He’d changed from his usual pressed shirt into something casual. He actually looked pretty good. How did Lisa do it? She had two guys madly in love with her. I didn’t even have a casual date.
I guess being an obsessive-compulsive control freak wasn’t so attractive.
“I wasn’t sure she’d get tonight off from the restaurant,” Frank said, his gaze fixed on the dancing couple. “It’s good to see her having fun.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Frank. Brad is just a friend. Lisa loves you.”
“She does,” he said matter-of-factly. “But sometimes I wonder what if I hadn’t got there first?”
“You did get there first.”
He’d liked her since high school, when she and I were freshmen and he was a junior. Lisa and Frank as a couple was one of the few enduring facts of my life. Besides Stacey, they were the only people I still knew from before. I desperately needed what stability I could hang onto.
I needed Lisa and Frank to keep being Lisa and Frank.
“Hey, have you heard from Stacey?” Frank said.
“She called this afternoon. She’s having a blast,” I said. “She and her friends have been on Pirates of the Caribbean five times.”
“Did you tell her about the internship?”
“Yes. And that you’re staying here while I’m gone.”
“She doesn’t mind?”
“The opposite. She says this big house is too empty with only two people in it.”
Actually Stacey had asked at first if Brad could stay, but there was no point in telling Frank that.
My grandpa was a carpenter. He built this house in the country in the late 1960s with dreams of a big family to fill the five bedrooms. Since then, “the country” has changed. Doctors and lawyers and politicians and tech millionaires moved into Granite Bay and demanded their own zip code. My grandma left the house free of a mortgage so we were able to stay, but most of the time I feel like an imposter among my neighbors.
“Maybe you’ll fill the place up with kids someday,” Frank said. “When you find the right guy.”
“Right. What a romantic you are.” This house was perfect for a bunch of kids, especially with the huge yard, but the thought of having a family terrified me.
“I hope Lisa thinks so.” Frank took a small box out of his pocket. “Do you think she’ll like it?” He showed me the engagement ring inside, a gold band with a marquis cut diamond.
“Gorgeous! Does this mean you got the job?”
Frank was a resident large animal veterinarian at the equine center in Loomis. Until he went to vet school, I had no idea animal doctors did residencies like people doctors.
“I’ll be permanent staff at the end of summer. I’m going to ask her tonight.”
“That’s wonderful, Frank.” I said, but a sliver of doubt bugged me. It was horrible, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure Lisa would say yes.
The music changed pace to something driving, more relentless. I hugged my bare legs and rested my chin on my knees, and my hair fell over my shoulders and arms like a protective shawl. I hoped Lisa wasn’t going to get all dirty dancing with Brad, lost in the pulsing beat.
She loved Frank. She’d never told me anything different. But I knew my best friend, and I knew Brad had gotten under her skin. She was fighting the attraction out of loyalty to Frank—and love. But it was a beautiful evening at the edge of summer, and the perfume of jasmine filled the air, and geeky Brad wasn’t so geeky on the dance floor—dance grass?
They looked good together. Too good.
“Frank,” I said. “When I get back from my internship, why don’t you just stay? Move in permanently.”
I didn’t hear his answer.
My heart started pounding. The sound of rushing blood filled my ears, and my mind went blank. Someone gasped—I’m pretty sure it was me—as an amazing guy opened the side gate and walked into my life. I mean walked across the lawn to Brad and Lisa.
He was tall and lanky, in khaki-colored carpenter pants and a
I guess being an obsessive-compulsive control freak wasn’t so attractive.
“I wasn’t sure she’d get tonight off from the restaurant,” Frank said, his gaze fixed on the dancing couple. “It’s good to see her having fun.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Frank. Brad is just a friend. Lisa loves you.”
“She does,” he said matter-of-factly. “But sometimes I wonder what if I hadn’t got there first?”
“You did get there first.”
He’d liked her since high school, when she and I were freshmen and he was a junior. Lisa and Frank as a couple was one of the few enduring facts of my life. Besides Stacey, they were the only people I still knew from before. I desperately needed what stability I could hang onto.
I needed Lisa and Frank to keep being Lisa and Frank.
“Hey, have you heard from Stacey?” Frank said.
“She called this afternoon. She’s having a blast,” I said. “She and her friends have been on Pirates of the Caribbean five times.”
“Did you tell her about the internship?”
“Yes. And that you’re staying here while I’m gone.”
“She doesn’t mind?”
“The opposite. She says this big house is too empty with only two people in it.”
Actually Stacey had asked at first if Brad could stay, but there was no point in telling Frank that.
My grandpa was a carpenter. He built this house in the country in the late 1960s with dreams of a big family to fill the five bedrooms. Since then, “the country” has changed. Doctors and lawyers and politicians and tech millionaires moved into Granite Bay and demanded their own zip code. My grandma left the house free of a mortgage so we were able to stay, but most of the time I feel like an imposter among my neighbors.
“Maybe you’ll fill the place up with kids someday,” Frank said. “When you find the right guy.”
“Right. What a romantic you are.” This house was perfect for a bunch of kids, especially with the huge yard, but the thought of having a family terrified me.
“I hope Lisa thinks so.” Frank took a small box out of his pocket. “Do you think she’ll like it?” He showed me the engagement ring inside, a gold band with a marquis cut diamond.
“Gorgeous! Does this mean you got the job?”
Frank was a resident large animal veterinarian at the equine center in Loomis. Until he went to vet school, I had no idea animal doctors did residencies like people doctors.
“I’ll be permanent staff at the end of summer. I’m going to ask her tonight.”
“That’s wonderful, Frank.” I said, but a sliver of doubt bugged me. It was horrible, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure Lisa would say yes.
The music changed pace to something driving, more relentless. I hugged my bare legs and rested my chin on my knees, and my hair fell over my shoulders and arms like a protective shawl. I hoped Lisa wasn’t going to get all dirty dancing with Brad, lost in the pulsing beat.
She loved Frank. She’d never told me anything different. But I knew my best friend, and I knew Brad had gotten under her skin. She was fighting the attraction out of loyalty to Frank—and love. But it was a beautiful evening at the edge of summer, and the perfume of jasmine filled the air, and geeky Brad wasn’t so geeky on the dance floor—dance grass?
They looked good together. Too good.
“Frank,” I said. “When I get back from my internship, why don’t you just stay? Move in permanently.”
I didn’t hear his answer.
My heart started pounding. The sound of rushing blood filled my ears, and my mind went blank. Someone gasped—I’m pretty sure it was me—as an amazing guy opened the side gate and walked into my life. I mean walked across the lawn to Brad and Lisa.
He was tall and lanky, in khaki-colored carpenter pants and a
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