smiled up at him.

  “Well, just as long as I don’t have to worry about the two of you,” said a strong voice from a few feet away.

  They jumped apart, startled. Alex looked behind her to see a large, muscular man with curly hair and sea foam eyes.

  “Dad!” Lucas greeted, throwing his arms around his father. “Happy birthday!”

  “Thanks, son,” the large man replied with a wide grin. “And who’s this young lady?”

  “Dad, this is Alex, the girl I told you about. Alex, this is my dad, Marcus Riley.”

  “Alex, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Marcus said, his grin widening as he took her hand in his huge one. “Luke has told me a lot about you. Dietitian, right?”

  “That’s me,” Alex replied, smiling. It was nice to meet someone so overtly friendly, especially after the coolness of Candie’s greeting.

  “Great profession,” Marcus said, nodding. “Very important. And you’re from California, right? Malibu? Is your family all out there?”

  “Yes. I am.” She nodded. “My parents and two of my younger siblings are. My dad teaches at Pepperdine, so they’re kind of rooted there for now. And I believe you’re in accounting, right?”

  “Deep in it,” Marcus said, chuckling. “I’m a partner at one of the big firms downtown. It’s a difficult job but a lucrative one.”

  Alex smiled and nodded, not sure exactly what to say to that. Oh really, sir, how lucrative?

  “Well, anyway, it was nice to meet you, Alex.” He smiled at her one last time, clapped his son on the back, and then moved away.

  “Well, he’s a cheerful guy,” Alex said to Lucas.

  “Yeah, he’s super friendly,” Lucas agreed, but he was watching his dad with a slightly troubled look on his face.

  “Hey, you okay?” she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He absentmindedly reached out and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her tight into his side.

  “Yeah, fine. It’s just . . .” He turned to look at her. He studied her face for a second and then smiled. “You know what? Never mind.”

  After meeting Lucas’s parents, Alex felt like she could relax a little. Lucas introduced her to several more people, most of them family friends. None of them accused her of stealing Lucas away from his perfect match, and most of them seemed genuinely happy to meet her. She was relieved at the lack of enmity.

  About an hour after their arrival, Sealey turned up again to formally challenge them to a two-on-two basketball game against him and Ashley.

  “Absolutely,” said Lucas, as Alex nodded enthusiastically. She loved basketball, and her height made her pretty good at it. “I have a brand-new ball in my room upstairs. Hang on a sec and I’ll grab it.”

  Lucas jogged toward the house, leaving Sealey and Alex alone to stare awkwardly anywhere but at each other.

  “So . . . ,” Sealey began, shoving his hands in the pockets of the jeans he’d thankfully changed into. “How have you been?” His white Abercrombie T-shirt emphasized his tan and his clear blue eyes. Blue eyes that flitted in discomfort to Alex’s face and away again. Alex allowed herself to look at him, feeling a little bit better about the awkwardness she felt, knowing he felt it too.

  “Pretty good.” Alex shrugged noncommittally.

  “I haven’t talked to you in awhile. Anything new with you?” he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

  “It’s only been a week.”

  “Seems longer.” Sealey shrugged.

  Alex looked down, trying to come up with something to fill the silence.

  “Oh, I wanted to tell you!” she exclaimed, suddenly excited about what had occurred to her. “I had a job interview in Salt Lake this last week. It’s for a lecturer position in a traveling speaker series on childhood obesity. It’s just like what I told you I wanted to do! A chance to make a difference!” She grinned happily.

  “Really?” Sealey said, smiling broadly at her. “That’s fantastic, Alex! So how do you think the interview went?”

  “Good, I think,” Alex replied enthusiastically. “I met with Dr. Welch—she’s done all kinds of research in the childhood obesity field—and we really hit it off. We just talked like old friends. If she can get past the idea that I haven’t been to grad school and I’m probably horribly inexperienced compared to all the other candidates, I think I’m in.”

  “I’m so proud of you,” Sealey said, putting his arm around her shoulders and squeezing her against him. “You really did it. You went out and found what you were looking for.”

  “Well, I was mostly just lucky,” Alex admitted. “My boss put me up for it. But still, I can’t believe it’s all happening!”

  “So, what does Luke think about it?”

  The smile slid off of Alex’s face. “Well . . . ,” she began. She imparted her conversation with Lucas, highlighting the fact that he didn’t seem all that pleased about her plans.

  “Well, at least you know he likes you enough to want to keep you around,” Sealey pointed out, with a slight grimace. “Sorry he wasn’t more excited for you, though.”

  “Well, it’s more my fault than anything. I should have told him sooner. I can’t believe I didn’t. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

  Sealey looked as though he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Talking about Lucas reminded Alex that it had been awhile since they’d seen him.

  “Hey, where do you think Lucas went, anyway?” Alex said, looking around to see if he’d been waylaid by old acquaintances. “His bedroom can’t be that far away.”

  “Not sure. He might be in the house somewhere,” Sealey replied, also craning his neck for his friend. “Why don’t you go check the kitchen and I’ll check over by the ball court. Maybe he headed over already and we missed him.”

  “Okay,” Alex agreed, and she moved toward the house. She stepped through the patio doors into the kitchen and found that it was deserted. She could hear voices coming from down the hall, however, so she went in search of them. The voices were emanating from the den right off the front entryway. The door was partially closed, which indicated that the inhabitants were looking for privacy, so Alex turned to continue her search for Lucas somewhere else. But the sound of her name made her pause.

  “I’m sure Alex is a very nice girl,” said the deep, calm voice. Marcus. “And I’m sure she would do everything she could to make you happy. But I need you to think about just one thing.”

  “Olivia,” broke in a higher, sterner voice. Candie. “You’ve known her your entire life, Lucas. You’ve loved her your entire life. Why would you throw all of that away now? She’ll be home in two weeks!”

  “Why do you think she’ll even want me?” Lucas’s voice came fast and hard. “People change on missions, Mom! She’s been gone for a year and a half, she’ll want completely different things when she gets home. She’ll be a completely different person. And Alex is . . . well, she’s amazing. I love being with her.”

  “I’m not saying Alex isn’t a delightful girl, Lucas, but why? Why would you give up a girl you’ve known and loved your entire life for a girl you’ve only known for a couple of months?” Candie’s voice pressed hard against Alex’s eardrums. She could almost feel the pressure of the words as they weighed down on her shoulders. “All I’m asking is that you hold off on making any promises or doing something you may regret later until Olivia gets home and you have the chance to see where things stand with her. For all you know, she expects you to be waiting for her.”

  “She doesn’t,” Lucas’s voice returned immediately. “She made it very clear when she left that she didn’t want me to wait. What does that tell you, Mom? I don’t think she expects us to end up together.”

  “Or maybe she was just being the sweet, angelic girl that she is,” Marcu
s replied. “You know her, Luke. She would never expect you to put yourself on ice for her. One of Olivia’s defining characteristics is her tendency to put everyone else before herself. She’d sacrifice almost anything if she thought it would help someone else.”

  “I know,” Lucas said, and his voice was gentle, as though he was thinking of past experiences with Olivia. “I’m not saying I don’t want her anymore. I’m just saying that I don’t know. Alex is—”

  “Practically a stranger,” Marcus cut in. “That’s the long and the short of it. I mean, what do I know? Maybe she’ll end up being the one for you. But we don’t want you to be too hasty about this decision. At least give Olivia a chance to let you know what she wants before you decide for her.”

  “Why are you guys acting like I’ve already proposed to Alex?” Lucas demanded, and Alex couldn’t help nodding her head in agreement. As much as she wanted things to work out between her and Lucas, this conversation seemed rather premature. “I just brought her to a birthday party!”

  “No, you brought her to a family birthday party,” Marcus emphasized. “The only girl you’ve ever brought to a family function before is Olivia. And you give us too little credit for being able to read you, Lucas. You forget, we created you. We know when you’re getting excited and ready to leap into something.”

  Lucas made a huffy noise, but he didn’t argue.

  “I’m sorry, I just need to say this,” said Candie suddenly. “I can’t help but think that this Alex is just a mistake all around. Again, she’s a nice girl, but she doesn’t feel like a good fit. I mean, didn’t she say she was leaving to take a traveling job for a few months? And she didn’t even tell you about it? Is that really the kind of life you want?”

  Alex bit her lip, hard. She’d known right from the moment of meeting her that Candie hadn’t particularly liked her. This was what she’d been afraid of all along. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed her shoulder. Alex jumped a mile and narrowly escaped issuing a terrified squeak that surely would have alerted everyone to her presence. She turned to see Sealey standing behind her. He opened his mouth to say something, but Candie’s voice rang again from the den, stopping him.