Forever Starts Tonight

by Barbara Freethy

  "It really wasn't a big deal. Brandon talked non-stop for thirty minutes, then crashed. He fell asleep so fast, I thought he might be faking it."

  She nodded. "He does that all the time. He fights going to sleep and then his body just says enough is enough and he's off to dreamland in a split second. I wish I could fall asleep that easily. What about you? Can you drop off like that?"

  "I have trained myself to find sleep as quickly as possible. At the firehouse, you never know how many hours you're going to get, so I take what I can get."

  "It must be really weird to be woken up in the middle of the night to go put out a fire. Does that happen a lot?"

  "This isn't the busiest or biggest city so we don't get as many calls as an urban firehouse would get, but a fair amount. It's not just fires but also accidents, both home and vehicular, along with the occasional woman stuck in a doghouse."

  She made a face at him. "Let's not talk about that."

  "I'm grateful to Wiley. He made our first meeting memorable."

  "Speaking of which…let me guess Wiley is sleeping on Brandon's bed."

  "He is. I wasn't sure if that was allowed, but he seemed fairly determined and I didn't want to wake up Brandon."

  "It's fine. I let him sleep there. It actually keeps Brandon in his bed. When he wakes up, he just cuddles up with Wiley."

  "I would have loved to have a dog when I was Brandon's age."

  "Your mother wouldn't let you?" she asked curiously.

  "No, we had a cat for a while, but it ran away and never came back. That was kind of what happened in my house. What about you? Did you have a pet?"

  "No, my mom refused, and my dad went along with whatever she wanted. She liked her house clean and free of pet hair, as well as kid's toys. We had a housecleaning service that came in once a week, and my nanny was usually expected to do some cleaning along with childcare."

  "You had a nanny?"

  "Several. They were nice, mostly young women, although there was one old, stern-faced woman I couldn't stand. Fortunately, she left after a few months."

  "Did your mom work? Is that why you had a nanny?"

  "She didn't work for money, but she volunteered for a lot of organizations. She liked to be in charge. Most people thought she was super generous and benevolent, but I always kind of thought she was more in it for the power and all the gratitude that people gave her. She really fed off that. And of course she was a devoted wife. My parents are very close. They might not get along with me, but they get along great with each other." She paused. "And I am probably boring you to sleep. I'm surprised you haven't nodded off yet."

  "Not a chance. I find you fascinating, Jessica."

  "Well, this fascinating woman should probably say good-night. It's almost midnight and mornings come early around here." She got to her feet. "I'll walk you to the door."

  Reid followed her down the hall. She opened the door, shivering as the night air blew in. But she liked the chill; there was always a little too much heat when Reid was around.

  "So, Jess," he said, moving in a little too close.

  Her heart sped up at the purposeful look in his eyes. "Yes?"

  "Don't you think I've earned a second date?"

  She'd thought he was going to kiss her, so it took her a second to reply to his question. "I guess I really can't say no, can I?"

  He took her hands in his. "Only if you honestly don't want to go out with me," he said. "If that's the truth, then tell me to my face."

  She stared at his handsome face and knew those words couldn't possibly pass through her lips. "I honestly can't say that, Reid. But all the reasons I gave you before still stand."

  "We'll talk about those on our next date. What are you doing tomorrow?"

  "Tomorrow is the winter concert at Brandon's school. I can't miss it. Brandon is singing."

  "I understand. Unfortunately, I have to work on Thursday, and on Friday we have the community meeting. I don't want to wait until Saturday to see you again, so why don't I come to the concert? We could get ice cream after."

  "Really?" she asked in surprise. "You want to come to an elementary school concert? Most of the parents don't even want to come."

  He laughed. "Well, I'm not a parent, so it will be more fun for me. Are you working it?"

  "No, thank goodness. I'll just be in the audience."

  "Then we can sit together. What time is it at?"

  "It starts at six thirty. Brandon has to be there at six, so if you don't change your mind between now and then, you can meet me at the school."

  "And you'll save me a seat?"

  "I will," she replied, thinking it was probably the oddest second date she'd ever agreed to.

  "Then I'll see you there." He pulled her in close and kissed her before she had time to wonder again if he would.

  This kiss went on much longer than the last one, and the heat of their passion warmed her all the way down to her soul. She had the strangest feeling she could go on kissing Reid forever. She wanted to taste every corner of his mouth. She wanted to feel his arms around her, his hard chest against her breasts, his legs intertwined with hers. But before she could move closer, Reid lifted his head, gave her another sexy smile, then murmured, "Good-night," and walked out the door.

  She was a little stunned by his abrupt departure. She watched him walk to his truck, then finally shut the door. She leaned against it, her mouth still tingling, and realized how stupid she'd been to agree to see him again. She was getting in deeper with every minute. At least tomorrow she would have a seven-year-old chaperone. That might prevent a repeat of what had just happened, although she couldn't think of anything better than having a repeat.

  Shaking her head, she knew she was in trouble. She should tell him not to come. But Brandon would love having Reid in the audience. It would be nice for him to have someone besides just his mother to cheer him on.

  After tomorrow, she'd end things with Reid before they got more complicated. But as she went upstairs, she had the feeling it might already be too late to avoid that.

  Ten

  Reid spent the early hours of dawn Wednesday morning in the surf with Bill Carlton, who'd decided to leave the beach for a change and actually get into the water.

  "You're loving it again, aren't you?" he asked, as he sat on his board ten feet from Bill, waiting for the next wave.

  "I did forget how much fun this was," Bill admitted, pushing his wet hair off his forehead.

  Looking over his shoulder, Reid saw a wave beginning to build. "Race you to the beach."

  "You're on."

  For the next few minutes, it wasn't so much a race against his longtime friend as a battle against the ocean, a battle he rode out to the very end. He made it to the sand before Bill, who had wiped out earlier than him and had to swim back to shore.

  He dropped his board and let out a breath. There was nothing better than surfing to start the day.

  "Nice ride," Bill said. "What I saw of it, anyway. I am definitely rusty."

  "You'll get it back; you just need to get out more."

  "Not that easy to leave my beautiful girlfriend in bed while I hit the cold water," Bill joked.

  He grinned back at him. "I get it."

  "So I hear the Revolution Surfing Competition might be on next week. High surf in the forecast."

  "I heard that, too," he said, thinking about the infamous surfing competition, one of the top ten competitions in the world, that took place locally when the conditions were perfect with waves cresting over twenty-five feet. "I'm thinking about giving it another shot."

  Bill gave him a doubtful look. "You're not serious. You can't surf with those guys anymore."

  "Hey I was a finalist at one time."

  "Yeah, I think that was ten years ago, when you were twenty. Can you even get in with the pros?"

  "They offer past finalists a wild card entry on the first heats. I might have been younger then, but I'm fitter now."

  "You should also have more s
ense, more fear. You're not invincible. And you're not at the top of your game when it comes to surfing."

  "I'm not looking to win, just to test myself."

  Bill shook his head, giving him a resigned look. "It's always about the test with you."

  "It's called pushing yourself. You should try it some time."

  "I push myself plenty. I have a good life, and I don't feel like risking it on a surfboard." Bill paused, giving him a thoughtful look. "You always act like you've got nothing to lose, but I wonder if that's still true."

  "What does that mean?" he asked warily, quite sure he didn't really want to know.

  "You seem interested in Jessica and her son."

  "They don't have anything to do with this."

  "Are you dating her?"

  "We had dinner last night," he admitted. "And I'm going to Brandon's concert tonight."

  "Wait." Bill put up his hand. "Did you just tell me you're going to a kid's school concert?"

  "It's not a big deal. I like Brandon. He reminds me of myself. I grew up without a dad. I know what that feels like."

  "Then you also must know what it feels like to wonder if you'll get another dad, maybe one better than the original. But when you don't get that guy, you could end up hurt."

  "Look, I know there are risks. Jessica has said the same thing to me."

  "But?"

  "But I like her."

  "Still—I have to ask you what you're doing," Bill said, giving him a frowning look. "You've spent years telling me you don't know if you'll ever get married, that you like being single, and now you're getting involved with a woman who has a child? It doesn't make sense. I thought you wanted less responsibility, not more."

  He sighed, knowing that Bill made a good point. "I can change my mind, can't I?"

  "Sure, but someone could get hurt. And I'm not just talking about Jessica or Brandon; I'm talking about you, too. She's not a woman you're just going to have fun with and then move on. You know that, so if you're still interested in her…well, let's just say you could be riding for a fall."

  "I'm never worried about falling. I know how to get up."

  "Some things are harder to get up from."

  "I know what I'm doing." He hoped that was true.

  "Fine. It's your life."

  "Exactly."

  "I'm going to head home," Bill said, grabbing his board. "Amy is making pancakes. She said you're welcome to join us if you want."

  "Thanks, but I'll pass."

  "Suit yourself. Enjoy your concert tonight."

  "I will."

  As he walked toward the parking lot, he couldn't help but think about what Bill had said. He knew he was in dangerous water, but just like the surf he'd left behind, he wasn't afraid to challenge himself.

  Maybe Jessica wasn't the kind of woman he usually dated, but he was into her and she was into him, and at the moment that's all that mattered.

  * * *

  "Is Reid here?" Brandon asked, as Jessica looked through the curtain at the auditorium.

  "Not yet, but it's early," she replied, turning back to him. "I'm going to go out and save him a seat."

  "Okay," Brandon said, an odd look in his eyes.

  "What's wrong? Are you nervous about singing tonight?"

  "No." Brandon licked his lips, then added, "Do you think Reid is really going to come?"

  She was suddenly reminded of all the times Kevin had let Brandon down, how many times Brandon had asked that question about his father. She didn't think Reid would bail, but she wasn't completely positive. He might have had second thoughts since last night, when he realized he'd just volunteered to sit through a kid's concert, but she hoped not.

  Putting her own doubt aside, she gave Brandon a smile and said, "I'm sure he'll be here."

  "Do you think Reid will think I'm good?" he asked, more insecurity in his face.

  "How could he not? You're one of the best singers in the group." She actually wasn't lying about that. Brandon always seemed to hit the right note.

  As the teacher in charge of the backstage area called the kids together, she gave Brandon a hug, wished him luck, and then walked into the auditorium.

  There were two seats about eight rows back, so she grabbed those. While she waited for Reid, she chatted with some of her students and their parents as they walked by, feeling a bit conspicuous about her saved seat as the minutes ticked by and the auditorium filled up.

  Brandon would be so disappointed if Reid didn't show, and to be honest, so would she. She'd been crazy to invite him to come to a school concert. She should have nipped this whole thing in the bud, kept it at one date. He'd just been so nice to her the night before, she hadn't wanted to say no.

  Blowing out an angry breath, she was somewhat startled when Reid slipped into the aisle seat.

  "Sorry I'm late," he said. "I was helping a friend move, and my truck got stuck behind the moving van, and, well, it's a long story, but I apologize."

  "It's fine. You didn't miss anything."

  His gaze raked her face. "You didn't think I was coming, did you?"

  "I didn't know."

  "Jess," he said, his blue eyes deliberate and intense. "If I say I'm going to be somewhere, I'm there. I'm not your ex-husband. Let's make that perfectly clear."

  "I've never thought you were anything like Kevin," she replied.

  "Good." He smiled, easing the tension between them. "How's our boy doing?"

  Her heart twisted at his casual use of the words our boy. It had been so long since she'd felt like she had a partner on a night like this. She'd been alone at every event—until now.

  "Is he nervous?" Reid pressed.

  "A little. But Brandon likes a stage; I think he'll be all right. I'm nervous about his solo. It's not a long part, but he will be completely on his own."

  "A solo, huh? That sounds terrifying."

  She smiled. "I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

  "I've never had to stand up and sing in front of this many people. Brandon is very brave."

  "Or too young to be worried," she said. "I, on the other hand, really want him to do well."

  "He will."

  As the lights dimmed, Reid grabbed her hand, squeezing his fingers around hers.

  She was shocked at how long it had been since a man had held her hand and even more shocked at how much she liked it—so much, she couldn't let go.

  And that's how they watched the concert, hand-in-hand, sharing soft, sometimes joking comments during the show. And when Brandon came out to sing with his group, Reid tightened his grip on her hand, as if he was as nervous for Brandon to do well as she was.

  In the end, there was nothing to have been nervous about. Brandon hit every note in his short solo and she and Reid finally let go of each other to add their applause to the enthusiastic support from the audience. She could see Brandon searching for her and probably for Reid, so she waved to him. His smile broadened, and then he disappeared behind the curtain.

  "Amazing," Reid whispered to her, as he took her hand again.

  "He was, wasn't he?"

  "He sang like a little angel. His tone was so pure."

  "I don't know where he gets the talent, but it's definitely there."

  "Maybe he'll grow up to be a singer—a rock star."

  She laughed. "That's a worry for another day."

  He grinned. "Don't tell me it hadn't already crossed your mind."

  She couldn't do that, because as a mom she imagined Brandon's future all the time, and hearing him sing had made her think about what he could do with that voice. "I have thought about it," she admitted. "But there's a limit to how much I can worry about at any one time."

  "I'm glad to hear there's a limit," he said dryly.

  "The next act is coming out," she said as a fifth-grader walked out with her cello.

  "I can't believe kids still play those," Reid muttered.

  She smiled, then winced as the child hit a particularly rough note to start, but she go
t better after that and by the end of the song, she was doing really well.

  "Not as bad as you thought," she murmured.

  "You're right. She made me a cello lover," he replied.

  "Did you ever play an instrument?"

  He shook his head. "No. I played a toy guitar that went with a video game, but that was about it. You?"

  "The flute. My mom thought it was classy. I imagined she pictured me in a long evening gown, playing the flute in an orchestra, but I was terrible at it. And forcing me to play did not make me better. I think it's great to expose kids to instruments, but they have to find a love for it, or it's just not going to work." She fell silent as the next act came onto the stage. Four hip-hop dancers brought some new energy to the concert, which continued into the grand finale, with all the kids coming on stage to sing a song and take their bows.

  When the show was over and the lights went up, Brandon came running down the aisle from the stage. The happiness on his face when he saw Reid almost made her want to cry. There would be no disappointment tonight. Of course, watching them exchange a hug confirmed her fears that Brandon already liked Reid too much, but she couldn’t change any of that now.

  "I was good, wasn't I, Mommy?" Brandon said, finally turning to her.

  She hugged him close. "Very good, honey. Let's go outside. We're blocking the aisle."

  Brandon received compliments from some of his friends' parents as they moved through the auditorium. Finally, they made it outside and into the parking lot. Since she and Brandon had come early, she had a good parking spot not too far away.

  "My car is right there," she said, waving her hand toward her white Honda CRV.

  "You're lucky. I'm about three blocks away," Reid said.

  "Did you really think I was good, Reid?" Brandon asked again.

  "I think you stole the show," Reid said.

  Brandon's smile grew wider. "Jenny forgot the chorus, and she said she was going to be the star, but she wasn't."

  "Brandon, that isn't nice," she said.

  "It's true," Brandon said.

  Reid laughed. "I take it Jenny is some sort of nemesis."

  "She's a very pretty, queen-bee second-grader. She's good at everything and she likes to share that as often as she can," Jessica said.