Circle of Friends Complete Collection

by Susan Mallery

  “Emma, do you remember Crissy? She was here for Hope’s party.”

  Emma, a pretty eight-year-old, looked up from her coloring book and smiled. “Uh-huh. She’s Uncle Josh’s girlfriend. When they get married can I be a flower girl?”

  Brandon made a gagging sound, then slumped down at the kitchen table and picked up a handheld video game sitting there. “Uncle Josh isn’t going to get married.”

  “How do you know?” Emma asked. “I could wear a princess dress.”

  “Yes, you could,” Abbey said, giving Crissy an apologetic shrug. “But Uncle Josh and Crissy are just friends. So there isn’t going to be a wedding.” Her expression turned teasing. “At least not anytime soon. Although it would be very good for Uncle Josh to get married again.”

  Emma wrinkled her nose. “You’re talking about Aunt Stacey. I don’t remember her. Sometimes when I look at pictures of her, I can kinda remember, but not now.”

  “She was okay,” Brandon said, never looking up from his game. “She didn’t like boys as much as girls.”

  Crissy felt miles out of her league with this conversation. She wanted to bolt to the other room, put her hands over her ears and hum loudly until the subject changed. Right up until Brandon’s last comment.

  “That’s not true,” Abbey protested. “Aunt Stacey loved you very much.”

  Brandon shrugged. “Not really. She was nice and everything, but she always brought Emma ribbons for her hair and ruffly things. She never brought me anything.”

  A protective, maternal instinct Crissy hadn’t even known existed welled up inside of her. How dare Stacey ignore Brandon. Sure, girls were easier to relate to when one was female and didn’t have any children of one’s own, but that was no excuse to ignore a wonderful boy like Brandon. Or any boy, for that matter.

  “She was more comfortable around girls,” Abbey admitted, “but that doesn’t mean she didn’t care. I’m sure if she knew you wanted ruffly things, she would have brought them for you.”

  Brandon looked up, his expression disgusted. “I don’t want girl things. I’m a boy. B-O-Y. Try to remember that.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Abbey waved at the kitchen. “So, Crissy, welcome to the madness. What can I get you to drink?”

  “Whatever you have that’s easy.”

  “How about a diet soda? They’re my guilty pleasure. Some people drink or smoke, I long for diet soda.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Juice!”

  The imperious command came from the blond toddler in the playpen beside the table.

  Abbey turned to the little girl. “Are you thirsty, Hope?”

  “Juice!”

  Without turning his attention from the game, Brandon reached out and ruffled her hair. The affectionate gesture impressed Crissy and tugged on her heart.

  “I’ll get it,” Emma said as she put down her crayon.

  While Abbey got two cans of diet soda out of the refrigerator, Emma collected a juice box. Crissy saw from the label that it was organic with no added sugar. Typical, she thought, comforted by Abbey’s consistency.

  Crissy settled on one of the bar stools by the island where she wasn’t in the way and didn’t crowd the kids. This was supposed to be a low-key lunch.

  “Did Brandon tell you he was bragging about your sports ability?” Abbey asked as she collected an apple, some grapes and a bowl.

  “He mentioned his friends didn’t believe a girl could be good at football,” Crissy said. “In high heels, no less.” She turned to Brandon. “I’ve always played sports. In high school, my softball team won the state championship.”

  He actually put down his game and looked at her. “Wow. That’s cool. What position?”

  “Second base. I was one of the top three hitters, too.”

  “Why softball and not baseball?” he asked.

  “Girls couldn’t play baseball.”

  “That’s stupid.”

  “It is.” Abbey sliced the apple into sections. “Either gender should be allowed to play any sport they want.”

  “Yeah,” Brandon said. “If they’re good.”

  Not wanting to make too big a deal of Brandon, Crissy turned to Emma. “What do you like to study in school?”

  The girl looked at her. “I like reading and math. I like it when we study animals.”

  “Emma’s great at math,” Abbey said proudly. “She’s working two grades ahead, which is amazing. I was never good at math.”

  “I always liked it,” Crissy said. “I majored in finance in college.”

  Abbey wrinkled her nose. “Athletic and good in math. Under other circumstances I’m not sure I could like you.”

  “So speaks the woman who grows and bakes and does everything perfectly.”

  “Not perfectly,” Abbey said with a smile. “But close.”

  “Want to see the book I’m reading?” Emma asked.

  “I would,” Crissy told her. As Emma ran off, Crissy turned to Brandon. “Do you like to read?”

  He glanced up from his game. “Sure, but don’t tell the guys. It’s not cool.”

  “Of course not.”

  Emma raced back with a book about a girl who discovers she’s a princess.

  “Looks like a great story,” Crissy said. “I love princess stories.”

  “Me, too.” Emma beamed.

  Brandon rolled his eyes.

  Abbey put the fruit on the table, then collected Hope and set her in a high chair.

  “We read a lot in our family,” she said. “Most evenings we read instead of watching TV. Pete and I read aloud to the kids. It’s fun.”

  Brandon put down his game, then crossed to the kitchen sink and washed his hands. When that was done, he collected flatware and napkins.

  “We go camping every summer,” he said as he set the table. “The lake where we stay has good fishing. Dad and I go out on a boat and catch stuff. Then Mom cooks it.”

  Crissy’s idea of fishing was to pick something off a menu. “So who cleans the fish? Don’t you have to do stuff to it before you can eat it?”

  Brandon gave her the smile of a big, macho guy dealing with a frightened little woman. “Dad and I do that. Mom doesn’t want to know about fish guts.”

  Abbey shuddered. “You got that right.”

  “I don’t fish,” Emma said. “I don’t want to hurt the fish.”

  “I’m with you,” Crissy told her. “We used to camp when I was little, but there was no fishing.”

  “Where do you think the tuna comes from?” Brandon asked.

  “Tuna trees.” Crissy grinned. “It grows right in the can. The tuna orchards are huge. I think they’re in Idaho somewhere.”

  “I’ve seen pictures.” Abbey smiled. “Pete loves the outdoors. Both he and Josh head off for a guy weekend a couple of times a year. They come back looking very scruffy. One camping trip a year is enough for me.”

  “Next year I get to go with them,” Brandon said proudly. “Just us guys.”

  “Very cool.” Crissy sipped her diet cola. “When we went camping it was just Dad and the kids. My mom stayed home. She loved the time to be by herself and relax. She said it was good for my dad to realize how much work raising three kids should be.” She looked at Abbey. “You could take a lesson from that.”

  “I don’t know,” Abbey began.

  “She won’t stay home,” Brandon said, sounding both pleased and disgusted. “She and Dad can’t be apart that long. They need each other. They’re always kissing and stuff. It’s gross.”

  Abbey blushed slightly. “It’s true. We spend so many nights apart because Pete’s at the fire station. When we got married, we vowed we wouldn’t spend any other nights apart, and so far we haven’t.”

&
nbsp; Wow—that was nearly as impressive as the freshly baked bread.

  “I’m with you on the grossness of parental affection,” Crissy told Brandon. “My parents are still all over each other. It creeps me out. But it also makes me feel good to know they’re in love and want to be together. It makes me feel safe.”

  Brandon looked at her. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “Me, too.”

  It was one of those perfect moments of connection. She felt he saw her as someone he could like. She felt the same about him. He was more than a good kid—he was a good person. Which made this a very good beginning.

  * * *

  JOSH STOOD IN front of the all-female gym and wondered if he would be allowed inside. Not that he was here to work out. He’d stopped by to see Crissy.

  He’d been unable to stop thinking about her, which was unusual for him. Her claim that they were just friends had given him a reason for his visit. Friends were allowed to stop by and see where each other worked. She was welcome in his office whenever she wanted and he was going to assume he was welcome here. As long as he could get past the front door.

  He opened one of the large glass doors and stepped into an open and bright reception area. The space was open, with plenty of natural light. The twenty-something woman behind the curved desk raised her eyebrows.

  “Are you picking up someone?” she asked. “I can page her.”

  “I’m here to see Crissy Phillips. I’m a friend.”

  The woman’s expression turned knowing. “Right. Go on upstairs. Her office is the last one on the left. Tina, her assistant, can show you in.”

  He climbed the stairs to the second floor. Below he could see the gym itself, with the modern equipment, along with several exercise classrooms. Three of the four were filled with women working out. Interesting place.

  He found Crissy’s office and introduced himself to Tina who waved him in. Then he opened a large wooden door and stepped into a big office that looked more like an executive corner office than a room above a gym.

  Crissy had done well, he thought as he took in the windows, the view, the built-ins and the woman herself wearing a headset and pacing between her desk and the bookshelves.

  “I’m not reasonable,” she said pleasantly. “It’s not in my job description. What is in my job description is to enforce the contract we signed. I have a delivery date and I expect you to keep it.” She paused. “Uh-huh. I am a ballbuster. You bet. Okay, George. See you next Tuesday.”

  Josh watched her move, enjoying the way his body responded to hers. He also realized that he’d missed being around her. Not just for sex but for conversation and company. What did that say about him? About them?

  She turned and saw him. Her eyes brightened and she smiled with so much pleasure that he felt like a hero. Damn, how did she do that?

  She hung up and pulled off the headset. “You’re a surprise.”

  “I was on my way to the hospital,” he said, crossing to her and kissing her cheek. “I had a little time so I thought I’d stop here and see what all the fuss is about.”

  “Fuss?” She raised her eyebrows. “You’re calling my life’s work a fuss?”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  Her smile returned. “I work out. I could take you.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He liked that they were teasing, that she was still comfortable with him.

  “Pretty confident, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “I am. I heard about your lunch with Brandon. Abbey said it went well.”

  “It did.” Crissy motioned for him to take a seat on the brightly colored sofa in the corner. She settled across from him in a chair. “I was terrified, but things went great. He’s a great kid. Funny and charming. I want to take credit, of course, but it’s mostly Abbey and Pete.”

  “You get credit for Brandon being smart. Intelligence passes through the mother.”

  “Really?” She looked pleased. “Are you just saying that?”

  “There have been scientific studies.”

  “Cool.” She chuckled. “So all those rich guys who married beautiful women who weren’t the brightest bulbs are going to be disappointed, huh?”

  “I doubt they read the study.”

  “But brainy women everywhere are celebrating. Brandon reminds me a little of my brother. The way he moves and teases. There’s also some of his father in him, but that’s to be expected. It’s interesting to see the blend of families.”

  He leaned back against the sofa. “Assuming you tell him who you are, will your parents want to meet him?”

  “They would love to.” Her humor faded. “They were very supportive when I found out I was pregnant. I think on some level they wanted me to keep him. He’s their first grandchild. Both my sister and brother have married and have kids, so there have been others, but they’ve never forgotten him.”

  She shrugged. “I can’t complain. They never made me feel guilty. They wanted me to make the best decision.”

  “Which you did.”

  “Thanks for saying that. I go to the bad place and remind myself I made the easy decision and should be punished for the next hundred and fifty years.”

  “You’re the only one talking about that.”

  “I know. I need a new theme. It’s just that I have so much and I wonder if I deserve it.”

  He glanced around. “Looks to me like you worked your butt off for this. Anyone hand you the business?”

  “What? Of course not. My parents helped a little with the initial funding on my first gym, but I paid them back an incredible rate of interest and since then, I’ve handled all the money myself. I’ve done well.”

  “So be proud of that and let the rest of it go.”

  She looked at him and he felt the intensity of her gaze all the way down to his gut.

  “You do go for logic,” she murmured. “I can’t decide if that’s a flaw or not.” She stood. “Come on. I’ll give you a tour of the place and then you can be even more impressed.”

  She was already fairly impressive. Smart, beautiful, successful. Great in bed.

  Not that he was going to think about that now. He didn’t want to have to worry about everyone knowing what was on his mind as he toured the gym.

  She showed him the offices upstairs. This was her primary location, with all the other gyms being handled through this office.

  “Obviously we won’t tour the locker rooms,” she said as they walked downstairs. “They’re nice. Very girly. You’d be uncomfortable.”

  “On many levels,” he said.

  She laughed, then pointed. “Reception. The trainers have that office. There’s a lounge with vending machines. I’ve been approached by a couple of juice bar companies, but I can’t decide if I want to get into that or not.”

  She led the way down a short hall that ended at a colorful aquatic mural surrounding glass doors with a view to a bright and cheerful day care center.

  “This is what makes me happy,” she said. “When I started my first gym, I wanted to make day care a priority. It took some doing, but we have a center in each of our gyms. There are a couple of unique features. First, any member can use the day care center while we’re open for up to four hours a day. We charge a very nominal fee for that, which means Mom can drop off her kids if she has an unexpected appointment, or needs to run a couple of errands. Or even if she needs some sanity time.”

  He frowned. “Aren’t you overrun with kids?”

  “Almost never. Our members appreciate the service and don’t take advantage of it in a bad way. It’s something I wanted to do and it’s working. We also have a very high ratio of child-care providers to kids.”

  He looked into the center and saw she was right. Most of the kids were one-on-one with an adult.

&n
bsp; “The local community colleges and the state college all have child care majors,” she said. “I’m an official member of their program, which means college kids can get their internship credits here. I work with their schedules and they love me. I always have a licensed professional on duty, but the majority of the help is provided by the students. They’re young and energetic and enthused. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

  He turned his attention from the day care center to the woman standing next to him. She was nothing like Stacey, which wasn’t good or bad. Just an interesting fact. Two weeks ago, he would have sworn he would never be interested in another woman ever. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  “You’re saving the world,” he said.

  She laughed. “Oh, please. I’m desperately trying to affect one tiny corner.”

  “Which you’re doing.”

  “I try. It’s funny. I majored in finance when I was in college and got a job with a money management firm after I graduated. Within the first year, I knew I’d made a desperate mistake. I hated what I did, I missed playing sports and hanging out with my girlfriends all the time. I wanted to be on a team, but not the corporate one I’d signed up for. I was totally miserable.”

  She shrugged. “One day a client came in. She had a small gym and wasn’t making it. She wanted to talk to me about filing for bankruptcy. As I listened to her, I felt as if I’d been hit by lightning. I knew I wanted to buy that gym. I believed I could make it successful. I wanted gyms all over Riverside and beyond.”

  “Which you made happen.”

  She looked at him. “I worked my butt off and it was so worth it. Even when I was scared, I never regretted my decision. Now I have everything I want.” She paused. “Almost everything.”

  He wondered what was missing.

  “I get buyout offers all the time,” she told him. “I always say no, but I’m willing to admit I love being asked.”

  She was vibrant and alive and that energy rubbed off on him. He hated having to check his watch and didn’t like the time when he saw it.

  She caught his action. “You have to go.”

  “Sorry. I’m meeting a family to discuss treatment options.”

  “That can’t be fun.”