Lily was sitting on the sofa with her feet tucked under her when Jake knocked once before letting himself inside.
His gaze fell to the manila envelope. “Did you read it?”
“Yes.”
Gram was swaying in her rocker, watching the news. She acknowledged Jake and returned her attention to the television set.
“Well?” He shouldn’t have let her read it. Lily was frowning. The story wasn’t one of his best. He should have ditched it. He sat on the end of the coffee table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“You’re getting better and better,” she hedged. “The best thing about your writing, Jake, is that you’re a natural storyteller.”
“But?” He could tell she was leading up to something unpleasant by the way her eyes avoided his.
“But … the ending’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“The little dog loved that lonely old man.”
“He wasn’t lonely.”
“But he was!” Lily protested. “That’s the reason the old man came to love the dog so much. He longed for companionship.”
“You’re thinking like a woman again. The old man liked his life. He was content. He didn’t need anyone or anything.”
“But he loved that fancy dog.”
“And people laughed at him.” His gaze centered on her breasts and he cursed himself for being so weak.
“Why should he care what people think? He didn’t like them anyway. You’ve set him up to be so antisocial. The only friend he’s got is that fancy dog.”
Smiling sadly, Jake shook his head. “That crusty old man knows that dog isn’t right for him. He’s doing the only thing he can by giving her to someone who will appreciate and love her.”
“He appreciates and loves her,” Lily countered hotly.
“But he isn’t right for her. He loves her, but he knows he has to let her go. You missed the point of the story.”
“I didn’t miss it,” Lily told him shortly. “It’s right here, hitting me between the eyes. That old man, who you want the reader to see as strong and fiercely proud, is actually shallow and foolish.”
“Shallow and foolish?” Jake spat the words back at her. “He’s noble and unselfish.” It astonished him that Lily, who was generally so intuitive, could be so off base in her assessment.
“Let’s agree to disagree,” he proposed.
“It won’t sell, Jake.”
“So? I’ve got tons of stories that’ll never see a printed page.”
“But this one could, if you’d change the plot around.”
“I’m not changing a thing.”
“That’s your choice.” She folded her arms over her chest and stared past him to the picture on the wall. Any other time Jake would have taken her feedback to heart. Usually he appreciated her insight and made the changes she suggested, but she was wrong about this one.
“Yes, it is my choice,” he said through gritted teeth.
A heavy silence settled over them.
“Would you like a glass of Marmite?” Lily asked five minutes later, seeking some way to smooth matters over. She was uncomfortable when things weren’t right between her and Jake.
“Sure.” Jake followed her into the kitchen. “You disappoint me, Lily.”
“I do?” She hesitated before returning the teakettle to the stove. “How?”
“With the story. You’re thinking like a woman and forgetting that this is a man’s story.”
“Women buy the majority of magazines.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe nothing—that’s a fact. And what’s so wrong with thinking like a woman? In case you hadn’t noticed, I am one.”
Oh, he’d noticed all right. Every time she moved in that T-shirt she was wearing, he noticed. From the instant he’d walked in the door, her breasts had enthralled him, pressed against the thin material of her shirt, round and full.
Stalking to the other side of the room, Jake swallowed tightly and forced his gaze in the opposite direction.
“The fact is,” Lily continued, “I don’t much like the hero in your story.”
“I thought we were through discussing the story.”
“You were the one who brought it up.”
“My mistake.” Jake ground his teeth in an effort to hold her eye and not allow his gaze to drop.
“What are you two shouting about?” Gram asked, joining them.
“Jake’s story.”
“Nothing,” Jake countered, and at her fiery gaze, he added, “I thought we agreed not to discuss it.”
“Fine.” Lily’s arms hugged her waist.
“You two sound like snapping turtles.”
“We aren’t going to argue anymore, Gram,” Lily promised.
“The way you two have been carrying on lately, one would think you were married. Me and Paddy sounded just like the two of you. We’d fight, but then we’d make up, too. Those were the best times,” she said with a chuckle. “Oh, yes, making up was the best part.”
“We aren’t fighting,” Lily insisted.
“And there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that we’d ever marry,” Jake barked angrily.
Involuntarily, Lily winced. She was surprised by how much his words hurt her. “You aren’t exactly my idea of good husband material, either.”
“Of course I’m not,” Jake growled. “You’re like every other woman—you want someone who can run a four-minute mile after a fast buck.”
“And what’s wrong with that? A girl can dream, can’t she? At least I’m honest.” Lily battled to hold on to her temper, pausing to take several deep breaths. “Maybe it would be best if I didn’t read your stories anymore, Jake.”
“You’re right about that,” he declared, marching into the living room. He jerked the manila envelope off the coffee table with such force he nearly knocked the table over. “Damn right,” he said again on his way out the front door.
The screen door slammed and Lily cringed, closing her eyes.
“More and more, the two of you sound like Paddy and me,” Gram announced..
Lily’s answering smile was nearly nonexistent. She and Jake weren’t anything like Gram and Paddy. Her grandparents shared a mutual trust and a love so true that it had spanned even death.
Unshed tears brightened Lily’s eyes as she slowly turned off the lights one by one and went to bed.
The next evening Jake wasn’t outside the Wheaton when Lily was finished for the night. Standing in the lobby, she looked out at the long circular driveway. She’d hoped they would have a chance to talk. But Jake was angry, probably angrier than he’d ever been with her. Lily couldn’t stand it. Their friendship was too important to let something as petty as a short story stand between them.
Feeling dejected, Lily secured her purse strap over her shoulder and walked into the cool evening air. She was at the end of the long driveway when she recognized Jake’s cab barreling down the street. He eased to a stop along the curb beside her.
Her heart leaped at the sight of him.
Jake leaned across the front seat and opened the door. “Are you talking to me?”
“Of course.”
“Climb in and I’ll give you a ride home.”
Lily didn’t hesitate. “Jake …”
“No, let me go first. I apologize. You were right about the story. I don’t know what was wrong with me.”
“No,” she said in a hurried breath. “I was the one who was wrong. I’ve felt wretched all day. We shouldn’t fight.”
“No, we shouldn’t.” He grinned at her then—that crooked, sexy grin of his that melted her insides—and reached for her hand. “Let’s put this behind us,” Jake suggested.
Lily smiled and felt the tension of the last twenty hours drain from her. “What did you do with the story?”
“I trashed it.”
“But, Jake, it was a good story. With a few changes, I know it would sell.”
“Maybe. But I wa
sn’t willing to change the ending. The best place for it was the recycling bin.”
“I wish you hadn’t.”
“Friends?” he said.
“Friends.” Jake may have given up on the story, but they’d learned something about each other in the process. Their friendship was important. Whatever else happened, they couldn’t discard what they shared.
Her regret over the discarded story persisted as Jake drove her home, but she bid him good night and raced up the walk toward the house.
“Rick called,” Gram told Lily when she walked in the front door.
“Okay.” Lily stood at the window, watching Jake drive away. “Jake and I are friends again.”
“Were you enemies before?”
“No, but we had a fight and now that’s over.”
“And you fretted about it most of the day.”
“I was worried,” Lily corrected, releasing the drape so it fell against the window. “I don’t like there to be tension between Jake and me.”
“I know what you mean. I felt the same way when Paddy and I fought.”
Lily remained at the window long after Jake had driven out of sight. Rick was waiting for her to phone back and Gram was walking around comparing Lily and Jake to her and Paddy. They weren’t anything alike. Jake and Lily were friends … and then some, her mind echoed … and then some.
* * *
“Gram, how do I look?” Lily had swirled her hair high atop her head and put on a striking red dress.
“As pretty as a picture,” Gram confirmed without looking up from the crossword puzzle she was working on.
“Gram, you didn’t even look.”
“But you’re always pretty. You don’t need me to tell you that.” She yawned loudly, covering her red lips with one veined hand. “You seeing Rick or Jake tonight?”
“Rick.” She hoped the lack of enthusiasm wasn’t evident in her voice.
“You don’t sound pleased about it.”
It did show. “We’re going to the opera.”
“You’ll love that.”
Rick had managed to obtain tickets to Mozart’s Così fan tutte, which was being performed by the Metropolitan Opera Company from New York. From what little Lily knew, the performance had been sold out for months. She didn’t know how Rick had done it. He’d mentioned it once in passing, much to her delight, and the next thing she knew, he had two tickets.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Lily agreed. She was fascinated by the costumes and extravagance. Rick would be the type of husband who’d take pleasure in taking his wife out and buying her huge diamonds and an expensive wardrobe. Lily forced a smile. Those things had been important to her for so long, she hated the thought of doing without them. But he deserved someone who would love him for who he was and not what he could provide.
The sound of footsteps pounding up the cement walkway snapped Lily out of her daydream.
“Lily!” Jake burst in the front door and grabbed her by the waist. His handsome face was flushed, and his emerald eyes sparked with excitement.
“I just heard back from The New Yorker. They want my story!”
“Oh, Jake!” She threw her arms around his neck and gleefully tossed back her head, squealing with delight.
Jake lifted her from the carpet and whirled her around until they were both dizzy.
“Plus, they’re actually paying me,” he added. He set her back on the carpet but kept his arms around her. Nor did her hands leave his shoulders as she smiled up at him, her eyes filled with warmth and happiness.
“I knew it would sell,” she told him. “I knew it.”
Jake felt he had to either let go of Lily or pull her to him and kiss her senseless. Reluctantly, he chose the former and turned to Gram, who was sitting in her old rocker, swaying.
“Nzuri sana,” Gram cried, resorting to the happy Swahili phrase to express her congratulations.
Jake bent down and kissed the older woman soundly on the cheek. “We’re celebrating. All three of us. A night on the town, dinner, dancing. No more beer and television for us.”
Lily’s heart sank all the way to her knees. “When?”
“Right now.” Jake paused, seeming to notice her dress for the first time, and sobered. “You’re going somewhere.” There was no question in his voice. He knew. The joy bubbling inside him quickly went flat.
“To the opera with—”
“—Rick,” he finished for her. He rammed both hands into his pants pockets and gestured outwardly with his elbows. “Listen, that’s not a problem. We’ll do it another time.”
“I don’t want to do it another time.”
“It works out this way sometimes,” Jake said. “Don’t worry about it.” He headed out the door.
“Gram?” Lily turned frustrated, unhappy eyes to her grandmother and cried,
“What should I do?”
“That’s up to you, girl,” Gram answered obliquely.
“Jake—” Lily rushed out the door after Jake. “Wait up.” The screen slammed and Lily hurried down the porch stairs.
Jake paused in front of his cab, keys in hand. “What?”
“Don’t go,” she pleaded.
“From the look of you, Rick will be here any minute.”
“Yes, but I want to go with you.”
“For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve talked of wanting to attend an opera. You’re going. We’ll celebrate another time.”
“But I want to be with you.”
“No.”
Lily battled with herself. She couldn’t wait. Jake deserved this celebration. This sale was a victory, a triumph. Ever so briefly, Jake had held her with an exhilaration that would fade in time. She wanted to be with him tonight more than anything—more than seeing an opera or sharing almond-saffron soup with Rick.
“Please, please come back in three hours,” she pleaded, holding his hand. “I’ll be waiting for you.” Because she couldn’t stop herself, Lily stood on tiptoes and planted a warm, heartfelt kiss on the side of his mouth.
Chapter Six
“Are you sure you’re going to be all right?” Rick asked with such tender concern Lily thought she might cry.
In response, she pressed her palms against her stomach and leaned her head against the headrest in the luxury car. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”
“I should have known you weren’t feeling well.” Rick’s gentle voice was tinged with self-derisive anger. “You haven’t been yourself all evening.”
Because Lily had felt guilty all evening!
“You’ve been so quiet.”
It wasn’t like her to deceive anyone.
“I only wish you’d said something earlier.”
She couldn’t. When she had asked Rick to take her home because she wasn’t well, Lily had felt as if there were a neon light identifying her as a scheming liar flashing across her forehead.
When Rick parked the Mercedes in front of Gram’s, Lily automatically looked around for Jake’s cab. She saw no sign of it and didn’t know whether to be grateful or concerned.
Rick climbed out of the car and crossed over to her side, opening her door. He gave her his hand and studied her with worried eyes. “You’re so pale. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”
“No,” she cried quickly, perhaps too quickly. “But thank you, Rick, for being so good to me.” Her lashes fluttered against her cheek as she dismally cast her gaze to the sidewalk.
“I hope to be good to you for a very long time,” Rick announced softly, slipping an arm around her waist and guiding her toward the house. “I never imagined I’d find someone like you, Lily.”
The stomach ailment Lily had invented became increasingly more real. Her insides knotted. They paused on the porch and Rick tucked a finger under her chin, raising her eyes to his. Ever so gently, he brushed his mouth over her cheek. “Can I see you next week?”
Lily would have agreed to anything if it would help lessen her intense feeli
ng of guilt. “If you’d like.”
“Oh, I’d like, my sunbeam, I’d like it very much.” With that he tenderly lifted the hair from her forehead and kissed her again.
Lily had all the physical response of a rag doll. She didn’t lift her hands to his shoulders or encourage him, but Rick didn’t appear to notice or care.
“I’ll call you in the morning,” he promised. Within a minute, he was gone.
Like a soldier returning to camp after a long day in the field, Lily marched into the house. Gram was asleep and snoring in her rocking chair. The crossword puzzle had slipped unnoticed to the floor. Gently, Lily shook her grandmother.
“Come on, Gram, let me help you into bed.”
Gram jerked awake with a start. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Who were you expecting?”
“Jake. You did say he was coming back, didn’t you?”
“Yes … but he isn’t here.”
“He will be,” Gram stated confidently, sitting upright. She rubbed a hand over her eyes and looked around her as though half expecting Jake to be there without either of them noticing. “Trust me, girl, he’ll be here.”
Lily wasn’t as certain. He hadn’t actually agreed to come back, but he hadn’t told her he wouldn’t, either. Lily had been the one to convince Jake to submit his story to The New Yorker. They should be celebrating together.
Lily changed out of her evening gown and into the white dress that Jake had bought her. A night as significant as this one demanded a dress that was just as special.
Pausing at her bedroom window, Lily parted the drape and stared into the starlit sky. The street was empty and her heart throbbed with anticipation. If Jake didn’t come, she didn’t know what she’d do. Perhaps go to his boat. Tonight he wouldn’t escape her.
A half hour later, Lily sat in the still living room, staring silently at the elephant tusks that adorned the wall. The moving shadows cast by the trees outside, dancing in the moonlight, seemed to taunt her for being so foolish.
Gram’s last words before heading to bed were that Jake would come.
The sound of Jake’s cab registered in her mind and she bolted to her feet, sucked in a calming breath, and rushed to the door. He was really here.