by Kirk, Cindy
“Mayor of Jackson,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Really? You’re interested in politics?”
“I have been for a long time,” he admitted, sounding almost embarrassed by the admission.
“I’m surprised Gayle never mentioned that to me.”
Tripp’s smile disappeared. “Her stance on the issue was too little money for too much work.”
“Oh.” Adrianna wasn’t sure what to say, though she had to admit that comment sounded like Gayle. “Well, I’m impressed. The town would be lucky to have you.”
Tripp appeared touched. “Thank you for that.”
“You’ll make the right decision.”
“I’d like to be able to have an impact on all the changes the town will be facing,” he said, almost eagerly. “The problem is, I enjoy what I’m doing. I’m not sure I’m ready to give that up.”
A chill traveled up Adrianna’s spine as something occurred to her. “When you’re a politician, every aspect of you and your family’s life is under scrutiny.”
“You’re right about that,” he said with a laugh. “Good thing I don’t have anything to hide.”
“Yeah,” Adrianna said faintly, “good thing.”
It was a good thing that she wasn’t really his girlfriend and that there was no chance she’d ever be his wife. While he might not have anything to hide, she did.
Chapter Ten
Although Tripp had assured Adrianna that dinner in the Randall household was a casual affair, she couldn’t bring herself to show up in jeans. Because the area was still in the throes of Indian summer, she chose a flirty tan dress with rust-colored flowers and a pair of Espadrille wedges.
Tripp showed up on her doorstep in a pair of worn denim jeans and a graphic T-shirt. She liked him this way. When she saw him at the hospital his hair was always carefully controlled, but tonight the blond strands were allowed to be wild.
On the way over to his parents’ ranch, she had to fight the urge to run her fingers through those silken curls.
“Are you sure you don’t mind going over to Ryan and Betsy’s house later tonight?” she asked Tripp when they pulled into the long lane leading to his parents’ home.
Betsy had called earlier and asked if Adrianna wanted to come over in the evening. She could tell her friend was shocked when she said that she had plans with Tripp. Apparently, none of the women at the book club had spilled the news.
When Betsy had told her to bring Tripp along, Adrianna had called him at work to see if he was interested.
“Going over there is perfect,” Tripp said. “It’s just the kind of thing a couple dating would do. It’ll give me a chance to catch up with Ryan on the latest with Keenan and you and Betsy can have your time.”
She wanted to tell him that a date wasn’t where one person went off with their friend while the other person did the same, but then she reminded herself they weren’t on a date. Not really.
“Thanks for agreeing to come to dinner,” Tripp said when they reached the front door. “I know it means a lot to my parents.”
“I like them,” Adrianna said. “And I like pot roast.”
By the time they finished with dinner, Adrianna realized what she’d told Tripp when they’d arrived had been an understatement. She loved his mother’s pot roast.
“That was a fabulous meal,” Adrianna told Kathy as they relaxed at the table over apple crisp and coffee. “I can’t remember when I’ve had better.”
“I can’t tell you how happy I was when I learned you weren’t a vegetarian.”
Hailey shot her mother a warning glance.
“I mean, it would have been fine if you were,” Kathy hastily added. “But in this family we love our beef and pork.”
At first Adrianna didn’t make the connection until she remembered that Gayle had been a vegetarian.
“Well, it was wonderful,” Adrianna said.
The momentary silence that settled over the table was broken by Hailey.
“Karla told me she’s so excited that you’re going to deliver her baby,” Hailey said.
Kathy raised a brow. “Which Karla are we talking about?”
“Karla Anderson,” Hailey explained. “You remember her. She and I ran in the same groups in high school.”
Because of confidentiality concerns, anytime someone mentioned one of Adrianna’s patients, she was careful in what she divulged.
“I ran into Karla at Hill of Beans,” Adrianna told Tripp’s sister. “We had lunch together.”
“Karla Anderson is pregnant?” Surprise crossed Kathy Randall’s face. Her gaze settled on her daughter. “I didn’t realize she was even married.”
“Oh, Mom.” Hailey smiled. “You don’t have to be married to be pregnant.”
“You do in this family,” her dad said from the other end of the table, shooting his daughter a pointed gaze.
“Well, Karla thought she’d found a great guy but he wasn’t. She tossed him back into the dating pool.” Tripp’s sister added a big dollop of homemade whipped cream to the top of her dessert.
“Tossed him back?” Tripp frowned. “Like the father of her baby didn’t even matter?”
“I’m probably not doing a good job of explaining it.” Hailey turned to Adrianna. “If I get it wrong, just correct me.”
Adrianna gave a noncommittal smile and took a sip of coffee. She had no intention of discussing Karla’s personal life over the dinner table. If Hailey wanted to spill all her friend’s secrets, that was up to her.
“Justin—he’s the baby’s father—had been engaged to this girl named Chelsea before he met Karla. She’s this goddess and Karla always worried he was still hung up on her.”
Hailey paused to take a bite of apple crisp.
“What happened?” Her mother rested her arms on the table, her own dessert forgotten.
“The day Karla discovered she was pregnant, Justin told her Chelsea wanted him back.”
“Did he want Chelsea?” Kathy asked.
“I guess so.” Hailey shrugged. “Anyway, Karla moved back to Jackson and Justin is in Kansas City. He keeps calling and pleading with her to move back, but she doesn’t want to be second best.”
A silence settled over the table.
“That would be hard,” Kathy said finally. “I’m glad you’re not in that situation.”
“Pregnant?” Hailey said. “Or with a guy who’s hung up on another woman?”
“Both,” Kathy said at the same time as Frank, and they all laughed.
Adrianna joined in the laughter, although she didn’t find anything particularly funny about the situation. Karla’s story hit a little too close to home. She noticed Tripp’s smile appeared strained.
Was he thinking what it would be like if his baby sister was in that situation? Or was he remembering Gayle and realizing that anyone who came after her would always be second best?
* * *
“I was so surprised when you told me that you were going out with Tripp this evening.” Betsy stroked the soft red fur of her Pomeranian, Puffy, who sat cuddled on the sofa beside her.
The baby had been fed and burped and put to bed shortly after they arrived, and the last time they checked, had been sleeping soundly.
Even though Ryan and Tripp were in the other room, Betsy kept her tone low, as if concerned about being overheard.
Adrianna leaned forward. “I’m going to tell you something, Bets, but you have to promise me to keep this confidential. You can’t tell anyone. Not Lexi or July or Kate—none of our friends.”
Betsy’s brows drew together. “Can I tell Ryan? We don’t keep secrets from each other. He won’t tell anyone.”
Adrianna thought for a second. “Okay, but swear him to secrecy, too.”
“What’s going on, Adrianna?” Betsy’s voice shook. “I have to admit you’re scaring me.”
Adrianna gave a little chuckle. “There’s nothing scary about it, Bets. It’s just kind of sensitive.”
“Tripp and I aren’t really dating.” Adrianna found herself embarrassed by the admission. “His parents got this idea we were a couple. You know his dad has some serious health issues. Well, we didn’t want to tell him it wasn’t the case and make him feel badly—”
Betsy’s entire face pulled together in a frown. “You’re going to do the fake-dating thing indefinitely? Until he gets better or until he—”
“No, of course not,” Adrianna said quickly. “It’s just for a month. Hopefully his dad will be doing better by then. But no matter how it’s going, at that point, we’ll break up and go our separate ways.”
“You know I’ve always thought of you as one of my smartest friends.” Betty spoke slowly and deliberately. “But I’m having trouble making sense of this arrangement.”
“Perhaps I didn’t explain it well enough.” Adrianna took a deep breath and tried again. “Tripp’s parents got the mistaken impression that we were a couple. His mother even invited me for lunch one day and told me how happy she was that Tripp had found someone, how happy that had made his father, who was going through some difficult times.”
Betsy opened her mouth as if to speak, but Adrianna continued, wanting to make sure she laid all the facts on the table for her friend.
“Tripp was going to tell his parents that they were mistaken, that he and I were simply good friends. When he went to their home, his dad was having a bad day and he couldn’t do it.”
“What about your plans to find someone special?” Betsy sneaked in the question when Adrianna paused to take a breath.
“That’s why we decided on the thirty days,” Adrianna said. “If I did meet someone during these four weeks, the odds are they’d still be around when Tripp and I broke up.”
She flashed a triumphant smile, satisfied she’d explained the situation in such great detail that Betsy couldn’t help but understand and agree with her.
The worried lines remained on Betsy’s forehead. “I think this could work.”
Adrianna exhaled the breath she’d been holding. “I knew you’d unders—”
“If you thought of Tripp as only a friend.”
Adrianna glanced nervously at the doorway. “I do think of Tripp as a friend.”
“I didn’t say ‘as a friend.’” Betsy spoke slowly and distinctly. “I said as only a friend.”
Was that pity she saw in her friend’s eyes?
“I know how much you like him, Adrianna,” Betsy whispered. “I worry you’re going to become even more attached to him during these four weeks. When it ends, you’ll be heartbroken.”
“I’m not a child, Bets,” Adrianna snapped, her words uncharacteristically tight and harsh. “I know the score.”
“I knew the score with Ryan.” Betsy lowered her voice even more. “It was still hard to be around him when he thought he was in love with you.”
Adrianna shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “He never really loved me.”
“I know that now.” Betsy’s tone told Adrianna she was confident in her husband’s love. “But working for him, going out with him so he could be close to you was pure torture. Isn’t it hard for you to be around Tripp and not touch?”
Adrianna thought of the kiss they’d shared and tiny flames flickered to life in her belly, sending heat coursing through her veins. Her face warmed.
Betsy’s eyes widened. “Have you and he—”
“No. No,” Adrianna said more forcefully. “We’ve kissed, that’s all.”
A look that Adrianna couldn’t quite decipher flickered in the back of her friend’s eyes. “Tripp kissed you? Or you kissed him?”
“Well, actually...” Adrianna hesitated.
“It’s a simple question.”
“Okay, I kissed him once. And he kissed me once. Oh, twice.”
A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Betsy’s lips. “Was that for show?”
“What do you mean?”
“Were there people watching? Is that why you did it?”
“No. I can’t remember why we did it, actually.”
“Just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing?”
“Exactly.” Adrianna liked that explanation. “It didn’t mean anything.”
“Of course, it didn’t,” Betsy said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’ve changed my mind. I think this one-month thing with Tripp is a good idea.”
Adrianna breathed a sigh of relief. “You understand why it is we’re doing this?”
“Of course.”
“For his parents’ sake.”
Betsy smiled. “No need to say more. Just know I understand and you have my full support.”
* * *
After Ryan finished updating Tripp on what was going on with Keenan’s appeal, they headed down the hall to Nate’s room. Even though his friend had checked on his new son only minutes earlier, Ryan wanted to make sure Nate was sleeping comfortably before they joined Adrianna and Betsy in the living room.
The Winnie the Pooh night-light cast a golden glow over the nursery. It was identical to the small light Gayle had purchased for their baby’s room only days before she died.
Tripp forced himself to breathe in and out. Even though thinking of the loss of Gayle and their baby girl no longer brought tears to his eyes, he’d accepted that the pain would always be with him, lurking in the background, ready to surprise him at moments like this.
He shifted his gaze to his friend.
Ryan was staring at the baby with a look of wonder on his face. This man, who had numerous awards for his bull-riding skill, was gazing at his son as if he was the most precious gift he’d ever received.
Would he ever have that experience? Tripp wondered. Would he ever find a woman to take Gayle’s place—
No. He stopped the thought before it could fully form. If he did find someone down the road, she wouldn’t be a replacement for Gayle. That wouldn’t be fair.
From the time they’d been in middle school, it had been him and Gayle. Initially, being with her had been so effortless. It had gotten more complicated when her parents split during her senior year.
Her father had been cheating on her mother for years while on business trips. When the truth came out, there was an ugly divorce. That was when Gayle had begun to change. Every time Tripp even so much as looked at another girl, she’d accuse him of wanting to take her to bed. No matter how much reassurance he tried to give her that she was the only one he wanted, it wasn’t enough.
In college, he’d gotten fed up and suggested they see other people. When Gayle had dissolved in tears and promised to change, he’d realized he loved her too much to walk away. Still, while their relationship had been good, it had never been great.
Tripp had finally come to the conclusion that his expectations must have been too high. Not every couple could be as close as his parents.
“He’s fast asleep,” Ryan said in a low tone. “Shall we join the girls?”
“The girls” were laughing and chattering about some new movie trailer they’d recently seen. Tripp had seen the trailer. It looked like the standard chick flick with a small amount of action thrown in. Not his kind of movie at all.
“You’ll have to tell me how you like it,” Betsy told her friend, smiling up at Tripp when he took a seat beside Adrianna on the love seat.
When Ryan sat next to his wife, Puffy bared her teeth. But his friend simply smiled fondly at the dog and firmly placed the small puffball on the other side of him, putting his arm around his wife.
It occurred to Tripp that if he and Adrianna were truly dating he’d be putting his arm around her, too. Just to be convincing, he followed Ryan’s lead.
He inhaled the pleasing sultry scent of her perfume and made a mental note to let her know again how much he liked the fragrance once they were alone.
“I’ll probably go see it tomorrow night,” Adrianna said.
For a second Tripp was confused until he realized she was still talkin
g about the movie. “Tomorrow is Saturday.”
“I often go to movies on Saturday night,” Adrianna informed him, looking confused.
“I know what you’re doing tomorrow night,” Ryan said with a broad grin. “You’re seeing a chick flick.”
The former-championship-bull-rider-turned-attorney gave a loud oomph as Betsy’s elbows connected with his ribs. “If we didn’t have a newborn, we’d be joining them.”
Adrianna’s eyes widened and Tripp saw the second she realized that if they were really dating, they’d be at the theater...together.
“Who do you usually go with to the movies?” Tripp asked, feeling a twinge of what felt like jealousy but couldn’t be. Because, after all, he and Adrianna were only friends.
“Betsy and I used to see a lot of them together. Michelle and I used to go together, too, before she got married.” Adrianna lifted her chin. “Lots of people go to the movies alone.”
While Tripp guessed that was probably true, she was his girlfriend for the next month and the idea of her having to go to the movies alone didn’t sit well with him.
“It looks like it has some action scenes in it,” he said. “I bet I’ll like it.”
Adrianna cocked her head. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying let’s go to the movies tomorrow night...together.”
Chapter Eleven
While the movie theater in downtown Jackson wasn’t bursting at the seams, Adrianna and Tripp did have to wait in line to get tickets. When they got to the window, Adrianna pulled some bills out of her purse. Tripp waved them aside.
She thought about pressing the issue, but decided they could settle up later. Once inside the fifties-era lobby she started to head for the seats when Tripp reached out and grasped her arm.
“First we need popcorn,” he said with an enticing smile.
With visions of calorie-laden kernels dancing before her, Adrianna began to shake her head. Then she realized being with Tripp at the movies had been something she’d dreamed about during those high school years when he was dating Gayle and she was sitting at home...alone.
