Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat #4)

by Alison Packard

  “It’s more complicated than that, Ange.”

  “Do you care about her?”

  I’m in love with her. “Yes.”

  “Then before you let her walk out of your life for good, you need to think about what’s going to make you happy. At the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.”

  * * *

  An hour later, after he’d left Angie and J.T.’s house and had taken Max and Mikey—who in their short time together, had become great pals—for a short walk around the neighborhood, Jake was propped up against the headboard of his bed, sorting through his mail. On any other late Thursday evening, he’d already be asleep. But with all the conflicting thoughts bouncing around in his brain, sleep had been hard to come by. This wasn’t the first time thoughts of Melissa had kept him awake. And it probably wouldn’t be the last.

  As he sifted through the junk mail and a few bills, he paused at the sight of the Get Healthy Sacramento logo on one of the envelopes. It didn’t look like a renewal notice, and since he’d been expecting a reply regarding his submission of Melissa for the transformational issue, he ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.

  When he finished reading it, all he could think about was how excited Melissa would be when she got the news. Maybe she also received a letter today and already knew. Jake looked at the letter again and reread the portion that pertained to him.

  One last time. He would see her one last time and then never again. When she’d driven away from him at Timbers tonight, it was as if someone had plunged a knife in his gut and slowly twisted it. With every fiber of his being he’d wanted to go after her. But then the image of the Denise debacle flashed in his mind and he couldn’t make himself do it.

  Perhaps Melissa was right. Maybe he was a coward.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Melissa gaped at the television and couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “No. She can’t be dead,” she said, and watched as her favorite soap opera character Shay McKade Madison lay unmoving on her ex-lover’s ornate Persian rug with a gunshot wound in her chest. “I knew it!” she exclaimed as the camera panned to the doorway and there stood Shay’s archrival Cassie Cabot at the threshold holding a gun and wearing a triumphant smile. “That bitch.” Melissa groaned as the scene faded to black and the preview scenes for Monday’s episode of A New Dawn came on.

  “Talk about a cliffhanger. I knew Cassie was unhinged when she kidnapped Shay’s baby, but now she’s gone stark raving mad,” Melissa said, looking at Chester, who was curled up on the overstuffed chair cattycorner from the sofa. “What do you think, Chester? Will Shay die? I haven’t read anywhere that Kayla Maxwell is leaving the show.” Chester stared at her with his usual bored expression. Melissa shook her head and hit the save button on the DVR remote so Paige could watch the show when she got home from the shooting range. They’d been A New Dawn fans for years and rarely missed an episode.

  After shutting off the TV, Melissa stared at the now dark screen with unseeing eyes. When was the last time she’d watched television on a Sunday afternoon? Not since that first Sunday about a month after she’d joined Jake’s Joint and found the courage walk into the afternoon kickboxing class Jake had repeatedly encouraged her to participate in. From that day on, Sunday kickboxing had been a regular and fun way to get her activity in on the weekend. But now that Jake’s Joint was history, she had to come up with an alternate plan. Mid-morning she’d stowed her bike in the back of her mini-SUV and driven to Carmichael, a small suburb that bordered Sacramento to the East, and after parking in the Five Points parking lot, she hopped on her bike and took a long leisurely ride along the American River Parkway Bike Trail. Winding along the American River, the bike trail could be called a rural retreat in the middle of suburbia. With its views of the river, the huge old trees and a multitude of wildflowers, the trail was a magnet for not only cyclists, but walkers and runners of all ages.

  This morning though, her ride wasn’t as relaxing as usual. Instead of admiring the natural beauty along the trail, all she thought about was Jake. While a part of her understood the reasons why he couldn’t pursue a relationship with her, the emotional part of her was hurt that he didn’t care enough about her to reconsider his stance. Maybe if Denise hadn’t humiliated him at the reception things might be different. But she had, and for Jake the experience caused the nightmare he thought he’d put behind him to resurface with a vengeance.

  Just then the doorbell rang, startling both her and Chester. Melissa set the remote on the coffee table and got to her feet. She wasn’t expecting any visitors and because Paige had warned her never to open the door without knowing who was on the other side, she put her eye to the security peephole and swore softly under her breath. What was he doing here?

  “Paige isn’t here,” she told Nate Simmons after she’d unlocked the door and opened it.

  The corners of Nate’s mouth kicked upward with a smarmy smile. “Who said I came to see Paige?” He placed a hand on the doorframe and leaned in with a wolfish gleam in his eyes. “After our chance meeting the other night, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” His lascivious gaze raked slowly down her body, then back up. “I thought maybe we could hang out.”

  “Hanging out” was code for hooking up to guys like Nate. And she wasn’t interested. Not in the slightest. When he made a move to enter, she lifted her hand to the door frame to block him. “Sorry. I’m busy.”

  His eyes flickered with surprise. No doubt he believed she would be so exceedingly grateful that he’d deigned to notice her formerly fat ass that she’d fall into his arms the moment he crooked his finger. Talk about a guy believing he was God’s gift. Lowering his arm, he straightened and looked at her like she was an order of fries short of a Happy Meal. “Busy? With what?”

  “I have to clean the bathroom.” She gave him an overly bright smile. “Hey, I could use a hand cleaning the grout in the shower. Maybe you could do that while I scrub the toilet and mop the floor.”

  Dumbfounded, he stared at her for a few seconds then a slow grin spread across his face. Melissa had to admit, with his dark wavy hair and even darker eyes, Nate was most definitely easy to look at, but even at her highest weight she’d never been hard up enough to consider getting involved with a player like him.

  “I don’t do bathrooms.” Nate shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. “I do my best work in the bedroom.” He winked. Melissa suppressed a gag. “Just ask your sister.”

  Gross. Like I’d ever sleep with a man Paige had been with. That only happened on soap operas, or Jerry Springer.

  “That’s not information I’m interested in. But I’ll take your word for it.” She looked past him as a deep blue BMW sports car pulled up to the curb in front of the townhouse. Her mouth gaped open as the driver turned off the engine and got out of the car. What the hell is Shauna doing here? Melissa could have sworn she’d heard Shauna and Kurt were honeymooning in Maui for an entire month.

  “Isn’t that your cousin?” Nate asked as Shauna, looking tan and not as thin and fragile as she had at the wedding, strolled up the walkway toward them. “The one whose picture Paige put on the dart board one time when we were playing?”

  “That would be me,” Shauna said with a wry grin as she came to a halt just behind Nate. Her perfectly arched brows drew together as he turned to look at her. “You look familiar.” She stared at him for several seconds as if trying to place him. Then recognition dawned in her eyes. “I’ve got it. Weren’t you named one of the top ten bachelors on the Sacramento Life website last month?”

  Nate’s chest swelled. “I certainly was. Number one, as a matter of fact.” By the proud tone in his voice it appeared he believed being named the number one bachelor in Sacramento was as impressive as being a member of Mensa. Not that Melissa believed Nate had a clue what Mensa was. She also doubted he could spell it.

  “How nice for you,” Shauna said dryly, then looked from Nate to Melissa. “
I was hoping to talk to you. But I can come back if you’re busy.”

  “No, don’t go,” Melissa said, desperate for any reason to send Nate on his way. “I’m dying to hear all about your honeymoon.”

  Shauna’s eyes widened slightly. “Are you sure?” She shot a cursory glance at Nate. “I don’t want to interrupt you and...and...” she trailed off and looked back at Nate.

  “Nate. Nate Simmons,” Nate supplied quickly as he gave Shauna an appraising glance. “And you’re not interrupting. Melissa and I ran into each other the other night and didn’t have nearly enough time to get reacquainted.” He turned and gave Melissa a pointed stare. “I hope to rectify that very soon.”

  “Goodbye, Nate,” Melissa said as politely as she could muster.

  “I’ll see you soon.” Nate winked, then turned and ambled past Shauna toward the sidewalk.

  It would be rude to tell him she’d rather walk over hot coals than to ever see him again, so she kept her mouth shut.

  “Come in.” Melissa gestured to Shauna with her hand. “And thanks for the save,” she said as Shauna moved past her and entered the living room. She closed the door and sighed with relief. “I was trying to get rid of him,” she explained. “Your timing is impeccable.”

  “He’s very good looking,” Shauna said, then wrinkled her nose. “But something about him gave me the creeps.”

  “You and me both,” Melissa said. An awkward silence fell between them. Although she and Shauna had forged a sort of tentative truce at the wedding, she hadn’t expected her to drop by for a chat. “So what brings you by? I thought you were still on your honeymoon.”

  “We got back last night.”

  “Let’s sit down.” Melissa gestured toward the sofa. “How was your trip?” she asked, after they’d settled on the sofa. Chester stayed rooted to his spot on the chair but kept his watchful eyes trained on Shauna.

  “Wonderful.” Shauna set her purse on the coffee table, then leaned back to get comfortable. Her short white sundress showed off her newly acquired suntan. “We stayed in a private one-bedroom villa at the Grand Wailea.” She sighed, the dreamy expression her face spoke volumes. “It was very romantic.”

  Tamping down a twinge of envy, Melissa smiled. “I’ve heard Maui is beautiful. Did you find any time for sightseeing?”

  Shauna’s eyes lit up like Fourth of July sparklers. “Yes. We went snorkeling, watched the sunrise at the top of Haleakala—that’s a dormant volcano—and we visited the aquarium.” A dimple formed in her right cheek as she grinned. “And, of course I did some shopping. But mostly, we hung out at the villa and enjoyed the beach. The water is so warm. Kurt tried para-sailing and loved it.”

  “It sounds like it was everything a honeymoon should be,” Melissa said, amazed that she and Shauna were having such a normal conversation. It was almost as if they liked each other.

  Shauna’s expression clouded. “It was much better than the wedding. That’s why I’m here. I did a lot of thinking while I was in Maui. About Denise and what she did at the reception, but mostly about my own behavior over the years. I was so cruel to you, Melissa.” Moisture welled in her eyes. “And you didn’t deserve it.” She blinked several times. “Do you remember when we were about nine or ten years old and Uncle Daniel and Aunt Claire invited me to go to Disneyland with your family?”

  Melissa nodded. “We had so much fun. I think we must have rode Space Mountain a hundred times.”

  “That’s still my favorite ride.” Shauna chuckled. “After the fourth or fifth time, Paige was over it, but you kept going on it with me. Just because you knew how much I liked it. You never made me feel like I was a third wheel on that trip. I felt like the three of us were sisters. My parents have taken me all over Europe, but Disneyland with you and Paige is still the best vacation I’ve ever had.” She dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her fingers. “And a few months later, I turned on you. Looking back, I can see how easily Denise manipulated me. But still, I’m ashamed I let her do it, and I’m ashamed I’ve been so horrible to you.” She paused. “This might sound like a lot to ask after how badly I’ve treated you, but I’d really like the chance to make amends. Maybe it’s not too late for us to be friends again.”

  “Friends?” Melissa arched a brow and wondered if such a thing was possible. It was like asking the Road Runner to suddenly become pals with Wyle E. Coyote. Or expecting Little Red Riding Hood to trust the Big Bad Wolf. “You think?”

  Shauna’s smile was pensive. “I hope. We are family, after all.”

  Melissa’s heart clenched at the silent plea in Shauna’s eyes. Paige would consider her a soft touch, but she couldn’t help it. It was obvious Shauna was truly remorseful for her actions. What kind of person would she be if she didn’t give her cousin a second chance?

  “It’s not too late.”

  A sudden luminous smile transformed Shauna’s face. She reached for Melissa’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you.”

  “What about Denise?” Melissa asked, thinking of the pair’s heated exchange in the restroom at Pebble Beach.

  Shauna’s smile faded and her eyes turned hard. “I haven’t spoken to her since the wedding and I don’t intend to. What she did to me and Kurt and to Jake was deliberately cruel.” She paused. “How is Jake, by the way?”

  “That wasn’t his best day,” Melissa said, not wanting to get into the gory details of how Denise had turned his life upside down. Correction, their life upside down. Denise had killed two birds with one stone. She was probably still gloating about it. The bitch.

  “When you see him, will you tell him I’m sorry?” Shauna paused and gave her a tentative smile. “Or better yet. If I’m not rushing things, maybe you and Jake could come over sometime soon for dinner. Then I can apologize to him in person.”

  “That’s a lovely gesture, but I don’t think that’s possible. Jake and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.”

  Shauna’s eyes widened as she relinquished Melissa’s hand. “Because of what happened at the wedding?”

  “Yes. Because of our trainer/client relationship, he thinks it best we don’t date.”

  “But...but you seemed so happy together at the rehearsal dinner. Even Kurt noticed how into each other you were.”

  “We were happy.” Melissa’s heart began to ache. “But it’s over now.”

  * * *

  Jake stared at the membership report he’d pulled from the gym’s database, but if anyone were to ask him what was on it he’d be hard-pressed to answer them. He’d been trying to read the damn thing for the past twenty minutes but all he saw was a bunch of blurred numbers. Were his membership numbers up or down? Who knew? How many members had paid extra for the towel service and/or the monthly body-fat test? Who cared? Not him. Not today.

  He wasn’t sure why he had expected Melissa to show up for the kickboxing class, but her no-show status finally confirmed to him that she never planned to return to the gym. He’d hurt her that badly.

  With a snort of disgust, he tossed his pencil atop the report and leaned back in his chair. It creaked like a door hung on a rusty old hinge and he made another mental note to buy some WD-40 and oil it into submission. Swiveling the chair to look at the corkboard behind him, he stared at the card Melissa had given him months ago.

  Was that card all he had left of her?

  He stared at it and remembered the day she’d given it to him. Her shy smile as she handed it to him had taken his breath away. From that day on, he’d made a point to look for her in the gym. Disappointed when he didn’t see her, but looking forward to their training sessions because he’d get to spend an hour with her. Now that she’d stopped training with him, he finally understood how much the time they’d spent together in the gym meant to him. Never seeing Melissa again didn’t seem a fair price to pay in order to prove to people he didn’t give two shits about that he wasn’t a hypocrite.

  The light knock on his open door pulled him from his thoughts. He swiveled the chair
around and was caught off guard at the sight of Shauna Atherton poised in his doorway.

  “The guy at the front counter said I could come back,” Shauna said, with a tentative smile.

  Jake rose from his chair and, still surprised to see her, motioned her forward with his hand. “Come on in.” He waited until she made herself comfortable in the visitor chair before resuming his seat. With one quick glance, he could see she looked much healthier than she had the last time he’d seen her. Her face glowed, and she appeared to have put on a few pounds. Which, considering her extreme thinness at the wedding, was a good thing.

  “I’m sure you’re surprised to see me,” she said, taking the words right out of his mouth.

  “You could say that.” He pushed his report aside and folded his arms on his desk. “Are you here to join the gym?”

  “Kurt and I have discussed it, and we do plan to join in the near future. But that’s not why I’m here.” She set her purse on her lap and grasped her hands together atop it. “I wanted to apologize to you for what happened at the wedding reception.”

  “I don’t think you’re the one who needs to apologize. Denise blindsided us both that day. If anyone should apologize, it’s her.”

  “She’ll never do that.” Jake caught a trace of disillusionment in her eyes and couldn’t help but feel for her. “When it comes to you, she’s irrational. Ever since I can remember she’s always been able to get any man she’s wanted. I guess when you didn’t reciprocate her feelings she became angry and decided to get back at you by accusing you of harassment.”

  A fresh surge of anger shot through Jake like a bottle rocket. He held it in check lest Shauna think he blamed her for her friend’s actions. “She wanted to ruin my life. And she would have if some of the members of my gym hadn’t stepped forward and countered her lies.”

  A troubled expression settled on her face. “I feel bad because I believed her. She was very convincing—I think she actually believed the lies she was telling me. Anyway, when I saw you at the rehearsal dinner I couldn’t get back to the hotel fast enough to tell her you were Melissa’s date.”