Page 61 of The Calendar of New Beginnings
“Please tell the volunteers we’ll start soon. I need to find a place for us to shoot.”
“Oh, I didn’t have a chance to tell you yesterday,” her mother said, her face brightening. “Chef T offered the media room in The Grand Mountain Hotel. He uses it for his TV shows and promos. It’s fully equipped with all the lighting and sound stuff—not that we’ll need sound. But it would be funny to make a video about the making of this calendar, don’t you think?”
Right now all Lucy could focus on was the challenge of taking good enough photographs. “Let’s stick to the photos, Mother. I’m sure some people will get all weird when they have their clothes off. A videographer would only make them tense up.”
“You make a good point there,” her mother said, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder. “Not everyone is as comfortable with their bodies as I am. Except Chef T, perhaps. He’s posed for some pretty big magazines, showcasing those hot tattoos of his.”
Lucy had to be depressed—even the thought of seeing Chef T’s rippling muscles and hot tattoos didn’t ping anything inside her.
“I’ll check out the media room,” she said.
“Before he offered, it occurred to me that the university might have something available for you to use,” her mother said, “but it didn’t seem appropriate. You might think I don’t care about your reputation, but you’re wrong.”
That somehow soothed her. “Yeah, imagine what the Dean of the Hale School of Journalism would say if he heard that his newest adjunct professor was using university property to take pictures of town citizens wearing nothing but fruit and frankfurters.”
Her mother fell back against the Victorian couch, laughing. “Fruit and frankfurters! That’s a good one. But you’re not laughing, which means you have a pretty bad head. Heavens knows I’ve nursed your father enough. How about the O’Brien Hangover Remedy?”
Lucy gulped. “Does it still involve raw eggs and tomato juice?”
Her mother nodded.
“I’ll pass.” She made a show of putting her hand to her head, trying not to feel guilty for perpetuating the lie. “I just need to rest.”
“Good thing you don’t have class today,” her mother said, rising. “How about I make you some tea before I go?”
“That would be nice,” she said, recognizing it for the peace offering it was. She rose too, forcing steel into her spine. Right now, she felt like the weakest person on the planet.
“Get into bed,” her mom said, patting her on the fanny. “I’ll bring your tea.”
Lucy headed back to her sanctuary, climbed back under the sheets, and assumed a fetal position, staring at the wall. Since her vision was unfamiliar and unwanted, she closed her eyes.
Part of her wanted to keep her eyes closed forever, but sooner or later she would have to face reality. Even ostriches had to take their heads out of the sand. Just not right now.
When her mom hustled into her room a few minutes later, she kept her eyes closed, pretending to beasleep. The rattle of china echoed in her ears. Then a warm hand touched her forehead, a throwback to her childhood when her mom used to tuck her in.
“Love you,” her mother whispered.
Lucy let the tears roll out from under her eyelids as soon as she was alone.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Andy knew he was in trouble when Natalie and Moira showed up at the park to join him and Matt for a run that afternoon. They were waiting in the lot when he pulled up in his car.
He got out and put his hands on his hips. “Is this an intervention?” After spontaneously kissing Lucy on the mouth earlier, he probably needed it.
What in the hell had he been thinking? Truth was, nothing. He’d looked into her gorgeous green eyes and acted on instinct. She was beautiful and vulnerable and pretty much one of the most precious people in the entire world to him. Jung had called such impulses the subconscious mind. But it was really no excuse.
He’d messed things up, that much was clear. Lucy hadn’t even come to the door after he and Matt dropped off her car.
Even so, he wouldn’t lie to himself or her any longer. To say he’d missed her cheek and hit her mouth would insult them both. He could no longer hide his attraction to her, afeeling that had only increased in intensity since the night of her party.
But he’d kissed her on one of the worst mornings of her life—without her permission. He was an ass. Certainly not the best friend he claimed to be.
“Let’s run,” Matt said, staring down their two sisters.
Andy was glad for the reprieve, however temporary. His siblings would probably pounce after the run. They knew he’d be more amenable if given the chance to expend his pent-up energy. They were all like that.
He didn’t keep pace with any of them, going for a fast, hot burn. The path flashed before him as he ran full out.
