Just Plain Lucky

by Tesa Devlyn

  He couldn’t leave. She tasted like heaven and felt like a dream. He ran his hands up and down her back and pressed her against the edge of the bar.

  Liana slid her hands up his chest and over his jaw. She touched his cheekbones and slid her fingertips up to fork through his hair.

  Goosebumps scattered down his neck and a fog blocked every reason why he should stop. He slipped his hands under her blouse, touching the creamy skin at her waist. She was as soft as she looked. Soft with toned muscles; a mind blowing combination.

  A ringing started in his ears. Must be his blood pressure going through the roof.

  “Michael? Michael?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Your phone’s ringing.”

  He groaned and pulled away to take his phone from the holster on his belt. “Leif, hey buddy, what’s up?” He hoped he didn’t sound like he’d just been kissing the most amazing woman he’d ever met.

  “Dad, I’m famished and there’s nothing quick to make. Could you stop at the store?”

  “Yeah, sure. I’m about done for the day. Have some popcorn in the meantime.”

  Michael said goodbye and disconnected. “Wow. A needed wake up call.”

  “I think we established our physical attraction.” Liana brushed back her hair and clasped her head with both hands.

  “There’s chemistry all right. Now, how do we handle it? We have two very impressionable teenagers.”

  “Yes, and I have an ex-husband who’d love to have a viable reason to take Brittany from me.”

  Michael frowned. “Could he do that? You’re divorced. You have the right to start a new life.”

  Liana met his gaze. “Frank’s still bitter over the divorce. He won’t hesitate to use Brittany to punish me.”

  “Punish you? Wasn’t the divorce a mutual decision?”

  “At the end it was.” She looked away.

  He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Hey, sorry I pried. Let’s take a look at those copper tiles.”

  “I don’t mean to shut you out, Michael, but we just met. We’ve agreed our children have to come first and we both have complicated relationships with our former spouses.” Liana dumped their coffee in the sink, and refilled the cups with hot brew. She added cream and sugar to hers, slid his across the bar, and climbed onto the stool next to him. “I can’t believe we’ve moved this far so fast.”

  “Hey, when it’s right, it’s right. I want to see you, Liana. More than chance meetings while I remodel your living room. I’ve experienced a divorce. Tell me about your ex.”

  Liana signed and ran her finger around the rim of her mug. “Let’s just say Frank suffers from bouts of jealousy. I couldn’t live with his volatile moods.”

  He gripped the edge of the granite countertop with both hands. “Did he hurt you?”

  “Not physically.” She twisted on the stool until her knees touched his. “You have to go home. Maybe we’ll talk about this later. Do you have time to glance at the tiles, or should I email you the link?”

  He leaned toward her and nuzzled her neck. “Better email the link so I can get out of here and feed Leif. The kid’s probably gone through a bag of popcorn and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich by now.”

  Liana laughed and pulled him off the stool. “Go home before we get sidetracked. Let me know what you think of the tiles.”

  ****

  Liana had barely settled into her chair at the café for an overdue lunch with Shari, when her friend launched a barrage of questions. “How are things with that hunk contractor of yours?”

  Liana smiled at the waiter and thanked him for the water and menus. “You never mince words, do you? Well, he’s up to his ears with my remodel and has several other projects in various stages. Tuesday we settled on a price, and Wednesday morning the crew arrived to destroy what was left of my living room.”

  “Oh, my gosh! I have to come by and see it.” Shari propped her elbows on the table, something her mother would have firmly objected to. “Have you spent any time with Mr. Saxon?”

  Liana straightened her silverware. The memory of kissing Michael the night before sent heat through her body. “I have. He stayed for coffee after work last night.”

  “That’s the first time since Monday night?”

  “Yes, first time since Monday night. He’s gone when I get home from work and arrives after I leave in the mornings. I thought he might be avoiding me, but I don’t think so now.”

  “Uh-huh.” Shari raised a brow and twisted her smile to one side. “Let’s see, Brittany came home about six.”

  “Would you get your head out of the bedroom?” Liana shook her head. “We talked.” She stared at Shari and tried to look convincing. “All right, so we kissed too. There’s a chemistry between us. We’ve both been divorced for a number of years and have been busy raising kids, so neither of us have gotten involved in a relationship.”

  “Involved? My girl, you haven’t even gone out to dinner since you left Frank. I’m thrilled you’ve met Michael. The man’s handsome, charming and Brittany already likes him.”

  “Did she tell you about Monday morning when I rear-ended him?”

  “Ouch!” Shari covered her mouth and laughed. “I mean, it sounds rather provocative.”

  “Believe me, things were tense for a while. The police officer tried to charge me with inattentive driving, but Michael talked him out of it. Oh, my gosh, what a fiasco.”

  “What were you doing? I swear, Li, you’ve been so distracted lately.”

  “Lately? This has been years in the making. Last Friday night I drove the wrong way and ended up two hours from home.”

  “Now you’ve scared me. Why didn’t you call?”

  “Because I felt like a fool.”

  “And Monday?”

  “Just like Friday night. Frank called and expected me to talk when I should have concentrated on traffic. I lost focus and didn’t stop when Michael did.”

  “Interesting how you ended up behind him.”

  Liana covered her face with both hands. “Pure coincidence and luck. Someone else might have sued me. Oh, Shari, I’m in a huge dilemma.”

  Shari pulled one of Liana’s hands from her face. “A dilemma? Good heavens, I don’t think you’ve slept with him yet so you can’t be pregnant.”

  “Of course I haven’t slept with him,” Liana hissed, glancing around to make sure no one overheard her confession. “My dilemma is, I want to!”

  The waiter arrived with their Caesar salads. Shari waited until he’d added course ground pepper, refilled their ice tea and left before she commented.

  “Maybe you should just relax and have sex with the man.”

  Liana smiled and patted Shari’s hand. “Thank you for always getting right to the heart of the matter. Are you insane? I have no idea how Brittany would react to another man in my life. At the very least, she might tell Frank and I’d have a court order at my door.”

  Shari set down her fork. “Liana, you can’t continue to live in fear of Frank Nash. What kind of power does that man have over you?”

  Liana pushed her salad away. “I can’t eat now. I’ll take it for later.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, but we always get to this point in a conversation and you back off. I get the feeling I’m out of the loop on what’s really happening.”

  Liana shook her head when the server offered more ice tea. “May I have my check and a box for my salad?”

  “What are you doing? Eat your salad and I’ll drop it.” Shari took another bite, set down her fork and pressed her palms together. “Look, to have a relationship with Michael or anyone, you have to settle things with Frank. Ex-husband indicates he’s no longer your husband.”

  Liana’s eyes burned with tears. She swallowed against the lump in her throat. She couldn’t answer Shari, not here. “I have to get back to work and you need to go home. Can we talk later?”

  Shari glanced at her watch. “We have plenty of time. Fine, if you d
on’t want to talk here let’s go somewhere else.”

  “My car?”

  “You got it.”

  They signed their card receipts and left the cafe.

  Liana unlocked her SUV and slid onto the driver’s seat. Shari settled in on the passenger side. They both shivered and moaned when Liana started the engine and the fan hit them with cold air.

  “I’m not ready for winter!” Shari rubbed her hands together.

  Liana didn’t know where to start. The small amount of salad she’d eaten sat in her stomach like a lump of lead. “Me either. Especially with my house torn apart. Oh, Shari, I want to give this thing with Michael a chance. I’ve known him for less than a week, but I can’t think of anything else.” She leaned her head on the headrest and folded her arms over her middle.

  “So what’s the problem?” Shari laid her hand on Liana’s shoulder. “We’ve always confided in each other. We have a trust many friends don’t. You can tell me whatever it is, Liana, and I’ll never judge you.”

  “We do have a relationship many friends don’t have. I’ve been too ashamed to tell you something that happened right before Frank agreed to the divorce. I almost cheated on Frank.”

  Shari gasped. “You cheated on him? I always suspected the opposite.”

  “I didn’t cheat on him. I almost did. Of course Frank thinks I slept with the guy so he’s used it as a weapon.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  Tears welled and spilled down Liana’s cheeks. She sniffed and swiped at them. “I was so lonely for excitement and passion—being in the arms of a man who made my blood run hot. Frank and I never had that. You already know we married out of convenience to give Brittany the Nash name and a stable home with two parents. Few people our age would have married because of pregnancy alone.”

  “Honestly, Li, Frank always wanted you. I saw his expression on more than one occasion when Jack was alive and with you. He was eaten up with jealousy. He’d do anything—even accept his brother’s child as his own—to have you.”

  Liana shifted in her seat and faced Shari. “He paid a big price because I could never be what he wanted. After several failed episodes in bed, we gave up. Ten years is a long time to live without intimacy and love.”

  She took a deep breath. “When I met Ryan through a client of mine, I got caught up in his looks and charm. His willingness to have an affair tempted me to test if I was the failure in the marriage, or was it the combination of me and Frank?

  “Twice, I met Ryan at the downtown Sheridan for dinner and drinks. He went from touching me with his eyes to touching my hand, my arm, my shoulder. He made me feel feminine and wanted. The third time we met, I went with him to his room. We kissed, and he started to unzip my dress. Somehow reality crashed in, and I snapped out of the passion zone.”

  “So nothing happened.”

  “If you can call kissing and caressing a man not my husband in a hotel room nothing, I guess nothing happened.”

  “Liana, Frank pushed you over the edge. Your reaction was normal, but you stopped in time.”

  Liana groaned. “The fireworks really fizzled when I left the hotel and saw Frank with Brittany walk up the sidewalk. They’d attended the ballet that night. He saw me leave the hotel. Our eyes met. He turned and walked across the street before Brittany saw me. I am very grateful for that gesture. Later that night, he agreed to the divorce. Before I made an appointment with an attorney, he filed on the grounds of adultery.”

  “Oh, Li. How terrible for you.” Shari gripped Liana’s hand and rubbed it between hers.

  “If Brittany finds out, she may never talk to me again. I don’t like what I did. Just because I didn’t take it to the bed, doesn’t excuse my actions.”

  “So you think if Michael finds out about Ryan, he won’t want to see you again?”

  “Exactly. Michael and Brittany are at stake here. Especially Brittany. I’m the mother, I’m supposed to set an example. How can a teenager process the knowledge that her mother made out with some guy while she went to the ballet with her father? Frank has been very good to Brittany. This news could crush her world.”

  “I agree you don’t want Brittany to find out, but, Li, what you had with Frank—which was nothing by the way—is completely different from what you could have with Michael. You and Michael have a chemistry you never had with Frank. There’s no comparison. This is much closer to what you had with Jack. Jack set you on fire and if I don’t miss my guess, Michael could burn you up. The man is hot.”

  Her nerves ragged, Liana giggled and shook her head. “You are so good for me. Why didn’t I unload all this on you sooner?”

  “Hell if I know.” Shari puckered her lips. “I want you to be happy, like Richard and I are happy. This guy could be the one. Look, we all have skeletons in the closet. Go with your gut. If it starts to progress, tell him. Get it out in the open and let him make the decision.”

  Liana took a tissue from her purse, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “How about I host a cocktail party and invite you and Richard and Michael?”

  “You’d have a party with your house torn apart? I’m proud of you!”

  “You are a smart-aleck. I can make the dining room cozy and since it’s just us, no biggy.”

  “Good idea. How about tonight? It’s Friday.”

  “What about Richard’s Elk Unlimited meeting?”

  “It starts at five. He can meet me at your house by seven.”

  Liana sniffed, and suddenly felt a weight lift off her shoulders. “What can I tell Michael? I have to have a reason for the party.”

  “Tell him you’ve had the party planned for a couple of weeks. But honestly, it sounds like you’ve moved past the point of having to conjure up a reason to get together.”

  “You’re right. Last night took us over a hurdle. We want to spend time together. I’d better get back to the office and order hors d’oeuvres. How about Chinese BBQ pork and a platter of spring rolls?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll make tortilla pinwheels. Brittany can stay with Meagan just in case you and Michael want privacy after the party. See you at seven?”

  Liana pressed her fingers against her chest. “I’m scared, Shari. I’m getting into something that might break my heart and take another sixteen years to get over.”

  “I think you’ve paid your dues, my friend. It’s time for some happiness.”

  ****

  Before Liana drove back to her office, she called Michael’s cell phone. It went straight to voice mail.

  “Hi, Michael. Liana Campbell calling.” Her heart sped up. “I know it’s short notice, but I’m hosting a small cocktail party tonight and would love for you to join us. When you get this message, please give me a quick call and let me know if you can make it.” She severed the connection and stared at the phone for a moment. Her beach and palm trees spread over the screen.

  She glanced out the windshield and shifted into Drive. Light snowflakes fluttered through the air. According to the locals, winter was coming early.

  Wow. The front of her house was torn off and she had strong thoughts of sleeping with the contractor. Maybe she should list the house, pack up and move to Hawaii before taking another step.

  She returned to the office and called the Chinese take-out before attacking the ever-present paperwork on her desk. The next time she surfaced, it was five. She checked her messages; nothing from Michael. Had he overlooked her voicemail like he had Sunday night?

  Determined not to slip into a blue funk, she left the office to pick up the hors d’oeuvres. At the last minute, she detoured into the market and bought a few needed groceries.

  What if he ignored her message?

  She couldn’t ignore the pain that possibility caused. She wanted to spend time with him, get closer to him. All the insecurities of her teen years rolled back and in her mind, she was sitting by the phone waiting for Jack to call.

  No! She had no desire to revert to the clingy girl she’d been. She was a woman now
, a mother, and she’d lived through ten unhappy years with Frank. Hadn’t she learned anything?

  Chapter Four

  The house was dark and quiet when Liana pulled into the drive. No sign of the workers, Michael or Brittany. Of course Brittany had ballet tonight and Jennie’s mom had agreed to take Brittany and Meagan to Shari’s after practice.

  Now, if only Michael would call and accept the invitation to her last minute, engineered cocktail party!

  By some weird fluke, the snow had turned to rain and came down at a steady pace. The perfect night to spend with friends in front of the fire.

  Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much she missed a social life. She loved time with Brittany, but everyone needed time with other adults.

  She flipped the hood of her raincoat over her hair, and slid from the SUV to retrieve the groceries from the back. Arms loaded, she trudged to the door through the rain and mud. The construction project had taken a toll on what little lawn she’d had to begin with.

  Why had she bought so many groceries, and why paper instead of plastic?

  The bags soaked up the steady downpour of rainwater. On the back step, Liana juggled her burden to fish the keys out of her coat pocket. The bag of fruit and fresh veggies began to tear.

  She aimed the key for the lock, connected and turned. Her cell phone rang. Her fingers cramped.

  Slipping and sliding over the tile floor in her wet boots, she almost made it to the counter when the bag gave out. Oranges and apples hit the floor rolling. A head of cabbage thumped against the cabinet door.

  “Damn!”

  Her phone silenced. She set the other bags on the island and pulled out her cell phone. Michael’s number.

  “Double damn!”

  The landline rang. Liana stepped over her produce and raced to the den to snap up the cordless receiver. “Hello?”

  “Hi there.”

  “Michael.” Her heart pounding from exertion, she pressed her hand to her chest.

  “You sound out of breath. I was afraid you drove off and I wasn’t there to find you.”

  Liana smiled against the phone, amazed at how fast he could smooth out the kinks in her life. “Okay, who told you about last Friday night?”