Her Best Friend Jon

by Kristy K. James

  "What?"

  "I can’t think of another way." He glared at her as he passed by. "But it won’t be real. In public, the most we’ll do is hold hands. No kissing, no hugging, no sitting on my lap, nothing but handholding. And just in case you might be harboring some hopes in that direction, I’m not looking to find a wife – ever."

  "Oh!" Hannah jumped up from the table, her face red with rage. "Of all the arrogant, egotistical-" She seemed to be at a loss for words, but Jon had to admit she looked kind of cute, her eyes shooting daggers at him. If looks could kill…

  "Calm down. Maybe I went a little too far with that last comment. I just didn’t want you to think that there was a hope of fantasy turning into reality."

  "Fantasy? You think I fantasize about marrying you? Are you kidding me! You come up with a crazy, harebrained scheme, and then you’re conceited enough to think that I have…designs on you?" She yanked her parka from the coat rack, and fought with it as she tried – and failed – to stuff her arms in the sleeves. Something between a low growl and scream escaped her lips, and she threw the coat on the floor, grabbed her purse, and made a beeline for the door.

  "Hannah, calm down."

  "No, I don't think I will. Don't touch me!" she snapped, jerking her arm away when he tried to grab her arm. She whipped the door open, prepared to storm out of the house.

  "Hold on a minute!"

  "Forget it!"

  "You going to leave the letters here?" Wow, he thought, talk about fireworks going off in his kitchen. Until this moment, he’d never have believed that his personable, mild-mannered secretary had a temper, much less one this explosive.

  That stopped her, and she did a one-eighty, stomping back to the table. Jon wasn’t sure what to do now. Given his intermittent and brief periods of dating, he didn’t have as much experience with women as most people thought he did, and so he settled for honesty.

  "Look, Hannah-" He tried to put a hand on her arm again, but same as the first time, she shook it off, continuing to stuff letters in envelopes, not seeming to care whether they were the right ones or not. "Hannah, stop. I’m sorry, okay. I panicked when I realized that this was the best way for you to get to know Ed better. I know I sounded like a narcissistic jerk-"

  "Ya think?"

  "Come on. You know I’m not like that. You’ve been working for us for months and you know I’m not, so would you just cut me a little slack here? I’m trying to help."

  "Fine," Hannah muttered, flopping down into one of the chairs, her chin nearly touching her chest. "For your information, I’m not in the market for a husband right now. I don't even want a boyfriend. I’ve got too much other stuff going on to think about a relationship."

  "I know. I’m sorry. I really am."

  He lowered himself into the chair to her left, and waited until she was ready to resume their conversation. He hoped that would be soon because he was feeling a little like a jerk. She was right, it had been more than egotistical to presume she’d want more than his help.

  "How are we going to do this?" she finally asked, looking up at him. While she might have been willing to accept the practicality of his suggestion, her tone indicated that he was still the last person she wanted to talk to right now. He hoped Ed would appreciate all of this someday.

  "I don’t know. I’ve never fake dated before. I suppose we need to let people know."

  "Let them know? Like how? Take out an ad in the paper? Or send announcements?"

  "An ad might work," he said, his tone serious. For a second he thought she might take what he said at face value, but then she smiled, and he grinned back at her. Maybe this wasn't going to be as hard to work out as he'd feared. "I was thinking maybe hold hands when we get to work on Monday. Some of the crew is bound to see it, maybe even Chris."

  "You do realize I’m stuck in the modular with him all day, don’t you? He’s going to be impossible."

  The thought must have made her nervous and she began the process of putting letters, cards, checks, and envelopes back in order. Jon would have offered to help, but she seemed to need something to do with her hands, so he kept his clasped on the table in front of him.

  "Maybe for a few days."

  "Yeah, right. Do you have any idea how bored he gets sitting at that desk?"

  "As a matter of fact, I do. I helped him set up a gym in one of the extra bedrooms a couple of weeks ago. Treadmill, elliptical, weight bench. The works. He has to burn off energy somehow, and once he leaves the site, he doesn’t really go anywhere but home. A workout before his shower helps before he heads up to the hospital."

  "Maybe it’s time to look into a bigger trailer for the work sites," Hannah suggested. "Then you can put some exercise equipment in there, too."

  "That or sneak some decaf in on him. Then he might sleep part of the day away."

  "Maybe you should take care of that this afternoon then, because I’ve no doubt I’ll be getting the third degree for a while."

  "I guess you’re going to have to decide whether this will be worth it. Because I honestly can’t think of a better way for you to get to know your father." He watched her eyes widen when she realized what he’d said, and he knew she wasn’t used to anyone else thinking of Ed in that way. It was entirely possible that she wasn't used to thinking of him that way. It was one thing to acknowledge a fact, but quite another to accept it.

  "It will be. I know that. I just- It’s probably going to be uncomfortable for you, too, Jon."

  "Oh well. It’s not like I’m a stranger to feeling out of place." He could have bit his tongue when those words slipped out, and he changed the subject immediately. "Ed helps me on the house on a fairly regular basis. If you don’t mind painting or cooking in your free time, that might be a good way to get to know him."

  "It’s not like my social calendar is filled to overflowing."

  "Then you can ride home with me on Wednesday. He’s going to help me drywall the dining room. You can cook supper for us." He paused and looked at her, his brows arching. "You can cook, right?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. We can pick up groceries after we clock out, and then Ed can drop you off at your apartment on his way home. It’s a little out of his way, but he won't mind."

  "Jon!" she gasped, her hands covering her mouth

  "What?"

  "I’d- I’d be alone with him."

  "You think he’d try to hit on you or something? Because I can guarantee you, he wouldn’t. Ever."

  "Eww. That’s just sick. No. What would I say to him? That’s like a fifteen minute drive, and we’d be alone in his car."

  "You’d think of something. Or he would. But you’ll want to come up with an answer in case he tries to place your accent. Hannah from Texas is sure to raise his suspicions."

  "No it won’t. Mom changed my name when Dad adopted us. I used to be Annie, but they figured it was close enough to my name, and I was young enough at the time that I’d adapt to it."

  "Did they change your sister’s name, too?"

  "No. She said they tried to talk her into it. That she could choose whatever name she wanted, but she's always been a little stubborn. She told them that Mary was her name and she was keeping it, so I guess they didn’t force the issue."

  "Still, if it works out so that he does give you a ride home, you might want to think about what you’ll say. And you probably won’t want to mention Mary."

  "Yeah, no kidding. Maybe I should tell him I’m from Austin instead of Houston."

  "Good idea. Telling him you're from the same city your mother moved you to wouldn’t be a good idea – unless you want him to guess."

  A knock startled them. Jon glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost noon. They’d been talking for nearly three hours.

  "Anyone home?" Sam asked, sticking his head in the back door.

  ~~~~~

  Hannah felt like a deer caught in the high beams of the brightest headlights on the planet when
Sam’s gaze caught hers. She knew by the expression on his face what he was thinking as first he, and then Holly and the boys, stepped into the kitchen.

  "It’s like Grand Central Station around here this morning," Jon said, as though her being here – with the remnants of their breakfast still on the table – was nothing out of the ordinary. "Hi, Holly. Zack, Billy."

  "Hey, Uncle Jon," Zack said, scuffing a foot on the floor and looking impatient.

  "Hey, buddy. What's up? Do you have a date or something?" Jon asked. Zack just rolled his eyes.

  "Yeah, right. We're going to see a movie in Lansing."

  "Yeah, right," Sam told him, echoing his new son before slinging an arm around Holly. They were both looking at Hannah as though her being here was the most interesting thing they'd come across in a while. She knew they were both wondering what she was doing here.

  "Since we’re homeschooling the boys now, it helps to offer bribes." Holly said, smiling up at her husband.

  She’d heard that with everything going on with Ed’s stalker, that they'd decided it was safer to keep the boys home for as long as it took to resolve the whole awful mess. They, like everyone else, had armed guards on duty twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and she supposed it was easier to keep track of Zack and Billy at the house.

  The tension in the kitchen was so thick that it could have been cut with a dull butter knife, she thought, not sure what to say or do. Surely Jon knew what they had to be thinking, that she’d spent the night with him.

  "What movie are you going to see?" was all he asked though. Billy, his voice high with excitement, mentioned the name of a popular action/adventure flick. "I’ve been thinking about going to see that myself. Hannah and I have been trying to figure out what to do since she came back out for breakfast this morning." He looked at her and asked, "What do you think? Should we tag along?"

  It was clear that this was the moment of truth. The perfect opportunity to come out with the fact that they were dating, and she knew he expected her to play along, but the words seemed to stick in her throat, so all she could do was paste a smile on her face and nod.

  "Sweet!" He glanced back at Sam and Holly. "That is if you don’t mind."

  "The more the merrier," Holly said, her smile bright and smug.

  Hannah wasn't going to wonder about that until later. For now she could only go along as Jon took her hand, pulled her to her feet…and then, contrary to what he’d said earlier about nothing but hand-holding, he helped her into her coat, slipped on his own – and then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked her out to his truck.

  Her hands shook as she buckled the seat belt. Outside she could hear Jon and Sam talking as Holly and the boys piled into their car. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, and even if she could, she doubted it would have registered.

  All she could think was that now everyone would know she and Jon were a couple, for all intents and purposes anyway. The only thing that really mattered though was that she was finally getting her wish. She would, at long last, be able to get to know Ed. She just wished that she didn’t have to be involved in a deception to do it.

  ~~~~~

  "So… You and Jon, huh?"

  Hannah had been waiting for it since she’d arrived at work Monday morning, but as the hours had passed without comment, she thought maybe Chris didn’t know yet. Given all that he and Harry had to deal with, the dating habits of his friend and partner might not be at the top of his priority list. Of course, he would wait until she had a mouthful of food before bringing the subject up.

  She’d never chewed a bite of any food as slow as she chewed that one, hoping that her lips were curved in some semblance of a smile as she thought of the best way to answer his question. She’d never been good at lying, which was a good thing under normal circumstances, but a little skill in that area might come in handy right about now.

  "Yeah," she said, trying to swallow. "Who’da thunk it, huh?"

  "Not me, that’s for sure. But then if you’d told me a year ago I’d be happily married to Harry, I’d have laughed in your face." Hannah noticed how soft his eyes were when he mentioned his wife’s name.

  What an about face that had been. From practically hating her guts, to surprising everyone when he fell in love with both her and her son, Scotty. She imagined he'd surprised himself most of all.

  "I remember," was all she could think to say.

  "Well, if you ever want any dirt on your new boyfriend, I’m your man. Not that he has much dirt to dig up. Or if he does, he’s really discreet. And I don’t think Jon can be that discreet."

  Only another man could know Jon as well as Chris did and actually believe the words coming out of his mouth. Hannah couldn’t think of anyone she’d trust more with her secret, which was a good thing considering he knew what it was now.

  "I think I’m good, but thanks for the offer," she told him, taking another bite of salad.

  "If you change your mind. Oops. Hang on."

  His cell phone chirped, saving her from any more uncomfortable talk about her ‘boyfriend.’ Her stomach had done a flip-flop when he’d said the word, but she supposed that’s what everyone would be calling him now. Her boyfriend.

  Under other circumstances, she really wouldn’t mind. Jon was a personable, considerate, and good-looking man. And if she were being completely honest, she'd wondered what it would be like to date him on occasion. But the situation being what it was, she just didn’t have time or energy to put into a relationship…even if he was interested. And he’d made it crystal clear that he wasn't either.

  ~~~~~

  "So… You and Hannah, huh?" Dan asked, after getting the obligatory, transparent excuse for the call out of the way. 'How's the siding coming along?' Like he didn't know the answer to that question. Uh-huh.

  Jon snuck a quick look at the guys he was working with today, and hurried to another room. One where they couldn’t overhear this conversation. Not that it would matter because everyone would know that he and Hannah were an item before too much more time passed anyway. He just didn’t look forward to the few days when they’d be harassing him about it. Chris had taken a lot of teasing over Harry, but given that he was just doing this as a – a favor – it didn't seem fair that he'd have to endure the same. Still, if it meant Ed could have his daughter back after all these years, it would be worth it.

  "Yeah, me and Hannah," he said, his voice low enough that it wouldn’t carry over the sound of Alex Halliday’s boom box. He supposed he’d have to shout to be heard over that though, but there was no sense in taking chances.

  "Jess wanted me to call and find out if it was true, and if it was, to invite the two of you for supper on Saturday."

  "Jess?"

  "Well, you know me. I’m always wanting to know what’s going on with everyone. But she’s the one who put me up to the call. I’d have tried to be a little more low key about it, like hiring a skywriter to issue the invitation."

  Jon laughed, knowing something like that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Catch Dan on the right day, and he might well do something that crazy – or worse. Most of the time he was pretty normal, but there were moments…

  "I’ll ask Hannah after work and let you know, okay?"

  "All right. I’ll let my wife know I’ve obeyed her orders. She said to tell you she’ll make her cake."

  "Hmm. If Hannah can’t make it, am I still invited?" He heard Dan snicker.

  "Absolutely. I love that cake, too."

  ~~~~~

  After checking to make sure he’d measured right, Jon slid the steel yardstick into place and sliced through the drywall with his utility knife. When he was finished, he set the cut over the edge of his sawhorse and plywood table and bent it quickly so the board snapped in two pieces. It was quicker, and caused far less dust to fill the air, than using his circular or sabre saws.

  Two more walls and the kitchen would be almost done. He had
n't expected to make as much progress as he had, but the long hours had paid off, and all the siding was up at the site. Next would come the taping, then the sanding, priming, and painting, but at least there was an end in sight now.

  It always felt like it would take forever when he started gutting a house, but this was the moment he waited for. The fun part. If he hadn’t gotten into construction, he'd always felt he would have made a fine interior decorator. It just seemed like a rather feminine job, and he couldn’t see telling all the guys that’s what he wanted to do.

  "You’re starting to sound like Chris," he muttered to himself, grinning when he thought of his friend. How outraged he’d been when Harry pulled one over on them. Women didn’t belong in construction, and he'd bet big bucks that he would think men had no business doing a woman's job. But there was no denying he enjoyed it, so this was the best of both worlds for him. And fixing up houses to sell was something all of his buddies approved of.

  Except Dan. Dan wished he would keep one of them, settle down and start a family. While he understood his aversion to the thought of a wife and kids of his own, he still wanted for all of them what he’d found for himself. Jon was the last holdout. Even Ed seemed to be ready to set up housekeeping with Jenna. At least it seemed like they were moving in that direction.

  He wondered what Hannah might think if she knew how close they were. Would she want to share her father with a new stepmother? Because there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she’d tell Ed the truth. He wasn’t sure when that might be, though he hoped soon so they could stop pretending to date. But she would. Eventually.

  Thinking of their fake relationship, Jon groaned. He’d forgotten to pass along the invitation from Jess, and knew he had to call her. It wasn’t yet ten o’clock, so there was a good chance she was still awake.

  Sitting his nail gun on the floor, he jogged downstairs and to the kitchen, where his cell phone was charging. In an attempt to make everything look legitimate, they’d assigned each other a number in speed dial, and he entered twelve and waited for her to answer. On the fourth ring, he thought he'd either get her voice mail…or he'd chicken out and hang up, but she answered.