Sweet Deal

Chapter Fifteen

Jake thought his heart might have stopped, then started again with painful thuds in his chest. He actually laid a hand over his dress shirt and tie.

“You’re probably surprised to hear from me,” she said, sounding hesitant and quiet.

“Uh…yeah. You could say that.” He stared across his office, not really seeing anything, mind racing. What the hell?

“I wanted to call you ever since I saw you at that Gold Shield picnic.”

Jesus Christ! The thoughts flying around in his head picked up speed. “Oh.” Brilliant answer, genius. “Why?”

Stupid question. Shit.

“I don’t know.” A soft sigh sounded over the phone line. “I just…after I saw you, I realized how much I miss you.”

He gave his head a sharp shake, not sure if he’d heard right. “Gianna. You’re married.”

“I know.” The high pitch of her voice told him she was nervous and near tears. Christ, what was going on? “But I’m…I think I…oh dammit.” A few beats of silence. “Maybe we could get together…for a drink or something…and talk.”

“Gianna. Jesus. What’s going on?”

He felt as if a giant fist had just been driven into his gut, all the air knocked out of him. He could hardly draw a breath. This was fucking insane.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m confused. I miss you and I want to talk to you.”

Jake covered his eyes with one hand and slumped back in his chair. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Please, Jake. I know you were hurt by what happened…”

Jesus, there she went with the pity again. Was that what this was all about? “It was a long time ago,” he said.

“I know, I know. You probably can’t forgive me, but I realize now what a mistake I made.”

“It was over a year ago!”

Disbelief had his own voice rising and he fought back the emotions churning inside him.

“I’m sorry. I am so sorry. You have no idea…”

“What about Andrew?”

She didn’t answer.

He’d waited so long for this day. Actually, he’d given up hope this day would ever really come, had come to terms with the fact that Gianna and Andrew were together, although for a long time after the break-up he’d had dreams about it almost every night. And now it was really happening. She wanted him back. Unfuckingbelievable.

He’d loved her. Once. Man, in his dreams he’d been pretty quick to take her back, but now he hesitated. When he’d seen her at that picnic he’d been rattled, but probably more because of the unexpectedness of the encounter. Did he really still have feelings for her?

He tried to sort out the tangled knot of emotions inside him and gave it up.

“I don’t know, Gianna.” Then he frowned. “Are you and Andrew having problems?” What if that bastard was screwing around on her? He already knew Andrew had his eye on Shelby, so it was entirely possible he had other women too. Shit.

“Sort of.”

Huh. Not much of an answer. He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut.

Another soft, sad-sounding sigh. “Would you think about it? About maybe just getting together some time for a drink? You still have my cell phone number, right?”

Pathetic fool that he was, yeah, it was still programmed into his own cell phone. “Yeah.”

“Think about it and call me,” she invited in that breathy voice. He pictured her, all dark hair and eyes and sexy mouth. And kind of felt sorry for her.

He hung up the phone and sat there for a long time, replaying the conversation in his mind, trying to make sense of it all. But there was no sense to it. He could imagine a hundred different scenarios. What if Gianna and Andrew’s marriage had been a mistake? What if she still had feelings for him? Could he actually forgive her and take her back?

Did he want to forgive her and take her back?

He felt like his head was going to explode.

This was a freakin’ nightmare.

“Do you think your parents might get the wrong idea about us?”

Jake had picked Shelby up and they were on their way to visit her parents. He had no idea how this had come about. After Gianna’s call, he’d been distracted and confused. Should he be ending things with Shelby? Should he call Gianna? How could he call her when she was married? How could he even think of doing that? But he did think of it, because hell, he’d thought about nothing else for months after they’d broken up. Wasn’t this what he’d been waiting for?

Or was it? Because only moments before Gianna’s call, he’d been all confused about his feelings for Shelby and how he hadn’t wanted her to leave his place on Sunday night, which was not supposed to be part of this little deal they had going on.

So when he’d picked up the phone to call Shelby, he wasn’t even a hundred percent sure why he was calling her. He wanted to see her. He felt guilty about talking to Gianna. He felt guilty about even thinking about calling Gianna. But why should he feel guilty when he and Shelby had only a no-strings-attached deal between them? Then he was talking to her and asking to see her that evening, and she was telling him she’d already made plans to visit her parents, and invited him along.

First he’d said no. No, as in hell no, no freakin’ way he wanted to meet her parents, like he was her real boyfriend or something. He never did the whole meet-the-parents thing—his hookups never got that far and that was fine with him. Meeting parents was way too serious for his casual life.

But somehow, there they were, sitting in his car on their way to see her parents.

She snorted at his question. “Don’t worry about that. They’ll barely notice we’re there.”

He laughed. She’d told him about her parents getting back together yet again and how her mom hadn’t even remembered she was coming the last time she’d gone over. She had another container of cookies on her lap, though.

“What’s with the cookies?” he asked as he drove. “Taylor says you’re always making cookies for people. I thought you didn’t like to cook.”

“Cookies are about the extent of my culinary skills,” she said. “I don’t know why I do that. Okay, yes I do.” She sighed. “When I was a kid, one time my parents were having this huge blow up, in their bedroom yelling and throwing things at each other. I went into the kitchen, and to distract myself I made cookies. I had to focus on all the measurements and it…helped. I guess. And then my parents came out of their bedroom and they smelled the cookies and they stopped fighting. And they…” She looked out the side window of the car, pausing in her story. “They ate the cookies and they said what a good job I’d done. They were actually paying attention to me and they stopped fighting.” She shot him a wry smile. “For a while. I guess I have this weird feeling that if I make cookies, everything will be okay. Even though I know it won’t.”

He reached for her hand and squeezed it, kept it within his as he drove. “You’ve never made cookies for me.”

She grinned. “I don’t think you need cookies from me. Your life seems pretty together.” He snorted and she tipped her head as she looked at him. “Isn’t it?”

“Sure.” Yeah, right. As if he wasn’t confused enough about his career, that phone call from Gianna had messed his head up but good. What the hell was he supposed to do about that? And oh yeah, why was he meeting Shelby’s parents again? Jesus.

Following her directions, he pulled into the driveway, and they walked into the house.

“Hey, Mom and Dad! I’m here.”

A woman sat on the couch in the living room, alone, a small woman like Shelby, a little plumper, her blonde hair cut short. “Oh, Shelby. Hi.”

He caught Shelby’s eye roll even though her mother apparently didn’t. “Don’t tell me you forgot I was coming again.”

“I’m just a little distracted,” her mother said, rising and coming toward her for a hug. “And who’s this?”

Shelby introduced Jake to her mother. “What are you distracted about, Mom?”

Mrs. Leighton sighed and sank back down onto the couch. “Your father’s not home yet.”

“Oh.”

“And he hasn’t called.”

“Uh-huh.” Shelby shot a glance at Jake who lifted his eyebrows. “Well, I brought you some cookies.”

“Oh thank you, honey.” Mrs. Leighton waved a hand. “Just put them in the kitchen. Would you two like a drink?”

“Um…” Again she looked at Jake.

“I’d like a cookie,” he said softly with a faint smile.

A slow smile tugged at Shelby’s pretty lips. “Oh. Okay. Let’s go into the kitchen.”

She led the way, found a plate and arranged some cookies on them. “A glass of milk would go good with these,” she said. “Want one?”

“Sure.”

She poured them each a glass of milk then carried the plate of cookies into the living room and set it on the coffee table. She and Jake each took a seat and Jake reached for one of the cookies and took a big bite, savoring the buttery richness, the sweetness of brown sugar.

“Awesome,” he pronounced. “You do make good cookies.”

“Thanks.” She looked into her glass of milk, licked her lips, then took a cookie for herself. “So, what’s new, Mom?”

Her mother sighed. “I think your father is having an affair.”

Jake’s jaw dropped and his head whipped around to look at Shelby.

“I doubt it, Mom.” She seemed unconcerned by this accusation. “You and Dad have had a lot of ups and downs in your relationship, but I’m pretty sure he’s never actually cheated on you.”

Jake blinked.

“In fact, I’m pretty sure neither of you has even dated anyone else, even during the times you were separated, have you?”

Mrs. Leighton frowned.

“Did you try calling him?”

“No. I’m not going to be a nagging wife who keeps tabs on him all the time.”

Shelby bit her lip. “Well. That’s good.” Then she muttered under her breath, “For a change.”

Mrs. Leighton stared out the front window, oblivious to the fact that Shelby had brought a guest, not even trying to make small talk. Jake almost grinned. So much for his worries about being grilled by the parents, maybe interrogated about his intentions toward their daughter. Then Mrs. Leighton straightened. “Oh! There he is.”

Jake spotted a man walking up the driveway through the front window.

“Oh, we parked in the driveway,” Shelby said. “He couldn’t get into the garage.”

Her mom rose to her feet and sniffed. “Don’t worry about it. If he’d been home on time, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

The man walked in the front door and Mrs. Leighton rushed over to him. “Where the hell have you been?” she demanded as she grabbed his shirt.

“Working late,” he said. He looked past her. “Hi, Shelby sweetie. Didn’t know you were coming over or I would’ve been here sooner.”

She sighed. “You did know I was coming, Dad.”

“Your mother never told me.”

“Yes I did!” Mom screeched. “You never listen to me!” And she turned and disappeared down the hall. Shelby winced at the bang of the bedroom door slamming shut.

“Okay,” she said standing. “We should go.”

Jake rose too. “Uh…” He looked at her dad.

“Dad this is my friend, Jake. Jake, my dad, Steve Leighton.”

They shook hands and Mr. Leighton said, “Nice to meet you. Sorry you couldn’t stay longer.” He started down the hall. “I better go talk to your mother.”

Shelby’s eyes met Jake’s and the frustration in them made his heart clench. He wanted to pull her in for a hug, comfort her, reassure her that she was important. To somebody. To him.

Hell. What was that?

“Well,” she said to him once outside the house. “Sorry about that. But that’s pretty typical.”

“Didn’t they even care that you brought some guy with you?” he asked. “Jesus, if I had a daughter and she brought a guy home, I’d be all over that.”

She sighed. “Yeah, well. Like I said, they kind of distract each other from everything else.”

Jake held up his hand and she saw two cookies. He grinned. “I stole a couple of cookies, since you won’t bake any for me. These are really good.”

Her laughter made his heart constrict even more.

“I hate the way my mom is so needy,” Shelby said as they drove back to her place. Once again she looked out the side window, so his sidelong glances at her revealed only her shiny blonde hair. “I wish she’d have a little more confidence in herself. And in Dad.”

“That’s a crazy way to grow up,” he said.

Now she turned to look at him. “I’m sorry. At least I had two parents.”

“From the sounds of it, not really. Hey, don’t be sorry for me. I survived.”

She nodded, her lips curved into a sad smile. “Yeah, you did. And so did I. But even so, stuff like that messes you up, you know?”

Yeah. He knew. He knew he hadn’t handled Gianna leaving very well because of his mom and sisters having left. And Shelby apparently knew she hadn’t handled her relationships with men very well after growing up all but ignored by her parents. Neither of them had a particularly good example of a healthy relationship in their lives.

But that didn’t mean they weren’t capable of having a healthy relationship.

Why was he even thinking of that, seeing as neither of them even wanted a relationship?

Jake called on Saturday to see if she wanted to go for a run along the beach.

Shelby grinned. “Are you kidding me?” she demanded. “I already told you I can’t run with you. Your legs are three times as long as mine. I have to run to keep up with you when you walk, for heaven’s sake.”

He laughed. “Oh come on. I’ll run real slow.”

“As it turns out, I can’t,” she said, eyeing Taylor in her kitchen carefully cracking eggs into a bowl. “Taylor’s here. We’re making cookies.”

“Oh.”

She hesitated. “You can come over and help if you want.” Then she closed her eyes briefly. Why would he want to bake cookies with her and a twelve-year-old? She wasn’t even sure why she’d offered. But she would like to see him.

“I’ll go for my run with Wayne. At least he can keep up with me.”

She had to smile even as disappointment washed over her.

“Then I’ll come over after.”

“Oh.” Her smiled widened. “Okay. What’s your favorite kind of cookie?”

“Hmm. I think peanut butter.”

“All righty.”

She hung up, then opened a cupboard and pulled out a jar of peanut butter that felt disappointingly light. She unscrewed the cap and peered in. Yup, nearly empty. Damn.

“Hey, kid,” she said to Taylor. “We need to make a trip to the store.” When Taylor looked up she waved the empty jar.

“Okay.” Taylor wiped her hands on a towel.

“It’s time for lunch. You hungry?”

“Starving!”

“What’d you have for breakfast?”

“I…uh…didn’t have breakfast.”

Shelby made a shocked face. But she wasn’t shocked, she was sad, because Taylor often skipped meals when she was home alone. Taylor was capable of making herself something to eat, a sandwich or piece of toast, but she often just completely forgot about eating when she was on her own.

“I’ll take you out for lunch,” she said. She surveyed the counter. “We okay to leave this stuff for an hour? We should put those eggs in the fridge.”

Taylor was happy with fast food, although Shelby wished she’d suggested cooking a meal for her instead. Even if her cooking wasn’t all that great. They were probably better off with burgers and fries. And they had fun, laughing and talking over their lunch in the noisy restaurant.

Then they stopped at the grocery store and picked up peanut butter and a few other things Shelby needed. She added a six pack of beer…just in case maybe Jake stayed later. And a bottle of wine for her. And a package of Eggo waffles for Taylor to take home. “For your breakfast tomorrow,” she said sternly. “You have to eat breakfast.” It wasn’t the healthiest breakfast but it was easy for Taylor and better than nothing.

“I love these!” Taylor said, clutching the box. “My mom won’t buy them.”

“Do you have syrup to put on them?”

“I don’t know.”

A bottle of syrup went into the cart and then a jug of Taylor’s favorite juice.

They arrived back at Shelby’s apartment at the same time as Jake, just emerging from his Jeep parked on the street. She waved at him as she turned into the parking lot.

“Hey,” he said when she climbed out of her car, having followed them. “Where were you? I thought you were baking cookies.”

“We went to McDonald’s!” Taylor jumped out of the car. “And we had to go buy peanut butter.”

Shelby’s eyes met Jake’s and heat washed into her face. A faint smile touched his lips. “Ah,” he said. “Here, let me help.” He reached for the two heavy bags Shelby held and she got the other two out of her trunk.

In her little kitchen, the music of Jason DeRülo played from speakers in her living room as Jake helped unpack the groceries and put them away, and she and Taylor resumed their baking. Shelby moved a little to the music as she found ingredients and set them out and they measured and mixed. She caught Jake’s eye at one point, her mouth curving in response to the half smile he sent her, watching her groove a little.

“If you dip the fork in flour it won’t stick to the cookie dough,” Jake offered helpfully when Taylor had dropped spoonfuls of dough onto the cookie sheet. She was carefully pressing the tines of a fork into the mounds to create a criss-cross pattern but was getting frustrated when the dough stuck. Jake dumped a little flour onto the counter and showed her. Shelby smiled as she watched him, her insides warming at the way he was so…present. He listened to Taylor and helped and made jokes that had them both laughing. It felt like he really wanted to be there, baking cookies with them. Shelby’s hands paused, holding a big mixing bowl, and she swallowed.

Once again she had that strange feeling, almost like fear, her stomach tightening, her skin prickling. What were they doing? This felt so normal and real, and it wasn’t, it shouldn’t be. It couldn’t be.

Shelby was at work Thursday, starting to feel sick because of what she was learning about the intake process that needed to be addressed in her project plan, and also because she hadn’t heard from Jake for a few days. They’d texted back and forth but she was annoyed at herself for caring that much that she hadn’t seen him.

She rubbed at the ache at the back of her neck that was spreading up over her scalp and turning into a headache. This intake process was so screwed up. She’d barely gotten into the process diagnosis phase and was finding all kinds of pathologies in the existing processes. This was going to have huge impact on her project. In fact, this could be a whole project on its own.

But that wasn’t what she’d been told to do. She sighed then reached for her phone when it rang.

“It’s me,” Riley said. “I just heard from Kiara.”

The thickness of her voice told Shelby this wasn’t good. Her stomach immediately clenched so hard it hurt.

“He’s gone,” Riley continued, almost choking on her words. “Adam’s gone.”

“Oh no.” The world slowed to a stop around Shelby, sitting there in her cubicle, everything fading away around her. “Oh no.” Her eyes stung, her throat ached and she pressed a hand to her trembling lips.

“Yeah. This sucks so bad.”

Shelby didn’t even know what to say. “Where is she?”

“At home. He died a few hours ago.”

“Was she with him?”

“Yes.” They both sniffled together and Shelby fought not to burst into tears.

“Is she okay?”

“Oh god, you know Kiara. She sounded all together, but Christ, she must be hurting.”

“I’m going over. Are you coming?”

“Of course. I’m calling Myra next.”

Shelby tried to swallow, her throat painful. She hung up the phone, stared around her cubicle in a daze, not even sure what to do first. She couldn’t just get up and walk out. She stood, put on her suit jacket. Her head whirled and she lifted a hand to her eyes. Her purse. She needed her purse.

It was in her bottom drawer as usual, but it took her a moment to figure that out in her confusion. Then she walked to Andrew’s office. He was out for lunch.

She turned to Susan. “Could you tell Andrew I had to leave?” she asked. Susan’s eyes widened with concern.

“Are you okay, Shelby?”

“I’m okay. My friend just…died. I have to go.”

“Of course. Go! I’ll tell Andrew.”

“Tell him I’ll call him. Later. Or something.”

Susan nodded vigorously and made a shooing motion with her hands.

Shelby wasn’t even sure how she got to Kiara’s house, the big ranch-style home she’d shared with Adam since their marriage. A big house for a woman all alone, now. Except she wouldn’t be alone for long. Her baby was due in less than three months.

Shelby parked on the street and had to stop and put her head on her arms on the steering wheel and cry. She knew she had to get that out of her before she went in to face Kiara. Painful, bitter emotion rose up inside her, and she cried and cried as she thought of the baby who would never know his or her father, and how unfair, how fucking, fucking unfair it was.

Then, sniffling, she rummaged in the glove box for something to blow her nose and sat there for another moment while she pulled herself together.

When she opened her car door and stepped out, Myra was just pulling up to the curb, so she waited for her. She watched her friend approach. Myra might seem tough, but her eyes were red and her mouth wobbled when she tried to smile. They hugged tightly there on the street before going in to see their friend.

Riley was already there, and so were Kiara’s parents and Adam’s parents and his brothers. The house seemed full of people. Did Kiara really need her friends there?

“Kiara.” Shelby took her in her arms and held her for a long, long time, rocking her friend a little, the tears starting again. “Oh, Kiara.”

“Thank you for coming,” Kiara whispered. “Come with me.” She dragged Shelby down the hall to her bedroom, motioning to Riley and Myra to come too. Once inside, she closed the door then sat on the bed, her hands going to her rounded tummy. “They’re driving me crazy,” she said.

“Who is?”

“Adam’s parents. They knew this was coming. Why are they acting like they’re all in shock about it?”

Shelby met Riley’s worried eyes. “Maybe they were in denial,” she suggested. “Maybe they still thought he would get better.”

“Maybe.” Kiara shook her head, took a deep breath. “I know you guys understand me. They think I’m all cold and unfeeling. They think I should be a puddle of grief on the floor.”

“I know you’re grieving,” Riley said. “We all know it. Of course you are.”

Kiara bowed her head. “I have to hold it together. I’m afraid…” She looked up with shiny eyes. “I’m afraid if I let go, I’ll fall to pieces and never get back together.”

Shelby’s heart contracted and she squeezed Kiara’s hand.

“I have a baby to think of,” Kiara continued, patting her belly. “I have to look after the baby.”

“Yes, you do,” Myra murmured. “But it’s okay to give in to it, Kiara.”

“I will. Some time. Just not now.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I…I guess.”

“Were you with him?”

“Yes.” She told them about Adam’s last hours, the things they’d talked about, bringing another painful lump to Shelby’s throat, but she let her friend talk. And she listened. Because that was really all she could do.

“Last night…” Kiara stopped, suddenly choked up. Her lips pressed together and she blinked. “Last night he said…”

“What, honey?” Riley probed gently, her arm around Kiara’s shoulders.

“He said…he was afraid.” Her voice fractured on a sob.

Shelby met Riley’s eyes, a fist squeezing her throat.

“He said he was afraid to go without me,” Kiara said, and then a harsh sob tore from her throat and tears poured down her face. “He’s been so brave about this, all along, through everything. I didn’t know he was afraid.” And she cried in heart-wrenching gusts of tears. All three of them converged around her, Shelby taking one hand, Myra the other, Riley still hugging her, trying to offer comfort though Shelby felt helpless and inadequate, her heart squeezing painfully.

“And I didn’t tell him…” Kiara looked up at them with drenched eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. “I didn’t tell him—I’m afraid too!” She sniffled and swiped hands over her cheeks. “And…and I’m mad at him! He left me. He really left me.” She gave another small sob. “How stupid is that?”

They looked at each other helplessly.

“What am I going to do without him?”

There was no answer to that question.

“We’re here for you, hon,” Shelby choked out, a sick churning feeling in her stomach, her throat hurting so bad, and then tears started pouring out of her eyes too. “Whatever you need. I know nothing we can do can really help, but we’re here.”

“Just you being here helps.” They sat in sniffling silence for a few moments, then Kiara wiped her face with tissues Myra plucked from a box on the dresser and straightened her shoulders. “Oh god. I was so mad at them for not holding it together and then I lose it. I’m sorry.”

“Jesus,” Myra croaked. “You don’t have to apologize, hon.”

“I guess I’d better go back out there.”

The other three mopped themselves up too, all of them having succumbed to their powerful emotions, then followed Kiara back to the living room where Adam’s mother sobbed on the couch. Shelby wasn’t sure if she could do this, but clearly she needed to step up and help her friend, so she went over to Adam’s mother and father. Myra took care of the brothers and Riley went into the kitchen, emerging a while later with platters of sandwiches, which nobody really wanted, but it gave her something to do to make them, and it gave them something to do to eat them.

“The funeral is planned,” Shelby heard Kiara telling her own parents. “Adam helped me do that. I have to contact the funeral home, but there won’t be much to do.”

“When will you have it?” Kiara’s mom asked.

Kiara bit her lip. “I think Monday.”

“That sounds fine.”

The afternoon passed in a blur. Adam’s family left and Kiara’s mother said, “Kiara, come home with us tonight.”

She shook he head. “No, that’s okay, Mom.”

“You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

Kiara smiled. “I’ve been alone before, Mom.”

Her mother gnawed on her bottom lip.

“I’ll stay with her,” Shelby spoke up.

Kiara shot her a grateful look. “Thanks, Shelby.”

“We’ll all stay,” Myra said. “We’ll look after her, don’t you worry, Nadine.”

So the four of them sat and drank wine, except for Kiara, talked and laughed, remembering things about Adam. At about nine o’clock, Kiara yawned.

“I’m tired,” she said. “So, so tired.”

Shelby felt exhausted, so she couldn’t imagine how Kiara must feel. “Go to bed, then,” she said. “We’ll clean up.”

Kiara hugged her and disappeared. Shelby looked at Riley and Myra. “Thanks, guys, for staying too.”

“Of course.” Riley picked up empty glasses and headed to the kitchen.

Shelby glanced at her watch. She wanted to talk to Jake so badly. She needed to let him know what had happened. So she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and called him.

“Hey,” he said. “How’s it going, little girl?”

“Not so good.” She told him about Adam’s passing.

“I’ll be right over,” he said immediately.

“No, I’m not at home. I’m at Kiara’s. I’m going to stay here tonight.”

“Oh. You okay, Shelby Rose?” His voice went deep and gentle.

“I’m okay. I just wanted to…to talk to you.”

“Ah. Yeah. Listen, tell me what I can do to help. D’you need anything? Food? Family picked up at the airport? What?”

That was so sweet, so very sweet, and she leaned back into the soft couch and closed her eyes. “Thank you. I don’t know. I just feel so sad.” Her voice broke on the last word.

“Ah, baby. It’s okay.”

She nodded, her throat closed up, and she waited for it to relax so she could speak.

“Sure you don’t want me to come over?”

She did. She so much wanted to see him, so much needed a hug. She glanced at her friends, busy in the kitchen. “Okay,” she whispered. She gave him the address and snapped her phone shut.

She rose and walked to the big island that divided the kitchen from living room. “Jake’s coming over,” she said.

Riley turned from the dishwasher where she loaded glasses. “Aw, that’s nice.”

Myra studied Shelby. “You’re getting in pretty deep with him, aren’t you?”

Shelby frowned. “No. Of course not.”

“You’re also deep in denial,” Myra retorted.

“I’m not. We’re just…you know what it is. I guess we’ve gotten to be friends over the last couple of weeks.”

“Friends. Uh-huh.” Riley nodded and closed the dishwasher. “Sure.”

“It’s not like that.” But Shelby knew her words were hollow. She could deny it out loud all she wanted, but deep inside she knew feelings were developing for Jake that shouldn’t be there. Feelings that had no place in this little deal they had. Feelings that scared the crap out of her.

“Obviously he likes you too,” Myra pointed out, “or he wouldn’t be coming over.”

“I suppose. He feels sorry, I think. After all this.” She waved a hand, knowing they would understand what she meant. “Loving someone and then losing him—it’s scary.”

“We’re all scared, honey,” Myra said in another moment of vulnerability.

“I know. Here, let me help with those dishes.”

The three of them busied themselves in Kiara’s kitchen. Cleaning and tidying, putting order to things always soothed Shelby, so she put away food, wiped counters and did dishes until the doorbell rang. She took the dish towel with her to the door, drying her hands.

She opened it to see Jake standing there, looking so damn good, his dark brown hair a little ruffled, his shoulders wide enough to lean on. He gave her a small smile as he stepped inside. She closed the door and then she was in his arms, right where she wanted to be.