Lucky 13 (Deadlines & Diamonds)

by Kearns, Morgan

  “Come on, Kobe.”

  The taillights flashed as Shayne pressed the key fob to allow him to get inside. She slid into the driver’s seat, turned the key and cranked the air. Not that the scorching blast did much to cool them off.

  Matt buckled his seatbelt then took control of the radio, punching buttons until he found an acceptable song. He drummed on his thighs, murmured an off-key phrase here and there. Shayne’s heart swelled. She loved this side of her son. Heck, she loved every part of him, but it was carefree moments like this she savored. He sang through the entire drive.

  When they pulled into X’s—she had a really hard time calling her brother by a single letter, the one letter that went along with porn, but it was what he preferred—circular driveway, Matt was out of the car as soon as she had it in park. He raced up the steps and right through the front door without so much as a knock.

  She got inside just in time to see Frankie and Matt heading down the hallway. “Come on, Mom.”

  The smell of fresh paint assaulted her nose and the further down the hall she went, the more intense the stench. They walked into what used to be X’s office and Shayne’s eyes bugged out of her head.

  Holy purple. Lots and lots of purple. Not exactly Barney purple. But the lavender walls and lilac baseboards made Shayne’s retinas beg for mercy. Until she looked at her brother. His white t-shirt held battle scars as did his blue jeans and the tips of his dark hair. But it was the satisfied grin on his face that kept her from losing her composure.

  Matt, however, did not get the memo and busted up. X turned around and his face lit up with a smile. He walked over to Frankie and tugged her into a hug. He kissed her hard on the mouth and Shayne barely resisted the urge to clamp her hand over Matt’s eyes.

  X released his hold on Frankie only long enough to wrap an arm around her waist. “You think she’s going to like it? It’s her favorite color and I—” He looked around the room, satisfaction on his face. “I think she’ll like it.”

  Frankie sighed and Shayne noticed the glistening approval in her eyes. “I think she’ll love it. You did good, Matthias. Real, real good.”

  X nodded and looked back at the walls. “I think it’ll be ready for her to move in next week. Have you convinced her yet?”

  “Christian offered to duct tape her and toss her in the trunk if we need him to.”

  X chuckled. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  Listening to them talk about Frankie’s best friend and her mother made Shayne feel like she and Matt were intruding. She took a step toward the door. Matt, however, felt the need to go sightseeing. He walked around the room, disappearing through the archway that led into an en suite bathroom. Thank heaven, he didn’t jump his way through it.

  There was only silence for a few moments before the flushing of a toilet sounded from the other room. X and Frankie laughed and looked at her.

  She shrugged, rolled her eyes. “I try.”

  Soft snickers filled the excruciating silence. Frankie laid her head against X’s shoulder. “You did such a great job painting this room.”

  “Thanks.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “Ya know, I’ve been thinking it’s time to paint the one next to our room.”

  All the blood drained out of X’s face. He jumped away from her, grabbing her by the upper arms. His eyes scanned her body from head to toe, coming to rest on her belly. He swayed a bit, his foot moving back to steady him.

  Frankie shot a smile at Shayne before asking her husband, “What do you think? Pink or blue?”

  “How? When? Holy shit!” He let out a whoop, clutched her to his body and spun around. “I can’t believe…I never thought…oh, Frankie! You have made me the happiest man in the world!”

  Shayne really felt like she didn’t belong. This was the kind of a moment that should just be theirs and theirs alone. She slinked toward the door, only to be stopped by X’s booming voice.

  “Where are you going, Shayne?”

  Busted!

  Shayne turned and entwined her fingers in front of her. “I…ah…I thought you guys would like some privacy.”

  Frankie smiled. “I wouldn’t have told him with you here if I didn’t want you to be a part of it. You’re family, Shayne. We love you.” She ran her hands over her belly. “This is your niece—”

  “Or nephew,” X injected.

  Frankie grinned. “Or nephew in here.”

  “What’s all the yellin’ about?” Matt came back into the room, wiping his hands on the hem of his t-shirt.

  X’s loud guffaw cracked like lightning. “Looks like I’m gonna be a dad.”

  Matt clapped his hands and whooped his own approval, jabbing a fist into the air. “That’s awesome! Is it okay for me to say I’d prefer a boy?”

  Frankie giggled softly. “You can prefer whatever you want, but the choice has already been made.”

  “Boy.” X’s nod expressed the non-negotiable confirmation. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I gotta feed my baby-mama.”

  Frankie elbowed him in the gut. “You call me that again and you’ll regret it.”

  He rubbed his side. “I already do.”

  While her brother and his baby-mama continued to tease and celebrate, Shayne’s thoughts drifted to the moment she found out about the tiny life growing in her belly.

  Her throat tightened. Her eyes stung.

  That scene couldn’t have been further from this one. No loving father cuddled her close, his large palms rubbing over her abdomen. Instead panic had overwhelmed her. The need to flee sent her racing to Kingman, to her grandparents.

  “Mom?”

  She blinked and forced a smile. “Yeah.”

  Many times she’d been grateful her son resembled her brother instead of the monster who’d deposited a few sperm. This was one of those times. And as he cocked his head to the side, a smirk tipping the corner of his lip, she saw Xavier. Matt hooked an arm around her neck and guided her down the hall. “I get to man the grill. Isn’t that great?”

  An hour later, the four of them sat around the table finishing up dinner. Matt bent over. “How was your steak, Mom?”

  “Great.”

  He leaned in close to examine the remnants. “Are you sure it was done the way you wanted it?”

  She stabbed one of the few final pieces and popped it into her mouth. He scrutinized her every expression while she chewed. She closed her eyes and moaned. “It’s perfect, Matt.”

  “Well, it was my first time.” He shot a look down the table. “Uncle X was there to make sure I didn’t screw it up, but I wanted to make sure. Ya know? ‘Cause I can barbecue for us at home now.”

  Home. It amazed her how quickly X’s penthouse had become home. Matt had friends, liked school, was happy. With the exception of the mixed up emotional crap making her head spin, she was pretty content too. She hadn’t found a job yet, but that would take time.

  Her cell vibrated in her pocket and three sets of eyes curiously watched while she ignored it. She didn’t want them to see the excitement if it happened to be Enrique or the disappointment when it wasn’t.

  It beeped with a voicemail and her heart skittered. Waiting to see who had reached out to touch her might be the worst kind of torture. Her fingers itched to swipe across the screen and reveal her missed call.

  X steepled his fingers and rested his elbows on the table. With one brow high, a smirk quirked his lip. “You expecting that call?”

  She shook her head.

  “You’re still a horrible liar, baby sister.”

  She loved when he called her that.

  Frankie playfully slapped his arm. “Leave her alone, Xavier. She doesn’t have to tell you anything she doesn’t want to.”

  His grin annoyed her. “Yeah, ‘cause she’s a grown ass woman.”

  She scratched under her eye with her middle finger and X burst out in a laugh that shook the chandelier. He looked at Matt. “You know anything about that phone call?”


  Panic made her heart jolt. She didn’t have time to send Matt a warning glare. Thankfully, her son was a smart one. He shook his head, his mouth pulling a frown. She wasn’t sure if she should be proud or mortified when he looked his uncle in the eye and said, “Nope, no idea.” His eyes met hers. “But it might be important. You should probably check the message.”

  “I’ll help clean up and then I’ll—”

  Frankie stood and began to gather the dishes. “Go ahead. There’ll still be dishes to do when you get back.” She smiled and pointed down the hallway to the purple paradise. “You can use Mom’s room for some privacy.”

  “Thanks.”

  On her way out of the room, X hollered, “Just don’t breathe too deep or you’ll start killing brain cells.”

  She went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub before pulling her phone out of her pocket. She swiped a finger across her phone and it came to life. The number was one she didn’t recognize. Her heart hammered in her throat. Her fingers shook and it took three stabs before she hit the correct icon.

  “Hey. Shayne. It’s Santiago, er- Ricky. Hey. So, um, I guess you’re busy.” Long pause. “It’s been a week…and a couple days. I wanted to make sure you had the time you needed to unpack and whatever. I’ve been thinking of you. Call me.”

  She listened to the message again. And again. By the end of the fourth time, all she could do was stare at the screen as it dimmed. An overwhelming desire to call him consumed her. She’d thought of him too. More than she was comfortable admitting to herself, let alone anyone else. Absurd as it sounded, she’d missed him. She kept telling herself she didn’t even know him, not that the rationale mattered. Her body ached for the comfort of his hug. Her soul craved the strength of his embrace. Her heart yearned for the steady beat of his.

  She retrieved his number in the call log and stared at the ten digits for so long that when she closed her eyes, she saw them bright and glaring in the blackness.

  This was so not good.

  She put her phone to sleep and slipped it back into the pocket of her jeans. She’d call him. Maybe. Probably. Most likely. Tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow she’d return his call.

  Yet when her hand made contact with the cool metal of the doorknob, her stomach pitched. She rushed back to the bathroom, leaned over the sink and breathed deep. She splashed some cold water on her face, only to realize there were no towels. Thus the reason Matt had used the hem of his shirt. She resorted to the same means, pulling her shirt high to dab at the droplets on her chin.

  There in the mirror, live and in living color, were the ugly marks proving her status as a mother. She tugged her shirt back down. She’d never have the perfect body a guy like Enrique Santiago expected of his woman. His woman. Ha. What a joke that was.

  She pulled her phone free, once again recalled his number and hit delete. He was wrong for her on so many levels. It would be better for all involved if she got that through her head sooner rather than later. The last time she’d fallen for flowery words and a handsome face had devastated her. She’d recovered, learned her lesson, but would really like to find someone to love her. Maybe someday. Today, though, was definitely not that day.

  Steadier on her feet, she prepared to go back to her life. This time when she reached for the doorknob her phone rang. Instinct took over. She yanked it from her pocket. “Hello,” she answered, and cringed when he chuckled.

  “Hey, mujer bonita.”

  She mentally slapped herself for being so careless. “Hey.”

  “I, ah, didn’t leave my number last time and I wanted to make sure you could call me back.”

  “It was on my caller ID.” She headed back toward the bathroom to return to her perch on the edge of the tub.

  “Oh, yeah, sure.” Dammit, even his breath comforted her. “Are you getting settled?”

  “Almost.”

  “If you need anything—”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  He sighed, long and deep. “Of course you are. But if you ever did, I’d be happy to help.” Before she could apologize for being bitchy, he changed the subject. “Are you free tomorrow night?”

  Her first impulse screamed for her to lie. She opened her mouth to do just that, but instead caught herself saying, “I don’t have any plans.”

  “Good. I’ll swing by to get you about four o’clock. Wear something casual. Jeans and a t-shirt would be totally sexy.” She could hear the smile in his voice and it made her smile too.

  “Do I get to make a wardrobe request for you?”

  He chuckled. “Name it.”

  She dropped her voice and prayed it’d sound sensual. “Jeans and a t-shirt would be totally sexy.”

  His laughter increased and she giggled along with him. Finally he coughed a bit. “I’ll see you tomorrow, mujer bonita.”

  His accent did funny things to her insides. She wasn’t sure what the words meant. Hell, he could’ve called her bat-shit crazy, psycho bitch for all she knew. Nonetheless, it made her all tingly and she couldn’t wait to hear him say it again.

  5

  Ricky exited the elevator, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, a Rockets ball cap pulled down low on his head, and started down the hallway toward Shayne’s penthouse. Xavier’s penthouse, he corrected himself. He’d be wise to remember Shayne also had Xavier on her birth certificate.

  He raised his knuckles and knocked. After a few seconds, he heard the slide of the security chain and the snap of the deadbolt. The door opened with a flourish.

  Matt grinned. “Hey, man, come on in. Mom’s just finishing up.” He leaned in close. “She’s been really nervous about tonight.”

  “Thanks for tellin’ me.” Ricky took in Matt’s state of dress, or mostly undress and frowned.

  The kid was bare except for a pair of workout shorts and a tank top. Matt bid him entrance with a beckoning wave of his hand as he padded over to plop down in front of the television. He picked up a videogame controller, his fingers and thumbs flying over the buttons.

  Ricky strolled over to the couch, leaned a hip against it. “Hey, dude, aren’t you—”

  “Sorry to make you wait.”

  He glanced up toward the voice and forgot his own damn name. Shayne was putting on a pair of earrings, her head bent to one side, both hands fiddling with the small hoop. She smiled and his knees went weak. He casually gripped the back of the couch for strength—and to keep from accosting her.

  She brushed her hands over her ponytail, curling the end around her finger. She smoothed her light pink t-shirt and finished the pat down by running her palms down the denim covering her thighs. A timid smile plucked at her full lips and insecurity glimmered in her chocolate eyes.

  “Is this okay? I can change if it’s not.”

  “You look great.” He did his best to pull off the no-big-deal as he crossed the room to stand in front of her. “Can I hug you?”

  She bit into her lower lip and shot a peek in Matt’s direction. The moment it took for her to nod dragged on for an eternity. As soon as her chin dipped, though, Ricky was on her.

  He’d missed her, missed holding her in his arms, having her soft body pressed against this chest. She made his blood race, his heart pound and his skin prickle with the need for more. He’d never experienced such a deep connection with a woman. He couldn’t explain it. Didn’t want to. And how ridiculous was that?

  When she returned his embrace, he spread his fingers out to span the entire expanse of her back. A hardcore need to protect her from every bad thing in the world slammed into him. He had a habit of falling for the wrong girl. This time he’d found the right one. He knew it. Didn’t have a single doubt.

  Shayne Xavier was the woman for him.

  Now he just had to figure out how the hell to convince her.

  ***

  Shayne laid her head against Ricky’s chest and absorbed his strength, his heat, his security. Of course she’d been hugged by other men, but never had any of them made her feel the way Enriq
ue Santiago did with a single tight hold.

  She could get used to this feeling. Really damn quick. Too damn easy. She couldn’t let that happen.

  She pressed her hands against his chest and he released his hold without so much as a grunt of protest. He took off his Rockets hat and ran his fingers through his black hair. Once the hat was back in place, he looked at where Matt lay sprawled on the floor between the couch and the television.

  “I kinda thought he’d join us.”

  Shayne wasn’t sure what to say. She knew her mouth hung open a bit. She couldn’t help it. She just stared at him. Had she heard him right?

  “If he’d rather stay home, that’s cool.”

  “You want him to go with us?”

  A big, beefy shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Yeah. I mean, you’re a package deal, right? I’d better get to know both of you.”

  Again she found herself dumbstruck.

  His list of credentials kept growing. Enrique Santiago: Talented Athlete, Gentleman, World’s Best Hugger, Damn Good Kisser, Moving Company Owner, Sensitive, Caring, Sexy, Male Model. Okay, so the last one technically didn’t apply, but only because he hadn’t taken his clothes off for the right person.

  Oh, good hell! He hadn’t taken his clothes off for her yet either. Yet?

  She concentrated on the V of his t-shirt and found herself licking her lips. She’d really like to trace her tongue over the contours of those muscular pectorals.

  No! No, she wouldn’t.

  She shook some sense into her head. “Hey, Matt.”

  The videogame paused on the TV and he twisted around. “Huh?”

  “You wanna go with us?”

  He shrugged. “Where ya goin’?”

  She glanced at Ricky and allowed him to take lead on answering the question since she had no idea where they were headed.

  “I thought we’d hit the batting cages and get some dinner. You can choose the place.”

  She could almost see the deliberation happening in Matt’s head. Finally, he nodded.

  “Give me a minute.” He turned off the videogame and the TV, tossed his controller onto the cushions of the couch and took off on a jog down the hall.