Just Beginning: A Prequel to Just Destiny

by Rizzo, Theresa

  “So what are we celebrating?”

  Jenny took a sip of her cabernet. “Steve won his wrongful death suit case. And I’m celebrating turning in the last foster care article.” She sighed and put the wine glass down. “I’m so glad it’s done.”

  “I bet. You put a lot into that series.”

  Jenny nodded, then sighed. She was pleased with her final efforts, but the experience still left her feeling raw. She wanted to help, but Gabe was right. First it’d be Tommy, and then another, and another. There’d be no end ’cause Jenny wouldn’t be able to turn away a single child in need. Where would she draw the line? How?

  Three giggling girls huddle talking as they passed, bumped Jenny’s back. “Oh, sorry,” the redhead threw over her shoulder as they headed for the bar.

  “No worries,” Jenny said to her retreating back.

  Gabe put a hand around her shoulders and leaned close. “Jen, I’m sorry we couldn’t help.”

  “I know.” She fiddled with the paper napkin under her wine glass. “I tried to come up with a way to make it work, but we can’t. To do it right, we’d have to give up my job or yours at the clinic, or our time together. Helping these kids would be a full-time job.”

  And I’m too selfish to give up my career and stress our marriage.

  She looked at him with raised eyebrows. “But we would’ve been good at it.”

  “We would’ve been great.” He pulled her close, hugging her.

  Jenny sighed, wishing she could erase her memories of Tommy sitting alone on his bed in the small room he shared with another foster child, a two-year-old baby boy. No computer, models, books, baseball mitts, or stuffed animals cluttered his space. He didn’t have any—space or possessions. Even the clothes he wore were cast-offs.

  “They’re so damn needy and lovable.”

  “Your articles will help. You’re such a passionate writer, readers won’t be able to help feeling your frustration, concern, and affection for these kids. You’ll reach a lot of potential foster parents who will have the time and patience to help them.” His face brightened. “Instead of helping one boy, you’ll be saving, maybe dozens. That’s quite an accomplishment, lady.” He brushed his warm hand over her back.

  “I suppose.” She looked at her watch. “Do you see Steve? It’s not like him to be late.”

  Jenny wiggled her feet in the restricting shoes and considered kicking them off, but perched barefooted on this high stool, with her red pumps lying on the ground beneath her would be gauche.

  Gabe put down his beer, leaned forward, then sat up straight to peer around the packed bar. “He just walked in.”

  She looked at the door to where Steve scanned the crowd. “I’ll get him.” Jenny eased off the stool, turned, and collided with a solid body. Something bounced off her chest and fell onto the floor.

  “Oh, Lord. I’m sorry.” A lady pressed an infant that looked to be a little younger than Adam to her chest as she tried to catch the diaper bag sliding down her arm.

  “My fault. Are you okay?” Jenny caught the handle and resettled it on the mom’s shoulder. The little girl, dressed in the cutest little white romper with tiny rosebuds all over it, stared at her through huge violet eyes. A matching rosebud headband encircled her tiny head.

  Jenny reached down and picked up the pacifier. She dipped it in her unused water glass. The baby’s face split into a heart-melting smile Jenny couldn't possibly ignore.

  She smiled, cooing, “Hi sweetie.”

  The baby’s grin widened, then she noticed her pacifier and she started kicking and reached for Jenny’s hand. Jenny handed it to her, expecting to have to pick it up off the floor again, but the little mite popped it into her mouth, tucked her head beneath her mom’s chin, and studied Jenny as the pacifier wiggled up and down.

  “Thank you so much,” the mom said. “Guess this wasn’t the smartest place to meet my husband.”

  “Probably not,” Jenny grinned. “She’s a cutie. How old?”

  “Ten months–I know she looks younger; she’s small for her age.”

  “Well she’s adorable.” Turning, Jenny saw Steve walking toward them, so she slipped back onto her stool.

  * * *

  Steve wove his way through the crowd to the table where Gabe and Jenny sat huddled together. Their heads nearly touched in an effort to hear each other in the noisy bar. Gabe had one arm casually draped across Jenny’s back in a light embrace. Steve suppressed twinges of resentment. The man had a right to put his arm around his wife. And you had no business even noticing, let alone feeling irritated.

  As they spotted him, Jenny’s face lit in a welcoming smile that soothed his ego. Gabe stood and slapped him on the back. “Hey, congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” Steve ordered a gin and tonic from a passing waitress, then sat at the small round table. Pulling closer, his knee knocked Jenny’s thigh an instant before he jerked his leg away. “Sorry.”

  Jenny grinned. “So tell us. Were the bosses impressed? This makes two in a row. They had to be happy about that.”

  He nodded and thanked the waitress for his drink. Taking a fortifying sip of the tangy cocktail, he pursed his lips and grinned. “They’re not offering to make me a partner yet, but they were pleased.”

  Jenny raised her glass. “May this be the beginning of many more successes.”

  “Many more,” Gabe agreed as they clinked glasses. “So now maybe you’ll have time to go out on the boat with us? You and Annie.”

  Steve glanced at Jenny. “Maybe. Annie gets sea sick.”

  “Has she tried a Scopolamine patch? Ted’s had great results with that,” Gabe said.

  “Probably. Her ex’s family owns Fischer’s Marina. He’s in all the big races. You’d think she’d have tried everything.”

  “I’ve got some at the house. She can give it a try.”

  “Or you can come without her,” Jenny said. “It’s not like we’ve got many more days left.” Jenny looked beyond his shoulder. “But not ’til you review your article again. After I edit it one last time—,” she looked to the right, then after a few seconds…back at him, “—to, um…include your latest coup.”

  Steve followed her gaze to a waitress moving through the crowded room with difficulty. Her black apron only covered the front of her large, rounded belly, and she wove through standing people and close-set tables with a ready hand out, like a running back evading a tackle. He watched her twist sideways to put drinks on the table because she couldn’t fit in the space between people.

  Face flushed, the waitress took frequent deep breaths and arched her back, clearly uncomfortable, but she still managed a warm smile for her customers. Tough way to make a living, especially when pregnant.

  He turned to Jenny. “Know her?”

  Jenny tore her gaze away from the waitress to frown at him. “Who?”

  “The waitress.”

  “No. You?”

  “No.” But I haven’t been staring at her, following her every move. “But I’ll have another drink when she comes this way. Your piece was great; don’t change a thing. Where’d you get the shot of me and the kids?” he asked. Jenny’d included a picture of him roughhousing on the lawn with Josh and Sophie.

  “I took it one afternoon from my study with my new telephoto lens. I should have been working.” She slid him a stern glance. “But I have this neighbor who creates quite a disturbance every now and then.”

  “You never showed it to me.”

  “I was saving it as evidence in case I ever need to get you evicted,” she teased. “Actually, I wasn’t sure you’d want to use it. You’ll have every single mother within a fifty-mile radius hunting you down now that they know you’re good daddy material.”

  “Like that’s not going to happen once your article’s out?” Gabe asked. “Handsome, successful, baseball jock, forced into early retirement makes good as a lawyer,” Gabe recapped.

  Great. Just what I need.

  “That’s okay. I’ll protec
t him.” Annie materialized at Steve’s side. Her short print skirt and peach tank top showed off a dark tan acquired from hours spent in the pool with the kids. Her blonde-streaked curly hair was a bit damp from a recent shower, and she smelled fresh and clean as she leaned on his shoulder.

  “Hey, you made it. I wasn’t sure you got my message.” Steve stood, gave Annie a quick kiss before settling her on his stool next to Jenny and taking the seat next to Gabe. Hopefully Annie’s presence would dispel this new restlessness he felt around his friends.

  “Ryan was late again. My ex—” She glanced at Gabe and Jenny. “I swear he does it on purpose. Stuffs the kids with popcorn and ice cream and gets them all wound up and then hands them back to me. I don’t know what I was thinking having kids with that man when he’s still a kid himself.” She blew out a deep breath, then smiled brightly. “So what’d I miss?”

  Ryan was a convenient excuse. From what Steve could tell, the guy was okay. Annie was chronically late for everything.

  “We were talking about Jenny’s article on me.” Steve turned to Gabe. “What’d you think of it?”

  Gabe smiled proudly and rubbed his wife’s neck. “One of her best. People Magazine’s expressed some interest, too. It’d be a huge boost to Jen’s career if they actually bought it.”

  Eyebrows raised, he turned to Jenny drawing out the title, “People? Not bad, kid.”

  “That’s great, Jenny.” Annie leaned close and put a hand high on his thigh. “I could use a margarita, sweetie.”

  Jenny’s gaze followed Annie’s hand before shooting him a meaningful glance that made him feel like a teenager caught with his pants down.

  “I see you as the cover story,” Jenny said with mock superiority, then laughed. “Don’t know if People sees it as cover material, but I do.”

  Steve covered Annie’s hand and moved it to his knee. Twisting on his stool, he signaled the waitress. “Dream big. Never hurts.”

  “That’s what I’ve been telling her,” Gabe said.

  Jenny leaned forward. “Would you do a cover shoot, if they asked?”

  He narrowed his eyes and looked sideways at her. He’d had his share of photo sessions while playing ball—not his favorite thing to do.

  “Come on. It’s People,” Jenny wheedled.

  “Of course he’ll do it.” Annie moved closer and trailed her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. “It’d be fun. Who wouldn’t love all the attention?”

  Me. He’d had enough press attention to last a lifetime. “You’d owe me.”

  “Fine.” Jenny laughed. “I’ll owe you.”

  Steve shifted in his seat, uncomfortable at Annie’s uncharacteristic public display of affection. Behind Annie’s back Jenny smirked, but when he stared at her, she widened her eyes in innocence and nodded at the approaching waitress. “Margarita.”

  Their waitress came by, bumping into Jenny’s back with her distended stomach. “Excuse me.”

  Jenny smiled. “’S all right. When’re you due?”

  “Six weeks. I usually don’t work the bar—too crowded for me to get around with this big belly.” She patted her stomach. “But we’re really short staffed tonight. Can I get you anything else? An appetizer?” She looked around the table.

  “I’m fine,” Jenny said.

  “How about some calamari?” Annie asked, leaning into him.

  Steve shifted away. What was with her? If Annie leaned any closer, she’d be sitting in his lap. Annie wasn’t the demonstrative type, so why was she constantly pawing him tonight?

  The pager vibrated, dancing on the table as red lights chased around the square.

  Thank you, God. “Table’s ready.” He turned to Gabe. “Take the girls in. I’ll get this.”

  Thankfully, Gabe didn’t argue. Paying for drinks was a small price to pay for getting a break from the women. Steve handed his credit card to the waitress as he watched the trio thread their way through the bar. Annie was in the lead, naturally. Jenny lagged behind—probably the heels slowing her down, but damn they were worth it. Showed off her shapely long legs to perfection.

  His gaze immediately shifted to Annie’s tight skirt. He’d always been more a butt man. Steve signed the receipt, picked up Annie’s drink and went into the restaurant. Gabe and the girls were in a booth to the right.

  “One margarita on the rocks, no salt.” Just like she liked it. Steve slid into the seat next to Annie.

  “Thanks, sweetie.”

  “Hey, have you been to the Village lately and seen the great back-to-school display Annie made for the Gymboree windows?” Steve asked Jenny and Gabe.

  They shook their heads.

  Steve smiled and rubbed Annie’s back. “Tell them about it. It’s really great.”

  “Really? What’d you do?” Jenny asked.

  “Nothing groundbreaking, really.”

  “She’s being modest. She put backpacks on the older kid mannequins—displaying their new backpack line, then had them pushing a double stroller with babies as if they were walking to school.” He smiled at Annie. “You packed a lot of product into that scene.”

  Gabe and Jenny exchanged a quick look like they didn’t know what to say.

  “I put another little girl skipping off to the side. Took me forever to figure out how to get that pose,” Annie said.

  “I’ll bet,” Jenny said.

  “It’s harder than you’d think,” Annie agreed.

  The conversation fell into an awkward silence. Gabe opened his menu. “So what’re you all going to have?”

  After they ordered dinner, Annie regaled them with stories of Josh’s first week at first grade, then complained about unreasonable patrons she’d had to put up with, then went on about a fashion show she was organizing for some women’s league. Steve tuned her out and let his mind wander to the football games this weekend. It was the beginning of the season, and he had a pretty good line-up this year. He had a real shot at winning for once.

  “OMG—you should totally do it.” Annie clutched his arm. “Please?”

  Steve looked sideway and took a sip of his gin and tonic. “Do what?”

  “Model for my fashion show.”

  Steve swallowed hard, to keep from spewing his drink all over the table. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Please? It would be such a draw if we could advertise that the Tiger’s pitcher, Steve Grant, would be modeling for us. Oh my God, what a coup.” She clapped her hands, gleeful.

  “Ex-pitcher and no.”

  “You all right over there?” Jenny asked, her eyes twinkling.

  He scowled, sending her a promise of retribution. Jenny didn’t even have the decency to attempt to conceal her amusement. At least Gabe hid a smile while he finished his beer.

  “Plea—” Annie begged.

  “Not a chance.”

  “But it’s for charity,” she whined.

  “No.” He shook his head. “Why don’t you ask Jenny?”

  Annie frowned and wrinkled her nose. “We’ve got plenty of women.”

  “Then Gabe. He’s a well-respected surgeon and philanthropist.”

  “But not a model,” Gabe said. “No, thanks. I’ll write a check.”

  Nodding, Steve looked back at Annie. “Me, too. I’ll make a donation.”

  “We’ll see,” Annie said.

  The waitress efficiently cleared the table. “Anybody save room for dessert?”

  “I’m stuffed,” Jenny said.

  “None for me either.” Annie put a hand on Steve’s arm and gave him a coy look. “Not if I want to fit into that darling little dress I got for next week.”

  “Have whatever you want, you look amazing,” Steve said.

  “Awww, you’re such a sweetheart.” She turned to Jenny, gushing. “What a charmer.”

  Jenny opened her mouth, then closed it, probably biting back a sarcastic quip. “He’s something, all right.”

  “Just the bill, please,” Gabe said.

  While Gabe got t
heir coats, Annie had the valet get her car. Steve tipped the valet and, conscious of Gabe and Jenny waiting for him, gave Annie a lingering kiss and a promise to call her tomorrow.

  He rejoined Jenny and Gabe, and together they walked down the street to where they’d parked their cars. “That was fun.”

  “Uh huh,” Jenny said.

  Steve walked past his Mustang to accompany them to Gabe’s wagon. “I’m not going to be able to make Sunday’s game, but Andrew, Don, Claire and Dan, Liam and Anne will be there.”

  “What? Why?” Jenny asked.

  “I’ve got this thing with Annie.”

  “Modeling?” Jenny’s eyes grew wide. “You’re going to a fashion show instead of football?”

  “No.” He reared his head back. “God, no. I promised Annie I’d go to a friend’s wedding with her. Ryan’s going to be there, and she thought it’d be awkward to show up without a date, so I said I’d go.”

  “Who gets married on a Sunday afternoon?”

  “Jen, let it go.” Gabe opened the car door and handed Jenny inside. He rounded the car. “Have fun.”

  Steve waved them off and turned toward his car. I’m sure going to try.

  Chapter 19

  Monday morning blahs, that’s what this was, on Wednesday. Jenny had gotten up, fed Ritz, and let her out while her coffee was brewing, then booted up her computer. She’d dressed, checked her email, then fixed coffee, the way she liked it with a generous splash of chocolate caramel creamer and returned to her desk.

  She sat in her swivel chair and sipped coffee, while twirling in slow circles. Maybe she’d play hooky today and read a book. She hadn’t done that in...ever. Or maybe it’d be warm enough for her to take the boat out. Perhaps that would help drive away this strange funk.

  This morning, she was listless and totally unmotivated to do anything. It didn’t make sense; she should be on the top of the world. Her fantasy team had won Sunday, maintaining her spot at the top of the division—God bless Peyton Manning, and though it’d stolen a chunk of her soul, Karen claimed it showed and was so pleased with Jenny’s last foster article that she finagled a bonus for her from the powers that be.