The Friends We Keep (Mischief Bay) (14 page)

Hayley stared at the familiar sign over the low, one-story restaurant and told herself that she was getting out. Having lunch with friends. That was good. A distraction, which was something she desperately needed in her life. Because if she stopped moving, stopped doing things, she would start thinking, and thinking meant having to feel something. She didn’t want to feel anything.

Rob still wasn’t back. It had been nearly a week. He’d gone by while she was working—just as he’d said he would—and collected the rest of his things. He hadn’t phoned, hadn’t been in touch in any way. He was just gone.

She couldn’t believe it. They were married. A couple. She thought he loved her. Yet he’d walked away without looking back.

She knew she was still in shock—and that was probably for the best. She didn’t want to have to deal with all the messiness and pain when the truth set in. Disbelief and a little righteous indignation were far easier to manage.

As she collected her purse and got out of her car, she thought about how much she missed him. Their small house echoed without him. The bed was too big, the nighttime hours too long.

She wasn’t sleeping and it was difficult to eat. In the hours between four in the morning and dawn, she allowed herself to admit the truth. That Rob had every right to be furious with her. Not for wanting to try to have a baby—that was her decision. But about the house. Going behind his back like that had been wrong and she knew it.

She crossed to the entrance to the diner and saw that Nicole was already there.

“How’s it going?” her friend asked, giving her a quick hug. Nicole paused. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. A little tired.” Hayley forced a smile and hoped it looked natural. She still hadn’t decided if she was going to tell anyone about Rob leaving. “How about with you?”

“I’m doing well. Busy with work. The usual.” Nicole glanced away, as if she had something else to say, but before Hayley could press her, Gabby joined them.

There were more hugs before they were seated at a booth, with Hayley seated on one side and the other two on the other. Their server took their drink orders right away, before leaving to let them look over the menu. Hayley told herself having lunch with her friends would make her feel better. If nothing else, the love and support would help and she certainly needed the meal.

Gabby studied Nicole. “What?” she demanded. “There’s something.”

“Seriously? You can tell?”

That got Hayley’s attention. “What happened?”

“I had a date with Jairus,” Nicole blurted.

Hayley had no idea who that was. Even more startling was her friend going out. Nicole hadn’t been on a date since the divorce was final. “Did I know you were interested in someone?”

“Who’s Jairus?” Gabby asked at the same time.

Nicole groaned. “You’re going to make me say it?”

“Apparently,” Gabby murmured. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

Nicole raised her eyebrows and waited.

“Jairus... Jairus... OMG, you went out with Brad the Dragon.”

“The author of
Brad
,” Nicole corrected. “I’ve been out of the single world for a long time, but not so long that I have to resort to dating fictional characters.”

“You went on a date!” Gabby hugged her. “Good for you. How was it? Not that it matters. You did it. The second time won’t be so scary. So how was it?”

Nicole wrinkled her nose. “Better than I thought,” she admitted. “He was nice and we had a good time. He made me laugh and that was unexpected.”

“That’s great,” Hayley said, happy for her friend.

“It’s unexpected,” Nicole admitted. “I’m confused about the whole thing.”

“Are you going to see him again?” Hayley asked.

The server arrived with their iced teas. Everyone ordered the burger special—the house burger topped with guacamole and bacon.

Nicole waited until she’d left to say, “I am. Even if nothing comes of it, I could sure use the practice. But it feels very strange, I have to tell you.”

“What does Tyler think of all this?” Gabby asked.

“I’m not telling him. It’s too soon. Plus with the whole B the D connection, he’s going to get super excited. I don’t want him thinking Jairus is sticking around. I mean, it was one date.”

Nicole had always been sensible, Hayley thought. She ran her own business, managed her divorce with grace and strength. Nicole would never spend five years and tens of thousands of dollars chasing an impossible dream. She would figure out that she wasn’t meant to have children and move on.

While Hayley admired that about her friend, she couldn’t emulate it. Of course, Nicole didn’t have her past.

She debated telling them about Rob but honestly didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want the sympathy or the comfort they would offer. Either would break through her carefully constructed shield. Then she would crumble. What if she fell apart in so many pieces there was no putting her back together?

“Okay,” Gabby said, drawing in a breath. “I have something to say.” She looked at Hayley. “I just don’t know how.”

Gabby had figured out Rob was gone, Hayley thought frantically. She didn’t want to start crying. If she did, she might never stop. But how to distract her friend?

“It’s about Makayla.”

“What? Is she okay?”

“Yes. No. I just...” Gabby pressed her lips together. Her brown eyes were dark with emotion. “Hayley, I’m sorry. Really, really sorry. You’re going to find out and I’d rather it was from me. But it’s making me sick to say this.”

Hayley pressed a hand to her chest. “You’re scaring me.”

“I don’t mean to. Well, sugar. Makayla’s pregnant.”

Hayley waited for the “and she’s dying” but Gabby didn’t say anything else.

She lowered her arm to her side. Relief chased out apprehension, leaving her a little light-headed, but otherwise okay. The news was shocking, but not the worst thing ever. Why would—

And then she got it.

“Oh, Gabby.” Hayley reached across the table and squeezed her friend’s hand. “You’re sweet to worry about me, but Makayla getting pregnant doesn’t have anything to do with me beyond how it affects you. Are you okay?”

Tears filled Gabby’s eyes. “No, but that’s not the point. It’s so unfair. I know you and Rob are trying everything and you can’t stay pregnant while my fifteen-year-old stepdaughter does it twice and gets knocked up. That totally sucks.”

“It does, but it’s not your fault.”

Nicole bumped Gabby’s shoulder with her own. “She’s right. This has nothing to do with any of us, but we’re here for you.”

“Thanks.” Gabby sighed. “I appreciate your attitude. I’ll admit, I was worried. You’re my friend. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem way more calm than I thought you’d be.”

“I’m a little bitter, but I can deal.” Funny how two weeks ago the news would have shattered her. Although it wasn’t fun to hear, it couldn’t touch her. Not with Rob gone.

“How are you managing all this?” Nicole asked. “Talk about a game changer.”

“I know. It’s a nightmare. We were stunned when we found out. The father is only a year older. They say they’re in love and they’re going to stay together, no matter what, but we have our doubts. His mother is awful—that doesn’t help.” Gabby folded her arms across her chest. “Makayla’s a kid herself. There’s no good outcome. Whatever happens, her life is changed forever.”

“Is she giving up the baby for adoption?” Nicole asked, darting a glance at Hayley.

“We haven’t talked about it, but I’m assuming so. She can’t keep it. She needs to finish high school and go to college.”

“Exactly.”

For a second Hayley wondered if Gabby was going to offer her the baby. On the surface, it would solve so many problems. But Hayley didn’t want someone else’s child and Gabby knew that.

“I’m sorry,” Hayley told her. “About all of it. Poor you.”

“Thanks. We’re getting through it. Andrew’s been great. We haven’t told anyone yet. The twins don’t know. We figured they could wait for a while. I’m taking Makayla to the doctor and then we’ll know how far along she is. I’m guessing she’s close to four months.”

Hayley had gotten to four months with her first pregnancy. But after that, she’d never made twelve weeks. Not that she needed to be thinking about her miscarriages.

“You’ll get through this,” Hayley told her. “So will Makayla. Hopefully she’ll learn from what happened.”

“That would be wonderful, but I’m not holding my breath. Anyway, I wanted to tell you.”

“I’m glad you did. I’m okay.”

Gabby smiled at her. “I hope you are, but if you’re lying to protect me, I want you to know I really, really appreciate it.”

Hayley managed a laugh. “I’m not. I swear.” Hearing the news wasn’t fun, but compared to having lost Rob, it didn’t matter at all.

Chapter Thirteen

Nicole’s case of nerves for her second date with Jairus was different from the one before her first date. Then she’d been worried about
dating
. It had been too long. The rules had changed. She was out of practice. She wasn’t ready. Whatever. There had been a thousand reasons, but none of them had been about the man.

This time was different. This time the fluttering, slightly anxious woozy sensation was specifically about Jairus. She didn’t like that. She didn’t like it at all.

She hadn’t wanted to like him. The man was responsible for the hell that was Brad the Dragon. But having gotten to know him a little, how could she not? He was basically a very nice man, who was also funny and sexy, and when he smiled she felt quivers.

She was doomed. Worse, she had nothing to wear.

Nicole stared at the contents of her closet and groaned. There was nothing new, nothing cute and she hadn’t wanted to borrow from Shannon a second time. Once was understandable. More than that would be tacky.

But nothing she owned seemed appropriate. She was meeting Jairus for dinner at McGrath’s Pub. They were having a weekend barbecue, which sounded completely casual, but wasn’t. It was a special once-a-year event that required tickets. For that, she needed something cute and a little bit sexy.

White crop pants, a stylish sleeveless top and some killer flat sandals. Or a swingy little dress. What she had instead was an entire wardrobe of workout wear, ratty shorts and tank tops, and a sundress that was not only stained but at least six years old. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d bought herself something new. Even from a super discount store.

“Is Gabby right?” she asked herself as she studied her clothes. “Am I punishing myself for the failure of my marriage?”

Really good question, but not helpful right now. Clothes first, she told herself. Self-analysis later.

She dug through her closet again and found a white denim skirt with the tags still on it. It was shorter than she usually liked, which explained why it was unworn. She tossed the skirt on the bed and went in for a second round of closet digging. She found a couple of tank tops, along with a sleeveless wrap shirt in red. Then she turned to study her options.

The wrap shirt was adorable, but cut practically to her navel. While she exercised regularly and didn’t mind being seen in tight workout clothes, she wasn’t going to flash her boobs to the world. But she did have a plain white tank top. If she tucked that into the skirt and wore the red top over it, she would be layered, not exposed.

Wardrobe crisis solved.

She dashed into the bathroom and did her makeup. The event was going to be on the boardwalk, which meant sun, wind and possibly ocean spray. She pulled her long blond hair into a high ponytail, fluffed her bangs, then applied two coats of hair spray. She got dressed, remembering at the last minute to snip the tag from the skirt. While her plain brown sandals weren’t killer, they would have to do. Five minutes later, she and Tyler were on their way to Pam’s condo.

Pam had moved the year before, turning her two-story house over to her daughter and moving into an oceanfront condo. She’d bought the condo from their friend Shannon, who had married Adam and moved in with him. It had been a fun time of musical houses.

Nicole pulled into the visitor parking. She and Tyler went up the stairs to Pam’s door. He rang the bell and they immediately heard Lulu barking.

“Okay, little girl,” Pam said, her voice muffled by the closed door.

Lulu went quiet. Nicole knew that meant she’d been picked up. Nicole had a feeling that if she owned a dog it wouldn’t be anywhere near as well behaved as Lulu. The little Chinese crested seemed to speak English as well as most people.

“Hi, you two,” Pam said as she let them in. “Tyler, what do you think? I thought you’d appreciate Lulu’s outfit.”

Due to her lack of hair, Lulu had to be protected from both sun and cold. She wore sunscreen and little shirts or sweaters, depending on the season. Today Lulu sported a doggie-style tank dress in camouflage.

Tyler laughed as he petted the dog. “She’s a girl.”

“Girls can be soldiers,” Nicole said automatically. “Maybe not Lulu, but other girls.”

“Not ones that small,” he pointed out.

“There is that.”

“I’ll admit Lulu isn’t military grade.” Pam set the dog on the floor. Lulu immediately ran over to greet them. “But she has a big heart.”

Tyler sat down in the entryway and held out his arms. Lulu scrambled onto his lap, planted her tiny front paws on his chest and proceeded to kiss his entire face. Tyler laughed and hugged her.

Nicole let her date worry fade for a second as she appreciated the fact that Tyler was gentle and kind. Hormones and peer pressure would eventually toughen him up, she thought wistfully. But she really hoped those qualities survived the growing-up process.

“Thanks for looking after him tonight,” Nicole said.

“I love having him over and you know it. It’s good practice for when my grandson gets a little older, assuming Jennifer will ever relax enough to let me babysit him without her hovering all the time.” Pam studied her for a second. “I have the perfect necklace for that outfit. Come with me.”

Nicole followed Pam into the condo’s spacious bedroom. Sliding glass doors led to a balcony that faced the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Views didn’t get much better than this, she thought.

Pam crossed to a free-standing mirror and pulled on the small knob. The front of the mirror swung open to reveal a hidden jewelry cabinet. Necklaces hung from hooks and there were little shelves that held bracelets and earrings, along with spaces for rings. It was beautifully organized—no surprise, considering the jewelry’s owner. Pam eyed Nicole’s outfit again, then reached for a chunky silver necklace with red stones set in the shape of a daisy.

“Red coral,” Pam said, as she held out the necklace. “I have matching earrings, but I think that would be too much. Your silver hoops are simple and pretty.”

“Thank you.” Nicole took the necklace and put it around her neck, then fastened the clasp. “I’ll guard it with my life.”

“No need to get crazy. Just bring it back when you come get Tyler.” Pam smiled and lowered her voice. “So, you and Jairus have sex yet?”

Nicole felt herself flush. She glanced toward the half-open door, then shook her head. “It’s only our second date. It takes longer than that.”

“I don’t know,” Pam teased. “You young people today. I haven’t had a first date in over thirty years. So is sex the third date? Or the fourth?”

“You make me insane.” Nicole grinned. “I don’t know and it won’t be anytime soon, I promise.”

“Which is very different than saying never. You like him.”

The nerves returned, bringing with them that icky, unsettled feeling in her tummy. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That means yes.”

Nicole touched the necklace. “Thank you for letting me borrow this and for looking after Tyler.”

“I’m very excited about our evening together. We’re having dinner at Gary’s Café, then coming back here for some Lulu time and movies. Just so you know, I’m letting him stay up as late as he wants.”

Nicole laughed. “You know he’ll be zonked on the sofa by nine.”

“I do, but we’ll still have fun. As will you, I’m guessing. Even without doing you-know-what.”

Nicole covered her ears. “Stop, I beg you.” She hugged her friend, then went back into the living room. Tyler was sitting on the floor by the couch, Lulu next to him as he read from one of the books Pam always had around.

“Bye, sweetie,” she called.

“Bye, Mom. I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, you will.”

She waved and let herself out. Tyler was growing up so fast. He wasn’t going to be her little boy much longer. She would miss that, but also looked forward to seeing what kind of man he grew into.

She took the stairs to the ground floor, then headed out onto the boardwalk. From Pam’s it was an easy walk to McGrath’s. She was going to leave her car in Pam’s visitor space rather than drive the short distance and fight for parking closer to the restaurant.

Fifteen minutes later, she spotted Jairus sitting on the short wall by the lifeguard station near the restaurant. He was looking in the opposite direction, which gave her a second to catch her breath.

He looked good. Tall and fit, with an ease about him. He was a man comfortable in his own skin. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Boat shoes with no socks and sunglasses.

He was an appealing man, she thought, not sure what to do with the information. She was pretty sure she liked him. Which left her confused. Pam’s teasing question about sex hadn’t helped her emotional equilibrium. What was he expecting from her? What did she want to offer?

He turned in her direction. She knew he’d spotted her because he went still for a second. Because of the sunglasses, she had no way of knowing what he was thinking.

He stood as she approached, then removed the glasses. His brown eyes were warm, his smile welcoming.

“Right on time,” he said, then bent down and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. We’re not having sex tonight.”

She hadn’t meant to say that, exactly, but there was no way to call back the words.

Jairus looked at her for a couple of seconds, then smiled. “I can’t wait to meet your friends.”

“What?”

“Your friends. I look forward to meeting them. I’ll bet they’re a lot of fun.”

“I don’t understand.”

He put his arm around her. “Someone said something about how long you’re supposed to wait, right? Which got you thinking about dating rules and how long it had been since you had to worry about that. You freaked out, because you’re not sure about any of this.”

She pulled away. “How do you know that? Guys aren’t supposed to be insightful. Stop it right now.”

He laughed. “Sorry. I’m a writer. I observe people. I think about things. It can’t be helped.” The humor faded. He stepped closer to her and touched her cheek.

“Nicole, I get it. You’re nervous. Hell, I’m nervous, too. You’re really hot and if you were offering, I’d be there in a heartbeat. But you’re not and that’s okay. I can wait.”

“What if it’s a long wait?” she asked, her voice a whisper. “We both know you’re not into hookers.”

He laughed again. “I’ll live, okay? I want to get to know you. I want you to get to know me. The rest of it will happen in its own time. You don’t have to worry. I’ll never pressure you.”

She wanted to believe him because it all sounded so amazing. And she wanted him to be lying because if he was telling the truth, then she was in way over her head. How was she supposed to stay safe if he was really that honest, decent and nice?

“You look concerned,” he said.

“I am, but I’ll live, too.”

He pointed to the restaurant. “Ready to go get your summer barbecue on?”

“I am.”

They turned toward McGrath’s. Nicole sucked in a breath, then, as casually as she could, reached for Jairus’s hand. He laced his fingers with hers and they walked inside.

While they waited to be seated, Jairus turned to her. “You know I have a new book coming out.”

“Yes. It’s very exciting.”

“Liar. I’ll be going on tour. That means I’ll be traveling on and off over the next few weeks. There’s going to be a local signing. I thought you and Tyler would like to come. I can get you VIP tickets.”

That was a lot of information, she thought. “There are VIP tickets?”

“Of course. Brad’s a VIP kind of guy.” He squeezed her fingers. “He wouldn’t have to know about us, Nicole. It would just be a signing.”

There was an us? A them? As in... She didn’t know as in what, but knew there was no way she could ask.

“That would be very nice,” she told him. “Tyler would love that. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He winked. “You’ve made it to Brad’s inner circle. Hang on, babe. It’s a hell of a ride.”

She was still laughing when they were shown to their table.

* * *

Hayley started the cleanup as soon as the last of the clients finished with a station. It had been another busy evening at Supper’s in the Bag, with lots of happy people taking home meals for their family. She stored away the leftover food and made a note of which pantry staples they were low on. Tomorrow they would do the same thing again.

She had no idea how much money her sister made on the business, but she would guess it did reasonably well. Especially considering that Morgan only had to work about thirty hours a week.

When the customers had left, Morgan pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m exhausted. Being a small business owner is crap. I wish I’d married someone rich so I could stay home and not have responsibilities.”

“Would be nice,” Hayley said, joining her sister. Normally she was anxious to get home, but tonight there was no reason to hurry. “Being taken care of.”

Morgan snorted. “Like you’d ever let that happen. You’re always working.”

Not because she wanted to, Hayley thought. To earn money to pay for her various treatments. No one enjoyed working sixty hours a week.

Morgan leaned forward and pulled another chair close, then put her feet up and sighed. “Brent is making me crazy. That man. He’s just so into the kids. There are too many activities and he wants to be a part of them all. But on Saturday morning he never remembers I need him.”

“Most women would be thrilled their husband was devoted to the children.”

“That’s a crock. What about me? What about my needs? Maybe I made a mistake picking him.”

Hayley liked Brent a lot. He was a hardworking guy who wanted to do the right thing. He deserved someone who made him happy. Unfortunately for him, he had a wife whose first concern was herself.

Just another way she and her sister were different, Hayley thought. Morgan had always had a plan. Find a good guy and get married. She hadn’t been interested in a career. She wanted what she saw as an easy life—being a wife and a mother.

Brent had been interested in a family, too, but first he’d wanted to finish college and maybe go to grad school for his MBA. He’d talked to Morgan about his ambitions and had encouraged her to develop her own. She’d assumed his graduation celebration would include a marriage proposal. Instead, he’d told her he’d been accepted at several grad schools, including a couple back East. Not only hadn’t he proposed, but he’d started talking about them seeing other people while he was gone.