In an effort to distract himself, he glanced at a list of what looked like craft projects. The word birdhouses had several question marks next to it.
“For the kids?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I can’t decide. A birdhouse can be built in a single day. The glue doesn’t take long to dry. We could finish them in the morning and then paint them that afternoon and the next morning.”
“Interesting.”
“Now the lecture series,” she said, pointing to the chair by the desk.
He sank onto the seat. She settled across from him and handed him pages she’d printed out on her computer.
“I think these are the most interesting so far. This man is an astrophysicist. He talks about the origins of the universe in terms laypeople can understand. He’s supposed to be funny and relatable.”
“Our clients aren’t the science types,” he told her.
“Well, I think he’d be really interesting, but I thought you might say that.” She handed him a second sheet. “What about a race car driver? He’s very successful on the Formula 1 circuit. I looked him up online and he has a few really funny videos.”
The car guy had more appeal, but Sam wasn’t feeling it. “How many women are interested in cars?” he asked. “Even racing? Taryn’s going to say it’s not anything she wants to listen to.”
Dellina sighed. “I can hear her tirade already,” she admitted. “Darn. I thought this was it.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Darn?”
She smiled again. “I don’t swear in front of clients.”
“A good policy.”
She stood up suddenly and hurried to the wall where she scribbled a few words. He studied the list and saw it was items she had to research or questions she needed to get answered. Like “Does Castle Ranch have a first aid kit?” and “Confirm none of the children have food or sunscreen allergies.” She was thorough, he thought, wondering why he’d resisted hiring her for so long. Sure their night together had ended badly, but she was good at her job and he respected that.
The sound of someone knocking on the front door was followed by a female voice calling, “It’s me.”
Dellina turned. “My sister Fayrene,” she said.
A petite blonde walked into the office. She was pretty, with hazel eyes, but what caught his attention was the small fluffy dog who walked next to her.
Dellina turned. “Hi,” she said, then nodded to Sam. “I have a client meeting.”
He rose. “Sam Ridge.”
Fayrene’s eyebrows rose. “One of the football players. Nice. Fayrene Hopkins. This is Caramel. She’s a Pomeranian.”
Dellina finished writing and faced her sister. Her gaze dropped to the small dog. “She’s adorable. Pet-sitting?”
“Yes. Oddly enough, Mayor Marsha brought her to me.”
“I didn’t know she had a dog.”
“Me, either.”
Dellina crossed to the small animal and let Caramel sniff her fingers. “You’re too cute for words,” she told the dog. “Can I pick her up?”
“Sure. She’s superfriendly and really well behaved.”
“Hey, pretty face,” Dellina said in a low voice. “You want me to pick you up?”
Caramel gave a little half jump as Dellina reached for her. Dellina snuggled her close, then laughed when the dog licked her chin.
Sam eyed the fluffball and wondered how much she would shed on his clothes. Although he had to admit, Caramel looked pretty cute. More teddy bear than dog. And she seemed to have a decent personality.
He’d never had pets growing up. His house had been wild enough with three kids and his not-quite-normal parents. A dog or cat wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Dellina’s cell rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. “I have to take this. It’s about another lecture possibility. I’ll be right back.” She handed Caramel back to Fayrene and ducked out of the room.
Fayrene looked at him.
Sam saw that the sisters had some similarities. The same shape to their faces and the set of their shoulders. Although Dellina was a few inches taller, which he liked. He remembered what he’d been told.
Fayrene took her sister’s chair and smiled at him. “So, you’re a man.”
Sam immediately glanced toward the exit. No conversation that started like that was going to go well, he thought grimly. Maybe he and Dellina could wrap up the rest of the details over the phone.
He cleared his throat. “Yes.”
Caramel wiggled free of Fayrene and jumped into his lap. Before he knew what was happening, she’d planted her tiny back feet on his thighs, her front feet on his chest and was staring at him expectantly.
“What?” he asked as he stared into round dark eyes.
“I think she wants you to hold her,” Fayrene said. “I’ve only had her a couple of hours so I don’t know everything she likes.”
Sam didn’t want to hold the dog, but he also wasn’t sure about her staring. He reached for her, not clear on how to pick her up. As his hands closed around her, he realized she was a lot smaller than she’d seemed. She was mostly fur. Her body was small, her bones slight. Jeez, he could crush her if he wasn’t careful.
But before he could figure out how to hand her back to Fayrene, Caramel had wiggled and shifted until somehow she was on her back, gazing up at him. Her expression held contentment and absolute trust. She relaxed against his arm, nestling her head in the crook of his elbow. He stroked her chest, then rubbed her little belly. She sighed and closed her eyes.
“She likes you,” Fayrene told him.
News that was both gratifying and terrifying.
“You’re one of Dellina’s clients, right?” Fayrene asked.
He nodded. “She’s planning an event for my company.”
“Great. And there have been a lot of women in your life?”
Sam’s head snapped up. “Excuse me?”
Fayrene grinned. “Groupies. Girls in hotel rooms. You know what I mean. You’re experienced when it comes to women.”
Sam shifted uncomfortably. What the hell was she asking?
“It’s about my boyfriend,” Fayrene told him.
“The mysterious Ryan.” He relaxed and thought of the dry-erase board with the Ten Ways to Get Him to Propose header. “There’s an obvious solution.”
“To what?”
“The proposal.”
Fayrene’s hazel eyes widened. “Okay. What is it?”“Tell him you want to get married.”
Her mouth twisted in disappointment. “Like that is ever going to happen. I can’t just say I’ve changed my mind and want us to get married now.”
“Why not?”
Her gaze turned pitying. “Because he’s the guy. He’s supposed to propose. I want the romantic moment. If Ryan really loved me, he would know things were different. Or he wouldn’t be able to wait for me. He’d insist.”
Sam thought attitudes like that were one of the reasons the divorce rates were so high. “Unrealistic expectations and too much idealized fantasy about what it should be,” he muttered. “If Ryan loves you, he’ll respect you. Did you two agree to wait for a few years before getting married?”
“Yes.”
“Then every single day he doesn’t mention getting married, he’s showing you he loves you and wants what you want.”
“But I don’t want that anymore.”
“He’s a man, not a mind reader. He’s doing exactly what you asked him to do. Changing the rules now isn’t fair to either of you. This is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. If you can’t be honest about how you feel, how do you expect your relationship to last?”
Fayrene’s eyes narrowed. “You’re no help at all,” she told him, then stood and scooped up Caramel. The little dog settled easily in her arms.
“Tell him the truth,” Sam called after her.
Fayrene didn’t answer and seconds later the front door slammed.
Dellina returned to her office. “Did my sister leave?”
“Yes. I don’t think she was happy.”
Dellina didn’t look overly concerned as she settled back in her seat. “What did you say?”
“That if she wants to change the rules with Ryan, she needs to tell him directly.”
“Excellent advice.”
“Thank you.”
“Not that she’ll listen.”
“I got that.”
* * *
DELLINA ARRIVED AT Jo’s a few minutes before she was scheduled to meet her friends. As she walked into the bar, she saw Taryn and Larissa were already at a big table, along with Consuelo Ly. Taryn, as usual, wore something fabulous. This time a gray plaid sleeveless dress with a slim belt of the same material and some kind of foldy-draping across the front. The style was deceptively simple, but Dellina had a feeling the designer was a name everyone knew and that the dress had cost more than a vacation to Hawaii.
By contrast Larissa was in apple-green capris with a matching polka-dot T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and Dellina was sure she hadn’t bothered with makeup that morning.
Consuelo defied all fashion convention in her work uniform of cargo pants and a khaki-colored tank. All she needed was a bit of camouflage paint on her face to look like she’d stepped out of an action movie.
From Dellina’s point of view, they were all versions of exotic. Taryn with her upscale taste and glossy beauty. Larissa was the classic blonde bombshell with an athletic twist, while Consuelo was both stunning and powerful—combined in a petite package. By comparison, Dellina felt average. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was sort of pretty, but nothing like them. She guessed she looked like what she was—a small-town girl. In a word—boring.
For the most part she was content with that, but every now and then she wondered what it would be like to be glamorous and sexy.
“Hi,” she said as she approached the table. She set down the ceramic container she held. “I hope this is what you were thinking of. Rakisha from Plants for the Planet swears it’s going to last.”
Taryn and Consuelo both stared at the dish garden Dellina had picked up on her way over to lunch. They’d all agreed to get Bailey a small gift to celebrate her new job with the mayor. Larissa touched a couple of leaves.
“Nice,” she said. “There’s dracaena, spathiphyllum and syngonium. Pretty and it will last even if she’s not great with taking care of it.”
Taryn winced. “You frighten me.”
“I know about plants. Big whoop.”
“It’s one thing to recognize them. It’s another to know their Latin names.”
Dellina grinned as she took a seat. Her friends were nothing if not entertaining.
Larissa pointed to Taryn’s dress. “Who designed that?”
“Oscar de la Renta.”
Larissa turned to Consuelo. “And who made your pants?”
Consuelo glared at her. “Hell if I know. I get them at a surplus store or online. They’re pants.”
Dellina leaned back in her chair. “I wish Jo served popcorn because this is like live theater.”
Larissa grinned at her, then turned back to Taryn. “We all know stuff.”
“I got that. But my stuff makes sense. Yours is weird.” She looked at Consuelo. “I know better than to diss anything you know.”
“Good.” Consuelo started to say something else, then looked up. “Bailey’s here.”
They all rose and clapped as Bailey approached the table. The other woman blushed nearly as red as her hair as she drew near.
“Stop, please,” she pleaded. “You don’t have to make a fuss.”
“We’re making a fuss,” Taryn told her. “You got a great new job. A fuss is required.”
They all hugged Bailey, then took their seats. Bailey thanked them for the plant. Jo walked over and stopped at their table.
“Congratulations on the new job,” she said. “Lunch is on the house.” She paused. “For Bailey. The rest of you can still pay.”
“Of course we can,” Taryn said with a grin. “All right. I think this calls for champagne all around.”
Bailey’s mouth parted. “It’s lunchtime.”
“I know,” Taryn told her. “That’s the point. A single glass won’t hurt your work performance. This is a big deal. We’re all happy for you.”
“I like how you roll,” Dellina said.
“You’ll like her even more when I tell you she called ahead, so my best bottle is already chilled,” Jo said. “Back in a flash.”
“Champagne at lunch,” Bailey whispered. “I haven’t had any champagne since my wedding. Thank you all. You’ve been so nice to me.”
Consuelo waved away the praise. “Yeah, yeah, we’re amazing. How’s the new job?”
Bailey started talking about how much she had to learn, not only about working with Mayor Marsha but about the town government.
Dellina was more interested in the women at the table. For all Taryn’s toughness and attitude, she’d been the one to preorder champagne. And while Consuelo couldn’t handle a simple compliment or a thank-you, she would cheerfully strangle anyone who tried to hurt Bailey or her daughter. Larissa was the one Dellina knew the least, but from what she could tell, the other woman was caring and had no trouble poking fun at Taryn. A fun combination.
Jo returned with the champagne. She expertly popped the cork, then poured them each a glass.