by Wilde, Lori
“Edith,” Zach said, wanting to speak to her, but the older woman turned and walked inside.
With a sigh, he reminded himself of what he’d just told Abby. Patience. He needed to have patience. He knew Edith didn’t really dislike him. She just found him to be a reminder of all she’d lost. When Keith had been alive, they’d been close friends who hung out a lot and Edith had been nice to him back then.
Patience. He needed to give her time.
He gathered the dog medication and food Dr. Chloe had given Abby at the animal clinic and took them inside the house. He couldn’t do anything about Edith’s feelings, but he could help Betty get the love she deserved.
* * *
The next morning over oatmeal, Abby made an announcement, “I know you and Zach said you won’t fall in love and get married, but you said you’d go on a date, so I thought I’d help. I made a reservation for you at Pierre’s tonight at eight.”
“What?” Stunned, Suzannah stared at her daughter. The kid was ten going on thirty. “When did you do that?”
“Just now.” Abby held up her phone and showed her mother the Open Table app.
“Pierre’s is the most expensive restaurant in Kringle,” Suzannah said. “I’m not suggesting it to Zach.”
“It’s also the nicest restaurant in Kringle,” Abby said. “I know that’s where Zach would want to take you.”
“You’re overstepping your bounds, young lady. Please cancel that reservation.”
“But you promised you’d go on a date.”
“I said I would think about it.”
Abby hung her head. “I was just trying to help. All I want is to see you happy.”
“I know, sweetheart.” Suzannah softened her tone.
“So you’ll go?” Abby’s voice lifted.
“You’re relentless.” Suzannah chuckled and shook her head.
“So—”
“I’ll talk to Zach and see if he’s free tonight.”
“He is. I already texted him.”
Suzannah frowned. “Abby, if I go on a date with Zach, it’s up to him and me. Got it, young lady?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Shaking her head, Suzannah got up and went to the other side of the kitchen table. She kissed her daughter on the top of her head and gave her a big hug. “I know you just want the best for me.”
“I do,” Abby said, tears shining in her eyes.
“You better scoot or you’re going to be late for school. Did you feed Betty this morning?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And took her out to potty?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Good job.”
“I’m glad you get to take her to work with you,” Abby said. “I’d hate for her to stay home alone all day.”
“We are lucky to have doggy day care at the Kringle Animal Clinic.” Suzannah glanced out the window. “Looks like your ride is here.”
Abby polished off her last bite of oatmeal and picked up her backpack just as their neighbor stopped her carpool van in the driveway. “Bye, Mom.”
“Have a great day, sweetheart.” She gave Abby another hug and sent her out the door. She stood on the front porch waving goodbye.
How could she stay mad at her daughter who wanted nothing more than to see her mother happy? Maybe Abby had gone about it the wrong way, but she’d had the best intentions.
Suzannah loaded their breakfast dishes into the dishwasher and got dressed in the burgundy scrubs she wore to work at the vet clinic. She went to Abby’s bedroom and found Betty curled up in the middle of Abby’s bed.
Betty looked up at her with guilty eyes and crawled down off the bed.
“Hey, it’s okay to sleep on the bed in this house,” Suzannah squatted to pet the dog. “No need to feel guilty.”
The little dog licked the back of Suzannah’s hand. Aww, she was so precious. Suzannah pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to check the time. Her shift started at eight and it was seven-thirty. The clinic was only two miles from her house. She had time to call Zach and tell him what her matchmaking daughter had done.
With a sigh, she hit Zach’s number on her speed dial.
“Morning, Suzie-Q,” Zach said, using her high school nickname. Only one other person had ever called her that and he was no longer alive. “What’s up?”
The sound of his deep voice brought a warm, soft feeling to her heart. “You won’t believe this.”
“What’s Abby up to now?”
“How did you know?”
“That girl is a firecracker.” He laughed.
“My daughter made dinner reservations for us at Pierre’s tonight at eight.”
“She did what?”
“I am so sorry. I’ve lost control as a mother.”
“You haven’t,” he said. “Abby’s just a headstrong girl who knows her own mind. You should be proud of her.”
“I am, it’s just she’s really hung up on this idea of us dating.”
“She just wants to see you happy.”
“I am happy…”
“But?”
Why had she hesitated? “Maybe I do get a little lonely sometimes. But hey, that’s what Betty is for, right?”
Betty seemed to agree, she’d curled up on Suzannah’s shoes and gone back to sleep.
She wasn’t sure why she didn’t automatically cancel the reservation and not even bother calling Zach, but she felt compelled to talk to him about this.
He was silent for a moment, and she waited anxiously for his response. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt this way, but ever since Abby had brought up the subject, Suzannah had felt that maybe she should move on, at least a little.
She spun her engagement and wedding rings. She was still wearing them when it had been three years but removing them didn’t seem right. Now, however, they were a symbol of what was holding her back. Clinging to a love long gone.
“Zach?” she said when he still had said nothing. “I should cancel the dinner reservation, right?”
What was wrong with her? She knew the answer. She should cancel the reservation.
So why hadn’t she?
“No, don’t cancel. Let’s have dinner. It will be fun,” he said. “We could both use a night out.”
She wasn’t sure this was a good idea. In fact, she was fairly certain it was a terrible idea.
But then why hadn’t she simply canceled the reservation? Equally important, why wasn’t Zach telling her to cancel it?
“I think we’ve both lost our minds,” she said with a light laugh. “Do you think by going to dinner we’re getting Abby’s hopes up? We shouldn’t lead her to believe this will turn into anything.”
He didn’t respond right away, and Suzannah wished she could see his face. Zach had always been such an important part of her life, especially since Keith’s death, that she couldn’t help wondering how he really felt about Abby’s shenanigans.
“Zach?” she asked.
Finally, he said, “We’ll make it clear to Abby that this is just two friends having dinner.”
“I could tell her it’s a test date. Go out without someone I trust before I risk dipping my toe into the dating pool.”
“You could,” he said, but the tone in his voice suggested he didn’t love being a test date. “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty if that’s okay.”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you then.” She hung up, and suddenly, she felt like she was a teenager again, about to go on a date with the cutest boy in class. She knew it was silly. She and Zach had dinner together often. Sure, it was always with Abby, but tonight’s dinner wasn’t anything special. It was simply two friends enjoying a meal together.
So if it was no big deal, why couldn’t she get the butterflies in her stomach to settle down?
Suzannah looked down at her rings once more. She wouldn’t feel right wearing them on a date but taking them off signaled something monumental.
Was she ready to do it?
Betty whimpered a
s if picking up on her mood. Suzannah stared down at the little dog who thumped her tail and rolled over for a belly scratch.
Face it. Things were changing around here. It was time for her to accept that and finally move on. Not with Zach necessarily, but with her life.
Slowly, hesitantly, Suzannah took off her rings and with sadness in her heart, tucked them into her jewelry box. “I’ll always love you, Keith,” she whispered. “But it’s time to let you go.”
Chapter 6
Zach pulled into Suzannah’s driveway and wondered for the millionth time if he’d lost his ever-loving mind. That was the only explanation. Suzannah mentioned they both might be a little crazy, and boy, was she right. Getting involved with her romantically threatened to destroy the friendship they’d built over the last decade.
Over the course of the day, he’d almost called her a dozen times to cancel, but each time, something stopped him, because he couldn’t get his mind off what Abby had said.
Abby firmly believed he and Suzannah belonged together.
Yes, she was a precocious ten-year-old with a tendency to stick her nose in where it didn’t belong. She was an earnest kid with a heart the size of Texas and Zach loved her for it.
And he was thinking Abby had a point. He cared about Suzannah. He had cared about her long before she’d married Keith. His feelings for her had only deepened during the last three years.
So was this step a mistake, or the best chance he’d ever have?
He opened the door to his truck and climbed out. Taking a deep breath, he headed toward the front door decorated with a huge Christmas wreath. He’d dressed up for this dinner in a suit and tie, and now he felt uncomfortable in more ways than one.
Abby threw open the front door before he had time to knock. “You look sooo handsome.”
She had Betty tucked into the crook of her elbow. The little dog looked bright-eyed and perky. She wagged her tail and didn’t tremble at all.
“Mom!” Abby hollered. “Zach is here!”
Abby held up Betty. “Doesn’t she look nice? I gave her a bath and brushed her fur. She also has a new collar, see?” She turned Betty showing off her red collar.
Zach patted Betty. “She looks beautiful.”
More than pretty, the dog looked happy. Abby placed her on the ground and the two ran off toward the back of the house. They disappeared into the kitchen, and Edith wandered into the foyer.
“Hello, Zach,” she said.
He might not be the smartest cowboy in town, but he was smart enough to pick up on her tone. Edith was not happy.
“Hi, Edith. How are you tonight?” He flashed his best smile, but it did nothing to soften the frown on her face.
“Abby keeps saying you and Suzannah are going on a date, but I told her that can’t be right,” she said.
Although she didn’t say it aloud, Zach knew what she was thinking. How could he do this to Keith? He’d thought the same thing for a long, long time. But three years had passed since Keith’s death. He missed his buddy, but life had to go on.
“It’s just a dinner, Edith,” he said. “It’s not a big deal.”
“That’s true,” Suzannah said from behind him.
Zach turned and immediately felt the air leave his lungs. She, too, had dressed up for dinner. She had on a beautiful dark blue dress that made her eyes seem even bluer and hugged her curves. Her long blonde hair was loose around her shoulders and glistened in the hallway lighting. She wore heels. Not too high, but tall enough to show off her shapely legs.
Dumbstruck, Zach stuttered, “Y-You look g-gorgeous.”
She rewarded him with a small smile and her cheeks pinked. She dropped her gaze, murmured, “You look very nice too.”
Zach wanted to say more, but he knew Edith was glaring at them. He could feel her disapproval washing over him.
“Thank you for watching Abby,” Suzannah said to Edith. “It’s very nice of you.”
“I don’t mind. Although I’m not sure about that dog.”
“Abby loves her so much. They will be so good for each other.”
“I really think you should have thought about this longer before you let her get a dog.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, Edith. This wasn’t impulsive.”
“First, I’ve heard of it.”
“I don’t have to run all my decisions by you,” Suzannah said kindly yet firmly. “Just as you don’t have to run your decisions by me.”
“I’ve never liked pets,” Edith muttered. “They make messes.”
“Abby will clean up any messes Betty makes,” Suzannah said. “Don’t worry.”
Zach headed over to the front door. He knew how Edith felt about pets. For years when they’d been teens, Keith had begged his mother to let him have a dog, but she wouldn’t allow it.
Suzannah picked up her purse and walked over to join Zach by the door. And that’s when he saw that she’d taken off her wedding and engagement rings.
His heart rate kicked up, and he tried to ignore it but darn he if he could. Why had she taken off her rings now when she’d been wearing them for three years after her husband died? Why on the night of their first date? Was it because Suzannah might think they could be more than friends?
He didn’t dare hope.
“You won’t be home late,” Edith said as they headed out the door. She wasn’t asking a question. She’d made a very firm statement.
“No, we won’t be home late,” Suzannah agreed.
Zach closed the front door behind them, deliberately not making any promises he couldn’t keep.
* * *
She felt like she was cheating.
That’s all Suzannah could think as she studied the menu at Pierre’s and rubbed the back of her bare ring finger with her thumb. She knew it was silly, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was betraying Keith by going on a date with his best friend.
“What looks good to you?” Zach asked.
You do, she almost said, then caught herself at the last moment. Yikes. She was a mess. This change in her relationship with Zach was really throwing her. She wasn’t ready to move on, wasn’t ready to get involved in a romance with anyone. Taking off the rings had meant to signal that she was ready, but when the rubber met the road, she was not.
And yet, her body thought otherwise.
Every time he smiled at her or touched her, she tingled from head to toe and her stomach pitched, and her pulse sped up. She felt both excited and guilty.
How crazy was that?
“I don’t know what to do.” She stared at the menu, not really seeing the food options. She was just too aware of him.
He must have understood because he set his menu down and looked at her. “There’s nothing to do but have a nice meal.”
“It just feels so…I don’t know…backwards.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re as close as two friends can be, Zach. We know everything there is to know about each other. I remember where you got that scar…” She nodded at the deep nick on his arm just above his wrist. “You and Keith were roping and heeling longhorns and one of them got you good.”
“No kidding.” Zach rubbed the scar at his wrist.
“I know your favorite color is blue, that you love baseball better than football, but you don’t want anyone to know because it feels unTexan. That you like your steaks medium rare and your whiskey neat, but you hardly ever drink. That you prefer Chevys over Fords and cashews to peanuts. That you can’t stand reality TV because there is nothing real about it. You love country music and Shania Twain is your favorite artist, but you also have a secret fondness for rockabilly.” She paused and waved a hand. “And you know me just as well. What are we going to talk about on this date?”
Zach nodded. “I thought it was a crazy idea when Abby brought it up, but after I’ve thought about it, it doesn’t seem so crazy.”
His words caught her off guard. For a moment, she sat still, unsure what to say
and overcome by so many feelings that she truly had no words. Finally, all she managed was, “Zach.”
His gaze never waived from hers. “I know. It seems strange, but I’ve been thinking about it. You and I spend almost every day together. You’re the first person I call when something good—or something bad—happens.”
She nodded because she did the same. Whenever something unusual happened to her, she called Zach. She shared her day with him, and she looked forward to hearing about his.
But was that enough?
“But that isn’t a romance, Zach.”
He nodded slowly. “Not by itself. But maybe it’s something to build on. Being close friends is a heck of a start.”
The waiter appeared with bread, and that gave her time to gather her thoughts. Zach ordered a steak medium rare and Suzannah picked the mushroom risotto.
Unfurling her napkin in her lap, Suzannah considered what he’d said. Was being really good friends enough to build on a romantic relationship on?
She’d heard people say they were friends before they fell in love, but she’d never experienced that. She and Keith fell in love almost immediately. They weren’t friends who later developed a romance. They’d fallen in love and stayed in love. There had been fireworks and loads of chemistry.
But with Zach things were steadier, quieter. No rockets. No sweaty palms. No jitteriness. No rollercoaster of emotions. She knew she could count on him and he would always be there for her, no matter what.
When the waiter walked away, Zach said, “Why don’t we just take things slow? We can just spend some time together. We can call it a date or not. We can just call it friends spending time together. We don’t have to decide right now.”
What he was saying made sense. They could simply spend time together and see where it led. Still, she had concerns. “What if dating destroys our friendship?”
Zach chuckled, the sound deep and comforting. “Suzannah, you and I have been through way too much for anything to destroy our friendship.”
She smiled. She’d like to think that. She’d like to believe that their friendship could survive anything.
Still, she wasn’t sure if she was ready for this step. Dating Zach meant shifting gears and seeing him in a different light. “You have a good point, but I’m not sure I can do this. I feel guilty and confused. I keep thinking of Keith…”
