Derailed (3 page)

“You are free to come and go as you please. If you let me know you’re coming I’ll have the gate unlocked.”

“Very well. I’ll be in touch.”

Courtney and Everett left Ashton sitting on the cold hard marble as they made their exit.

Once he was behind the wheel of his car Everett sighed. “That wasn’t awkward at all.”

Courtney pointed at the trees as they drove away. “With the moss hanging from the tree limbs this would be a great place to film a horror flick. It’s as if the grim reaper is dressed in tattered rags.”

A horn blew. “They’re here!” Ryder hollered.

Fiona finished wrapping the brownies she’d made for Ryder’s contribution to the fishing trip. She gathered his backpack that they’d stocked with various lures and bait recommended by Mr. Roy.

“Did you get the sunscreen?”

“It’s already loaded in the pack.”

“Great.”

Looking down she saw he had his pillow and the Kermit the Frog plush animal she’d purchased for him when he was three. She didn’t want to cry, she wanted to be strong and convey to Ryder that she trusted him to have a big-boy weekend, but the tears filled her eyes at the sight of her baby so grown up and handsome.

The horn blew again. “Ready?” Fiona asked.

He nodded, and that was when she saw the collected moisture in Ryder’s eyes. She’d need to keep her own tears in check until they were on their way.

At the truck she confirmed the details with Mr. Roy and then she watched Ryder load into the back seat next to Elijah. When he shut the door any hopes she had for a hug were shot. Mr. Roy put the truck in reverse and started backing out. Fiona waved, but only Mr. Roy waved back. Before he could make it out of the driveway the truck stopped and Ryder opened the door, bouncing out. He ran up to Fiona and hugged her tight, “I love you, Mommy.”

She kissed his forehead and inhaled his fresh clean scent. “I love you, Ryder. Be safe, okay?”

“I will.”

Fiona wrung her hands as she watched the large truck disappear down the road. She would have to find some way to keep busy all weekend or she’d spend the entire time worried about Ryder.

The phone in her hand buzzed. As she walked back toward the house she read the text from Everett:

Just checking on you. I think you are ignoring me. That’s fine, I’d ignore me too. Just wanted you to know I’m here and thinking of you and would love to see you again. We could go for lunch or dinner or a movie or whatever. I could get a tattoo. I would, you know. If it meant you would let me see you I’d let you give me a tattoo. I’d prefer it not be floral, but I’ll leave the details up to you
.

She smiled. Everett was charming and he knew how to make her laugh—something no other guy had ever been able to do. Mainly because she’d had to worry about money and Ryder and the shop.

Her finger smoothed over the glossy phone screen. How she longed for another night with him—in his bed. His touch was silk and his kiss, she remembered, had rendered her speechless. The phrase
friends with benefits
bounced around in her head. However, she didn’t know what Everett’s intentions were. He worked in Boston so nothing long-term would be possible
. Didn’t that work well for a sex buddy
? Maybe they should meet and discuss.

She typed a reply:

Would U like to get lunch, or I can make lunch for us. Then we could talk
.

On her phone an icon popped up, indicating he was typing a reply. She guessed as a lawyer he’d have to be on top of his communication game, but still she smiled at his eagerness.

Is it a let-me-down-easy talk? Because I’d just as soon skip that
.

She marveled at his proper grammar, even when sending a text.

No, but it is a serious talk
.

OK. I’d like to choose option B
.

I have to get groceries. See U around one?

Can I go with you?

You wanna go with me to the store?

Yes
.

Fiona was a little surprised by his request.

OK
.

Shall I come to you then?

OK
.

Are U gonna send me the address?

212 Rainy River Road
.

See you around eleven?

OK
.

She realized her last few replies, other than the address, had simply been
OK
.

It was early yet, so Fiona thought she’d go for a jog along the bayou. As she ran and listened to Belle and Sebastian, her mind cleared and it was then that she realized why it wasn’t a good idea to entertain long-term thoughts of Everett.

Ryder was ten years old now. Soon he’d be a teenager. Fiona would never bring a man into his life at such an impressionable age. She was rearing him to understand that he could be anything, do anything, say anything he desired. She would not let an outsider interfere—especially a noncommittal and possibly narcissistic male. She was speculating about Everett of course, but in her mind most men possessed those qualities.

If she was being honest with herself, she couldn’t picture Everett being any of those things, but her son came first—even above her own selfish needs. He needed stability and consistency. Not some flashy big-city guy who devalued his roots, small southern life, and family.
But what about friends with benefits
?
Would Everett be her beneficial friend
? Fiona realized she didn’t have the time to accommodate another friend in her life, and she couldn’t risk Ryder getting attached to a man who may not be there when he needed him most.

Would Everett be her Baton Rouge Booty Call
? She’d joked with him about this before, but it was just to keep him from pursuing her. She didn’t think he came to the area that often. Maybe less than a dozen times per year. That would be perfect. A smile grew across her face as she contemplated the perfect situation for them.
After all, what red-blooded male would refuse her proposal
?

After a shower, Fiona dressed in jeans and an off-the-shoulder blouse that showcased her tattoo. She applied mousse to her dark mahogany hair that was cut in an asymmetrical bob that hung along her jawline.

The doorbell rang as she finished up a light makeup job that amounted to lip gloss and a sweep of mascara to each eye. She padded to the door, scanning for her black wedges as she made her way through the house.

With no luck she answered the door in her bare feet. Everett stood in dress slacks, white dress shirt, and fancy shoes. His sleeves were loosely rolled up affording him the look of a relaxed distinguished gentleman. Fiona felt her nipples tighten at the sight of him. He dripped with testosterone. “
Damn my uncontrollable primitive urges
,” she mumbled.

“What’s that?” Everett asked with a gorgeous smile that left his gray eyes smoldering as if smoke was beginning to curl.
Smoke comes before fire
, Fiona excitedly thought.

“It’s nothing. Won’t you please come in?” As he entered he handed her a bottle of Riesling. “Nothing too heavy for lunch, but that is my favorite Riesling.”

“Let me start it chilling.” His fancy Rolex watch sparkled as she took the bottle from his hands. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No thanks, I’ll just wait for the Riesling. This is a great neighborhood. Right on the park and trails.”

“I love it here. I’m a jogger so I usually hit those trails around five in the morning. Believe it or not, I’m not alone.”

“I jog too.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, qualified for the Boston marathon last year.”

“That’s impressive.” Really impressive. Fiona herself wasn’t very fast. She just liked to run because it cleared her mind.

“Let me locate my shoes and we’ll get going.”

The kitchen was small and when she passed next to his chest her nose took in his expensive male scent. Since they’d had sex in New York she knew how skilled he was at bringing her body to the place she desired to be.
Shit
. She’d frozen in front of him. With his chin angled toward his chest he offered her a sexy knowing smile.

“Thanks for inviting me over for lunch.” His voice was deep, laced with lust for her—or at least she hoped.

She cleared her throat and answered, “Thanks for coming.” Hmm, so many puns went through her mind she felt a little smirk pull on her face.

Everett drove them to the supermarket in his BMW. When she mentioned the only health food store in town, his nose curled up.

“You don’t like that store?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in it. I thought they only sold granola.”

Fiona scoffed. “That’s not all they have there. Anyway, that’s where I get groceries. I’m vegan.”

“You may be the only vegan in Louisiana.” His eyes grew openly amused.

“What if I told you I could prepare you something that you would swear was chicken, but wasn’t?”

“I’m intrigued, Ms. Miller.”

“Okay then. Leave it to me. You’re in for a treat with dessert because my neighbor has a throng of blueberry trees. I’ve got blueberries coming out of my ears so I’m making a crumble.”

He pressed an open palm to his chest. “Alas, dinner is saved. I hope that crumble comes à la mode.”

“Of course.”

***

“Mmm, this is pretty good actually.” While Fiona thinly sliced cucumber, Everett dunked a piece in the dip she’d made. Watching him eat was sexy as hell. All of his movements were efficient, and every time he placed a cucumber slice in his mouth he wiped his lips with a napkin. His manners were impeccable, as he chewed with his mouth closed and kept his elbows off of the counter despite sitting at the kitchen bar.

“What’s in this green sauce?”

“That’s a dip I make out of Greek yogurt and arugula. If I have it, I add scallion.”

“Wow, you know what would be good with it?”

“Steak?”

“I wasn’t going to say steak, I was going to say potato chips.”

“I’ve done that before.”

“What’s in the pan?”

“That’s the chicken.”

“Ah.” He popped another cucumber slice into his mouth and chewed. “So what did you want to discuss?”

Fiona removed the Riesling from the chiller. As she peeled away the foil wrapper her hands shook.
How long had it been since she’d felt nervous around a man
? She smiled, basking in the sensation.

Leaning her hip against the counter she fiddled with the corkscrew. “I was wondering how often you come to town.”

“Not that often usually, but—”

“That’s actually a perfect timeline for my plan.”

“What plan?”

“I was thinking it would be …” Fiona hadn’t thought through how to present her proposal. “I wouldn’t mind it if you and I hooked up whenever you came to town.”

“I’d like that. Let me ask you something … do you like jazz?”

“Does it matter?”

“I thought I’d get tickets to the jazz festival.”

Fiona frowned, and then shook her head. “No.”

“It’s not for everyone. I happen to love it, but Parker can’t stand jazz.”

“I love jazz. I meant no, I don’t want to go out with you.”

His body language immediately changed. It was as if she’d zapped him with a magic wand that transformed over-the-moon happiness into rock-bottom sadness. His shoulders slumped and he pushed the appetizer away from his body.

“But I thought we were going to hook up.”

“I’m going to be clear regarding my expectations because I can’t offer any middle ground. If you want to accept my terms then great, we have a deal. If not, I won’t see you again.”

He looked perplexed. He leaned back into the bar chair and crossed his arms. “Let’s hear it.”

“I enjoy having sex with you. When you come to town, I would like to do it again. I’d need to be provided with your arrival date at least a week in advance. I’d want to meet you at a predetermined location. Maybe a hotel. Just to be clear, you won’t be able to come to my house again and I won’t be able to go out with you to jazz clubs or restaurants. This is strictly a sex-only relationship. It won’t do to get involved on an emotional level.”

As she spoke, he’d been a wall of set determination. The only hint that he’d been listening was the slight increase in his respiration rate. He sat frozen like a piece of furniture, his eyes unblinking.

“Everett?”

His throat engaged in a swallow. “Wow. I guess Julian was right—I really don’t know what I’m doing.” He laughed nervously. “I’d never wanted to get close to a woman until I met you. I preferred keeping my options, and my zipper, open. But then I met you and all that changed. Suddenly, everywhere I looked I thought I saw you walking toward me. Which is crazy, but true. I was at the LSU campus recently and in the distance saw a woman with your same features. As we approached one another my smile became wider and wider. She began to frown”—he cocked his head at her—”I’m sure she thought I was certifiable. I realized when I passed her that she looked nothing like you.”

His hand rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know why I just told you all of that. I enjoyed our time in New York. You hadn’t wanted to give me the time of day
before
New York. However, I can see my performance has qualified me to be your stud. I’m dumbfounded. I thought we’d both realized some potential, but I guess it was just me … again.”

He made a sound in the back of his throat and simultaneously stood. “Excuse me, I need the restroom.”

Fiona’s throat burned as she realized she’d hurt him. He was one of the nicest men she’d ever met—maybe even the nicest. She figured he’d be relieved to receive her proposal. He couldn’t develop his realized potential from Boston anyway. What was the big deal? She scooped cauliflower onto plates for them and walked them to the table. She went back to the kitchen for the Riesling and two wine glasses, meeting Everett on her way back to the table. “The main course is ready.”

“I think I’ll take off.”

Oh, God. He really was upset. She felt so bad being the cause of his hurt. “Won’t you eat first? I’ve got the dessert baking in the oven.”

He didn’t answer her with words, but moved to take a seat at the table.