“Lacey, I’m …” A heavy blast of air escaped his lips as he slashed fingers through the hair at the back of his head, a habit of his whenever he’d been frustrated or embarrassed or both. His chest expanded with a heavy inhale before his gaze finally lifted to meet hers. What she saw revealed a humility and softness she hadn’t seen before today, an unsettling glimpse past all the bitterness and bravado into the real Jack O’Bryen. She swallowed hard. The one she’d fallen desperately in love with. His groan disrupted her thoughts. “Look, I’m a first-class jerk, and you should have slapped me silly.”
She blinked several times. “What?”
He gestured in the direction of the front doors. “At the beach last week, when I …” A lump jogged in his throat as he stared at her, eyes naked with shame. “Insulted you. Made a pass. It was stupid and it was wrong, and I’m really sorry, especially for making you feel …” He expelled a wavering breath, his expression suddenly tender. “Well, just like your dad used to make you feel.” The flicker of a smile teased at the edge of his lips. “So I’m hoping you can forgive me and we can, you know, be—”
“Wedding partners?” She said with a stern arch of her brow, lips pursed to keep from smiling.
The slow grin that had always melted her insides eased across his lips, raising her body temperature to way beyond sweaty hands. “I was going to say friends, but yeah, that too, although partners in crime might be more apt.” He grimaced and shook his head, looking down at impeccably shined calfskin leather brogues. “Because it’s a crime the damage you could do to my brand-new shoes when you and I have to dance.”
“Well, well,” she said with a jut of her chin, giving him a proud smile of approval, “what do you know? The boy has grown a sense of humor.”
“Had to.” He grabbed her hand to lead her back down the hall, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. His smile tilted toward cocky. “Had a clown for a girlfriend years ago, and I guess it rubbed off.”
She tossed him a smirk. “Well then, I guess my work here is done, now isn’t it?”
“Not quite, kiddo.” He tweaked the back of her neck, causing her shoulders to hunch with a giggle. “If you have any hope of beating my team in volleyball tonight, friend, I’d say your work’s just beginning.”
“Wait.” She slid to a stop and faced him, eyeing him with a taut fold of arms. Her gaze narrowed. “This whole apology and ‘friend’ thing isn’t because you lost the bet and Matt made you do it, is it?”
He placed his hands over his heart, his wounded look shadowed with tease. “Come on, Lace, how shallow do you think I am anyway?” He prodded her with a palm to the small of her back, staring straight ahead with a smile on his face. “Of course it is.”
She threw her head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the long hallway as she gave him a sassy smirk. “Good.”
Chapter Eleven
Volleyball under his arm, Jack battled a scowl by swiping the sweat on his face with the sleeve of his shirt, his mood as damp as his body over an unexpected loss. Not the volleyball game, which his team was winning handily because of him, Matt, and the preacher guy. But the loss of his cool which he was losing by the moment due to one major flaw in this newfound friendship with Lacey.
Pretty boy pastor Chase Griffin.
The preacher boy who could spike like nobody’s business—on the court and off, apparently, given the moony smiles on half of the girls, spiking both balls and hearts with the serve of a smile.
Not that Jack wasn’t drawing his fair share of attention from the female sector, because they’d welcomed him with open arms. Especially Kelly—flirting and teasing and trying to make him feel at home. But he would never feel “at home” in a church building ever again, nor with a woman shackled by so-called morality. His mouth went flat. Hypocrisy wasn’t his thing.
“Come on, Jack, let’s send ’em packin’,” Chase called from the front of the net, getting on Jack’s last nerve when he commenced to sparring with Lacey on the other side. Again. Jaw grinding, Jack took four paces back and tossed the ball high, vaulting it in the air to execute a perfect jump shot left over from championship volleyball days in college. His extreme competitive streak surfaced, and he slammed the ball through the air like he wanted to slam ol’ Pastor Chase, sending him packin’ along with the other team. The bullet found its mark—a curveball rocket that plummeted between Lacey and another guy like a comet in a statuary, eliciting groans and gaping mouths when both of them missed it standing still. Cheers exploded on his side of the net while everyone slapped him on the back.
“Great shot,” Preacher Boy said with a pump of Jack’s hand, making him feel like a heel for hating him. He actually was a pretty solid guy according to Matt, a former Navy Seal who had a “Come-to-Jesus” meeting with a piece of shrapnel in Afghanistan. Somebody Jack would actually be friends with if the guy wasn’t ogling Lacey all night. Lips clamped in a tight smile, Jack exhaled his frustration through his nose, well aware he was being a jerk and hating himself for it. “Thanks, Rev,” he said, coining his own nickname for a guy he had no intention of getting to know better. “You’ve got a pretty mean arm yourself.”
“Hey, Chase, where d’ya want the chow?” one of the guys called from across the gym, pizza boxes stacked high in his hands. Chase turned to wave him towards the back door, and Jack suddenly felt like a real jerk. Closing his eyes, he gouged the bridge of his nose, wondering where in the world the nice guy went. The one he used to be—a lover of family, kids, and senior citizens—who had purposely chosen a career path to help others, not harangue them. Matt had told him what a great guy Chase was, even funding the food for these gatherings out of his own pocket, and yet here he was, unwilling to cut the guy a break. A deflated sigh trickled out as he became painfully aware that the guy he used to be had gone awol for a long while now. Especially since graduation, it seemed—drinking more, losing his temper more, acting like a snot-nosed punk instead of a physician who’d graduated with top honors and a spot on the Memorial pedes team. A “Romeo hotshot,” Lacey had called him, and she was right, playing the field hard when all he ever really wanted was to be married to one woman.
The one who’d left him high and dry.
He jolted when the rev slapped him on the back. “I hope you’re planning to come back because it sure is nice to have an ace in the hole,” Chase said, strolling to the sideline to grab a bottled water from a cooler.
“Oh, he’ll be back,” Matt said, hooking an arm to Jack’s shoulder. “Won’t you, buddy?”
Jack slid him a narrow gaze. “Wedding-related events only, I believe the fine print said,” he muttered under his breath, “until after the wedding.” He grabbed the Dasani that Chase threw his way before nodding his thanks.
Matt upended his water, eyes glittering with that annoying twinkle whenever he thought he had the upper hand. “Wedding-party-related events, Jack my boy, and since most everybody here is involved in the wedding in some way, these weekly games more than qualify.”
Shrugging Matt’s hand off his shoulder, Jack grilled him with a mock glare. “My, my—first gambling, now blackmail. What’s next, Matt—carousing on River Street?”
“Naw, did that last week after the volleyball game.” Matt raised his water bottle in a smug toast. “To-go cups of Red Bull and a record number of tracts handed out for those who’ve gone astray.” He winked. “Saved one for you, just in case.”
Jack bit back a snide remark and stretched his arms high, twisting side to side to loosen both his muscles and his mood. “Rather have the Red Bull, man,” he said with a lazy grin, determined to clean up his act on his own, without any lame religion or tracts. “My butt’s draggin’ from patchin’ and painting.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right—the job you tried to pawn off on me.” Matt glugged his water several seconds before swiping his mouth with the back of his hand, shooting him an evil grin. “Good practice for the gazebo and landscaping, bro.”
Two fingers to his
teeth, Chase silenced the gym with an ear-splitting whistle and a nod toward the back door. “Okay, everybody—save the jawin’ for the pizza out on the picnic tables, and a big thanks to the ladies for pitching in with home-baked cookies.” Hefting the cooler with an impressive swell of biceps, he ambled toward the playground like the Pied Piper, fawning females and sweaty guys following in his wake.
Determined to make the best of the evening for Matt’s sake, Jack followed his cousin, reveling in the crisp sea air that cooled the sweat on his skin the moment he stepped outside. The scent of honeysuckle from a tangle of bushes by the door gave way to the mouthwatering smell of cheese and pepperoni spiced with garlic and oregano, and for the first time all night, he actually sort of enjoyed being here.
With a rumble of his stomach, Jack clambered onto the bench of the table Nicki saved for her wedding party, grateful Preacher Boy was seated at the other end. Chase said grace, but at the sound of “amen,” appreciative groans and laughter circled along with the pizza. Snatching two pieces from a box piled high with every vegetable known to man, Jack flinched when somebody kicked his leg. A grin eased across his face at the sight of Lacey on the other side, eyes scanning the sky with great drama while she nibbled on a ridiculously flat piece of cheese pizza—her favorite. “Hey, what was that for, Carmichael?” he said, aiming a crumb of bacon that bounced off her nose.
“For being such an annoying jock and making us lose.” Chin high, she sailed the bacon right back, landing it in his hair. “And don’t play with your food, O’Bryen. Don’t you know there are people starving in China?”
Bolting down his first piece, Matt reached for another two, tossing one on Jack’s plate before he popped a pepperoni in his mouth. “Hey, there’s starving people here too, Lace, and victory always makes winners ravenous, right, Doc?”
“You bet,” Jack said with an easy smile, eyes crinkling with humor as he slowly bit into his pizza, his gaze pinned to Lacey’s. “It’s hard work harnessing all that natural athletic power to avoid debilitating the other side.”
“Yeah, and in a church no less,” Matt piped up, wolfing his pizza down in mere seconds.
“It’s a school gym, sweetheart, not a church,” Nicki said with a patient smile, her tone as thin as her hazel eyes. She fluttered her lashes. “And I don’t believe you’ve seen debilitation yet, darling.”
“Uh-oh, I smell a Scrabble game coming,” Lacey said with a bob of her head, licking sauce off her finger.
Dual groans rose from Matt and Jack’s side of the table while everybody entered the fray, guys against girls over a noisy discussion of the best and worst games to play. When the boxes were empty and the cookies all gone, somebody challenged the group with a wiffle ball and bat, and in no time, both teams were flying the bases, expending what energy remained from a night of challenge and chatter, laughter and fun.
Much as Jack hated to admit it, he’d had a pretty good time and even promised Kelly and several of the other girls that he’d try and come back. Try? He issued a silent grunt as he helped pick up trash and close the windows in the gym. Like I have a choice.
“So who’s coming over for Speed Scrabble?” Nicki asked with a devious rub of her hands, sizing up those who hadn’t yet left.
“I’m game,” Sarah said with a yawn, “but I warn you—I turn into a pumpkin at midnight.”
“Great, that’s a fourteen-point word,” Nate said with a tweak of her neck.
“Sure wish I could.” Kelly shot Nicki a look of regret before her gaze flicked to Jack. “But I’ve got some prep work to do for a meeting tomorrow, so I need to scoot.”
“I’ve got a grueling day tomorrow, too, so I’ll pass.” Justin draped an arm around Kelly’s shoulders. “Come on, Kel, I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Oh, bummer, you guys!” Nicki wrapped her in a hug. “Well, don’t stay up all night, all right?” She pinched Justin’s cheek before spinning around to Jack. “So … how ’bout you, Jack? Although my competitive nature warns against inviting a medical doctor with a high-powered vocabulary, I think I can give you a run for your money.”
Gaze flicking to where Lacey was clowning around with Matt and Chase, Jack had a sudden urge to say yes. After all, this friendship with Lacey could only be a good thing, right? He reached for his gym bag, eyes meeting Nicki’s once again. “Sure, why not?” He teased her with a slow smile. “I’ll try not to use any big words.”
“Since I’m in the medical field as well, Doctor, don’t forget I know some too,” she said with a cocky wag of her head, but the warmth in her eyes told him he was making inroads with Lacey’s cousin as well as Lacey. He winced when she put two fingers to her mouth in a shrill whistle that rivaled the Rev’s. “Okay, people—my house in ten, and first one there gets to go first.”
“I’m riding with him,” Sarah called, racing after Nate while he darted for the door. She saluted Matt and Chase on her way out as they stored the volleyball equipment in the closet.
Lacey strolled over with her purse and gym bag, head tilted at Jack with a dare in her eyes. “So, O’Bryen, you heading home … or to humiliation?”
He laughed, gym bag draped over his shoulder. “I might remind you, Carmichael, I know enough high-dollar words to incur stroke in a hypochondriac, so it remains to be seen over whose downfall this will be.”
“Ooooooh, so the doctor’s a little full of himself, is he?” She shifted her bag to her other hand to adjust the purse on her shoulder. “Well … let’s just see who burns whom when you take on an English teacher with a degree in communications. Who, I might add, aced every vocabulary test from grades one through eight.”
A lazy grin slid across his lips. “Bring it on, Teach,” he said, reaching to take the gym bag from her hand. “And I’ll even drive you to your demise.”
The grin stiffened on her face as she glanced over her shoulder at Matt and Chase, her good humor fading into an awkward chew of her lip. “Uh … Chase already volunteered to give me a lift, so you’re off the hook, Brye.” She faced him again with a bright smile that came off forced, giving a tiny shrug. “What can I say? He lured me with Oreo overloads for the troops, and we both know I can’t say no to temptation like that.”
The pizza in his stomach felt like a volleyball made of lead. Shaking his head, he “tsked” to deflect the jealousy that suddenly coated his throat like bile. “Imagine that.” His smile was casual as he handed the bag back. “Bald-faced temptation, and from a pastor at that.” He glanced at his watch and frowned, schooling his voice to convey disappointment he didn’t feel at all. “Oh man …” he said with a ridge in his brow, well aware Lacey could probably see right through him. She always had. “I just remembered I promised Davey bass fishing at daybreak, so I probably should call it a night.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked up with a lop-sided smile that held a hint of an apology. “The little guy gave me a chug bug lure for my birthday that he wants to try, and the top-water bite is especially good early in the morning, so …”
Her eyes softened, socking him in the gut when he caught a glimpse of hurt before she gave him a perky smile. “Sure. Besides, it’s kind of tough to compete with a little boy and a bass, especially with a Scrabble game where you get your butt kicked by an ex-girlfriend.”
He laughed, head bowed while he scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I thought about that.” He peered up, the tender look on her face twisting him inside out. “Look, I’m gonna run, but will you let Matt and Nicki know?”
“Absolutely,” she said, her ponytail swinging to and fro when she whirled to join the others on the far side of the gym. “Probably just as well,” she called over her shoulder, hand to her mouth. “First Oreo overload, then trouncing Dr. Jock ‘take it to the mat’ O’Bryen in a game he can’t win?” She gave him a salute with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Not sure I can handle the temptation, you know?”
Yeah, I know. He returned her wave with a sick feeling as he made his way to the door.
Neither can I.
Chapter Twelve
“So … now that you’ve spent some time with him, what do you think of Chase?”
Lacey’s smile skewed as she lay on Mamaw’s patio lounger, eyes closed while she soaked up the summer sun next to her cousin, both in their swimsuits. A gentle breeze cooled the sweat on her skin, the scent of honeysuckle mingling with the coconut of Coppertone, taking her back to summers squealing over high school crushes while they worked on their tans. Until she fell hard for a senior, that is, her best friend’s older brother, whom she’d grown up with as a neighbor and friend.
Friend. The smile faded from Lacey’s lips as she recalled the almost imperceptible look of hurt in Jack’s eyes when she’d told him Chase was driving her home last night. She expelled a withering sigh at the memory, quite certain navigating the waters of friendship with an ex-boyfriend she’d once planned to marry would be no easy matter. Heaven knows she had already wounded him enough in the past; she sure didn’t want to do it again, which was why friendship was undoubtedly the best course. Or at least she’d thought so when they struck their truce. Chill bumps pebbled her skin despite the heat of the day. A truce that reintroduced them to the same easy fun and flirting friendship they’d enjoyed years ago … before their feelings had ripened into love. A wave of melancholy struck hard, and she sighed again.
“Please tell me that lovesick sigh is for Chase, because I gotta tell you, Lace, he’s only seen you a handful of times at church, but the guy is already smitten, according to Matt.”
“Uh … no … but I think he’s a really great guy,” she managed, tone nonchalant.
Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the heat of Nicki’s stare, punctuated by her impatient tone. “But …?”
She squinted at her cousin out of the corner of her eye. “But what? He’s loaded with smarts, looks, personality, and faith—a poster boy for every church-going girl.”
Isle of Hope Page 11