More Than Rivals (17 page)

With a pat on her back, Martha left Lily alone with new questions as to what really was happening with Jack. She stared blankly at the paper lost in her thoughts. After half an hour of soul-searching, she saw that the soccer game had come to an end, so she decided to join them.

As she stepped outside, Jack and Luke were laughing, while her father stood a few feet away smiling and nodding. Not yet seeing Lily, Jack tousled Luke’s hair, which earned him a happy grin from the boy.
 

Like he was settling into a personal conclusion about life, Pablo stood astride, crossed his arms, and spoke absentmindedly, “Un niño necesita un padre, y no sólo un abuelo.”

“What did you say?” asked Jack.

While Luke continued to smile, unfazed by the comment, Lily’s heart stopped. She turned to her father to see if he was going to make matters worse. He did.

“I just said a boy needs a father, not just a grandfather,” said Pablo matter-of-factly. “I tell Lily this all the time.”

Lily wanted to cover her eyes to shield her from the embarrassing scene unfolding before her. How could her father say something like that to Jack? It was the sort of statement that could scare him off. She looked over at Jack who still hadn’t noticed her. He was smiling, which was a good sign, but when he spoke she thought she might die.

Jack tossed the soccer ball from one hand to the other. “I don’t know about that, Dr. Robles. You seem to be doing a perfectly fine job.”

Jack’s remark cut at Lily, and she wanted to flee. Jack must’ve been put off by her dad’s comment. He was only being polite. But Lily rarely ran away from anything. There was only one way to get out of an uncomfortable conversation, and that was to change the subject. She took a deep breath and smiled at the men in her life. “Hi guys. How was soccer?”

“It was great! Jack’s awesome,” Luke said as he ran up to Lily.
 

“Wonderful.” She hugged him and looked up at Jack. “Thanks for playing, especially with a hurt hand.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said with a smile. He walked toward Luke and bent down on his knees so he could be at eye level with him. “Thanks, big guy. I’ve got to run now. Maybe we can do it again some time.”

“Please, can we, Mom?” Luke asked as if it was all up to her.

“Sure,” she said, but quickly added. “We’ll see how it goes.” She looked at Jack. “I should get you back to your car or you’ll be late.”

After Jack had given profuse thanks to her parents and Luke another tousle of his hair, Lily and he climbed back into her car. Lily tried to make small talk about his event that night, but the awkward scene in the backyard stayed with her. As Jack went on about his evening ahead, Lily debated whether or not it was a good idea to bring up her father’s comment. It might scare him away even further, but maybe if she got it out in the open, she could ease his fears. She decided to take the gamble.

As she parked alongside Jack’s car in the trailhead parking lot, she gave him a quick smile. “Here you go. Door to door service.”

“Thanks for everything today. Your family was great,” Jack said as he glanced at his bandaged hand.

“They can be,” she said with a sigh. Turning to him, she shook her head. “Listen, I heard what my dad said in the backyard when he spoke Spanish. I’m really sorry if you felt uncomfortable. He’s old-fashioned, and he says things like that a lot. Please just ignore him.”

Jack stared at her, and a small smile formed on his lips. His expression was so smug, Lily felt like she was being assessed by a psychologist who thought he knew everything about her. But soon his face softened, and he said, “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t think anything of it.”

His warm gaze soothed Lily, and though she was relieved he wasn’t upset, she was still uncertain how to respond. Thinking words would only get her into trouble, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “Thanks.” She grinned and nodded at the door. “Now, get outta here.”

He gave her another knowing look and opened the door. Before he closed it, he leaned in and said with a smile, “I’ll leave for now, but it’s not that easy to get rid of me.”

“I’m starting to think this was a bad idea,” grumbled Jack as he and Lily ran through dense fog that had enveloped Point Reyes National Seashore. He squinted ahead trying to spot her, but the blowing mist hid everything beyond a few feet in front of him.

“Why do you say that?” called Lily. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“It’s been two weeks, and now we still can’t see each other.”

Lily giggled. “The fog is a bit thick.”

“A bit? I can only tell where you are by the sound of your voice.”

“Run alongside me then.”

“I’m going to have to,” he said picking up his pace.

When he arrived at her shoulder, Lily smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Of all the places we could go today, why did you pick Point Reyes?”

“There are a lot of great runs through here, and because on a clear day Point Reyes is the most beautiful place on earth.”

“And on a foggy day?”

Lily laughed and played along. “Obviously, it’s the most desolate, windblown—”

“Foreboding, eerie—”

“That too,” she said, ramming him playfully with her shoulder. “Now quit complaining. The fog should burn off in the next half hour—hopefully, while we’re at the beach.”

Jack winked. “Race you there?”

“You’re on,” she answered, springing into a sprint.

After the two raced their way to the coast, they rested on a small cliff and admired the shoreline. As Lily had promised the fog began to lift around them, revealing the rugged coast. They lay side by side, on their backs and propped on their elbows, as they took in the beauty of it all.
   

“I don’t get up here enough,” said Jack, grazing his hand over the sandy rock. “It’s wonderful.”

“When was the last time you were here?”

“It’s been forever. I guess Mike Ashfield and Tara Smith’s wedding.”

“Oh, yeah. Mike’s wedding. I couldn’t make it. I felt badly because he’s always been such a good guy when I’ve worked with him, but we had a county public hearing that day. I couldn’t miss it.”
 

“I’m sure Mike understood,” he said, thinking of Mike’s own long history in local politics.
 

“Oh, yeah, he did.” She then shrugged. “But to be honest, it was a relief not to go. I hate weddings when I don’t like the match, especially when I’m really fond of one of the people getting married.”

“You don’t like Tara? Why not?” said Jack with surprise because there was nothing objectionable about the woman.
 

“It’s nothing. I shouldn’t have said it.”

“Tell me. What’s wrong with her?”

Lily grimaced. “There’s nothing
wrong
with her. She’s just boring.”
 

“Huh.” He recalled snippets of his encounters with Tara. She was good looking and nice, but his mind went blank searching for more information about her. “What does Tara do again?”

“See. You can’t even remember what she does. All you probably remember is she’s pretty and friendly.”

“You’re right.” Jack laughed. “That’s exactly what I remember.”

“I’d say I have no idea why Mike is into her, but I do.”

“What’s that?”

“She’s the perfect political spouse. She will never say or do anything to get in the way of her husband’s career.”

“Aren’t you being a little harsh?”

“Probably.” Lily nodded, knowing she was being judgmental. “But I still think I’m right.”

“And you probably are.” He stretched his legs out and rolled over on this side to see her better. “But that’s what you think the perfect political spouse is? Someone who won’t ever get in the way of the politician’s career?”

“I think that’s the essence of it.”

“Do you think the perfect spouse is stupid?”

“Not necessarily. The best ones are smart enough to know what and what not to say.”
 

“So if your goal is to be the perfect political spouse are you disqualified from having a career?”

“No, not at all. Just certain careers.”

“Like being a strip club owner would be bad, but being a teacher would be good?”

“Exactly.”

“What if the spouse was a politician?”
 

Lily gave him a cold glance and looked away. Her voice was sad. “A marriage between two politicians is rife with problems.”

Jack was quiet as he considered their conversation. When he was with Beverly, he would change the subject any time the topic of marriage came up, regardless of how benign the conversation. He certainly would never have discussed with Bev what makes the perfect political spouse. That was a role she was dying to have.

He stole a long look at Lily as she stared into the distance. With Lily, he didn’t mind talking about marriage.
Why is that?
He wondered.

His answer gradually formed as he examined her profile. He loved her—not in the tired, almost obligatory way he once loved Beverly. He loved Lily because from the moment he met her, he wanted more with her, and that desire for more still hadn’t been sated. At that moment, he realized it never would be.
 

Looking down at the rocky sand, he smiled to himself, wondering what to say next, but Lily spoke first. She picked a leaf off a scrubby plant and began ripping it apart as she muttered, “Yeah, Tara is perfect.”

“Perfect for Mike,” Jack said in a qualifying tone.

“Perfect for all of you guys.”
 

“Well, not her specifically for me.” He tried not to smile as he hatched a plan. A quick scan of the scenery told him no one was around for miles. The sun was bright, the setting was sublime, and he had the urge to seize the moment. “But I’d say I want a political partner.”

“Of course, you would.”

The words came out bitterly, and Jack could see her mood darkening. He touched her hair. “One I’m in love with.”

She met his gaze, her expression uncertain, and he added, “One who was so smart she always knew what to say.”

When she gave him a slight nod, he moved closer to her. “One who was kind, but who was political—who shared my values, my view of the world.”

Her eyes widened. As if she’d been put on the spot, she said, “Me too.”

“And the fact she was beautiful would be icing on the best cake.” He smiled. “You know anyone like that?”

“Uh. No.” She chuckled nervously.

“Well, I do,” he said as he moved above her. Holding his weight with his arms, he gazed into her dark eyes. “And it’s you.”

She dropped open her mouth in surprise, but her response was more nonchalant. “What are you doing?”

“I love you, Lily,” he said with glee.

A giant smile took over her face, and she brushed away the hair which had fallen into his eyes. “That’s really good to hear because I’m definitely in love with you.”

He kissed her hard, but he soon pulled away first and laughed. “Why do I have this overwhelming feeling of relief?”

“I don’t know, but I feel it too.” She frowned as if she was embarrassed. “For me, it’s because I thought I was alone feeling this way.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Silly.” He kissed her forehead. “For me it feels like I’m finally doing what I want to do.”

Stroking his cheek with the back of her hand, she smiled. “I love you.”

His eyes narrowed as his entire being focused on the woman beneath him. “I love you,” he said before giving her a kiss he had no intention of ending. Lily responded with equal abandon, and for a few minutes, they showed each other a little of what they’d both been missing. Eventually Lily pulled away, giggling. “I feel like a teenager. We haven’t even had sex.”

“I’m painfully aware of that fact,” Jack groaned. “Painfully aware.”

“Painfully aware? You make it sound like I’ve given you blue balls, when I haven’t even been able to do that.”

“True,” he said with a smile. “But you’ve haunted my fantasies.”

“Really?” She arched a brow with a naughty look. “Will you tell me about them?”

“I’d rather show you,” he said and kissed her again.
 

The kiss was soft, but her scent and the taste of salt on her skin urged him on. As she molded her body to his, he lifted her leg around his own. Only the flimsy material of their running shorts separated them. For a moment, Jack began silently naming the batting order of the San Francisco Giants as he attempted to quell an erection. It didn’t work. He was hard against her, and he slipped his hand inside her running shorts and slid a finger underneath the thin liner that served as underwear. She widened her legs, so he could explore, and when his hand settled on a circular rhythm, she moaned. He continued to pleasure her, and her response became increasingly intense. She gasped as if she was coming up for air, “Oh God, you need to stop.”

“I know,” he said, though he didn’t stop his fingers. “But we both don’t want to.”
 

Her breathing was heavy. “We’re in the middle of a national park.”

“But that’s good.” He chuckled. “There’s no one around.”

“At the moment.” She squirmed under his touch, but it wasn’t to stop his touch. She pressed herself against his hand. Despite her actions, she said, “We should stop.”

“You’re close aren’t you?” He chuckled.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Give me a second, then,” he said, sliding his other hand also between her legs.

In only a few moments, he smiled as he watched her shudder under his touch. When she opened her eyes, she smiled. “I can’t believe that just happened.”

“It was awesome to watch.”

She kissed him hard, but pulled away with a frown. “I’m really sorry, but I just can’t return the favor here.”

He rolled over onto his back and sighed, pretending to be put out. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Hey,” she said in a disappointed voice. She sidled up next to him and kissed his cheek. “This is a rare case where I don’t like being right.”

“Come here,” he said, wrapping his arm around her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get you again soon enough.” He gave her a sweet kiss, which he ended by brushing his nose against hers. “I love you.”