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“Thank you, Jack.” She didn’t mean for his compliment regarding her sculpture either.
Eyes sparkling, his smile wrapped around her and threatened to pull her close. “You’re welcome, Taylor.”
Taylor fought gulping, turned away from him, but made the mistake of looking Amy’s way.
Her friend was grinning from ear to ear. Ugh.
She really needed to be more careful or Amy was going to think she was onto something with her matchmaking.
Maybe if circumstances were different, she might give in to the temptation she saw in Jack’s eyes. She was in Warrenville to start fresh, not rekindle something that would be over almost as quickly as it started. She wasn’t having a man and possible heartbreak interrupt the normal, happy life she was carving for herself.
* * *
Taylor didn’t bump into Jack the following day at the hospital. Which gave her an emotional reprieve as she knew it was the last day of his three on, four off shift.
Unfortunately, Amy refused to let her enjoy that reprieve.
“A bunch of friends is getting together for dinner and drinks. I want you to meet them. Get ready and go with me.”
Glancing up from where she was reading an article on antibiotic resistance, Taylor reminded Amy, “You don’t have to invite me to go with you everywhere you go.”
She didn’t want to be antisocial, but she’d never operated on Amy’s high level of social activity. Her friend had always been able to go, go, go.
“I know that and I don’t.” Amy’s hands went to her hips. “You didn’t hear me inviting you to go with me to my grandmother’s, did you?”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “What I heard was you trying to throw Jack and me together, because he will be there, won’t he?”
“Jack is my friend. Of course he’ll be there.” Amy gave a little so-what shrug. “Besides, you like him. I see it in your eyes when you look at him.”
“I wouldn’t be looking at him if you’d quit throwing us together,” Taylor reminded her, putting her magazine down.
“Inviting you to go with me tonight has nothing to do with those looks I see passing back and forth between you and Jack.”
Taylor eyed her friend suspiciously. “I don’t need to be babysat. A year ago maybe, but now I’m content spending time alone and just enjoying life.”
She really itched to unpack her supplies, make a space in one corner of her room and get her hands wet with her clay.
Watching Jack touch her sculpture the night before had her fingers eager to mold and shape new pieces.
No, not pieces. One particular piece that was starting to take hold in her mind. She couldn’t see it, just knew it was there, obscured from sight and necessary to be found by touch, necessary to be set free from the excess clay surrounding it.
“Yeah,” Amy said, “except I don’t see you enjoying life when you are sitting on the sofa, reading work-related articles.”
“I’ve only been moved in a week,” she said. “Should I have been throwing a party or out all night repeatedly during that time?”
“No, but you do need to quit hiding yourself away.”
“Too bad I didn’t hide myself away when I met Neil.”
“Neil was an idiot, stuck on himself,” Amy announced matter-of-factly.
Taylor snorted. “Agreed, and I married him. What does that say about my judgment?”
“That you should let me choose all future dates.”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “You’re under the assumption I want to date. I don’t. I really am happy with where I am in life.”
Mostly.
