tackles are bearing down on you, and the receiver is out of position, you don’t dare, not even for one second, picture that ball missing the hands of the receiver. It’s the kiss of death.”
She found herself easing closer still.
“So, yeah, I knew this might be a career-ending injury,” he admitted. “But I never let my mind go down the pathway to what that meant. I’m running blind here, Jenny.”
She longed to reach out to him. But she mustered her self-control. “Can I hug you later?” she asked, voice low and throbbing.
“Hugging is the least of what I was counting on for later.”
Jenny was surprised to find Emily sitting at the breakfast bar in Cole’s kitchen, munching her way through one of his cook’s famous oatmeal almond cookies.
“You just get home?” asked Emily.
“Are you waiting for me?” Jenny slowed to a halt, wondering how much, if anything, Emily had figured out.
Emily glanced a little guiltily toward the back hallway. “I’m visiting Cole.”
Well, well, well. This was interesting.
Jenny pulled out one of the breakfast bar stools and climbed up, cornerwise to Emily. She searched her friend’s expression for a clue. “
Emily responded with a sly grin, taking a slow bite of her cookie and chewing. “
Jenny returned the smile self-consciously. “I did.”
“We couldn’t help but notice you didn’t come back to the rental house.”
“Any more of those cookies left?” asked Jenny, leaning forward and reaching for the brightly colored tin. She eased off the lid and plunged her hand inside, concentrating on selecting one of the round, grainy treats. Then she glanced around the kitchen to confirm they were alone. “Mitch had a nice hotel suite.”
“And, so…?” Emily probed.
Jenny shrugged. “So, I saw the hotel suite. Liked it. Decided to stay awhile.”
“And?” Emily leaned forward. “Give. He’s with you now? What changed his mind?”
Jenny hadn’t wanted to examine that question too closely. Her best guess was that Mitch had changed his mind about her being too fragile to risk dating.
“Jenny?” Emily prompted.
“I don’t know what to think,” Jenny confided. “I guess I’m just taking it one day at a time, you know?”
Emily nodded, reaching out to pat Jenny’s hand. “I hear you. Cole and I are just testing the waters. Messing around to see if anything happens.”
Jenny took another contemplative bite of the cookie. “Messing around? Literally?”
“Started off a bit rocky at the dance,” Emily told her in a low tone.
“Yeah?”
“I asked him if he thought Emilio would be willing to get me pregnant.”
Jenny nearly choked on an almond. “You
“After some discussion,” Emily continued matter-of-factly, “we decided Cole should do the job himself.”
“Seriously?”
Emily nodded.
“That must have been some dance.”
“Yeah. Well.” Emily got a faraway look in her eyes. “Apparently, you don’t have to be that tall to be a kicker. I figure my sons can try out for the special teams.”
“Or shortstop.” Cole appeared from the hallway, crossed the kitchen and helped himself to a cookie from the tin, taking a position beside the patio door and leaning against the wall. “They might want to play baseball.”
Jenny glanced from one to the other. They had to be joking. Didn’t they? “Are you two seriously thinking about making a baby?”
“Don’t misunderstand,” Cole continued. “I plan to ask her to marry me just as soon as I find the right rock. But right now I’m kinda busy keeping her in my bed and away from the offensive line.”
Again, Emily nodded her agreement.
“Ain’t that a bitch?” Mitch’s voice joined the conversation.
“Hey, Mitch,” Cole greeted amicably, while Mitch took in the cookie fest and apparently decided to join them, helping himself.
“Have a good time in Austin?” asked Cole.
Mitch grinned, settling in next to Jenny. “Had a great time. You?” He bit down on half of the cookie.
“The best,” said Cole.
Jenny took in the glow on Emily’s and Cole’s faces, and found her emotions calming down. They might be joking about getting pregnant, but their true message was that they’d fallen in love.
“You’re getting married?” she asked, wanting to confirm the meaning of Cole’s offhand remark.
Emily made a show of a heavy sigh. “I guess I will have to marry the guy.”
Cole pulled her close against him. “She finally came to her senses.”
“He’s not that short,” she admitted. “And he does have this incredible-”
Cole cut her off with a solid kiss, and Jenny found her gaze straying to Mitch. His answering smile warmed her heart.
“I brought you a present,” he whispered, straightening away from Emily and Cole.
Curious, Jenny twisted to watch him cross the kitchen floor. He retrieved a flat gold box from the telephone table just inside the kitchen doorway.
“What is it?” she automatically asked, thoroughly puzzled by the gesture.
“Open it and see.” He set it on the island countertop in front of her.
“Is this a joke?” For some reason, she steeled herself. What was this all about?
“I’m dead serious.” He pushed it in her direction.
“Should we leave you two alone?” Cole asked.
Mitch gave him a mocking eye-roll. “It’s not X-rated.”
“Too bad,” said Emily, and everyone looked her way. She shrugged. “It could be fun.”
“Open it up,” Mitch prompted Jenny.
She took a bracing breath and lifted the lid.
Pulling back the mauve tissue paper, she found a gently folded rainbow silk dress. It took her a moment to realize what he’d done, and then another long moment to speak. “You bought a new one?”
“It was a great dress,” said Mitch, moving up close behind her, gazing over her shoulder and smoothing his broad palm down her hair to the back of her neck.
“What happened to the last one?” asked Cole, a thread of laughter in his voice.
“You’ll never find out,” Mitch answered.
Emily reached out and touched Jenny’s arm. “You looked fabulous in it.”
Jenny didn’t know what to say. It was an expensive gift, a very thoughtful gift. She did love the dress, but things like this were going to make it hard for her to keep her relationship with Mitch in perspective.
“Would you have preferred something different?” he asked her in a low voice.
She shook her head. She would have preferred to not feel this tightness in her chest, this rush of soft emotions and the urge to bury herself against him and hold on forever. She felt vulnerable and frightened. The old Jenny would have demanded to know what the gift meant, and where Mitch thought he was going with all this.
But she couldn’t do that. And, unfortunately, the new Jenny didn’t have a coping mechanism for a guy who was sending out mixed messages.
“Anyone up for dinner?” asked Cole, breaking the silence. “Seafood? Gillian’s Landing?”
“Sounds great to me,” said Emily, sliding off her high chair.
Cole braced her while she settled her feet on the floor.
“Okay by you?” Mitch asked Jenny. “We can go back to my place and grill something instead.”
Jenny shook her head. “No. Gillian’s sounds great.” Better not to spend too much time alone with Mitch, dreaming of things that might never be.
