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I’m fairly certain I don’t say this out loud, which must make Jamie a mind reader because he wraps his hands around my upper arms like he’s going to pull me close. But after the briefest of moments, he changes his mind and pushes me off. “I think we need to take a break.”
My lower lip juts out into a pout. “Why?”
“Because I’m about to break my vow to do nothing but kiss you.”
“What if I want you to break that vow?”
“That’s not part of our really good friend deal. That kind of thing would take us into a territory we couldn’t come back from.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that we can kiss and still be friends, but if we do more, one or both of us might get hurt.”
I’m on the verge of telling him I’m going to be hurt either way, especially if he says he doesn’t want to kiss me again. But I don’t say that. I’ve already compromised my heart, so I might as well enjoy him while I can. And being that we just started kissing tonight, I’m nowhere near done with him.
The truth is, I’m hoping to convince Jamie that I’m worth taking a risk on. I know he thinks he can’t get seriously involved with anyone, but Sammy and I are already tight, so there’s no worry we won’t get along.
In a juvenile attempt to make him jealous, I say, “You should know that I’ve decided to meet the salamander breeder.”
He spins toward me and demands, “When did you do that?”
“About two minutes ago.”
“When I said that we had to cool things off?”
“About that time,” I tell him. Before he can act all butthurt, I add, “All I’m doing is playing by the rules you’ve set.”
“Right. Good.” He sits up so straight the top of his head looks like it’s trying to dislocate from the rest of his body.
“But I won’t talk about any of the guys I date if you don’t want to hear about them.”
“Friends should be able to talk about anything.” Even though he says this, he doesn’t sound like he means it.
I decide a change of subject is in order. “Sammy seems to have made some nice friends.”
He relaxes slightly. “Isn’t that great?” He shifts on the rock we’re sitting on and moves away from me. “Especially as I’m about to blow up her current sense of peace by telling her she’s going to meet Beth next week.”
“Do you think she’ll be excited?”
“I think she’ll be anxious. It’s not every day the woman who deserts you comes back into your life.”
“I can’t even imagine,” I say. “When are you going to tell her?”
“Probably when she gets home tomorrow. I want to give her time to process it.” After a beat, he adds, “It could be helpful to hear startling news with an objective observer in attendance. It could create a balance that wouldn’t otherwise exist.” He takes a long breath before saying, “I know it’s asking a lot, but do you think you could be there when I tell her?”
While I’d love nothing more than to help Sammy and offer comfort should she need it, I’m not sure my presence is warranted. “Don’t you think that Sammy might be moreuncomfortable having me there? After all, this is a private family matter.”
Jamie raises one shoulder before letting it drop. “She’s so open with you, I think she’s sort of cast you in the role of a favorite aunt.”
“Does she have any real aunts?” I ask. “Maybe that would be a better way to go.”
“There’s my brother’s wife in Barrington, but she’s not very interested in Sammy.”
“What woman in her right mind wouldn’t love spending time with a great girl like Sammy?”
“Bailey is so into her own kids, she doesn’t feel she can nurture a relationship with Sam. I know this because I asked if she and Ryan would like Sammy to visit for a week every summer.”
“And she said no?” I find this beyond shocking. Even though my brother lives on the other side of the country and doesn’t appear to be interested in settling down, I still dream of being an aunt someday.
