The Relationship Coach (13 page)

“Are you all green and into the environment?” he asked.

People just assumed you were an environmentalist when you drove a hybrid. Though her reasoning was she loved the little car, and its gas mileage.

“I try to do my part. At forty miles to the gallon, it gets me around,” she said, opening the car door and climbing in. “How many miles does that Mustang get?”

He shook his head. “Let’s not go there. Love the engine, love the sports car image, but gas mileage is not its top priority.”

She pressed the on button and put the car in reverse. No sound emitted as she accelerated out of the garage and into traffic. At thirty miles an hour, the gasoline engine kicked in and propelled the car down the road.

Reed sat in the passenger seat, watching her drive. His warm gaze created a little catch in her breathing. Sensuality oozed from him, and her body responded to the sexual signals, leaving her aware of him as a man.

Yet, she was nearly engaged to another man.

Lacey did a mental reset on her wayward thoughts and glanced at Reed. He smiled at her as if he could read her thoughts and knew she was aware of him as a man. She had to distract him. “Why are you going to the high school?”

“I sponsor a film club. I meet with them twice a month. They show me what they filmed that week. Then we discuss camera angles, lighting, and general overall film making.”

“Wow. I’m impressed.” And she was. Any man who worked with high school kids had her respect.

“I have one kid who’s gone from juvie to filming his neighborhood. I helped him apply for a scholarship into film school. We’re waiting to hear if he won.”

Reed’s enthusiasm for this kid and his class filled the little car. Surprised, she watched him talk animatedly about what they were working on, startled at this unexpected side of him. She liked the way he gave back to the community. “What made you decide to help these kids?”

He shrugged. “I kind of figured I was lucky, and I should pass on some of that luck.”

“What do you mean you were lucky?” she asked, glancing over at him, wondering what he meant.

A smile curved his lips, and his green gaze sped up her heartbeat. Awareness tingled along her spine, tripping into her midsection and heating other parts of her.

“My background kind of looks like Ozzie and Harriet. Mother and Dad have been married for forty years. I grew up in a decent middle-class suburbia setting. Mom worked, but was waiting at home for us after school. I went to college without working two or three jobs to put me through, and I have no school debt to repay. That kind of life doesn’t happen to every American kid. This is my way of paying back the universe for putting me in a good place.”

She smiled at him. There was more to Reed Hunter than she’d expected, and she liked that about him.

“What about you? You mentioned step-father number four. What kind of life did you have growing up?”

“I didn’t quite have the privileged life you’ve had. You know about the four step-fathers. I worked my way through college with the help of a scholarship and student loans. But my business is growing, and I’m in a good place now,” she said, concentrating on driving and not the masculine scent of Reed that evoked thoughts of tangled sheets and intertwined bodies.

“See, you need to pay something back to the universe for your good luck,” he said, leaning close to her. His breath sent a shiver of heated awareness through her, even though the car’s air conditioner was working at full blast.

“I guess I’ve never thought the universe gave me this life. I’ve always believed I earned it,” she responded, refusing to take her eyes off the road and look at him.

Reed’s large body, his scent, his touch, his voice enveloped her little Prius. Combine all of that with his warm gaze and she felt trapped in a sensual cocoon that she wanted to explore.

“Either way, it doesn’t hurt to help those less fortunate than us. You had the step-father thing going on, so you could probably help a lot of kids who are dealing with that same issue. They need to understand they will get through this and make it on their own.”

Finding it difficult to concentrate on what he was saying, she wanted to run her fingers over his full lip and let her hands explore how he felt beneath that shirt.

“Maybe,” she said, not committing as they arrived in front of the high school. She put the car in park and turned to gaze at him. “You’re different when you’re not working on the film.”

He grinned at her, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. “You mean I’m a nice guy?”

“Don’t get cocky. I mean you’re different. The verdict is still out on whether or not you’re a nice guy.”

“Any time you want to explore the option of finding out if I’m a nice guy or not, let me know,” he said, his smile inviting. “I’m available.”

“But I’m not,” she replied, knowing exactly where his flirtations would lead.

He opened the car door. “Too bad. It could be interesting.”

She laughed. “Or not.”

Reed Hunter was the type of man who flirted outrageously, chased insanely, and left his path littered with broken hearts.
Not
her type of man.

“Thanks for helping a stranded guy out,” he said, exiting the car.

“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.”

“Later,” he said and slammed the car door.

Lacey couldn’t help but grin as she drove off. Reed Hunter was just as attracted to her as she was to him. A dangerous combination and she couldn’t help but wonder if his credit score was above six hundred.

Chapter Eight

L
acey knocked on the door of her mother’s apartment, dreading this meeting. Her mother had called and demanded they meet today to discuss Kerri’s wedding and Lacey’s participation as a bridesmaid.

Brenda swung open the door. “Lacey, I’m glad you came.”

“Hi, Mom. Of course, I came.” Did she think Lacey would shirk her duties as a daughter and not show up?

She walked into the apartment, the cinnamon aroma of something baking luring her in the door. Her mother’s eclectic taste of Middle Eastern and Western culture furniture made for an odd mix decorating the living area. Not that Mom had any Middle Eastern ties, she just loved their furniture.

Sinking down onto the couch, Lacey looked around the apartment. “Where’s Kerri? I thought she was coming. Aren’t we talking about the wedding?”

“This is just between me and you, dear,” Brenda said, as she walked into the kitchen and begin to pour iced tea for both of them.

Startled, Lacey realized this parental summons was so Brenda could let Lacey know she didn’t approve of her reaction to Kerri’s wedding. She sat back, her defense walls rising in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

Brenda glided into the room, her caftan flowing around her. In her hand, she held a plate loaded with cookies. “I made snickerdoodles, just because I knew how much you love them.”

Most definitely Lacey was in deep doo-doo. The cookies represented Brenda’s way of saying she loved Lacey, yet she was pissed. Baking always confirmed Brenda’s anger.

“Thanks, Mom.”

Brenda sank down into her chair across from Lacey. “Dear, I wanted to speak to you because Kerri said you haven’t called her to discuss the wedding plans. Your sister needs your help.”

“We met for lunch a week ago, since then I’ve been kind of busy. This week, I had three speaking engagements along with taking care of my clients, not to mention the documentary I’m the subject of,” Lacey said, defending herself, but also aware of how much she didn’t want this wedding to happen.

“Is your work the real reason or don’t you want your sister to get married?” Brenda raised her glass of iced tea to her lips, her eyes watching Lacey over the rim of the glass.

As if Lacey were a misbehaved child, her mother was sitting her down to discuss the matter. Growing up, she always started with a discussion and ended with her punishment.

“Both. I’ve been busy at work, but yes, I think she’s making a huge mistake,” Lacey admitted, not willing to back down from her original assessment.

“This is your sister’s decision. Not yours.”

“Why? So, she can ruin her life? Kerri doesn’t have time for a husband or even a steady boyfriend.”

Lacey yanked a cookie from the plate. “Mom, don’t you wish someone would have pointed out to you before you married Ted that he was a drunk? Don’t you wish someone would have saved you that heartache?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh, God.” The words slipped from her lips without her thinking. She bit into the cookie, needing something sweet as she pondered the depths of her mother’s insanity.

Brenda leaned forward, her brows knit together. “I knew Ted drank when I married him. We had three wonderful years together, before his drinking spiraled out of control.”

Aargh, her mother thought with her emotions, not her brain
. “I just don’t want Kerri to marry and then realize she’s made a mistake.”

Brenda leaned back, giving Lacey a penetrating frown while she sipped from her tea. “We’re here to support her, not make her decisions for her.”

“Okay, I’ll call and help her with the wedding, but I don’t have to be happy she’s marrying,” Lacey finally admitted, knowing there would be no rest, until she participated in this wedding disaster.

“Then remove yourself from the wedding party. She should be surrounded by people who are supportive of her on her special day,” Brenda said, her eyes darkening as she delicately picked a cookie off the plate.

As Brenda stared, Lacey could feel her anger gripping her insides, making them sizzle like a hot frying pan. She took a bite of the sugar and cinnamon cookie and slowly chewed, savoring each bite, refusing to be swayed by her mother’s arguments. Lacey and Kerri had vowed not to be disillusioned by love, and now Kerri was putting love ahead of her future.

“Mom, I love her very much. That’s why I keep hoping she’ll come to her senses,” Lacey said, trying to rationalize with her mother.

Brenda’s face tighten into a grimace, as her fingers curled into her palm. “I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but understand, I loved each husband when I married him. I don’t know why you girls think the perfect man will keep you from experiencing divorce. My husbands were each perfect when I married them.”

“Then what happened, Mom? You can’t tell me you accepted their flaws and thought being with them would make your life easier?”

“We all have flaws. Marriage is difficult.” With a shake of her head, Brenda sighed and gazed at Lacey, like she was explaining life to a small child. “I want you and Kerri to find a man who brings such happiness to you that, no matter what, you love him and want to be with him.”

Brenda was such a romantic, and while Lacey liked the sentiment, it could lead one down a path of disaster. Her mother had taken them down this particular avenue many times, and Lacey no longer wanted to live that way. If she were going to give her heart to a man, then she insisted on a surefooted path that held no major hurdles in the way.

Even a hurdle like a credit report.

The thought stunned her for a moment, and she quickly pushed that revelation out of the way. “I want that experience, Mother, but I want to make sure there are no hidden obstacles standing in my way. I want to know everything about the guy and to be certain we are in complete agreement on how to achieve our goals. I want to know we are compatible, that we agree on the important things in life. That we share the same values, and then, we’ll fall in love.”

“It doesn’t happen that way, Lacey. I know you sell this fantasy of finding the perfect mate, but love finds you. You can’t match people up and expect it to happen.”

Lacey felt her insides twist into a knot. “Are you telling me you don’t believe in my matchmaking service?”

“No, I’m telling you that you can do all the arranging you want, but unless chemistry exists between the two of you, it’s just not going to happen,” Brenda said softly.

“It did with me and Dean,” Lacey responded, gripping the chair, resisting the urge to grab another cookie. This conversation needed something sweet, yet her hips didn’t.

Her mother frowned. “I don’t see it.”

“What do you mean you don’t see it?”

She shrugged. “There’s no passion. There’s no chemistry between the two of you. You’re like two old friends who kiss.”

“Mother!” Lacey said, as her whole body tensed. Anger drove through her faster than a race car. “For your information, Dean has asked me to move in with him. We’re apartment hunting.”

Brenda raised her brows. “You’re going to move in with him without the benefit of a ring? You’re just going to give the milk away for free and expect nothing in return?”

Aargh, there was that God awful saying that made a woman into a milk cow. Sorry, she didn’t have udders, and she wasn’t squirting milk.
“That’s ridiculous. We’re splitting the costs and trying to make sure this will work before we say ‘I do.’”

“You have the nerve to criticize your sister for getting married? At least a ring is on her finger if something were to happen to Matt or if there are any unplanned pregnancies.”

Lacey wanted to scream birth control and condoms kept accidental pregnancies from happening. “And she could be on the same path as you, with multiple marriages in her future,” she responded, immediately wishing she could retrieve the words. The tight rein she held on her emotions around her family loosened, and her tongue took on a life of its own.

“Lacey Danielle! At least, I had love with each one of my marriages, even if they didn’t last.”

Lacey knew when her mother used her middle name, she was furious.

Her mother took a deep breath, her voice restrained. “Dean does not love you. He’s using you, but you’re too blind to his perfectness.”

Lacey threw up her arms. “Explain to me, just how is Dean using me?”

Brenda stood and started to pace the room. “He’s all about his career, and you’re just another peg on the ladder of success and prestige.” She stopped in front of Lacey. “You’re the one who is on the path to multiple marriages because you don’t have a clue what falling in love feels like.”