by TJ Thomas
CHAPTER THREE
Jo meandered around the small college town. Even with a major university and two colleges in close proximity, Amherst managed to keep its small town feel. It felt familiar and not much different from when she left. Sure some restaurants and shops bore different names, but the character of the town remained the same. She stood on the sidewalk outside Amherst Books, perusing the titles in the front window, when she heard her name.
“Jo?”
She turned toward the voice.
“Jo Adams?” Before Jo could utter a word, her best friend from high school, Christie Black, grabbed her in a tight hug. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you let us know you were coming?”
A wash of emotion flushed over her. Jo hugged her fiercely. She had not realized until that moment how much she missed her, missed the connection she once had to her and her family. “Christie, oh my God!” Jo reluctantly stepped back. She stared in disbelief for a moment. “My best friend from college is getting married next week. I wasn’t sure how much time I would have to see anyone since I’m helping with wedding stuff most of the week.” Though technically true, what Jo didn’t say was she had no idea how things stood between them since she lost touch and had not spoken to Christie in more than eight years.
Christie glanced at her watch. “Well, do you have time for a cup of coffee?”
Jo jumped at the chance to catch up. “Sure.”
Christie pulled out her phone. “Let me just text Peter that I’ll be later than I expected.”
“Okay.”
With that done, Christie dropped her phone back into her purse. She slipped her arm through Jo’s. “How the heck are you?”
“I’m good, really good. You look great. Peter’s your husband, I presume.”
“Yes, he is. We have two wonderful children, Mary and Cody. I’m sorry you couldn’t make it to the wedding.”
They reached their destination and grabbed a table near the front of the café.
“I am too. I just couldn’t get away right then. I was helping with the kids of a good friend going through chemo.”
“You were where you needed to be. Your gifts were very thoughtful. I enjoyed having a joint ceremony with Julie. Growing up sharing everything wasn’t always easy. But when we fell in love, for keeps, at the same time, it made perfect sense to have our weddings together.”
“That’s great.”
Christie turned serious for a moment. “Your friend, how is she?”
“She’s good. She’s been in remission for years. I just saw her and her kids a couple of weeks ago. Everyone is well.”
“I’m so glad.”
Jo studied Christie. Her blue eyes bright, her cheeks flushed with pleasure, and her wavy, dirty blond hair fell just below her shoulders. “You look and sound happy.”
Christie favored Jo with a brilliant smile. “Life is good.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
As soon as the waitress left with their coffee order, Christie leaned toward Jo. “So tell me about you. I want to know everything.”
“I doubt either of us have time for ‘everything,’ but the highlights, let’s see, since I last saw you, I graduated from college, stayed in San Diego, have a career I enjoy very much as an independent consultant. I have a chocolate lab named Kona, and a great condo in Hillcrest.” Jo shrugged. “Not much to tell.”
“Oh, come on now, there has to be more. Are you in a relationship?”
“You were always the best at twenty questions,” Jo said. “My last serious relationship ended about a year ago. We’re good friends now and that works better for us. My turn. How is the rest of the family—Rhonda, Julie, Mike?”
“Julie’s doing well. She married Ben. Their kids are Dylan and Jamie. Technically, Jamie is Julie’s stepdaughter, but she’s like her own. Ben’s first wife passed away when Jamie was very young. Mike just started his third year of law school. Can you believe it?” Christie paused to take a sip of her coffee. “Mom is also good. Her business has taken off. She loves the fact we’re all still close.”
“I’m sure she does.”
“Any chance you’ll make it back out for the reunion?”
“I’m going to try, but it will depend on what’s happening with work.”
They talked for more than an hour catching up and reminiscing about their youth, but Christie had to get going. She reached across the table and laid her hand on Jo’s arm. “Please tell me we can get together again before you leave. When’s the wedding and when do you head back to San Diego?”
“The wedding is Saturday, but I don’t head back until Monday.”
“That settles it. You have to come over for dinner next Sunday. Please say yes.”
“Yes. I wouldn’t miss it. Just text me your address and tell me what time to show up.”
After exchanging numbers, Christie hugged Jo tightly. “It’s good to see you.”
“Great to see you too. I’ll see you Sunday.”
CHAPTER FOUR
The rest of the week passed quickly. Jo kept busy with wedding chores. She made several trips to the airport fetching family and friends of the brides. There was little time to think about anything besides wedding preparations. With so much to do, the big day seemed to arrive quickly.
Randi prepared in the bridal suite while Amy and Jo got ready in Jo’s room. Jo glanced over at her. They were watching a baseball game on TV to kill some time.
“Are you nervous?”
Amy shook her head and blew out a breath. “Not nervous, but I’m so excited I might crawl out of my skin. I have honestly never wanted anything more. I love her so much.”
“You’re a lucky woman,” Jo said, wondering if she would ever experience that.
“I am.”
*
Right on time, Jo and Amy made their way to the front of the tent. The weather was perfect on this early September evening. The trees were full and the fragrant flower garden was at its peak. It set a beautiful scene. Rhonda sat in the middle of a row, in the middle of the room and studied Jo as she stood chatting with Amy. Jo made quite the picture in her tux. Her broad shoulders tapered to a trim waist. Her chestnut brown hair cut short, her deep blue eyes vibrant and focused. Her skin a golden tan from the San Diego sun, she stood several inches taller than Amy. There was a time she knew almost everything about Jo, but that was a very long time ago. The only information she had currently was what Christie told her after bumping into Jo the week before. Well, that and what she could now see for herself. Jo was stunningly handsome. She briefly wondered about her attraction to Jo. Then she was swept away in the romance of Amy and Randi pledging their love to one another.
Once the ceremony was over, the guests were ushered into the reception hall and tray-passed hors d’oeuvres were served while the bridal party took photos. In very short order, Amy and Randi were introduced to their guests and shared their first dance as a legally married couple. Then, service began on the plated dinner. When Jo got the signal from the head waiter that everyone had champagne, she stood to start the toasts.
After the toasts, the DJ started playing dance music. Jo set down her champagne flute and made her way through the tables.
Rhonda sat at the table with some of Jo and Amy’s college friends. Jo approached the table with a wide smile. “Hello, everyone.” She greeted her friends Cam, Kate, and June by name and exchanged hugs with each of them.
Rhonda was glued to her seat, her heart hammering in her chest, when Jo turned in her direction.
“Rhonda, I hope these crazy women are entertaining you.”
“Very much.”
Jo stepped closer. “Good, glad to hear that.” She held out her hand. “May I have the pleasure of this dance?”
With only a moment of hesitation, Rhonda slipped her hand into the one Jo offered and looked up into Jo’s deep blue eyes. “I’d be delighted.”
The song was a bit too fast and loud for conversation, so Jo and Rhonda simply danced. When
a slow song came on next, Rhonda turned to walk back to the table. Jo laid a hand on her arm to stop her. “Stay, please.”
Rhonda hesitated briefly. Then she stepped back and wound her hands around Jo’s neck. “Okay.”
Jo was a bit disconcerted that she and Rhonda had barely said a word to one another, and she felt so connected to her, she didn’t want the song to end. They silently moved in unison to the music, their bodies fit together perfectly. Holding Rhonda in her arms aroused her tremendously. It didn’t surprise her, Rhonda was gorgeous, but she couldn’t let it show. Once the song ended, she stepped away creating much needed space. She sighed and felt a sense of loss she didn’t want to examine too closely. She swallowed and looked at Rhonda. “Thank you for the dance. I’m going to get some air.” Jo turned quickly and walked toward the patio before Rhonda could utter a word.
The evening air had cooled significantly, and Jo tried to take some deep, cleansing breaths. It did nothing to ease the ache in her depths. She couldn’t stop thinking about how good and right it felt to hold Rhonda in her arms. When she heard heels on the pavers behind her, she turned.
Rhonda stood a short distance away, slightly flushed, holding two glasses of wine. “I hope you didn’t run off because of something I said.” Rhonda was stunning, her wavy, silky blond hair hanging loose just past her shoulders. Her pale green gown brought out the vibrant green of her eyes to perfection. She was breathtaking.
Jo gripped the railing behind her, so she wouldn’t reach out for Rhonda as she so urgently wanted to. “Of course not.”
She held a glass of wine to Jo. “Do you like red?”
Jo realized she was staring at Rhonda’s mouth, thinking about doing things she could never allow herself to do. “I do.” She reached for the glass and resisted reaching for Rhonda.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
Jo sipped the wine, trying to calm herself and soothe her dry throat which was thick with desire. “Wrong? Nothing, you’re a very beautiful woman.”
Rhonda cocked her head slightly. “And that’s a problem?”
“Seems to be.”
Rhonda looked puzzled.
Jo considered brushing it off. She would be gone in two days anyway, and she would get over it. But she had nothing to lose, so she opted for the truth. “Dancing with you was…I have to confess, I had quite the crush on you back in the day. It seems I still do.”
Rhonda laid her hand on Jo’s arm. She smiled, but Jo couldn’t tell if she was amused or flattered. The simple connection settled Jo somewhere deep inside and revved her up at the same time. No other woman had ever made her feel so much with such an innocent touch.
“Let’s go back inside so we can catch up.” This time, Rhonda held out her hand.
Jo took it and let herself be led back to the tent.
They talked and danced for hours. She wouldn’t let Rhonda persuade her to slow dance again. When those songs came on, they returned to the table and chatted with Jo’s friends.
When asked about what Jo had been like in high school, Rhonda thought about the younger version of the beautiful woman beside her. Finally she said, “I hate to disappoint you ladies, but I can’t give away any of Jo’s secrets.”
Everyone laughed, including Jo.
As the party waned, Rhonda looked around the table and said, “Well, I should call a cab.”
“I’ll give you a ride,” Jo said. “I stopped drinking hours ago.”
“Thanks, I’ll just grab my jacket.”
After bidding farewell to their friends, they walked to Jo’s car.
Jo climbed in, turned to Rhonda who had slid into the seat next to her, and asked, “Is it still the same house?”
“Yes, do you remember how to get there?”
“I think I can manage, but let me know if I take a wrong turn.”
“Okay.” Rhonda couldn’t seem to shake the tension now that she and Jo were alone. She breathed deeply trying to relax. She was so focused, she almost missed Jo’s question.
“How is your business doing?”
Rhonda relaxed then. She could easily talk about her passion. “It’s wonderful. Sometimes I still can’t believe that I started my own architecture firm out of my house while my kids were still in school. But it’s been fantastic and it’s been growing every year through word of mouth, mostly. I’m getting so many requests now that I’m even considering taking on a partner or expanding.”
“That’s great. I’m so glad to hear it’s successful. Even when I was younger it was easy to see it was something you wanted with every fiber of your being.”
“I guess I was pretty obsessed at first. But I love running my own company.”
“I would imagine anyone starting a business from scratch would have to be pretty focused on it for a while to get it off the ground.”
“I never really thought about that but it’s probably true. My timing might have been better though, maybe I should have waited until everyone had finished high school.”
“That sounds a lot like regret.”
“Not regret, exactly, but I just wonder sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change what I’ve made my business into, but—”
“Are you still as close with Christie, Julie, and Mike as you always were?”
“Yes.” Rhonda was a little thrown by Jo’s abrupt question but she answered easily.
“Have they ever said anything about missing out on time with you when they were younger?”
“No.”
“Do you think it’s possible you’re the only one looking back because you forget how much time you still managed to spend with them even though you were building your business? Because I remember you being at every soccer game, there to help them with homework, and whatever they needed. You were always there for all of us.”
Rhonda met Jo’s gaze until she had to turn back to the road. “I suppose that’s possible. I don’t even know why I started thinking about that just now.”
“Okay. Well, believe me, you were and I imagine still are, a wonderful mother to your children, and now I bet you’re an amazing grandma to their kids. You were also an excellent friend to me.”
“Thanks, Jo. I hadn’t realized I needed that reassurance. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. You let me know if you ever need another reminder.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They arrived at Rhonda’s house. Jo walked Rhonda to the door. “Good night.”
“Good night, it was good to see you.”
“Great to see you too, Rhonda.” Jo turned to leave.
“Oh, just one more thing.”
Jo turned back.
Rhonda stepped to her and pulled her down for a sweet, gentle kiss.
Jo’s hands went to Rhonda’s hips and she responded to the kiss with no hesitation. After a few moments, she lifted her head. “Rhonda?” Jo’s voice was a mixture of confusion and desire.
“Hmm, that was nice. Thank you for getting me home safely.” Rhonda turned and went into the house.
CHAPTER FIVE
When the sun peeked through the window and woke her, Jo considered skipping her workout, but she needed somewhere to use her pent up energy, and a run seemed safest. Running usually cleared her mind, but this morning she found herself drifting back to Rhonda and the night before. Nice, that was the word Rhonda had used for the kiss. Jo would have used others, sizzling hot, amazing, and the list went on. But she had to stop thinking about it. As nice as it had been to kiss Rhonda, Jo spent a restless night convincing herself nothing more could happen between them. They lived three thousand miles apart and had completely separate lives.
Finally, Jo put it away and refocused on her friends as she attended the brunch for the bridal party and close family. After the meal, Amy pulled her aside. “You get Rhonda home okay?”
“Of course I did,” Jo replied a bit defensively.
Amy held up her hands. “Whoa, okay. What’s that about?”
“Memorable.”
Mercifully, Amy did not bring Rhonda up again.
*
Rhonda was distracted most of Sunday thinking about Jo. She hadn’t known she was going to kiss her until she was doing it. She didn’t know exactly what had possessed her. When she saw Jo standing in the front of the tent, decked out in her tux, she felt tingling and pulsing in places no one had touched in a long time. Then dancing with her had made her head spin. By the end of the night, she had to know what that gorgeous mouth tasted like. It had been even better than she’d imagined. She didn’t know why she’d left Jo on the doorstep when every part of her was screaming for her to invite her in, but she knew it was for the best.
When Christie called to invite her over for dinner with Jo, she almost begged off. But she thought it would be better to clear things up between them as soon as possible. Clearly, nothing more could happen between them and Rhonda didn’t want things to be awkward. She was sure Jo would understand.
*
Jo dressed casually in a charcoal shirt and black trousers. She arrived at Christie’s promptly at five, wine in hand. Christie opened the door and greeted Jo with a big hug. Then she turned and introduced her husband. “Jo, this is Peter.”
They shook hands.
“It’s great to finally meet the legendary Jo Adams.”
Jo looked at Christie.
She confessed, “I’ve been talking his ear off with high school memories since I saw you last week.”
“Ah.” Jo turned back to Peter. “In that case, don’t believe a word she said.”
Christie ushered Jo further into the house. “The kids are back in the kitchen with Mom.”
The last words rang in Jo’s ears. She was suddenly nervous about being there. She dutifully followed Christie and Peter to the back of the house and met their children. Then she walked to Rhonda and brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Rhonda, I didn’t know you’d be here.”