by Olivia Miles
With a long, hard glance back at Henry and a flick of long, silky hair, Kristy obliged. Adam waited until the car door had slammed before nailing Henry with a look.
“Is there something going on with you and Jane?” he demanded.
“No. Of course not.” Henry tried to keep his tone casual, but he had the creeping sense he wasn’t being honest—with Adam, or himself.
Adam didn’t look convinced as he folded his arms across his chest and gave Henry the once over. “My mom said you came to visit her the other day.”
Henry nodded, recalling his visit with Patty. “I did. We had a nice chat. You know how fond of your mother I’ve always been.”
Adam stared at him for several, long seconds. “Are we still friends?”
“Of course we’re still friends,” Henry said quickly. Only he wasn’t so sure anymore. He’d overlooked the flirting back when they were still young, but the stakes were higher now, and he wasn’t sure he could sit back and say nothing this time.
Adam began walking toward him, a slow, purposeful stride. “I still consider you my friend, Henry, even though we haven’t stayed in touch. So do me a favor.” He stopped within inches of Henry’s face. “Stay away from Jane.”
Henry flexed the hand at his side and, before he did something stupid, thrust it deep into his pocket. He took a step back, feeling the blood coursing in his veins as he stared at Adam. “As you said, it’s a small town. I don’t really see how that can be avoided.”
The glint in Adam’s eye returned. “You’re not in town for long. It shouldn’t be that difficult.”
Henry stared stonily at his oldest friend, trying to remember the good times they had together, trying to understand how he could have ever grown so close to someone who could be this cold. He hadn’t started to see it until well into early adulthood, a good ten years into the friendship, and by then, it was too late. He was part of that family, and Adam knew it. Worse, he was now using it as leverage.
The two men stood, waiting for the other to break, and no matter how long Adam waited, Henry knew he couldn’t agree to what his friend was asking.
“What does it matter if I talk to Jane? You’ve moved on, you’re getting married. Why do you care?”
Adam’s eyes snapped open. “Why do you care is what I want to know? Why is it so damn important for you to spend time with her? She’s my ex-wife for God’s sake, Henry!”
“So I’m expected to just cut her out like you did, pretend she doesn’t exist?”
Adam’s gaze narrowed. “Whose side are you on, Henry?”
“No one’s side,” Henry said, sighing in exasperation. He should have stayed out of it. No good came from getting messed up in other people’s business.
Behind him a door slammed and he turned to see Jane, Grace, and Luke standing on the steps of the dance studio, and from the look in their eyes, they weren’t satisfied with his answer any more than Adam was.
What had she expected? Of course Henry wasn’t taking her side, why should he?
“What has you most upset?” Grace hedged, as their mother’s Victorian house came into view. She’d insisted on riding with Jane instead of Luke, and Jane hadn’t argued. Fall garland was draped around the wraparound porch of their childhood home, and a matching wreath hung over the door. It looked warm and inviting, and Jane longed to go inside, flop onto her old twin-sized bed, and cry into her pillow. It was so much easier to fall apart in the one place you felt most safe.
But she couldn’t.
Jane unhooked her seatbelt, but didn’t reach for the handle. “I don’t know,” she replied, but the knot in her gut said otherwise. It was always uncomfortable to see Adam around, especially with Kristy. It took everything in her to be polite and, lately, not physically lunge at him, but it was also a feeling she had slowly learned to live with. The real hurt, she knew, was because of Henry, and because of the way she’d let herself start to feel about him.
“Adam had no business being there. If you ask me, he did it to taunt you.”
“You know that Adam hates to dance. It was probably Kristy’s idea. She has no shame. Or discretion.”
“Anyone who breaks up a family probably doesn’t,” Grace agreed.
“She only broke it up because Adam let her,” Jane said.
“You know,” Grace said, her expression turning satisfied, “I bet once they’re married and she has that baby, you won’t even have to deal with them as much. She’ll be way too focused on her own life to bother with you anymore.”
Jane’s pulse began to race when she thought of everything Grace didn’t know. She wanted more than anything to tell her the rest of the story, to explain everything she was going through, but doing so would make her as selfish as Adam. What should have been a fun waltz lesson in preparation for Grace’s first dance with her new husband was overshadowed by Jane’s problems.
She’d tell Grace everything, but not until after she returned from her honeymoon. By then, Jane realized with a jolt, everything might already be decided. Her lawyer was already putting their case together, and soon they’d have a scheduled hearing.
Even if she told Grace about Adam’s effort to take Sophie across the country, there was nothing her sister could do for her. There were some battles in life she’d just have to fight herself.
“We should get inside,” she said, before Grace could talk about it anymore. She didn’t want to discuss Henry with her sister—there was nothing to discuss, after all. So he’d been friendly—she didn’t need to look for more beyond that. She didn’t need a knight in shining armor. She could hold her own.
She held on to that thought as they climbed out of the car and made their way up the winding path to the porch. When she’d mentioned to her lawyer that she could sell her home and move into this one to cut down on costs, he’d advised her against it, and she was happy he had. As much as she loved this old house, it wasn’t her home, and she couldn’t hide away in it and pretend that she was a child again and that other people could fight her battles and make everything better. The best thing she could do was continue to give Sophie the life she’d always lived and stick with their well-established routine, and that meant staying in the only home Sophie had ever known. Judges didn’t like to uproot kids, her attorney reassured her every time doubt crept in, especially ones as young as Sophie.
But did judges overlook financial means and forming bonds with new siblings? She was working on not thinking of everything in terms of catastrophe, on focusing on what was within her control. But late at night, when the house was dark and still, the worried thoughts crept in. Last night had been the first solid sleep she’d had in a week, thanks to Henry.
She wouldn’t be counting on a repeat.
With a sigh, she left her shoes next to Grace’s on the front mat and wound her way to the back of the house, where Sophie and their mother were sitting at the kitchen table, eating bowls of ice cream.
“How were the new classes?” Kathleen asked, as Jane bent down to plant a kiss on Sophie’s forehead. The little girl didn’t look up from her dessert. Sweets were an important matter. They required full attention.
Jane met Grace’s eye and shrugged. “We had a good turnout. I haven’t seen quite so much hot pink Lycra since the last time I watched a Richard Simmons video.”
“You’ve watched a Richard Simmons video?” Grace retorted.
Jane felt her cheeks flush. “It was after Sophie was born. I was trying to lose the baby weight!”
“You mean you worked out to his video! Oh, Jane!”
Her mother and sister laughed, and Jane reluctantly joined them, feeling her mood lift.
“Can you stay for ice cream?” Kathleen asked. “I have chocolate chip.”
Jane’s favorite. Her spirits rising, she slid into her own childhood seat next to her daughter while her mother fixed her a bowl and Grace began chatting about some last-minute wedding details. “Wouldn’t sparklers be gorgeous during the first dance?” she asked, and Sophie
clapped her hands in agreement.
Kathleen set Jane’s bowl of ice cream in front of her with a smile, then returned to her own seat, patting Jane’s hand fondly before lifting her own spoon. Jane ate her dessert and listened to her sister and mother talk, and she felt her conviction grow. Adam might have taken her dreams from her, but one thing he couldn’t take was her family. It would have been easy to run, to start fresh, but Briar Creek was her home, and she and Sophie both deserved to fight for their place in it.
Forget what he did to her. Forget romance and flowers and all those gestures she’d romanticized and longed for. This kind of love was constant and loyal. And it would have to just be enough.
CHAPTER
19
Main Street Books was bustling when Jane started her shift on Wednesday. The espresso machine hissed, and the entire store smelled of fresh coffee and sweet baked goods. Grace was behind the counter, her chestnut hair pulled back in a ponytail, her cheeks flushed.
“Busy in here,” Jane commented, as she tied on an apron. She waved at Rosemary, who sat with her book club at one of the larger tables. This week’s selection appeared to be The Shining. An appropriate choice for this time of year and a friendly reminder that it was better to be alone than married to the wrong man.
“Rosemary has the club meeting twice a week now,” Grace whispered under her breath. “Not that I’m complaining. Let me just finish this order and then I’ll duck out. Unless you wanted to cover story time today.” Grace blinked rapidly and blew a wisp of hair off her forehead.
Jane gave her a reassuring smile. “You seem like you could use a break. Don’t worry, I have it covered.”
Grace plated a scone and handed it to the waiting customer. “Thanks,” she said, untying her apron. “I have to go over our inventory today, and make sure those new releases are on their way. The café should slow down after the book club leaves.”
Jane glanced over at the women again, recalling how they had strategized to set both her and Anna up on dates last spring. Things had turned out just fine for one of the Madison sisters. She hoped that would be enough to keep Rosemary and her clan satisfied.
Grace disappeared behind a stack of shelves, but her head poked out a mere second later. “Oh, and I forgot to tell you that Henry stopped in here a little while ago, something about featuring the store in his article. When he saw how busy we were, he said he’d be back. I told him you’d be more than happy to help him out.”
Jane felt her heart drop into her stomach. “Oh—”
“Thanks, Jane! You’re the best!” Grace smiled and retreated again, and this time, Jane knew she was on her own.
Well, fabulous. She’d vowed to stay clear of Henry since the ballroom class, and now her traitorous heart began to pound at just the thought of seeing him again. She smiled shakily at the next customer and took their order, but her gaze darted to the main door every time it jangled.
“Jane? Yoo-hoo! Jane!” Rosemary wiggled her fingers across the room. “Come sit with us for a bit.” Her lips curved into a knowing smile.
Jane shook her head and closed the cash register drawer. “I’m sorry, but I’m too busy at the moment to get away.”
“Nonsense. If someone comes in, we’ll understand. And this will only take a minute, I promise.” Rosemary stared at her, as if challenging her to refuse.
Jane glanced at the door one more time. Maybe a distraction would help.
“I was just telling the gals about the Nutcracker auditions,” Rosemary said as Jane pulled over a chair.
Oh, good. Ballet talk. She could handle this. What she couldn’t tolerate was a heart-to-heart about her nonexistent love life, or a rundown of all the eligible men she should be going out to dinners with. Relaxing against her seat back, she looked around at the other women, but she felt her grin fade as she noticed the eager glint in their eyes. Oh, sugar.
“Henry was a real help with our sign-up sheet, wasn’t he?” Rosemary pinched her lips and gave her a long, pointed stare.
Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “He was,” she said diplomatically. Why, she didn’t know, but he had shown a legitimate effort in helping their cause. She could only hope he hadn’t suspected how bad off they were, but seeing as no one else outside the studio had picked up on anything being amiss, she had to assume he’d gleaned nothing he could report back to Adam.
“Such a thoughtful young man,” Rosemary continued. “Handsome, too.”
Jane sighed heavily. “I thought I explained…”
“Pshaw.” Rosemary waved off her concerns and reached for her tea. “I was just going over your dilemma with the gals, and we reached a conclusion.”
Jane hesitated, realizing they were waiting for a response. “Which is?”
“All is fair in love.” Rosemary beamed.
“And war,” Jane reminded her. And that’s what this was, wasn’t it? She and Adam were at war, and Henry, at the end of the day, was not her ally.
“Oh, why turn this negative?”
“Because in my experience, the two are jointly linked,” Jane replied, and instantly regretted saying a thing when she saw the women’s eyes widen in alarm. One tsked under her breath; two exchanged lingering sidelong glances. The others looked at her with naked pity, shaking their heads.
Rosemary just warned, “Don’t become cynical, Jane. You’ll never find a man with that attitude.”
Jane tossed her hands in the air and laughed, “Who said I’m looking for a man? I’m not. I told you I’m not. And even if I was, it most certainly wouldn’t be Henry Birch!”
“Oh no?” a deep voice purred behind her.
Jane felt the blood drain from her face as her heart began to pound. She turned with growing dread to see Henry standing behind her, his brow arched in question, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief.
Her cheeks grew hot, and she knew the creamy white turtleneck sweater she was wearing didn’t help matters. Oh my God, another turtleneck! When would she learn to stop dressing for comfort? “The ladies here were trying to play matchmaker,” she explained hastily, pushing back her chair.
“And clearly you didn’t agree with their opinion.” His dimple quirked, and Jane felt her pulse skip. Why’d he have to be so damn cute? With his brown tousled hair and a day’s worth of stubble gracing his jaw, he looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, and now all she could do was think of him in it. And her with him. And the things he would do to her.
Stop it, Jane!
“Well, you and I are all wrong for each other, obviously.” She bristled at the way his chin tipped on her words.
“Obviously,” he said sagely.
She frowned. “I mean, you’re only in town for a few weeks. And we’re—” She was going to say friends, but now she wasn’t so sure.
With her head held high, she walked on shaking legs to the counter and stared blankly at the espresso machine, waiting for the heat to leave her face. Leave it to Rosemary to get her all fired up. She stole a glance in the direction of the book club’s table. All the women were laughing at something Henry was saying, all beaming up at him, hanging on his every word, as if he was adorable or something.
So maybe he was pretty damn handsome. And maybe he knew how to make a woman feel good. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one who thought so, given the dreamy quality of Rosemary’s gaze.
She ground some fresh coffee beans, whirring out the sound of his smooth voice, wishing he would just go.
“Hey there.”
Jane cursed to herself as her rattled hands nearly dropped the coffeepot she had just reached for. From the corner of her eye, she caught a hint of that grin as she set the pot upright and started the machine.
“What can I get for you?” She smiled pleasantly as she rounded to face him, keeping her tone brisk and professional.
“I was actually here to see you.”
Jane’s eyes widened. “Oh?”
“Grace told me you would be the best one to talk to about Main Street
Books. For the article.”
Seeing that the bookstore was Grace’s pride and joy, her sister really would have been the better person to interview. Jane bit on her thumb, wondering what Grace was up to, and then dismissed her suspicion. Her sister was busy today, Main Street Books had been their father’s store, and Jane worked here with her sisters. She was certainly capable of answering a few questions for his article. Surely she wasn’t that far gone.
She wished he would stop looking at her like that. It would have been so much easier if he’d just called on the phone.
Jane set a finger to her forehead and gave a small smile, hoping he hadn’t detected any misplaced excitement in her earlier reaction. “Of course. She mentioned it. I’ve just been distracted—”
“By a group of middle-aged women trying to sell me to you?” His eyes flashed. “Don’t worry, Jane. You were right. I am the last person on earth you should be getting involved with.”
She blinked in surprise. Well, when he said it like that… Jane’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Right. Of course. I mean… obviously.”
“Obviously.” Amusement had long since left Henry’s eyes, and his jaw tensed now. “So what do you say? Do you have time to go over this with me?”
Jane stared at Henry, a part of her wanting to know exactly what he meant when he agreed that they didn’t belong together, but she pushed the urge away immediately. What mattered was that he was right, that he was not the man for her, even if she did start to wonder what it might feel like to kiss those lips, run her hands through those wavy locks, press her chest against his the way she had the other night at the studio… She sucked in a breath, steadying herself, and glanced to the door, where a couple had just entered, heading for the bakery counter. The café’s tables were mostly filled and a few patrons were sipping coffees in the English armchairs near the bookshelves. She couldn’t fight the pride she felt for everything their family had accomplished.
“It’s busy right now,” she said, as the door opened yet again.
Henry shrugged. “I can wait.”