Rider's Kiss

By the time she was within a mile of her house, her cell phone rang. She grabbed it out of the pocket of her sweatshirt and looked at the num

ber on the screen. Reena. Her spirits lifted immediately. Victoria hit Send. “Hey, lady.”

Reena had been Victoria’s friend since high school. Reena and her brother Rider had been transplants from a school up north. The first day of their freshman year, Reena had lost her locker combination and spilled orange juice down the front of her shirt. Victoria had walked in on her crying in the bathroom, and she’d offered to help. They’d been friends ever since.

Rider was another story altogether. Upon first sight, Victoria had fallen head over heels in lust with the dark-haired bad boy. His brooding stares and confident attitude had captured her teenage heart—along with several other hearts of Summit Green High girls. Unfortunately, he’d taken one look at Victoria and kept on walking, as if she didn’t warrant more than a cursory glance. He’d barely said two words to her throughout high school. Of course, that hadn’t stopped her from daydreaming about him. Then and now.

“You sound winded,” Reena said. “Please don’t tell me you’re jogging.”

“Yep. I’m nearly finished, though. What’s up?”

Reena sighed. “You make me feel like such a lazy ass, I swear.”

Victoria snorted. “Yeah, right. You work out harder than anyone I know.”

“Yoga is great, but I’m no marathon runner like you.”

Victoria looked down at her bulky clothes and rolled her eyes. “I’m not even close to being marathon ready. Not that it matters. All I want is to lose this winter pooch.”

“You and me both, sister. But that’s not really why I’m calling.”

“I didn’t really think it was.” Victoria heard a noise in the background that sounded like a microwave ding. Knowing Reena, it was probably a frozen breakfast sandwich. The chef in Victoria recoiled at the thought.

“Can I come over? I wanted to talk to you about something.”

The serious tone in Reena’s voice had Victoria slowing her pace as she turned onto her street. “Sure. Is anything wrong?”

“No, no, nothing like that.”

Victoria was curious, but she let it go. “Give me an hour, okay?”

“I’m still in my PJs, so that works fine.”

They said their good-byes, and Victoria tucked the phone back into her pocket. She didn’t know what was on her friend’s mind, but she was glad she was coming over. Victoria didn’t want to be alone. For some reason, she was feeling overly sentimental, and the company would do her good. Maybe she could even get Reena’s help on the hors d’oeuvres for the Williamses’ wedding reception.

She loved her catering business. Turning her love of cooking into a thriving business gave her a sense of pride, and it made her feel closer to her mom. Cooking had always been something they’d done together. Something they’d shared. Some of their best discussions had taken place over a pot of boiling water and sliced vegetables.

After Victoria got home, showered and dressed, she headed to the kitchen to make a fresh pitcher of iced tea. She was just adding ice when she heard a faint but cheerful, “Victoria? You here?”

“In the kitchen,” Victoria yelled out. “I was just about to pour a glass of tea.”

When Reena popped around the corner, Victoria noticed perspiration on her friend’s forehead and her shiny black hair was up in a bun. “Make that two glasses. It’s already getting hot out there. I think spring is passing us by without blinking an eye.”

Victoria was already getting out another glass by the time Reena took a seat at the table.

She handed her the iced tea, a spoon and a couple of artificial-sweetener packets before taking the chair across from her. “You sounded all mysterious over the phone. What gives?”

Reena took a long drink before saying, “I’m not sure you want to know.”

Now Victoria was getting worried. She reached out and took Reena’s hand and said, “Reena, you’re like a sister to me. You can tell me anything.” She paused and added, “Is there a body and do I need to grab a couple of shovels or what?”

As Victoria turned to offer her friend a chocolate chip cookie from the batch she’d freshly baked the night before, Reena said, “Nothing quite so sinister.” She took the cookie and shook her head. “You’re always feeding me.” She bit into it and hummed her approval. “How is it that you stay in such great shape?” she asked around a mouthful of the sweet treat. “Damn, if I cooked like you, I’d weigh a ton.”

Victoria plucked at her oversize shirt. “If I were in such great shape, I wouldn’t have to cover my bulk with extra material, now would I?”

Reena shook her head. “That’s not why you dress like that.”

“Oh?” Victoria cocked a brow, not sure she liked the direction the conversation was going. They’d been down this road before. Reena had been begging to take her shopping to give her a total makeover. So far, Victoria had declined. She liked the way she looked. So what if it wasn’t sexy? She was too busy to be sexy anyway. She had Victoria’s Catering to run. Running your own business wasn’t for sissies. It took all her concentration and most of her energy, although it was worth it.