by Taylor Hart
“I’m busy,” Kent said, trying to push away the guilt.
“Right. That’s why I had to scare up the clinic’s number, which wasn’t easy, by the way. Had to put the trusty cop brother on it, but Sean pulled through.”
“How’s Sean?”
Beau grunted. “Quoting way too much Shakespeare for my blood. But I don’t want to talk about him, I want to talk about you. You hanging in there?”
“Yep.” The best part was that none of these people asked about Addy or his past.
“Well, I heard a rumor and I thought you should know.”
Kent steeled himself. Were rumors ever good? “Okay.”
“I heard that Jewel turned down a proposal from Ty.”
Suddenly disoriented, Kent thought that day. The day on the beach in Santa Monica when he’d proposed to her.
Beau scoffed. “I called Ty the other day, and he told that she turned down his proposal flat.”
Kent stood up. “Why would you call Ty? I haven’t spoken to that jerk in a long time.” Not since Ty had moved to Boston and began dating Jewel.
“Well, you were MIA, so I was trying to track you down.”
Anger resurfaced inside of him, but he pushed it away. “Whatever.”
“Ya know, bro, I don’t think you ever got over her.”
“Good thing you’re not here, bro, or I’d belt you in the mouth for good measure.”
“Hold up. I know you loved your wife.”
“Dang straight, I did.”
“I know, and I loved her, too. We all did. I’m just saying that things with Jewel didn’t ever feel complete, ya know?”
Kent rolled his eyes. There was no place for past girlfriends in his life or his heart. “I have to go.”
“Her mama died last year,” Beau continued. “Did you know that? Cancer.”
Kent froze. He hadn’t known that. He remembered meeting Jewel’s parents over the spring break holiday when he’d gone to Denver with her. They were good people. He thought of her mother and the way she’d pulled him aside and told him that his daughter was going to Harvard—no matter what.
“Okay, bro, I can tell I’ve lost you. I’ll let you go, just wanted to make sure you were alive.”
Kent softened. “Thanks. Take care.”
“You too.”
Chapter 5
As Jewel approached her friends in the waiting area of the restaurant, she wasn’t surprised to hear McKay arguing with the hostess.
“Do you realize who you’re messing with?” McKay glowered over the young maître d’, her hands on her hips. Her long, straight brown hair hung down to her waist. Her stylish black formfitting dress and stiletto heels made her a good two inches taller than the young Italian. She was posed for battle, as usual.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, we’re almost—”
“Who are you calling ma’am?”
Jewel recognized the insanity brewing in her friend’s eyes. Age was a touchy subject for McKay.
Molly cut in between them, the sun from the tall windows making her natural auburn hair look coppery as it fell in perfect waves down her back. She wore a pretty white skirt with one of her homemade sweaters. Molly smiled at the maître d’, and Jewel saw him relax; Molly could always set people at ease with one look. “It’s okay, McKay. We can wait a few minutes. Back off.”
Jewel hurried the last few steps to them and put her arms across their shoulders, giving McKay a wide smile. “Is someone going to die today?”
Startled, McKay shoved her back. “You’re late.”
Molly pulled her into a tighter hug. “You’re right on time, birthday girl.”
Jewel laughed and pulled away, giving McKay a gentle shove back. “Did you hear that it’s my birthday? Be nice to me.”
“Your birthday was last week.”
“Sheesh.” Jewel nudged her again. “Let it go.”
McKay still glowered, but nodded.
The maître d’ looked tentatively from McKay to Molly and put his chin in the air, holding the menus tightly in front of him like a shield. “If you’ll follow me, ladies.”
McKay pushed her hair over her shoulder and gave Jewel a dark look. “No one is ever on time these days.”
Jewel disregarded McKay’s comment and followed them through the open floor plan and high ceilings of the Tuscan-themed restaurant. She admired the tall windows that looked down on the city and gave her a view of the Rocky Mountains. The restaurant was packed with people.
They were seated and a different server instantly appeared, placing fresh bread onto the table. “Enjoy.”
McKay settled back into her chair and took in the scenery. “Lucky he gave us one of the best tables and the bread showed up fast or he would have gotten to see the not-so-nice part of me.” She tore off some bread and passed it to Molly.
Molly took it and shook her head. “Oh, as opposed to this part of you.”
McKay glared at her, then turned to Jewel. “Let’s focus on the birthday girl and why she couldn’t meet with us last week.”
Jewel let out a light laugh. “I’m sorry I missed last week. It’s been so crazy.”
McKay cocked an eyebrow at her. “You don’t think we know about court? Though you’re clearly more important with your Harvard degree, we still have law degrees.”
They’d all been set to go to CSU Law School together, but when Harvard had accepted Jewel, plans had changed.
Jewel drummed her fingers on the table. “Really? This is what we’re going to do today McKay?”
Molly stared out the window, not looking at either of them, but it was clear that she silently agreed with McKay.
“I’m sorry,” Jewel said again. “Really, I am.”
McKay rolled her eyes and pulled a medium-sized box out of her large purse. The box was wrapped in flashy, red metallic paper with a silver bow trailing around it. “You’d better take a vow to never miss lunch again with the Hula Girls if you want your birthday present,” she said, setting it on the table in front of Jewel. “It’s expensive, so you’re going to want it.”
They’d labeled themselves the Hula Girls in sixth grade when they were all into hula hoops.
Jewel reached for the present. “I’m sorry. I vow never to miss another Hula Girls meeting again. Of course, things could change if I end up losing a limb …” She trailed off, waiting for them to join in on the joke.
Molly cracked first, a giggle escaping her lips. These were the bylaws McKay had put into practice when they were in the ninth grade. “Or if Tommy Franks asks one of us to prom.”
McKay’s lip curved up and she squeezed Jewel’s hand. “Or in case of any other natural disaster, like my mother finding my stash of cigarettes in my bottom drawer.”
They all erupted into laughter.
McKay nodded toward the present. “Alright, I guess you get it.”
Jewel ripped into the paper with a speed that no Olympian could surpass.
Molly twirled her glass between her hands and shared a wink with McKay. “Presents always make her grovel.”
Jewel laughed. “No, they don’t.”
“Predictable. She’s always been that.” McKay winked at Molly.
Jewel tugged out a beautiful, red silk scarf. And two more matching scarves fell out of the box, too.
McKay picked them up, holding one out to Molly and keeping one for herself. “I thought we should all match.”
With a coo of admiration, Jewel twirled the red scarf in the air. The light from the windows shimmered through it. “I love it.”
McKay and Molly picked theirs up, swirling them into the air with her.
“The silk is imported,” McKay said, nudging her. “And look at the corner.”
There was a black stenciled heart with three tiny stick figures in the center and tiny circular rings around their middles. The significance touched Jewel’s heart, and she raised her scarf into the air and announced in a loud voice, “Hula Girls forever!” It had been their chant since sixth grade.
“Hula Girls forever!” her friends repeated.
They all erupted into giggles as the waiter scurried over to their table, clearly embarrassed that his table was causing all the commotion. “What can I do for you ladies?”
McKay gave him her most dazzling smile, making the waiter’s expression flicker between fear and confusion. “Three spinach chicken salads. One with ranch, one with vinaigrette, and one with poppy seed strawberry. Waters with lemon.” She hesitated, then added with a wink, “Please. And I tip well, just so you know.”
The server smiled and rushed away. “I like good tippers.”
Jewel laughed at her friend. “He doesn’t know if you’re going to bite him because you hate him or because you like him.”
Molly giggled beside her. “Probably both.”
“He’s not that bad.” McKay gave him an appraising look.
Molly put her feet up on the extra chair to the side of her and gave Jewel a knowing look. “Okay, girl, that present is going to cost you.”
Jewel wrapped it once around her neck and stuck her chin in the air, detecting the snoopy tone in her friend’s voice. “Oh, yeah?”
McKay fixed her own scarf into place. “Ty. Last time we talked he was still trying to get you back.”
“I haven’t heard from him since my actual birthday, when he gave me a copy of Pride and Prejudice.”
McKay coughed. “What? He gave you a copy?”
Molly shook her head. “Does he think he’s your Mr. Darcy?”
“I don’t know,” Jewel said with a shrug. “I have all this guilt about Ty, but I need him to accept things are over. He just needs to go back to Boston because that’s where he always wanted to be.”
The server returned and dropped off their waters.
“Thank you,” McKay said, sipping from her glass.
“I don’t understand why you didn’t marry Ty,” Molly told Jewel. “He’s kinda super hot.”
Jewel sucked in a breath. “I feel guilty over so many things with Ty. I know it’s probably not right, but I let Ty convince me to stay in Boston, even after everything with my mother and I regret it.” She blinked before any tears could surface.
The server chose this moment to drop off their salads.
After he left, McKay leaned forward, propping her head onto her hand and putting her elbow on the table. “I told you,” she said to Molly, “she’s afraid of relationships. I don’t think she’s been the same since she broke off her engagement to Kent.”
At the mention of Kent’s name, Jewel froze.
McKay quickly noted her discomfiture. “What has you freaked out?” she demanded.
This discussion had been inevitable. Jewel leaned in. “Ty told me something about the woman Kent married.”
“You mean the woman who you caught kissing him?” McKay sneered.
Jewel ignored her. “She died in a car crash a year ago.”
Both of her friends took pause.
Jewel continued, “Kent’s brother, Beau, reached out to Ty to see if he’s heard from Kent because Kent went to Africa and he’s been ‘off-grid.’”
McKay stared at Jewel. “I think we have a situation.”
“Agreed.” Molly leaned in, giving Jewel a once-over. “Complete situation.”
Jewel shook her head. “I’m fine.”
McKay scooped up some spinach and took a bite, crunching loudly. “Do you still love him?”
The question was blunt, but these were her friends and they knew her well, even though she’d neglected them over the past couple of weeks. She looked away. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about him over the years and wondered if I made a mistake turning him away.” Nervous energy rushed through her.
Molly kept her eyes on her salad as she poured her poppy seed dressing liberally, using her finger to scrape the rest of it out of the tiny holder. “You okay?”
Jewel flicked her fork at them. “Fine.” She sucked in a breath. “Okay, let’s talk about something else.”
“Nope,” McKay said in her snarky, superior way. “You’re not okay. Finish spilling it.”
“I can’t. Please.” She turned to Molly. “How are you and Jason?” she asked, referring to Molly’s boyfriend.
Molly’s eyes sparkled knowingly. “Fine, we’ll come back to this Kent situation.” She did little claps with her hands. “We’ve been talking marriage.”
McKay chomped on a crouton. “Okay, we all know he’s going to pop the question. Blah, blah, blah.” She shifted her eyes to Jewel. “I have to practically lock her in her office and take her phone away to get her to focus on her work. Not that family law pays anything, anyway.” She sighed. “But they’re like teenagers, seriously. I love you more. No, I love you more.”
“Molly, do you love him?” asked Jewel, warming up to the topic.
Molly blushed, and her pout turned into a beautiful smile. “Yeah.”
“That’s so great, Mol.” Jewel reached to hug her friend.
Molly smiled. “Thank you.”
McKay gave Jewel another shove on the other shoulder. “Yoo-hoo! I’m sitting right here, people. Or have you both forgotten that as usual? And no one has asked me about my life.”
Jewel threw her napkin into McKay’s salad. “I hear you, brat. If you didn’t notice, we were having a moment here.”
McKay threw the napkin back at her, disgust on her face. “You could talk to us every day, we did ask you to come work with us at our firm, but you took the ‘big deal’ at the ‘big firm.’ Because you’re Harvard.” She said the last part with a Boston accent and an eye roll.
Jewel cracked a smile. McKay loved to rib her about this.
“Chill out, McKay.” Molly was back to her role as protector of the innocent. “Leave Jewel alone. If we’d gotten into Harvard, we would have taken it.”
McKay sighed.
Jewel wasn’t innocent, and she’d dealt with McKay for a long time. McKay had always demanded a lot of attention, and Jewel had been ignoring them both too much lately. She knew what McKay needed: her attention. “Okay, give me the rundown on your life, McKay. Please. Before I find you completely insufferable and vow never speak to you again.”
McKay pressed her lips together and smiled.
“Oh, please tell me about what I’ve missed in your very fascinating life. Please.”
McKay sat up straighter. “Okay, let’s see, Rick and I are on again. You know I don’t believe in marriage, but he’s fun. I’m also putting together a class action lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company, but who isn’t, right? And my mother is driving me almost to insanity. Her new thing is dropping by the office and asking if her idea for some crazy lawsuit would be viable. It’s a ploy for my time and she is sucking all of it, but I guess it’s better than hearing about the latest argument between my parents. You would think that divorce would make people leave each other alone, but they fight almost as much as before.”
Molly waved her hand into the air to get the waiter’s attention. “Birthday cake, please.”
“Yes!” He rushed to the kitchen.
Jewel relaxed back into her chair. “Okay, that does stink about your mom.” They’d all avoided having sleepovers at McKay’s house when they were young because of her parents’ constant squabbling. It had to be exhausting for McKay, since it never ended. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching out to her.
McKay took her hand and gave her a real smile. “Thank you. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
McKay took a sip of water. “Okay, you’re not off the hook. Finish telling us about your drama.”
Molly nodded. “Yes, how is your father doing? How is his heart?”
Jewel sighed. “My father told me he wants to sell the house and move to Africa.” She put her hand to her forehead. “And he wants me to go, too.”
Molly started to laugh and put a hand to her chest. “Oh no. Does he know about Kent being in Africa? He loved Kent, right?”
“Yep. But
he swears he wanted to go before that, and I know he did, but he’s suddenly on this ‘let’s go to Africa’ dream thing.”
Molly nodded. “Remember when you and Kent came out for spring break and we all hung out, playing board games until all hours at your parents’ house?”
“Yeah.” Jewel felt a pang of longing for that time with Kent.
McKay whacked Molly’s shoulder. “Look at what you’re doing. She’s already tortured. Leave her alone.”
Jewel pressed her fingers to her temple, feeling a headache coming on. “I’m not tortured.”
“Are too,” McKay said. “You never got closure with him, and if I were your therapist, I would tell you that you need closure before you’ll ever be able to move on.” She snapped her fingers. “That’s probably why you can’t take the next step with Ty.”
Molly agreed. “Yep. Closure, that’s what you need.”
Jewel rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” But their words resonated with her. Closure.
McKay laughed. “Your father. I imagine he’s pressuring you.”
“Yeah, he keeps bringing home more and more brochures, and I keep telling him his blood pressure is out of whack and he can’t go. You guys know he has to have a million pills and doctors and—”
“Your father manipulates you big time,” McKay interrupted, laughing.
Molly laughed, too. “Do you remember what your father did when he didn’t want you dating Ryan Parker?”
She did remember, and it made her smile. Her father had put a tape recorder on repeat beneath her bed and played it at night when he thought she’d gone to sleep.
They said it in unison: “Ryan Parker is no good for you.”
More giggles erupted, and Jewel wondered if the head maître d’ who’d seated them would end up kicking them out.
Jewel pulled out the brochure about Africa from her purse. “Look at this.”
McKay snatched the brochure up and started to read. Her eyes shifted back to the irritated look that she could trademark. She passed it to Molly and patted Jewel’s arm. “He’s going to get you, but I think you should take a year off and do it.”
Jewel coughed. “Uh, not going to happen.”
The server placed a hulking piece of chocolate cake with white frosting in front of them and lit a candle flower of chocolate.