Maryanne sat up stiffly and groaned. “I haven’t decided, and no, I don’t know if it’s a girl. I dreamed about a baby girl. I was pushing her in a swing, a golden swing in a shining golden park.”
“I bet she’ll be pretty, just like you.” Lucas kissed her and stroked her silky hair. “What are you planning to do with her?”
“I’m interviewing adoptive parents. I was going to go anonymous, but now, I’m not sure I can stand not knowing who’d be her parents.”
“Must be hard.”
“It is, but I want to make my own decisions.” She stretched and stood. “You understand?”
“Absolutely.” Lucas bent toward the ground. “I have to relax my muscles and do some yoga.”
“No running for you?”
He laughed. “Maybe a slow jog or a walk to loosen up. Feels strange to not work out seven hours a day, but tomorrow’s the big race and I don’t want to tire myself out or risk injury.”
She headed toward the bathroom and stopped at the door. “You’re a good man, Lucas.”
~~~
The bathroom was charming and rustic at the same time. Maryanne took a shower, taking care to wrap the curtain around the antique tub. The knotty pine cabinets looked weathered, and the hardware was aged and rusty.
She put on a paisley patterned maternity top with flowing diagonal biased material covering her belly and pulled on a stretchy pair of capri pants. Now that Lucas was here, she spent extra time with her makeup. After spritzing her favorite fragrance, she stepped out of the bathroom.
The aroma of coffee, sausages and maple syrup filled the air, and 1950’s music blasted from the kitchen. Lucas was swinging back and forth to “Wake Up Little Suzy,” while flipping pancakes and sausage patties.
“Ah, there you are.” He grabbed her hand and wiggled with her in the kitchen, his feet gliding in white socks. “Blue Suede Shoes” played next, followed by “At the Hop.”
“Is that a real jukebox?” Maryanne pointed at the shiny antique with the rounded top and flashing lights.
Lucas laughed and slid across the floor in time to flip out the pancakes and sausages and turn off the stove. “Maybe you should go back to bed.”
“Why?” Maryanne grabbed a napkin holder to set the kitchen table.
“Cuz I want to serve you breakfast in bed.”
“I can arrange that.” She hugged him around the waist. “Pancakes or sausage?”
Lucas’ Adam’s apple bobbled. “Pancakes.”
She pushed him. “I’m not as flat as you think, buddy.”
“Okay, but since you hogged the bathroom I have to take a quick shower before I serve you.” He rushed into the bedroom.
Maryanne snickered after him. The food would be cold after his shower. Lucas was always so adorable.
She picked up her tablet. No sense tweeting with @TriKnight while he was in the shower. She should call Vera, but she had left her purse in the bathroom. Maryanne glanced at the coffee table and spotted Lucas’ phone.
It wasn’t locked. She was entering Vera’s number when a text message popped up.
Daria: Good news.
The right thing would be to drop the phone. But her fingers texted: What’s up?
Daria: I think I’m pregnant.
Maryanne stopped breathing. Her fingers froze. Daria was pregnant? Ten weeks ago she visited Lucas. Why that lying, smooth talking son of a…
Daria: Well? Aren’t you happy?
She should type something. But what?
Maryanne as Lucas: Just surprised.
Daria: Well, duh. Is that all you have to say?
Her fingers trembling, she texted: What are you going to do?
Daria: Have the baby, what else?
Maryanne as Lucas: What do you want from me?
Daria: Thought you’d be happy. Good luck with your race.
Maryanne as Lucas: Thanks, gotta go.
A hand dropped on her shoulder. Maryanne startled and yelped.
“What’s going on?” Lucas asked.
Chapter 25
Maryanne’s heartbeat jittered, and she wouldn’t meet Lucas’ gaze. “I’m feeling sick. I needed to call Vera and my phone was in the bathroom.”
Lucas took his phone and pocketed it, his brow creased. “What is it? Nausea? Or did you exert yourself too much with the dancing?”
“Daria’s pregnant. How could you?” She dashed for the bedroom.
Lucas grabbed her. “Whoa, whoa. What the heck?”
“She texted you. You’re still involved with her.” The pain of a thousand bee stings jabbed Maryanne’s shoulders and chest.
“Sit down.” He tugged her to the sofa. “What are you accusing me of today?”
His face scrunched as he scrolled through his phone. “You texted her as me? Why didn’t you leave it alone?”
“She said she’s pregnant.” Maryanne’s voice hardened and she clipped her words. How dare he put on the angry and indignant act? That’s what all men did when caught.
“This isn’t your business,” Lucas raised his voice. “I never reply to her texts. Now she’s going to start calling.”
“Well, excuse me.” Maryanne poked his arm. “And when were you going to get around to telling me?”
Lucas dropped the phone on the sofa and slapped his knees. “When are you going to trust me? She’s pregnant by her husband. I told her to get help from a fertility clinic.”
“But she was with you ten weeks ago.”
Lucas blew out a harsh breath, his jaw shuddering. “Believe me, nothing happened. And I suppose Sandra couldn’t wait to tell you this, right?”
The air leaked out of Maryanne’s lungs. There she went again, assuming the worst. Lucas was different. If she could only truly believe it. She lowered her head to her hands. “I’m sorry for accusing you. Don’t be mad at me.”
“Hey.” He hugged her. “Let’s try and have a good day. I need to relax, stretch, eat, get a massage, meet with my volunteers and go to sleep early. No more drama, okay?”
“Am I disturbing your ritual?”
“You definitely are.” Lucas turned her face up and kissed the tip of her nose. “I haven’t even tweeted Pumpkingal. She’s my number one fan. Bet she misses me.”
“You really had no idea?”
He hummed and smiled. “I thought about it at first, but you acted like a preteen, asking me questions like where do you pee during the race.”
“What I’m really interested in…” Maryanne rubbed his biceps and scooted closer. He was such a nice guy and hadn’t made her feel bad like other men would have. “Who’s giving you the massage?”
His eyes half-closed and his grin widened. “Are you volunteering?”
“No, really. Who usually massages you before the race?” A prickle of jealousy nagged her below the ribs. Dammit, why couldn’t she relax?
“One of my volunteers. She’s a retired physical therapist.”
Maryanne feathered her fingers down the middle of his chest. “Can I be your volunteer tonight?”
“Tonight and every night.” He laid back on the sofa. “Think Pumpkingal will be jealous?”
“As green-eyed as you.” She straddled him.
~~~
Lucas shook his arms and blew into his hands. The race would start in twelve hours. He and Maryanne had visited the transition points and stowed his bike, clothes and gear. He’d packed and repacked his fluids, energy gels, and first aid kit. The doorbell rang.
Maryanne opened the door, and Lucas’ group of volunteers filed in carrying casseroles. Jen Jewell and Vera followed and hugged Maryanne.
Debby and Nathan, his swimming students, and their parents lugged in ice chests. The women set the table while the men pulled out beers. Lucas would consume only energy drinks and gels to avoid bloating, but he didn’t want to spoil the party. Piles of spaghetti, garlic bread, tossed salad and grilled zucchini, eggplant, peppers and portabella mushrooms graced the table.
Vera paraded in front of
him with a huge platter of pancit malabon, transparent noodles topped with seafood, duck eggs, and pork rinds. “Hey, champion, you haven’t tried anything yet.”
Lucas hesitated. Tonight would not be a good time to find out he was allergic to shellfish. Even the red dye on the noodles could set him back. He glanced at Maryanne.
She steered Vera to the table. “I love pancit malabon. Let me serve Lucas his special portion.”
“The oysters are fresh. And you know what they say about them.” She wiggled her eyebrows and looked sidelong at Lucas.
Nathan pulled Lucas aside. “You’re gonna win, I bet Debby you would.”
“But I bet you’ll win too.” Debby squinted and jumped up and down. “I wanna do tri-along. Mama says I can try too.”
Lucas hugged them both. “You certainly can. The swimming’s the hardest but when we get back, we’ll review bike safety.”
Everyone piled food on their plates, but Lucas’ nerves skittered and his stomach twisted. What if he failed to finish? Everyone had such high hopes for him, especially Maryanne. He hadn’t slept well the night before. He’d done so many sit-ups and push-ups to calm himself, but her mere presence aroused him and kept him uncomfortably swollen.
Sarah, Debby’s mother, pushed a casserole plate in front of him. “I made sure everything is sanitary. Can’t risk getting food poisoning. So, no salad for you. Got your Gu packed?”
“Check, check.” He picked at the spaghetti. Maybe he should have had a quiet evening in his tent like he’d planned. Somewhere remote with only the chirping night bugs to keep him company.
Mrs. Jewell gestured to him with her huge DSLR camera. She handed him a Shopahol t-shirt and asked him to pose with everyone. Lucas’ head throbbed and his hands grew sweaty. The urge to escape, to run out the door and hide, jumped from his heart to his throat. He checked his watch. Ten-and-a-half hours to go.
Someone turned on the jukebox, and soon the parents and volunteers were jiving on the kitchen floor.
The door opened and the CEO of Shopahol, Dave Jewell, stepped in with a boy, a girl and a bouncing dog who climbed over Lucas and licked him. Mr. Jewell gave him a firm handshake. “Place in the top three, clear your name, and we’ll have a contract for you.”
“Can I have your autograph?” the boy asked, waving a race program in front of him.
The little girl ran to Vera. “Tia, Tia, Papi says I get a bicycle for Christmas. I wanna do try-a-long too.”
Lucas fended off the dog. His eyes watered, and he suppressed a sneeze. The noise and whirlpool of people spun his head, and an ache developed behind his eyes.
A hand slipped into his. “Want to go for a walk?”
Maryanne tugged him out the front door. “I brought some antihistamine tablets, the non-drowsy type.”
“Thanks for getting me out of there. You’re a life saver.”
She drew him behind the garage and kissed him, her soft, silky mouth caressing away his jitters.
He inhaled her perfume with a hint of citrus and spice. “Hmmmm… I wish we could fly away. Want to pitch a tent tonight?”
She nodded toward the booming music inside the cabin. “Let’s go. They’ll never notice.”
“Okay, I’ll back my car down the driveway. Tent’s already inside. Think you can get our overnight bags? If I go in, I’ll be mobbed.”
Fifteen minutes later, Lucas and Maryanne were on their way to a remote campsite near a creek.
~~~
Maryanne smoothed the sheets into the sleeping bag and stepped to the campfire. Lucas took her hand and together, they climbed onto a flat rock. The waning moon, not quite full, wavered like a football in the slightly overcast sky.
“Think the weather will be mild tomorrow?” She snuggled close to him.
“Hope it’ll be on the chillier side.”
“How about the water temperature?”
“Sixty-five to seventy, comfortable. It gets really bad when it’s hot. I like to get away from the crowd, but I have to temper my swimming. Not use up all my energy.” He chewed on a trail bar. “Have you seen anything like it? Arms, legs thrashing. The entire lake will look like a churning mass of piranhas.”
Maryanne tucked her head into his chest. “You’ll do fine.”
“If I don’t have an accident on the bike. It’s my worst.” He took a swig of an electrolyte drink. “My dad was a swimmer and my mom a runner.”
“Your thighs are that of a biker, and you work the hardest on your bike.” Maryanne slid her hand along his quadriceps and tickled his rock hard inner thighs. “Believe me, you’re a biker to me.”
And wouldn’t she love to ride him. She caught herself before vocalizing.
“Maybe you’re right. I’ve always finished strong in the marathon, but I usually start too far back. If I can dominate the biking, they’ll never have a chance.” His leg jittered, and he clenched his fist. “I can do it, and no one, not even Zach would expect it.”
“Is he a strong biker?”
“Oh, yeah, I concede too easily. He usually comes out of the water first and bikes with the lead group, but tires in the marathon. I think I can psych out him and the other bikers if I stay on their tail, not get too far behind, and then kick them in the running.”
“I know you can do it.” Maryanne hugged him. “You’ve trained hard with those uphill sprints. Remember the tweets? I’d bet you and you’d beat the times?”
“You tweeted me everyday, ‘Dream big, work bigger.’” He exhaled and held her tighter. “I’ve never been so hyped up the night before. You know you’re not helping?”
She trailed her lips down the side of his neck and climbed into his lap. “Hmmm… I’ll give you a full body massage and not miss a single part.”
He tipped her chin and feathered his lips over hers, their breath mingling. She inhaled and pressed in, her tongue exploring the curve of his upper lip. Flurries of tingles showered her, and she ached for his touch. She’d love him until the end of her existence, and she’d never doubt him again. Besides, his sexy masculine scent wiped away any reason for waiting.
She drew circles around his groin and slipped her hands into his shirt, plucking the buttons one by one. His muscles relaxed under her touch. The shirt fell to the ground and she straddled him, her stretchy maternity capris tight against his hard length.
His voice trembled deep in his throat. “I’m not the angel you think I am.”
“I don’t want you to be.” She caressed the back of his neck.
The moon reflected in the deep pools of his eyes. He smoothed back a strand of hair from her cheek and lowered his eyelids. “Are you prepared to marry me?”
Maryanne’s heart fluttered and butterfly wings scraped her ribs. “M-marry you?”
His soft lips pressed her forehead. “Yes. I want this to be serious. To mean something.”
Lucas traced the outline of her face, his touch igniting desires and wishes. Could he be the one?
She leaned into him, nose to nose. “I’m scared. What if it doesn’t last?”
He reached into his pocket and brought out the ring. Its seven tiny diamonds sparkled in the cool light of the moon. Chills and aches constricted Maryanne’s heart. The ring was both a promise and a trap. She wouldn’t let him run her life, not with the big decisions coming up. Her baby moved over her bladder, and she shifted off his lap.
“You’re speechless.” Lucas hung his head down and coughed. “I’ve got a big race ahead of me. Maybe I wasn’t thinking straight.”
A sinking sensation overwhelmed Maryanne like the drop off a roller coaster. If only she didn’t have the baby to think about, she’d be free to marry him. Silence hung still; even the crickets had stopped their comforting serenade.
Maryanne grasped his hand, the one with the ring. “Please, I’ll accept it.”
He fumbled with the ring, almost dropping it before slipping it onto her finger. A smile slowly crept over his face. “You’ve made me so happy. I swear I’ll get you a bigger roc
k once I win the race, take home some of the prize money.”
“This is enough, because it’s from your heart.” She stood and held out her hand. “Let’s get warm in the tent. I want you tonight.”
They undressed wordlessly and slipped into the sleeping bag. Lucas held her in the crook of his arm. “Are you ready for real?”
“Shh… no more talking, just loving.” Maryanne’s body vibrated under his spell, eager to be tasted and stroked. Heat radiated off his muscles and wrapped her in a web of desire. He lowered his lips over hers. Soft, tender lips that savored every corner of her mouth. The ache, the urgent need to be loved tensed her entire body, crackling like power lines in a brewing electrical storm.
Outside, the crickets resumed chirping a measured cadence, but Maryanne’s heart skipped and jerked in syncopation, threatening to pounce out of her ribcage. His luminous eyes questioned her, still guarded, but sexier by the moment, encouraged by her panting gasps. She wanted him inside and fast before she came undone. “Lucas,” she muttered between hurried breaths while easing him onto his back. “I’m sure—I want to marry you.”
He grabbed her hips and she moved on top of him, setting the pace. In the dim light of the lantern, she stared dreamily into his dilated eyes, his slow and easy movements sending her into an endless spell of contentment and pleasure. Warm flutters surrounded her entire body, and she wanted nothing more than to share the rest of her life with this fantastic man, so different from any she’d known before.
Lucas put out the lantern and wrapped a light sheet over her shoulder. Cocooned between his arms, Maryanne closed her eyes and held onto his hand. “Lucas?”
“Yes,” he mumbled, his voice deep and groggy.
“You’re the one. I know it.”
His arms closed tighter, and he nuzzled her neck. “Maryanne, I always knew you were the one for me.”
Chapter 26
Wrapped in a towel, Lucas dashed from the cold outdoor shower to the campsite. His flip-flops slipped on the damp pine needles. He took a deep breath of the cool, slightly astringent scent and shook his muscles loose. In a few hours, he’d be lined up on King’s Beach for the start of the first Tahoe Ironman. The chemical cocktail released into his bloodstream from Maryanne’s lovemaking both relaxed and invigorated him.
Hidden Under Her Heart Page 19