Rush Me (New York Leopards 1)

“Shouldn’t I have seen you earlier?” I shook my head. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I can’t believe you’re at my high school reunion.”

“What did you say to Sophie? She looked upset.”

I muffled my immediate impulse to ask why he hadn’t run after poor little Sophie, then. “You know what? Maybe you’re right about Sophie. Maybe I haven’t been giving her enough credit.”

“Of course you haven’t,” David blustered. “Sophie is the sweetest, most innocent—”

“Don’t get carried away.” I reached up to pat his cheek, and he looked outraged. “But, you know what? I’m in a good mood. And she seems to, if not regret the past, at least genuinely want to make a fresh start. Which makes sense. It’s your relationship.”

“That is the most ungracious apology I have ever heard!”

“Hey.” I propped my hands on my waist. “Neither one of us really apologized. But we came to an understanding.”

“You should really apologize—”

“Okay, Dave.” I guessed some things never changed. “I have to go find my boyfriend. See you at home.”

“Try to convince him to come to San Leandro for New Year’s!”

Shaking my head, I walked away.

* * *

My friends were standing in the corner of the room closest to the bar, standing in tight circles from which they safely surveyed former classmates. I popped in between Madison and Carly, looping my arms through theirs. “Hey, girls. Have you seen Ryan?”

“Not lately.” Carly finished her pint and set it down. “Though we’ve seen a surprising amount of decent, if boring, former tools.” With her newly free hand, she reached across the circle and patiently plucked Kate’s drink away from her. “Not that any of us want anything to do with them.”

Kate blushed. “Give me some credit! This is our reunion! There is no way I would hook up with anyone.” She snuck a look across the room. “But don’t you think Charlie Watson turned really good looking? And he’s in grad school.”

Madison hooked her arm through Kate’s. “No. We agreed, remember? Not happening.”

I laughed, and Carly raised her brows at me. “What was that thing with Sophie?”

“What, were you guys watching?”

Madison spoke up dryly. “I think the whole class was. And hoping it would turn into a showdown.”

I laughed again. “We are way too mature for that. Obviously. No, we were just sorting out...old wounds. I feel kind of cleansed now, actually.”

“How Zen.”

“I don’t know if that’s Zen, exactly.” Kate still eyed Charlie Watson. “I mean, I think that kind of forgiveness is a tenant of Buddhism, but I think Zen’s more mediation... Though now that I think about it, maybe I don’t really know... Would it be that wrong if I just sort of struck up a conversation with him and got his number? That’s all I’d do. I swear.”

I laughed and hugged them all. “I love you guys. Don’t let Kate do anything too crazy,” I told Madison and Carly. “I’ll be back, but I have to go find Ryan now.”

Kate glanced back my way. “I am never crazy. And good Lord, that man is stunning.”

“Thanks.” A grin split my lips. “I tend to think so.”

I ran into a handful of former jocks that had chatted with Ryan, but they told me he’d left in search of me. Bemused, I walked away from that clump, having just talked to them more in five minutes than I had in all of high school.

The first rule of being lost in the woods was that one person has to stay still, but I decided that didn’t apply when the woods made up a fairly small inn. I checked the rest of the public rooms, and then headed outside. There were a limited amount of places he could end up, even if he also searched each nook and cranny. Hopefully we wouldn’t pass over each other. I checked out the gazebo and the tennis courts, and then headed for the pool area. There was a small pool house with showers, but Ryan wasn’t there either. Then I remembered the inside pool, and headed back through the halls.

I passed Thomas on my way, and he caught my arm. “Hey, where are you going?”

“Oh, hi, Thomas.” I peered past him distractedly. “I’m looking for Ryan. Have you seen him?”

Thomas sounded skeptical. “Seriously? That guy again? Rach, I don’t get what you see in him.”