A Sure Thing

by Marie Harte

  “Yeah, because then I’d have to see him as a patient,” she retorted, giving as good as she got.

  But Landon only smiled. “That’d be fine by me. Because you’re the type who follows the rules.”

  “Oh?” She planted her hands on her hips so she wouldn’t wrap them around his thick neck. With her track record, she’d start with the intent to choke him and end by pulling him in for another kiss.

  “Yeah. You’d never sleep with a patient, would you?”

  “Of course not.” She felt offended at the very thought.

  “Exactly. So I retract my earlier statement. Do as much harm to old Chuck as you want. Reject the poor bastard. Then call me when you’re done so we can set up our fourth date.”

  “Third,” she automatically corrected.

  “Whatever you say, dear.”

  His smug grin irritated her, because it also turned her on. She yanked him down for a quick kiss, nipped his lower lip and caused him to start, then walked around him and stalked back through the house to the front door.

  “Ava?” Gavin watched her go, confused. “You’re still here?”

  “Your brother is a horse’s ass. That’s my official diagnosis.”

  Theo snickered. “She called that one.”

  She grabbed her purse from the front table and slammed her way out the door. But she continued to think about the big oaf and what he’d said all the way home. Because as much as she wanted to give Charles a real shot, she couldn’t help thinking Landon was right.

  Charles didn’t stimulate her mind, or her other parts, the way Landon did.

  * * *

  Sunday afternoon, Ava sat with Charles in Queen Anne at one of her favorite coffee shops. This time she’d paid for the small treat, making her feel a little more in control of the occasion. She understood why men usually offered to pay. For some reason, holding the money and dictating what was purchased made her feel as if she were in the driver’s seat.

  Interesting. She’d make a point to talk to the group about it at work. Ava was fascinated by social dynamics.

  “I’m so glad we’re out today,” Charles said with enthusiasm. He sipped a black coffee, no milk or sugar. And he’d asked for a plain croissant as well.

  She could almost hear Landon saying, Plain being the key word and hastened to put him out of her mind. Today was about her and Charles. Not Mr. Know It All.

  “So what did you do yesterday?” she asked as she drank her latte.

  “Nothing much. I worked out, spent dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. Oh, and I cleaned up the house. Sounds kind of boring, huh?”

  Yes. “Not at all. It’s tough to find time for the menial chores when you work long hours.”

  “Exactly.” He smiled. “You understand, don’t you? How much do you work a week, do you think?”

  “Easily sixty hours.”

  He shook his head. “I’m more like eighty. But it’s really my fault. I’m addicted to my job.”

  “Me too.” See? We have that in common. And he has such a nice smile.

  Someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned. “Yes?” Then she blinked. “Theo?”

  He wore an apron around his waist. “Hello, ma’am.” He nodded to Charles. “Sir. Just bringing you some donuts, on the house, to thank you for being a customer.” He lowered his voice. “We got two extra boxes by mistake, so the boss gave everyone a few extra. I offered to give them to the customers, and he gave me big kudos for it. Pretend you don’t know me.”

  Ava smiled as he placed two donuts in front of them. “Thank you, young man.”

  Theo made a face, then brought a donut to the guy sitting at the table next to them.

  Charles, she noted, put the sugary treat on her napkin.

  “Not a fan of sugar?”

  “It’s not good for me.” He sighed. “It’s not good for anyone, actually. But I’m on a health cleanse, so I’m abstaining. And it’s not easy.”

  He had discipline. Another mark—against him? Did the man do anything fun? Not that Ava could throw stones, but geez, even she could allow herself a cookie or donut once in a while. Landon would have… No. Not going there.

  She gave Charles a wide smile. “Good for you. I’m afraid I don’t have the same discipline.”

  Charles blinked. “Oh no. You don’t need to lay off anything that I can see.” He flushed. “I mean, you mentioned before that you work out a lot. You could probably eat two dozen donuts and be fine. I’d gain ten pounds.”

  She nodded. “No, me too.” And why is it not okay that he’s concerned with his weight? I am. Most women I know are. A man can care too.

  Yet he sounded so…wussy…being worried.

  She waited for him to say something else. Oddly enough, they’d seemed to come to a standstill in their conversation. When he simply drank his bland coffee and smiled, she took charge. One thing Ava could do, talk and put people at ease.

  “I watched a college basketball game yesterday with friends.”

  “Did you?” He seemed eager to pursue that venue.

  “Yes. I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of the sport, but it was fun hearing my friends razz each other. There was some pretty good trash talk going on.”

  He laughed. “I’m a soccer fan myself. Go Sounders.”

  “Sounders?”

  “The Seattle Sounders, our pro team? I played a little in college. I love the sport.”

  He didn’t look like a soccer player. He had skinny legs. “Oh. I’d have pegged you more as a runner.”

  “I am. I run competitively. Keeps me in shape and it’s something I look forward to, to get me out of the office.”

  “Good for you.” She bit into a donut, needing something sweet to revive her fading attention span. “So, not to change the subject, but I’m curious. What do you think about online dating?”

  “It suits me. Sounds weird, but you know, I’m so busy at work, and I wouldn’t think about dating a colleague, so finding ladies online is the only way I can meet people. There’s the gym or market, I suppose. But I go there with a specific purpose, not to talk to women.”

  “Good points.” Except she’d met Landon at the gym.

  Ack. No. More. Landon.

  It didn’t help that she spotted Theo glancing her way. The young man looked too much like his brother for his own good. She might have thought he’d come to the shop to spy on her, except he was working behind the register.

  She glanced back at Charles to see him watching her.

  He still said nothing, waiting once more for her to pick a topic to talk about. Truth be told, being with him felt a bit draining. And she desperately wanted him to be interesting, if only to prove He-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named wrong. Oh my God. Now I sound like I’m in a Harry Potter novel.

  “Have you read Harry Potter, by chance?” Well, at least it spurred the conversation.

  Charles waxed poetically about the books versus the movies. Then he transitioned into other book-to-movie series he liked and disliked. Much like their conversation the previous week, this one felt natural and smooth. It was fun, until it wrapped up. Then another long silence sat between them. Charles seemed fine with not speaking. Normally, this wouldn’t bother her. But today it felt like a huge waste of time.

  She wondered how long she might sit there, not talking, just smiling back at him, before he’d become uncomfortable.

  A minute and a half, apparently.

  “This was really fun.” He consolidated all his trash into his empty cup. “Let’s do this again.”

  How to let the man down? She hadn’t truly considered she might have to, determined to prove Landon wrong. But for some reason today’s date had been excruciating.

  Ava fiddled with her cup. “My schedule is pretty crammed lately. I think people are gearing up to be stressed for tax season.”

>   They both smiled at that.

  “But I’ll text you when I get the time.” She decided to add a dose of honesty, in the hopes it would scare him away. “Just so you know, I’ve been seeing a few people from that dating site. Just for drinks or coffee, but I didn’t want to in any way be dishonest about my intentions. I’m trying to get to know people better.”

  His smile dimmed, but he answered with a cheery, “I think that’s smart. And I appreciate you being open with me.”

  “What about you? Are you seeing other women?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure I will. I’ve been happy out with you, to be honest.”

  What could she say? “You’re fun to talk to.” When you talk.

  He seemed relieved. “Good. Well, call me when you can.”

  She wanted to kiss him, to see if perhaps her desperation had made Landon seem so right. But doing that now would send the wrong message. And honestly, she felt less and less attracted to Charles the more she spent time with him.

  They stood together, and this time she hugged him good-bye.

  He left with a spring in his step. She sank down to her seat and groaned.

  Theo came by. “Can I get you a refill?”

  “Personal service?” She arched a brow.

  He shrugged. “You looked like you needed it. How was the date with Chuck?”

  “Charles.” She mentally cursed Landon. “It was nice. You can tell your brother that from me.”

  Theo blinked. “What? Oh, hey. I’m not here to spy on you or anything. This is my new job, and I’m just trying to be friendly.”

  “I’m sorry.” Great. Now she felt bad, all because Landon had put suspicious thoughts in her head. “I’ll take an Americano.” She slid him a five. “A small one. Keep the change.”

  Theo grinned. “All right.” He left and returned minutes later with a steaming cup.

  He handed it to her but remained standing by her table.

  The caffeine hitting her system felt more than welcome. She’d drunk half when she realized Theo hadn’t moved. “Yes?”

  “I’m on break. Do you mind if I sit?”

  “Please.” She nodded to the chair Charles had vacated.

  He longingly eyeballed the remaining donut.

  She slid it to him, and he bit in and sighed. “I love these things.”

  “Me too.” She watched him. “Theo, is something on your mind?”

  “What? No.” He finished the donut in what looked like two bites. “Well, maybe.”

  “Ask.”

  “Um, you’re a therapist, right? So anything we say is confidential? You wouldn’t tell Landon?”

  “If you were my patient, then yes, what we discussed would be confidential. But because I’m in a—something resembling a relationship—with your brother, it would be unethical for me to take you on as a client.”

  His crestfallen expression affected her more than it should have. But Theo was so cute, and looked so much like Landon. No way would she consider giving Theo any therapy. She was too biased to be truly helpful. But…she could listen.

  “However, you’re not my client. You’re a friend. I’m more than happy to listen.”

  “Will you keep this between us?” he asked, his cheeks pink.

  “Sure. But only because you gave me a donut,” she teased.

  He relaxed, his over-six-foot frame sagging into the too-small chair. Dark-haired like Gavin and just as handsome, Theo would be a real heartbreaker when he got older. Though according to Hope, he was already breaking hearts. No doubt girls fell for those deep brown eyes, eyes so like his oldest brother’s.

  “It’s…well, it’s a lot of stuff. But it’s hard to talk about with anyone, especially my mom and dad. My brothers don’t get it, though Hope kind of does. But she’s got issues with Mom, so she’s not the easiest person to talk to.” He paused. “My friends are all in college and moving on. And my cousins are so annoyingly settled and getting married and stuff. None of them remember what it’s like to not know where you’re going.”

  Ah. This was about Theo’s future. She might have guessed. “So what’s the problem?” She’d let him do the talking. The most effective part of therapy, sometimes, could be found in letting the patient discover what he or she had known all along. They just needed guidance to find their own answers.

  “I’m stuck. I’m twenty, almost twenty-one, and I’m still living at home, bouncing from job to job, while my buddies are playing football at college and joining the service or out there working for a living. But the jobs I’ve found don’t fit. And it’s hard, because everyone in my family is so successful and smart. And I’m just Theo.”

  “Do you think they started that way, successful, I mean?”

  “Landon did.” Theo nodded. “Gavin didn’t have any issues. Right out of high school, he joined up. Dad retired from the Navy, and he’s a bigwig salesman. Mom too, except she sells real estate, not drugs.”

  She must have shown him her puzzlement, because he amended, “Dad works for a pharmaceutical company.”

  “Ah.”

  He grinned, then sobered. “Everyone’s got something to look forward to. For a while, Hope was as scattered as I am. But then she went to work for Cam, my cousin, at his megabucks investment firm. Now she’s doing good, and I’m still…me.”

  He looked miserable.

  “But you’re working. It takes skill to find job after job.”

  “I guess. Except a few weeks into any job, I get bored.”

  “What do you want to do, Theo? If you could do anything, what would it be?”

  He paused. “You won’t tell—”

  “I swear. This is just between you and me.”

  He blew out a heavy breath. “I want to join the Marine Corps. So bad. But Landon got shot. Gavin too, and he’s all messed up. It’s different than it was in Dad’s day, according to Dad. He’s always on my ass about being sure about everything. How the hell can I be sure? I’m twenty years old.”

  “Or maybe he’s acting cautious because two of his sons were hurt in the military. And he was in the Navy, so maybe he saw combat.”

  Theo nodded. “Oh, he did. He was a corpsman, spending all his time patching guys up.”

  “Right.” She understood his father’s unease, though of course there might have been much more behind the elder Donnigan’s reservations. “So maybe your dad is worried about you too, that you’ll be hurt if you join the Marine Corps. Or it could be he’s worried that he’s putting undue pressure on you to join the military because he did and your brothers both did.”

  Theo frowned. “Hmm. I never thought about that, that he might think he was pressuring me into joining. He’s always acted the opposite. He’s pretty chill, and that can be super annoying when you want a straight answer on stuff.”

  She nodded. “Yes, direct people tend to give you the straight yes or no.”

  “Like Mom and Landon.” Theo sighed. “It’s just… For a long time I wanted to be a Marine. But it’s not an easy choice now.”

  “Because your brothers got hurt?”

  “Yeah, and because I’m afraid if I go overseas, I’ll be all messed up when I get back.”

  “Is Landon messed up?” She hadn’t seen that in the stubborn man, but he did hold things in.

  “Not really. Oh, his knee isn’t right anymore, but he works hard at the gym to make it stronger. It’s more Gavin. He and I are a lot alike. And he got mentally fragged from stuff he did. He won’t talk about it.” Theo bit his lip. “We had an intervention for him because he was drinking a lot. Like, a lot-lot. But he’s not drinking anymore.”

  “That’s good.” She wanted badly to delve into that, but it wasn’t her call to make. The fact that Gavin’s family had stepped in to help him, and that he’d listened, told her Gavin was doing much better than he might think.
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  “So will I?” Theo asked.

  “Will you what?”

  “Will I be like Gavin if I join the Corps? What do you think?”

  He looked so hopeful, wanting an answer. “What I think is that you’ll know.”

  “Huh?”

  “When the time is right for you to make a decision regarding your future, you’ll know. Theo, there’s no time stamp saying when you need to make a big decision like this. You have to do what’s right for you. But I can tell you that everyone reacts to things differently. Gavin went through some difficult situations, and it affected him. Landon did too, but your brothers process differently.

  “You and Gavin could be in the same war conditions, and you’d each handle them in your own way. You come from a dedicated family, one that has served and sacrificed. One that is close, sharing love and acceptance. That you guys had an intervention for Gavin instead of tossing him out, that you could see he needed help and you acted on it, tells me your family is actually pretty good at dealing with conflict. As a whole.”

  “I guess.”

  “And you’re a part of that. But only you can know what you can handle. Do you want to join the Marine Corps only because your family did?”

  “No. I love the Marines. They’re the best of the best. They train hard. Man, those guys are mean, and they don’t take any shit—ah, stuff—from anyone.”

  She nodded.

  “I’d be proud to be a part. You have to go to boot camp. And you have to be physically fit. I’ve been running hard, lifting weights at the gym. Gavin was training me.”

  “Was?”

  “Still is, now. He was a little rough a few weeks ago, but I kept going anyway.”

  “So you give him purpose, letting him train you, and you benefit because you’re getting in better shape. The fact you’re still training, even though you’re not sure of what you ‘really want,’ should tell you something.”

  He nodded. “I know. It’s just… I’m afraid.”

  She took his hand in hers and squeezed. “We’re all afraid. Heck, I was afraid of wasting tons of money and time on a degree I might come to hate. I spent eight years between schooling and interning to get licensed to practice. And now it’s my job.”