“Did she marry that guy she was dating? The drummer?”
Funny. Jenny had almost forgotten the drummer. She suspected Stevie had, too. “No. They broke up not long after... No.”
For some reason, she was reluctant to even refer to her breakup with Gavin.
“She’s still in Little Rock?”
“Yes. She’s dating another musician,” she confided with a faint smile. “A bass player this time.”
When it came to romance, Stevie was nothing if not an optimist. Yet Jenny had been increasingly aware that Stevie hadn’t said much about Jenny’s deepening relationship with Thad. She wasn’t sure why. She’d have thought Stevie would agree that Thad appeared to be Jenny’s ideal Mr. Right. He was handsome, wealthy, successful, socially secure. A junior partner in his family-connected, long-established law firm, Thad was already being courted by political-party bigwigs. He was considering a run for state representative in three years, and had already made a few trips to Washington to meet with some big shots there. Everyone they knew—their families, their friends, their associates—seemed to consider them the perfect couple.
Yet, oddly enough, rather than being as enthusiastic as Jenny might have expected, Stevie had been somewhat restrained in her encouragement for the match. Was Stevie too wrapped up in her own romance, or did she have some doubts about Thad that she wasn’t sharing? Did she question whether Jenny would ever truly be happy in a partnership based on considerations other than what Stevie would consider epic romance?
Sure, Thad was a confirmed workaholic who sometimes became so immersed in his ongoing projects and future goals that he tended to forget about everyone and everything else, but then Jenny had always been type A herself. She didn’t need a man’s constant attention. She genuinely liked Thad and she enjoyed his company when they found time to be together. She was sure they’d get along quite nicely as they built a satisfying future together. Why shouldn’t that be enough?
Realizing impatiently that she’d allowed her thoughts to wander again, she glanced at her watch. “Should we eat something before we go back out? Are you hungry?”
Gavin shook his head. “That next round of rain’s not going to hold off much longer. I’ll try to get some more clearing done while I can.”
She stood and moved toward the cupboards. “I spotted packages of peanut-butter crackers in here. At least eat some of those to protect your stomach from the meds.” She opened a door and motioned toward a top shelf, just above her head. “It was always your favorite snack.”
He moved behind her to reach the carton. The action brought them very close together. All he’d have had to do was lower his arm to wrap it around her shoulders. She’d have moved aside, but the counter was in the way. Any move she made would only brush her against him. Instead, she froze in place, almost holding her breath until he stepped back, the carton in his hand.
“You remember my fondness for these, do you?”
Able to breathe again now that there was a bit more distance between them, she laughed softly, grateful it came out relatively steady. “How could I forget? You stashed them in your car, in your backpack, in your dorm room, in my dorm room. Your friends used to joke that you should buy stock in a cracker company. I’m just a little surprised you haven’t gotten tired of them by now.”
His mouth quirked into a faint smile as he shrugged. “I don’t eat them as much as I used to, but they’re still a pretty good snack.”
She watched him rip into a cellophane packet, her smile feeling more natural as an amusing memory occurred to her. “Remember when your sister’s little white poodle tore into a whole carton while we were outside watching July Fourth fireworks at your parents’ house? We came back ins
ide to find paper and cellophane and crumbs everywhere and the poor dog had peanut butter smeared all over her face. Holly got hysterical thinking her pet was going to die, but fortunately the dog got more in her fur than her belly.”
Gavin chuckled wryly. “Mom insisted on rushing the dog to an emergency animal clinic, just in case. We were going to have homemade ice cream after watching the fireworks, but it had all melted by the time the crisis was over. You know, that dog lived to be fifteen. Just died a couple years ago.”
“What was its name again? I can’t remember.”
Gavin made a face. “BiBi. I can’t forget because it ran off from Mom’s house one day when she was dog-sitting while Holly was out of town, just before Christmas. Mom called me in tears. I had to drive slowly around her neighborhood in my cruiser, calling the stupid name from my open window. ‘Here, BiBi. C’mere, BiBi.’ I felt like an idiot. It was sleeting. Took me an hour to find the half-frozen mutt, and then it had the nerve to pee on me when I picked it up.”
She couldn’t help laughing. He’d have hated every minute of that episode—but for his mother and sister, he’d have done it with only token grumbles. “That is too funny.”
“Glad you think so,” he muttered, though his lips twitched.
For a moment, she was swept back again to the early days of their romance, which had been filled with laughter. Her smile faded as she returned abruptly to the present. Leaning casually against the counter, Gavin gazed down at her, his eyes gleaming in the shadowy light. She felt the hairs on her arms rise, as if the air between them charged suddenly with static. She really needed to stop those mental flashbacks before they got entirely out of control.
Did Gavin sense the change, as well? His eyes narrowed, and even the hint of amusement vanished, leaving his face carved again into hard, inscrutable lines.
He grabbed a couple more packets of crackers and turned away. “I’m going back out. Rest awhile, if you want. I can handle things out there.”
She released a long, unsteady breath when the front door closed behind him. Wow, that had turned quickly. She’d just been reminded all too vividly of how quickly the laughter in their youthful relationship had dissolved into tears. She was annoyed to realize the memories could still sting, even after all these years, even after she’d long since assured herself she was over it.
She was tempted to stay safely inside while he continued the cleanup. Because that made her feel cowardly, she lifted her chin and refused to give in to the impulse. She reached for her borrowed work gloves and headed for the door. The sooner the road was cleared, the sooner this blast from the past would be over.
Chapter Three
Almost an hour later, most of the branches were off the tree trunk and dragged to the side of the road. Jenny felt her muscles protesting the hard labor, and she suspected she would be sore tomorrow. She kept a close watch on Gavin, noting his face grew tighter as their work progressed. He was obviously favoring his right arm, certainly making an effort not to exacerbate the injury, but she could tell he was hurting and that he was overdoing it regardless. Yet, he’d tried to assure her he could handle this on his own. Right.
They were both panting after dragging and shoving yet another limb into the now-full ditch. Jenny wasn’t sure if the moisture on her face was due more to perspiration or the mist that was beginning to fall more heavily now, making the ground slick beneath her sneakers. She slid on a patch of leaves, did a little flailing dance, then planted her heels firmly in the dirt to anchor herself. Gavin applauded, his sawdust-covered gloves thudding dully together. She smiled and bobbed a careful bow in his direction. His long slash of dimples appeared briefly, then vanished when he turned back to the tree.