Chapter 7
7
Jana changed three times for her dinner with Rick’s sis ter. She couldn’t decide if she should wear a dress or jeans or what. The evening was supposed to be casual—just a meal at someone’s house—and yet there were emotional consequences that made her feel that she should dress up. Unfortunately her office-student-single-mom wardrobe leaned toward the basics, which didn’t leave her with a lot of choices. In the end she went with dark wash jeans, a lightweight sweater and cute flats she’d bought on sale at an outlet store.
She thought briefly about texting Beth to get her opinion on the outfit, then told herself she would put on her big-girl panties and figure it out herself.
She checked her makeup one more time before walking to the front of the house to wait for Rick. She’d agreed he could pick her up at home—a first for them—but he wouldn’t be meeting any of her family. Teddy and Dex had taken all the kids out for dinner. Otherwise, she would have met Rick at his place. He might be ready for her to meet his sister, but she wasn’t going to have him meet her daughter. Not for a while. Linnie would ask too many questions, and Jana didn’t think she had any answers. At least not yet.
Rick showed up right on time. She let him in, aware of the familiar flutter in her belly. The man was appealing. Only this time the usual butterflies had a slightly anxious quality to them. She liked Rick a lot, and she was starting to trust him. Was this the most convenient time to have a relationship? Probably not, but men like him were rare. She wanted things to work out, and she wanted to keep moving forward, which meant meeting his sister had a high level of significance for her.
“You look so beautiful,” he said by way of greeting, then lightly kissed her. “I’m the luckiest guy ever.”
She laughed. “Thank you.”
He studied her for a second. “You’re nervous about tonight. Don’t be. You and my sister are going to get along great.” Something flashed in his eyes, then disappeared. “I promise tonight will be epic.”
Not a promise he could keep, she thought.
He looked around. “This is a great house.”
“It is. Teddy bought it for Valonia when they found out she was pregnant.”
“Teddy bought it? I thought he did massage.”
“He does,” she said lightly, not wanting to get into the details of her brother’s interesting financial situation. “This place has worked out well for our big blended family.” She pointed toward the family room. “Linnie and I have our own wing. It’s nice to be a part of things and to also have our private space.”
He studied her. “I’m glad you’re happy here. I look forward to meeting Linnie. When you think it’s time,” he added hastily. “You’re the mom.”
He was saying all the right things, but what really got her was the slightly wistful tone to his voice. As if he envied her having a daughter.
She wanted to confirm that he liked kids and maybe wanted a couple of his own, only she didn’t know how to ask without sounding like one of those scary women overeager to commit.
They walked to his car, where he held open the passenger door for her. Once she was settled, all her nerves came rushing back, and she had to remind herself to keep breathing.
“Tell me about your sister,” she said. “You mentioned the two of you are close.”
He drove out of the neighborhood. “We were always tight. Growing up, it was just us and our mom, and she wasn’t someone we could depend on. But my sister was always there for me.”
He glanced at her before returning his attention to the road. “I was always the weird kid. I was too smart, and for a long time, I was small for my age. I got picked on, but she was always right there, ready to defend me. I helped her with her homework. Once I decided to become a doctor, she was my biggest fan and did everything she could to help. When I graduated, she was cheering the loudest.”
Which all sounded nice, she thought, telling herself the evening would be fine. Rick and his sister were tight, the same way she and Teddy were there for each other. It was what family was supposed to be.
“I think I’m going to like your sister a lot,” she said firmly, as much to herself as to him.
“You already do.”
Jana had no idea what to say to that. How could she like someone she hadn’t met? But before she could ask, he was entering a small cul-de-sac.
“This is going to be fun,” he said as he pulled into a driveway.
Jana stared at the ordinary house and told herself whatever happened, she would get through the evening. There was no reason to be apprehensive. Only she knew she was lying, and by the time they reached the front door, she was nearly hyperventilating.
Rick knocked once, then opened the door, calling out, “It’s me.”
Jana had a brief impression of a comfortable living room before Rick’s sister stepped into view. Only it wasn’t Rick’s sister at all. It was her friend Beth, and how on earth could that be possible?
* * *
Beth stared at the woman next to Rick. No, not the woman. Jana. Someone she knew, someone she liked rather than some stranger she’d been terrified was going to be interested in her brother only for his earning potential.
“I don’t understand,” she said, looking from an obviously pleased Rick to Jana, who looked as confused as she felt. Rick was dating Jana? But he couldn’t be. The person he’d described was nothing like her friend.
“Surprise!” her brother said happily. “Isn’t this funny? When I figured out you two knew each other, I decided we all had to meet.”
Jana looked at him. “What do you mean? How did you…” She shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say.”
Rick pointed at Beth. “You were talking about the food bank and how you made friends with your mentor there.” He turned to Jana. “You mentioned the food bank one night at dinner. I put it together.” He sounded pleased with himself. “This is great.” He put his arm around Jana. “See, I told you that you already liked her.”
Beth did her best to reconcile how her brother had described the woman he was dating with the friend she already knew. The friend who had joked about marrying money, she thought, then told herself Jana had been kidding. Of course she had been.
“You said she had a son,” she blurted, remembering that detail.
Rick chuckled. “I didn’t want you to guess. I knew you’d enjoy the surprise.”
Beth didn’t bother pointing out he was wrong about that. She was unsettled and confused, and Jana looked equally unhappy. They stared at each other.
“I, ah…” Beth drew in a breath. “Okay, let’s just admit this is awkward and move on.”
Jana’s relief was visible. “Thank you. I’d like that as well.” She offered a faint smile. “I can’t believe you’re Rick’s sister.”
“I can’t believe you’re dating him.” She paused, remembering what her brother had said. “I thought you were in medical billing.”
Jana frowned. “I am. At the derm office. Why?”
Beth shook her head. “That’s what I thought.” She looked at Rick. “You said she was a receptionist.”
Now it was Rick’s turn to look confused. “She is.” He looked at Jana. “You’re in medical billing?”
“Yes, but it really doesn’t matter, does it?”
Beth heard the faintly desperate edge to Jana’s voice and knew both of them were uncomfortable, while Rick seemed perfectly fine. She held in a sigh. Her brother had grown and changed over the past decade, but underneath the occasionally smooth exterior was the weird little kid he’d always been. The one who didn’t always get the emotional nuances that occurred between people. She knew if she pointed out how he’d made both her and Jana uncomfortable, he would feel terrible. Better to just go along and make the best of the evening.
“All right. We’ve been standing on the porch long enough,” she said, faking a cheerful tone. “Let’s go sit down.”
She led the way into the family room, where she’d set out cheese and crackers along with dip, chips and cut-up fresh vegetables.
“What would you like to drink?” she asked Jana. “I have wine, or I can make cocktails.”
“White wine?”
Beth nodded, then looked at her brother, who was already eating the appetizers. “Are you on call?”
“No, but I’m driving. Iced tea, please.”
She nodded and started for the kitchen. After a second, Jana joined her. They stared at each other.
“This is so awkward.” Jana twisted her hands together. “He never said your name. I’ve been replaying all the times he talked about you, and he never said your name. I didn’t get that until just now.”
“He never said yours, either.”
Beth felt like this should be a bonding moment for the two of them, yet she couldn’t get past all the things Rick had said about her. Only was any of it true? He’d said Jana had a son instead of a daughter, and there was the whole medical-billing-slash-receptionist thing. Except her brother wasn’t a liar, and how well did she know Jana?
“He said you don’t know who Linnie’s father is,” she blurted, then felt instant guilt when Jana flushed.
“Oh.” Jana swallowed. “I don’t know who… It was a different time in my life, and I wasn’t as careful as I could have been.” She raised her chin slightly. “I’m not proud of what happened, but I don’t regret my daughter.”
Beth thought about the sweet little girl she’d spent the morning with a couple of weeks before. “I wouldn’t, either,” she said. “Linnie’s wonderful, and you’re lucky to have her.” She put her hands on the island. “This is just so strange. I’m fine with you dating Rick.” Sort of. “It’s just the way he described the woman he was dating.” She paused, not sure how much to say. “I never thought it was you.”
“I get that.” Jana grimaced. “I have the feeling I need to defend myself, yet I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You haven’t,” Beth said quickly. “Rick should have told us when he figured out we knew each other.”
Jana nodded. “I really do like him. He’s a good man, and he’s sweet to me. I’d never do anything, you know, wrong or mean. That’s not who I am.”
“I know that.”
The words were automatic, but Beth had to admit to herself she wasn’t sure what she believed anymore. But there was an evening to get through, so she smiled and pulled a bottle of white wine and a pitcher of iced tea out of the refrigerator.
Once the drinks were poured, she and Jana returned to the family room. The three of them made polite conversation, but Beth kept feeling like there was something big and unspoken lurking just out of sight. Their chitchat about the weather and Rick’s work schedule was punctuated by awkward pauses. Finally Beth escaped to the kitchen to get dinner on the table.
This time Jana didn’t join and her, and she was grateful. When everything was ready, she called in the other two.
She had hoped once they were seated, conversation would flow more easily. Unfortunately the “This is delicious” and “Do you want more wine?” was punctuated by a lot of silence. Beth tried to figure out some safe topic of conversation.
“Is your brother watching Linnie tonight?” she asked, thinking family was a topic they could agree on.
Jana nodded. “He and his friend Dex took the kids out.” She smiled. “Their favorite place isn’t anyone’s idea of fine dining, but with four kids, it’s more about making sure everyone has something they like and no one starts throwing food.”
Beth felt herself relax and offered her first genuine smile of the evening. “Speaking as someone who owns a food establishment, we frown on food throwing. It really makes a mess.” She cut off a piece of chicken. “It’s nice you and Teddy can share responsibilities with the kids. Otherwise it would be tough when one of you wants to go out and have adult fun.”
“Teddy doesn’t date,” Jana said. “But yes, it is good we’re there for each other. When I had Linnie, I was so scared. I’d never been around an infant before. I’d visited Teddy and Valonia, of course, but that wasn’t the same as being responsible for a newborn. But Teddy’d had three of his own, so he was a great resource. He kept me calm.”
Beth glanced at Rick to see if he wanted to say something, but he only smiled at her, as if he was comfortable letting the two women talk. She had no idea what he was thinking, but then, she’d never expected him to keep Jana’s identity from her. While she could admire her brother’s brilliance, his emotional intelligence needed a little work.
“It’s nice to have someone to support you,” she said, thinking that without her brother, Jana would have been all on her own. What with not knowing who the father was.
The reality of that statement was something she was going to have to deal with later. Thinking about it now was too unsettling, especially considering that if her friend Jana had admitted to that reality, Beth wouldn’t have judged her at all. But as the woman her brother was dating, well, that made everything different.
If only Rick didn’t have a string of really awful relationships in his past, this would be easier, she thought grimly. She would believe what Jana said without wondering. But given the women he generally picked, well, her trust had to be earned.
“You mentioned Teddy’s an acupuncturist,” she began, only to have Rick interrupt.
“No, he’s not. He’s a massage therapist.”
Beth’s senses immediately went on alert as her sisterly need to protect flared. Jana set down her fork.
“Teddy studied acupuncture in China,” she said softly, with only the slightest edge of defensiveness in her tone. “When he came back to LA, he also trained in massage. He has a private practice now that focuses on integrative healing.”
Rick frowned. “Huh. I didn’t get that.”
Beth told herself not to go to the bad place in any of this. She knew Jana—liked her. Jana had goals, was in college, adored her daughter. The woman Rick talked about didn’t seem to have any of that, which had made her wonder if she was only in the relationship for the lifestyle. And Jana wasn’t like that at all.
Her head hurt from all the uncertainty. She was confused and uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure how to get the information she needed to answer all her questions, but one thing she was sure of—Rick wouldn’t be able to navigate a dating relationship with someone who might or might not be who she claimed. It was going to be up to Beth to make sure he didn’t get hurt or used again.
* * *
For Jana, the awkward meal couldn’t end fast enough. Although conversation got a little easier with time, it seemed no matter what she said, it was the wrong thing. Beth was pleasant enough, but Jana couldn’t escape the feeling that she was being judged for things she hadn’t done.
As Rick backed out of his sister’s driveway, she tried to tell herself that it wasn’t his fault the evening had been such a disaster. He’d only been doing what he thought was the right thing. For reasons she genuinely couldn’t understand, he thought she and Beth would find the whole “oh, you’re the one dating my brother” thing funny. She told herself this was simply one of those situations that didn’t feel very good in the moment but would be all right later. Amusing even. At least that was the hope.
“That was great,” he said as he drove out of Beth’s neighborhood. “I had a good time tonight. Wasn’t it funny how you and my sister had no idea who the other one was?”
“I’m not sure funny is the right word,” she muttered.
He glanced at her. “What do you mean?” His voice sharpened with concern. “Jana, are you upset?”
“No,” she said automatically, only to add, “Not exactly.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. He put on his signal, then turned into a strip mall parking lot. Once he’d driven into a space, he turned off the car and angled toward her.
“I did something wrong, didn’t I?” he asked. “I made you uncomfortable. I thought you’d both think it was a good joke. Was I wrong?”
He was so damned earnest, she thought grimly. So concerned. How could she tell him that yes, she’d felt awful about what he’d done, and that the evening had been a disaster? For all she knew, Beth was so freaked out, she wouldn’t want to be friends anymore.
“I’m not mad,” she said quietly. “More embarrassed.”
His confusion seemed genuine. “Why? You’re so beautiful and sweet. Beth already likes you.”
Or she had, Jana thought. “Maybe it’s a girl thing,” she began. “I’m not sure. It’s just how some things sounded. Like you saying I’m a receptionist when I told Beth I’m in medical billing.”
He frowned. “I thought you were a receptionist. You’re always on the phone when I visit.”
“Rick, I’m in the back office. Wouldn’t a receptionist need to be up front to greet people?”
“Oh, you’re right. I didn’t think of that. But why does it matter?”
She wanted to point out that it would be nice if the guy she was seeing actually understood her very basic job, but knew saying that wouldn’t help. “The inconsistencies could make her worry that I’m lying to either her or you. Or that I’m only dating you because you’re a successful surgeon.” She sighed. “Like I’m looking for a man to take care of me.”
“But you’d never do that. You almost didn’t go out with me.”
“Yes, that’s what happened, but there are other interpretations. Beth could think I was playing hard to get to entice you into wanting to go out with me more.”
The frown returned. “That’s not who you are, Jana. You’re wonderful. Beth knows that.”
Jana hoped he was right, because the voice in her head told her that wonderful hadn’t been one of the words on Beth’s mind.
He stared at her for a second. “Did you think she was different with you tonight from the way she is when it’s just the two of you?”
“Very. She and I never have the three thousand awkward silences we had tonight.”
He hung his head. “So I was wrong about not telling you about her and vice versa.”
She wanted to shriek that yes, yes, he had been the wrongest, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“I don’t want to create more misunderstandings,” she offered instead.
He nodded slowly. “You’re right. I messed up. I should have thought it through. I just wanted to make you happy. I really did think the situation was funny, but I was wrong. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Thank you,” she said, believing he’d meant well. He was so sweet and earnest and adorable. She found everything about him appealing. Well, not the attempt at humor, but everything else.
He reached for her hand. “My sister is protective of me. There have been women in the past, a couple.” He paused and looked away. “They took advantage of me financially.”
Jana’s already upset stomach sank as she held in a shriek. “You mean like they asked you for money?”
He drew back. “It was worse than that. One of them stole my credit cards and maxed them out. That kind of thing. I should have remembered how upset she was and how she would be worried now. I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “Like I said, I should have thought this through. Now I’ve made things worse.”
She held in a groan. Great, so Beth had history with women wanting Rick for what he could give them, and now she was going to put Jana firmly in the same category.
“How mad are you?” he asked softly.
“I’m not mad, Rick. I’m just worried. I need Beth to stay my friend.” And what were the odds of that happening now?
“What can I do to help?”
“Nothing,” she told him, thinking his “help” would only make things worse. “Don’t worry about it.” She forced a smile. “It’s not that big a deal.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” she said firmly.
He gazed into her eyes. “Are we okay?”
She knew there was no point in continuing the conversation. Rick was unlikely to get the subtleties of how she felt, and trying to explain the situation would only make him feel worse. He’d screwed up because he was clueless, not because he was a jerk. Later, when she wasn’t so upset about Beth, she would think that he’d been sweet to try to pull off what he thought was a joke.
“We are.”
He offered her that hopeful, happy smile of his and started the car. When they reached her house, he walked her to the door and kissed her. She lingered with him on the doorstep for a few minutes, more because she wanted to make him feel better than because she was feeling romantic. Finally he stepped back and promised to text her in the morning. She nodded and ducked into the house, oh so grateful the evening was over.
After kicking off her shoes and dropping her bag on the floor, she walked barefoot into the family room, where she found her brother reading. He looked up and smiled.
“You’re home earlier than I thought. How was dinner with the sister?”
She flopped onto the sofa opposite and leaned back, closing her eyes against all the awful memories. “It was a disaster.”
“Did you dis her cooking?”
She looked at him. “Very funny, and no. Of course not. His sister is Beth.”
Teddy’s momentary look of confusion cleared. “Rick’s sister is your friend from the food bank?”
“Yes. He figured it out, which is probably why he arranged for us to meet. Neither of us had a clue, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a happy reveal.”
She thought about the shock on her friend’s face when they’d seen each other. She was sure she’d looked just as startled.
“Apparently he described me as a money-grubbing bitch or something equally unflattering. Plus all the things I said before.” She held in a whimper. “It was just the stupid stuff friends say together.” She twisted her hands together. “I told her the guy who’d asked me out was successful, and we joked about marrying money.”
Teddy dismissed the comment with a flick of his wrist. “That’s not who you are.”
“You know that, but she doesn’t. I didn’t mean it. We were being funny. But it’s a lot less amusing when the guy in question is her brother. Worse, apparently Rick has a history of dating women who take advantage of him, so of course Beth’s going to go on alert to protect him. Combine that with what I said and me not knowing who Linnie’s dad is and him saying I was a receptionist when I’d said I was in medical billing.”
“Which you are. He should know that.”
“He does now, but having it come up makes it sound like I’ve been lying to one of them. Conversation at dinner was stilted, and that’s the good part. I felt stupid and small, and I know she’s upset, which means what? She doesn’t want me dating her brother?”
Teddy looked at her. “You have to breathe.”
“I’m breathing. If I wasn’t breathing, I couldn’t be talking.”
He held in a smile. “I meant breathe intentionally.”
“This is not a good time for one of your woo-woo lectures about the forces of the universe and how we’re all one.”
He flashed her a grin. “Thank you for clarifying how you feel about my work.”
“Shut up.”
“You shut up.”
Despite her angst, she managed a smile. “You’re saying I need to step back from the situation and be a little more rational? I get that. But I also feel really crappy about the whole evening.”
“Do you like Rick?”
“What? Of course I do. He’s a really great guy, and the chemistry’s a plus. I’m being careful because hey, disaster relationship last time, but yes. I like him.” She groaned. “He’s so unaware. He actually thought we all had a perfectly good time tonight. Like he didn’t feel the tension at all.”
“Do you believe him?”
“Yes.” Rick was many things, but emotionally insightful wasn’t one of them. “I don’t believe he would want to hurt me or his sister. Not on purpose. But wow, was that a dumb thing to do.”
“This is the same guy who entertains you with dad jokes?”
Oh right, she thought. He was, and in that context, wouldn’t he think the surprise reveal would be fun for all?
“Good point.”
“I have more. Beth’s your friend. Trust your relationship and trust her. From what you’ve said, she was just as shocked as you were. Getting over something like that takes time. But you have a connection, and you need to respect that and give her a chance to come through.”
He was making sense, she thought. “You’re saying I’m jumping to conclusions.”
“I’m saying you don’t have enough information. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as you thought.”
“Maybe it was worse.”
He grinned. “Gotta love the optimism.”