Until We Touch (Fool's Gold #15)

He remembered the shock that they would abandon him. Because somewhere in his head, he’d assumed that when Lucas was gone, they would still be a family. Only he’d been wrong.

He’d said all the right things—that of course he would be fine. And they’d believed him. At the time he hadn’t known why, but over the years he’d figured it out. They’d believed him because it made their leaving easier. They could tell themselves he was okay and go without having to look back.

He understood what they’d done. And why. He was Lucas’s identical twin. To look at him was to see what they had lost. Years of hoping and suffering and believing had taken their toll. The transplant had only bought a little time. It hadn’t been the lifesaving operation it was supposed to be. Being with Jack had reminded them of everything bad. Leaving had been so much easier than staying.

They’d flown away and they’d never come back. He’d turned eighteen that summer with no family around to celebrate the day. He told himself it was because they knew he was completely capable of being on his own, even as he understood the truth was far less pretty. His parents hadn’t cared enough about him. They’d lost Lucas and had abandoned him.

What he would guess they had never thought about was that he, too, had lost Lucas. And a few months later, he’d also lost his parents. Risking caring about anyone had become impossible. He knew the price of getting involved and he was never going to let that happen again.

He had the fame and the money to take on causes. And he did. From a distance. Larissa was the heart of their odd philanthropic partnership and he was the means. He believed it was a whole lot safer that way. For everyone, but mostly for him.

CHAPTER NINE

LARISSA SET OUT place mats and napkins. It was after five and dinner would be delivered within the half hour. She already had the wine open and breathing. It was a Washington State Cabernet—a favorite of everyone. Soft music played in the background.

Outside the conference rooms she could hear the other employees calling out as they left. Then it would be the five of them for dinner. The four partners and her.

She smiled as she continued to set the table. It had been far too long since they had a “family” dinner at work. Lately everyone was so busy with their personal lives. Taryn was rushing home to be with Angel. Sam was rushing home to be with Dellina. Kenny—well, Larissa wasn’t sure where he rushed off to, but he was gone a lot. That left her and Jack, which was great, but every now and then she wanted the whole band back together.

Kenny strolled into the conference room. He’d taken off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. The cuffs were already rolled up. He looked happy and relaxed, until he heard the music.

“Come on,” he said, his tone complaining. “How about something good for a change?”

“These are all songs from this century,” she pointed out.

“Not a great time for music.”

“Do you want to know how many albums Taylor Swift has sold?”

He winced. “No, and I don’t want to talk about her.”

“Not every great song is from the 1960s.”

“Want to bet?”

She laughed. Kenny was so predictable with his crazy love of oldies. “You weren’t even born then.”

“That doesn’t mean the music wasn’t great.”

She opened the cabinet containing the dishes and glassware. Kenny joined her and reached for plates.

“Are your hands clean?” she asked, her voice teasing.

“Of course. You think I’d offer to help if they weren’t?”

“You might.”

“Not my style.”

He set out the plates while she followed with the glasses. Kenny walked to the flatware drawer, but instead of opening it, he faced her.

“You doing okay?” he asked.

“Sure. Why?”

“Just checking.”

“On me?”

He nodded.

She paused, wondering what all this was about. Kenny was a good guy. Charming, easygoing. He was genuinely nice and kind. He called his mother regularly, paid his bills on time and rarely experienced the dark moods that Jack sometimes wrestled with.

He was also six feet four inches of pure speed. With his size, he could have played nearly anywhere on the football field, but Kenny loved to catch footballs and when they were around him, footballs loved to be caught.

All in all, the perfect man, she thought as he watched her carefully. Handsome, successful, rich. She was sure women everywhere wondered why he wasn’t married. There must be a simple explanation, but it wasn’t one he’d ever talked about to her.

So why was he worried about her?

“Jack,” she said suddenly, feeling her cheeks heat up. “And my mother.”

“Are they a thing? I didn’t know.”

Her mouth twisted. “Very funny. You know what I mean. He told you what my mom said.”

Kenny nodded. “And about the kiss.”

The heat grew until Larissa was sure she was bright red. This was when wearing makeup would be a good thing, she thought. Something to conceal her body’s reaction to conflicting emotions.

“It didn’t mean anything,” she said.