Chapter Thirteen
Luke
Charlotte didn’t have to ask twice. Luke covered her mouth with his, groaning when she shifted in his lap again. Now that he had permission, he slid his hand inside her bra, learning where to touch her to get the best reaction. He knew how to take his time, and he was going to damn well drown in her.
Charlotte finished unbuttoning his shirt, shoved it off his shoulders, and pulled his undershirt over his head, barely breaking contact in the process. Lightheaded with want, he took off her sweater, nipping lightly at the skin on her shoulders as he did. She trembled against him, her body soft and so warm against his.
If they kept going this way, he might not be able to make this last as long as he wanted, but luckily, she seemed every bit as hungry as he was. He gripped her thighs, wrapping her legs around his waist, and stood. Hell, he couldn’t even feel those sore quads anymore. It took only a few quick steps to get to her bed, then he was on top of her, every inch of her pressed against him.
He reached around to undo the clasp on her bra, and it popped loose…
…just as his phone rang in his pocket.
Charlotte, flushed and loose with pleasure, blinked up at him. “Do you need to get that?”
“Hell no.” He slipped the straps of her bra off her shoulders. He couldn’t wait to see her—all of her. So far, she was every bit as beautiful as he’d imagined.
The phone started ringing again.
Charlotte put one hand against her bra, holding it in place, and one hand on his chest, giving him a little push. “Just check. That way we can forget it and pick up where we left off.”
Her voice was silk and honey, and he groaned in protest. She raised an eyebrow. God, he wanted her, but he knew if he didn’t check the phone, she’d worry, and that wasn’t how he wanted the first time to be.
Sighing, he rolled upright and pulled the phone from his pocket. He ached all over and decided he might have to kill whoever was calling him.
The caller ID said “Little Bro.”
“It’s my brother.” He stared at the screen. “He never calls me.”
Charlotte sat up and kissed his shoulder. “You should answer it, then.”
“Yeah.” He hit the answer button. “Parker? Everything okay?”
“Where the fuck are you?” Parker’s keyed-up voice shook all the cobwebs from Luke’s mind. “I’ve been calling for the last five minutes.”
“What’s wrong?” Luke asked, standing to hunt for his shirt. Charlotte handed it to him.
“It’s Dad. He’s in the ER.”
“His arteries are past a stent,” the cardiologist told Mom. “We need to do a double bypass. The sooner, the better.”
Luke closed his eyes. While he’d been off, hiding from his family, his dad had had a heart attack. The look on his mother’s face when he’d finally made it down the mountain to the hospital had spoken volumes: blame, fear, desperation. Parker hadn’t been able to sit still. He’d paced the waiting room back and forth, not looking at anyone. Now he wouldn’t leave their mother’s side.
Only Zoey had sat with Luke, reaching for his hand immediately. It was oddly comforting, just like something a sister would do. Like it should be.
Somewhere, somehow, they’d turned a corner.
Probably another thing he could thank Charlotte for. Knowing she was the one he wanted, wholeheartedly, had reduced whatever residual awkwardness still existed between him and Zoey.
Now, he stood behind his mom and brother, chilled and exhausted, as the cardiologist explained the surgery. They’d crack Dad’s chest, graft two arteries, then close him up and hope for the best. He’d be in the hospital for four days and rehabbing for two months.
Two months he wouldn’t be working, leaving the business entirely in Mom’s hands.
“When will you operate?” Mom asked, her voice hoarse. Her hair hadn’t been combed since yesterday sometime, and it was falling out of the hasty ponytail she’d put it in after following the ambulance to the hospital. Luke couldn’t remember ever seeing her not completely put together. Not even when she’d had the flu a few years ago.
“Before noon. He’s stabilized for now, so as soon as an OR clears, we’ll take him back.”
Mom nodded. “Can we see him?”
The ICU hadn’t let them visit overnight—per policy—which was part of why Parker had paced the floor for hours on end. The doctor checked his watch. “A brief visit, only two of you at a time.”
“I’ll go with Mom,” Parker said before Luke could offer. His eyes were hard, daring Luke to ask. “Then I’ll come back and let you go.”
Let him go. Like Parker was calling all the shots. Luke wanted to be pissed at Parker for being pissed at him, but he didn’t have the energy for it. He nodded stiffly instead.
They disappeared behind the doors to the ICU, leaving Luke alone with Zoey. She touched his arm. “You okay?”
He stared at the red icu sign over the door, wishing he had no reason to be here, that Dad was home, fine, lacing up his ski boots to go out with Zoey’s parents. “No.”
“It’s not your fault,” she murmured, squeezing his biceps. “It’s not.”
Luke ground his teeth, alarmed by the sting at the back of his eyes. He never cried. “I know it’s not.”
“Luke, look at me.” He turned and was caught by her rich-blue eyes. Her expression was serious. “It’s not your fault.”
He let out a harsh breath. “You heard, then. About me dropping out to focus on SBX.”
“And I think it’s awesome.” She smiled softly at him. “I sometimes wish Parker would go for it in more slopestyle competitions, but he doesn’t have the burning need to compete like you do. I know your parents have some expectations of what you’ll do when, but I don’t think it should be marked ‘required.’ I learned something last year—you have to do you. At the end of the day, not living like your true self is a crappy way to go on.”
Her words rang true—she’d gone through a metamorphosis a year ago. He’d seen it and had ignored it in favor of chasing her like she was a gold medal. It was clear now, though, why she was so comfortable in her own skin. Zoey had found herself along the way, and Parker was only a small part of that equation.
“My mom won’t even look at me.” Luke’s head felt full of cotton, dull and slow. “You may think it’s not my fault, but she thinks differently.”
Zoey tugged on his sleeve. “She’s wrong, and you should stop beating yourself up. You know why? While you were out last night, I overheard our dads talking after dinner. Your dad is proud of you. He knew it was going to mean more time on the job for him, but, and I quote, ‘It’s not like the kid could take over as CEO on day three. We had years to go before he’d be ready, even without the delay for him to chase his dream.’ So, you see? He wanted you to go for it, too.”
His dad was proud of him? “For real? Or are you just trying to make me feel better?”
“For real.” She pointed at some chairs. “Go sit. I’m going to grab us coffee and text my parents to tell them the latest.”
Luke sank into one of the cushy chairs in the waiting room. Unlike the cheap plastic chairs bolted to the floor in the ER, the ICU waiting room was comfortable, with overstuffed couches and dim lighting. Three other little knots of people gathered together around the room, and Luke wondered who they were waiting on.
He was grateful for one thing—Dad’s doctor was the best cardiothoracic surgeon in Colorado outside of Denver. He was in good hands. The guy was direct, but nice. He could see why Charlotte wanted to be a doctor. Dealing with them when a parent’s sick would make you picky about the ones you saw. She’d be one of the good ones, he bet.
Zoey returned with three coffees, and they sat, drinking in silence, until Parker came out. He looked strained—his face was pale, and dark circles stained the skin under his eyes. He moved with a weariness Luke had never seen in his brother.
He came over to them, and Zoey jumped up to give him a hug. Parker sank into her like she was a lifeline. Over her shoulder, he mumbled, “Dad’s conscious. He wants to see you, Luke.”
Luke nodded and went through the forbidding doors of the ICU. Inside, a nurse immediately gave him the eye and asked, “Which patient?”
“Jason Madison.”
She nodded. “Room three. We ask all visitors to be as quiet as possible.”
“Noted.”
Luke stumbled down the hall, the exhaustion of his all-nighter crashing down on him. Large rooms lined the walls. Machines whirred and beeped, and nurses bustled past. He might have to be quiet—the ICU was anything but.
At room three, he paused before knocking. Mom’s voice rose and fell behind the door. It sounded like she was crying, and a knot settled in Luke’s stomach. Zoey might not think this was his fault, but Luke was going to have a hard time believing it, and he was sure his mother would agree.
Finally, he knocked, forcing a brave smile. “Can I come in?”
“Luke!” His dad’s greeting was breathy and weak. “Good to see you, son.”
He avoided looking at his mom. “Sorry I wasn’t there yesterday.”
“You probably needed to blow off some steam. I understand.” Dad’s eyes darted toward Mom. “Don’t we, Tina?”
Mom didn’t answer. She stared at the display showing Dad’s heart rate.
“What can I do for you, Dad?” Luke forced the next words past a lump in his throat. “Do you need me to take on some work at the office?”
“Yes, we do,” Mom said, the words sharp enough to draw blood.
Dad sighed and shook his head. “No, we don’t.” He held Luke’s gaze. “Daniel is going to cover for me, and your mom is going assume control of the business until I’m well enough to work.”
“Mom can probably use my help, though.” Luke darted a glance at her. His mother had a pinched expression, and her eyes flashed with frustrated anger. “I…I don’t mind.”
Dad snorted. “Yes, you do.” He held out a hand, and Luke took it. “You have the same fire I used to when I was younger. Did you know I raced alpine for a few years after college?”
Luke’s eyebrows rose, and his mother huffed out a breath, but Dad waved her off. “Your mother’s heart was in her throat every time I did. When I broke my leg and got a nasty concussion on top of that, she convinced me to stop, but I didn’t stop loving the sport.”
“Really?” Okay, things were making more sense—his mom wasn’t just pissed at Luke. This ran a lot deeper. “I bet you were a badass out there.”
Dad laughed. “I was, kid. I was fearless. Too much so, Mom would say.”
“I would say.” She glared at them both. “And I don’t want my baby being as reckless.”
Luke turned to face her. “This isn’t about the business, is it?”
“Yes, it is.” Then her face fell. “Not entirely.”
“Mom accepted that you boys wanted to flip around on your snowboards, and she was proud of your success, but you should see her hands shake when you compete.” Dad reached for her. “If she’s guilty of anything, it’s loving us so much, it hurts her for us to take risks.”
A smile twitched at the corner of Mom’s mouth as she arched an eyebrow at Dad. “Like drinking Scotch when you have a heart condition?”
“Dr. Spelling told me not an hour ago that I can have one to two drinks a day and it’s fine.” Dad gave her a dignified nod. “So, I’ll drink my nightly Scotch, thank you very much.”
Mom rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “I’ll have a talk with Dr. Spelling, see if he actually said that.”
“Mom.” Luke cleared his throat, wondering what he’d do if she said yes. “If you don’t want me to race, and to go back to school, I will. But you should know, I’m a contender. I could end up in the Olympics. My coach feels pretty good about it.”
“Buddy, you must’ve learned guilt trips from me.” Mom laughed sadly. “I know you’re good. Who took you to all those U14 races? I threw up after each one, but I took you, and I cheered. So…if this is what you want to do, then take the semester. The Olympics aren’t for another year, though. We can hold off that long, but I expect you back in college at some point…and not five years from now.”
That was more than he could’ve hoped for. His voice came out raw when he said, “Thank you. Is there anything you need? Zoey bought coffee for me and Parker, but I can get you some.”
Mom brushed Dad’s hair back and kissed his forehead. “I’m fine here.”
Luke pointed at the door, toward the nurses’ station. “Nurse Ratched might kick us out soon.”
“No—I’m next of kin. I get to stay.” She smiled down at Dad. “And in a few days he’ll be through the surgery and in a regular room. Right, honey?”
She said it sternly, and Dad saluted. “Yes, dear.”
Luke gave his dad an awkward hug over the hospital-bed bars. “Hang in there, Dad. We’ll be back to see you after the surgery.”
Dad gave him a thumbs-up, and Luke went back to the waiting room, feeling a little better. Now that his brain had room for other people, he wondered what Charlotte was up to, and if she’d give him another chance. Last night had felt magical, and he firmly intended to recapture it.