Tart (17 page)

The look on Erin’s face as she took in her men made Jules want to sigh. “Let me know when the oven dings. We’ll be in my office.”

Alexander looked up at his mother. “Okay.”

Todd laughed and assured her they’d keep an eye on dinner.

Erin turned with one last look at her boys and led the way through the apartment and then down the hall to her office.

“Dang, you even have snacks in here already? That’s pretty host-tastic.”

Erin’s smile lit her entire face. “I love that word! Truth is, I cheated and picked these up at Pike Place earlier today. Alexander and I went on a walk. He loves to see the pig.”

“I love that pig too,” Jules said of the brass pig at the mouth of Pike Place Market. “I heard about the yellow truck.” Jules paused. “You have a really fabulous kid.”

Erin reached out and squeezed Jules’s hands briefly. “Thank you. I’m obviously biased but I think so too. Adele was like that too. Totally fearless. Never stopped talking. Was everyone’s friend right away.”

Erin’s daughter Adele had been killed during a standoff between the police and Erin’s stalker. Jules couldn’t begin to imagine the pain of that.

“Anyway.” Erin sat up straight and her smile was genuine. “Thank you.” She pointed. “Those are the invitations that went out today. There are some extras in case we think of someone else to invite. I even sent you one.”

“Cool! Thanks.” She sat, looking at the invitation as she nibbled on the cheese Erin had laid out. “These turned out so well. I love them.”

“They really did. It’s the same people who did Brody and Elise’s wedding invitations. Gillian and Adrian used them for that too so they had all the info already.”

Erin liked Jules. She was the kind of friend Gillian could count on. She knew Jules had helped Gillian past some trust issues with Adrian as well. That made her even more likeable in Erin’s book as she loved her brother very much and he’d found something so special with Gillian.

“Mary has the food planned out already. She also has the chairs we’ll need. Smart to know a caterer.” Jules pulled out a folder.

“Color-coded charts. Wow.”

Jules blushed. “I know. I’m pretty . . . um, organized.”

“Don’t be embarrassed at all! I love color-coded charts. I’m not even lying. Plus, it’s a great habit. You don’t seem to have been hindered by it and your business is successful so you clearly find it useful there.”

Blushing, Jules slid the charts out on the table between them. “All right. So the front lawn of Carter Farm is really perfect for this. It’s level and the tenting—also something Mary has access too—is easy to install. Gideon has already volunteered to get that taken care of. I don’t think we need to worry about assigned seating. We’ve planned for enough tables so people can mix and match if they like. Everyone knows everyone else, after all. Oh and there’ll be security. Gillian was not happy about it, but Adrian talked her past it.”

“I bet you did too. And thanks. I know she has a hard time with all the attention and fame stuff.”

“It’s a shitty thing that my best friend can’t have an engagement party without security and strategically placed curtain panels and floral arrangements to block paparazzi pictures. But that’s what it is and she has to deal with it.” Jules shrugged. “She wants a normal life. But Adrian’s job isn’t normal. She knows that.”

Erin smiled. “Well yes, we know lots of things. But you help her past stuff.” She wasn’t a fan of having to deal with security either, but Jules had the right of it. Erin knew just exactly what
worst-case scenario
meant.

“That’s what friends do.” Gracious and humble, two very good qualities as far as Erin was concerned, and Jules had them in spades.

“Not always. But you do and I like that. Oh music! We’ve got that part handled. Now that Gillian and Adrian know about the party, I ran some music choices past him. I think instead of live music, we’ll do a DJ for dinner. We’ll handle some live stuff for later in the night. It’s a secret, but Adrian has some new material on this record he’s making and he wants to give a song to Gillian as a present. He’ll do it live for her that night.”

Jules’s eyes widened. “That’s so cool. She’ll love it. He’s perfect for her.”

Erin nodded. “They’re pretty perfect for each other. And for my nephew. Great kid, our Blue.” Blue was Erin’s nickname for Miles and only she and Alexander used it. Erin loved that boy to distraction. Gillian had done a fine job with him and her brother had stepped up and been a great dad as well.

Jules made a note. “I’ll tell him to coordinate with Gideon then so they get the right kind of flooring and staging up.”

“I’m giving them a present at the party. In public so they can’t refuse it.” Erin giggled.

“You’re such a schemer! What are you giving them?”

“A honeymoon trip. Ben just gave me a trip to Fiji. We leave next week, as it happens! Anyway, I’m going to check it out for sure, but if it’s as fabulous as the paperwork and website make it look, I’m sending them there for two weeks. I’m laying claim to Blue though.”

Jules frowned. “You’re a Miles hog.”

Erin laughed. “I am! You had him all to yourself for thirteen years. And you’re his godmother. He talks about you all the time. I suppose I should add that you’re always free to come see him here. Stay over if you like. We’ve got the room.”

“When he’s with me, he talks about you. He has good taste, I’ll give him that much. And exciting on the trip to Fiji. I’ve never been but it looks so beautiful.”

“It was a very pleasant surprise. We don’t get much time, just the three of us. We do date nights. We’re fortunate to have so many capable babysitters so close by and all. But ten days with no toddler up at the crack of dawn? I really can’t wait for that. Though I’m going to miss that little monkey.”

“You need that though. The time with Todd and Ben. Alexander will do just fine. As you pointed out he’s surrounded by people who love him. I’m sure there’ll be a tussle over who gets to keep him while you’re gone.”

Erin nodded. “Ha! That’s true. Brody and Adrian will probably get into it. Todd’s mom has surgery on her ankle the week before we leave so at least that’s one less person they’ll have to fight with.” They were lucky indeed to have so many people in their lives to love.

“Having a baby with them has been incredible, but the alone time is necessary for sanity and to keep our relationship nurtured too. I love our family. It’s a challenge of course, but it’s been wonderful.”

“Watching all these children makes my ovaries hurt.” Jules winked.

“We’ll get to that in a moment. Did you go to the fitting?”

“I did. I was a little worried the dress would be a wee bit tight. I’ve been sort of busy of late and I haven’t exercised as much.”

Erin looked her over and laughed. “Please. You’re ridiculously pretty.”

Jules laughed. “Well, thank you, but I still love to eat a lot of pizza.”

“And beer.” Erin snorted a laugh. “So before we go out there you need to give me the scoop on what’s happening with Gideon.”

Jules took a deep breath.

Erin continued. “I know you’re close with Gillian, but we’re friends too. I hope you’ll feel comfortable talking with me about stuff. If not, that’s okay too.”

Jules laughed. “You have
no
idea. As it happens you’re sort of perfect for this discussion because it’s . . . I’m not just with Gideon. I mean it started out that way but then . . . Cal.”

Erin’s brows flew up. “I have to tell you Calvin Whaley is one gorgeous specimen. Gideon works that long, tall cowboy thing to distraction too. And . . . so is it both at the same time or a triangle situation?”

Jules blushed and then Erin laughed, reaching out to pat Jules’s knee. “Really it’s pretty hard to embarrass me. Just say it and I’ll try not to ooh and aah about it.”

That’s when Jules eased up a little and embraced the relief of being able to talk to Erin. A woman who managed to do what it was she was on the verge of trying.

“I started with Gideon. We’ve been dating a month or so, but I’ve known him pretty much my whole life. He used to come to Bainbridge every summer and also at the holidays a lot. So he came back and we had this amazing chemistry and things were very intense very fast. He’s impossible to resist and why should I? You know? So I didn’t, and we got serious and things were pretty amazing until Cal walked up to me in the alley behind Tart and kissed me. Like whoa. The kiss was . . .” She fanned herself. “It was everything I’d ever wanted from Cal.”

Erin grinned but one of her brows slid up. “But the timing, not so much? I mean, I guessed you and Cal had something maybe a while ago. There’s smolder there. Smolder is good.”

“Oh, I know people talk about it. About me and Cal I mean. Yes, I’ve wanted Cal for a long time. I had a crush on him as a teenager. He was my first kiss actually. And then never again and he started dating boys and then I thought he was gay and couldn’t give him what he needed and then he started to date women too and then it was like, why not me! And then I just figured he wasn’t ever going to move and I committed to Gideon and then he kissed me and told me he wanted me. That he couldn’t bear the idea of letting me go without telling me his feelings.”

“Wow.”

“Yes,
wow
is a good word for it. But you know, I’m with Gideon. More than that, I
like
being with Gideon. So I went over to his place and Cal followed. I needed to tell him obviously. I can’t go kissing other people in alleys when I’m someone’s girlfriend. That’s not done.” She snorted.

Erin nodded and pushed the snack plate closer, so Jules took a few bites.

“And then Gideon, well, he shocked the hell out of me and Cal both by suggesting Cal come into our relationship rather than try to tear it apart from the outside.”

“And how did you feel about that?”

“I left. I needed to think about it. And then it happened. I took the time to think and realized how much I missed Gideon and how things with Cal couldn’t be the same again either way. And if I had him in my life in the way I’ve wanted for so long and Gideon is okay with it, why not try it? So we did and, wow. I . . . I don’t know. It’s a lot to process.”

“But things worked?”

Jules laughed so hard she nearly choked. “Yes.”

Erin slapped her knee. “You know what I mean!”

“It was . . .
complicated
and took some coordination, but it worked. We seemed to click. They’re good to me and no one punched anyone else. And for me, sometimes that’s really a good day.”

Erin laughed. “I hear that. So it worked chemistry-wise and no one is outwardly hostile. They can share you? Without issue? There’ll be enough of you for both?”

“I have no idea. I don’t know anything other than I suddenly have two boyfriends. They’re both bi. Cal pretty much his entire adult life. Gideon later on. But they don’t seem threatened by the other.”

“But they’re attracted to each other? I mean, that’s a good thing. I say that because I think if you mean to make a triad work, you can’t get around the jealousy and attention issue. If you have two people who are totally into each other but not that third, or someone ends up feeling left out, it eats away at the foundations.”

“What if they, you know, decide I’m not what they need?” She
knew
it was silly, but it was hard to get around how it felt sometimes.

“Ah.” Erin sat back. “You’re not going to be immune to jealousy either, you know. I don’t know Gideon that well, but it seems to me that if he wanted to fuck Cal, he would have. He doesn’t seem to have trouble speaking his mind. And Cal didn’t lay that kiss on Gideon in the alley, he kissed you. Trust is hard. Probably the hardest part of any relationship, but especially the one I have and you’re thinking about. Each person has to trust the other two. You have to find a way to trust that they both are what they say they are. You can know it here.” Erin pointed to her temple. “But here is sometimes harder.” She rubbed her gut. “However, I don’t know about you, but watching my boys kiss and get down together? The hottest thing in the world.”

Jules blushed and nodded. “They kissed each other and it was, wow. I appreciate it, the advice, I mean. I’m a planner.” Jules held up her color-coded sheets of paper. “I can’t schedule this. I can’t organize and plan it. I’m trying to let go and remind myself this will be something we have to blunder through sometimes. But it’s hard.”

Erin leaned forward again and took her hands. “I imagine so. I’m not going to lie, it’s not easy. And not just between the three of you. People on the outside judge. You’ll lose people. I wish that part wasn’t true. Some people you think you can count on will let you down because they can’t handle it. Others will come around after a time.”

Jules knew it, but it scared her nonetheless.

“I want you to feel free to come over or call any time, okay? I mean even for just everyday friend-type things, but if you want to talk about the triad stuff. I’m not an expert, but as there aren’t any anyway, I guess I can stand in as one. Sometimes it just helps to say it out loud to someone who’ll understand.”

“You can’t know how much this means to me. I’m so
relieved
to know I’m not alone. Thank you so much for listening and for all the great advice.”

Erin sat back with a smile. “That’s what friends do, remember?”

13

G
ideon stood under the hot water for a long time. He’d dug fence-post holes for hours that day. Not his favorite thing, but totally necessary as the old ones were a mess and the goats kept getting out.

It was late. Later than he’d planned to finish up. What he’d really wanted, all day long, was to sink into Jules’s arms and hold her. Damn, he missed her smile. The rest of her too.

It’d only been a few days since he’d seen her last, but it felt like a year. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, but she made him feel that way.

Six weeks he’d had with her. Seemed a silly, short period of time to feel so deeply for someone, but he did. And he’d been with enough people to know the difference between infatuation and love.

And Cal? Well, Cal was his buddy growing up and as it turned out, they still managed to keep that relationship. In the two weeks or so since the first time they’d all been together, he and Cal had managed to continue their friendship with this new facet. They were outwardly different. Cal with his buttoned-up, designer-suit-wearing ways, complete with swanky house and car, was still the same kid who cut the fuses short on his fireworks because he’d been impatient for the boom.