Page 61 of Call it Reckless

Paige lit up, and she and Teagan were off again, talking about new possibilities with the options. I yawned.

Since we were sitting in a booth next to the front window, I shifted my attention outside. As I took in the changes, I saw a familiar figure. Reid strolled casually down the sidewalk across the street while Lexi skipped beside him. Her hair was plaited in a pretty twist. My heart started to beat until I noticed he wasn’t alone.

On the other side of him, a woman with beautiful, dark, wavy hair in the same twist as Lexi’s, had her arm linked through his. She appeared to be talking a mile a minute while he gave her his undivided attention. He reached up and clasped her hand at his elbow, laughing at something she said.

No wonder he hadn’t called.

I didn’t want to bethatgirl—the one who jumped to conclusions and let her insecurities take hold of common sense. She could be his sister for all I knew.

They stopped to look at something in a window display. Reid started for the door of the shop, but the woman shook her head. He spoke and held out his hand. Laughing, she allowed him to pull her inside, her other hand holding Lexi’s. Minutes later, she emerged with Lexi, playing with something around her neck. When Reid came out, he almost stumbled as she jumped and threw her arms around his neck. He set her back on the ground, smiling as he fingered the same area.

He’d bought her jewelry.

It didn’t look sosisterlyto me. I mean, Chase and Cam were twins. They were as close to each other as they could be. Yet I’d never seen them behave like that. He certainly never stopped at a jewelry store and bought something for her on a whim.

Lexi pointed toward another store. I squinted to see the name through the trees that stood in front of it.Main Street Pizza.Reid arched his eyebrow at his companion, who nodded. They turned, and walking arm in arm, smiles all around, they headed inside.

Yeah. Definitely not sisterly.

CHAPTERTWENTY

Reid

I’d been distracted by thoughts of Bristol all week. I wasn’t sure how to define the attraction I had for her, but I knew she was the first woman who had truly awoken my spirit, not just my interest.

She was so different from my wife. Life with Abby had been soft and sweet, comfortable and safe. In the short time I’d known Bristol, it had been wild and unexpected.

It was like comparing good ole chicken soup to a fiery tamale. Wasn’t it possible to enjoy both? Perhaps not. All my texts and calls to Bristol had gone unanswered. She was avoiding me, and it sucked.

I’d bet anything she was mad I hadn’t reached out to her sooner than Sunday, but I hadn’t had a chance. I’d no sooner picked up Lexi Saturday morning from her sleepover and gotten back home when my phone rang. Hoping it was Bristol, I practically tripped over a chair reaching for my phone, causing Lexi to giggle.

But instead of the husky voice who only hours before had been screaming my name, it was Rhonda, Abby’s former college roommate and best friend. She was also Lexi’s godmother.

At any other time, I would have been glad to hear from her. I’d spent the night and had incredible sex with a woman, only to come home the next morning to a not-so-subtle reminder of my dead wife.

Fucking cockblocking karma.

Rhonda had once been a bigger part of our lives. Even after she moved to Seattle, she and Abby stayed in close contact. When Abby died, Rhonda took several days off to stay with me and help us get through that rough time. We stayed in touch, but as her life moved on, her visits became less frequent.

Now, she was in Gatlinburg for the week, visiting family, and she wanted to know if it was okay to drive over for a visit.

Of course, I told her to come, insisting she spend the night since I didn’t want her driving back over the mountain in the dark. While she was on her way, it became a balls-to-the-walls effort to catch up on all the chores that I’d put off for the weekend. Loads of laundry were washed and folded, sheets changed, floors vacuumed, and surfaces dusted. I even managed to get the grass cut before she pulled into the driveway.

Then it had been a whirlwind weekend. Rhonda begged me to take her and Lexi shopping for an early birthday present. We wandered in and out of stores along Main Street until we finally ended up at a jewelry store. Rhonda’s eye had caught on a pretty necklace with a daisy pendant in the window display. I knew it reminded her of Abby and the daisy chains they used to make as girls. She worried it was too sentimental, but I dragged both Lexi and her inside, thinking it was perfect. She got the necklace for Lex, and I bought a matching one and gave it to Rhonda. I wanted both of them to know it was important to me for them to keep their bond.

At dinner, I listened as she and Lexi talked about everything under the sun. It seemed that Bristol’s name came up over and over again, eventually causing Rhonda to arch a questioning eyebrow at me. There had been lots of memories shared, and surprisingly, I found it wasn’t as painful as it once had been.

It had been a fun weekend. Lexi had a good time. So had I, but another woman was never far from my thoughts.

Before she left, Rhonda made a point to tell me that Abby would be disappointed that I hadn’t moved on with anyone else. She assured me that, as selfless as she was, Abby would want me to find happiness and someone to fill her role with Lexi.

With the distraction, I never had a chance to text Bristol until Sunday afternoon after Rhonda left. Worse, it was only then I realized I didn’t have her phone number. I knew better than to ask Em, who would ask a million questions. So, I’d asked Zach, making up some excuse about needing some car advice. God, I was regressing; this was no better than one of my teenage hookups.

That’s what Bristol Allen did to me.

Now, here it was, later in the week. I’d tried texting her a few more times, but she never responded, and believe me, I’d checked my phone often. I guess that let me know where I stood.

She probably thought the whole thing was just a one-night stand. Maybe that’s how I needed to see it, too.

---