Drunk Dial (Hard Core #1) (Hard Core Series)

by Michaels, Carly

  “I guess not.” The Reese I knew had been sweet and kind and wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings if she could help it. So unless she was a completely different person, she’d find a way to let me down easy. “Okay, maybe I’ll pass by and see if she’s home this afternoon.”

  “Good for you,” York said, smiling. “Then will you come by my place? I know you don’t have to work at the club tonight, so you could bring an overnight bag. I’ll grill some steaks and even let you pick some sappy girly movie, if you want?”

  I laughed and shoved his shoulder, which was like ramming my hand into a brick wall. “I don’t watch girly movies, smartass. Give me an action flick where they blow shit up any day.”

  “Okay, is it too soon to tell you I’m in love with you?” York asked, half-laughing.

  Our eyes met, and I think he realized he’d caught me off guard. I knew he was only joking. Or at least I thought he was. He couldn’t possibly love me so soon. Could he?

  “I, uh, just meant that you and I are perfect for each other,” he said, reaching for my hands as though he was afraid I might bolt. “I was just telling my old man that earlier today, that I’ve never met someone so right for me.”

  I couldn’t deny York and I seemed to have a lot in common. My brothers liked him, and even though I claimed other people’s opinions didn’t matter to me, theirs did.

  “I just don’t want to rush into anything,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t be offended. “I love hanging out with you, but I went from being dead-set against relationships to being in one. And it seemed to happen before I even realized I’d changed my mind about wanting it to happen.”

  I didn’t know if I was making any sense, but his indulgent smile told me he got me. That was the thing about York. I didn’t have to tell him what I was thinking or feeling. He just seemed to know. And that was scary and comforting at the same time.

  “I get that,” he said, bringing my hand to his lips. “No pressure. Really. I can take this as slow as you want to, as long as I’m confident we’re moving in the right direction.”

  Before I could respond, his cell phone, which was sitting on the table, buzzed. A picture of a stunning redhead with bright green eyes flashed across the screen. He quickly hit the ignore button but couldn’t ignore the question lingering in my eyes as easily. Who the hell was that?

  He chuckled as he sat back, releasing my hand. “Okay, that was awkward.”

  “Was it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’ll only be awkward if you don’t tell me who she is.”

  He rubbed his forehead, though nothing could erase the worry lines that call had etched there. “She’s, uh, the girl I was with the night I called you by mistake.”

  I thought of the things he’d said to me when he thought I was her, and it wasn’t hard to imagine the things he’d done to her that night. Jealousy was foreign to me. I usually didn’t give a shit what the guys I dated did, or who they did, for that matter. But this was different. York was different.

  “You’re still seeing her?” I asked, trying to keep the bite out of my voice so he wouldn’t know how jealous I was of a woman I’d never met.

  “No, of course not,” he said, looking affronted. “Jesus, Lace, how can you even ask me that? She was a hook-up, nothing more.”

  “And she called you because she wanted to hook up again?” Why else would she have called?

  “I don’t know why the hell she called,” he said, shrugging. “What difference does it make?”

  It made a huge difference to me, but I couldn’t tell him that without seeming insecure and pathetic. I was always lecturing Rachel about playing it off like she didn’t care, yet I was having a hard time taking my own advice when I really did care about the guy in question. I suddenly had a better understanding of how she’d gotten herself tied up in knots over Ash. Feelings were a tricky bitch to control.

  “Did she leave you a message?” When the screen indicated she had, I asked, “Aren’t you going to check it?”

  He slid the phone across the table. “Why don’t you check it, since you seem so concerned about it?”

  He was testing me, but I wasn’t sure if he was trying to decide whether I trusted him or whether I cared enough to be jealous, which made deciding how to respond difficult.

  “That would be an invasion of your privacy,” I said, trying to sound reasonable, though I was sorely tempted to grab the damn phone and find out what the green-eyed monster wanted with my man.

  “Only if you did it behind my back,” he said, his eyes darting from me to the phone. “You’re doing it in front of my face. Because I told you to.” He pushed the phone closer. “I have no secrets from you. Go ahead, find out what she wants.”

  I debated with myself for a full three seconds before I picked up the phone and read the voice mail message she’d left. I could almost hear her sultry voice as I read, “Hey, York. It’s Sheryl. I had an amazing time the other night. I was hoping you’d be free again tonight? Call me when you get a chance.”

  York raised an eyebrow as I slid the phone back to him. “Now you know. Feel better?”

  “No.” I bit back an angry retort, reminding myself I had no reason to be pissed off. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Nor had she. As far as Sheryl was concerned, York was a free agent, and maybe in his mind, he still was.

  He smiled as he reached for his phone and typed a quick text. I was dying to ask whether he’d responded to her invite, but I had too much pride to ask. Thankfully I didn’t have to, because when it became obvious I’d taken a vow of silence, he sighed and flashed me the phone.

  His text read, Thanks for the invite but I have a girlfriend now.

  “You do, huh?” I asked, feeling as though I could finally breathe.

  “Don’t I?” he asked, looking only mildly concerned.

  “Yeah, I guess you do.” I rolled my shoulders back. Even though I didn’t have a class today, I should pass by the studio to work off some of this tension. “I just hope I don’t scare you off with all this crazy.”

  He laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about that. In case you’ve forgotten, I can get a little crazy too.”

  I smiled as I remembered his reaction in the park. “Yeah, I guess you can.”

  “So why don’t I drop you at your building so you can pick up the car?” he asked, tossing a few bills on the table before reaching for my hand to pull me to my feet. His hands circled my waist, his lips meeting mine. “Go see your friend Reese. But don’t forget to pack an overnight bag while you’re at home. I want that sweet ass in my bed tonight.”

  Any other guy, and I would have objected to being told what to do instead of asked, but I was quickly learning that fighting my feelings for York was a waste of time and energy. I was going to try going with it instead and seeing where that led me. Hopefully it wouldn’t lead to the one thing I’d been trying to avoid—trouble.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lacy

  I was nervous as hell when I showed up on Reese’s parents’ doorstep later that afternoon, but when I saw her beautiful face light up at the sight of me, all of my reservations melted away.

  “Oh my God,” she said, throwing her arms around me. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

  “How’ve you been?” I asked, hugging her back with equal enthusiasm. I prided myself on not being a girly-girl, but seeing Reese again made me want to jump up and down and squeal a little. Okay, a lot. I picked up a strand of her long, silky hair. It was still natural brown with gold highlights and a wave most women relied on irons to perfect. “You’re even more gorgeous than I remember.”

  “Same goes,” she said, her eyes filling with tears as she gripped my hands. “Look at you. All grown up. God, you were what, sixteen when I left? I can’t believe I even recognized you.” She laughed, stepping back so I could enter. “Get in here. I want to hear all about what you’ve been up to.”

  “Are your parents home?” It suddenly occurred to me I should have picked up some pastries from
the café as a peace offering for barging in with no warning.

  “They’re playing golf,” Reese said, waving dismissively. “They won’t be back for hours.”

  As she led me through the main floor, passing the parlor and formal dining room before we arrived at the kitchen, I realized the house had been renovated in recent years. But they’d maintained all of the character and charm, making it feel as welcoming as I remembered.

  “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” she asked, gesturing to a stainless steel machine sitting on the counter that looked as if it could do everything except wash dishes. “It also makes iced coffee, iced tea, hot chocolate, tea—”

  “A water would be great, thanks. I just came from the café.” Wanting to get a feel for how she was feeling about my brother these days, I added, “I was there with Coop and my…” I was still getting used to the idea of calling York my boyfriend, but at Reese’s questioning look, I blurted, “Boyfriend. I was there with Coop and my boyfriend.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” Reese said, looking slightly perplexed by my hesitation.

  I watched her pull two bottles of water from the fridge before she piled some homemade cookies on a plate. One thing I remembered about her parents’ house was there was always a well-stocked cookie jar because her mother loved to bake.

  “Thanks,” I said, when she passed me the water. “So, um, Coop told me he ran into you at the store. Was that weird?” I was dying to know everything: why she and my brother broke up, what she’d been doing since I last saw her, what she did for a living, why her marriage ended, but most importantly, whether she still had feelings for my brother.

  “I don’t know if I’d call it weird exactly,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I knew there was a good chance I’d run into him now that I’m back. I guess I just expected a little more time to prepare for it.”

  I knew how I’d react if I ran into my ex in the grocery store—I’d drop him like a sack of potatoes, then run like hell. But Cooper wasn’t a beast who’d tried to take Reese’s life.

  “So how was it?” I asked, wondering if I was pushing too hard.

  “It was nice,” she said, closing her eyes briefly. “He’s not the boy I left, that’s for sure. He’s all man now.”

  Cooper was big and burly with tats and piercings. Most would say he was scary looking, but that was just part of his professional persona.

  “Do you ever think about him?” I asked, reaching for a cookie and hoping I wasn’t coming off as nosy.

  “Of course I’ve thought about him.” She took a sip of water. “How could I not? He was a big part of my life for a long time. And since he’s remained close with my family, I’ve heard about him over the years.”

  “He told me you got married.” I wanted to hear all about the man who could have made her forget about what she’d had with my brother, but I wasn’t sure I had the right to ask.

  “And divorced,” she confirmed with a rueful shake of her head. “That’s why I’ve come back here. To start over.”

  “I’m sorry.” When she looked at me, I said, “Not that you’re back. I’m thrilled about that. I’m just sorry about the divorce.”

  “Thanks.” She covered my hand with hers. “It wasn’t easy, but it was time for both of us to move on before we ended up resenting each other.”

  “So what do you do now?” I asked, feeling I’d poked around in her love life enough for one day.

  “I’m a therapist,” she said with a smile. “Marriage and family counseling. Which I guess is kind of ironic, since I couldn’t make my own marriage work.”

  “You’re doing what you always wanted to do.” I was proud of her even though I’d had nothing to do with her accomplishment.

  “I am.” She smiled. “I love my work. It’s really the only thing that’s gotten me through these past couple of years.”

  I wanted to ask what that meant, but I assumed she would open up when she was ready. This visit was about reconnecting with an old friend, not interrogating her or making her question my motive for visiting. “Are you starting your own practice here?”

  “Actually I’ll be joining an existing practice. There’s only one other therapist, and he plans to retire in the next couple of years. If all goes well, I can take over for him.”

  “That’s great.” I looked around the cozy kitchen, smiling at the positive sayings posted on the stainless steel refrigerator. Life is Good. Count Your Blessings. Reese’s mother had always been a glass half-full kind of person. While our mother had always been glass empty… because she drank everything in it. “It must be nice to be back home.”

  “It is,” Reese said, smiling. “But I’m anxious to get my own place. It’s weird, living with my parents after being on my own for so long.”

  “Have you got any places lined up?” I asked between bites of cookie.

  “Yeah, I’m just not sure if I want a house or condo.”

  I thought about telling her about the condos available in Cooper’s brand-new building, but I didn’t want to push my luck. “How’s your family?”

  “They’re great. If you can believe it, Tori’s married with a baby on the way. They’re living in Fresno.”

  “Good for her.” Tori’s sister was my age, but she’d gone to a fine arts high school, so we only knew each other casually through Reese. “Is she still an amazing artist?”

  “She’s even better now,” Reese said, beaming with pride. “She has paintings in galleries all over the country.”

  “That’s wonderful.” I was happy for Tori, but she was the same age I was and seemed to have her life all figured out while I was still struggling to keep it all together. I was more than a little jealous.

  “But enough about me and my family,” Reese said, tipping her head. “I want to hear about you. What about this boyfriend? Is it serious?”

  “We haven’t been dating long, but I like him. A lot.” Since I didn’t think Reese followed MMA, I didn’t bother to tell her about York’s profession.

  “And how is Ash?” she asked, her eyes brimming with tears. “God, I haven’t seen him in years. I’ve missed him almost as much as I’ve missed you.” She reached across the table to give me a one armed-hug as she sniffled. “God, look at me. I’m such a mess. I’m sorry, Lace.”

  “It’s okay.” I wanted to know why she got so emotional when she thought about the past, but if we could rekindle our friendship, I was sure she’d tell me in due time. “Ash is Ash. You know him. Still a player.”

  “And…” She cleared her throat. “What about Coop? Is he still a player too?”

  I don’t know how she knew my eldest brother had had more than his share of women since they split, but since she’d asked me a direct question, I couldn’t lie. “He hasn’t met anyone like you, that’s for sure.”

  “Is he happy?” she whispered, looking at me through damp lashes. “Because I want him to be happy. He deserves that.”

  Was he happy? He loved his work. Had a great condo. A sweet ride. Great friends who were like his brothers. There was never a shortage of women in his life. But was he truly happy? I didn’t know, which probably made me a lousy little sister.

  “He has a pretty full life,” I said, knowing that didn’t answer her question. “He rarely has any down time.”

  “His work must be dangerous.” At my questioning look, she said, “My dad filled me in. He retired almost four years ago, but he said Coop was one of the best undercover cops they had on the drug task force. He even got a job offer from the FBI, but turned it down, huh?”

  I thought it was strange that her father had been keeping her apprised of her ex-boyfriend’s career, especially since she’d been married at the time. “Um, yeah. His work is dangerous. Even more so now that he’s infiltrating biker clubs. But he knows what he’s doing. I have to trust that.” I smiled. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

  “And how’s your mother?” she asked, giving me a sympathetic smile.


  “You know her,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness from my voice. “She’ll never change.”

  “Never is a long time, honey. You never know.”

  I knew. But I’d let Reese hold on to her illusions that people like my mother could change. “I guess I should get going,” I said, glancing at my watch. “It’s getting late, and York’s making me dinner tonight.”

  As we stood, she asked, “York? That’s the new boyfriend?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When I ran into Coop in the store, I asked about you,” she said, putting her arm around me. “He told me that you’re teaching kickboxing now. I’m so proud of you, sweetie.” She laughed. “If I’d kept up with it, who knows, maybe I wouldn’t be so afraid to jog after work.”

  I wanted to tell her that being a marital artist didn’t make you fearless, just better prepared. “You should pass by the studio where I work.” I turned to face her when we reached the door. “I teach a beginner’s class. From what I remember, you were a natural.”

  “That might be fun,” she said, nodding. “I’ve been looking for a new hobby since I moved back to town.”

  “Here,” I said, reaching into my purse for a card. “This is where I work. Stop by any time. The first class is free.”

  “Thanks,” she said, turning the card over in her hand.

  “Do you have a pen?” I asked, rummaging through my purse for one. That was how she spotted my gun.

  “Oh my God! Why do you have a gun?”

  Since I didn’t want her to worry, I tried laughing it off. “You know Coop. He thinks everyone should bear arms. It makes him feel better, so like my American Express card, I never leave home without it.”

  She frowned as though she didn’t buy my story, but she reached into the hall console table to grab a pen without asking any more questions. “Here you go.” She handed it to me, along with the card.

  I jotted my cell number on the back and passed them back to her. “Call me anytime. I’d love to get together for dinner, if you’re not too busy with work and looking for a place.”