Page 28 of Players Like Us
He’d be delighted, and if he even guessed at what Meredith had asked regarding potential feelings for Neal, he’d have already taken Rachel aside and begun the interrogation. It would be brutal with questions, accusations, and too many frowns. Well, he didn’t need to worry because Neal Alexander had made it very clear that he wasn’t interested in her.
Rachel spent the evening sampling so many delicious choices: shrimp canapés, stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes, hummus and tzatziki... And the desserts? Key lime tarts, mini chocolate lava cakes, lemon squares, and the most wonderful chocolate chip cookies she’d ever tasted. She’d just finished her second cookie when he spoke.
“You can’t beat the key lime tarts.”
She swung around and came face-to-face with the man whose absence had tormented her for weeks. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
Those blue eyes sparked for the briefest moment, burned her with their heat and then it was gone, replaced with a bland expression and a self-deprecating smile. “Of course, I’d come. How can I miss this important event that we all have to pretend we don’t know about?”
Had he guessed tomorrow was their surprise party? Rachel nibbled on her bottom lip, determined not to give away the “secret”. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about...”
“Okay, we’ll go with that.” He studied her for a few seconds, eyed the glass of wine in her left hand. “Do you want to get out of here? I need a break from all the festivities.”
“Umm...sure.” Was he really going to act as if they hadn’t spoken in weeks? As though everything were fine between them? No friction? No anger or hard feelings?
A quick nod and then “Follow me.” He headed to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a six-pack. “Beer okay with you?”
“Sure.” Well, apparently he was going to pretend around why he’d been avoiding her, though she’d guess it started and ended with her refusal to listen to his warning about Simon Bainbridge. “I never pictured you as a lager man.”
He flashed her a smile, shrugged. “I prefer beer over scotch or wine, but when you travel in certain crowds, they stick up their noses, and when you drink beer out of a bottle, minus the glass?” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “You’re pretty much uninvited to all future parties.”
“I’d say those are parties you don’t want to be invited to...” The more she learned about this man, the more she realized they weren’t that different. They just wanted to be themselves without judgment or scrutiny, and they wanted their families to accept them. “Neal, do you want me to drive? I’ve only had one drink.”
He raised a brow, studied her. “I might have had my reckless days, but I’m not stupid. I’ve been nursing that damn scotch for the past hour, dying for a cold beer. I’ll drive.” And then he motioned her toward the back door and said, “Let’s get out of here.”
18
Night settled around them as Neal eased the car onto the road. “No matter where I go, I always think the stars are brightest at Goose Creek.”
Goose Creek. The make-out haven for Reunion Gap’s young, old, and in-between. She’d been there a few times herself and bet Neal was very familiar with the place. “I don’t think people go there to look at the stars.”
She spotted the hint of a smile playing about his lips. “I do.”
“Right, tell me another fairytale.”
“I do,” he said again, his voice shifting to a serious tone. “It’s a beautiful area and perfect for a lot more than the obvious.”
The obvious being a make-out place. She bet more than one baby had been conceived at the secluded spot.” My father absolutely forbade me to go there.”
“And of course you listened to him, right?”
“Of course I didn’t.” Memories of Oscar Reese’s firm words smothered her brain.
Stay away from that place. Only bad girls go there, and they end up pregnant.
Why don’t you just lock me in my room until I’m eighteen?
Maybe I will. If I catch you up there again, I’ll ground you for a month.
Rachel pushed away her father’s anger, her mother’s disappointment. Why had Mrs. Hampten told them she’d seen their daughter headed that way with some pony-tailed type in a Chevelle? Why couldn’t her parents have let her be a normal teenager?
“You’ve gone quiet. Memories of Goose Creek?”
Big sigh, a snippet of guilt that she’d caused her parents so much trouble. “I gave my parents a lot of grief. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the reason for my dad’s heart attack.”
Neal turned off the road to Goose Creek, said in a quiet voice, “Every now and then I wonder if I’m the reason behind my father’s stroke. But sometimes life just happens, and we can’t take the blame for every bad thing that floats around us.”
What he said made sense, but it was hard to let go of the guilt. “I guess we all have our regrets and wishes for do-overs, but… We shouldn’t punish ourselves until we’re frozen in a past that no longer defines us.”
