It was a little embarrassing to be the fifth wheel at Rays cabin, single and unattached. His betrayal with Lydia had devastated her. Maybe the missing piece was inside Abby, and shed never be able to give herself completely to a man again.
Sighing, she reached for her favorite distraction: her cell phone. Shed found that redirecting her thoughts often helped her stay calm. Daily exercise, relaxation techniques and steady breathing worked, also.
Abby called her favorite person: Ella.
Her sister answered the phone with a throaty giggle. Abby could hear Ellas boyfriend, Paul, in the background. Ella had met Paul at Californias Channel Islands last summer, on a previous ill-fated family adventure trip. After Ray canceled, Ella and Abby had stepped in to accompany Brooke. Paul had been their handsome kayak guide. Ella had ended up stranded for a night with him on remote, uninhabited San Miguel. Theyd been inseparable ever since.
We just got here, Abby said.
How is it?
She glanced around the bedroom. Its nice. Ray and Lydia arent here yet. Brooke went on a motorcycle ride with Leo.
Ella didnt have to ask how that made Abby feel. Im sure theyll be fine.
Has Brooke ever talked to you about him?
Um...
How old is he now?
Nineteen, I think.
Where does he go to school?
Humboldt.
Not far from Berkeley. But not that close. Abby paced the room, nibbling her lower lip. Ella was ten years younger than Abby, and more like a sister than an aunt to Brooke. Sometimes Brooke confided in her, rather than Abby.
I have to tell you something, Ella said.
What?
She made a breathy sound. Were getting married.
Abby almost dropped the phone. What?
He asked me last night. Can you believe it?
Her sister went on to tell the story of Paul proposing at Rose Valley Falls. They were both outdoor nuts, like Brooke. Hed gone with a nontraditional ring and a rare gemstone that sent Ella into raptures. She was a geophysicist.
Oh, Ella, Abby said, her chest tight. Im so happy for you.
Ella couldnt wait to show her the ring, so she sent Abby the photos via text message. The first was of the happy couple at the falls. In the second, a slim platinum band with a sparkling gray stone graced her sisters slender finger.
Gorgeous, Abby texted back. Love you.
She put the phone in her purse, torn between joy and melancholy. Her baby sister was getting married to a great guy who adored her. The ring was unique and beautiful. Abby should be dancing on a table. Instead she felt like curling up in a corner. To her dismay, tears gathered behind her eyes. Shed been engaged once. Shed shown off her big, traditional diamond and held her head high.
Their situations were different, of course. Ella was twenty-six, with an established career. Abby had gotten married right after high school. Shed been a mother at eighteen. Years later, shed pursued a degree in nursing and gone to work at Rays cosmetic surgery office. Her entire life had revolved around him.
Ella and Paul were on equal footing. Ella knew what she was doing. And Paul wasnt the cheating type...was he?
Abby sat down on the edge of the bed, plucking at a loose thread on the comforter. The question always niggled at the back of her mind, infecting her chances of having a committed relationship. In her experience, marriages didnt last. Partners strayed.
Love was ephemeral.
The doorbell rang, startling her. It was probably Ray and Lydia. As she rose to answer it, an X-rated image of the couple popped into her mind.
Abby had learned of the affair by walking in on them in flagrante delicto. It was after regular business hours, so the front office was deserted. Ray had a back room with a leather couch for napping between surgeries. Abby had found him there with his pants around his ankles. Lydia had been bent over the couch, her breasts exposed and her skirt raked up. Their expressions had been priceless. Eyes wide. Bodies frozen, midstroke.
Pushing that unpleasant mental picture aside, Abby continued forward. It seemed odd for Ray to announce his presence by knocking, considering that hed rented the cabin. She glanced through the window blinds to make sure it was him. A stranger was standing there in the dark. He was taller than Ray, his shoulders broader.
Who is it? she asked, raising her voice.
Its Nathan, he replied. Nathan Strom.
Nathan Strom. Leos father. Lydias ex-husband. The world-famous baseball player whose career had gone up in flames.
Is this the wrong cabin? he asked.
Abby opened the door warily, giving him a closer study. She recognized him from the YouTube video, though he looked different. A little older, more weathered and clear-eyed. In person, he did resemble Leo. They had the same square jaw and handsome features. Nathans hair was brown, rather than black, and expertly cut. His clothes were elegant. An expensive watch glittered on his wrist.
Brooke had described him as seriously hot. That was right on the money.
Abby didnt know how to welcome him. This was the man Lydia had been married to when she started seeing Ray. Lydia had cheated on Nathan with Abbys husband. Ray had cheated on Abby with Nathans wife.
His appearance here was unexpected, to say the least.
Maybe Ray had invited him. Ray was so arrogant and oblivious that he might not anticipate any tension between them. And now they were supposed to spend the week together in this cabin, pretending no one had been caught screwing in the back office?
The level of awkwardness just ratcheted up ten notches.
CHAPTER TWO
IT TOOK NATHAN a moment to place her.
Hed been anticipating a confrontation with his son, not a blank stare from a pretty stranger. Had Lydia given him the right address? Shed mentioned that Rays daughter, Brooke, would be here. Nathan knew at a glance that this woman wasnt her. She had to be at least thirty, with honey-blond hair and lovely blue eyes. Her clothes were casual, but stylish and feminine. She wore a body-hugging tunic and cropped leggings. Her leather sandals had a studded strap around the ankle.
The speech hed planned for Leo faded into the background as he dragged his gaze up her slender body, lingering for a second too long on her breasts. Then his brain kicked into gear. Youre Abby.
Yes.
He was knocked for a loop. She didnt look old enough to have a daughter in college. And...she was hot. Not flashy, in-your-face hot, like Lydia, but too damned beautiful to be Rays ex-wife.
Leo took Brooke on a motorcycle ride, she said.
Nathan glanced at the deserted road, hoping his son was sober.
Im sure theyll be back soon.
Can I come in?
A pulse fluttered at the base of her pale throat. She must have seen the YouTube video. She didnt want to let him in.
Ill wait outside, he said, ignoring the blow to his pride. Not so long ago, women had tripped all over themselves to talk to him. Fans clamored for his autograph. Hed been cheered in public and treated like a rock star.
Now people recognized him as the guy whod thrown away his career. Hed been videotaped in a state of extreme intoxication by his own son. The clip of him stumbling out of a taxicab and falling down on his front lawn had gone viral. Hed lost visitation rights with Leo. Their relationship had been strained ever since.
Nathan didnt make excuses for the mistakes hed made in the past. Hed gone to rehab and cleaned up his act. He was no longer a famous baseball player, and he might always be remembered for personal lows, rather than professional highs, but hed come out okay. Hed gotten his life back on track. Most addicts werent so lucky.
Instead of getting defensive about his bad reputation, hed learned to shrug off criticism and roll with the punches. Although hed stopped caring about the opinions of strangers, he didnt want Abby to be afraid of him. Maybe because of their tenuous, broken-family connection. Maybe because he found her attractive.
Her cheeks flushed pink. She was embarrassed by her hesitation to let him in. Is Leo expecting you?
No.
What are you doing here?
She was direct. He liked that. Lydia sprained her ankle this afternoon. She cant hike or even walk.
Her lips parted with disbelief. What about Ray?
Hes staying with her. They asked me to come instead.
Son of a bitch, she muttered, propping a hand on her hip. He does this every time!
Im sorry.
Its not your fault.
Im sure your daughter will be disappointed.
Yes.
Leo would also be disappointed. His son had made it clear that he didnt want to see him, but Nathan hadnt given up on reconciling.
Abby stepped aside. Come on in.
Thanks, he said, passing by her.
After she closed the door, they stood there, staring at each other. She was tall and poised. With her careful makeup and chic clothes, she didnt strike him as an outdoor explorer. He couldnt picture her hiking into the wilderness. But he couldnt see Lydia doing it, either. His ex-wife was more of a yoga-and-latte type.
I was wondering if Ray had invited you, she said. I imagined the four of us around the breakfast table, plus Leo and Brooke.
Was she joking? Hed rather eat with wolves.
She cocked her head to one side. Do you get along with Ray?
No.
Why not?
Why do you think?
She smiled wryly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Nathan had forgiven Lydia ages ago, and he no longer wanted to beat Ray to a pulp. He could say hello and be polite, but hed never be friends with the man whod fucked his wife while they were still married. He wasnt that evolved.
Have a seat, she said.
Ill stand.
With a shrug, she retreated into the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by an island with a speckled granite surface. I was going to make a drink. Do you want something?
The hair on his nape prickled. Is this a test?
She took a mug off the shelf and held up a square package. Not a glass tumbler or a bottle of hard alcohol. Instant cocoa.
Sorry, he said, rubbing a hand over his mouth. It was an old gesture, back to haunt him. Im nervous.
Why?
You must not know Leo.
We just met.
He doesnt like me very much.
She filled her mug with water from the tap, not commenting on his parenting failure. Her daughter was a shining star at Berkeley. Shed been a straight-A student in high school. According to Lydia, the girl excelled in athletics, as well. Brooke was everything Nathan wished Leo would be.
Is he a good driver? she asked.
Nathan doubted it. The only activity Leo put effort into was getting stoned. Hes never been in an accident.
You dont want cocoa, I take it.
No.
Club soda?
All right.
She put her mug in the microwave and filled a pale green cup with ice, pouring the clear soda on top.
Thank you, he said, giving her another once-over as she stirred the cocoa. Her legs were shapely, with smooth, suntanned calves. The leather straps around her ankles resembled Roman slave cuffs. Surely they werent meant to inspire bondage fantasies. He tore his gaze away, sipping his club soda.
Looking at her like that was a bad idea. If he wasnt careful, hed start entertaining thoughts about wife-swapping and poetic justice. Not that Lydia cared who he slept with nowadays. Nathan felt no particular urge to try to make her jealous, either. Hooking up with Abby wouldnt close the circle of betrayal or right any wrongs. He felt dirty for considering it, which of course made the notion all the more appealing.
Do you still drink? she asked.
No. Ive been sober three years now.
Congratulations.
He acknowledged her with a curt nod.
Silence stretched between them. My sister just got engaged, she said, showing him a photo on her cell phone.
He glanced at the image to be polite. Is that a gray diamond?
Musgravite, she said. Its very rare. Shes a geophysicist.
That was impressive. Are you a scientist, as well?
Im a wellness director at a nursing home.
What does that mean?
I plan activities and interact with the residents.
Do you play pinochle?
Her lips twitched at the question. We play strip poker.
The comment sounded suggestive, like an invitation to picture her naked. Somehow he resisted the urge. You must see a lot of sock suspenders.
She laughed, shaking her head. What do you do?
You dont know?
I know you used to play baseball.
I manage a college team now.
Is that like coaching?
Sort of. I handle recruiting and business decisions.
Where at?
San Diego State.
The season had just ended and Nathan was happy with their performance. The Toros had done well in the play-offs. Maybe next summer theyd go all the way. He felt good about their future prospectsand his own.
Professionally, he had few complaints. Managing a talented young team was lucrative and rewarding. His love life was nonexistent and his son refused to speak to him. But hey, nobody said sobriety would be easy.
The sound of a motorcycle engine made his heart jump into his throat.
Thats them, Abby said.
Nathan set his cup on the countertop and proceeded outside with her. Leo parked what appeared to be a vintage dirt bike on the sidewalk by the driveway. It was an old Honda with a single headlight. The seat didnt appear large enough for two, but theyd managed. Brooke clung to Leo like a second skin, her slender arms wrapped around his midsection. She was wearing a black helmet, obviously his.
She hopped off the bike and removed the helmet, pale blond hair spilling down her shoulders. She was tall and leggy, like her mother. Her jeans and tank top were tight enough to rev up any teenage boys hormones.
Leo grinned at her as he stomped down the kickstand and cut the engine. He took the helmet she offered, seeming a little dazed by her beauty.
Nathan could relate to the feeling.
Leo didnt notice Nathans car in the driveway or even see him standing there. Nathan stepped forward, clearing his throat. Leo startled at the sound. His smile faded and all of the joy drained from his face.
Is that thing street legal? Nathan asked.
Leo ignored his question. What the fuck are you doing here?
Brooke gaped at his rudeness. She probably never spoke that way to her parents.