by Sara Orwig
Sloan looked at both pieces. “That table and the mirror have to be worth thousands of dollars. There must have been something between you and Jared.”
She didn’t deny it. “There isn’t now. I can’t deal with his lifestyle.”
“No, you can’t, because he’s still the wild man doing wild things. Jared isn’t ready to settle down.” He started collecting the boxes. “Dad said you went to the rodeo with Jared.”
“Yes, I did. Right now, I’m seeing Phillip, so don’t start in on me about why I shouldn’t go out with Jared.”
“That’s good to hear. You’ll never regret that, Allison. Jared has never lost his wild ways, and I don’t think he will anytime soon.” He stopped and looked at her. “But you don’t look happy.”
“I’m fine. You’re being a worrywart again.”
“Okay, okay. I just want you happy.”
“I am. I’m dating Phillip. I’ll probably marry Phillip, so just relax. Phillip is my type of person. We’re happy. We’re compatible.”
Her brother studied her intently until she turned away.
“At least you and Phillip are compatible and like the same things in life.”
“I’m sure you’re right. Phillip and I are going to dinner tonight.”
“I’m glad. Tell him hello for me. Maybe we can have you both over soon. Of course, it’s chaotic with the kids running around.”
“It would be fun. I’m ready for my nieces and nephew to come for their overnight. I probably won’t even recognize Jake. He must’ve grown so much since I went to Houston. And I can’t wait to see the girls. They’re always fun to have here.”
“They love being with you. I’ll tell Leah because I’m sure she is more than ready to let them stay with you. That would be wonderful.”
“How about Friday or Saturday night?”
“Let me talk to her, and we’ll call you. Now, let’s move this table where you want to put it.”
“In the living room,” she said, taking one end while Sloan got the other. “Okay, let’s go.”
In minutes they had it positioned just right, and Sloan was getting ready to leave. He paused as if groping for words. “I—I’m glad you’re seeing Phillip. Jared isn’t the man for you.”
“Don’t worry about it, Sloan.”
“Well, I’d better run.”
She followed him to the door. “Thanks for helping me get the table and mirror out of the boxes.”
“I didn’t help you hang the mirror. Do you want me to?”
She shook her head. “Phillip will. Thanks again.”
Sloan climbed into his car, and she waved as he drove away.
She hurt, and she missed Jared, and now every time she looked at the table or the mirror, she would think of him.
Glancing at the time, she ran to get ready for her evening with Phillip.
In the past year Phillip had brought up marriage every few months. The next time he did, Allison decided she was going to accept. She couldn’t deal with a man like Jared, but Phillip would give her a family, security and, hopefully, along with compatibility would come love.
As she dressed, she struggled to keep Jared out of her thoughts. Everything reminded her of him, made her think about him. Did he even care that she had gone out of his life?
* * *
The next day she received a call from her brother. “Will you be home after work tonight? I’d like to stop by for a minute.”
“I’m going out with Phillip again. He has tickets to a play. But I’ll be home till about seven.”
“I won’t keep you long. Also, I talked to Leah. What about keeping the kids Friday night? Leah’s friend Nan has asked us to go to dinner with them.”
“Sure. Let the kids sleep over. I’d love having them.”
“That’s great, Allison. We’ll pick up Jake after dinner because he doesn’t sleep well and he can be pure trouble, but if you want to keep the girls all night, that would be wonderful, and they will be delighted. You know how they love to be with you.”
“It’s mutual,” she said, smiling. “I’m anxious to see all of them, and I don’t mind keeping Jake all night.”
“Nope. Not this time. There may be something later when we will be out of town, and I’ll accept your offer, but not Friday. He’ll ruin your night. I’ll let Leah know and she can tell the girls. They’ll have their little bags packed within the hour, I’m sure.”
She laughed. “I’m glad they like to come over. I have some new paint books and paints. We’ll have fun. I’ll call them tonight and invite them myself.”
“You’re a good aunt. See you after five tonight.”
She wondered what he wanted and thought maybe he was coming by to see if she had her mirror hung yet, which she did not. This weekend she would get Phillip to help her hang it.
She thought about her last evening with Phillip. She had enjoyed it, but it had been quiet, no sparks, no excitement, yet she’d had a nice time. Their good-night kiss had been bland, meaningless really. Did she really want to tie her life to Phillip’s? She was certain he had the same reaction to her. Yet in so many ways, they could have a good life together. Phillip traveled a lot and would be away a good part of the time, so she wouldn’t see him or deal with him daily. He was wealthy and could provide a comfortable life, and he was willing for her to continue working with her dad.
Jared, on the other hand, would not marry for years—if at all—and he would continue his wild lifestyle that she couldn’t take. He was out of her life, and she was through seeing him. Every time she thought about the two men, she always came back to the same decision—accept Phillip’s next proposal of marriage.
She returned to work, adding to the mailing list and reading over the rough draft of the catalog her dad was still working on. Looking at pictures of the furniture, it was difficult to keep her thoughts from drifting. Memories assailed her: of talking with Jared about this chair or that table, of sitting on an antique settee, of Jared kissing her.
She would be relieved when they finished dealing with his things, when the sale was over and he vanished out of their lives completely.
* * *
After work that afternoon at her condo, she put away the snacks she’d purchased for the little girls and Jake. She had new toys for all of them that she put in sacks to surprise them. She was eager to see them, and Friday night couldn’t come too soon.
She made a final round of the rooms in her condo and decided she still wanted the mirror to hang in her living room where everyone who came to visit would see it. She got out a hammer and a picture hook for Sloan because she was certain that was why he was stopping by on his way home.
When she heard his car on the drive, she went to her front door to wait for her brother.
“Hi, how did it go today?” he asked when he came in through her back door.
“Fine. Soon we’ll be all ready for Jared’s sale, which he won’t attend. Neither will you. I know Leah would not want a thing from this sale.”
“No, she won’t. She is very much a minimalist, with a love of clean lines and contemporary furnishings. You know I don’t care.”
“Yes, I do. I assume you’re here to hang the mirror.”
“Actually, no, I’m not. I want to talk to you.”
Startled, she looked sharply at him. “What on earth about? Your family is all right, aren’t they?”
“Yes, nothing like that.” He pulled out a kitchen chair and sat. “I can hang the mirror for you, too, if you’d like.”
“Want something to drink?”
“Sure. Iced tea if you have any.”
“I knew you were coming.” She poured two glasses and got out some cookies to set across from him.
“Now, what’s on your mind?”
“I’
m beginning to feel guilty, and I feel I’m pushing you into something you shouldn’t do.”
“You’re not even making sense,” she said, staring intently at him.
“Dad has told me that Phillip has proposed to you before. This came up because of the gifts Jared just gave you.”
“Sloan, stop worrying. I will not marry Jared.”
“That isn’t exactly what’s worrying me,” he said. “I want to tell you that Leah and I are very much in love and very happily married.”
Amused, Allison smiled. “I think we all know that. It shows a little.”
“Marriage should be to someone you really love, with all the excitement that goes with that. I think you’re going into a loveless marriage just because time is passing and Dad isn’t well, and you know he would feel better if you were settled down. You may want marriage and a family, but I don’t want you to do something that will put you into a loveless marriage that is doomed from the start, or if it succeeds, never has that spark that is so—” he paused, as if searching for a word “—so special.”
“You’re worrying needlessly.”
“Listen to me. I’m not through. I think part of this is my fault.”
She laughed. “Sloan, you’re not at fault for anything I do.”
“I think I may have painted Jared with a very dark brush. For years I’ve warned you to avoid him.”
It dawned on her as to why she was sitting in her kitchen with her brother when he should be on his way home from work. “Sloan, stop right now and let me save you a lot of talking. It doesn’t matter what you’ve said about Jared. It’s definitely over between us. I went to the rodeo with him and I couldn’t bear to watch. I was almost physically sick. I cannot tie my life to a man who lives on the edge.”
“I’ve ridden in rodeos, and that’s not the wildest risk on earth.”
“You think?” she asked drily. “Eight seconds on a bull?”
“Well, it’s a dangerous sport, but age is against him. He can’t keep doing all the things he does.”
“Your argument is as leaky as a sieve. And it is going nowhere with me. If I marry Phillip, I feel sure we’ll be happy because we’ll both be doing exactly what we want.”
She gazed into her brother’s blue eyes and could see the doubt and concern. “Sloan, I appreciate your interest and how you always look out for me, but I’m all grown up. You have three little children to look out for now. You concentrate on them. You’re a great brother, but stop worrying about the man I marry. It won’t be Jared anyway, because he doesn’t want to be tied down. I’m not moving in and living with him without the whole commitment from him.”
“Well, that part is good. Jared does have a rather bad history with women and walking out on them, but he’s getting older and he’s growing up.”
“Oh, if he could hear you,” she said, laughing. “That would give him a laugh. Go on home to your family. I know they’re waiting, and Leah probably needs your help with the kids.”
“I feel guilty because Jared is really a good guy. I wouldn’t have stayed friends with him all these years if I didn’t think so.”
“I know,” she said, standing.
Sloan came to his feet, too. “You think about what I said about him. He’s a good guy, and I can count on him when I need to.”
“I understand,” she said patiently.
“By the way, I saw in the paper that he won the bull-riding event.”
“That will only encourage him.”
At the door, Sloan repeated himself. “Give him a chance.”
“Stop worrying. Now you’re worrying about just the opposite of what you were worrying about last week. Sloan, you’re a world-class worrier. Go home and worry about them.”
He grinned and left, climbing into his car and driving away.
She shook her head. “Sheesh. My crazy brother,” she said to herself. “‘Stay away from Jared. Go marry Jared.’ Sloan is losing it.”
* * *
Friday night Phillip joined her, and when Sloan brought his children in, Leah came with him. Sloan looked startled to see Phillip. Jake held his small arms out to Allison, and as soon as she had hugged both girls, she took Jake from Sloan.
“Phillip, if you’re staying, you’re a glutton for punishment,” Sloan said.
“I like kids. I have six nieces and nephews and I see them often. They’re all here in town, so this is nothing. It’ll be fun.”
“Crazy man,” Sloan said in fun to Leah, who smiled at Phillip and Allison.
“Pay no attention to him,” Leah said. “He’s great with the kids. Although today has been a little trying.” She said goodbye to the children and got ready to leave. “We shouldn’t be out late.”
Carrying Jake, Allison went with Phillip as they followed Sloan and Leah to the door while the girls ran for the toy box.
After pizza, later in the evening, Allison painted at the kitchen table with Virginia and Megan while Phillip sat on the floor playing with toy cars with Jake, who sat on a blanket with toys spread all around him.
“Phillip, if you get tired just tell me, and I’ll trade with you or just take him, and you can go watch television.”
“I’m fine. He doesn’t look as if he’ll wear out for another ten hours. When does this kid go to sleep?”
She laughed. “Jake’s a night owl.”
Virginia turned to Phillip. “Sometimes Jake stays up later than we do.”
“Does he now?” Phillip asked, rolling his eyes. “He may put me to bed.”
“I’ll play with him.”
“I’m kidding. We’re having a good time, aren’t we, Jake? I think he’s happiest crashing the cars. If I can just keep him from chewing on them....”
“You have teething rings there,” she said, watching Phillip run his car around Jake’s and play with her little nephew. It was obvious how much Phillip enjoyed kids. She thought how easily they could repeat this scene over and over if they married each other and had a family of their own.
She had made her decision to accept Phillip’s next proposal. But now she couldn’t help but wonder: Did she want to settle for a safe, loveless marriage?
And how long would it be before she forgot Jared?
Ten
On Monday morning, Jared entered his office after being in North Dakota for the past week on company business. He sat going through his mail, and then turned to listen to his voice mail. He frowned slightly when he discovered he had three calls from Sloan.
Jared thought about Allison. He missed her more than he’d ever thought it was possible to miss someone. Too often memories crept up on him and he couldn’t keep from getting lost in them. Any time he saw a tall blonde walking ahead of him, his attention was riveted until he was certain it wasn’t Allison, although common sense told him that he was not going to see her in a chance meeting.
Skimming over his list of appointments, he decided he had time now to return Sloan’s call. “Is the property available?” he asked his friend after they greeted each other. He figured that was why Sloan had left so many messages.
“No. I called because I want to see you. How about lunch today? I can’t talk on the phone.”
“Okay,” Jared said, because Sloan occasionally came up with a very good investment for him.
They made lunch arrangements, and then Jared forgot Sloan until his secretary thrust her head into his office and reminded him of his lunch appointment.
Shrugging into his charcoal suit coat, he left, going to a downtown restaurant that was beginning to fill with the lunch crowd. Sloan was waiting, and Jared joined him.
After they’d ordered burgers and got their drinks, Jared asked, “All right, what’s so urgent? Property? A building? Stocks? You must have something hot on your mind.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about my sister. And to apologize.”
Startled, Jared stared at his friend. “What about your sister? And what on earth would you apologize for? Well, maybe I can guess that one—sort of butting into others’ lives,” he said, grinning and giving Sloan a slight verbal jab.
“Jared, I’m worried.”
“You were born worried.”
“I have a wonderful marriage, so I know that when you really love someone, marriage is paradise.”
Jared thought he had already heard it all from Sloan, but now Sloan had found a new worry. “That’s nice.”
“No, I mean it. When love is good, it’s beyond description. I want that for Allison.”
“That’s nice, Sloan. What’s that got to do with me?”
“I’m getting to it. I don’t think that’s what is going to happen. She told me that the next time Phillip proposes—and he will propose because he does so on a regular basis—she will accept.”
Jared had known that, but he still felt as if he had received a blow to his middle. “I already knew that.”
“I don’t think she’ll be happy or that marrying Phillip is what she wants to do.”
“I can’t do anything about your sister accepting some guy’s marriage proposal. She knows what she wants.”
“What makes me feel guilty and bad about this is that I think I’ve described you as a wild man who will never settle down. You’re my best friend, the best man in my wedding, a great guy and I shouldn’t have made you sound so wild and crazy.”
Jared laughed. “Is that what this lunch is about? Cool it, Sloan. It wouldn’t have mattered how wild and crazy you made me sound if Allison and I had been in love and wanted to get married.”
“I know you don’t want to marry, but you might rethink that a little. I’m telling you, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Far happier. It’s wonderful, kids with runny noses and all.”
“Kids with runny noses don’t exactly sell me on marriage,” he teased. “I’m kidding. I’m sure you’re happy,” Jared said, smiling at his friend. “You’re the best as far as friends go. Well, maybe you could worry a little less, but you’re a great friend. Allison and I aren’t seeing each other, and it doesn’t have anything to do with you.”