Forever Starts Tonight

by Barbara Freethy

  "Good. The class was great. Very informative."

  "I'm happy to hear that. How did Brandon like his tour of the firehouse?"

  "He loved it. He's decided he's going to be a firefighter—at least for now."

  "Good to hear." He paused. "So are you going to watch Reid take on the big waves in the Revolution Surfing Competition?"

  "What's that?"

  "It's a big surfing event. The best surfers in the world come to Half Moon Bay when the conditions are exactly right and the forecast anticipates those conditions coming end of next week."

  "What kind of conditions?"

  "Twenty-five foot waves."

  Her stomach churned as she pictured a surfer trying to take on a wave of that size. "And Reid wants to compete?"

  "Yes. He was a finalist a long time ago. Apparently, he's decided to relive his glory days."

  "Is Reid that good?"

  "Am I that good at what?" Reid asked, interrupting their conversation. "And before you tell me, I'm sure the answer is yes."

  "Cocky as usual," Bill said with a laugh. "We were talking about you possibly surfing Revolution next week."

  "Are you really going to do it?" she asked, surprised by how much she didn't like the idea.

  "I haven't decided yet. They give former finalists a wild card. It's up to me whether or not I want to take it."

  "When did you final in the competition?"

  "About ten years ago."

  "That's a long time," she said. "Don't you need to practice for this kind of thing?"

  "I go out all the time."

  "But not against waves like these," Bill put in.

  "Thanks, Bill. You can say good-night now," Reid said to his friend.

  "Good-night," Bill said obediently, then walked away.

  "You don't have to worry, Jessica," Reid told her.

  She didn't know what she needed to do. She certainly didn't want to add more worry to her life. "I should get going."

  "We're still on for tomorrow, right?" Reid asked, following her outside.

  "I don't know," she said with a sigh.

  "Jess, wait." He put a hand on her arm, making her stop walking to look at him. "What's wrong? You're really bothered that I want to participate in the surfing competition? Why?"

  "I guess I don't understand why you'd want to risk your life to ride a wave."

  He stared back at her. "It's not about the wave. It's about pushing myself, really living, not just surviving."

  "You already risk your life on your job. Why do you have to do it on your off time, too?"

  "Jessica, one thing I've learned on the job—you can be having the most normal day in the world and something could happen and you could die. Or you could be walking a tightrope between two skyscrapers and not die. I don't live my life scared."

  "But there's a difference between not doing anything and being reckless."

  "You're right. And maybe surfing this competition again is not a good idea. I haven't made a decision yet. I don't even know if it will happen. They often call it off if the conditions aren't right. I'll decide when I need to make a decision."

  She thought about his words for a moment, feeling like she did live her life scared, but she was a mom. She couldn't take risks for herself anymore. She had to consider Brandon.

  "You're thinking too much," Reid said. "You're always three steps ahead in your mind, aren't you?"

  "Yes, but that's because I have to protect Brandon. I don't have just myself to think about. I have to be more cautious. I'm all he has."

  "I understand, and I promise not to ask you to ride the waves with me."

  "Like that would ever happen."

  "So what about tomorrow? I'm still going to pizza, right? I don't think anyone can get hurt there, unless the pizza slicer rolls out of someone's hand, and—"

  "Stop," she said, knowing he was teasing her. "Yes, you're going to pizza night. And, yes, I know I can be too serious. Believe it or not, worrying exhausts me, but I don't always know how to stop."

  "Well, you don't have to worry about me."

  That was easier said than done, because she was starting to care about him, starting to want him in her life and in Brandon's.

  Reid put his arm around her shoulders, and as they walked out to her car, she thought about what he'd said about her always being three steps ahead, and she realized how true that was. Maybe she should make a better effort to live in the moment.

  When they got to her car, she put her arms around his neck and pulled his head down, taking the kiss she wanted, the one she'd been thinking about every second of the class.

  His mouth and his arms were a heated haven and she never wanted to leave. He'd not only stirred up her emotions, he'd stirred up her desires. She was falling fast…she just didn't want a hard landing. But as Reid had just said, life was for living, not just surviving. For tonight, she'd put her worries on hold.

  "I'll see you tomorrow," she said, pulling away from him.

  He groaned. "You're slowly killing me, Jess. I hope you know that."

  She liked that he was as caught up in her as she was in him. "Good-night, Reid."

  "Happy dreams."

  She got into her car and shut the door, quite sure her dreams were going to be happy, and they were going to be about him.

  Twelve

  "So tell me about your friends," Reid said, as he drove away from her house with Brandon and his friend Joel in the backseat.

  The boys were sharing headphones as they watched a video on her tablet. That should keep them busy for the hour-long drive to the city.

  "Well, let's see," she replied. "We're going to Andrea's house. She's married to Alex Donovan."

  "The billionaire videogame maker? Seriously?" he asked, giving her a questioning look.

  "Yes. He's that Alex Donovan. He's very wealthy, but he's also a great guy. He came from nothing. He truly is a self-made man, and I think you'll find him down-to-earth and easy to talk to."

  "How did Alex and Andrea meet?"

  "She's a journalist and she was sent to interview him for a magazine. She was trying to find some dirt on him, but she couldn't, and they wound up falling in love. Their house is in Presidio Heights, and it's amazing. They have an enormous game room with all the latest videogames. Alex is very active with underprivileged kids, and he invites a lot of them over to the house to test out new games. He said he'd set Brandon and Joel up with enough fun to keep them busy for hours."

  "Sounds cool. I'd like to see some of those games myself."

  She laughed. "I'm sure you will."

  "Who else will be there?"

  "Liz and her husband Michael Stafford are coming. Michael used to play professional football, then he got hurt and went into public relations. He found himself competing with Liz, who was with a rival firm, for a client. The funny thing is that they knew each other in high school, and they'd been competing as teenagers in school, so it was the revival of an old rivalry."

  "Who won the competition?"

  "In the end, they wound up getting the client together, but I think technically Liz might have won. After that, Michael actually got a job coaching football, so he's mostly doing that now. Then there is Julie and her husband, Matt Kingsley."

  "Wait? What? Matt Kingsley—as in the star of Cougars baseball?"

  She laughed. "Yes, that Matt Kingsley."

  "This party is really shaping up—new video games, pro baseball players, former pro football players; I think I like your friends."

  "The women are just as important as the guys," she said pointedly. "Andrea is working in television news now. She's done some amazing whistle-blowing stories that have shaken things up in Washington. Julie runs Matt's charity foundation, so she does good works in a different way, and Liz is co-owner of the PR firm she shares with Michael."

  "Sorry, I didn't mean they weren't important," Reid said.

  "I know, but I just wanted to clarify. Kate is also coming, maybe with a date. She's the onl
y other single one in the group besides me, which is ironic, since she's a wedding planner."

  "Your group must be giving her a lot of business."

  "Absolutely. Andrea and Liz are the two who are also pregnant."

  "Is that it?"

  "Andrea's twin sister Laurel and her husband Greg should be there. Isabella and her fiancé Nick might come late. I know Maggie out; she's the one who lives in Napa, so that's the group."

  "What kind of pizza are we making? I noticed some interesting ingredients in the bags you asked me to put in the back of the car."

  "You inspired me to be adventurous," she said with a smile.

  "Okay, now I'm scared."

  "I doubt that. We're going to do a grilled honey siracha chicken pizza."

  "I have never heard of that."

  "I found a recipe and a picture that looked amazing, so I thought why not? It's a good time to try it out. Go big or go home."

  He laughed. "Okay, I like this new risk-taking Jessica."

  She was starting to like her, too. The new Jessica actually felt a little like the old Jessica, the woman she'd been before Kevin and Brandon. Somewhere along the way, she'd lost that girl, but maybe she was getting her back. And if she was, it probably had a lot to do with Reid.

  * * *

  He hadn't been to San Francisco in a few weeks, and it was fun to get back into the city, although he'd certainly never spent a lot of time in the neighborhood of Presidio Heights where stately mansions lined the block. He wasn't quite sure what to expect from Alex and Andrea, but as soon as he stepped into their impressive home, he was given a warm greeting by both of them.

  "I hope we're not late," Jessica said after making the introductions.

  "Not at all," Andrea replied. "Michael and Liz, Julie and Matt, and Laurel and Greg are here. Kate is on her way. Isabella and Nick are probably not going to make their own pizza but will be here to eat later."

  "I didn't know that was an option," Reid joked.

  Alex gave him a commiserating smile. "Andrea didn't tell me that, either."

  "You love making the pizza," Andrea told her husband.

  "Do I?" Alex countered with a laugh.

  Andrea gave her husband a playful punch in the arm. "He's just joking," she told them.

  "So," Jessica began, turning to Alex. "Congratulations. Andrea told me the exciting news last weekend."

  Alex beamed as he put his arm around his pretty blonde wife. "Thanks. We're beyond thrilled."

  "At least we are in between bouts of morning sickness," Andrea put in. "Liz has had no nausea whatsoever. It is not fair at all."

  "That's Liz—always cool, calm and collected," Jessica said.

  "Exactly. It's annoying. Anyway, come on back to the kitchen."

  "I'll show the boys to the game room," Alex said, turning to Brandon and Joel. "Are you two ready to play some games?"

  "I want to play Wing Rider," Brandon said, naming one of Alex's most popular games.

  "Of course. You can play anything you want." He paused as a boy of about fifteen came down the hall. "Tyler, just the guy I need. This is Brandon and Joel; this is Tyler. He's going to set you up on whatever games you want to play."

  "Follow me," Tyler said.

  "Okay, Mommy?" Brandon asked.

  Jessica nodded. "Have fun. I'll call you when the pizzas are ready."

  As the boys left, Alex said, "Tyler will make sure they have a good time and that they don't get into any trouble."

  "I appreciate the babysitter and the video games," Jessica said.

  "Happy to do it. And I'm happy to have your son try out a new game I'm working on for his age group. Tyler will show him that when he's done with Wing Rider."

  "He'll be over the moon," Jessica said, as they followed Andrea and Alex down the hall to an enormous gourmet kitchen that opened onto an even larger family room with a big screen television that took up one wall.

  Reid was happy to see the Golden State Warriors were up in the first quarter of the basketball game.

  "Nice TV," he muttered, unable to keep the awe from his voice.

  "It's obscene," Andrea put in. "But it was here before I was, so it stayed."

  Alex laughed. "You love watching your shows on it, too, Andrea."

  "I'll never admit that," she said.

  As they moved into the kitchen, Reid was introduced to Michael and Liz. Liz was a brown-eyed blonde with a very suspicious gaze. He also met Julie and Matt. Julie gave him a sweet smile, and Matt extended a hand for a hearty handshake. The third couple, Laurel and Greg, were already up to their elbows in dough.

  "Laurel is making her dough from scratch," Andrea said. "My twin sister likes to win."

  "That's your twin?" Reid said in surprise. The brunette didn't look anything like Andrea.

  "Fraternal," Laurel sang out, giving him a smile. "Nice to meet you. And I don't see the point of competing if you don't want to win."

  "Jessica wants to win, too," Reid put in.

  "What are you making, Jess?" Andrea asked curiously.

  "It's a secret," she said, giving him a warning look. "No hints until we serve it."

  "I won't say a word," he promised.

  "Well, find a spot anywhere and do what you need to do," Andrea said. "We'll have to cook the pizzas in shifts."

  He set down their grocery bags on a nearby counter as Liz came around the island to speak to them.

  "So what do you do, Reid?" she asked.

  "I'm a firefighter."

  "That sounds dangerous."

  "It can be, but we also go on a lot of non-dangerous calls—cats up in trees, women stuck in doghouses." He saw Jessica's cheeks flush at his words.

  "Women stuck in doghouses?" Liz asked doubtfully. "You're joking, right?"

  "I'm actually not. It happened quite recently," he said. "We never know what we're going to run into when we go out on a call."

  "Reid also surfs," Jessica put in, obviously wanting to change the subject.

  "No kidding," Michael said, joining his wife while Alex and Matt moved into the family room to watch the game. "I used to surf out in Half Moon Bay when I was a teenager."

  "We probably met on the waves," he said. "Do you still go out?"

  "Not in years. I heard on the news that they're trying to hold the Revolution competition next week. I was thinking about going out there. Did you ever surf those waves?"

  "A long time ago. I got to the last heat, but I didn't win."

  "That's still impressive. Would you do it again?"

  "Not sure I'll have the opportunity, but I wouldn't rule it out."

  "Do you have a death wish or something?" Liz asked. "Fires, big waves—sounds like a man who likes to challenge fate."

  "Not fate—just myself," he said easily, not taking offense, because he could clearly see that Liz was sizing him up. Andrea was paying attention, too, and Julie had moved closer to get in on their conversation as well.

  "How did you and Jessica meet?" Andrea asked curiously.

  "Reid is teaching a community emergency prep class that I had to go to for school," Jessica answered quickly, sending him a warning look.

  He smiled, having no intention of outing her doghouse adventure. "I had to teach her how to triage in case of a community-wide emergency," he said.

  "You mean, like pick who lives and dies?" Julie asked with a frown. "That doesn't sound fun."

  "It wasn't fun, but it was informative and important," Jessica said.

  "But then we went out to dinner, and that was fun," he put in. "This is actually our third date—make that fourth if we count Brandon's school concert. I'm hoping for a fifth."

  "Reid," Jessica said, with an embarrassed smile. "You don't have to tell them that."

  "They want to know if I'm good enough for you, and I don't blame them," he said, smiling at her friends. "Ask me anything you want; my life is an open book."

  "Don't tell them that," Michael said with a laugh. "These women do not need encouragement to a
sk questions."

  "I can take it."

  "Questions can wait," Jessica said firmly. "We need to start cooking. Reid is right. I am interested in winning. I've been hearing about these competitions the last few years, and I finally get to be in one, so I'm going for the gold."

  "You know there's not really any gold, right?" Liz drawled.

  Jessica grinned. "Beating all of you will be enough."

  "Don't get so cocky," Laurel put in. "Greg and I are going to shock you with our pizza."

  "Maybe we should have bought more than pepperoni and onions," Michael told Liz.

  "We got more than that," she said.

  "We did? What are we making?"

  "It's a surprise," Liz said, taking her husband's hand. "Let's get started. I can't let Jessica beat me."

  "Of course you can't," Michael said dryly. "I'm going to need more wine for this."

  "We have plenty of that," Andrea said. "Help yourselves. I'll let you guys go in the first round. Julie and I will go second, and Kate, once she gets here."

  As Andrea and Julie moved into the family room to join their husbands, Reid moved closer to Jessica. "What can I do to help?"

  "You can start chopping the vegetables. I'm going to grill the chicken strips I cut up earlier."

  "You're prepared."

  "I usually am. As you said, I'm often three steps ahead."

  "Well, maybe that will bring us a victory today."

  "I like how you use the word us," she said with a laugh.

  "I will do whatever I can to help or at least not do harm."

  "I'm going to hold you to that."

  As he started chopping the onions, he said, "So if you can see three steps ahead, what do you think is going to happen when I take you home tonight, after we drop off Joel, and Brandon goes up to his room?"

  She shook her head, her eyes shooting out a warning. "Talk like that is not going to get you a fourth date. And Joel is spending the night."

  "Fifth date," he corrected.

  "You can't count the first day at the beach."

  "But I can," he said. "You didn't answer my question."

  "And I'm not going to."

  "Fine, but I bet you're going to think about it."

  Her eyes gleamed with his words, and he knew her thoughts were taking the same path as his. Well, maybe not the same path. Jess was cautious. She wasn't going to jump into anything even if she really wanted to, not unless she felt sure neither she nor Brandon would get hurt.