Vice

by Elana Johnson

  After he swallowed the last bite of his delicious muffin, he unlooped the leash from around the bike rack and said, “Come on, boy. Time to go home.”

  He started down the street, sipping his hot chocolate and actually enjoying the wreaths someone had put up on every lamppost on Main Street. He loved Forbidden Lake, though it was brutally cold for too long in the winter. But the place had small-town charm like no other, and there were some really great businesses moving in—like the bakery and coffee shop he’d just visited.

  He crossed the street to the park, thinking he’d just let Smoky run for a few minutes. He wouldn’t go much longer than that anyway, as Lucas suspected the dog had a bit of arthritis in his front leg joints. After their walks through the woods, Smoky often licked and bit at his lower leg joints on both front legs.

  “Riley, no!”

  Lucas looked away from the cheery town décor and pristine downtown park at the sound of the woman’s panicked voice.

  A dog barreled away from her—and straight toward him and Smoky.

  A very big dog.

  Smoky began to bark, the sound booming into the sky. “Hey, it’s okay,” Lucas said, tugging Smoky closer to his size.

  The dog kept coming, and he was barking now too. The woman was running, but she was still leagues away.

  Lucas actually thought the huge black dog could hurt Smoky, though he didn’t seem to be snarling. But Lucas stepped in front of Smoky and held out his free hand. “Hey, whoa,” he said to the dog, who came skidding toward him.

  If it had been summertime, he probably could’ve stopped. But in the winter, with ice and bits of snow on the sidewalk, the dog’s claws couldn’t get purchase. He slipped and slid, and Lucas knew he was going down a split second before the dog ran right into him.

  He grunted as his legs were swept out from underneath him by a hundred pounds of dogflesh. Smoky yelped and barked, and Lucas tensed every muscle he had to keep his head from hitting the hard ground. Lots of other parts did, from his elbows to his tailbone, and then the whole world stopped spinning.

  He looked up into the swirling, cloudy sky, the air knocked right out of his lungs. Smoky kept pulling on his leash as he and the other dog started sniffing and circling and sniffing some more.

  He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but then an angel filled his vision. “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

  Blonde hair spilled from underneath her wool hat, and her dark blue eyes held concern and a little bit of fear. She came closer. “Talk to me.”

  He groaned and tried to sit up, but she put her hand on his shoulder. The pressure was enough to get him to stop. “Go slow,” she said. “Did you hit your head?”

  “I don’t think so,” he managed to say. “Just got the wind knocked out of me.”

  She looked like she didn’t believe him, and she extended her hand toward him, as if she could really help him stand up. He easily outweighed her by two to one, as did the black dog she’d been chasing.

  He took her hand anyway, wishing they both weren’t wearing gloves. Something hot and electric moved through him as he met her eyes, and she looked startled then.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “Riley loves other dogs,” she said. “And he just got away from me.” She stuck her hands in her pockets and watched the dogs run and play in the snow.

  Lucas didn’t know what to say. He looked at the dogs and back to her. “I’m Lucas Miner,” he said, extending his hand again. “That’s Smoky. He’s not really my dog, but he’s great.”

  “Are you dogsitting?” She looked down at his coat.

  “No,” he said, following her gaze. He realized that he was now wearing the hot chocolate he loved so much, and embarrassment filled him. As if being knocked down by a dog in front of a beautiful woman wasn’t humiliating enough.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said. When their eyes met again, a smile danced across that mouth Lucas suddenly wanted to kiss.

  He shook his head, trying to dislodge the traitorous thoughts. “It’s fine. Just hot chocolate.”

  “From Whitetails?”

  “Yep. You know it?”

  “It’s the best,” she said. “I was going there too.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “Let me buy you another cup.”

  “Oh, it’s fine,” he said.

  “I insist,” she said. “My dog bowled you over and you lost your drink.” She hooked her arm through his. “Come on.”

  Lucas didn’t know what to do, and she was already walking. So he paused and whistled to Smoky, who came running back to him. Riley followed, and Lucas took both of their leashes in one hand.

  “I’ll take the dogs.” He smiled at her, surprised at how this day had turned for him. “And I still don’t know your name.”

  “Oh, my gosh,” she said, her eyes widening in surprise. “I’m really striking out today aren’t I?” She tucked her hair over her ear, adjusting her hat as she did. “I’m Julie Paige.”

  “Julie Paige,” Lucas repeated, his memory stirring again.

  She giggled, and the sound was clearly flirtatious. Lucas wasn’t so immune to women he didn’t know flirting when he saw it. And Julie Paige still had a healthy grip on his arm, and dang, he didn’t mind that at all.

  They crossed the street while she told him she was a nurse at the hospital, and he sifted through his memories, trying to find the one with the ultra-familiar name of Julie Paige in it.

  Horror struck him at the same time he stepped up onto the curb.

  “Your older brother is Lawrence,” he said.

  “Yeah,” she said, laughing. “How did you know?”

  “Oh, me and Lawrence go way back,” Lucas said darkly. He wanted to shake this woman’s hand from his arm and head home. Now.

  Because he could not get involved with his nemesis’s little sister, even if she was the most gorgeous woman Lucas had ever laid eyes on.

  Oh, no, he could not.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Julie Paige watched the tall, broad-shouldered man with the sexiest beard she’d ever laid eyes on tie both dogs to a bike rack in front of the coffee shop. She came to Whitetails before every shift at the hospital and every day she wasn’t working too.

  She leaned over and scrubbed Riley’s head. “Good girl, Riles,” she said quietly. “Good girl.”

  Maybe she’d been using her brother’s dog as a way to get dates, but the Daniff—a great Dane, mastiff mix—seemed to have an eye for the really good-looking ones. Unfortunately, all the good-looking ones had turned out to be married, in a relationship, or emotionally unavailable.

  She wondered which one Lucas was, though she could rule out married as he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

  Lucas had put off a cool vibe when he’d mentioned her brother, and Julie had wisely moved the topic to something else—what he did for a living.

  He’d said, “I’m in between jobs at the moment,” and they’d arrived at the coffee shop. His full, well-trimmed beard ticked all the boxes on Julie’s list, as did his over-six-foot frame and his way with dogs.

  She’d taken in Riley when Lawrence had left town unexpectedly, but she really couldn’t handle the beast. And they both knew it.

  “What did you have?” she asked him as they went inside the shop.

  “Caramel hot chocolate.” He looked at his phone like he’d rather be anywhere but with her, and Julie’s nerves jumped. Was he playing a game with her? She’d definitely seen the spark of attraction in his eyes—after they’d warmed up from the glazed-over, I’ve-just-been-run-over-by-a-dog look.

  “Are you looking for a job, then?” she asked. “Because the hospital is always hiring.”

  That got him to look up, and Julie sure did like his dark, stormcloud-gray eyes. She told herself not to get too attached, because this guy certainly had a girlfriend. Someone like him never stayed single for long.

  “What kind of jobs?” he asked.

  “Well, there’s always the janitorial o
nes,” she said. “But with your arms, you should apply for the security positions.”

  His eyebrows shot toward his hairline. And wow, what a head of hair. “My arms?”

  Julie needed to rein in her thoughts. Heat filled her face, and she wished she could take off her winter hat. But she had no idea what state her hair would be in, and then she might not get this man’s number.

  She really just needed to figure out if he had a girlfriend, because she didn’t want to go through another relationship where she was lied to on a daily basis. Her stomach flipped over just thinking about Josiah.

  “I just meant you’re big,” she said. “Strong,” she blurted out. “I meant strong. You must work out.” She pressed her eyes closed in a long blink. The Earth just needed to open up and swallow her whole. Right now would be nice, she thought, opening her eyes to see what he thought of her idiocy.

  Lucas’s eyes glittered at her, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “How do I apply for a security job at the hospital?”

  “Oh, it’s really easy,” she said. “It’s all online, and they call back really fast.”

  “Perfect.” Lucas inched forward in the line, and Julie searched her mind for something else to talk about.

  “Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked.

  Lucas pulled in a breath, surprise etched in every handsome line of his face. “Excuse me?”

  “It’s just that the last guy I dated actually had a fiancée, and I really don’t want to repeat that, so….” She giggled, the sound full of nerves. “I’m a normal person, I swear.”

  “Yeah,” he said dryly. “Seems like it.” He stepped up to the counter and ordered his drink, deferring to her.

  “Vanilla latte, please,” she said.

  Before she knew it, Lucas pulled out his wallet and started handing over a twenty-dollar bill. Lunging toward him, Julie knocked the money out of his hand. “You’re not paying,” she practically yelled.

  Frustration and humiliation filled her, and it came out in her light laugh that was oh-so-fake. She looked at the girl behind the cash register. “He’s not paying.” She dug in her purse for her debit card and handed it over. “Nice try, Mister.”

  Lucas chuckled and put his money back in his wallet, which went in his back pocket. Julie watched every move, wishing she wasn’t so dang obvious.

  Play it cool, she told herself. But she’d already opened a bunch of doors. And had she really said, I’m a normal person, I swear?

  Really?

  Why was God tormenting her so?

  “Thanks,” he said. “I really didn’t need another hot chocolate though.”

  “Everyone could use another hot chocolate,” she said. “And you can send me the bill to clean your coat.” She looked down at it, as did Lucas.

  They looked up at the same time, their eyes locking. That same lightning that had struck in the park hit her again, lighting every nerve ending. They buzzed at her, an actual sound she could hear in her ears.

  “I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said.

  She reached up and fiddled with the collar on his coat. “Perfect.” She really hit the T, and he smiled at her.

  Her name was called, and she took both drinks, handing one to Lucas. “Maybe we can go to lunch or something,” she said.

  His phone rang, and he glanced at it. “This is a friend of mine. I have to take it.” He nodded and stepped away from her, saying, “Hey, Jordan. What’s up?”

  Julie sipped her latte, her eyes glued to Lucas’s back. She’d not seen him around town before, and she hoped this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. He wasn’t married. He didn’t have a girlfriend, though Jordan could be a girl’s name….

  Julie hated that the doubts about this guy she didn’t know were already there. Preconceived, as if every man would be like Josiah and be leading a double life.

  When he spun around, though, Julie knew she was about to lose him. He wore panic on his face, and it wasn’t for her. But for his friend, who she really hoped wasn’t a girl.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, shoving the hot chocolate back into her hands. “I have to go.”

  “Wait—” she started, but Lucas did not wait. He jogged out of the coffee shop, grabbed his dog’s leash, and ran away from the building.

  Julie hurried after him, stopping on the sidewalk when she realized how far he’d gone already. He’d reached the park, and he wasn’t slowing down or looking back.

  “Well, Riley,” she said. “We didn’t get his number. It was a good try, though.”

  The Daniff whined, and sadly, Julie knew exactly how she felt.

  Normally, she didn’t let setbacks discourage her, and she might have tried to meet someone else on the way home. But she thought of Lucas Miner, and that beard, and that attraction between them, and she just said, “No shenanigans on the way home, Riles. Straight there, and then it’s time for our afternoon nap so we can stay up all night at work.”

  That night, Julie reported for duty at the nurse’s station on the third floor.

  “There you are,” Robert said, and she almost rolled her eyes. Instead, she put a smile on her face and faced the chief floor nurse.

  “I’m fifteen minutes early,” she said.

  “Melinda had to leave for a family emergency,” he said, handing her at least half a dozen charts. “So we’re behind a little. I need you to go through these and get us caught up.”

  Julie suppressed her sigh and took the charts. “Yes, sir.”

  Robert walked away, entering the staff room, where Julie was sure he would get a soda and sit down for the next hour. He was always lording over the other nurses, issuing commands without any please’s or thank you’s in sight. He cleaned out the fridge ruthlessly, never assigned himself any of the unsavory patients, and everyone on the third floor unit couldn’t wait until he was reassigned somewhere else.

  But bemoaning her boss wouldn’t help Julie get caught up on the work, so she sat down and started going through the files. Her thoughts went easily to Lawrence, the worry over her brother eating away at her a little bit more each day.

  Where was he? Would he ever come home?

  She attended to the patients who needed medicine before they went to sleep, and by midnight, everything was calm and quiet—and caught up. Robert had not said thank you, and Julie groaned as she sat down beside the other overnight nurse on duty, Lily.

  “How are the cooking classes going?” she asked her friend.

  The dark-haired woman looked up from a folder. “I may or may not have started a fire during the last meal I tried to cook.”

  Julie burst out laughing. “You’re kidding.”

  “I’m not,” she said, laughing too. “And to make it worse, Daniel was there, and he had to put it out.”

  “Oh, my gosh. That’s about as bad as what I did today.”

  “Oh?”

  “Nope, not yet. What were you making?”

  “That’s the worst part.” Lily threw up her hands. “Scrambled eggs. Who starts a fire trying to make scrambled eggs?”

  Julie’s giggles intensified, and though she didn’t particularly like the graveyard shifts, she sure did love her friends.

  “Okay, so what happened with you today?”

  “I lost control of Riley—again—and she knocked over this gorgeous man.”

  “This doesn’t sound like a mistake,” Lily teased.

  “I spilled his hot chocolate all over him, and I was a complete idiot when we went to get a replacement.” Julie shook her head with the mere memory of that afternoon’s events. “I blurted out some stuff about my last boyfriend, and I asked him point-blank if he had a girlfriend.”

  “Oh, honey, you didn’t….” Lily looked flabbergasted as she laughed and shook her head.

  “It was a disaster,” Julie agreed. “And then he got a call and ran out. Literally, the man ran away from me.”

  “Maybe his house was on fire.”

  “Or maybe the call w
as from his mother, and she needed help because she’d fallen.”

  Lily giggled and flipped a page in her report. “Nah, we’d know if that was the case. He’d have brought her here. I know. Maybe he got alerted of an early Black Friday deal.”

  They both dissolved into laughter then, and Julie sure appreciated her friend. “What about Daniel? Did he run screaming from you when he realized you can’t even make scrambled eggs?”

  “You know what? He didn’t. He put the fire out and called for pizza.”

  “Marry that man,” Julie said, grinning at Lily.

  “I’m working on it, honey. Did you get your guy’s number?”

  “No,” Julie said. “He can run fast.” They laughed again, but when Julie settled back to work, she couldn’t help feeling like she’d just missed out on something that would’ve been great.

  Lucas Miner, she thought. How can I find you?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Vice paced in Maverick’s living room, his heart split open and spilling out. He’d just finished telling Lucas and Mav about what had happened at the restaurant with the Breathers.

  “And they let you go?” Maverick asked.

  “Yes,” he said. “But we could’ve been followed. And Felicia left immediately. What if they followed her home?” He’d driven straight to Ruby’s, calling Lucas the moment he’d arrived in the safety of the clubhouse. His friend had arrived shortly thereafter, and they’d gone upstairs to interrupt Mav’s life together.

  “Sit down, Vice,” Mav said, but Vice couldn’t do it.

  He shook his head, his mouth pressing into a thin line. “If I can borrow Karly’s car, I can sit out in front of Felicia’s house tonight,” he said.

  “That’s not necessary,” Mav said.

  “Boss.” Vice turned to him, desperate to make him understand. “There were almost twelve of them there, as if they were just waiting for any of us to get close. That restaurant is in neutral territory. I’ve been there tons of times without a problem. I didn’t even think…I didn’t know….”

  He turned away, anguish and regret lacing themselves together and creating a storm of unrest in his chest.