Save the Date: December 24, 2015.
Jake’s mouth fell open. Then he laughed. “Is this a joke? They just reconnected with each other a week ago. Can you even get printing done that fast, much less propose, address cards and mail them out? They obviously had a lot of catching up to do after we left them at the restaurant.”
“Funny thing is, I thought Vicki didn’t want to get married,” said Anna. “Emily told me she was too immersed in her quest to make partner at her law firm. But it’s not as if they just met. They were high school sweethearts. Maybe she was waiting for him?”
His stomach tightened in a weird way and as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes, there was that feeling again. The two of them had been separated for a decade and Anna had only been back in his life full-time for one month, but after all these years it seemed as if a lot had changed. Changed for the better. And he wasn’t quite sure what to do with these feelings. One thing that remained constant was they wanted different things from life. She wanted marriage and a family. He...wasn’t so sure.
“Well, we know we can set up the perfect couple,” he said. “Apparently just not for each other.”
“Don’t count me out just yet. I have someone in mind to fix you up with for the July Fourth party. Cassie Davis, that nurse on the second floor.”
“Cassie? Oh...she’s nice. And pretty. She sort of reminds me of you in a way.”
Anna threw him a look.
“Oh, well, poor Cassie. I guess that means you’re not interested.”
Why had he said that? Or at least, why had he said it that way? It wasn’t a slam. Any guy would be lucky to have Anna. Unfortunately, the jackasses of the world, like her ex, always seemed to come in and mess things up for the good guys. Jake wondered if in her eyes he fell into that jackass category, dating beautiful women who weren’t marriage material, so, a few months down the road, he could walk away with his bachelorhood intact.
“I didn’t mean anything bad by it,” he said.
Tell her. Tell her that a man would be lucky to have her love.
But the words stuck in his throat and then he convinced himself that he’d better quit while he was ahead, or at least before he dug himself in deeper.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to date someone I work with. Look how messy it got after people saw us together at the jazz festival.”
Anna’s right brow shot up the way it always did just before she made a smart-mouthed comment about something. But then, it was as if she stopped herself before she said what was on her mind. He realized what he’d said might’ve sounded as though he was calling their night at the jazz festival a date.
It wasn’t.
Not technically.
God, he didn’t want to pressure her.
No, if it had been a date...what would he have done differently? He might’ve asked her if she was available earlier, rather than just showing up at her house. But one of the things he loved about her—about them—was that they were spontaneous. They didn’t have to schedule fun. Fun seemed to follow them wherever they went. It was as natural as—
“You’re welcome to invite her, if you’d like,” he said. “But how about we don’t bring dates to the party? It’s a lot of pressure.”
He hoped that didn’t sound wrong. Even though he didn’t know how else it could sound.
“I mean, you can bring a date if you want. But I think I want to go solo to this one. Since we’re cohosting. It might be easier.”
“If I didn’t know better, I might think you were asking me to be your date.”
Her eyes sparkled as she sat there watching him. She was baiting him, but he wasn’t going to bite.
“Even better, I was thinking Cassie could be your date for the wedding. Really, she’s perfect, if you think about it. Stan Holbrook knows her. He thinks highly of her. Everyone does.”
“If everyone loves her so much, why is she still available?”
She clucked her tongue at him and wrinkled her nose.
“Watch what you say there, buddy. You make it sound like she has some sort of defect. She’s a good catch. Don’t forget, you and I are available. Does that mean we’re defective, too?”
“Of course not.”
“Okay, then. Take Cassie to the wedding?”
“If it will get you off my back.” He smiled at her to make sure she knew he was joking.
Sort of.
“Okay, good. That’s one thing off my plate. You do realize I’m a step ahead of you here. Even though the dates with Vicki and Cheryl didn’t work out, Cassie is a keeper. Or at least someone you don’t need to toy with.”
“I don’t toy with women. Especially not women I work with.”
She shrugged as if she were giving him that point. “You need to fix me up with someone decent. I mean, Joe and Burt are nice guys, decent guys, but they weren’t for me. Obviously. So you’d better bring your A-game for this one. I don’t want to be the third wheel on your wedding date.”
He wouldn’t mind her being the third wheel. No, actually it crossed his mind that maybe it would be a better idea if they went to the wedding together. But he knew what she would say to that. By the grace of God, things had not gotten weird after the kiss. He needed to rein it in a bit before his luck ran out.
Sitting here, looking at her, fresh-faced and lovely, his body was telling him exactly what he wanted—her, in her bed, with nothing between them but their feelings. But then reality crashed the party, reminding him that she wanted—she deserved—so much more than he could offer her.
For a moment, he let his mind go there. He was crazy about her in a way that he had never felt about any other woman in his life. Would it be so bad? Of course it wouldn’t. But he had to stop pushing the envelope with her. If he kept on, he was bound to hurt her. Ruin everything between them.
And that was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Let me think about a date for you,” he said.
Dylan Tyler came to mind. He had a good career and he and Anna had both found each other attractive—as they’d stated at the jazz festival. But he wasn’t going to lie to himself. The fact that Dylan and Anna might be just a little too perfect for each other made him uncomfortable. Did he really want to tempt fate?
What the hell did it even mean, that he was thinking that way?
If he knew what was best for both of them, he would say goodbye now.
* * *
At least forty people had turned out for the party. Apparently, Jake’s annual shindig had become something of an institution. One of the reasons his house was the perfect place for this party was that fireworks from at least three different local shows were visible over the water.
Since Anna had been in San Antonio until last month, and because Hal had been so funny about her friendship with Jake, this was the first year she’d been able to attend his infamous party, much less be involved in helping him host.
“Hey, Anna, you and Jake throw a great party,” said her sister, Emily, who was sitting around a fire pit with Ty and Ben, two of Jake’s three brothers, roasting marshmallows for s’mores. “I think they make a good team. Don’t you, Ty?”
Emily could be such an instigator sometimes. She flashed a smile at Anna, then turned her charm on Jake’s youngest brother, Ty. She could be a flirt and an instigator. Anna sat down on the arm of the Adirondack chair Emily was in. Her sister’s long brown hair hung in soft waves around her tanned shoulders. The aqua halter top she wore accentuated her blue eyes. The glow of the fire made her cheeks look rosier than usual. Or maybe it was simply the fact that she was in her glory, enjoying the sight of the younger Lennox brothers engaging in a subtle tug-of-war for her attention.
“I’m glad you’re having fun,” Anna said.
“She’s right, you know,” said Ty. “Jake’s Fourth of July parties are always good, but you’ve helped him kick it up another notch this year. I think there’s something to this pairing.”
Anna nudged her sister’s leg,
in a thanks-a-lot-for-getting-this-started gesture. “Well, what you see is what you get. You know Jake and I have always been good buddies.”
“I think you two are good for each other,” said Ben. “He seems so much happier lately—since you moved back.”
The idea sent Anna’s spirits soaring, despite the fact that she sensed a conspiracy.
Ty was a good-looking guy. He was an EMT, the kind who might be featured on the cover of a first-responders calendar. He’d always had a thing for Emily, but she’d always viewed him as a brother. Maybe that was the thing about knowing somebody since their paste-eating kindergarten years. Sometimes it was hard to see past the old and into the possibilities.
“Where is Luke tonight?” Anna asked. “I thought he’d be here.”
She glanced at her sister. Emily had always had a thing for Luke Lennox. Wasn’t it just the grand irony that Ty seemed to be attracted to Emily, but Emily was interested in Luke? And Luke... Who knew where Luke’s head and heart were these days? He’d been pretty scarce since Anna had been back. He was nearly as bad as his older brother when it came to loathing commitment.
“Are they giving you a hard time?” As if on cue, Jake walked up beside Anna and rested a hand on her shoulder. Her skin prickled under his touch, and she held her breath, hoping Emily wouldn’t start asking why she and Jake were trying to fix each other up...when the obvious answer was right there in front of them.
Well, that’s what Emily would say.
And Anna couldn’t believe she was even letting her mind go there. She and Jake were obviously wrong for each other. They wanted completely different things out of life, even if this attraction did seem to pull them both toward a middle ground where they could meet...but for how long? And to what end?
“Do you really think I’d let them get away with that?” Anna said.
She’d been working on the decorations and setting up for the party since midmorning. She’d strung stars-and-stripes bunting along the back of the house and festooned the tables with red, white and blue tablecloths, and napkins and centerpieces made of white hydrangeas and small flags arranged in vases that looked like mini-washtubs.
This was the first chance she’d had to slow down all day. She’d worked up until the guests had started arriving. Then she’d quickly changed from her shorts into her red sundress and she’d played hostess, greeting everyone, fetching drinks and doing her best to make them feel at home. Her stomach growled a stern reminder that she hadn’t eaten much that day.
Now dusk was settling over the backyard. It was just about time to bring out the giant flag cake she’d made—a sheet cake with whipped cream icing, adorned with strawberries and blueberries to form the stars and stripes on the flag. She’d have just enough time to grab a bite and serve the cake before the fireworks started.
“I’m starving,” she said to Jake. “I have got to get something to eat. Would you care to join me?”
“I’d love to,” he said. “Let’s grab some food and go down to the dock.”
“The dock, hmm?” Emily muttered. “That sounds romantic.”
Anna stepped on her sister’s foot as she stood.
“Ouch!” Emily said. “That hurt.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Anna shot her sister a sweet smile. “I intended for it to. Mind your manners.”
As they walked toward the food table, Jake asked, “What was that about?”
Anna shrugged and pretended to be much more focused on the barbecue than was really necessary. “Oh, you know how Emily can be. I was just keeping her in line.”
“What’s she getting you all riled up about now?”
Jake’s voice was deep and ridiculously alluring. Anna slanted a glance at him.
“She’s gotten it into her head that we shouldn’t fix each other up.”
Jake raised a questioning eyebrow, but something in his gaze seemed to say he knew what she was going to say next.
“She thinks you and I should date,” Anna said. “She always has.”
Jake shot her a lopsided smile that reminded her of the times when he used to triple-dog-dare her to do things she would’ve never tried on her own.
Or maybe she was simply imagining it.
Anna looked away, training her focus on the food, inhaling the delicious scent of barbecue and trying to ignore how her stomach had suddenly twisted itself into a knot. She helped herself to the barbecued ribs Jake had spent all day slow-cooking, a scoop of potato salad and some baked beans.
“Want a beer to go with that?” Jake asked.
He looked good, standing there in his blue jeans and bright blue polo shirt. Her stomach did a little flip, which she tried to convince herself was hunger.
But hunger for what, exactly?
The flames from the tiki torches cast shadows on his face, accentuating his strong jaw line and full lips. He was sporting that sexy-scruffy five-o’clock shadow that Anna had become inexplicably fond of. He fished a bottle of the micro-brew he’d picked up for the party out of the cooler and held it up for her to see.
“Yes, please. That sounds wonderful.”
They’d been so busy facilitating that they hadn’t had a chance to say much to each other, much less enjoy a beer together.
Jake grabbed another bottle out of the cooler and turned toward the dock.
She took her plate and followed him. It was one of the few unoccupied spaces, probably because it was set away from the food and festivities. Their friends were clustered in groups under the canopy of trees that stretched protectively over the large backyard. All the seats and places at the tables appeared to be occupied. In fact, people were sitting on the ground amidst the tiki torches and fire pit; everyone was talking and laughing and seemed to be having a great time. But right now, all Anna wanted was to find a quiet place away from the crowd where she could eat, and if that place happened to be on the dock, alone with Jake...all the better.
This was what she’d been missing all the years she’d been away. A lot of things had changed, but one thing that had become a tradition was that people loved to gather at Jake’s house. She hadn’t asked him, but she wondered if over the years his various girlfriends had played hostess. She made a note to rib him about it later.
But not now.
There wasn’t time.
The sun was setting, and Anna knew if she didn’t eat while she could, soon everyone would be shifting out from under the trees, toward the dock and the lakeshore to watch the fireworks. She didn’t want to spend what little alone time they might have conjuring the ghosts of exes past.
For the first time that evening, as Anna sat there with Jake, she inhaled a full deep breath and relaxed.
On the dock, they sat side by side on the bench that overlooked the lake. The warm summer breeze must’ve blown out the tiki torch that Jake had lit earlier, because the only light came from the dusky twilight reflecting off the water.
He was sitting so close to her that his muscular biceps grazed her when he lifted his beer to take a sip.
All seemed right with the world as they sat next to each other listening to the symphony of cicadas, just as they had so often before. But this time, something felt different. There was a charge in the air. No matter how Anna tried to ignore it or explain it away or put herself on notice, she didn’t care that it was a bad idea to allow herself to be drawn in by this strange, new magnetic pull that was so strong between them.
“It seems like everyone is having a great time,” said Jake.
She was acutely aware that his knee had drifted over and was pressing against hers, and she was doing nothing to put some much-needed space between them. She didn’t intend to do anything.
“Yeah, they are. We should do this more often.”
“Do what? Have a July Fourth party?”
She was just about ready to swat his arm for the sarcastic remark, but he said, “Or should we do this more often?” He gestured between them. “I’d vote for this, myself.”
She felt shy all of
a sudden, as if he were testing her wit...and she couldn’t come up with a good comeback. All her words felt clunky and strange and wrong.
Or maybe he was calling her bluff?
It sure seemed like it when he trailed his finger along the tender underside of her arm. The feel of his hand on her was her touchstone, her anchor, the one thing in this world that simultaneously frightened her and made perfect sense.
He set down his beer and turned his body to face her. He was looking at her with an intensity that had her gripping the edge of the bench to keep from reaching for him.
Despite the summer breeze blowing across the lake, the heat between them flared. He was playing with her hair, and she reached out and touched his hand. It was just meant to be a passing touch—something to anchor her, but it seemed to ignite that spark.
She wasn’t sure who moved first, but suddenly they were kissing each other.
He kissed her exactly the way she hoped he would: deliberate and intense, as if he wanted to prove to her that they were that good together. That it really was electric. That it hadn’t been a fluke that night when he’d first kissed her at the jazz festival. Right there in front of everyone. In front of their coworkers and their neighbors and God. In the moment, she hadn’t worried about who saw them or questioned them or talked about them. She didn’t think she would ever worry about it. This was Jake. The guy who had always looked out for her. Protected her.
She was sure he was still that guy who cared about her more than the man she’d married had ever done. But she wasn’t the blindly foolish woman who’d convinced herself for years that her feelings for her best friend were purely platonic.
No. She definitely wasn’t that woman anymore.
In this moment, she was just a woman who wanted a man. This man. And the sizzling hot, extraordinary kiss he was giving her. She would consider the consequences later.
Or maybe she wouldn’t.
Maybe she’d pretend there were no consequences to worry about.
Maybe she worried too much.
Jake was kissing her and nothing else mattered. This dock was their own world for two, their own universe. It was vast and amazing. This kiss wasn’t about weddings and children and happily-ever-afters that she could never have with him.
How to Marry a Doctor (Celebrations, Inc.) Page 9