“Is that true?” Brad asked Shane.
Shane couldn’t answer; he just stared at the ground.
“There was speculation at the time of your wreck that you were distraught before approaching the chute.” Brad, realizing that Shane was worthless at this point, pointed back to Lenny.
“Yeah, I had just caught them a few hours prior. In my room.” She heard a collective gasp around the tent.
“When you say ‘them’ you mean…” Brad prodded, a light sheen of sweat was becoming visible by his hairline and Lenny knew she was standing on the edge of acceptable interview protocol. She could practically hear Patrick the lawyer reading her retraction statement to the press now. He'd probably cite exhaustion or something.
“Shane and my best friend at the time, Cody Carmichael.”
Lenny heard a screech from somewhere off camera but she didn’t let it distract her.
“That must’ve been pretty awful.” Brad prodded Lenny to elaborate.
“You know, it really was. The worst part was how they made me feel less than myself. It took me some time to really come to terms with that.” She glanced sideways at Shane but he was still mute and paralyzed.
“Shane has been acting like you were the one who broke his heart.” Brad was trying to get Shane to react to something, anything.
“Weird, right?” Lenny made a face and Brad couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “I feel bad for all the girls he’s ever suckered into believing his sob story just so he can get pity sex.”
“C’mon, Lenny.” Shane had suddenly come back to life. “We don’t have to do this here. Let’s go talk somewhere in private.”
Lenny ignored him and kept her focus on Brad.
“So you think you might be coming back to the sport in a full time capacity?” Brad asked, putting every ounce of professionalism into his voice as he could muster.
“I haven’t made any decisions yet. But it’s something I am considering.” Lenny answered with a smirk. “I’m still damn good.”
“Think you could win a medal in two years?” Brad speculated.
“If you’re asking if I think I’m better than the gold medal defender, Cody Carmichael, then…” Lenny lifted her chin in defiance as she answered. “Yes. I am better than her, in a lot of ways.”
Shane, completely humiliated, yanked off his mic and stormed out of the tent. Lenny smile apologetically at Brad.
“So, all good news here today.” Brad turned to look into the camera. “Lenny Evans is considering making a return to snowboarding in time for the Winter Olympics and if today’s interview is any indication of her passion, the rest of the world better start paying attention.”
The red light on the camera went off and Lenny got up to leave. Brad stopped her and shook her hand.
“It’s good to have you back, Lenny,” Brad said sincerely. “And if you want to trash any other ex-boyfriends on TV please call me first.”
“Okay, will do,” Lenny laughed.
Luke greeted her in the VIP tent with a huge hug.
“That was amazing.” Luke was positively beaming.
“You don’t think it was a little over the top?” Lenny asked with a touch of anxiety. Sure, it felt good at the time but she was aware there could be significant fallout.
“Are you kidding me? I make my living by being over the top. I am the foremost expert on what ‘over the top’ is.” He smiled at her again. “You were completely within reason.”
“Thanks.” She breathed a little sigh of relief. She had dealt with Shane, now she would have to deal with Cody. Lenny knew there would be trouble after she labeled her as the whorey, second-rate best friend.
“I think Blake and Sway were a little disappointed they didn’t get to talk to Shane first.” Luke said as he directed her back to the hotel.
“Oh, is that right?” Lenny laughed. “What did they think they were gonna do, rough him up?” She laughed again at the idea. She allowed Luke to lead her back to his room without really thinking about it.
He slid the key card into the door and let her inside. His room was smaller than hers. Just one bed and a bathroom.
“You and Mike sharing the King-size?” Lenny joked.
“No, I got my room to myself for the first time in…a while.” He finished slowly.
“I bet that’s gotta be nice.” Lenny smiled and slipped off her hoodie, revealing a white tank underneath. She sat down on the bed, playfully bouncing a little. She watched Luke take off his outerwear.
She hadn’t really looked at him yet since they’d arrived. He was so fit and lean, his muscles flexed and moved under his skin and were clearly visible beneath his shirt. His tattoos peeked out from under his long sleeves as he pushed them up and sat down on the chair. His blonde hair was a little longer than when they had first met, she noted as he raked it back off his face with his fingers. He had grown a short beard that only defined his chiseled features even more. His crystal blue eyes were crinkled at the sides, as if in perpetual smile. Her stomach did a back flip. Luke Casey could still take her breath away.
She wasn’t sure what to say so she waited in the silence. Hoping Luke would speak.
After several minutes, Luke turned his terrible blue eyes on Lenny. Those eyes that had the power to make her heart stop.
“I’m here for you this week. Not the events, not the celebrities, not the weather. Just you. Whatever you need from me, you have it.”
Lenny bit the inside of her cheek. She had been keeping him at a distance and yet here he was, offering more for her to misuse if that’s what she chose. Her heart beat fast as she began to grasp his unrestricted devotion to her. It was a lot stronger than she had realized.
“I just got my head back on…” Lenny started slowly, she didn’t want to hurt Luke but she wanted to be honest with him. “I’m sort of just starting to feel comfortable in my own skin….I still can’t give you an absolution on what that means for us.” She watched his expression go from thoughtful to forlorn.
“I really like you, Luke.” Lenny wanted to grab him and kiss him. “But, logistically, how do you see this playing out?” He frowned at her and she continued. “You’re a rock star and you have this hugely successful job that requires you to be gone for long periods of time. And I’m considering going back to competing which also requires a lot of travel.” She took a breath. “We might not see much of each other after the rest of this tour.”
“We could make it work.” He said moving to sit next to her on the bed.
Lenny nodded, knowing that was a possibility.
“I don’t think it would be smart for either of us to promise something that huge before we know if that’s something we really want.”
Luke took one of her hands in both of his. “Are giving me the ‘let’s just be friends’ talk?” He smiled, only half-kidding.
Lenny’s eyes widened. “No, not at all. I just think we should enjoy what we have right now and not put so much pressure on what might be.”
Luke looked down at her hand and chuckled. “Maybe Blake’s right, maybe we are just a couple of hipsters.”
Lenny took her other hand and touched his face, directing his eyes back up to hers. “I‘ll tell you what this is.” She whispered. “I’m your girl, and you’re my guy.”
When his gaze traveled to her lips she felt her pulse quicken.
“I really enjoyed watching your interview.” Luke said slowly, his eyes flicking back and forth from her eyes to her lips.
“Oh, yeah?” Lenny raised an eyebrow in question.
“Yeah,” Luke leaned in fractionally. “I've never seen that reckless side of you before, it was kinda hot.”
Lenny smiled slowly as Luke leaned closer. “You thought it was hot?”
His lips finally touched hers and an electric current ripped through her body. He delicately and determinedly worked his lips against hers. She grabbed his shirt in both hands and pulled him closer. One of his arms slipped around her back while the other cupped
her face, directing their course of action. The kiss heated quickly and her body responded. Her hands found themselves twisting into his hair, pulling him closer. Lenny had only been kissed a handful of times in her life and no one ignited her the way Luke did.
She let an involuntary whimper when Luke slowly ended the kiss and stood up. He took a steadying breath and gave her a knowing smile.
“We have to be careful,” he whispered in his gravelly voice. “I haven’t kissed you in a long time and I’m afraid I could ask for too much too fast.”
Lenny’s stomach trembled as she understood what he was implying. And she agreed, she hadn’t kissed him like that in weeks and it was like someone had set her lips on fire. She would have a hard time saying no. Unlike with Shane, where her thoughts never progressed past kissing, Luke made her want to throw caution to the wind.
She waited for her heart to return to a normal rhythm before she cleared her throat and stood up. “Maybe we should get some dinner after my demo. My dad is in town and he wanted to see you guys again.”
“That’s a really good idea,” Luke nodded. “Knowing your dad is around will help keep my thoughts where they should be.” He grinned and then winked. “Well, for the most part.”
***
The table at the lodge-style restaurant was long and wide, comfortably fitting the group of seven. The lights were low, and tiny candles inside glass lamps created small pools of radiance on the table cloth. Lenny looked around at the faces that she had become so fond of over the past few months. Blake and Harrison, Sway and Mike. Luke. Her father.
Her gaze locked on Luke sitting across from her, his affection for her evident. It was less frightening than it was in the beginning, but it still left Lenny lightheaded and confused. Luke was carrying on a conversation with her father easily. Not something many people could do. Bruce Evans was always suspicious of those who had the potential to hurt his family. It was part of the reason Lenny had a hard time fully trusting someone, it’s how she was raised.
She looked at her father. He was a good man. He had always encouraged Lenny to follow her dreams but he never made her decisions for her. He liked Luke. Lenny could tell by his laugh and the way he listened to Luke’s stories. They had a lot in common, both from Boston, Celtics fans, avid fisherman, hated the same politicians. Lenny found herself picturing future holidays with both of these men, her mother and brothers. Was there a future there? With the rock star? Lenny didn’t know how that could work. Maybe the details didn’t matter right now.
“You’re quiet, Lenna. Does your food taste okay?” Her father interrupted her thoughts. His face was relaxed and not pinched and worried like it had been for the past two years.
“Yeah, it’s good…I was just thinking.” Lenny answered softly, not wanting to break the quiet ethereal spell that had seemed to settle over the table.
“What were you thinking about, honey?” Her father genuinely wanted to know.
“I got on a board today.” She let the words hang in the moment.
Her father sat up a little straighter in his chair and a smile began to stretch across his face. He was proud. It was always obvious when he was proud.
“And she did great,” Luke added.
“You got to see it?” Her father asked in an excited whisper.
“It was just a short demo ride.” Lenny couldn’t hold back her delight, “but it felt really good.”
The guys started to bombard her with questions, suddenly sensing that the subject was no longer taboo. They knew Lenny’s dad didn’t know she had been riding again so they had been trying to be careful. Apparently they had a lot they had been wondering about. Lenny gladly answered their queries and told some stories she hadn’t thought about in a while.
***
Luke loved seeing Lenny’s face glow with enthusiasm as she finally spoke about her most cherished pastime. He could never imagine giving up music for anything. Her return to snowboarding was obviously liberating.
“It’s because of you.” Lenny’s father leaned over and spoke to Luke without the others overhearing. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the remarkable change in my daughter since you entered the picture.” He took a drink of his water and replaced his napkin on his lap. “I hope you stick around.”
Luke watched Lenny’s bright expression and replied, “I intend to.” He knew, without knowing how, that the love he felt was so much more than anything he’d felt before.
He also knew that it was Duke, and not himself, that had pushed her to trust herself again. That gnawing feeling was still in the pit of Luke’s stomach. Duke and Lenny had a connection that couldn’t be explained and Luke didn’t know if he would ever be able to fill that role. Duke had boldly encouraged Luke to pursue Lenny; he seemed pleased with the arrangement. But Luke had been able to sense Duke’s underlying feelings for Lenny, even if Lenny didn’t know about them. And wasn’t it ultimately Lenny’s decision in the end anyway? Or could two men, both in love with the same woman, just decide between them who would get her?
Lenny wasn’t a piece of property that could be passed back and forth, exchanging one master for another. She would have to decide. She was the only one who had that power.
Luke looked at her from across the table and tried to relax. She was his girl right now. He chose to focus on that.
Chapter 14
All Apologies
When dinner had ended, Lenny said farewell to her father and climbed into the shuttle van with the rest of the band. She slid the door closed behind her and took a seat in the middle next Luke, who rolled his eyes at the argument taking place behind him. Lenny looked over his shoulder and saw Mike with his arms crossed over his chest and a glower on his face. Sway was against the window, his focus on his cell phone. And poor Harrison, squashed between them.
The van was quiet as it bumped along the road, returning them to the hotel. Lenny wasn't sure why it seemed so tense and awkward; obviously something had happened when she wasn't looking.
“I didn't say you were hiding anything. I just asked a question. That's all.” Mike broke the silence. Lenny felt Luke sigh heavily next to her.
“It's none of your business, so back off!” Sway snapped.
Lenny's head whirled around in surprise but Luke put his hand on her knee and signaled her to not get involved. The van stopped and Luke gestured for Lenny to exit quickly. The rest of the guys bailed out behind them.
“Sway-” Mike tried again.
“Seriously, Mike! Stop being so fricken' insecure!” Sway cut him off. “I have a freaking friend! Can't I have a one freaking friend outside of this stupid band?!”
Lenny stood stock still. The guys argued sometimes but this was intense, even for them.
“Okay, Sway and I are going to see if we can catch that half-pipe shit.” Blake calmly put an around around the bassist's shoulders and directed him away from the group. Sway threw a final glare in Mike's direction.
“He's overreacting.” Mike tried to defend himself but Luke just shook his head at his friend.
“You guys push each other's buttons, you always have.” Luke placed a hand on the small of Lenny's back.
Mike's brows pushed together and his mouth formed a hard line. Harrison clapped a hand down on Mike's shoulder, drawing his attention.
“C'mon, man.” Harrison's eyes filled with compassion. “Let's take a walk.” Mike's jaw clenched momentarily before he relented and followed his friend.
Lenny looked up at Luke, completely confused. “What was that all about?”
Luke directed her back to the hotel and opened the door for her. “They have a rocky history. Some wounds take longer to heal than others. They'll be fine, Blake will talk Sway down and Harrison will figure out what's eating at Mike. They'll all be best friends again in no time.”
Lenny frowned, Luke seemed pretty sure of the outcome but she had never seen Sway that pissed off before. They walked to her hotel and she opened the door, still thinking about the scene she'd just
witnessed. Luke sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him so she'd join him.
“Don't let it worry you. They can act like they want to kill each other sometimes, but its short lived.”
“I guess I have to take your word for it.” Lenny pursed her lips. “I don't know them as well as you do...obviously.” That last thought troubled her. She had been under the impression that she'd gotten close to these guys, but there was still so much she didn't know. She rested against Luke's side as he switched on the TV, she would probably never know them as well as Luke did.
“You said...” Lenny bit the inside of her cheek, not sure if she should allow her curiosity to get the better of her. “You said something about old wounds...?”
Luke sighed and raised his eyebrows. “Yeah...a few years ago, Mike had a girlfriend.”
Lenny adjusted herself on the sofa and laid down with her head on Luke's thighs. She folded her hands across her stomach and waited patiently for him to continue.
“Her name was Ilsa. She was a model from Berlin.” Luke rubbed his stubble with one hand and placed the other hand across Lenny's. “Mike was crazy in love with her but she was...undecided. She had a problem with him using and she went to Sway for...advice.”
“Oh.” Lenny breathed as she followed that train of thought.
“Yep. Long story short, Sway and Ilsa got closer than friends and she dumped Mike for him. Mike overdosed the next day.”
“Damn.” Lenny had no idea. No wonder they had issues. That would be hard to move past. She felt guilt cramp in her stomach having the information inside of her now.
“Hey, don't feel bad.” Luke ran his finger across her hairline. “They would've told you eventually, you're part of the band.”
“It's so personal, I feel like I shouldn't know.”
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