Chapter Twenty Four

“Are you out of your mind?” Sullivan asked when Spencer relayed the proposed plan to him a few minutes later. “I’m not taking her out in the woods alone to tell her I’m an imposter. She’ll probably shoot me or something.”

“I don’t think Lucy is an expert marksman or anything,” Spencer said evenly.

Sullivan huffed. “You know what I mean. That’s just… I’m really going to kidnap her, take her to the cabin, tell her I’m not who she thinks I am, then just, what? Hope for the best? Have her fall into my arms with no questions?”

“Well, the best would be her understanding what is going on, forgiving us for the slight deception, then you guys hooking up and living it up in the cabin for the weekend, then coming back together and blissfully happy.”

Sullivan raised an eyebrow. “Why do I have a feeling it’s going to go nothing like that?”

“It will.”

“It really won’t.”

“Can I ask you something?” Spencer said after a long moment. “And be honest with me.”

“What?” Sullivan asked suspiciously.

“Do you like this girl? For real, like her? Could you see yourself dating her?” Spencer asked gently. “Be honest.”

Sullivan thought for only a moment before nodding. “I really do. I mean, we don’t know each other that well, when you get right down to it, but there’s something about her. I’m drawn to her. And she’s so… she’s been through so much in the last few years but she’s still happy and funny and authentic.”

“She’s not…” Spencer thought about how to put this delicately. “She doesn’t exactly have the same… physical attributes as someone like Jewel.”

“You mean because she’s bigger? And doesn’t spend six hours a day grooming and perfecting her appearance?” Sullivan asked wryly. “I don’t care what size she is, and having to live up to that perfection, or watching that process, was exhausting and self involved. I don’t care what size she is – really, I don’t.”

Spencer nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. I think you should go. Go, do this.”

“I think this could be a disaster,” Sullivan said in reply.

“And it could be just the push you two need to find each other,” Spencer countered. “With all the walls down, maybe you two can finally find each other. It’s been a long time coming – for both of you, I think. You both need someone.”

“She may not be over her husband,” Sullivan said softly. “And I would never want to infringe on his memory.”

“You won’t know,” Spencer said wisely, “until you put yourself out there and find out.”

“Hang on,” Sullivan interjected suddenly. “She thinks this is a boot camp retreat thing, right?”

“Right.”

“I don’t know if you remember this, but I’m not a trainer,” Sullivan said with a bark of laughter. “I can’t train her.”

“You’ve lived with me for years – you don’t think you could stumble through what I do as a trainer for a weekend? Just eat healthy – you know, stuff we usually eat – and just make sure you’re getting some physical activity. That activity can be of your choosing, of course,” Spencer said with a raised eyebrow and a slight leer.

Sullivan pinked and tried to ignore that inference. “She’s going to know right away that I’m not working her out the way you do.”

“But by then you’ll have told her about the two of us, and she’ll have forgiven you, and she won’t care so much about the workout. She’ll be too busy falling in loooooove.”

“I loathe you.”

I know,” Spencer said with a grin. “I loathe you too,” he said, his tone saying just the opposite.

**

“Are you…” Lucy’s voice trailed off and then she cleared her throat and continued. “Are you sure? The other day…”

Spencer cleared his own throat, and then spoke, trying to sound confident and contrite. “I know. That was… let’s just forget about that conversation.”

Spencer felt like an idiot even now – he and Sullivan had argued about who should call Lucy to put the cabin retreat back on the books. Spencer argued it should be the guy who was going, and Sullivan argued it should be the guy who could speak knowledgably about their disagreement at the gym, since he was the only one who was there at the time.

In the end, Sullivan won – with a coin toss – and Spencer had to make the call.

“Okay,” Lucy said, her voice skeptical. “Are you really sure you want to go? With me, I mean?”

Spencer locked eyes with his twin, who was sitting beside him. “I’m definitely sure I want to go. I’m looking forward to it. We’re going to have a great time.”

Sullivan whacked him in the shoulder and Spencer grinned.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Lucy said uncertainly. “I think it would be… helpful to get me back on track. I haven’t exactly, um, stuck to the plan the last couple of days.”

Spencer rolled his eyes. “We’ll be eating healthy and going for hikes and stuff for exercise, but it won’t be boot camp the whole time, Luce. It’ll be fun.”

Sullivan rolled his eyes but continued listening to his brother.

“Okay,” Lucy said, her voice firmer now. “When… when are you thinking we might get together?”

“Does this weekend work for you?”

**

Lucy squealed as she disconnected the call, dropping her cell phone onto the patio table with a clatter. Brandt poked his head out of the sliding glass door. “Hey, what’s going on?” he asked, stepping out to join her.

“That was… that was Spencer,” she said shyly. “He… he wants to go for our boot camp weekend after all.”

Brandt studied her, trying to keep his face impassive. “Really? What did he say?”

Lucy relayed their conversation, and Brandt tried to keep his poker face intact, hoping against hope that this silly plan would work.

By putting them in each other’s way, maybe Lucy and Sullivan would find each other, despite themselves.

“Well, it sounds great,” Brandt said, looking at Lucy’s glowing smile. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend a weekend in a cabin in Big Sur? It’s so beautiful up there.”

“And spending time with an incredibly pretty trainer,” Lucy said in a sing song voice, reddening.

Brandt laughed. “I’m going to tell Dolvett you’re cheating on him,” he teased, referring to her television crush.

“Oh, don’t tell him. He’d be heartbroken,” Lucy said with a wide grin. “He worships me, you know.”

“As he should,” Brandt said, leaning over and kissing the top of her head loudly.

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