The Barter System (31 page)

“Shay, you know how I
couldn’t leave Victor without knowing you were there?  I feel that a hundred
times worse now.  I can’t explain it.  When Amelia popped into my mind I knew
they would be perfect together.  She’s a few years older than me, beautiful and
already a country girl.  Bright and funny and outgoing.  How can we make this
happen?”

Shay agreed Amelia was tired
of Savannah and had dated, and discarded, all the local boys.  Within a couple
of hours, she had one of her stylists promise to keep an eye on the shop and
Victor said his cousin would watch his boat. 

Amelia was a bartender so
she could get time off.  She’d been filled in on everything and found Riya to be
crazy devious. 

A few choice details about
Lucas and how incredible he was and she was saying, “Riya, I swear, girl,
you’re Cupid or something.  If this works and I end up with a real man who
doesn’t need me to pay his power bill, I will owe you for life.”

Taking a deep breath, Riya
called Lucas.  “Hey, I know we were on radio silence, but I need you to do
something for me that would make me feel better.”

“Anything, Riya.  Tell me.” 
The voice she’d had whispering in her dreams for the past days was gentle,
careful with her still.

Clearing her throat, she
forced herself to take the step she had to take, “The twins are going back to
school and I was thinking you could use company for just a little while.  I
have three friends, familiar with ranching and riding and all the stuff you love
so much.  They have some time off and I’ve asked if they’d take a trip to
Montana and keep you company for me.  Before you say no, I can’t move forward
being scared for you.  Say yes.  They won’t be any trouble and I
need
this, Lucas.  Please…for me, Lucas?  Let me know you’re not alone out there.”

After a long minute, he
sighed.  “Okay, Riya.  I could use some company actually.  The boys left this
morning.  When will they be here?”  She told him they’d be there the next day
and couldn’t contain the gratitude she felt for his understanding.  “Baby, why
are you thanking me?  You’re keeping me from going crazy here alone.  I’ll be
the perfect host.  Yes, I’ll talk to you soon.  Be safe, Riya, baby.” 

When they hung up, the pain
was still there, but it wasn’t as all-consuming.  She didn’t feel like her
chest was going to cave in.

Six days after leaving
Lucas, she received an update from Shay.  “Girl, I can’t tell you what crazy
alpha-male shit had to go down the first few hours.  When Lucas realized Victor
was another subject, they had to rope and ride and shoot.  Then they fucking
threw
down
in the corral.  Actually punching the shit out of each other.  Lucas
is light, but very fast and has the meanest right hook.  Victor finally had to
pin him so he could catch his breath.  After that, they were best friends.  Men
are so odd.

“Anyway, the real news is
Amelia has decided to move out here whether or not she and Lucas hook up.  Says
it has everything she’s been looking for.  The first day, she just circled him,
seeing how tough a sell he was going to be.  The second day, she told him she
was an excellent rider and wanted a tour of the ridge.  They rode up together
and seemed to have a lot in common.  Yesterday, we all went dancing and laughed
for hours.  There were two older women in the group who looked very frustrated
with Amelia’s being there but everyone else loved her. 

“When we got back to the
house, Amelia taught Lucas how to play flip cup…girl, we were all totally
wasted.  So were his friends, Matt and Tia.  Bombed out of our
minds
. 
We all passed out in the living room, woke up this morning looking like a bunch
of frat party losers.  Amelia was asleep on his lap and he didn’t seem unhappy
about that.  A little while ago, he asked me if you sent Amelia here for him. 
I about
died
.  I had no idea what to say.  He looked a little sad then
laughed and said to tell Riya she’s uncannily right about people.  Said
something about guarding the piece he has always.”

Riya gave a little sob and
sent up a little prayer of thanks.  “Shay, you and Victor need to take off and
leave while those two are sleeping.  Strand her ass there.”

Shay was hysterical then
suddenly got very quiet.  “Oops, um, Riya, here’s Lucas.” 

There was shuffling as the
phone changed hands.  “Riya?” he asked gruffly. 

“Hi, Lucas, how are you?”
her voice was barely more than a squeak.

“Well, darling, it seems you
had something special delivered to ensure my mental and emotional well-being. 
I’m going to ask you a very important question and I need you to be completely
honest with me.  You know I will never go back on my word, Riya.  If I make a
commitment to this lovely woman - who is not you, but beautiful and spectacular
in her own right - I can’t go back.  Do you understand?”

Riya thought for a long
moment, releasing the breath she’d been holding, “Lucas, you told me there were
things I had to do.  I didn’t want you to be right and god knows I’d rather be
in your arms right now.  But what about five years from now?  Amelia is
beautiful and intelligent, family focused, a few years older than me, and
doesn’t have the same goals I do professionally.  Not that she isn’t a hard
worker.  She’s going to want kids; you should see her with nieces and nephews. 
She likes things simple and she loves to laugh, dances great, and I bet she’s
good at a lot of other things too.  She camps and rides and can cook.  If I
can’t have you for myself, I want you to be with someone that will treasure you
like I would if you were mine.” 

The silence stretched until
she had to fill it.  “Lucas, she’ll be good for you and I’ll know you’re loved
and giving her your amazing love in return.  Go after her and go after her hard
with all your masculine charm and sexuality.  I expect a wedding invitation.” 
She waited.

A small laugh, “Riya, I
swear you should have been a nun.  No one gives like you do.  No one.”

He sighed, “I’m going to say
this once because I mean it with all my heart and you deserve to hear the truth
before we say goodbye for a little while.  I love you, baby.  A part of me will
always love you and I know a part of you will always be mine.  Thank you for
everything and please be careful.  Go accomplish your goals.  If you ever need
anything, big or small, you better pick up the phone.  I owe you so much, sweet
girl.  I’ll talk to you soon, Riya.”

As they disconnected, and
the door to a life with Lucas closed quietly, Riya found she had a few tears
left to cry for the gentle rancher who’d loved her so well and drained away a
lot of her pain. 

Tawny held her, rocking her
gently,  and told her she’d better not be fucked up forever after all this. 

The next day, Tawny went
home to Florida.  They hugged like fools who’d never see each other again and
Riya told her she’d see her in Boston in a few weeks. 

Checking out of the hotel,
she took a cab to the Starbucks where she’d arranged to meet Ricardo.  She’d
been there for a couple of hours, working for the first time in days.  She
typed her notes like a madwoman, pausing to sip her coffee every once in a
while.  She didn’t make small talk or fidget.

After a long time, she
realized she was stiff and pulled her upper body into a deep stretch.  Glancing
toward the door, she spotted Ricardo sitting on a sofa.  She thought she
remembered passing those boots as she entered this morning.  Had he been here
the entire time?  She tilted her head to the side and smiled. 

He smiled back and got up to
approach her.  Wearing heavy biker boots, jeans, and a ribbed t-shirt, he
presented quite the picture with the sunny window at his back. 

Riya was wearing jeans, a
tank top, and boots.  When she stood to greet him, he perused her carefully
with a slow smile.  They hugged and he sat across from her while she packed
away supplies. 

“Have you been here for
long?” she asked. 

He gave her a husky, full
laugh, “I’ve been here since the doors opened…wanted to be sure I didn’t miss
you.  When you walked in I had to appreciate the view as you ordered coffee and
waited for it.  Then you sat down to work and you looked so pretty and focused,
so I waited.  Figured I was ridiculously early so I’d let you get some stuff
done.  Stakeouts last longer with a much less beautiful view.  I was going to
wait until you seemed like you were tired of typing or it was time for me to be
here.” 

Ricardo’s voice was melodic,
slightly accented, and deep.  He was just over six feet with caramel colored
skin and thick black hair swept back from his forehead that didn’t look like it
would stay tamed.  He obviously spent a lot of time in the gym and Riya was
very pleased. 

He stood and picked up her
bag, holding his arm out for her to go first.  He still managed to open the
door for her and Riya slid on her sunglasses as they stepped out on the bright sidewalk. 
Ricardo guided her about a block away and threw her bag in an open green Jeep
Wrangler before getting the door for her.  “I only brought the Jeep because I
knew you’d have luggage.  I don’t typically drive it.”

“What do you typically
drive?” she asked as he hopped in the driver’s side and started the engine. 
Rihanna blasted from the speakers.

“A Harley.  Buckle up, Riya
baby.”  Then he smiled a beautiful smile with bright white teeth and the most
adorable dimples.  He drove like a maniac but Riya didn’t mind, she was used to
Miami streets just like this.  He pointed out interesting sites but she was
watching how his thighs flexed when he hit the clutch to change gears.   

Pathetic.  Six days without
a man and she was ready to jump the new one.  She didn’t care what any of these
wonderful men told her, she’d turned into a major slut.  “How’s your shoulder
healing?”  Thick forearms were flexing on the gearshift, and he was oh so
lovely to watch.  Her brain cells were on lock-down. 

“I guess we’ll find out for
sure…no seriously, it feels good.  I have almost full flexibility of it.  Still
not up to the power it used to have but I’ll keep working on it.  I’m totally
off the prescription pain killers now.  Just take Tylenol if it hurts.  One day
at a time, I want to get back to work.”  He glanced down her body
appreciatively, “Looks like you work out.  A lot.”  He winked and she laughed.

“I usually run ten miles
every morning and I dance when my friend can pull me away from my laptop long
enough.”

“Really?  What kind of
dancing?”  His attention was focused now. 

“Pretty much everything.  I
prefer salsa but can two-step, line dance, I know all the formal styles, plus
club grind.  If music comes on, I can dance to it.  I love dancing.  Do you
dance?”

He smiled seductively, “Oh
yeah.  I dance.”  A little while later, he pulled into the driveway of a normal
suburban house.  It looked like one of the 1950’s cottages that used to be
everywhere out here.  Many had been bulldozed and made into ‘bigger and better’
residences.  The place was pretty, clean, and neat. 

He came around to open her
door and grabbed her bag out of the back.  “We’re going to throw your stuff in
the house.  Do you need to do anything before I take you out?”

“Not really, I’ll use your
bathroom real quick and I’m good to go.  Am I dressed alright?”  She followed
him inside and everything was clean, modern lines. 

Bright colors on the walls
gave the place warmth the modern décor lacked.  Through sliding glass doors,
she saw a pool in the back yard.

“You look great,” he said
after he’d worked his eyes over her from head to toe.  “Very, very nice.”  She
smiled at his obvious appreciation. 

“Give me five minutes.” 
Grabbing her backpack, she ran in to brush her hair, her teeth, and put on
deodorant.  She tucked a clip in her pocket in case it got really hot.  A quick
spritz of Calvin Klein and she met him in the living room.  His eyebrows went
up as he caught a tiny trace of perfume. 

“Ready?”  When she nodded,
he led her through the kitchen to his garage.  Sitting in the center of the
concrete room was a beautiful black Harley soft tail with red flames along the
side.