Catching Lucas Riley Read online

  “Well, we’re giving you the opportunity to redeem yourself,” Sealey announced. “We’re going to take you out to dinner.”

  “Not sure I’ll be the best company tonight,” Lucas said, wincing. “This was a painful one.”

  “Oh, come on,” Ashley said, running to him and giving him a hug. “Even if your team lost, at least you did well personally.”

  “Wish I could see it that way,” Lucas said glumly.

  “Well, not that what I think means anything, but you certainly seemed faster than anyone else on the field,” Alex spoke up, feeling stupid for her contribution to the conversation. “I imagine that makes a big difference.”

  “Speed is very important for a wide receiver,” Sealey agreed, nodding. “And nobody is faster than Luke.”

  Lucas grinned. “Well, if you’re trying to cheer me up, you guys are definitely off to a good start.” They started toward the parking lot.

  “Hey, Alex, why don’t you drive with me?” Lucas said, brushing his fingers down her arm to get her attention. “I’d love to hear your impressions of your first real college football game.”

  Alex opened her mouth to enthusiastically agree, but Ashley interrupted her.

  “Oh, don’t be silly, Luke,” she said with a saccharine smile. “Alex doesn’t want to talk football with you. Alex, why don’t you come with me? I’d love to get to know you better.” Alex could see the cunning behind Ashley’s offer, but Lucas looked at her with an expression of shocked approval on his face.

  “That’s a great idea!” he exclaimed. “We’ll meet you guys at Angie’s.”

  Alex had to stifle a groan at the choice of restaurant. Angie’s was always packed to bursting after sporting events, which was why she always made a point to avoid it. But at least she was going with Lucas. She would put up with anything to be with Lucas. Even his snotty sister.

  “So, Alex,” Ashley said as they climbed into her sleek, black Infiniti. “I’m just going to be straight with you, okay?”

  “Please do,” Alex said, again through gritted teeth. She felt a headache coming on.

  “Lucas is taken,” the curly-headed witch said bluntly. “Okay? He’s off the market. You really shouldn’t waste your time. Sorry to disappoint you.”

  “I appreciate you letting me know,” Alex said, melting her voice into sugary tones. “But if Lucas really was taken, I doubt he’d be interested in dating me, would he? He doesn’t seem like that kind of guy, and I assure you, I have no intention of forcing myself on him.”

  Ashley looked at her disbelievingly. “Then what are you doing here? If you have no interest in snatching my brother away from his steady girlfriend, then why did you show up today?”

  “Sealey invited me,” Alex returned simply. “Like he said, I’d never been to a football game before, and I’m all about new experiences. So I said yes. And if Lucas really does have a steady girlfriend, then there is no reason to expect that he’ll ask me out again. So you needn’t worry your pretty head about it, Ashley.” She turned her head to stare out the window, willing the scenery to go by faster, desperate to escape the bratty brunette’s company.

  “Look, I’ll be blunt,” Ashley said, and Alex rolled her eyes, wondering how on earth the girl could have been classifying her communications up to this point if not as “blunt.” “Lucas is too nice for his own good. Seriously, he will ask you out just because he feels sorry for you. But he is in love with someone else. A girl who is a much better match for him than you are. So I’m telling you now, really, for your own sake, back off.”

  Alex turned to face Ashley, full-on, eyes narrowed and snapping with furious energy. She’d promised Sealey she would keep tight rein on her tongue when speaking to Lucas, but he’d said nothing about Ashley. She decided to take that oversight as his permission to completely unload on Lucas’s nasty sister.

  “I appreciate your concern, Ashley, and I understand that maybe what I’ve said thus far could be construed as vague, or maybe even a little timid, so let me just take this opportunity to clear things up for you. I currently do not have any kind of diabolical plan to force Lucas to date me. However, if he happens to ask me out or express interest in me, I will respond as I see fit. With no reference to you or anyone else. Quite frankly, my dating habits are none of your concern. I am a big girl, and your brother is a big boy, and I’m fairly certain we can handle ourselves without your input or guidance. Because you are Lucas’s sister, I’m sure he is ready and willing to hear your concerns about his relationship status. However, you are not my sister or my mother or my maiden aunt, so I have no such obligation. So let’s just consider this topic closed, shall we?” She turned back to the window, her fists clenched in her lap.

  Alex could practically feel the waves of hot fury emanating from Ashley. But neither said another word.

  “So, ladies, how was the drive?” Lucas asked as they converged on the entrance to Angie’s Restaurant. Although the restaurant was less than two miles from the stadium, due to game day traffic, it had taken nearly ten minutes to get there. Ten very uncomfortable minutes.

  “Oh, it was fantastic!” Ashley said with expertly faked enthusiasm. “Alex and I really used the time to get to know each other. I think we’re off to a good start. I feel like I know exactly what kind of person she is already.”

  “Glad to hear that,” Lucas said, smiling warmly at Alex, and suddenly she felt all of her former irritation evaporate. “Sealey went in to put his name down. It’s a thirty-minute wait.”

  The wait passed quickly, mostly with banter between Lucas and Sealey. Alex was thoroughly entertained, but Ashley was oddly quiet. It made Alex nervous. What was she planning in that demonic head of hers?

  Once seated at their table, orders taken, Lucas turned to Alex. “So how are Eric and Martin doing? I hope you haven’t had Eric showing up in a panic to any of your other family dinner dates.”

  “Oh, uh, no,” Alex said, trying to smile. Why did she have to get so shifty whenever he brought up one of their staged meetings? She couldn’t afford to arouse suspicion from Ashley’s direction. “Thankfully, Martin responded to my advised tactic and all seems to be well for now. At least until the next crisis.” She looked quickly down at her hands, pretending to be pushing back a stubborn cuticle.

  “Who’s Eric?” Sealey asked politely, even though he knew perfectly well.

  “He’s that guy I told you about,” Lucas reminded him. “The one that showed up at Elements that time Alex and I ran into each other. The one with the cute little kid I assumed was hers.” He reddened slightly, but smiled broadly at Alex.

  “Ah, right,” Sealey said, nodding and stirring his ice water with his straw. “Isn’t that the guy who’s become pretty much a perpetual patient for you?” he asked Alex, seemingly as an afterthought. The question sounded offhand, but Alex could feel him attempting to steer the conversation in a certain direction. She wondered what he was up to.

  “Yes, he’s the most nervous parent I’ve ever encountered. That’s pretty uncommon for a father, but it makes a bit more sense once you understand Eric’s history.”

  “What is his history?” Lucas asked. “Or can you not tell me? I don’t know, do you have something like doctor/patient confidentiality?”

  “Well, as long as I’m not revealing their medical history, I should be okay,” Alex replied. She explained Eric’s history, starting with their first meeting on the day Martin was born and Eric’s wife had passed and ending with the day Eric had accosted her at the Elements restaurant with a perfectly content Martin in his arms.

  “Wow,” Lucas said, his eyebrows raised. “That’s really good of you to spend so much time consulting with him when technically Martin shouldn’t be your patient anymore.”

  “Couldn’t you get in trouble for that?” Ashley asked. Alex thought Ashley sounded almost hopeful.

  “No, because I generally refer him to other specialists whenever Martin has any kind of real medical problem. It’s only in regard to
Martin’s diet that I consult with Eric,” Alex informed her. “And even in that case, I’m consulting as more of a friend than anything. I mean, say you had some kind of digestive issue that caused you to have perpetual diarrhea,” Alex said, smiling inside when she saw Ashley flush and look around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. “I could consult with you as a friend who happens to be a dietetics professional, couldn’t I? It’s the same kind of thing.”

  “Sounds like the kind of skill we should keep around,” Lucas agreed. “It’s valuable information to have at your fingertips.”

  “Alex was telling me earlier today that she has global aspirations,” Sealey said, taking a sip of his water.

  “Really?” Lucas looked back at her. “Global, huh?”

  “That’s kind of overstating it,” Alex said, reddening. “I just wish I could do more to encourage people to live healthy lifestyles, particularly with regard to raising kids. I feel very limited where I am now.”

  “So you’re interested in furthering this agenda outside of Logan, I take it?” Lucas clarified.

  “Outside Utah, if I can. While every state has its health struggles, Utah regularly tops ‘Most Healthy’ lists, so I feel I could do more good elsewhere.”

  “Interesting,” Lucas said, considering her words. “That’s great you have such ambitious goals. Kind of intimidating, really.”

  Ashley snorted softly and rolled her eyes, but Lucas was watching Alex and didn’t notice. Alex tried not to, but it was difficult.

  “You remind me of Sealey,” Lucas continued, grinning at his best friend. “Sealey has all kinds of expansive goals for the business. Nothing seems to hold him back.”

  “Really?” Alex said, raising her eyebrows at Sealey. When he had told her of his business, he hadn’t mentioned plans to expand.

  “Not really,” Sealey said, waving them off. “We’re rooted locally. My dreams of expansion are pretty limited.”

  “But you could if you wanted to,” Ashley crooned, leaning forward to take his arm over the table. “You could take that company public if you wanted to!” She turned to Alex and explained with a condescending look on her face, “That means the company would be traded on a public stock exchange.”

  “Thanks, I got it,” Alex replied with a seriously fake smile. She wondered if she could get away with “accidentally” kicking Ashley in the shins as she unfolded and refolded her legs.

  “I have no desire to take my company public anytime soon.” Sealey smiled at Ashley and moved his arm away. “I’m having way too much fun right now being in charge. If I were public, I’d have shareholders to answer to.”

  Their food came then, and the conversation moved to other topics. Alex couldn’t help but consider pinching herself as she looked over at Lucas and saw him smiling at her. The feeling intensified when he reached out for no apparent reason and squeezed her hand. She smiled radiantly back at him and glanced at Sealey. His eyes were fixed on their clasped hands and when his eyes met hers, the corner of his mouth twitched. Things appeared to be progressing right on schedule.

  “GUESS WHAT TODAY is?” Alex cried with unrestrained delight. Her swimmers looked just short of rolling their eyes at her. “It’s hypoxic day! Yay!”

  The team groaned in unison.

  “Trust me, when the region and state meets come around, you’ll thank me,” she said, the unmerited glee gone from her tone. She turned to write the hypoxic set up on the whiteboard, inwardly thanking her stars, yet again, that she was no longer on the swimmer end of this deal. Hypoxic day was Hades. But it bred results, as she well knew.

  “Whaaaat?” Jason Green cried as he read the whiteboard. “Eight fifties freestyle, no breathing, on a minute? When the heck are we supposed to breathe then?”

  “So swim the fifty in less than a minute. You’ll have until the top to breathe. Simple math, Green,” Alex said, supremely unconcerned. She heard Jason continue to mutter behind her back and she grinned to herself.

  She eyed the pace clock on the wall as she snapped the lid back on the marker. “Okay, set starts on the top!” she called down the pool. As the second hand hit the sixty, splashes erupted in six lanes as her swimmers pushed off the wall. She strode along the side of the pool, watching for stroke improvements and cheating on the breathing restrictions. As Jason Green finished his first fifty, she called to him, “I saw that breath, Green! Remember, you owe me ten push-ups every time you cheat!”

  “Yeah, yeah,” he gasped as he slid his goggles back over his eyes in preparation for his second fifty.

  Alex laughed as she kept walking down the deck. As her eyes continued their scan of the pool, a figure standing near the lifeguard station caught her eye. Her heartbeat faltered as she realized it was Lucas. He stood in his basketball shorts and cutoff T-shirt, gym bag on his shoulder, smiling at her. When her eyes finally met his, he waved. She smiled back and immediately started toward him.

  She tried to look pleased and unconcerned at his presence, but inside she was all of a flutter. It was the first time he had approached her without her somehow devising a way to catch his attention. She was thrilled he decided to stop by all on his own.

  “Hey!” she said cheerfully as she approached him. “What are you doing here?” She was proud of herself for thinking of the line. No one would ever suspect that she watched for him to walk by the pool area every day.

  “I work out here with some buddies pretty much every day,” Lucas said, and she was elated when he stepped forward and pulled her into a quick hug. “How long have you been coaching the swim team?”

  “This is my third year,” she said, trying to sound like being hugged by Lucas Riley was no big deal to her. She would’ve done all right if her breath hadn’t been coming so fast. “I started in my last year of college. It was actually supposed to be a temporary thing, but I loved it so much I decided to stay on.”

  “Coach!” Mark Peters’s voice rang through the pool area, deeply out of breath. Both Alex and Lucas turned to look at him. His chest was heaving, as he swiped the fog from his goggles. “I’d just like to take this opportunity to say . . . I hate you.” He grinned playfully at her and pushed off the wall.

  She turned back to Lucas and bit her lip, trying not to smile.

  “Well, they obviously think the world of you.” Lucas laughed, and she joined in.

  “Today is hypoxic day,” she explained. “They don’t like it very much when I mandate how often they are allowed to breathe.” She winked at him. She felt light and happy inside. Lucas’s voluntary presence had that effect on her.

  “Why do you do that to them?” Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow. “Seems a little cruel to me.”

  “Trust me, it’s not to make them miserable,” Alex explained. “It trains their muscles to use oxygen more efficiently. The less air their muscles require, the less often they have to take a breath, and the faster they move.”

  “Ah . . . ,” Lucas said, turning to watch the swimmers. “I guess that makes sense. We don’t worry about such things on the football field.”

  “Yeah, it’s kind of a ‘water sports only’ concern.”

  “So how long do their workouts usually last?” Lucas asked, turning back to her.

  “They go till six,” she replied, slipping her hands into the pockets of her workout pants. “Four to six every day. Why?”

  “Well,” Lucas said, looking slightly uncomfortable and running a hand over the back of his head. “I was just wondering if maybe you’d like to go get a smoothie or something with me afterward. I’m usually wrapping up around six thirty. I could cut out a little early and come down and get you.”

  “Oh, uh . . . ,” Alex said, taken very much off guard. Stupidly, the first thing that popped into her head was, What would Sealey say about this? He seemed to have a very carefully thought-out strategy. Would going out with Lucas now spoil everything?

  “You totally don’t have to,” Lucas said, holding up his hands. “You’ve kind of seen a lo
t of me lately. If you’re all ‘Luked’ out, I completely understand.” He emphasized his name with his fingers.

  “Oh no!” Alex said quickly, reaching out to touch his arm. Forget Sealey. Having Lucas ask her out all on his own was a pure miracle. If anything, Sealey should be happy about this development. “I’d love to. I was just, uh, you know, not wanting to be the cause of a short workout for you. I know how much you football players love your workouts.” She smiled brightly, feeling ridiculous for hesitating at all to accept his invitation.

  “Ah, it’s no big deal,” Lucas replied. “I probably spend far too much time in the gym as it is. It’ll be good for me.” He pulled his bag further up on his muscular shoulder and grinned at her. “Well, all right, then. I’ll see you at six.”

  “See you then.” She beamed at him, her middle erupting with hyperactive butterflies. She watched him walk away, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

  “Seriously, Foamer, I can’t hear a word you’re saying.” Sealey’s voice was distracted and slightly distant, as though his mouth wasn’t actually aimed at the receiver. He was probably still working.

  “I’m at the pool. It’s echoey,” Alex explained. “But Lucas just—”

  “Uh, nope. Still can’t make out a single syllable.”

  Alex sighed, glanced back at the pool to make sure the team was still occupied by the set on the board, and then ducked into the locker room.

  “I said,” she began again, “Lucas just asked me out for tonight.”

  The line was silent for a moment.

  “As in, by himself?” Sealey finally asked, his voice louder now. The conversation appeared to have captured his interest. “He walked up to you and asked you out? How? When? Where are you?”

  “I’m at the gym. He just showed up in the pool area five minutes ago and asked me out! Did you know anything about this?”

  “No . . . he didn’t mention anything about it to me,” Sealey replied. Alex couldn’t place his tone. He didn’t sound angry, exactly . . . but he didn’t sound particularly happy either.