Catching Lucas Riley

by Lauren Winder Farnsworth

  “Given the, uh, events of tonight, I think I should probably tell you something,” Lucas said suddenly. He turned off I-15, heading toward Brigham City.

  “Okay . . . what’s up?” said Alex, suddenly nervous but not sure why.

  “I am . . . sort of . . . I’m kind of . . . well, I’m kind of attached to someone,” he said, his voice hesitant.

  Uh-oh. Here it was. Olivia.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Alex said, straining to keep her voice light and unassuming.

  “Well, I’ve been writing this missionary. Her name is Olivia. I’ve known her pretty much my whole life, and we dated, you know, kind of seriously before she left.”

  Despite the fact that Alex already knew all this, she was curious to hear Lucas’s side of the story. She played along.

  “So, are you supposed to be waiting for her or something?”

  “No, nothing like that,” Lucas answered, shaking his head. “I never promised her anything, but given that I’ve written her regularly for nearly her entire mission, and that she’s coming home in a month, I think she’s probably expecting something to happen.”

  “I see,” Alex said, and she could feel the shiny happiness inside her fading a little. Was she about to hear that this was her last night with Lucas? Was he feeling guilty about kissing her? Maybe so much so that he wouldn’t want to see her again?

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying anything by telling you this, I just . . . I don’t know, I . . . I just felt like you should know,” he finished somewhat lamely. In his discomfort, he began to rub his thumb over her palm absentmindedly. Shivers of pleasure reverberated through her. She quickly pulled her hand away, not wanting to be distracted. Lucas mistook her sudden movement as a sign that she was angry with him.

  “I’m so sorry, Alex,” he apologized immediately. “I should have told you sooner. I promise I wasn’t trying to use you or mislead you or anything. And I don’t want to stop seeing you.”

  “I appreciate the fact that you want to be honest with me,” she began, her tone uncertain. She needed to tread carefully here. “But I guess I’m not sure why you felt the need to tell me this. Are you regretting what happened tonight? Are you trying to tell me that we need to back off?”

  “No,” he said, firmly and immediately. “I don’t want to back off. I’m not regretting anything that happened. Tonight was . . . incredible.” He reached over and squeezed her hand again. “I guess I just needed to tell you about Olivia because it’s likely that when she gets home there will be some potentially awkward moments. And I think it’s likely that they will involve both of us.” He gave Alex a meaningful look. The shivers returned, and she squeezed his hand back.

  “Well, then,” she cleared her throat. “In that case, thanks for letting me know.”

  “SERIOUSLY, FOAMER. I never thought it would have taken me this long to say this, but I’m right on the brink of really regretting that I ever agreed to this,” Sealey complained to Alex as they sat on the grass at the park, enjoying the October sunshine.

  “Oh, stop your whining,” Alex said, lying back on the grass and tucking her hands beneath her head. She closed her eyes, feeling the soft heat on her face. “Just keep focusing on the fact that in less than a month, Olivia will be attractively crying on your shoulder.” The words sounded more callous than Alex had meant them. But Sealey didn’t seem to notice.

  “But until that happens, I get to hear over and over how amazing and perfect and beautiful you are,” Sealey griped. “It’s not that I don’t concur with those sentiments, but it’s getting to the point that the more he says it, the less I agree with him.”

  Alex laughed, squinting up at his face. She was getting better at recognizing when he was teasing and when he was serious. “Well, we can’t have that,” she said. “I’ll buy you some earplugs. I’d rather you didn’t turn against me at this critical juncture.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Sealey assured her, watching the kids play on the playground several feet away. He burrowed his fingers in the grass, tearing up the delicate blades and piling them on Alex’s stomach. “When’s your next date? Homecoming?”

  “Yep,” Alex replied. “We’re going to the dance next Friday, and then I’ll be at the game on Saturday.”

  “Cool. I’ll be there too,” Sealey replied.

  “The game or the dance?” Alex clarified.

  “Both.”

  Alex scrambled upright, the little pile of grass scattering everywhere as she gaped at him. “You’re going to the dance? The USU homecoming dance? Why? And with whom, may I ask?”

  “Ashley,” Sealey said simply, shrugging. “She’s coming up on Friday anyway and she’s staying with us, so we decided to make a night of it.”

  The thought of Sealey and Ashley in the vicinity while Alex and Lucas were attempting to have a romantic evening together made Alex very nervous. She could only imagine the earful she would get from Ashley if Lucas kissed her or something while Ashley was watching.

  “I thought you didn’t like Ashley,” Alex said, sounding much whinier than she meant to. “Why on earth would you volunteer to go to a dance with her?”

  “Of course I like Ashley,” Sealey claimed, giving her an incredulous look. “She’s one of my oldest friends.”

  “But I thought you said she wasn’t your type. Don’t you think this will just encourage her to keep pursuing you?”

  “Probably,” Sealey said unconcernedly. “But, quite honestly, Foamer, she’s been pursuing me since she was three. I’m pretty sure she’s used to the lack of reciprocation by now. In fact, I’m convinced that nowadays, she flirts just to annoy me. She doesn’t actually want it to go anywhere. Not anymore.”

  Alex studied him out of the corner of her eye. Despite the fact that she felt he was slowly revealing his true nature and personality to her, sometimes he really did surprise her. She would have never in a million years supposed that Sealey Witchburn would attend a college dance (at a college he didn’t even attend anymore, no less) with a girl he had no real interest in.

  As Alex studied him, the question flew from her lips unrestrained. “So, is Olivia going to be completely blindsided when you admit you’re in love with her?”

  Sealey turned to look at her, fatigue evident on his face. “Oh, we’re back to this topic now, are we?”

  “Well, I’m just curious how that’s all going to work out,” Alex said, shrugging. “I mean, have you even had any contact with her since she left?”

  “Of course,” he replied, looking away from her. “I write her all the time.”

  “You do?” Alex said, surprised. “Does Lucas know?”

  “I really don’t have any idea,” Sealey said, unconcerned. “But if he did, I doubt he’d suspect anything. We’ve all been friends so long it would be perfectly natural for me to write her.”

  “I’m really interested to see how this all plays out,” Alex said again, chewing on the inside of her lip.

  “You and me both,” Sealey muttered.

  Alex began to reply but was halted by the sound of a shockingly familiar voice calling her name from behind them—a voice that had no place being in Logan, Utah. She whirled around to see an extremely tall, thickly built man jogging toward them.

  “Al!” called the man again, his thinning blond hair blowing in the slight breeze.

  “Dad!” Alex exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “What on earth are you doing here?” She threw her arms around her father, still reeling at the unexpected fact of his presence.

  “Just flew in,” Alexander Foamer replied, hugging his oldest daughter and kissing her soundly on the forehead. “I have a conference at the University of Utah this weekend, and I thought I’d take the afternoon to stop by and surprise my favorite namesake. I stopped by your apartment first, but, obviously, you weren’t there. Your roommates told me where to find you.”

  “I’m so glad you came!”

  “Yes, well, your mother wouldn’t have forgiven me if I’d b
een this close and not stopped by to check up on you. Consequently, is there a reason you haven’t called her in nearly a month?” Alexander’s voice took on a note of sternness as he gave her a meaningful look.

  Alex winced, but smiled up at him quickly to hide it.

  At six feet eight inches tall, her father was one of the few men alive who had the ability to make her feel small. His height was probably his most defining characteristic and had been a significant advantage to him in his life. He had played basketball in college, and thanks to his success, now was the head basketball coach at Pepperdine University in Malibu, where he also worked as a professor of finance.

  “So, who’s this?” Alexander motioned toward Sealey, who had risen to his feet at the sight of the newcomer.

  “Dad, this is Sealey Witchburn,” Alex introduced. “He’s a friend from my ward.” She didn’t think it wise to elaborate further on that, and she was sure Sealey would agree with her. “Sealey, this is my dad, Alexander Foamer.”

  “Alexander?” Sealey questioned, holding his hand out to shake that of the larger man. “Does that get confusing around your house?” He gestured between the two of them. “Do you both go by Alex?”

  “Nah,” Alexander responded, waving a hand. “At home, I’m Dad, and she’s Al.”

  “Very feminine,” Sealey said, winking at Alex.

  “So, do I have you to thank for my wife’s current lack of information with regard to her firstborn daughter?” Alexander asked Sealey.

  “I’m sorry?” Sealey replied, baffled.

  “Grace, my wife, hasn’t heard from Alex for quite some time. Is it you I have to blame for that?”

  Sealey glanced at Alex, his look subtly pleading for her to intervene. “No, sir,” he finally said when she just watched him, blinking innocently. “I would never do such a thing. In fact, if I had known that Alex was neglecting her mother, I would have frog-marched her right back to her apartment and refused to talk to her until she immediately rectified the situation.” He attempted to keep his tone light, but Alex could still detect some uneasiness in his demeanor. It was hilarious.

  “Good man,” Alexander said, laughing. “Al isn’t much for keeping us up-to-date on her love life, so when I catch sight of her talking to a boy, I have to assume that he’s the ‘one,’ you know? The one fated to keep me up at night until I commission a thorough background check?”

  “Stop while you’re ahead, Dad,” Alex finally spoke up. “Trust me, you’re way off base with that one. Sealey and I are just buds.”

  “Huh,” Alexander responded, looking Sealey up and down, unconvinced. “Well, that’s too bad. He reminds me of myself at that age, if a little runtier than I was.”

  Alex snorted with laughter, while Sealey nodded with an expression of affected misery on his face. “Yes, I actually get that quite often. Six foot six . . . it’s a curse.”

  Alexander laughed and pounded Sealey good-naturedly on the back. “I like this one, Al. Hang on to him.”

  “Dad, I told you we’re not together,” Alex emphasized. “In fact, if you must know, I—”

  “Hey, Alex, why don’t we take your dad over to Aggie Ice Cream? Nobody should visit Logan without getting a taste of our primary accomplishment here at USU,” Sealey interrupted. His voice was lighthearted, but he shook his head slightly at her as she looked at him questioningly. Why didn’t Sealey want her dad to know about Lucas?

  By the time Alexander Foamer drove out of her apartment parking lot nearly two hours later, Alex was bursting with questions for Sealey. The three of them had gone together to the USU Creamery, where Sealey had expertly maneuvered the conversation to various topics engineered to keep Alex from being tempted to mention her recent romance.

  It all seemed to be going swimmingly until Lucas’s name cropped up unexpectedly. Alexander had mentioned how USU’s football team had had an unusual amount of success in the current season, seemingly due to some very able players, namely that wide receiver, Lucas Riley. Sealey agreed wholeheartedly and then immediately steered the conversation to USU’s much more decorated basketball team. That was all that was necessary to keep Alexander occupied for the rest of his visit. As he drove away, headed for a dinner appointment in Salt Lake with a colleague, Alex whirled angrily to face Sealey. They stood in front her apartment building, and her fierce look caused him to take a defensive step backward toward the curb.

  “What was that all about?” she demanded. “Why are you making me withhold information from my parents?”

  Sealey raised his eyebrows at her. “Hey, I’m trying to help you,” he claimed innocently. “Don’t you think your parents would be a little curious as to why you’re spending time with me if you’re dating another guy? Besides, your dad didn’t seem to take much to the idea that you and I weren’t actually a couple.”

  “He just likes to tease me,” Alex defended. “I’m sure he wouldn’t think anything of it if I told him I was dating someone else.”

  “Well, feel free to call him and tell him all about Lucas,” Sealey said, shrugging. “I just thought maybe you’d want to hold off on making any big reveals about your relationship with him until everything is on, you know, sure footing.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Alex demanded, folding her arms tightly in front of her. “You were just telling me earlier today about how Lucas won’t stop talking about me!”

  “Yes, but until Olivia comes home and everything is settled between the four of us, your relationship with Lucas is very much hypothetical,” Sealey reminded her. “Is that really something you want to be updating your mother on regularly?”

  Alex considered, biting her lip. She hadn’t thought about it from that perspective. “You’re right,” she finally said. “I’ll wait until Olivia is home, but as soon as the dust has settled and we all are organized into our established romantic arrangements, I’m calling my mom and telling her everything.”

  “Deal,” Sealey agreed. “Although I recommend you don’t tell her everything. And by that I mean, feel free to leave my role in the entire project completely out of it.” He took a step toward the street, heading for his own apartment building. “Oh, and by the way, I feel duty-bound to remind you that you have not spoken to your mother for almost a month. I recommend you take care of that,” he said, pointing toward her apartment. “Especially since I have a feeling that if you don’t, it will make it back to her that I’m the reason you didn’t. I’d rather not have her hate me before she has the pleasure of meeting me.” Sealey winked at her and walked away into the deepening darkness.

  “Alex?”

  Alex heard the soft voice of her boss outside her office door, just as the timid knock sounded. She smiled to herself before she called, “Come on in, Karen.”

  Karen Waters, Director of Dietetics at the hospital, was a thin brunette with skin so pale it was almost translucent. She had long, delicate limbs and an awkward, insubstantial air. Her physical appearance matched her personality exactly. She was quiet and timid and preferred to fade into the background. Unfortunately, necessity had pushed her into her current position of authority and it did not suit her. Still, she was kind and sweet, and Alex adored her.

  “What’s up, sister?” Alex asked, signing a chart with a flourish before putting down her pen and gazing up at Karen. “How was your trip?”

  “Oh, it was very nice,” Karen said with a soft smile. That was about as much enthusiasm as she was capable of. “The weather was beautiful and Thomas took me to see six different lighthouses.”

  Karen’s husband, Thomas, was a lighthouse enthusiast. From how much Alex heard about it, she would swear that he had visited every single one in the United States at least four times.

  “New ones this time?” Alex asked hopefully.

  “Two of them,” Karen agreed. “But I have to admit, my favorite part of the trip was the color. Everything is so green in Oregon. The drives were just beautiful.”

  “I love that area,” Alex agreed, nodding. �
��Well, I’m glad you had fun. We missed you.”

  Karen waved the comment away. “I had something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Okay, sure,” Alex agreed, motioning to the seat across from her. “What’s up?”

  “While I was in Oregon, I attended a symposium on the research supporting the DASH diet,” Karen said as she sat down. “I went up after the presentation to tell the presenter how much I enjoyed it. Her name is Dr. Fiona Welch. Have you heard of her?”

  “Sure,” Alex shrugged. “She’s one of the foremost researchers on childhood obesity.”

  “Yes, she is,” Karen agreed. “Anyway, she asked about my background and when I told her that one of our main goals here at the hospital is to educate mothers early about appropriate childhood nutrition, she asked if I might be interested in joining her in a speaker series.” Karen looked positively horrified at the very thought.

  “I imagine you said no,” Alex said, smiling at her. “I know how much you loathe public speaking.”

  “I did,” Karen admitted. “But I also told her about you.”

  “Me?” Alex squeaked. “What about me?”

  “I told her we had a dietitian on staff who was very passionate about fighting childhood obesity and was interested in doing more,” Karen said, her voice gaining a little bit of strength. “She said she’d like to meet with you.”

  Alex stared at her. “What does that mean?”

  “Well, she’s going to be in Salt Lake City on October 21 doing another symposium. I told her you could probably meet her then.”

  “Karen!” Alex squealed. “Oh my gosh! Are you serious?”

  Karen nodded, her face breaking into another one of her signature soft smiles. “I thought you’d be excited.”

  “What kind of speaker series is she doing?” Alex asked eagerly.