Wild One (Summer Rush #5)

by Cheryl Douglas

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling. “That may have been true before, but I’m beginning to realize this ‘being a couple’ thing requires some compromise. Sometimes I have to let you help me, and sometimes I hope I can help you.”

  “Oh, I think you can, doc.” He placed her hand over his heart. “My heart’s racing. I could use some medical advice. I’m not having a heart attack, am I?”

  She laughed, lowering her head to his shoulder. “No, and I’m not going to lose it, so you can relax.”

  He took a few deep breaths for effect as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you too.” She curled in closer. “And thank you, Dec. Seriously, paying off my student loans is hands down the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

  He was so relieved she saw it that way, but that act was only the beginning. He wanted to spend the rest of his life making sure this woman was happy and that her life was as stress-free as possible.

  ***

  Dec was nervous as he stood on Lorna’s doorstep, knocking instead of ringing the bell in case the baby was sleeping. She opened the door red-eyed, wearing a stained tracksuit with her dark hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun.

  “Hey,” he said with a sympathetic smile. “I hope you don’t mind me stopping by like this?”

  “Oh my God, Dec! What are you doing here?”

  They’d only met a couple of times bthat night at the hospital when she’d delivered her son. But he’d liked her immediately, mainly because he could see how important she was to Marika.

  “Marika told me what happened. Mind if I come in?”

  Her brown eyes filled with tears as she stepped back. “Not at all.”

  His heart went out to her. They were living in a small, semi-detached house in a newer neighborhood, but it was sparsely furnished with baby paraphernalia everywhere.

  She said, “Can I get you anything? Coffee or—”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  She led him into the small living room and gestured to a chair while she sat primly on the edge of a non-descript tan sofa. “I’m so sorry about what Calvin did to you. I feel terrible.” She cringed, unable to look him in the eye. “You must hate me for giving him the information to hurt you like that.”

  “Hey,” Dec said, leaning forward, “he didn’t hurt me. He hurt you.”

  “You mean you’re not mad?” she asked, sounding surprised.

  “I hate that his article may have hurt Marika’s career, but we’ll deal. As for me?” He shrugged, forcing a smile. “People are used to athletes behaving badly. Fans will barely bat an eye by the time our team’s publicist puts her spin on it. Assuming that’s how Marika wants to handle it.”

  “I’m glad,” she said, looking relieved. “I’d hate for you to suffer the fallout when you and Marika finally seem to be on the right track.” Her smile was watery. “That girl’s been like a sister to me. I just want her to be happy.”

  “I want that too,” Dec said, squeezing her hand. “And I’ll do whatever I can to make her happy. But I don’t want you to worry about the effect this’ll have on her. You know she’s tough. She can handle it.”

  “Yeah, but she shouldn’t have to!” She pressed a hand against her forehead. “If I’d just kept my big mouth shut, none of this would be happening. I hate myself for trusting him with a secret that wasn’t even mine to tell. I should have had more respect for my best friend’s privacy.”

  “He was your husband. Of course you confided in him. You thought you could trust him,” Dec said, touched that she was thinking about the effect this would have on him and Marika while her whole world was falling apart. “You had no idea he would do something like this.” Matthew’s cries started to fill the room, and Dec glanced at the baby monitor on the coffee table. “You need to check on him?”

  “Yeah.” She sighed. “I fed him before I put him down, so he probably needs a diaper change. I’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time.” He smiled, trying to put her at ease. “That’s the nice thing about the off-season—nowhere to be.”

  She ran upstairs while Dec scanned his phone. He’d come with a specific purpose, but he couldn’t just blurt it out. He had to ease into it, warm her up to the idea first. His eyes strayed to the monitor when he heard the baby cooing while Lorna spoke softly, comforting him.

  She came down a few minutes later with the baby in her arms. “He didn’t want to go back to sleep. He’s been fussy all day. Probably picking up on my anxiety.” She gestured to a swing in the corner that served as a sort of cradle, soothing the baby with movement and music and a mobile above it. “I’ll just put him in here. He might drift off again. Would you mind moving the buckles out of the way for me so I can get him settled in?”

  Dec’s heart squeezed at the sight of Matthew. He was wearing a blue sleeper and was nestled in a multi-colored blanket. His little lips were puckered, as if he was looking for more food or perhaps on the verge of wailing again—which one, Dec couldn’t tell.

  “Would you mind if I held him for a bit?”

  Lorna seemed surprised by the offer. “Are you sure? He might start to cry.”

  “It’s okay.” Dec reached for him, and Lorna carefully settled her son into his arms. Matthew let out a little sigh and turned into Dec’s warmth before drifting back to sleep.

  Lorna stood over them, watching in amazement. “I guess that’s what he needed all right—a calming influence. It’s no wonder he’s been crying all day. I’ve been a nervous wreck.”

  She moved around the room as though she couldn’t stand to sit still any longer. She folded a baby blanket and set it over the railing of a playpen, then she picked up a few stuffed animals and soft blocks and threw them inside the playpen.

  “You like babies?” she asked softly, sitting on the edge of a chair and watching them when there was nothing left for her to do.

  “I do,” he said, looking at the innocent baby in his arms. He didn’t understand how his daddy could walk out and still be able to sleep at night. But was Dec any better? Insisting the baby Marika had been carrying wasn’t his? He knew he had to forgive himself and let it go, but it wasn’t easy when he was staring into Matthew’s perfect face and focusing on the thought of another man who’d abandoned his child.

  “You wish things had turned out differently? That Marika hadn’t miscarried?” She covered her mouth as soon as the question was out. “God, I’m sorry. That was really insensitive. Forget I asked.”

  “It’s okay,” Dec said, sitting back a little farther, still cradling the baby against his chest. “Yeah, I wish she’d had the baby.” If she had, he suspected they’d be married by now, maybe with another baby. “I want this,” he said, overwhelmed by how much he wanted it. “A family. I know I’m ready.”

  She nodded. “You just kind of feel it when the time’s right, don’t you? I can tell Marika feels the same way. Just watching her with Matthew, it’s so obvious.”

  “It is?”

  Dec had only seen her with the baby the night he was born, and while she’d seemed smitten, he knew she dealt with newborn babies every day in her line of work. Surely she didn’t see Matthew as a miracle, the way he did, but she said every baby was a miracle. When he thought of how hard it was for a woman to carry a baby to term then bring it safely into the world, it really was a miracle when everything went off without a hitch.

  “I’ve known her a long time,” Lorna said, sinking into the chair and holding a pillow against her chest. “It may not be apparent to her yet, but it is to me.”

  “I hope so, because I’ve never felt like this about anyone,” Dec confessed, staring at the baby instead of looking at Marika’s best friend. “Pretty sure she’s it for me.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad. She deserves a good man.”

  “But am I good enough?” The words were out before he could censor them and he could tell by Lorna’s frown he’d caught her off guard with the que
stion.

  “Of course you are. Why would you say that?”

  His sigh was more of a shudder. “I don’t know. Guess this love thing is just hard, ya know. Brings up all kinds of insecurities you didn’t even know you had.”

  “I have to admit, I never imagined someone like you being insecure.”

  “We all are to some degree, aren’t we?”

  She seemed to consider the question before nodding, “Yeah, I guess we are.”

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do now?” Dec asked, circling back to the reason for his visit. “I hope you don’t mind, but Marika mentioned that you’re struggling a little… financially.” His heart went out to her when her cheeks turned pink and she winced.

  “You could say that.” She ran her palms over her cotton pants, looking everywhere but at him. “My parents have an extra bedroom. Matthew and I could always share that for a while. They’re not in a position to help much financially, but I know my mom will babysit for me just as soon as I can get back to work.”

  “I’d like to help too.” Before she could object, he said, “I know how important you and this little guy are to Marika. That makes you important to me too.”

  “But you don’t even know us,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “Why would you wanna do that?”

  He shrugged. “When you’re as blessed as I’ve been, doing something nice for someone else now and again just feels like the right thing to do.”

  He’d always given money to various causes and was generous with his time during the off-season, but it had been a long time since he’d been able to look into someone’s eyes and give them a gift that would change their lives, eliminate some of their fears of the future. Lorna deserved peace of mind, especially after what her husband had done to her.

  “I can’t ask you—”

  “You’re not asking. And I’m not taking no for an answer.” He smiled to soften his claim, though he meant it. Knowing how much she needed the money, he refused to walk out of here with the check still in his pocket.

  “This is the sweetest thing anyone’s ever offered to do for me,” she said, swiping at the tears sliding down her cheeks. She fanned her face, drawing a deep breath. “Sorry, damn hormones.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad I could help.”

  “My best friend doesn’t know how lucky she is,” Lorna said, leaning forward. “I hope she never takes what you guys have for granted.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was after seven by the time Marika made it to her best friend’s house. She knew food was probably the last thing on Lorna’s mind, but she’d brought Lorna’s favorite, Chinese, hoping to entice her.

  “Hey,” Lorna said, opening the door with a smile.

  “Hey.”

  Marika gave her friend a quick once-over. She looked a hell of a lot better than Marika had thought she would. She was wearing jeans, a pretty sheer blouse with a tank under it, her hair was curled, and she even had on a bit of makeup.

  “You look good.” Marika kissed her cheek as she handed her the take-out bag.

  “I didn’t want to be a wreck when you got here, so I had a shower and took a little time to put myself together.”

  “Good for you.” Marika knew that couldn’t have been an easy task with a newborn demanding her attention. “So your mom came by to babysit?”

  She laughed. “No, Dec did actually.”

  “Dec? My Dec?” As if they knew anyone else with that name. “He came by to see you? When?”

  “Early this afternoon.”

  “Wow.”

  Marika was surprised he hadn’t mentioned it when he’d called to check in on her. He’d wanted to make sure she was handling the fallout from the media attention they were getting. She knew it would die down in a day or two, but the barrage of reporters contacting her for a comment about her relationship with Dec was nerve-racking. Tomorrow morning she had an appointment with the owner of the medical building where she worked, and she had no doubt her personal life would come up.

  “I wonder why he didn’t mention that to me.”

  “I’m sure he would have tonight,” Lorna said, leading her into the kitchen. “We can eat out here. Matthew’s off his schedule. Got his days and nights mixed up, poor little guy, so he’s been sleeping most of the day.”

  “I hope you’re resting too,” Marika said, grabbing her arm. “You can’t afford to get run down. Especially now, sweetie. Your little guy needs you to be strong and healthy.”

  “I know.” She pulled some plates out of the cupboard. “Don’t worry, I intend to take good care of myself. We even got out for a little walk, went to the park before you got here.”

  “You did?” Marika had expected to show up and find Lorna a sobbing mess, questioning what she was going to do now that her husband had left them high and dry. “I can’t believe how well you’re taking this. I’m so proud of you.”

  Marika took the containers out of the bag and brought them to the table while Lorna deposited the plates and utensils on the table before taking a couple of bottles of water from the fridge.

  “Your boyfriend is a big part of the reason I’m holding it together.” Lorna looked at Marika out of the corner of her eye, as if gauging her reaction. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”

  “Tell me what?” If he had any more secrets, she didn’t want to know.

  “Of course he didn’t tell you,” Lorna said, shaking her head. “You didn’t even know he’d been here.”

  Marika sank down on the chair, steeling herself for more news. “Lor, what’s going on? What did Dec do?”

  “He gave me a check for a hundred thousand dollars.”

  Marika’s jaw dropped. “He what?”

  Lorna smiled as she shook her head and sat down. “I know, I can’t believe it either. Obviously I tried to turn him down, but he insisted. He knew how much we needed the money, and he hated what Calvin did to us.”

  “I can’t believe it.” Marika watched Lorna scoop food onto her plate. Who handed over a hundred grand to someone they barely knew? She thought of his donation to her brother’s charity and the fact he’d paid off her student loans without batting an eye. Apparently Dec did.

  “He’s an amazing man, Mari. I hope you realize that.”

  “I do,” she said softly, but apparently he was even more incredible than she’d realized. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about how much that money would help Lorna and Matthew start a new life.

  “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

  Marika nodded. She didn’t even have to think about it. Dec had somehow, in no time at all, become the most important thing in her life. Even more important than her career.

  “I’m so happy for you,” Lorna said, curling her hand around Marika’s arm.

  It felt wrong, talking about how happy she was when Lorna’s marriage was falling apart. “I didn’t come here to talk about me and Dec though. I want to know how you’re doing. Really?”

  Lorna forked some fried rice into her mouth. “Honestly? The shock is starting to wear off and I think we’re gonna be okay.” She smiled. “In fact, I know we are. I’m not going to let what he did break me. I can’t. I have a little boy to think about.”

  Marika was glad Lorna had her son. He could be her reason to stay strong, just as Dec and his sisters had been Doreen’s. “You know anything I can do to help, I will.”

  “I know.” She bit her lip as she speared a chicken ball with her fork. “But I have a feeling you won’t be right around the corner for much longer.”

  “I’m weighing my options,” she admitted. Marika had scheduled that meeting with the owner of her medical building in order to discuss her options. If she wanted to sell her practice, he would have to allow her to sublet her office suite to a new tenant.

  “You don’t have a choice,” Lorna said, reaching for her water. “You love the man. You want to be with him, right?”

  “I do.”

 
“Besides, it’s not like you planned on working here forever. Now that you don’t have the student loans weighing you down and you can get the money from selling your practice, you have the opportunity to start over. With Dec.”

  “It’s a big decision though,” Marika said, forcing herself to eat. “Leaving everything behind. It’s not like we’re married or even engaged. Is it crazy to think about uprooting my entire life for a man I’ve only known a short time?” She raised her hand. “Forget I asked that. Of course it’s crazy. No one in their right mind would even consider doing what I’m doing.”

  “Then you’ve already made your decision?”

  “When I found out that Dec paid off my student loans…” She shook her head. “I don’t know, it just made me realize this is a man who would do anything for me. And what can I do for him? All I have to give is myself.”

  “That’s all he wants, trust me.”

  “He gave me the gift of freedom,” Marika admitted. “Whether he realizes it or not. I get to decide what I want my life to look like from now on.”

  “And?”

  “We shouldn’t be talking about me right now,” she said, feeling guilty the conversation kept circling back to her and Dec when Lorna had bigger problems.

  “Just shut up and tell me what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

  They shared a smile before Marika said, “I want a small private practice in a quiet medical building in the suburbs. I want to work normal hours and know all of my patients by name.” She could picture exactly what she wanted, and thanks to Dec, she had a way to make that happen.

  “Have you started looking into your options? You know, buyers for your practice, what it would take to get your medical license over there, office space—”

  “I want to talk to Dec before I do anything. I don’t want to move in on his life without giving him a vote.”

  Lorna laughed. “I don’t think he’d mind at all if you moved in on his life. Girl, that man loves you, trust me.”