His Best Friend's Wife

by Gina Wilkins

  Leslie sat on the living room floor, looking through another old album. Lucy was on the couch with her knitting and Daniel played with an elaborate building-blocks set while Boomer snored on the hearth of the small, gas-flame fireplace. It had been a rare, quiet evening at home, the type Renae usually savored. She was enjoying it now, but would find it even more relaxing if she could just keep random thoughts of Evan from popping erratically into her head.

  “Who are these people, Mama?”

  Pushing her worries about Evan to the back of her mind, Renae motioned to her daughter. “Let me see.”

  Leslie set the album in Renae’s lap, then leaned over the arm of the chair to point. “That’s you. And that’s Daddy.”

  “Yes, that’s right.” The twins had seen many photographs of the father they’d never met, and had been told many stories about him. Both Renae and Lucy wanted them to feel that they knew him as much as possible.

  Leslie pointed to another photo. “Who is this girl?”

  “That’s my friend Jeannie. She moved to Colorado when you were just a baby.”

  Turning the page, Leslie asked, “Who are these guys?”

  “Um...” Renae cleared her throat, looking at the photo of three young men posing humorously for the camera, laughing and looking happy just to be hanging out together. “That’s your daddy, of course. And those are his friends Tate and Evan.”

  From the couch, Lucy made a disgruntled sound. It made Renae think of Evan’s question about whether Lucy spat on the ground when she heard his name.

  “Daddy’s friends look nice,” Leslie said.

  “They’re the men who are making a scholarship in your daddy’s name,” Renae said evenly. “They’ll give money to boys who want to go to college but can’t afford it.”

  “Only boys?” Leslie asked with a frown.

  “There are other scholarships for girls, but this one is for boys.”

  “Because Daddy was a boy. Duh,” Daniel said without looking up from the robot he was building with little red-and-blue-plastic snap-together blocks.

  Renae smiled, but she noted that Lucy did not. Even one of Daniel’s cute comments couldn’t lighten Lucy’s mood, caused by just hearing Evan’s name.

  Now was definitely not the time to mention that she’d been seeing Evan on a regular basis. And that she was strongly tempted to continue doing so.

  Swallowing a sigh, Renae closed the album. “I’m going to put these away now,” she said. “You and Daniel need to get ready for bed. Who’s taking the first bath?”

  “She is.”

  “He is.”

  “It’s Daniel’s turn to go first,” Lucy said from the couch.

  Daniel sighed gustily. “Can Boomer take a bath with me?”

  “No.” It was the same answer Renae always gave when he asked that question, but it was practically a tradition now for him to ask. “Hurry up, it’s getting late.”

  Throwing his building toys into the box, he carried the set with him as he left the room, dragging his feet a little just to make a statement.

  Chuckling, Renae gathered the albums and stood to return them to her room. Her cell phone chimed before she’d made it through the doorway. Aware of Lucy’s sharp look, she kept walking. She would take the call in private. It might not be Evan, of course—she did have other friends who called to chat occasionally—but something told her whose name she would see on her phone.

  “Hi,” Evan said when she answered. “Bad time?”

  “I’m about to put the kids to bed, but I have a couple of minutes.”

  “That’s all I need. I called to tell you about something that came up today during lunch with Tate and some of our friends. Just to run it past you.”

  “Oh? What is it?”

  “Tate’s wife and his sister both work with Emma Grainger, who’s an occupational therapist. We all have lunch together on Wednesdays. Anyway, Emma’s family hosts a big holiday party every December and they always take up a collection for charity at the event, to be split between several of the family’s pet causes. This year, Emma wants to add our scholarship to the mix. Lynette had the idea of having a silent auction at the party with donated items. Emma talked to her parents and they’re on board, so she just called to tell me about it.”

  “That’s very nice of her and her family. Do they have time to pull it all together?”

  “Emma says yes. She’s doing it rather casually, so she warned that it could just be a small donation, but I told her we’d take anything we could get.”

  “Of course. Gratefully. What sort of items will they be auctioning?”

  “Pretty much anything. Tate and I are donating a couple of potted patio trees.”

  “Good idea. I’ll ask Ann and Gary if they want to make a donation. Last year they gave a nice pair of sunglasses to Cathy for a fundraiser for her kids’ school.”

  “Yeah, that would be great. They’d be credited for the donation, of course.”

  She thought of the beautifully knitted afghans and baby blankets Lucy made endlessly for charities. “Do you think a hand-knit afghan would auction well?”

  “Sure, especially this time of year. Why, do you knit?”

  “I don’t, but Lucy does. She makes gorgeous lap blankets for her church and the hospital auxiliary. I bet she’d provide one for the auction.” Maybe Lucy would feel more connected to the cause if she made a personal contribution.

  “Even if she knows I’m involved?”

  His voice had cooled significantly with the mention of Lucy. She couldn’t entirely blame him. “I’m sure Lucy would love to make a donation to the scholarship in Jason’s name,” she said in defense of her mother-in-law.

  At least, she hoped Evan’s involvement wasn’t enough to turn Lucy against their charity. Lucy did hold strong resentment against Evan. Renae didn’t entirely blame her, either—which put her squarely in the middle between the two.

  No, not in the middle, she corrected herself quickly. She was on Lucy’s side, of course. Lucy was her family, her mother in every way but biology. She didn’t know what she’d have done without Lucy when the twins were born, and in the years since. Maybe Lucy wasn’t being entirely fair to Evan, but Lucy had lost her child, and she dealt with that loss as best she could.

  It would be best just to keep Lucy and Evan apart.

  “I’d better go,” she said. “It’s bath time and bedtime for the twins.”

  “I understand. Just one more thing. Emma has invited all of us to the party. It’s the first Saturday in December, if you want to check your calendar.”

  “Oh, I—”

  “You could come with Tate and Kim and Lynette and me to represent the scholarship fund,” he added casually. “Just in case anyone at the party has any questions or wants faces to put with the request.”

  The way he put it made her reluctant to say no. As if she would be slacking on her part in the effort if she didn’t make an appearance. At least he wasn’t making it sound like a date with him, but a gathering with everyone who had any interest in the scholarship. She would have to be very careful explaining it to Lucy, but she saw no real harm in representing Jason at the fundraiser. “All right. I’ll try to be there.”

  “Great. Maybe you’d like to join us for lunch one Wednesday so you can meet everyone involved beforehand. We get together at a Chinese place in Little Rock for a quick meal, since everyone has to get back to work afterward and the girls only have an hour free.”

  Even more time in Evan’s company. This was getting more and more complicated. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you go. You know how to reach me if you need anything.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you know where I’ll be Wednesday evening,” he added somberly.

  She swallowed hard. “Good night, Evan.”

  “Sleep well.”

  As if that would happen, she thought, disconnecting the call. She hadn’t slept completely well since Evan Daugherty had come bac
k into her life.

  She waited until the twins were in bed before talking with Lucy. They were in the kitchen, Lucy at the table with a mug of chamomile tea while Renae prepared the next day’s lunches for herself and the kids. Zipping carrot sticks into snack-sized plastic bags, Renae asked with studied casualness, “Lucy, do you have an extra lap quilt for a charity donation?”

  “I have that pretty white one I finished last week. I was very pleased with the way that one turned out. I thought I might send it as a door prize for the church holiday crafts fair, but I’ve already got a couple ready for them, so I could let you have it if you need it. What’s the charity?”

  Renae glanced over her shoulder. “It’s a fundraiser auction for the Jason Sanchez Memorial Scholarship.”

  Lucy’s mouth quivered. “I see.”

  “A blanket made by Jason’s mother would be a special contribution, I think. Very meaningful for whoever buys it.”

  “Who’s running this auction?”

  “A local family named Grainger. They throw a holiday party every December and it’s their practice to raise money for charities at the event. They’re adding the scholarship to this year’s list, which is very generous of them, I think.”

  Lucy blinked a couple of times, and Renae could tell she was a bit surprised. She had probably expected to hear Evan’s name. “I don’t know these Graingers. Were they friends of yours and Jason’s?”

  “No. Their daughter, Emma, works with Tate’s sister. Emma heard about the scholarship and thought it was a worthy cause.”

  Lucy looked torn, and Renae thought it was easy enough to understand why. Naturally, Lucy wanted the scholarship to succeed, but she still hated that Evan and Tate were the ones who had started it. Especially Evan.

  “I’ll donate the blanket,” Lucy said after a moment, picking up her teacup again. “To the Grainger family, for my Jason’s scholarship.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be pleased.”

  Lucy sighed. “Jason would have loved this scholarship.”

  “Yes, he would have.” Stashing the lunches in the fridge, Renae rested a hand on Lucy’s plump shoulder. “It’s the perfect way to honor his memory.”

  Lucy reached up to cover Renae’s hand with her own. “It is. Even if it was started to soothe Evan Daugherty’s guilty conscience,” she grumbled.

  Leaning over to brush a kiss against Lucy’s soft cheek, Renae gave a little chuckle. “Whatever the reason, it’s a good thing. Thank you for donating the blanket.”

  “I love you, Renae.”

  Swallowing a lump in her throat, Renae held on to her smile with an effort. “Love you, too. Good night, Lucy.”

  * * *

  The next week was hectic at the clinic. With the holidays coming up soon, patients were trying to get their eye exams in beforehand. Those with vision-coverage insurance plans needed appointments before the end of the year, and many had put off scheduling until the last minute.

  Renae stayed so busy she barely had time to look at the clock Wednesday afternoon, though she was aware of the passing minutes. She told herself it was just as well she was occupied. She would just stay a little later than usual, then head home.

  She didn’t need to see Evan today. It would be better if she didn’t. Even if every inch of her ached to be with him. Which only made her more certain she should stay away.

  Taking advantage of a brief lull, her coworker Cathy glanced at the clock at 5:45. “Today’s your scholarship meeting, isn’t it, Renae?”

  “Oh, I can skip it today,” Renae said airily, keeping her eyes focused on some papers in front of her. “As busy as we are, I should stay a little late to help.”

  “No need for that. The last patients are in with the doctors now, so Lisa and I can handle everything.”

  “But—”

  “Seriously, Renae. Go to your meeting. We’ve all noticed how much you’re enjoying them.”

  “I, uh— What?”

  Cathy smiled. “You just always seem to look forward to them. I can’t blame you. That good-looking guy who came in to see Dr. Sternberg a few weeks ago is on the committee, right?”

  “Yes, he’s one of the scholarship founders,” Renae agreed vaguely.

  “But you have to admit he is also seriously hot.”

  “Smoking hot,” Lisa agreed soberly from her nearby desk. Until then, Renae hadn’t even realized Lisa was listening.

  Renae shook her head. “You two are incorrigible.”

  Cathy snorted. “Like you don’t agree with us. You think we haven’t noticed how nicely you’ve been dressing lately? Even on days other than Wednesdays. It’s like you’ve suddenly started paying a little more attention to your clothes and makeup—which is a good thing.”

  Renae was a little taken aback. Maybe she had been dressing with a bit more care lately—not that she’d been exactly sloppy before, she thought with a frown. She’d simply tried to be a bit more fashionable, more age-appropriate, not falling into the sort of matronly rut Lucy favored. She’d thought the changes were subtle, that her coworkers wouldn’t even notice. Apparently, they were more observant than she’d given them credit for.

  “You look nice,” Lisa agreed, nodding.

  Cathy pointed a finger meaningfully toward Renae. “Wouldn’t hurt you to go out with a smoking-hot guy. You’re young and single, the kids are getting old enough to be more self-sufficient. And by the way, find out if he has a brother, will you?”

  “He doesn’t. He has a sister,” Renae replied without thinking.

  Cathy looked rather pleased, as if there were some significance to the personal knowledge. Lisa giggled.

  Exasperated with both of them, Renae slid a patient file into place. When she turned, she found Cathy standing behind her, holding Renae’s purse.

  “Go to your meeting,” Cathy said. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Go,” Lisa echoed. “You deserve to have a little fun.”

  “I don’t know what they’re talking about,” Ann said, sticking her head through the doorway with a grin, “but sounds to me like you should go, Renae.”

  “See? It’s unanimous,” Cathy laughed. “Even your boss is ordering you to go.”

  Releasing a sigh, Renae plucked her purse from Cathy’s hands. “Fine. I’ll go. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

  Who was she to argue when everyone in her office thought she should go?

  * * *

  Evan was almost smiling when he opened his door to her a short time later. “It’s always a surprise when you show up,” he admitted in lieu of greeting.

  She poked him with a finger, pushing him backward a couple steps. “It wasn’t my idea for me to come here tonight,” she informed him.

  Something about her recklessly challenging tone seemed to startle him. “It wasn’t?”

  She tossed her bag on a chair. “No.”

  “Then, um, whose idea was it?”

  “Apparently it was unanimous.” Advancing toward him, she placed her hands on his shoulders, her eyes narrowed on his face. “Everyone at work seems to think I need to, um, have fun, as they so delicately phrased it.”

  His mouth twitched with a grin he must have known better than to release just then. “And are you having fun now?”

  She started unfastening the buttons of his blue shirt. “I’m about to be.”

  His hands settled on the curves of her hips. He cleared his throat, but his voice was still husky when he said, “I thought maybe we could talk some this evening.”

  “Talking is not fun.” She spread his shirt and let her hands wander across his broad, sleek chest. His skin was so warm. She could already imagine it against her own, and the image took her breath away.

  She rose on tiptoes and caught his lower lip between her teeth for a light nip. “Are you sure you want to talk?” she murmured against his mouth.

  A distant part of her mind marveled at her behavior. This wasn’t like her—or hadn’t been like her for a very long time. Flirtatious,
seductive, a little mischievous. It was a part of herself she had put away years ago. Who’d have thought Evan Daugherty would bring it out again?

  He hesitated only a moment, until she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself more snugly against him. A low groan escaped him then, a sound she found immensely satisfying. He reached down, swept an arm behind her knees and lifted her into his arms. She laughed and clutched at his shoulders in surprise and pleasure.

  She hadn’t seen Evan’s playful side in the past few weeks, either. The man she was getting to know now was much more serious and pensive than the footloose young man she had known so briefly before.

  Time and experience had changed them both—but still they were drawn together. The guy was still a walking heartache, she had no doubt of that. She wouldn’t let herself mistake lust and infatuation for anything more lasting or life-altering. But for tonight, at least, she would take advantage of this rare hour or so away from her responsibilities and...well, have fun. Just as her coworkers had advised her.

  Evan dropped her on his bed, and she landed with a bounce and a breathless laugh. Reaching up, she caught his open shirt and pulled him down on top of her. Shoes landed on the floor beside the bed with muffled thumps. Their mouths fused in deep, hungry kisses. They fumbled with zippers and hems and pushed fabric away to reveal flushed, dampening skin. Legs tangled, hands roamed and grasped, mouths sought, explored, tasted. Renae arched off the bed with a gasp when Evan tugged an aching nipple lightly between his teeth, then soothed it with a leisurely stroke of his tongue.

  Her hands tangled in his hair, fingers tightening when he nibbled his way down her body. His fingers dug lightly into her upper thighs, bending her knee and lifting her leg around him. She bowed off the mattress with a strangled cry when he took another little nip, and heard him laugh roughly in response.

  Spurred into competition, she tugged at him, pushed at him until he lay on his back beside her and she could loom over him. She nipped at his jaw, stroked a fingertip slowly down his body from his sternum to circle his shallow navel, then traced a line even lower. Now it was Evan who squirmed and moaned, and she who laughed breathlessly...until he silenced that laughter with a coherence-shattering kiss.