Some Guys Have All the Luck

by Deborah Cooke

  “Reid wouldn’t allow it,” Nick said.

  “What? Why not?” Cassie was outraged on his behalf.

  Cassie leaned forward. “Please, tell me what you know about Reid and his dad.”

  Nick made an exasperated sound. “Why do you suddenly care? You’ve left Montrose River forever and we all know it.”

  “Please tell me about Reid, Nick.”

  She heard him sigh and wondered if Tori had appealed to him, too. “We were getting close to graduation,” he said, his voice low. “Our football team was rocking. We were winning for the first time in years, and it was all because Reid was such an awesome quarterback. By then, there was no question of anyone saying anything Reid didn’t want said. We were in the regional play-offs and we won the first game. A home game. We were in the locker room, letting off steam, because Coach had said there were supposed to be scouts at the next game. We all knew it was for Reid and we were happy for him.” Nick took a sip of his drink. “And that was when Coach saw.”

  Saw. Cassie could guess what he’d seen.

  Nick swallowed. “It was bad that time. Reid had welts on his back, from a belt, and there were gouges too, probably from the buckle. He said it was no big deal. A couple of guys had helped him clean and bandage it, and he’d played as if he didn’t hurt at all. We were coming out of the showers when Coach came back to confirm the scouts, and we knew the moment he saw. We didn’t know what to do. It was completely silent in there. Then Coach pointed at Reid, told him to come to his office ASAP, and left.”

  Cassie held her breath.

  Nick continued. “Reid didn’t say a thing. He didn’t delay the inevitable either. I remember thinking that he was the bravest guy I knew. He dressed and went to Coach’s office and they shut the door. We all listened, though, either at the door or at the other end of the vent that opened into the storage room.”

  “He probably tried to cover for his father,” Tori said with disapproval.

  “He did,” Nick agreed. “But Coach knew exactly what he’d seen. Maybe he’d had suspicions all along. But he told Reid he had to report his injuries. Reid asked him not to. When Coach refused, Reid begged. He said his father would kill him if he snitched, and even failing to cover the evidence would count as snitching. He said that scouts were his only chance out, and that he had to play the next game.” Nick paused for a long moment. “And so Coach caved. Maybe he wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been just one day and just one game. Reid got the scholarship and we had one helluva party.”

  “And his dad?”

  “I heard he bought rounds of drinks at the bar,” Nick said. “But he got smaller after Reid left.”

  “Died alone,” Tori said with grim satisfaction. “Fell asleep with a cigarette burning, that was the story, burned that house to the ground and didn’t get out. They were too far out in the country for anyone to have noticed right away, and by the time the volunteer fire department got there, it was too late.” She took a breath and sounded prim, like her mom. “He got exactly what he deserved.”

  “But then Reid was injured.”

  “It was a damn shame.”

  “And he had to go back to Montrose River,” Cassie murmured.

  “Reid came back, but he didn’t have to. He had some sponsorships, not many, and he could have become a coach himself. He got a settlement, eventually. He chose to come back, Cassie, just like you choose to stay away. He came back, even though it wasn’t going to be easy, even though people would always be watching to see if he became like his father, even though people would shake their heads and pity him for what he’d lost. It takes stones to go back to the place where people think you’re a loser and build yourself a new life all the same. I respect that. I respect what he’s achieved and I respect him.”

  Cassie found herself nodding agreement. “He said he was selling some property to a developer.”

  “Yes,” Nick said. “I’m surprised he told you about it. They’re going to build a community for active seniors with a recreation center and everything. It’ll bring a lot of tax revenue to Montrose River.”

  “They’re already coming to look,” Tori said. “They love the town.”

  “What property?” Cassie asked quietly.

  “That big chunk of land his dad owned, the one he couldn’t ever sell to anyone. No one wanted it then, and once the house burned down, there was even less interest.”

  “It’s Reid who’s made such a difference in Montrose River,” Tori said. “I’m glad he’s going to benefit from it.”

  “There’s a kind of poetic justice in that,” Nick said. “It was the only thing his dad left him, and that was because there was no way to sell it. And now it’s only got value because of what Reid’s done.”

  “That is good,” Cassie agreed. “Thanks, Nick.” She ended the call and went back to her laptop, searching on the new development. There was already a page on the developer’s website for the new project, boasting small town charm, and easy access to amenities in a safe neighborhood. There were sketches of the houses and the development, and a map of the lots. She was amused to see the farmers’ market listed as an amenity, as well as the local independent grocery store. There were pictures of the Main Street in Montrose River and it did look welcoming.

  Shannon was staying at the same hotel as Reid, which he knew wasn’t a coincidence. Shayla must have shared the fact that he always took a suite at the Peninsula and in a way, he admired that Shannon had made choices to achieve her goal of seducing him. He wasn’t surprised that she rose from her chair at the same time as him and suggested that they share a cab.

  “I was going to walk,” Reid said, sparing a glance at her heels. “It’s a great night and not very late.”

  Shannon smiled. “Good thing I brought my flats,” she said. She changed her shoes in the foyer, then gave him a smile.

  “You never used to exercise,” he said in the elevator.

  She gave a little laugh. “I’m not eighteen anymore. I have to do something—or stop drinking champagne—so I walk. I kind of like it, actually.”

  “Would you have walked back to the hotel tonight on your own?”

  “No. You never know in the city, but I was hoping to convince you to walk with me.” She tucked her hand into his elbow in the lobby, as if they were a couple, and something deep within Reid was pleased. “I wanted, after all, to have the chance to talk to you privately.”

  “About what?”

  “About the future. About us.” He felt her glance up at him. “It’s interesting to find you resistant to my so-called charms.” She said this with a smile in her voice, and Reid liked the sound of it.

  “Once bitten, twice shy?” he suggested lightly.

  “Or over all that love crap,” she countered.

  Reid was surprised and it probably showed.

  “Oh, I was flattered that you were so smitten,” Shannon said. “But love is so complicated. And unreliable.”

  Reid couldn’t exactly argue with that.

  “I think it makes sense for people to understand who they are, what they want and what they need, then make a logical choice of partner.”

  “Why marry at all?” Reid asked.

  “Because it sucks to be alone. At the very least, we should all have someone to talk to.” She looked up at him and laughed lightly. “You’re surprised.”

  “I thought you were a romantic.”

  “Never,” she said with vehemence. “If I’d been a romantic, I would have married you despite your injury.” She continued before Reid could comment. “And we would have been miserable, because we wouldn’t have been able to give each other what each of us really needed. Love would have died and it wouldn’t have been pretty and both of us would have been emotionally scarred forever.” She took a deep breath. “We might have had kids and felt compelled to stay together, raising them in a toxic environment that could only fuck up their lives, too. No, it was a far better thing that I wasn’t in love with you.”

 
Reid blinked, surprised not only by her blunt assessment but his own agreement with it. “Did you love your husbands?”

  Shannon shook her head. “I married Tom because I thought he could give me what I wanted. I grew up in comfort, you know, never having to do without anything. My dad bought me a car for my sixteenth birthday, before I even had my license. We lived in Gross Point Woods in a huge house. I couldn’t imagine any other way to live, and I didn’t want to. I thought he’d go to the Olympics and get a ton of sponsorships and we’d be in clover forever.”

  “Pretty much everyone thought that.”

  “But then he got mono and had to leave the team. Bad timing. He missed his chance and by the time he’d worked up his strength again, he was that much older.” She shrugged. “He sells insurance now.”

  Reid winced.

  “Oh, he’s happy,” Shannon said. “Ours was a starter marriage, so no harm, no foul. He and Trisha have four boys. We keep in touch. I could never have made him as happy as she has. It’s all good.”

  “And your second husband?”

  “That was my mistake. I adored Stephen. I thought he was the most wonderful man ever, and he swept me off my feet with presents and promises. We had a destination wedding, long before they were popular, and pledged our eternal love to each other on a quiet beach on Kauai. It was perfect.”

  Reid noted the cynicism in her tone. “Apparently not, since you’re not married to him anymore.”

  Shannon laughed. “The wedding was perfect. The marriage not so much. The only good thing was that the divorce was final before Daddy died.”

  “So you didn’t have to share that inheritance.”

  “Exactly. And now, thanks to Daddy, I can do what I want.”

  Her tone sounded portentous and Reid glanced down to find her watching him steadily.

  “We could make a deal, Reid.”

  “A deal?”

  “We could agree to be together instead of apart. I’d even have one child, if that was what you really wanted. We could make a rational arrangement that would suit us both well.”

  “You sound pretty sure of that.” Reid was struggling against his own dislike of her suggestion. It was logical. It made sense. It sounded like something he might have suggested himself. So, why did it sound like a compromise to him?

  “I am sure of it. We’re both smart and attractive people. There’s chemistry between us, and I’m sure the sex would be good. We could commit to a schedule, if you’re worried about that. We’d have a pre-nup, of course, and manage our finances separately. It wouldn’t be about love and romance, but I think it would be good.” She laughed lightly. “And who knows, we might fall in love with each other over time.”

  They reached the hotel and the doors slid open for them.

  “I’d have to think about it,” Reid said.

  “You used to be impulsive,” she teased, her eyes sparkling. He looked down at her and thought it wouldn’t be all bad to have sex with Shannon.

  Even if it would have to pale in comparison to making love with Cassie.

  Could that last, though? Wasn’t he just infatuated with Cassie? Wasn’t it inevitable that the attraction between them faded? Not that it mattered anyhow, since he wouldn’t see her again after the trip to San Francisco.

  Shannon obviously took his silence for consideration. She reached up and brushed her lips across his, sending a shiver through Reid that was purely a physical reaction. She was beautiful. “Why don’t you come up to my room and we’ll negotiate further?” she whispered and Reid took a step back.

  “I’ve had a little too much to drink,” he lied, then smiled. “I’m not eighteen anymore either.”

  Shannon laughed, then ran a proprietary hand up his chest. “612 in case you change your mind.” She waited, obviously expecting him to confess his own room number, but Reid just pressed the button for the elevator. “You’re not coming upstairs?” she asked when she realized she was alone inside it.

  “I need to double-check my reservation,” Reid said, lying one more time.

  Shannon might have stepped out of the elevator but the doors closed and Reid strode away. He’d be sure he couldn’t be easily found if she decided to seek him out. He ducked down the hall and took the stairs to the fifteenth floor, jogging up them with a speed that he knew would make his knees protest.

  He had to think, and working out always helped him to do that. He’d always had a vague idea that he’d marry one day and have kids, but since Shannon, he hadn’t done much about it. It had seemed easy when they’d been dating and a natural progression, but her dumping him had shown him that there was nothing easy about partnership. It had also made him wonder if it was possible to truly trust someone.

  He’d trusted Shannon, but his feelings hadn’t been reciprocated.

  But what if a marriage was based on more logical variables than love, affection or even attraction? That made sense to Reid. Shannon’s suggestion should have been the proverbial offer he couldn’t refuse, but Reid wasn’t tempted—and he wasn’t sure why. He had to think that if she’d suggested it a month before, he would have gone for it.

  But now, he was too busy thinking about seeing Cassie again.

  He had a rule about not dating two women at once, or even thinking about two women at once. He’d go to San Francisco, be with Cassie, get her out of his system, then re-evaluate. He was pretty sure that once he’d been with Cassie again, he’d be able to call Shannon and continue their negotiation.

  It was the ideal solution, after all.

  Twelve

  Chris had the perfect car.

  Of course.

  The 1965 Lincoln Continental convertible was gorgeous, massive, and gleaming black with a red leather interior. Reid had to think that Cassie would look good in it. It was the same model of car used in The Matrix, and Reid had always admired its design.

  He drove back into San Francisco, feeling like the king of the road, the wind in his hair. He got more than one thumbs-up from a passing driver or passenger and found himself grinning in anticipation of Cassie’s reaction.

  He was really looking forward to seeing her.

  That was new, but he wasn’t going to think about it too much.

  He was just going to enjoy it.

  Reid had planned everything. He’d booked a suite at the closest luxury hotel to the new F5 club for the two of them and sent Cassie the reservation information. The hotel had notified him that she’d checked in. They’d emailed a few times, so he knew the schedule for the weekend, and had agreed to meet there. He’d brought Marty’s book to give it to Cassie and just had to figure out the right moment for that.

  He was ready for a weekend of great sex, just one last indulgence in Cassie, then he’d call Shannon and make the sensible deal for the future. Their marriage would be a negotiation and that’s why it would work. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure of it. Cassie was a fling, even if they had been together more than once. He didn’t want to die alone, as Marty had, but he didn’t want to reach beyond himself either. Shannon’s suggestion was a good compromise.

  There was a perfect parking spot right in front of the hotel.

  It could have been kismet.

  Reid told the doorman he was checking in and was waved into that parking spot. He was giving the keys to the valet, who was ogling the car in a big way, when the glass doors slid open and Cassie emerged. She was wearing a cherry red dress that hugged her slim curves and flared over her hips. The dress was a flirt all by itself, never mind her matching red high-heeled sandals. Her welcoming smile made his heart jump.

  He indicated her shoes, as if asking after the boots.

  Cassie laughed, then she saw the car and made a little squee of delight. “Is that the car you rented?”

  Reid nodded and she ran to it with such open admiration that he couldn’t hide his smile. He watched her run her hands over it, then she smiled at him again. His heart was thundering like it was in a brass band. “It’s gorge
ous!”

  “Good to see you, too,” he said. “Even without the boots.” Cassie laughed and flung herself at him. Reid caught her against his chest and swung her around. She felt perfect and he was almost overwhelmed by his satisfaction that she was with him.

  Cassie kissed Reid’s cheek and ran a hand down his chest, her eyes glowing. “Good flight?”

  Reid nodded. “Uneventful, which is the best kind. Yours?”

  “The same.” Her gaze strayed to the car. “I love the car.”

  “I knew you would.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Now I’m predictable,” she whispered, then stepped away to walk around the car. She was admiring the vehicle but Reid was admiring her. “Can I drive it?”

  “That’s predictable,” he accused and she laughed. “I figured you’d want to. I put your name on the rental agreement, but have to send a scan of your drivers’ license to Chris before giving you the keys.”

  “Chris?”

  “My buddy from college who rents smoking hot cars.”

  “He does,” she agreed, looking at the car again. “I’ve always wanted to drive one of these.”

  “Automatic, though. Not quite as much fun as a stick.”

  “But it’s for cruising.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “And I get to drive it, too. You’re amazing!” Cassie threw herself at Reid so hard that he almost lost his balance. Then she kissed him. She tasted like heaven and he lifted her to her toes, deepening their kiss so that the doorman cleared his throat. When Reid lifted his head, Cassie’s eyes were twinkling, he was simmering, and the valet was trying to hide his grin.

  Plus Cassie’s red lipstick was smeared.

  Apparently, absence did make the heart grow fonder.

  It was going to be some kind of weekend.

  She reached up and wiped his mouth, obviously removing lipstick. “Not your color,” she whispered, her eyes dancing. Reid didn’t loosen his grip around her waist at all and she didn’t seem to mind. “I didn’t know you booked a suite,” she said and he knew she’d checked in.

  “I like having a little extra room.” He winked at her. “I wanted you to have space to work your magic with that whip.”