close by. She could never be happy with someone who was gone more than he was home or who expected her to join him on the loony, high-profile merry-go-round.
Get a grip, Mel.
Mitch had promised her the life she wanted and had claimed to want the same things. Only he was a liar and a fraud. At least with Jacob, she knew exactly how things stood, even if this rebounding thing was making her temporarily crazy, sending her heart and libido hungering after her best friend. She knew full well they wouldn’t be able to make each other happy.
Friends forever, nothing more. That was their role. As it should be.
Except Jacob had looked at her when he said my pick , and that flash had gone off again. Something new in his eyes that had made an answering something twist deep inside her belly.
It’s rebounding , she reminded herself. It’s just physical. Put it out of your mind.
Jacob appeared deeply focused on their hands, idly fiddling with her fingers. His hands were so warm and comfortable. So big. Hers seemed pale and tiny by comparison.
“Thanks for the Lakers tickets, by the way,” he said, looking up at her again. “Playing the Bulls. That’ll be a great game. You always score a perfect ten on the gift-giving scale.”
Melinda smiled. “Glad to hear it. Thanks for the watch.” She rolled the left sleeve back on her sweatshirt to show the bright primary colors of the band and the watch face in the shape of Goofy, her favorite Disney character. “I love it.”
“Of course you do. He looks just like you.”
“Har har, funny man.”
Jacob grinned cheekily. He lifted a finger to tweak her nose, but she batted it away.
“So,” he said, “ do you wanna go with me?”
Melinda raised her eyebrows, confused.
“To the game, woman. Lakers tickets? Ring a bell?”
“Oh. Um, sure. You don’t want to take Rick or someone?”
Giving her an incredulous look, Jacob said, “Would you take Rick anywhere?”
“Good point,” she said, then gave an elaborate shudder. “Not unless Aunt Pat pays me.”
“Which I’ve told her repeatedly, no matter how many times she tries to make me take him out of the asylum for free. She’s a cheapskate, your aunt.”
They grinned at each other in complete agreement. Pretending to pick on Rick was a favorite pastime, whether her cousin was around to appreciate their humor or not.
Jacob gave a waggle of his fingers, bringing her back to his question. “So?”
“Yeah, that’ll be fun.”
“Cool.” He took an audible breath. Then, “So about Mitch. Do you—no, never mind.”
Her heart gave a little hitch. She’d hoped they were done with that topic. “Do I what?”
Jacob paused as if he wouldn’t speak, but she squeezed his fingers again, and he met her eyes, a cautious look in his own.
“Do you think Mitch was seeing his ex—that he was with her while he was with you?”
“No,” Melinda said, surprised.
A tiny, terrible pull on her heartstrings warbled suspiciously in her ears. What if...
“No, he wouldn’t—” The denial was instinctive, but she broke off as the seed sprouted.
“I’m sorry,” Jacob said, squeezing her hand in return. “Forget it.”
“It’s okay.”
Yet the seed’s seeking tendrils were on the move now, winding their way into her heart.
Hadn’t there been times when Mitch had seemed distant or evasive and she’d put it down to work stress or family issues? Times when he’d been mysteriously unavailable?
Yes, he’d always been careful to do the things he’d said he was going to do, to call when he said he would, but there had also been plenty of times when he’d told her upfront that he was busy. She’d appreciated his honesty, even through her disappointment over not getting to see him on those days.
What if he’d been playing her all along?
“Mel,” Jacob said, a regretful note in his voice.
Pulling her unfocused gaze back to her friend, Melinda dredged up a smile. In the end, did it really matter? The result
Get a grip, Mel.
Mitch had promised her the life she wanted and had claimed to want the same things. Only he was a liar and a fraud. At least with Jacob, she knew exactly how things stood, even if this rebounding thing was making her temporarily crazy, sending her heart and libido hungering after her best friend. She knew full well they wouldn’t be able to make each other happy.
Friends forever, nothing more. That was their role. As it should be.
Except Jacob had looked at her when he said my pick , and that flash had gone off again. Something new in his eyes that had made an answering something twist deep inside her belly.
It’s rebounding , she reminded herself. It’s just physical. Put it out of your mind.
Jacob appeared deeply focused on their hands, idly fiddling with her fingers. His hands were so warm and comfortable. So big. Hers seemed pale and tiny by comparison.
“Thanks for the Lakers tickets, by the way,” he said, looking up at her again. “Playing the Bulls. That’ll be a great game. You always score a perfect ten on the gift-giving scale.”
Melinda smiled. “Glad to hear it. Thanks for the watch.” She rolled the left sleeve back on her sweatshirt to show the bright primary colors of the band and the watch face in the shape of Goofy, her favorite Disney character. “I love it.”
“Of course you do. He looks just like you.”
“Har har, funny man.”
Jacob grinned cheekily. He lifted a finger to tweak her nose, but she batted it away.
“So,” he said, “ do you wanna go with me?”
Melinda raised her eyebrows, confused.
“To the game, woman. Lakers tickets? Ring a bell?”
“Oh. Um, sure. You don’t want to take Rick or someone?”
Giving her an incredulous look, Jacob said, “Would you take Rick anywhere?”
“Good point,” she said, then gave an elaborate shudder. “Not unless Aunt Pat pays me.”
“Which I’ve told her repeatedly, no matter how many times she tries to make me take him out of the asylum for free. She’s a cheapskate, your aunt.”
They grinned at each other in complete agreement. Pretending to pick on Rick was a favorite pastime, whether her cousin was around to appreciate their humor or not.
Jacob gave a waggle of his fingers, bringing her back to his question. “So?”
“Yeah, that’ll be fun.”
“Cool.” He took an audible breath. Then, “So about Mitch. Do you—no, never mind.”
Her heart gave a little hitch. She’d hoped they were done with that topic. “Do I what?”
Jacob paused as if he wouldn’t speak, but she squeezed his fingers again, and he met her eyes, a cautious look in his own.
“Do you think Mitch was seeing his ex—that he was with her while he was with you?”
“No,” Melinda said, surprised.
A tiny, terrible pull on her heartstrings warbled suspiciously in her ears. What if...
“No, he wouldn’t—” The denial was instinctive, but she broke off as the seed sprouted.
“I’m sorry,” Jacob said, squeezing her hand in return. “Forget it.”
“It’s okay.”
Yet the seed’s seeking tendrils were on the move now, winding their way into her heart.
Hadn’t there been times when Mitch had seemed distant or evasive and she’d put it down to work stress or family issues? Times when he’d been mysteriously unavailable?
Yes, he’d always been careful to do the things he’d said he was going to do, to call when he said he would, but there had also been plenty of times when he’d told her upfront that he was busy. She’d appreciated his honesty, even through her disappointment over not getting to see him on those days.
What if he’d been playing her all along?
“Mel,” Jacob said, a regretful note in his voice.
Pulling her unfocused gaze back to her friend, Melinda dredged up a smile. In the end, did it really matter? The result
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