Backwoods Page 23

  “Lay off him?” Ray repeated, incredulous.

  “That’s what I said.”

  “He’s lucky I didn’t have him arrested!”

  Leo leaned across the table. “You’re lucky I didn’t kick your ass for disrespecting my mother.”

  Ray’s neck turned red. “How dare you.”

  “Go fuck yourself,” Leo said, spoiling for a fight.

  Nathan braced his palm on Leo’s chest to hold him back. He didn’t take his eyes away from Ray, who appeared on the verge of exploding. If Ray attempted to lay hands on his son, Nathan would make him regret it.

  “Calm down, Ray,” Lydia said.

  “He just told me to fuck myself!”

  “Maybe you should leave,” Nathan said.

  Ray glanced around the table and found no sympathizers. Brooke didn’t ask him to stay. Someone had to be the rational adult, and it wasn’t going to be Leo. Cursing under his breath, Ray shoved to his feet. After a short silence, Lydia excused herself to follow him.

  “I’m sorry,” Nathan said to Brooke.

  “It’s okay,” she said, blinking the tears from her eyes. “He was being rude.”

  Abby rubbed Brooke’s arm to comfort her.

  Leo turned around to watch Ray argue with Lydia. When she tried to retreat, Ray gripped her elbow and refused to let go. “That’s it,” Leo said, fumbling for his crutches. “I’m going to kill him.”

  “Stop,” Nathan said. “I’ll handle it.”

  “I’ll help,” Paul offered.

  Nathan rose to his feet and pointed at Leo. Paul got the message. His job was to make sure Leo didn’t get up. Nathan walked across the courtyard, his heart racing. Ray wasn’t a violent type. Nathan doubted he would try to get physical. If Ray did lash out, it wouldn’t go well for him. Nathan hoped they could squash this without causing a scene. Brooke had suffered enough.

  As Nathan got closer, Lydia jerked out of Ray’s grasp and wrenched the diamond ring from her finger. “I never want to see you again,” she cried, throwing it at his chest. The ring bounced off his shirtfront and rolled under a table.

  Ray didn’t go fetch. “This doesn’t concern you, Strom.”

  Nathan stepped between them. “Let’s go for a walk,” he said, squeezing Ray’s shoulder in a way that was more casual than menacing. Ray had the choice to join Nathan for a friendly chat or resist and suffer the consequences. When Nathan directed him away from Lydia, Ray came along without a struggle. They passed through the gated entrance at the side of the courtyard and stood at the front of the hotel.

  It was a beautiful night, cool and clear. The sky was full of stars. Nathan released Ray’s shoulder and took a deep breath, unsure what to say. Ray’s relationship with Lydia was none of his business. Nathan didn’t want to see her manhandled, especially in front of his son, but he couldn’t get involved in their disputes.

  “Do you care about Leo?” Nathan asked, searching for common ground.

  “Of course,” Ray said. “Why do you think I took his car away?”

  Nathan accepted this answer. Ray was a selfish workaholic, but he must have some redeeming qualities. Lydia had fallen for him. So had Abby, once upon a time. “I know you care about Brooke. I’m glad she’s okay.”

  Ray had to grace to look guilty. “Thanks for helping her.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I thanked Leo earlier.”

  “Good,” Nathan said, moving on. “I was upset with him for bringing pot on the trip. We discussed it already.”

  Ray squinted at him. “Are you saying that I should drop it?”

  “Just give him some space. He’s got a right to be angry. You cheated on his mother.”

  “That was a mistake,” Ray admitted.

  Nathan didn’t want to hear about it. Getting too hammered to work the next day was a mistake. Doing it over and over again was a pattern of behavior. Ray’s philandering fell into the second category.

  “I still love her,” Ray said.

  Nathan felt nothing for him, not even pity. “I think you should stay somewhere else tonight.”

  Ray’s mouth twisted with anger. He looked from the manicured hotel lawns to the lighted hospital windows across the street. “You know what? I liked you better when you weren’t a sanctimonious prick.”

  Nathan wasn’t sure what sanctimonious meant. Sober? “It must have been easier for you to feel superior when I was drunk.”

  Ray stared at him for a few seconds, one eye twitching. Then he turned and left. Stomping over the damp grass, he got into his Bentley and drove off.

  Nathan headed back to the courtyard. He spotted Abby, crouched under a table. She’d bent down to retrieve the ring Lydia had thrown at Ray. She straightened, handing it to Nathan for safekeeping.

  “Thanks,” he said, tucking it into his pocket.

  “Did he leave?”

  “Yes.”

  “Lydia went to the bathroom. Brooke’s with her.”

  He nodded, catching Leo’s gaze.

  “It was nice of you to stand up for him,” Abby said.

  His chest swelled with emotion. He owed a lot to Abby. It felt good to be on Leo’s side instead of fighting against him. “I learned from the best.”

  She laughed, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. The scrape on her cheek was disguised with makeup, but still noticeable to him. He glanced down at her feet. She was wearing those sexy leather sandals again. It was ironic that she’d ended up with the same injury Lydia had claimed to have.

  “How’s your ankle?” he asked.

  “It’s fine,” she said, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. “Just bruised.”

  Nathan realized she was embarrassed. Maybe she regretted what they’d done in the hot springs. He might have been a little too eager, at first. He’d had to force himself to slow down and stop pawing her like an animal. “Did you get some rest?”

  “I slept all day.”

  “Me, too.”

  When a flush blossomed across her chest, he wanted to peel off her dress and devour her. Every inch of skin. Under bright lights. In the hotel bed, in the shower, against the door. Out on the front lawn.

  “Come to my room,” he said, lowering his voice.

  She nibbled her lip. “I should stay with Brooke.”

  He tore his gaze away from her, taking a deep breath. He was thinking with his dick. “Right,” he said. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I like it.”

  She liked it. Christ.

  Her sister was watching them from across the room, so he tried to blank his expression. Ella gave Abby a thumbs-up, as if approving him as a suitor. Nathan laughed, rubbing a hand over his mouth.

  “She’s worse than Brooke about matchmaking,” Abby said.

  “She wants you to be happy.”

  “She wants me to get laid.”

  “I’m here to help.”

  “You’re a saint,” she said, smiling.

  The waiter dropped off the check. Nathan wanted to take care of the expense, but Paul beat him to the punch.

  “It’s on me,” Paul said.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yep.”

  Nathan didn’t argue with him. He made a mental note to send them a nice wedding gift. After Lydia and Brooke came back to the table, they called it a night. Nathan returned to his room with Leo.

  Nathan started watching a baseball game, but he was too distracted to pay attention. His thoughts were on Abby.

  Leo’s phone rang a few minutes later. He took the call, his gaze sliding to Nathan. “Okay. I’ll be right there.” Tucking the phone into his pocket, he rose to check his hair in the mirror, causing more disarray with his fingertips.

  “Where are you going?” N
athan asked.

  “To hang out with Brooke.”

  “In her room?”

  “Yeah. Don’t wait up.”

  Nathan wondered if that meant Abby would come to him. He turned off the TV and rose from the bed, his pulse jumping. Even though he’d invited her, he wasn’t prepared for her visit. He cleared his throat, uncertain if he should ask his son for help.

  “What?” Leo asked.

  “Do you have any condoms?”

  Leo smirked at the question. He rifled through his backpack and found a couple of square packages, tossing them to Nathan. They were the ultra-thin kind, regular size. Nathan checked the expiration date and thanked him.

  “I’m glad you’re being responsible,” Leo said.

  “Same to you,” Nathan said, helping Leo with the door. Nathan considered cautioning Leo about taking advantage of Brooke’s fragile emotional state, but decided against it. They were both adults.

  Leo made his way down the hall, using only one of his crutches. After he left, Nathan tidied up the room, his blood rushing with anticipation. He’d just finished straightening the comforter when someone knocked.

  He opened the door to greet...Lydia.

  “Can I come in?” she asked, her voice breaking.

  After a short hesitation, Nathan stepped aside to let her pass through. He didn’t really want her in his room, but it was hard to deny a crying woman. She was the mother of his child, and they’d been married for thirteen years. He’d always care about her. When her shoulders trembled with emotion, he put his arm around her.

  “That was really sweet, what you did for Leo,” she said, sniffling. She looked up at him. “What you did for me.”

  Warning bells sounded in Nathan’s head. Her blouse was unbuttoned to the lacy border of her bra, revealing the upper curves of her breasts. She’d sought him out for comfort...and maybe something more.

  “I’ve missed you,” she said, catching the direction of his gaze.

  Nathan didn’t know how to react. He’d imagined this moment many times. Even after his stint in rehab, he’d tortured himself with fantasies of winning her back. He’d dreamed about cuckolding Ray.

  Now he had the chance—and it was all wrong.

  His feelings for Lydia were complicated. When things had been good between them, they’d been really good. If Abby wasn’t in the picture, he might have taken Lydia straight to bed. But he wouldn’t have fooled himself into believing they were getting back together. They couldn’t erase the past. Her betrayal had devastated him.

  Nathan released her carefully. “Ray’s still in love with you.”

  “Is that what he said?”

  “Yes.”

  Her eyes filled with tears again. She sat down on the bed. “I made a mistake.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know how much I wanted another child.”

  He nodded, remembering how hard she’d taken the miscarriage. She’d been trying to get pregnant for years.

  “I’ve been looking into adopting a little girl from Brazil. Ray doesn’t want to be a parent again because he knows he’s bad at it. I told him I’d forget about it, but I started the proceedings anyway. When he found out, he turned to another woman.”

  “That’s why he cheated? Because he was mad at you?”

  “It’s a stupid reason. He’s awful.”

  Nathan sat down beside her, passing her a tissue.

  She crushed the tissue in her fist. “Maybe you can help me get over it.”

  “I’m here for you, but—”

  “I miss you,” she said, pressing her lips to his. Her palm slid up his thigh. “I miss this.”

  He removed her hand. “No. I can’t.”

  She gaped at him in disbelief. Then she began to cry in earnest. Real, ugly tears that marred her makeup. “You’re screwing Abby, aren’t you?”

  Nathan didn’t answer. It was none of her business who he was sleeping with. She was married to someone else. Even though he took responsibility for their failed relationship, he didn’t like the way things had ended. Lydia could have told him she wanted a divorce before she started seeing Ray.

  “You’ve changed,” she said, blotting her eyes with the tissue.

  She was right; he had. And her surprise over this confirmed the irreconcilable differences between them. Lydia relied on fate, putting her life in the hands of a higher power. Abby controlled her own destiny. She believed that people could change for the better. She’d helped Nathan change the way he interacted with Leo. Getting sober was only half the journey. Meeting Abby was the other half. She’d given him hope for the future. He wouldn’t throw that away for anything.

  “Do you think Ray can change?” Lydia asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  She fell silent, lost in thought.

  “Here,” he said, pulling the ring from his pocket. It was probably worth fifty grand. “Abby picked it up for you.”

  She accepted it with reluctance. “What did you do with the one I gave back to you?”

  “I threw it off the Coronado Bridge.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s sad,” she said, tearing up again. Now she was crying for him. For them. For the life they’d shared.

  Water under the bridge.

  When she rose to her feet, he followed her to the door, opening it for her. “I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her forehead.

  “I’m sorry, too.”

  “Take care of yourself.”

  “I always have,” she said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  ABBY LEFT BROOKE and Leo alone in the hotel room.

  Brooke claimed they were going to watch a Teen Wolf marathon. Abby didn’t care what they did, as long as they were safe. She was glad to give Brooke the space she needed. It meant she could sneak away to see Nathan.

  Hurrying down the hall, Abby rapped on the door to Ella’s room.

  Ella greeted her with an expectant look. “What’s up?”

  “Brooke and Leo are hanging out in my room.”

  “Oh,” Ella said, stepping aside. “Come on in. I’ll tell Paul to put on a shirt.”

  Abby glanced through the doorway, waving at Paul. It would be a shame to make him cover up. “That’s okay. I’m going to Nathan’s room.”

  Ella’s eyes widened with delight. “For sex?”

  Abby laughed, not answering.

  “Abby’s going to sleep with Nathan,” Ella told Paul.

  “Great,” he said, scribbling in a notebook.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Ella said.

  Abby said good-night to Ella and continued on her way, giddy with anticipation. Nathan’s room was on the other end of the building. As she rounded the corner, she saw Lydia standing outside his door.

  And her world came to a grinding halt.

  Abby faltered, almost stumbling on her sore ankle. She hadn’t called first, so Nathan wasn’t expecting her. Was he expecting Lydia? While she watched, rooted to the spot, he opened the door and let her in.

  Son of a bitch.

  It felt like a slap in the face. Like the shock of cold water after a long fall. She’d drummed up the courage to climb the boulder and jump off. For this. For nothing but an icy impact and a soundless dunk.

  She braced her hand on the wall, dizzy. Her pulse rate climbed. She flashed back to the moment she’d walked in on Ray and Lydia. Abby hadn’t even been aware that Ray was unhappy in their marriage. He’d always worked too much. The weeks before she’d caught the couple in his office hadn’t been unusual.

  She’d had no idea.

  It was almost criminal how naive she’d been. Her initial reaction to the sight of them was confusion, not anger. Lydia was tople
ss, with her skirt raked up. Her full, natural breasts bounced with every thrust. Abby had interrupted her husband with his pants down and his penis inside another woman, but her first thought had been: this is a strange consultation. Lydia clearly didn’t need implants or liposuction.

  When Abby imagined the same scene with Nathan standing in for Ray, her stomach churned with nausea. She closed her eyes and took steady breaths, praying she wouldn’t black out or throw up.

  After a moment of visualizing gentle waves lapping at the beach, she relaxed a little. Logic kicked in. Nathan wasn’t Ray. He wasn’t a womanizer. He’d let Lydia inside his room. That didn’t mean they were having sex right now.

  Abby couldn’t dismiss the possibility, however. She’d seen the way Lydia had reacted to Nathan’s defense of Leo. When Nathan had taken Ray aside to talk, she’d stared after them like a woman who realized she’d made a terrible mistake. Nathan considered their divorce his fault. He’d loved her “desperately.” Nathan was ten times the man Ray was. It was only natural for Lydia to want him back.

  Trying to stay calm, Abby considered her next move. If Nathan and Lydia were going to work things out, she couldn’t interfere. They had a son together. She wouldn’t knock on the door to interrupt them. But she couldn’t just walk away, either. While she waited, she reminded herself that Nathan hadn’t made her any promises.

  So why did she feel so devastated?

  After about fifteen minutes, the door opened again. Nathan kissed Lydia on the forehead. Her makeup was mussed. Her blouse appeared to have been hastily buttoned. Anyone would assume they were having an affair.

  Abby’s chest tightened with dismay. It was too late. She’d already taken the plunge. She was in love with him.

  Instead of watching Lydia walk down the hall, he glanced at Abby. He frowned as if he could read her thoughts. The only thing worse than falling for a man she couldn’t have was facing him. She’d rather run away than see pity in his eyes. She left in a panic, fleeing the scene as fast as her bruised ankle could take her.

  “Abby,” he called out, coming after her.

  She didn’t know where to hide. If she returned to her room, he’d find her. Pulse racing, she went the opposite direction. There was an ice machine at the end of the hall. She crouched down behind it, praying he’d gone the other way.