by Brenda Novak
His eyes met hers. “Thank you.”
She pulled her gaze away. “And if you don’t sell it, I’m sure your wife, when you find the right woman, will love it.”
“If he ever finds the right woman,” Jake muttered. “It’s pretty hard when you don’t date.”
Riley didn’t immediately respond, so Phoenix tried to come up with a soothing rejoinder. “It can be difficult to meet someone when you’re out of college and in the work force, especially if you live in a small town.”
“Which means you’ll have the same problem,” Jake said with a scowl. “But there’s online dating. That’s how most people find a mate these days.”
“Most? I didn’t realize that.” She turned to Riley. “Do you meet the women you date online?”
He shook his head. “Never tried it.”
She opened the shower to see that it was big enough for two, with a bench and everything. “I haven’t, either, of course. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“It’s easy,” Jake said. “Like Facebook was. You caught on to that quickly enough. I could help you both get on Match.com.”
“Go ahead and act as matchmaker for your father,” she said with a laugh. “I think I’ll put off that sort of thing for a while. I’m not sure my profile would be too enticing, anyway—broke ex-con, hated by entire community, is looking for love while living in a dump and taking care of her severely dysfunctional mother.”
She laughed at the thought of someone responding to something so pathetic, but they seemed troubled instead of entertained. “Oh, stop,” she said. “That was humor. I’m fine. I’ll get on my feet eventually. And I’ll find someone when I do.”
“Why not find someone who could help you through it?” Jake asked. “You wouldn’t have to mention any of that stuff.”
“You mean I could lie, like everyone else?” She laughed again. “No, thanks.”
“You’re pretty,” her son said. “If you put up your picture, you’ll attract more than your fair share of guys.”
“Because most guys aren’t smart enough to know they should care about more than looks?” she joked.
“That’s not all you’ve got,” he argued. “There are a lot of good things about you, things that have nothing to do with the past.”
“I don’t need to tackle dating quite yet,” she said. “Your father should get his profile up, though. He’s way beyond me when it comes to marketability.”
Riley’s expression indicated that he wasn’t going for it. “I’m not ready for a dating site.”
“Do you want to stay single your whole life?” Jake asked.
He gave their son a playful slug in the arm. “No, but I’ll run my love life without your help, thanks.”
“Fine. I’ll help Mom when she’s ready. You want to get married, don’t you, Mom?”
She pretended to be fascinated with the gold knobs on the vanity. “Someday.”
“Do you want more kids?”
That felt like a strange question coming from Jake, but she was glad he seemed comfortable with the idea. “That would be nice if...if you don’t mind.”
“It’s not my decision,” he said.
“Time to talk about something else.” Riley led them out of the room. “The meat’s got to be done by now, anyway.”
Once they were back in the hall, Phoenix paused to look at various pictures of Jake growing up, and was surprised when Riley stopped, too.
“These are wonderful,” she breathed, completely taken with the images of her son all the years she couldn’t be with him.
“I should’ve sent you copies,” Riley said, his tone filled with regret.
“I understand why you didn’t. I bought a disposable camera at the grocery store earlier, hoping I might be able to get some pictures of him tonight.”
“I’ll send you copies of these, as well. I’ve already scanned them so I can easily email you the digital files.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
He went downstairs ahead of them.
“I don’t know why he won’t let me put up a profile for him on Match.com,” Jacob complained.
“Maybe he thinks it’d make him look desperate?”
“But most people his age date online.”
“You mean our age?” She winked at him. She couldn’t believe any woman would turn up her nose at a man like Riley. He was handsome, strong, charismatic, successful—everything a woman could want. Not that she could afford to see him that way. “We’d better go help,” she said.
A few minutes later, they were all on the patio, sitting around the picnic table with their plates full.
“Smells delicious,” she said as she pulled her spare ribs apart. She’d thought it would be uncomfortable to have dinner at Riley’s house, and it had been a bit awkward at first. He’d had seventeen years to build a good life, and she was just getting started. But as the meal progressed and they relaxed around the deck, talking and laughing and snapping pictures, she began to enjoy herself. They discussed Riley’s latest jobs, Jacob’s classes and friends, her business and all the changes that’d taken place at Whiskey Creek High and the town in general.
It was almost dark when they finally stood to clear the table.
“Dinner was great.” At that point, she expected one of them would say they should start the movie, but Riley said they should go for a swim and asked if she’d brought her suit.
“She doesn’t have one,” Jake said.
Phoenix spoke at the same time. “I’ll just watch you two.”
“You could wear something we have here,” Riley suggested.
She couldn’t imagine what they might have. They were both so much bigger than she was. “That’s not necessary. I’ll take a few more pics, and then I’ll wade on the steps.”
Riley didn’t get a chance to coax her. Jacob tried to push him into the water, and they began wrestling, each trying to gain an advantage over the other.
Phoenix took several pictures of them. Then she put her camera down, intending to walk to the far end by the steps. But when she realized how precariously Riley and Jake were balanced on the edge of the pool, how easily she could push them both in, she felt a rush of devilish excitement. With a sudden change in direction, she ran up and gave them a mighty shove—and they went over the edge with a startled cry and a big splash.
She was laughing so hard when they surfaced that she could hardly stand up. But she stopped laughing when she heard Riley say, “You go that way, I’ll go this way,” and saw the glint in their eyes. They were coming for her.
Her levity disappeared. With a panicked scream, she made a dash for the house.
“You want to play dirty, huh?” Riley shouted and caught her while she was trying to get the screen door open.
“I’m not wearing a swimsuit!”
They’d gone in with their clothes on, so he obviously didn’t care. Lifting her up with one arm, he hauled her back and Jacob stepped aside as he tossed her into the deep end.
Phoenix hadn’t gone swimming since she was a teenager, but she hadn’t forgotten how. She could easily have swum to the edge if she’d wanted to. Instead, she broke the surface, gulping and splashing as if she might drown.
She saw the panic that crossed Riley’s face a split second before he dived in to save her. But when he grabbed hold, she pushed him away.
“Phoenix!” he called, still concerned.
She laughed as she began to tread water. “Sucker!”
He flipped the wet hair out of his face. “You just about gave me a heart attack!”
She splashed him. “You’re the one who threw me in without asking if I could swim!”
“That does it,” he said, and dived, dragging her under by one foot.
After that, it was a splashing melee of one person trying to dunk the others. Jacob would drag her under occasionally, but more often they teamed up to get Riley. For the next fifteen or twenty minutes, they were struggling and laughing so much they could ha
rdly breathe, let alone speak. Only when a voice called out to them from the deck did they stop.
“Hey, dude! What happened to you tonight?”
Gasping for air, they all broke apart and looked up to see Tristan.
“What do you mean?” Jacob asked. “Did we have plans?”
“You said you’d help me ask Amber to prom, remember?”
“Oh, right! We were going to put together that treasure hunt to surprise her. I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“It’s not too late, is it?” Tristan asked.
“Maybe not, but...”
He glanced at his father, and Riley waved him off. “I’ll take your mom home. Don’t worry. Go with Tristan.”
“Is that okay with you, Mom?” Jake asked.
She smiled. “Of course.”
“Thanks.” He swam for the edge but paused there, a happy yet tired smile on his face. “I had fun. I’m glad you came over,” he told her.
“So am I,” she said, and watched him walk into the house with his friend.
* * *
Phoenix started to get out, but Riley couldn’t resist dunking her one last time.
“That’ll show you who’s boss,” he teased.
She had far more drive and determination than he’d expected, and immediately tried to get him back.
They wrestled for several more minutes, until she ran out of strength. Then she said, “Much as I hate to admit this, you win, damn it.”
He laughed at her grudging concession. It was funny to him that she’d even try to best him, weighing about half of what he did. “So say it.”
“Say what?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Say that I’m more than you can handle.”
“I just did!”
“I want to hear it again. Say, ‘Riley, I concede that I am absolutely no match for you.’”
She gave him a saucy look. “You’ve heard all you’re going to hear.” He pulled her away from the edge of the pool, which meant she had to put her arms around him or go under. It was too deep for her to stand up. “Then you’ll have to give me a prize instead.”
“What kind of prize?”
As he held her in the water, his desire to laugh faded.
“Riley?”
His gaze lowered to her lips. “You could kiss me.”
They were both still breathing hard. He could feel her chest, in those wet clothes, rising and falling against his.
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Why not? One kiss can’t hurt anything.”
She closed her eyes as if she couldn’t bear to meet his. “How about I...I clean your kitchen instead?”
He waited until she was looking at him again. “That wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying.”
“It would be smarter.”
He could almost taste her. A mere two centimeters and their lips would touch... “That isn’t what you want, either.”
She shivered, but Riley knew that shiver had nothing to do with the temperature. He guessed that she could feel the pressure of his erection, which he couldn’t do much to hide. “Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
“Because your legs are locked around my hips, as if...as if you like the pressure you feel down there.”
Her eyes flared as she released him. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t... I mean...I was...” She didn’t finish. He had no idea where she could go with that, anyway.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” he said, but she swam away from him.
He reached the edge right after she did. “Phoenix, don’t get out,” he said from behind her, his mouth at her ear.
Darkness had settled in a little deeper, and the cicadas began to chirp. Now that Jacob was gone and they were alone in the yard, it felt private, especially in that corner of the pool, farthest from the deck.
“I have to,” she said.
He could hear a tremor of fear in her voice, but he could hear the huskiness of desire as well, and that made his heart pound. “No, you don’t. I’m sorry for what happened before, in high school...”
“I’m not demanding another apology,” she broke in. “We just can’t screw this up. You need someone else.” She began to climb out, but he drew her back against him.
“We could...give it some time...see where it leads,” he said.
“Where it leads?” she echoed. “I’ve already traveled down that road. I know it’s not safe.”
“It’s been seventeen years. You can’t say what’ll happen now.”
He waited for her to insist he let her go. But she didn’t, and the desire to touch her more intimately goaded him on. He had a chance with her, or she would’ve shoved him away.
His muscles tensed in anticipation as he slipped one hand up her shirt and released her bra.
She didn’t stop him, didn’t speak. At the slickness of her skin and the feel of her soft breast in his palm, he felt a wave of desire sweep through him, through them both. Her nipple was erect before he even touched it, which made him that much harder and encouraged him to undo her shorts.
“Riley,” she gasped when he slipped his other hand inside her panties.
“One touch,” he said.
Although she was holding herself rigid, he could tell she didn’t really want him to stop. She was trembling when he slid his finger into her warm wetness.
“Oh...” she whispered. “We can’t...”
“Shh.” He wished he could kiss her, but she was facing away from him, and he didn’t dare change positions. “It’s okay. I won’t take it too far. Just—just let me feel you.”
Her hand went to his wrist. She seemed undecided, hesitant. He squeezed his eyes closed for fear she’d put a decisive end to a moment that was turning out to be one of the most exquisite he’d ever known. But she didn’t remove his finger. She moaned as she pressed it deeper, and then he was trembling, too.
“You don’t have to give me anything,” he promised her. “This is enough. I just want you to enjoy my touch. Let me feel you come in my arms.”
Her head fell back on his shoulder as he began to use everything he’d learned about a woman’s body to give her that experience.
“Relax. It’s okay,” he whispered. He wasn’t sure how far she would’ve let him go—and he didn’t get the chance to find out. His mother’s voice came from inside the house, at which point they both froze.
“Riley? Jake? Where are you guys? Why isn’t anyone answering their phone?”
With a sharp intake of breath, Phoenix pulled away from him and floated along the edge of the pool to the far side, which fell in the shadow of the trees blocking the moonlight. She hadn’t said a word—just set about fastening her shorts. That told him, as if it wasn’t obvious, that she didn’t want his mother to know she was there.
He would’ve liked to reassure Phoenix that he wouldn’t let his mother mistreat her. But she was in a fragile state, trying to return from seventeen years in a hellish place. He supposed Whiskey Creek was pretty hellish for her, too. And his mother had been one of her biggest detractors. He didn’t want to expose her presence without her agreement, and there was no time for that.
“Riley?” His mother had opened the screen door to the house and was coming out onto the deck.
He splashed to draw her attention away from Phoenix, who was hidden at the other end of the pool. “I’m here. What’s up?” He wished he could get out and guide his mother back into the house, put Phoenix’s mind at ease, but his arousal precluded that.
“I’ve been trying to reach you,” she said.
Her imperious tone irritated him, as if he had to be available to her 24/7. “My phone’s inside, on the counter.”
“What...” She gave him a closer look. “What are you doing swimming in your clothes?”
Riley imagined Phoenix slowly sinking beneath the inky-looking water—or at least well below the lip of the pool—to avoid being seen. “Jake threw me in a few minutes a
go, right before Tristan dropped by to grab him.”
“He left?”
“Yeah, they wanted to go to Amber’s. Tristan’s asking her to the prom and needed a wingman.”
“Amber who?”
Fortunately, he’d managed to turn her mind to other things. “DeVane. You probably don’t know the family. What’s up?” he repeated.
“I just came from Corinne’s.”
Riley fought the urge to glance at Phoenix. It would only give her away, and if he did that, he knew she’d go home immediately. Although he doubted she’d allow him to him touch her again, especially where he’d been touching her before, he wasn’t ready for the night to end. They’d been having a good time, far better than he’d had in...months. Besides, they still had a movie to watch.
“And?”
“Buddy wants to talk to you. He suggested we all get together, see if we can work something out.”
“We don’t have to work anything out,” he said. “As long as he leaves Phoenix alone, everything will be fine.”
“She murdered Lori, Riley. It’s not quite that simple.”
He didn’t like talking about this in front of Phoenix. He no longer believed she was capable of any such thing, but he didn’t know what terrible comment his mother might make. The quickest way to get Helen to leave would be to agree to this meeting with the Mansfields. “When?”
“Monday night at seven?”
“Where?”
“Corinne wants to have it at her place. She said she’ll make dinner.”
“I won’t bring Jake.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want him to hear what might be said.”
“Maybe he should hear it. He needs to be prepared for any relationship he decides to have with his mother.”
Finally safe to let her see the rest of his body, Riley hefted himself out, onto the deck. “He’s prepared enough.”
“Riley, anyone who gets involved with Phoenix should have his head examined.”
He clenched his jaw. “It’s chilly out here. Let’s go inside.” He led her into the house, where she discovered the pasta salad Phoenix had brought to dinner.
“This looks delicious. Did you make it?” she asked, picking up one of the curly noodles and popping it in her mouth.
“Yeah, I did.”