by Debbie Mason
His mouth on the bottle, he gave her a sidelong glance. “Madison and Skye send you to check up on me?”
She drew her gaze from the heavily corded muscles of his tanned arm and nodded. “They’re worried about you.”
His brow lifted. “Thought they’d be more pissed than worried.”
She watched him watching her in the mirror and held his gaze. “No, but I can’t say the same for your brother and Ethan. Did you really convince your dad to back out of the wedding?”
“Liz canceled the wedding, not my dad.”
“You don’t seem too broken up about it.”
He clanked the amber bottle against her glass. “I’m not.” Something caught his attention, and he glanced toward the door. He muttered under his breath and set his beer on the bar, sliding off the stool to stand behind her. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he lowered his mouth to her ear. “Let’s get out of here.”
She turned to see Matt walking toward them. She should have known. Tipping her head back, she said, “You’re as bad as Connor and Evie. Only I’m your pacifier.”
He laughed, trailing his lips down her neck. “You’re right. And I can think of several parts of your body I want to suck on right now.”
She nudged him with her elbow. “That’s not what I meant.” She swiveled on the stool to face him. “Anytime you get uncomfortable or want to distract yourself, you use me to do it.” She poked him in the chest with the glass. “I’m tired of it.”
“We’ll talk about it at your place. Come on.” He took the glass from her hand and reached over her to place it on the bar, which put her nose in direct contact with his chest. His amazing hard, wide chest. Despite being ticked at his presumptuous manner, she couldn’t help herself and sniffed. He didn’t smell like baby puke. He smelled woodsy and warm and all male.
“McBride, Vivi,” Matt said, coming to stand at the bar. “Twisted Pine Stout, Sawyer, thanks.”
Chance slowly straightened. “Hey, Doc. Take Vivi’s seat. We’re heading home.” He hauled her off the stool.
“Home?” Matt said, then slowly nodded. “Can’t say I’m surprised.” He smiled at Vivi, looking up when Dr. McBride’s ex-girlfriend Karen called his name and waved him over to her table by the dance floor.
Vivi didn’t know whether to be happy for him or offended that he had another date so soon after theirs. She was veering toward happy until she spotted the self-satisfied grin on Chance’s face. Great, now not only had he dumped her, he thought Matt wasn’t interested in her, either.
They said so long to Matt and headed out of the bar. The old-fashioned streetlamps cast a circle of light on the fragrant white flowers in the hanging baskets, while a full moon illuminated the pastel-painted storefronts on Main Street. It was the perfect night for a romantic walk. Only the man she would have chosen to go on that walk with her was silently laughing his ass off.
He wouldn’t be for much longer. She knew exactly how to wipe that smirk off his face. “I’m glad Matt wasn’t too broken up when I told him I couldn’t date him. He seemed okay to you, didn’t he?”
“Didn’t seem broken up at all, Slick,” Chance said with a hint of amusement in his voice. “So, you told him you couldn’t date him, did you?”
“I had to. My boyfriend and I are getting back together. I didn’t want to lead Matt on. He’s a nice guy.”
Chance stopped short, putting his hand on her arm. “Hold it, what boyfriend are you talking about?”
“The man I’m seeing in New York. We were on a break, and now we’re not.”
“You slept with me three days ago, and you’re telling me you’re involved with someone.” He crossed his arms over his chest, the look on his face probably the one Cat had referred to. She was right. He looked pretty freaking scary.
“Like I said, we were on a break.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder, going for coolly unperturbed instead of freaked out.
“What’s his name? Where did you meet him?”
She forced a laugh while trying to think of a response to his rapid-fire questions. “Geez, McBride, you’ve been spending too much time with me.” He stared her down, and without thinking, she blurted, “Clark Kent.” She inwardly groaned when she realized what she’d said. Since she couldn’t take the words back, she might as well go with it. “He’s a reporter with the Daily News.”
Chance rubbed his hand over his mouth, his eyes glinting with an emotion she couldn’t read, but dammit, it looked like laughter. “Clark Kent as in Superman Clark Kent?”
“I know,” she said as they began walking again. “He gets teased about it all the time. They call him Superman at his office. It kind of fits, if you know what I mean.” She gave him an exaggerated wink. “He is pretty super.”
Okay, now she didn’t even have to guess at the emotion. He was trying to hold back a laugh, but it came out in his voice when he asked, “So, it’s the real deal? He’s the one?”
“He’s the one.” And since he looked like he didn’t believe her… “Actually, he texted me earlier, I should probably get back to him.” She took out her phone. She could always tell Superman that she’d drunk-dialed him. But at least she’d prove to Chance she had other options, that, unlike him, there were guys out there who wanted her.
Superman’s ringtone jangled on the cool, floral-scented breeze. She jerked her gaze to Chance. He came to an abrupt stop on the sidewalk, lifting his gaze to the starry night sky before turning to her. “Vivi, I can…”
No! There was no way he… Her fingers trembling as her pulse pounded in her ears, she redialed. He took his phone from his back pocket, the theme song louder and clearer.
Chance McBride was her comic book hero.
“Vivi, let me explain,” he called after her as she took off down the sidewalk.
She turned, walking backward with her face burning, her vision blurred. “You ruined my career, you bastard. Don’t ever contact me again.”
Chapter Twelve
With the sound of twittering birds and neighbors calling out to one another drifting through the bedroom window on a warm, cake-scented breeze, it took a moment for the memory of last night to hit Vivi. When it did, images of a laughing Chance walloped her with the force of a sledgehammer, obliterating the idyllic small-town morning smells and sounds.
She groaned, burying her head under the pillow. She didn’t know which was worse: the fact that she’d waxed poetic about Superman, declaring him to be the One, to the man who was and didn’t want to be, or that she’d fallen for Chance, not once, but twice. Twice! It must have something to do with those “love” chemicals short-circuiting her brain, because she wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t one of those women who needed a man in her life.
Other than being somewhat dissatisfied with the direction of her career at the time she first met Chance—and really, Vivi wouldn’t be satisfied until she hit the big leagues—she’d been happy and content. And then he’d walked into her life and blown that happy contentment to smithereens.
It was embarrassing and pathetic. And it ended now. She probably should be thanking him. In the space of two minutes, he’d done what she’d been trying to do for the last eighteen months. She was over him. She no longer saw him through rose-colored glasses. The soft romantic feelings were gone. The butterflies in her stomach had shriveled up and died.
And now that she had her personal life sorted out, she had to do the same for her professional life. It was past time. She’d go after what she wanted, and if her editor didn’t see that they were wasting Vivi’s journalistic talents, she would… quit. Of course it wouldn’t come to that. How often in the past had her editor remarked on Vivi’s uncanny knack for sniffing out a story? Before the fiasco created by Chance, at least five times.
Vivi tossed the pillow aside and reached for her iPhone. E-mailing her editor, she requested a meeting for nine tomorrow morning. She’d bought her return ticket last night. She was flying out this afternoon. Someone, more like two someones, knocked on t
he apartment door. She hit “send” and tossed her iPhone on the bed. She knew exactly who the two someones were—her ex–best friends. She’d called them last night to vent. Only to discover that they’d known for months that Chance was Superman.
She marched to the front door and flung it open. Maddie’s and Skye’s eyes widened, and they took a couple of nervous steps back. Maddie held up a defensive hand. “Okay, we know you’re mad, but we didn’t tell you because he was protecting you.”
Vivi cocked her head and crossed her arms.
“Can we come in?” Skye wiggled a to-go bag and cup. “We brought you chocolate mousse cupcakes and your favorite coffee. We even had Grace put whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on it.”
“Fine.” Vivi took the coffee from her. “But you’ll have to talk fast. Cab’s coming to pick me up in an hour.”
“No way. You can’t leave because of this. Just give us a chance to explain.” Maddie said as she and Skye followed Vivi down the hall.
“You can’t leave without saying good-bye to the kids. They’ll be upset.”
Vivi sat on the bed, brought the coffee cup to her mouth—inhaling the rejuvenating scent of chicory and cocoa—and arched a brow at Skye, who’d made the comment.
“Okay, so maybe not Connor and Evie, but Lily and Annie definitely will be. Especially Lily, you know how sensitive she is.”
That was hitting below the belt, but Vivi couldn’t let herself get sidetracked. “I’ll call them tonight. I have to get back to work.”
“Why? You keep telling us you can dial in your columns. Surely you can—” Maddie began.
“I’m not talking about my advice column.”
Maddie shared a look with Skye, then sat beside her on the bed. “You got your old job back?”
“More like I’m giving my editor an ultimatum. I’m done wasting my time. I need to get back out there before I lose my street cred.” She gave them a pointed look. “But enough with trying to distract me. Why didn’t you tell me Chance was Superman?”
“Don’t blame Maddie. It’s my fault.” Skye took a cupcake from the bag and handed it to Vivi. “They’re off-the-charts delicious,” she said with a hopeful smile.
“I don’t care how off the charts they are. They’re not getting you off the hook,” she said, even as she took a bite. She closed her eyes. “Oh, God, they’re as orgasmic as Autumn’s chocolates.” Since that was as close to an orgasm as Vivi’d probably get in the near future, she’d check and see if Grace would ship to New York. If she would, she’d place a standing order. She licked the icing off her fingers. “When did you figure out Chance was Superman?”
“Remember when I asked you for his e-mail address? I think it was the day after I married Ethan. Anyway, Superman knew too much about me, about you, and it made me suspicious.”
“Would’ve been nice if you shared those suspicions with me,” she said, remembering how she felt last night. He’d been laughing at her all along. The stupid woman who’d been crushing on a man she’d never met or spoken to.
“He cares about you, Vivi. He was trying to protect you.” When Vivi responded with a snort, Skye’s caramel eyes narrowed. “Yes, he was, and you needed protection and don’t try and deny it. Jimmy broke into your apartment, and you wouldn’t back off. Chance knows you. He knew you wouldn’t leave it alone. He just didn’t realize you’d outsmart the guys he had tailing you. Which, by the way, you promised me you wouldn’t do. Honestly, Vivi, you’re lucky all you lost was your job.”
“I didn’t lose my job. I was demot… put on probation.”
“Demoted, probation, who cares. This is your life we’re talking about. And not only yours. You led a known murderer and rapist to a woman in protective custody. If it wasn’t for her uncle and his pals, who, I might add, you led there as well, she could have died. The same goes for the men responsible for protecting her,” Maddie said.
“If McBride hadn’t—”
“What? Shut you down? How many times do we have to tell you he was protecting you?” Maddie held up her hand. “And no, I don’t agree with how he went about it. He should have told you who he was. But you might want to think about why he did that, Vivi. Whether you believe it or not, you matter to him. Yes, he screwed up. But it doesn’t negate the fact he wanted to be a part of your life.”
“She’s right, sweetie. He’s a good guy.”
Some of her anger and embarrassment faded at the thought that Maddie and Skye might have a point. He hadn’t walked away without a backward glance after all. Why else would he reach out to her, try to protect her, if he didn’t care? She thought back to all their text conversations and warmth filled the previously hollow place in her chest. She closed her eyes at her reaction, reminding herself how she’d felt the morning after they’d made love at the cabin. The memory took care of the warm and fuzzies. She would never open herself up to him again. He might care about her, but he didn’t love her.
“You know what, I’m done rehashing this to death.” Vivi brushed the crumbs off her T-shirt and swung her legs off the bed. “And you two might have thought you had a good reason to keep his identity from me, but you didn’t. I deserved to know. Thanks for letting me look like an idiot.”
“You’re right. We should have told you. I guess we thought you’d get your happily-ever-after with Chance and it wouldn’t matter in the end.” Skye offered her another cupcake.
“No thanks.” It would take more than a chocolate-induced endorphin rush to fill the once-again empty space in her chest. And she’d been doing so well up until then. But Skye’s words sent her tumbling down from the adrenaline high she’d gotten at the thought of taking back control of her career.
“You know, it always looks darkest before the dawn,” Skye said with an encouraging smile.
Oh, God, she’d found her rose-colored glasses again. Skye had misplaced them last year when she’d lost her trust fund and ended up on Jimmy “the Knife” Moriarty’s radar. Vivi’d been hoping they’d stay lost for good.
“Everything for a reason, remember?” Maddie shrugged at Vivi’s you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look.
Vivi headed for the bathroom. “Okay, while you two have your platitude party, I’ll grab a shower.”
“Vivi, don’t stay mad at us for long, okay? We’ll do whatever we have to to make this up to you,” Skye called after her.
She whipped her head around. Something in Skye’s voice made her nervous. “No, no making anything up to me. I don’t need your help or Nell McBride’s. I’ve got it covered. By this time tomorrow morning, my career will be back on track.”
“What if—” Maddie began.
“Don’t go there.” Vivi’s cell chimed with her “boss is calling” ringtone. She rushed to the nightstand, giving her friends a zip-it look. “Hey, Meredith, how are you? Great news? Okay, I’m all ears.” She gave Maddie and Skye a thumbs-up. They returned the gesture with an obvious lack of enthusiasm. Meredith continued speaking, and Vivi’s knees went weak. She sank onto the bed.
“Going to a daily advice column from a weekly one wasn’t exactly the news I was hoping for, Meredith. I have only a few weeks left on my probation, and I thought, well, I thought I’d be reassigned to my old position… Who? Okay, let me get this straight, you gave my job to Darlene? Would this be the same blonde bimbo who writes for the society page? The Darlene who got that position only because she’s bonking the editor in chief… You think that’s a little harsh, do you?”
Skye and Maddie lunged for the phone, trying to pry it from her hand. Vivi crawled to the other side of the bed, pushing them away to continue, “And I thought I was being diplomatic, considering this is nepotism at the very least, sexual exploitation if Darlene is as young as she acts.” She paused, listening as Meredith took umbrage with her comments before trying to convince Vivi that a daily advice column was a wonderful opportunity and to please think about it for a couple of days. “Actually, Meredith, I don’t need a couple of days. I quit.”
&n
bsp; * * *
Chance woke up on a narrow cot that smelled like stale booze and puke. He turned his head and opened one eye. Through the bars, Ray sat reading a paper with his cowboy boots up on the desk. Chance was a little foggy on how he’d wound up in jail. About the only thing he remembered clearly was the humiliated expression on Vivi’s face when she realized he was Superman. He sat up and groaned, as much from the memory as from the pain behind his eyes.
He heard a clunk and the wheels of a chair moving across the floor. “Keep it down, will ya,” he muttered.
The door to the cell squeaked open. “Rough night, huh, big guy?” Ray held a mug of what smelled like coffee in his hand.
“Yeah.” Chance stood up, twisting from side to side to get the kink out of his back. “Any idea how rough it was?”
Ray handed him the mug. “Not rough enough that you were arrested, but rough enough that we got called. Four yahoos wanted to see if you were as tough as you looked. Don’t worry, you didn’t put any of them in the hospital.” He tugged on his ear. “Now that I think about it, if your brother had been on duty, you would have been arrested. The rest of us have your back though.”
“Thanks for that.” He took a mouthful of coffee, checking out his knuckles as he did.
Ray gave him one of his good-old-boy grins. “Not a mark on you. Kinda wish I’d been there to see you in action again.”
Chance didn’t remember much, but he thought there may have been a table or two involved. “Any damage to Sawyer’s place?”
“A couple of broken chairs and a table. Sawyer says you can settle up with him today.” Ray caught Chance’s grimace and reassured him. “Don’t worry about it. They’ve been giving him trouble every other week. You did him a favor.”
“Guess I better clear out of here before Gage gets in.” He walked out of the cell, setting the mug on the desk.
“You mentioned you were headin’ out of town. That true?”
He wondered what else he’d mentioned. “Yeah, I’m booked on the red-eye out of Denver tonight.” He’d reserved his ticket at the same time he switched from beer to Rye. Probably the reason he still remembered doing so. Everything after that was a blur. Everything but Vivi’s face and the words she’d yelled at him.
