Between Friends Read online

  As always, she grimaced at the distorted cookie jar on his kitchen counter. She picked it up and flipped it over to look at her engraved signature. Even now she could remember how much she had detested the home economics class in her freshman year of high school.

  “It’s archaic to make Home Ec a requirement. I won’t do it,” she had said. But she had. Now, over a decade later, whenever she told him he could throw the worthless piece of art out without hurting her feelings, he would look at her and say, “It’s priceless with sentimentality.”

  Tessa did not divert her view when she heard his riding boots hit the kitchen floor. “You know, you really can throw the cookie jar away.”

  He grunted. “No way. That jar has sentimental—”

  “—value, I know. But you should throw it against the wall and put it out of its misery. It doesn’t stand a chance on the counter next to the cake dish or the fruit bowl your mom gave you. It’s decoratively challenged.” She turned and smiled at him as he headed for the coffeepot. Before he could reach it, she grabbed his arm, turned him in a half circle, and pulled him toward the door.

  “I’m not leaving without a cup of coffee.”

  “Come on,” she said, “if you’ll skip the caffeine, I promise I’ll make you breakfast after our ride.”

  He looked down at her with narrowed eyes. “You don’t cook.”

  She pushed him toward the door.

  With a groan he conceded, and within minutes, the two were headed toward the stables.

  I should have chosen the coffee. Jordan frowned down at the eggs with fork in hand. How can anyone burn scrambled eggs? And how could she eat them?

  Tessa smiled as she watched him from across the table and lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth. “They aren’t that bad. Go ahead. Try them.”

  Jordan lifted a brow at her encouragement and slowly took a bite. After a few bites, he closed his eyes and swallowed.

  She laughed so hard she snorted.

  He opened his silver eyes and glared at her.

  He stood up from the table and gathered their plates. “Just what I enjoy on a Saturday morning: waking up at dawn, skipping my coffee, and starting the day with charbroiled eggs.” He poured soap into the kitchen sink to clean up the dishes. His shoulders began to shake as he dipped the scorched frying pan into the waiting suds. “Just out of curiosity, did you grease the pan before you scrambled the eggs?”

  “Motor oil,” Tessa said, “that’s where I went wrong.” She grabbed a towel and joined him at the sink.

  He flicked water at her face with one wet hand. “It may have helped the taste.”

  Tessa scooped up some bubbles and reached for his hair.

  Bubbles flew everywhere as he retaliated with the sink hose.

  “Bully!” she screamed as she danced in a circle trying to dodge the spray. “You’re getting your neat kitchen wet.”

  “It’s worth it,” he said without mercy as a stream of soap ran down the side of his face. He roared with laughter when Tessa grabbed a bowl of water from the sink and flung it at his chest.

  She turned to run, but he reached out and grabbed the belt loop of her faded jeans, pulling her hard against him, knocking the wind out of both of them.

  “Hello, Jordan,” a chilly voice spoke from the kitchen entrance.

  Jordan and Tess swung around in surprise to see Jordan’s girlfriend, Julie, appraising their drenched figures.

  “Julie,” Jordan said, dropping his hands from Tessa as if he was doing something wrong even though he knew he wasn’t. “What are you doing here?” He stepped away from Tessa and grabbed a kitchen towel and tossed it to her, grabbing a second towel to dry his face. Finger combing his wet hair, Jordan walked toward Julie. He was going to kiss her cheek, but she stepped back, tears of accusation in her eyes.

  “And you told me I was crazy …” Julie said.

  Jordan sighed, resigned. Just before the anniversary party a few weeks before, Julie had accused him of having feelings for Tessa. She had even gone so far to say it was only a matter of time before Jordan dumped Julie for Tessa. Despite his promise that Tessa had only ever been, and would only ever be, a friend, the damage had been done. Jordan had never liked jealous women, and they’d spent less and less time together.

  Jordan frowned and looked back at Tessa. Her shirt was soaked, plastered against her breasts, and she was squeezing the ends of her hair with the towel. He looked at the water everywhere and imagined what Julie saw. Damn. This does look bad. He turned back to Julie. His neck and cheeks turned red. “You’ve got the wrong idea.”

  Tessa’s head bounced back and forth between Jordan’s and Julie’s faces as she dried herself off. Wrong idea? What was the couple talking about? Based on the glances each kept throwing her way, they were talking about her or … they wanted her to leave. Julie, who Tessa had always liked and had gotten along with, hadn’t even bothered to say hello. And Jordan looked defensive. She couldn’t believe he was blushing.

  “Hi, Julie,” Tessa blurted.

  Julie continued to stare at Jordan for a few seconds. Finally, she sighed and turned to Tessa. “Hi, Tessa.” She took a deep breath and tried to smile, but it fell flat. She shook her head. “Listen, I’m sorry I interrupted the two of you. I texted you earlier, but thought you just hadn’t seen it because it’s early, and I knocked, but I guess you couldn’t hear me over your”—she looked around the room at the wet floors and their wet hair—“water fight.” Julie lifted her finger and a key ring with Jordan’s house keys dangled and clinked together. “I wanted to return these to you. I would have mailed them, but I have a few things to pick up.”

  Jordan had stepped back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. He stared at Julie.

  Yikes, Tessa thought. Talk about a jaw chiseled in stone. No wonder Jordan hadn’t wanted to talk about Julie and why she wasn’t attending the anniversary party. All was not going well, apparently. She didn’t know what to do except leave. It was time to get out of there and leave the two not-so-in-love birds alone.

  “Well,” Tessa said. “I need to get going. Lots of stuff to do today. Yep.” She tossed her wet dishtowel at Jordan. He didn’t even try to catch it. It fell to the floor. She walked around Julie and looked back at Jordan. She frowned, shrugged her shoulders and raised her hands to her side, pantomiming, What’s going on?

  “Bye, Tessa,” Jordan said.

  Julie walked to the window, arms crossed, and waited until Tessa pulled out of the drive.

  “Well Jordan, do you still deny that the two of you are attracted to each other?” Julie wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. “I thought you would at least wait until I picked up my things.”

  Jordan shook his head. They’d been having this argument for weeks. Different details. Same theme. “A water fight hardly confirms your ridiculous beliefs or justifies your jealousy. We’re lifelong friends. Our families are close.” He collected the wet towels and threw them in the sink. He put his hands on his hips and leaned his head back on his shoulders. Dammit. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring with the effort. “I can’t have this discussion again. If you saw anything, you should have seen Tessa’s confusion. She clearly had no idea what was wrong.” He pushed away from the counter and walked to the entry hall. He opened the coat closet and lifted a box with the belongings that Julie had left at his house over the past eight months.

  Julie followed him to the living room, “Jordan—”

  “Julie,” he interrupted, shaking his head, “this was your decision. Now, I can only agree that it was the right one. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  Chapter 4

  Tessa’s riding boots hit the tile entryway of her apartment in San Francisco. Even after driving across the bridge from Mill Valley, she couldn’t figure out what exactly had just happened.

  Lisa poked her head out of the kitchen. “Hey, you’re back early from your ride with Jordan. I didn’t expect to see you for another hour or
so.”

  “Jordan’s girlfriend stopped by.”

  “Ah,” Lisa said.

  “She wasn’t happy to see me,” Tessa said. “It’s too bad. I like her. I thought she liked me too.”

  “Speaking from experience and my own breakup, I wouldn’t want my boyfriend to be hanging out with a looker like you either. Well, if you weren’t my friend. You know what I mean,” Lisa said.

  “No, I don’t. Jordan is like my—"

  “—brother. What I mean, Tessa, is why do you suppose Jordan’s girlfriend wouldn’t appreciate your ‘friendship’ with him?”

  “Stop. Please don’t start on that ridiculous idea again. In general, I get what you mean, but anyone who spends a few minutes with Jordan and me can see that he sees me as the brat who followed him and my brothers around most of his life.”

  “It’s not ridiculous. Any woman who is trying to snare a catch like Jordan would feel insecure when you are around. Look at you, you’re gorgeous!”

  Snare. She really hated that mindset. People were individuals, not trophies. Tessa groaned and poured some cereal into a bowl—her eggs had been horrible.

  “Really Tess, hear me out. You’re five-nine, have golden locks, an hourglass figure, come-hither lips, and bedroom eyes. And Jordan, without delving into his godlike qualities, is so comfortable around you any woman is bound to be envious.”

  Tessa couldn’t help her smile. “Come-hither lips? Someone’s been reading romance novels again.”

  “Well yes, but that has nothing to do with your appearance.”

  “But everything to do with the description.” She sat at the kitchen table. “Enough of this topic. What are you up to today?” Tessa asked.

  Two days later, Tessa was elbow deep in periodicals at the University of San Francisco Health & Life Sciences Library gathering information for her students in the fall. “Lisa, if you were sixteen years old, would you be interested in dissecting a lamb’s brain?” Tessa asked.

  “No. Gross … Oh my. Tessa,” Lisa whispered, “there he is. Behind you and to your left.”

  “He? Man With No Name? Where?” Tessa whispered back. Finally, she was going to see this guy that Lisa had become infatuated with since she had been hired as the Library Supervisor three weeks before. Tessa turned around only to find a short, balding man with a striped bow tie. She turned back to Lisa. “He’s gorgeous and that tie brings out the brown in his eyes.”

  “Not him! To your left. And be more discreet.”

  Tessa turned to look again. The whole idea that someone could look at another person discreetly seemed preposterous, but she was willing to try. When she did, she could understand her friend’s attraction, especially when she recognized him.

  “Wait. I know who he is,” Tessa said, turning back. “I haven’t met him, yet, but that’s Kent Brandon. He’s finishing his residency at Jordan’s office. Maybe I can have Jordan introduce you to him.”

  “No. You know that I hate blind dates.” Lisa shook her head.

  “I just thought you would like to know your options. And since you also refuse to do online dating …”

  Lisa sighed. “For now, I think I prefer the look-don’t-touch, admire-from-afar approach.”

  “It’s such an effective approach,” Tessa said dryly.

  Lisa ignored her and continued, “He could be the May-Be-One, you know.”

  An article in her science journal caught Tessa’s attention, and she did not respond until she had marked the page and set it aside. “The May-Be-One?”

  Lisa peeked over Tessa’s shoulder. “Mr. May Be Right.” She sat up tall with determination. “I am not going to be single forever.”

  “You just broke up with Pete. Besides, it’s not like you’re the only single woman in America, especially with a Library Science degree.”

  “Your humor astounds me.” Lisa stared at Kent and sighed. “He inspires me to release the sex tigress from within.” Lisa mocked a growl.

  “In order to release the sex tigress from within, you will need to readjust your admire-from-afar approach. I’m talking to Jordan about an introduction. And maybe there’s a way to arrange a double-date that will include Julie, show her I’m not a threat.”

  “Don’t think that’s going to be enough,” Lisa said. “Have you talked to him since Saturday?”

  “No. I texted him and he said he was busy.”

  Chapter 5

  Jordan’s office manager, Miriam, smiled at Tessa as she entered the waiting room. “Good morning, dear. Dr. Wilson is in his office with Mrs. Carnaghan.” At Tessa’s grimace, Miriam continued, “I know. She’s a hypochondriac when it comes to her babies.”

  Tessa offered a commiserating smile as she took a seat amongst the people and their canine children. She smiled at those she recognized. Jordan definitely had some regulars. Mrs. Carnaghan brought her yipping French Poodles in almost every week with signs of some terminal disease that she had read in her biweekly issue of Canine Caregivers. Once, Tessa asked Jordan how he could be so patient with customers like Mrs. Carnaghan.

  “I’d rather deal with thirty Mrs. Carnaghans who care about their pets than one of your high school classes.”

  Tessa had laughed. “Point taken.”

  Mrs. Carnaghan’s exclamation of undying gratitude toward Dr. Wilson pervaded the waiting room as she came out cuddling her two pooches with a beaming smile.

  Once his patients had left, Jordan turned toward his secretary’s desk and saw Tessa out of the corner of his eye. His eyes widened, and he flashed a magnificent smile.

  The young girl seated next to Tessa sighed.

  Oh goodness. Tessa took one look around the room and confirmed that Dr. Jordan Wilson had cast a spell on several of his female clients.

  After telling his next patient he would be right with her, Jordan waved Tessa into his office. He pinched the inside of her arm as she passed him.

  She swatted at his hand. “Can’t we be in the same room without you picking on me?”

  Jordan dropped his hand and paused. “Apparently not.” He closed his office door and leaned against his desk.

  Tessa sat down before him.

  Jordan crossed his arms across his chest and asked, “To what do I owe the pleasure of today’s visit?”

  “Well, I have a wonderful idea, but I need your help.”

  He cocked a single eyebrow and one corner of his mouth tilted, “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  “You act as if I always ask for your help.”

  His other eyebrow rose to meet the first.

  She smiled. Okay, he was right. She was always asking him for favors. “We need to introduce Kent and Lisa.”

  Jordan groaned as he rounded his desk to take a seat. “My intern?”

  “Yes, isn’t it perfect?”

  “Not perfect at all,” he said. “You know, for someone who doesn’t often go on dates, I would think that you would give up these matchmaking schemes. They always backfire.”

  “It’s not as if I never date, I’m just pickier than most. Besides, I’m not playing matchmaker so much as I’m introducing friends.”

  He rubbed his eyes and looked to the ceiling in prayer. “Seeing as how you need me to introduce you to Kent in order for you to introduce him to Lisa, I do not understand your rationale of introducing friends. It’s matchmaking,” he persisted.

  “Actually,” she said, “I was thinking that you and Julie could take them out for dinner.”

  He sat up and reached for some paperwork. “Julie would not be able to do that,” he hedged.

  “How do you know? You could at least call her and ask.”

  “That might be difficult.”

  Now she was getting somewhere. Maybe she would finally find out what was going on with the two of them. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, resting one elbow on the arm of chair, tapping a finger against her chin as if in deep thought. “Now why would that be? Has she recently moved to Timbuctoo?”

  “Te
ssa …”

  “No. She’s changed her cell phone number?”

  Jordan tossed the papers back on his desk, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms.

  “No? Okay. Is she suffering from phonophobia?”

  He lost patience. “Listen …”

  “That’s a fear of phones,” she clarified.

  “I get it. Tessa—”

  “I see. She’s a converted Mennonite and has moved to an Amish community in Intercourse, Pennsylvania?”

  “We broke up.”

  Tessa’s mouth opened, then closed. She stared at him. After a few moments she asked, “Saturday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  Jordan picked up the pencil next to his hand and began to tap it in a steady rhythm while he returned her regard. “She had her reasons. I’d rather not discuss them.”

  “She ended the relationship?” Tessa said, surprised.

  “I’m flattered you think I’m worth keeping,” Jordan said.

  “Oh, don’t be flattered.” She was warming to the subject. “I’m just shocked that she beat you to the punch.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Well, based on your trend in relationships …”

  “I do not have trends. And the last time I checked, you were a teacher not a psychoanalyst.”

  “Okay. You don’t have trends,” she said. “It’s coincidence you have ended all of your relationships.”

  Jordan hammered the desktop with his pen. “Have you been analyzing my relationships? Maybe you should focus on having one of your own.”

  She didn’t take the bait. “It’s just that I thought everything was going well with Julie. I liked her.”