Some Guys Have All the Luck

by Deborah Cooke

  He thought, for the first time in a long time, of leaving Montrose River.

  Where would he go?

  Just the thought stole his breath away.

  Maybe he was due for a trip to Chicago, a longer one than stopping for dinner with Troy and Shayla.

  Maybe he’d head up there at the beginning of the week. Take a vacation.

  Cassie’s parents reached the walkway to the church at the same time as Reid and he stood back, letting them precede him. Ally was with them, but walking a bit ahead. He heard Cassie’s mom catch her breath in disapproval at the sight of her oldest daughter. “One extreme to the other,” she muttered and Reid blinked in surprise.

  “Now, Marianne,” Cassie’s father said under his breath.

  “Nobody heard me,” she whispered, but Reid had.

  Her words made him think. She was right. In high school, Cassie had always been the tomboy. She’d hidden her charms, choosing baggy clothes that could have been borrowed from Nick. Since moving away, she seemed to have discovered her femininity—or realized how pretty she was—and wasn’t shy about showing herself to advantage. He liked the change a lot, because to him, it was an expression of her honesty. Cassie was the person she was, and she was proud of it. Reid admired that.

  He waited to say hello to her, letting others go ahead of him. He was conscious of always feeling on the outside, but couldn’t change his habits.

  Ryan arrived in a cab, probably from the airport, looking slick in a dark suit. It made sense to Reid that he had a job as a salesman, because he’d always thought salesmen were insincere, more concerned with their own objectives than the interests or needs of their potential customers. Ryan would be good at that. That man smiled and waved, kissing old ladies on their cheeks, shaking hands, and working his way toward the church doors like a returning hero.

  Or a politician.

  He wore too much cologne and had a big flashy watch.

  More importantly, Cassie was upset that he’d chosen to attend.

  Reid followed Ryan as he approached Cassie, wanting to see their first encounter, in case it gave him some clues as to her reaction.

  “Cassie,” Ryan said with pleasure, and Reid could guess that he was ogling her by the way Cassie straightened. Her eyes narrowed slightly but her smile didn’t waver. “Haven’t you become quite the looker?”

  “Ryan,” she said, honey dripping from her tone. Ryan moved to kiss her cheek, but Cassie took a step back and offered her hand. There was fury in her steady gaze.

  Ryan hesitated for a second, then he took her hand.

  Reid heard him inhale sharply. He looked down to see that Cassie had grasped Ryan’s hand so tightly that his fingertips were turning white. He watched as she tightened her grip even more.

  “I’ve been wanting to thank you, all these years,” she said smoothly.

  “Really?” Ryan’s voice was strained and Reid moved to stand beside him, seeing that the other man had paled.

  “Of course,” Cassie said smoothly. “You were the one who encouraged me to learn self-defense.” Her grip tightened even more, her bicep flexing, and Ryan made a little whimper. Reid bit back a smile at the sight of Cassie’s strength, but she was busy glaring at Ryan. “Such a wise course for women. I’ll be sure Emily starts very young.” She bit off those last two words, giving his hand one last squeeze, and Reid wondered if he’d hear a bone crack. Then she released Ryan and turned to Reid with a smile, her gaze still simmering.

  Self defense.

  What had this bastard done to Cassie?

  Reid smiled as if he wasn’t furious and bent to kiss her cheek, loving that she let him and that Ryan noticed. “You are amazing,” he whispered into her ear and she smiled in gratitude. Her gaze flicked to Ryan, who had stepped away, cradling one hand in the other, and satisfaction lit her eyes.

  “I guess you know part of the story now,” she said.

  “Whets my appetite for the details,” Reid admitted, sensing that she needed a little encouragement. “You’re going to be a smoking godmother.”

  Cassie smiled at him. “Thank you, Reid. And thanks for coming today.” She brushed an imaginary bit of lint from his lapel and her eyes lit with admiration. It was a proprietary gesture, and he was surprised that he didn’t mind. “You do clean up well. I could just gobble you up, right here and now.”

  “People would notice.” He made sure he sounded rueful, wanting her to laugh.

  She did. “Probably. I think sex in the vestry is against the rules, isn’t it?”

  “Probably. If not, it should be.”

  She laughed again. “Thank you, Reid.”

  “Anytime you need back-up, just give me a shout.”

  “Even when I’m in New York?”

  Reid grinned and winked, wondering what the hell he’d just offered.

  And why.

  The christening went well, especially since Cassie didn’t drop Emily at the altar. The baby didn’t scream either, which had to be a good thing. Cassie was nervous about it, but people seemed to expect her to hang on to Emily, so she did. Holding a baby was a lot like cradling a sack of potatoes. A fragile one. Cassie even rocked Emily a bit and cooed at her, and was relieved beyond belief that the baby didn’t out her as a bad choice of godmother.

  “Convinced yet?” Tori teased when it was over and they were leaving the church. Cassie smiled politely. She felt a bit raw after these days in town and was more than ready to escape. She was keenly aware of Ryan’s presence, as well as that of Reid, and felt more emotional than she had in a long time. She felt a man’s hand on the back of her elbow and knew it was Reid.

  “Okay?” he murmured.

  His thumb slid up her spine, a firm touch that made her shiver with need.

  She wondered how many of the guests noticed that.

  “I suppose we can’t skip the reception,” she said, sparing him an appreciative glance. He looked as fabulous in a suit as she’d expected, but she had the strange sense that she didn’t know him at all. He seemed more gentlemanly and reserved, less wicked and unreliable. He also looked like a man with secrets.

  She was surprised to realize that she wanted to know them all.

  “That would count as being a bad influence, I think,” he said, glancing down at Emily. Cassie couldn’t read his expression, but when he looked at her, his eyes were dark. “You look good with her,” he murmured and Cassie felt warm all over.

  “That’s what my mom will say,” Cassie said. “I think I look like a complete amateur.”

  Reid smiled. “Don’t be so sure of that.” He glanced up and his eyes narrowed a little. “Here’s my chance to catch up with Ryan,” he said, then smiled and left her alone.

  Cassie knew he’d make sure Ryan didn’t come near her again and she was glad.

  “Reid should never have come,” her mom said at sudden proximity, then tickled Emily’s chin. She raised her gaze to Cassie’s, a challenge in her eyes. “Maybe the sight of you and Emily made him feel guilty.”

  Cassie’s heart leaped.

  “About what?” she protested, but then Ally was there, her eyes round with adoration for Emily. Cassie passed the infant to her sister, watching how intuitive Ally was with her, and wished with all her heart that Ally would get what she wanted.

  Then she made small talk and mingled, helped Tori with the refreshments, and tried to figure out how exactly she’d manage to keep her promise to Reid.

  Her throat seemed to have closed right over every time she thought about the past, and every time her gaze landed on Ryan, but she’d said she’d tell Reid and somehow she would.

  She’d keep her word, just as he did.

  Nine

  Reid didn’t know what had been in his head when he’d agreed to come to the christening and reception. He felt awkward enough without Cassie’s mom giving him dark looks. It was hard for him to stay on the perimeter, which was familiar to him, when he was trying to keep Ryan away from Cassie. He was painfully aware that eve
ryone was commenting on him and Cassie. She didn’t need any gossip following her—even if she never came back to Montrose River, her mom and sister would probably tell her about it.

  With pleasure.

  And he didn’t want to taint his last bit of time with her. She’d put Ryan in his place so he didn’t have to work hard to keep that man away from her. He ate little sandwiches and drank weak coffee and stood guard all the same, not quite able to believe she’d convinced him to attend.

  But then, Reid was starting to realize he’d do just about anything for Cassie.

  He even had this strange urge to convince her to stay in town, or to suggest that he see her again. But he wasn’t the one who changed the terms of any agreement. He never upped the ante.

  He was just bored with Montrose River, that was all, Reid decided. Cassie was a breath of fresh air, and a reminder that he needed to leave town more often.

  Chicago it would be.

  Reid didn’t have to remind her that it was time to go. She got her bag, avoided Ryan on her tour of farewells, and met Reid at the door—as if she couldn’t wait to get out of Montrose River, one more time. He took her bag from her. There was a flurry of hugs and kisses on the porch, then she headed for his car with purpose.

  “Want to drive?”

  “I do, but not if I’m going to tell you this story,” she said bluntly. “It’s one or the other, and I owe you the story.” She smiled. “I don’t want to wreck this car.”

  “I don’t want you to either.”

  “Great minds think alike then,” she said and he opened the passenger door for her.

  “Okay,” he said as they drove away from Tori and Nick’s house. “Tell me about Ryan.”

  “It’s not an easy story to tell,” she said, her voice husky. “In fact, I’ve only told it once.”

  The Aston Martin engine roared in a very satisfactory way and he watched Cassie close her eyes. Was she savoring the feel of the car or bracing for her confession? Reid had a feeling this was a lot more important than he’d realized and her response confirmed it.

  “Should I be jealous?” he joked.

  She didn’t laugh. “Probably not. I told a therapist. I saw her for two years and she helped me a lot.”

  A therapist. Reid gripped the steering wheel more tightly.

  Reid felt agitated as he seldom did, as if things were sliding out of his control. He didn’t like the sensation, and he didn’t trust how much Cassie’s mood mattered to him.

  He was never going to see her again.

  He couldn’t make himself not care.

  If she cried, he was toast.

  “So?” he invited.

  “Get out of town first, please,” she said tightly.

  “He can’t hear you.”

  “I just can’t talk about it in town,” she said so tightly that he glanced her way.

  Cassie was paler than Reid liked and he swore a little under his breath.

  They rode in silence until he was on the interstate. “You have about twenty minutes,” he said.

  “Okay. I’ll stick with the executive summary,” Cassie said. She took a deep breath and sat up straighter. “You might not remember this, but the summer before I went to college, I left to take a course to improve my math grades.”

  “I do remember,” Reid said. “I couldn’t figure it out because you always seemed to do well in school.”

  “That’s because it was a lie,” she said. “I didn’t take a course.”

  There was something raw about her tone and Reid glanced her way again. The road was almost empty and there was no risk of a collision. The devastation in her eyes shocked him. “What...” he started to ask but she interrupted him.

  “I had an abortion.”

  Reid was shocked.

  Cassie had been pregnant?

  By whom?

  What did this have to do with Ryan?

  And a therapist?

  He had a very bad feeling then.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say. He was sorry, sorry for the baby, sorry that she’d made such a choice, sorry in a hundred ways. Instead of condemning her, though, he listened.

  “So was I,” she admitted. “I had to go visit a cousin in Canada, and there was a lot of organizing between the reality of having it done and the necessity of stories to disguise the truth.” She frowned and looked out the opposite window so he couldn’t see her expression. Her tone told him all he needed to know. She still ached about this. “There wasn’t a choice, though. My mother’s oldest daughter couldn’t conceive an illegitimate child. It was impossible.”

  “Even though it happened.”

  “Not officially.”

  “You could have married the father.”

  “No, I couldn’t have,” Cassie said with heat. “I couldn’t stand him! I would have stabbed him in the eye the first time he was stupid enough to go to sleep in my presence. No. I would have sliced off his dick.” She heaved a ragged sigh as a horrible idea occurred to Reid. “My parents never knew who the father was so they couldn’t force me to marry him. I refused to tell them.”

  “Ryan?” he asked, his own voice hoarse.

  “Maybe,” she said savagely.

  “What do you mean, maybe?” Reid demanded, thinking she was being coy. “How can you not know?”

  “Because it was planned that way,” she said, her tone bitter. “I don’t know.”

  “But...” Reid got no further before Cassie exploded.

  “There were two of them!” she shouted. “They took turns.”

  Reid nearly stalled the car. He certainly ground the gears. How could he not know this?

  He fought to make sense of it. “But you must have seen...”

  “He made sure I didn’t,” Cassie said savagely. “It started when we were little. He routinely cornered me and separated me from the others. He always wanted to touch me. Then he wanted to kiss me. He told me I was so sexy. He told me that it was my fault, that I tempted him. So, I tried to hide that I was a girl. I tried to avoid him. I did anything I could to avoid him, but by the time we were teenagers, he knew I’d come to the garage. I tried to be there on days he wasn’t there, but he changed his plans or would trick me, and then I’d be stuck there with him.” She caught her breath and exhaled.

  “You could have told somebody.”

  “I tried. I was ashamed so I couldn’t be blunt. I thought it was my fault—and everyone always sang the praises of Ryan. He’s so nice.” Cassie drummed her fingers on the car door. “While I had attitude.”

  Because she was being harassed and no one believed her.

  Well, Reid could relate to that. He’d been abused and had known better than to confide in anyone.

  It was a terrible thing for them to have in common.

  They rode in silence for a long moment.

  “I thought that it wouldn’t get worse,” she said finally. “Or maybe I hoped it wouldn’t. I thought it would be just touching. Unwelcome touching but just touching. I could survive that.” Her voice became strained. “Even when he started telling me that someone he knew liked me.” She shuddered.

  “Not for conversation.”

  “No. One day, I was walking home late from dance class. There was no one around and I went through the field behind the school to get home sooner. It was near Christmas, when it got dark early. I was by the bleachers and someone tackled me from behind. There were two of them. They pulled my sweatshirt up over my head and held me down. They shoved the hood into my mouth.” She released a shuddering breath. “They took turns,” she repeated in a whisper.

  Reid pulled over at a rest stop with savage speed, stopped and looked at Cassie. He knew his anger showed.

  This was why she’d balked at being tied to the chair, even in play.

  This was why she’d been such a tomboy, hiding her assets.

  And now she flaunted them, because she wasn’t going to let an asshole change her life. His heart nearly burst
with admiration that she was so strong.

  It was his reference to abortion that had hurt her feelings on Saturday morning, because she’d had one and he’d never guessed.

  No one had.

  “I recognized his voice at the end,” she whispered. “When he said he’d cut my face if I told anyone.”

  “And they said I was a bad kid.”

  He didn’t know what else to say. Anything he could have offered would have been inadequate.

  She held his gaze defiantly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she mistook his silence for judgment. “Go ahead,” she challenged, bitterness in her tone. “Tell me what a great guy Ryan is. Tell me how no one dislikes him. Tell me how he goes the distance for everyone and that if anything happened—if!—then it must have been my fault.” Her eyes narrowed with anger. “I must have led him astray. You’ve got to watch out for those seventeen year-old virgins and their wiles. The ones who don’t wear any make-up and dress like tomboys, they’re the seductive ones.” She fell silent then, simmering, and blinked rapidly as she stared out the window.

  “That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

  “What then?”

  “I’m just astonished that you were ever a victim of anyone,” he said, not quite admitting all of the truth. She eyed him warily. “But you’re not a victim anymore.”

  “I had an awesome therapist at college. She told me to take it back, to take all of it back, and I did. It wasn’t easy.”

  Reid could imagine.

  “They’re still at it,” she said under her breath. “Marvelous Ryan. Don’t we all just love him to bits.” She made a growl of frustration. “Good thing no one left me alone with him today and anything that could have been used as a weapon.”

  Good thing.

  Reid was feeling violent himself. He was shocked to feel even an increment of his father’s rage inside him and was glad they were in the car, far away from Ryan. “Maybe you don’t need a weapon. I thought you were going to break his hand.”

  “I wanted to, but thought it might be impolite.” She flicked a look at him. “Seemed that since you didn’t want the church to be struck by lightning that I should do the same.”