Going for the Hole

by L. P. Dover

  “I won’t,” I promised, glancing down at his bare bottom on my kitchen chair. “But I swear to all that is holy, if you leave any stains on my chair, I will freak out.” We both laughed and the mood lightened. I didn’t want to stress about the media or what their next move was regarding our relationship.

  “Ashley?” He took my hand and I looked at him. “This morning, after I saw the pictures of us online, I did something.”

  “What exactly was that?” I asked warily.

  His lips curled up slightly. “You know that private island we stayed on?” When I nodded, his grin spread. “I bought it.”

  “You what?” I shrieked, completely taken by surprise.

  Laughing, he kissed my hand. “I bought it. With your life being turned upside down because of me, I want a place we can retreat to if things get crazy. On the island, we don’t have to worry about anyone following us.”

  “Lucas! You didn’t have to do all of that.”

  He shrugged. “But I wanted to. It’s always an option. We can go there any time we want.”

  My eyes burned and I squeezed his hand. “I’m going to take you up on that.”

  “Good. Now, what did you have to show me?” he asked, glancing down at my computer.

  Once my laptop finished booting up, I took a deep breath and typed in the website information.

  “Redbird Invitational? What’s that?” he asked. When the screen popped up, there was a picture of my dad and all his friends from the tournament the year before. Lucas grinned wide. “Nice. Looks like fun. I guess your dad’s the organizer?”

  I nodded. “Yep. He’s already started on the one for next year. Do you want to see what it’s all about?”

  He kissed me. “Of course. I think it’s great your dad puts together golf tournaments. I’ll have to play in the next one.”

  Excitement bubbled in my veins. “That’s what I was hoping.” I clicked on the tournament tab. “Because the next one is dedicated to your mother.” Once the page loaded, his focus landed on the headline . . . Raise Awareness for Adrenal Insufficiency.

  His eyes glistened. “What is this?”

  “My father and I are organizing the tournament together. We’re doing things a little differently this time. The proceeds will go toward awareness efforts for Addison’s disease. Like you said, a lot of people die from adrenal insufficiency because not everyone knows how to treat it. I want to change that. If more people know about it, then they’ll know what to look for and how to treat them.”

  Taking my face in his hands, he leaned his forehead in to touch mine. “I love you, Ashley. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but this means more than you’ll ever know. Thank you.”

  I kissed him. “You’re welcome. I came up with the idea today. And look . . .” I clicked on the registration tab. “We already have people signing up.”

  “And you’re about to have a ton more, once I get my father involved. I told him today he’ll love you. This will just be the cherry on top.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ashley

  The past couple of days had been some of the best days of my life. I’d go to work, Lucas would play golf, and then I’d go home to a complete dinner ready to eat. What bothered me was that it wasn’t going to stay like that. Soon, Lucas would have to go back home, and we’d only see each other on the weekends.

  It was closing in on lunch time and my mother was in the break room, heating up leftover spaghetti from the night before. I was about to head into the break room when I saw Rhett jumping out of his Mercedes in the parking lot.

  What was he doing here? Changing gears, I went outside to find him leaning up against his car, eyes covered by aviator sunglasses.

  “Hey,” I called out. “What are you doing here?”

  He took off his sunglasses and walked toward me. “Nice to see you, Ashley. I can’t stay long, but I wanted to give you something.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a folded envelope and handed it to me.

  I slid my finger under the flap. “What is it?”

  “Open it and see,” he said, his voice echoing with laughter. As I opened it, he continued, “I see you and Lucas are spending a lot of time together.”

  I don’t know why I felt guilty, but I did. It was probably because we’d flirted back and forth for years, yet I always kept my distance. A part of me felt like I’d led him on, and then threw him to the wind. “I’m sorry nothing ever happened between us, Rhett. I never expected Lucas and I to work out.”

  He waved me off. “It’s okay. It wasn’t meant to be. I’m okay with that. I’d still like to consider us friends.”

  I smiled. “Always.” Once I got the envelope open, there was a check inside, addressed to the Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness Fund. But when I looked at the amount, I wasn’t expecting to see so many zeroes. “Holy sh—” I couldn’t even say the word. “Rhett, this is too much. You can’t give me this.” I tried to give it back, but he grabbed my hand and held it.

  “It’s my money to give. I admire what you’re doing. You have a big heart, Ashley. What happened to Lucas’ mother was a tragedy.”

  “It was,” I agreed. “But why are you so willing to help? I didn’t think you liked him.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t, but I’m all about medical research. I’m doing this to help you, and of course, the others out there with the disease.”

  Tears filled my eyes and I hugged him hard. “Thank you so much. I wish I had the words to tell you how much I appreciate this.”

  “No need,” he murmured, hugging me back. “I’m happy to help.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ashley

  When I got home from work, I spent the entire night in the backyard with Lucas, talking and laughing, only to eventually fall asleep on the hammock. Luckily, I’d woken up in time to get ready for work.

  Lucas then decided to take the day off and cut my grass, since I had a ton of it. It was going to take hours to do. I’d told him there was a guy I hired to cut it every two weeks, but Lucas wanted to do it himself, and I wasn’t going to complain. It saved me a couple hundred dollars.

  I’d just finished up with my last patient before lunch and my eyelids were so heavy I didn’t think they could stay open a moment longer. Shutting my office door, I laid down on the couch to rest my eyes. My parents had asked if I wanted to go out to lunch with them, but I’d rather sleep than eat. I could feel myself slipping into a deep sleep when a voice echoed down the hall.

  “Ashley!”

  Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut and then huffed. “In here—” I cleared my throat and tried again, louder this time. “In here, Harp.”

  She stormed through my door and flipped on my light, completely out of breath.

  I covered my face with a pillow. “Shouldn’t you be at work? I’m trying to nap here.”

  “I don’t think you have time to nap. Look what I just picked up at the grocery store.” She tossed what felt like a magazine onto my lap. I jumped up and it fell to the floor.

  “What the—” I looked down at the magazine. It was one of the silly tabloids that were always on display at the end of the grocery store checkout lines. “I could care less about this crap, Harp.”

  She shut the door behind her and picked it up. “You’re going to want to read this one in particular.” Opening the magazine, she flipped to a story and handed it to me.

  I didn’t have to look twice to know who it was in the picture. “Oh, my dear ever-loving goodness.”

  Harper scoffed. “Yeah, holy shit is right. What the hell were you doing with Rhett?”

  “Nothing. He came by to give me a check, that’s it. He donated extra money for the Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness fund that I put together for my father’s golf tournament.” One side of the page was nothing but a ginormous picture of us with his arms around my waist as I hugged him. There was a huge smile on my face and I was wearing the same light green scrubs that I wore yesterday.

  Clo
sing my eyes, I held a hand over my mouth. “I can’t believe this.”

  Harper took the magazine. “Do you think Lucas has seen this?”

  Scrambling for my phone, my fingers shook as I called him. It rang and rang. “Dammit. He’s not answering.”

  She scoffed. “Whoever wrote this needs their ass kicked. They’re making you out to be a money-grubbing whore. Don’t they know you’re a doctor? You make enough on your own without a man.”

  I felt like I was going to throw up. “What if my patients read this?”

  Harper tossed the magazine in the trash. “Who the hell cares? It’s all bullshit lies. All that matters is that you and Lucas know the truth. You’re not going to lose patients over this. I promise.”

  I’d spent years trying to build up a good reputation, but it had also cost me much happiness. It was time I thought about myself for a change. I called Lucas again—still no answer. “I have to go home and see him. Do you think Noah or Aiden told him already?”

  Harper opened the door and held it for me. “Not sure, babe. Just go. I’ll stay and tell your parents you’ll be back soon.”

  Grabbing my purse and keys, I took off for my car and sped out of the parking lot. Who would’ve thought our first problems would come from me? Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I did nothing wrong, I needed to stop acting like it.

  Turning down my driveway, Lucas’ rental car was still in the driveway. At least he was there. I parked behind his car and got out. The sound of a lawn mower echoed from the back yard. Taking off at a sprint, I ran around the house. He was on my riding mower, the one I’d never even used. His back was to me, but when he turned the mower around, he did a double take and smiled. I waved him over and the closer he got, I realized he had no clue about the tabloids. He’d be pissed if he knew.

  He turned off the mower and hopped off. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home for lunch?”

  I swallowed hard. “I wasn’t going to, but something—something came up.”

  Wiping his hands on his shorts, he grabbed my hand and kissed me. “Well, come on. I’ll take a break and eat with you.” He pulled me toward the house.

  “Actually, I’m not really hungry. My appetite is gone.”

  “You okay?” He opened the door and the cool air did nothing to calm my nerves.

  “Harper came by and showed me something today. Have you looked online at all?” I asked nervously. I had no doubt the story was all over the place.

  He stopped at the refrigerator and pulled out a water. “Does this have anything to do with you and Rhett?”

  Frozen in place, I stood there in shock. “How did you know?”

  Chuckling, he turned around and guzzled his water. “Every time a story gets published with my name, I get notifications.”

  Confused, I stood still and gaped at him. “I don’t know what to say.”

  He waved me off. “I’m not worried about it. You were clearly just hugging him, that’s it. Granted, I didn’t like the smile you gave him, but that’s only because I don’t want to imagine that anyone besides me can make you happy.”

  “So you don’t believe what the article said?”

  “Fuck no. And anyone smart enough wouldn’t believe it either.” His eyes met mine and his smile faded. “It got to you, didn’t it?”

  I shrugged, tears springing to my eyes again. “The picture scared me more than anything. I didn’t want you to think something was going on between me and Rhett.”

  Sighing, he walked over and pulled me into his arms. He was sweaty, but I didn’t care. “I don’t think that. Do you know how many stories are out there about me that aren’t true?”

  “Yeah, but how many are?” I countered.

  When he didn’t answer, I closed my eyes. I deliberately didn’t look up, so I could avoid the disappointment. I didn’t want to know anything about him that he hadn’t told me himself.

  “Why was Rhett at your work yesterday anyway?”

  I stepped away and fetched the check out of my purse. “He came by to donate extra money to our cause. He’s going to play in the tournament.”

  He took the check and his eyes widened. “Wow. This guy’s really smart.”

  Brows furrowed, I took the check back. “What do you mean?”

  Leaning against the counter, he looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “He wants you, Ashley. There are a lot of people who don’t think our relationship will work, him being included. If he butters you up and things don’t work out between us, he’ll be in your good graces. What better person to lean on than him? And if things do work between us, the money he donated is a tax write off. He wins either way.”

  “Either way, it’s not going to change anything. I don’t see him like that.”

  “Good. Nothing’s going to come between us anyway.” Wrapping his arms around my waist, he sighed heavily. “Things like this are going to happen, sunshine. There’s bound to be stories about you, and there will definitely be ones about me. We just have to ignore them. If we don’t, it will tear us apart.”

  I rested my head against his bare chest. “I don’t see how you put up with it.”

  He shrugged. “You get used to it. One day, you will too. I trust you, sunshine. That’s why I didn’t get mad when I saw the tabloids. I just hope you trust me the same way.”

  “I do,” I murmured. “You haven’t given me a reason not to.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Ashley

  The rest of the week went by with no problems. It was now Saturday, which meant we could sleep in. I loved waking up in his arms. He snuggled up to my back and kissed my neck. “There’s somewhere I want to take you.”

  “Oh yeah?” I turned around and faced him. “Where?”

  He winked. “It’s a surprise. We’ll be back in plenty of time for your dad’s birthday dinner tomorrow.”

  I lifted up onto my elbow. “Do I need to pack a bag?”

  He nodded. “Nothing fancy. It’s time you get to know me a little better.”

  I could see the excitement on his face and it intrigued me. Everything was spontaneous with him. It’d been a long time since I’d lived life without planning things out.

  Lucas glanced over at the time on my alarm clock. “Think you can be ready in an hour? I have some phone calls to make.”

  Throwing off the covers, I jumped out of bed. “Give me forty-five minutes, and I’m all yours.”

  I rushed into the shower and got dressed as fast as I could. He said to pack nothing fancy, but I added a variety of clothes in my bag. I might love the spontaneity of this whole ordeal, but I didn’t want to be unprepared. Nothing was going to change that part of me. Once I was packed and ready to go, I grabbed my bag and waited for him by the front door.

  Dressed in a pair of jeans and a gray tee, he whistled at me. “You look fucking hot in those jeans.”

  I twirled around for him and stuck out my backside. “Thanks. They’re supposed to make my butt look bigger.” Not that I needed special jeans for that; it was already plump, thanks to my mother’s side of the family.

  He grabbed my ass and squeezed. “You’re definitely not lacking in that department.”

  Slinging my bag around his shoulders, he carried it out to his rental car and set it in the back with his. He opened my door and gestured for me to get in. “Let’s go, sunshine.”

  We drove through the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach until we got to a private airfield. There were small planes all around, and several different hangars. When I was younger, my parents had taken me to the air show they held there every year.

  “What in the world are we doing here?” I asked once we got to the last hangar. There was a small, private jet with two men and a woman waiting for us.

  Lucas smiled and turned off the car. “We’re going on an overnight trip. Figured we could get there faster this way.”

  Fascinated, I stared at the jet in awe. “I’ve never been on a private
jet before.”

  Lucas got out and opened my door. “Add it to our list of firsts, babe.” He grabbed our bags out of the backseat and took my hand.

  The pilot held out his hand as we approached. He was a short, middle-aged man with smooth white hair under his hat. “Ah, Lucas Montgomery. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. My name’s Barry Whitmore and this,” he said, gesturing to the other man and the woman, “is my co-pilot, Jamie Hannaford, and your flight attendant, Susan Billings.”

  Lucas shook his hand, along with the other two as well. “It’s nice to meet you all. Is everything all set?”

  Barry nodded. “Yes, sir. Once you’re all settled, we’ll take off.”

  Susan smiled and motioned toward the stairs. “If you would like, you can take your seats now. I’ll bring you some refreshments.”

  Lucas nodded for me to go up first, so I did. The second I stepped into the jet, I gasped. The seats were white leather and huge. They were even bigger than the seats you’d find in first class. Everything looked so clean and bright . . . and expensive.

  I took a seat and Lucas sat across from me. There was a table between us with a vase full of white lilies. “I don’t even want to know how much you spent on this.”

  He looked around and shrugged. “I might just buy my own jet. In the long run, it’d be cheaper.” The pilots came in and secured the door before taking their seats in the front compartment.

  Leaning over the table, I breathed in the lilies. “That’s a lot of money, Lucas. Will you really be flying that much?”

  He smirked. “Well . . . you got to think. Starting in January, I’ll be going to tournaments again, and when I’m not doing that, I’ll be here with you. Then on the weekends I don’t have tournaments, we can fly where ever we want. I’ve always wanted to see the world.”

  “You’re serious?” I asked, not sure if I believed him or not.

  He chuckled. “Why wouldn’t I be?”