39 - Takes one to know one

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Lana

Lana just stood in the old run-down cottage and looked at him. She'd be lying if she didn't notice that he looked thinner. He had called her his best friend, and she had been too angry with him to realize that he was affected by their falling out.

She couldn't believe that he bought a cottage. For the man who didn't seem happy to be here in May, he sure did a one-eighty. If their friendship was part of the reason he had enjoyed the summer, why would he buy a cottage when they were no longer friends? Yet here he was offering to tell her his secret. She had been after him all summer to confide and suddenly he was willing.

She made light of the situation. "Do you have any tequila?"

He laughed. "That stuff is poison and it isn't even noon. I did, however, get two lobster rolls, chips and a diet Dr. Pepper." She wanted to be angry with him, but he knew her favorite soda. "Will you please have lunch with me?"

She smiled. "Only if you tell me all the salacious details of your fall from grace."

"You will be severely disappointed. Okay, so there's this woman. Her name's Isobel and she's the ex-wife of a client..."

Lana listened and felt herself getting angry as his story unfolded. "You got played. How did you turn out to be the bad guy?"

"I don't know it seems to happen to me a lot. I think it's because I'm really a nice guy, but no one believes it."

She looked at him. "Are you still talking about Isobel?"

"Lan, I messed up. I should have told you I suspected him. Especially after that night, I learned about Erik, but you told me that night that you and Adam hadn't slept with each other."

"Oh God, don't remind me of that night." She still vaguely remembered practically throwing herself at Ryan.

"I honestly assumed once you started... you know ... that he had dumped the jailbait."

"The jailbait! How old is she?"

"She isn't. It was just a nickname. We saw pictures of them together before he met you and we made our opinion known about her age."

"We? You mean you and Jack right?"

"Yeah, but I bet he hid most of it from Jack. You know Jack's the stand-up guy and I'm Ryan the bad one. The thing is, I try to be loyal to my clients, so I didn't want to rock the boat with Adam. I know it was stupid and selfish. I lost a ton of business over the fiasco with me and Isobel."

"And you were the victim. I blamed you and it was Adam, but after everything with Erik."

"I know I shouldn't have assumed, but I did. Since you never told Adam about your divorce, I figured you two were just casual."

"We kind of were. Oh God, this is so embarrassing. I was the one who came on to him. I thought it was strange that he was content with driving up to take me to dinner and give me a good-night kiss. At first, I thought he was just a gentleman."

Ryan laughed. "None of us are gentlemen when there's a beautiful woman interested in us."

"You were with that one. Remember?"

"Oh well, she wasn't beautiful. We'll just leave it at that."

"Now I feel like I should apologize to you."

"No, don't! Just tell me you'll be my friend again."

"I'll be your friend." She watched as he smiled and his whole face lit up. Yes, he was definitely more handsome than Jack.

"Are you going to come swimming?"

It was her turn to smile. "Yes! I missed the pool more than your company."

"Thanks. I have some good news for you, well half good."

"What?"

"Heidi is coming next week. Of course, they're throwing me out. I might stay."

"That is good. I'll get to see the baby and my best friend."

"Hey!" He smiled. "Just kidding, I know I can't compete with Heidi. Are you okay with the whole baby bit?"

She couldn't believe he was asking. No one had thought to consider her feelings. She answered the way she wanted to feel, "Yeah, you know there are babies everywhere. I'll find the right guy and get my shot before he cheats on me."

"Don't say that!" Ryan was shocked. "There has got to be a good one out there for you."

Just for a second, Lana wished that Ryan wanted what she wanted, but that was a fantasy she had no intention of exploring.

"I feel bad for wasting two weeks and you'll to be gone soon."

"I might fly back to check on the progress. Still, I get busy this time of the year getting ready for that charity night." He showed very little enthusiasm.

"Why do you do it if you hate it so much?"

"Oh, I don't hate it at all. It's just that this year Isobel is the organizer and ..."

"You mean those meetings you keep going back for you have been seeing her!"

He nodded. "Thankfully, I have a lead on some talent. She's been riding my ass about that and I don't want to give her the satisfaction."

"I'm not doing it!"

"I never asked you."

"I know."

Who said Ryan Harris was a bad guy? Lana did, but she realized that she was wrong. He just liked to hide behind a prickly exterior, gorgeous but prickly.

Lana felt like she died and went to heaven as she relaxed in the pool. The water was warm, and she suspected that Ryan was running the heater because the August nights were getting colder. With the warm water, even a day in the mid-seventies was nice for swimming. She didn't realize how much time had passed until Ryan appeared with two beers.

"Are you done working?"

"Yup, you know I'm glad you're back. I felt like shit because you stayed away."

"Yeah, well I hope you learned your lesson."

"I learned that you have a sick sense of humor!"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Lana struggled to keep a straight face.

"Are you going to the store? I need another cucumber."

"Oh, and I thought the one I left would be less intimidating... more what you're used to."

"Now you're being nasty!"

Lana heard him mumbling under his breath, and the only bit she understood was something about not even in an ice bath. She laughed, even though she knew she had insulted his manhood, which suddenly gave her a weird sensation that she had no intention of exploring further.

She changed the subject. "I can't believe you bought a cottage!"

"I know I have to walk over later and share my news with Jack. I told my mother, but I wanted to surprise you."

"That was a big expense to finagle an apology."

Ryan laughed. "Think what you want, but you weren't the reason I bought it, Will maybe. I'm just glad the pool isn't empty anymore."

She watched as he took off his shirt and dove in. He always broke the no diving warnings on the pool. His were shallow surface dives and caused far less splashing and waves than the jumps Will liked to do.

Eventually he surfaced. "So you'll be the one cleaning this Thursday."

"Um, yes and no. Did Heidi call you?"

"No, why?"

"Well I'll be the one cleaning, but on Friday afternoon, after you vacate. They're flying up on Friday, so... I'd offer my house, but my family is coming back."

"I have to call Cam about taking the week off otherwise I'll be driving home. I'm not ready to go yet."

She couldn't believe summer was ending. She waited so long through the winter and the spring and then it always seemed to fly by. She'd soon be back to four or five shifts a week and taking her business classes. She was excited Heidi was coming, but Ryan was leaving. She regretted the two weeks she wasted being angry at him and life in general.

Ryan surfaced again after swimming around the pool the way he did and climbed out. She watched as he dried the water off his shoulders and sat down. He picked up his bottle and looked at her looking at him.

"What?"

"I shouldn't bring this up, but was the reason you never discussed my um... relationship because of the other one."

"Yes and no, I guess even without knowing if she was still in the picture, I didn't think he was good enough for you. I didn't trust him. He's a player."

Lana laughed. "Takes one to know one."

"Yeah, but the difference is I know enough not to get messed up with a nice girl like you."

"So you justify your behavior by only being with slags."

"Slags?" He asked laughing.

"It's British it means..."

"I figured out what it means. There is an in between. Women who aren't looking for the fairy tale ending."

"Oh, right because you're allergic to the word marriage. So was Isobel one of those?"

"Isobel was a thief, but yes I thought she was."

"So what happens at this event you're planning? Will she embarrass you?"

"I hope not. Allie has already vowed to take her on. She's my protector."

"You have a woman fighting your battle?"

"By battle you mean to save my reputation, damn straight I do."

"Oh, poor Ryan."

His phone started buzzing. "Yeah, I know." He picked up his phone. "Hey, how did it go?" She wondered who in Ryan's life he was so glad to get a call from. His whole face lit up as he listened. "That's great! Hey, I had a good day today, too. Let's just say I sufficiently groveled and there's a bright lime green tube in the pool this very minute. I know and I wanted to tell you I bought my own cottage so next summer, I'll be around. We need to get you ready if you're going to play in college."

Lana should have known. It was his real BFF. It still amazed her how a thirty-six-year-old guy who didn't want any kids become best friends with a sixteen-year-old kid.

When the call finished, Ryan turned to her." Will says hi and that it's about..." He cleared his throat. "... time."

"Ryan, you could say the word, I used it enough in front of every word imaginable when cursing you."

"Lana, it may surprise you, but I'm really a gentleman. I don't swear in front of women. Well, maybe occasionally in the bedroom." He winked and walked into his house.

"Jesus, he's full of himself." There was no one to hear.


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