The Posse

by Tawdra Kandle

  He hadn’t been obsessed with Jude all those years. He had had lived a full life and had several relationships, because he knew that being in love with his best friend’s one true love and wife was an untenable situation. So at some point, he had simply decided to stop.

  But now here they were. Jude was in his arms, swaying with him. He could feel the heat of her breath against his chest, her fingers moving absently over his shirt, her other hand small and fragile in his. Desire rose, and Logan swallowed, hard.

  He knew he should leave it alone. Enjoy the dance, revel in the feel of her against him, and for now at least, leave it at that.

  Almost of its own volition, his hand moved up her back, skimming over her neck. He stopped moving and laid his fingers against her cheek, pulling back so he could see her. His eyes moved down to her lips, and he tilted up her chin. He had just begun to lean down toward her when her eyes flew open and she stepped back.

  “Logan...” His name escaped her on a breath, but in it he heard the rejection.

  Forcing a smile, he rubbed her arm before releasing her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I saw the lights, and I just stopped to make sure you were okay. When I saw you dancing--” He looked away. “I was thinking of the pavilion dances. Remember?”

  Jude licked her lips and wrapped her arms around her stomach. He felt her discomfort, but his desire was stronger, and he had to step even farther away to lean against the counter.

  “Of course I remember them. We used to have so much fun.” Jude walked to the radio and turned it down. “You must think I’m crazy, dancing in an empty restaurant by myself.”

  “No, but what are you doing here? By yourself?”

  She rolled her eyes. “That was kind of the point. I haven’t had very much quiet time lately, and I just wanted to be by myself. I’m cleaning the kitchen.” She indicated the pile of rags on the floor.

  “Well, obviously that was what you were doing when I came in.” Logan decided a little teasing was the way to go. Shift the focus, take the pressure off Jude. It worked, and she smiled.

  “Music helps me work, and I never could resist Sheila E.”

  “Who could?” Logan grinned and shook his head. “Sorry I interrupted your alone time. I’ll see you later.”

  “Logan.” He stopped at her voice and turned back.

  “Would you stay a little? I’ve probably got another half hour of work here. I mean, if you don’t have anything better to do.”

  Logan thought of single breast of chicken sitting in his refrigerator at home. “Nope, I got nothing. But I thought you wanted to be alone.”

  She shrugged. “I had some of that. Now I want some company, if that’s okay.”

  He unbuttoned his cuffs and began rolling up his sleeves. “I’ll stay if you let me help. We’ll get done faster, and then I’m taking you down the street to Jimmy’s for an ice cream cone. Deal?”

  Jude studied him for a minute before smiling. “Deal.” She tossed him a rag. “Want to do the cabinets?”

  ***

  Cooper Davis knew women.

  Raised by a single mother, married twice and now the father of a teenaged girl, he was fairly certain there wasn’t too much about the female species he didn’t understand. So the idea of a relationship with Jude didn’t faze him at all.

  He knew marriage wasn’t in the cards for him, not again. He’d vowed after his failed second attempt that he wouldn’t go down that road again. But the way he figured it, Jude wasn’t some starry-eyed girl. She probably didn’t want to get married again either. He pictured them in one of those very mature, modern relationships. They could keep their own houses, even their own lives. It would be nice to have a dependable date for things like weddings and reunions, without all the mess of marriage. And finding someone who already loved Alexis, whom Lex loved, too, was a bonus he just couldn’t deny.

  He was sitting in his workshop, sanding down a credenza before he stained it as he considered their options. Being a carpenter was a calling, and one he had always been content to have. The whole posse had been proud of Logan when he’d gone to college and become an architect, and of Daniel when he’d earned his business degree and opened his general contracting business. But the great thing about their friends was that they were no less happy for Eric when he became a master plumber and for Cooper when he opened his carpentry shop.

  His phone buzzed, and Cooper grinned when he saw the caller ID. Jude. Well, if that wasn’t just like the universe, handing him an opportunity to lay down some groundwork.

  He answered, keep his voice low yet professional. “Cooper Davis.”

  “Hey, Coop. It’s Jude. Got a minute?”

  “For you, gorgeous, more than one. What can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to check with you about the piece for the bed and breakfast. The one for the foyer? We’re working on nailing down the opening date, and I told Logan I’d help him with some of the loose ends.”

  Cooper flipped over a page on his planner. “It’s on track to be finished by the end of next week. I can have it delivered any time after that.”

  “Oh, that’s great. I’ll let them know, and one of us will get back to you about a definite date.”

  “Okay.” Cooper paused as inspiration struck. “You know, Jude, I’m glad you called. I was thinking about the stain for that piece, and I’d love it if you could come down here, take a look at the choices.”

  “Oh, sure. I can do that. Could I stop this afternoon, after we close? I could be there before six, I think, if that’s not too late for you.”

  “That would be perfect. I’ll see you then.” He clicked off, ran his hand over the credenza and nodded in satisfaction.

  Jude was beginning to feel as though she’d fallen into an alternate reality. First it had been Matt, with the dinner that had veered dangerously close to date territory. She’d convinced herself she was wrong about that, and now that he was happy with Sandra, it was easier to accept.

  And then there was the weird vibe she’d been getting from Logan, culminating in their dance the other night. She knew—knew—he had been about to kiss her. Dancing with him had been stepping onto dangerous ground. When his arms went around her, her stomach had gone liquid with an odd feeling that had shot straight down her knees.

  This was something Jude had heard mentioned in her grief support group: lonely widows who saw attraction or love behind every expression of support or comfort. She was determined not to be that woman. After all, it had been thirty years since she had even considered a man other than Daniel. Being out of practice was kind of a given, and the last thing she wanted to do was mistake compassion for passion.

  So she had resolved to be friendly and natural with all of her friends. In the mornings when Logan stopped by, she kept their conversation light. She didn’t stand too close to him, and she didn’t let her imagination wander.

  Not too far, anyway.

  Driving to Cooper’s shop after a long day at the Tide, her mind kept darting back to dancing with Logan. How he had looked at her when they were fast dancing, and then the slow melt of his eyes when the Madonna song came on. The way his arms had pulled her flush to his body, fitting her to him in a way that was both foreign and familiar at the same time.

  Snap out of it, she warned herself. It’s Logan. He’s just doing what he promised. Taking care of me.

  Cooper’s shop was tucked away on the far edge of town, away from the beach and farther east than Jude’s house. He had bought the tiny Cape Cod dirt cheap for the spacious workshop in the backyard. Eventually, he had gutted the house, turning the dining room into his business office and the bedrooms upstairs into an apartment of sorts, a place where he could sleep when he worked late. It also became the spot where he’d crashed between marriages.

  The sun was setting as Jude pulled into the driveway. Cooper’s pickup was still in the back, parked at angle to the rear of the workshop, and the high whirring sound of a sander came from inside.

  Jud
e climbed out of the car and followed the noise. She opened the door to the workshop with caution; she knew how involved Cooper became, and startling him when he was working with a machine could have some nasty consequences.

  He was at the far end of the open room, holding the massive sander in arms that bulged with the effort. Safety glasses protected his eyes, and he wore jeans and a tight white t-shirt with boots Jude knew were steel-toed.

  Cooper was tallest of the posse. In high school, they’d called him Scarecrow until he’d begun to fill out a little, but even now, he tended toward thinness. He kept his black hair short, mostly because he said it was too hard to keep the sawdust out if it got long.

  Jude closed the door and stood still, waiting until he saw her. Once he did, he turned off the sander and turned to put it down on a nearby shelf.

  Pulling off the goggles, Cooper waved her over. “Hey! You been there long?”

  Jude stepped carefully around the furniture in various stages of development and smiled. “No, just got here. I--” She stopped in surprise as Cooper swept her into a hug the minute she was close enough.

  “Sorry, I’m covered in dust. But don’t worry, it wipes off.” Cooper grinned. “How was your day?”

  “Umm...” Jude brushed bits of wood from her cheek. “It was good. How about you?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “Not bad. Busy in here, but no client meetings, so that’s always good.”

  Jude laughed. “Cooper, client meetings are how you get new business. You know you have to see people at some point.”

  “I do. I’m seeing you, right?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t count.”

  Cooper’s mouth twisted. “I’d have to disagree.” His eyes roamed over her face, and Jude froze for a moment, and then forced her lips into a smile.

  “For someone who says he doesn’t like people, you sure are a flirt.”

  An expression Jude couldn’t define skittered across Cooper’s face. “You don’t get two ex-wives without a little flirting, I guess. I can pull ‘em in, but the ‘not-liking-people’ deal makes it hard to hold onto them.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jude touched his arm. “I didn’t mean that. I was only teasing.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He squeezed her shoulder and left his hand there as he turned them around. “That table is in the back. Come on.”

  Cooper had been working with Holt/Hawthorne since their first project. He did specialty jobs, things like banisters, mantles and built-in furniture. When Daniel and Logan began delving into investment properties, like the bed and breakfast, they’d increased Cooper’s participation and even offered to bring him as partner. But Cooper hated the business end of the job. For him, it was all about the wood and what he found within in it.

  Jude loved to visit his shop. To her, it was miraculous that anyone could take a few pieces of wood and turn them into functional works of art. She ran her hand over a delicate desk with spindly legs and complicated carved edges.

  “This is so pretty, Cooper. Who is it for?”

  He spared it a passing a glance. “Lady over in Lake Mariah. She had a desk like when she was young, but it got lost at some point, and she wants to recreate it. I made it from an old picture.”

  “That’s amazing.” Jude followed Cooper to a corner where a narrow table stood. One side had a straight beveled edge, while the rest of it curved into a half circle. It was designed to stand flush against the wall in the foyer and would hold baskets of information for the guests of the bed and breakfast.

  “Wow. This is going to be perfect. I can just see it in the entryway.”

  “Yeah, I think so. So here are your stain choices. The initial order was for a chai latte stain.” He held up a sample chip, laid it against the table. “But I wanted to make sure you hadn’t added other furniture in that room that might not work with this shade. Lot easier to change the order now than it will be next week.”

  Jude tilted her head. “What are my other choices?”

  “Gingerbread House. Hot Chocolate. Apple Cider. Maple Syrup.” Cooper laid the squares on the table in a perfect row.

  “Are those really the names? They’re making me hungry.”

  Cooper shrugged. “Companies make them up. If it were me, it would be dark brown, lighter brown, reddish brown and golden brown.” He glanced at Jude speculatively. “Did you want something to eat? I think there’s some fruit in the house. Or maybe in the fridge in here.”

  “Nah, I’m good, thanks.” Jude rubbed her bottom lip with one finger as she studied the stains. “I like the original choice, but you know, I bought a lamp a few months back that would be perfect for the center of this table. It’s Tiffany—well, Tiffany-esque.” She smiled at Cooper, who looked slightly lost.

  “Anyway, the lamp is mostly red glass, and I’m thinking that maybe that—what is it, Apple Cider? That would look terrific.”

  Cooper nodded. “Okay. It’ll be ready next week. I’ll call you when we can schedule it for delivery.”

  “Thanks, Cooper. It’s going to be gorgeous.”

  He nodded, looking down the sawdust-covered floor. “It was the last piece I planned with Daniel. He told me what should go there, just a few weeks before he--” Cooper’s mouth worked.

  Jude closed her hand over his. “I know. Lasts are the worst thing. If you knew all the times I’ve thought about it...last year, when I finished using the final tube of toothpaste I’d shared with Daniel, I cried for an hour.” She shook her head. “Crazy, right?”

  “No, not crazy.” Cooper turned his hand, laced his fingers through hers. “It means you loved him. Those things wouldn’t hurt if you didn’t.”

  “I guess.”

  They stood for a moment, both remembering. Gradually, Jude became aware that Cooper was still holding her hand. When she tried to gently tug it loose, he gripped it tighter.

  “Jude,” he whispered, pulling her closer.

  She swallowed hard and licked her lips. Her heart was pounding, but not in the same way it did when Logan had danced with her. Before she could say anything or step back, Cooper’s arm gripped around her back, and he lowered his mouth to cover hers.

  At first, all Jude could think was, Cooper’s kissing me! Panic coursed through her veins, but she wasn’t certain if it was because Cooper’s lips were over hers...or if it were simply because his lips were not Daniel’s.

  She managed a single coherent thought—well, why NOT Cooper?—before his mouth opened, and she felt his tongue against her closed lips. She made the decision and opened to his persuasion.

  It only took a moment for Jude to realize that her heart had slowed to its normal rate. She became aware of Cooper’s fingers against her back, but only because he was pressing against her bra strap, and the hooks were digging into her spine. She mused that Cooper was a decent kisser, which wasn’t surprising, but what did it say that she was only enjoying it, not being swept away?

  She took advantage of him pulling away slightly for a breath and spoke against his mouth.

  “Cooper--”

  He would have gone back for seconds, but Jude ducked her head. “No—Cooper. Listen. Wait.”

  He stepped back, still holding her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong, but Cooper—you kissed me.”

  He rubbed his jaw, but his eyes didn’t leave Jude’s face. “I’m aware of that. I was standing right here.”

  “But Cooper. Me. You kissed me. What are you thinking?”

  He dropped her hand and turned away a little. “I don’t know. I guess I was thinking that I wanted to kiss you, so I did. I mean, Jude, you know, I always liked you. We get along. We’re both, um...you know, not with anyone right now. So why not?”

  Jude choked back all the why nots that flooded her mind and chose the least hurtful explanation. “I’m not ready, Cooper. We were just standing here talking about Daniel.”

  “I know that. But Jude, Daniel is gone. I’m sorry. I know that sounds harsh. I miss him e
very day. I was sanding that table, thinking of the day we were planning it. I still keep expecting him to walk into the shop and tell me about some new job he and Logan are setting up. I drive past a property that comes up for sale, I still reach for my phone to call him.

  “But he’s not here. And if you and I both miss him, what if we missed him together?”

  Jude closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the day closing in on her. “Cooper, when you kissed me, how was it? How did it feel?”

  He raised one eyebrow. “Are you fishing, Jude? You’re a great kisser. I’ve always thought you were attractive.”

  “But did you feel anything? Like...sparks? You know?”

  Cooper looked around the room, up at the ceiling, anywhere but Jude’s eyes. Finally, he shook his head.

  “Not sparks. But that could come. And my God, Jude, we’re not kids. Maybe that’s the kind of thing you only get when you’re young.”

  “That’s the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard. So now we’re old and washed up?”

  “No! Or—I don’t know. Dammit, Jude, I’m trying to do a good thing here. You and me together makes sense, right?”

  Jude took his hand again, squeezing it between both of hers. “Of course it makes sense, sweetie. I love you, and I will always love you. But you’re my friend. We can remember Daniel, and miss him together, without this.” She pointed to his lips and then to her own. “And Cooper, I’m greedy. If I were ever to want...more someday, again, I want it all. I don’t want to settle. I want sparks. I want--” She closed her eyes and smiled. “I want the magic, like when you’re dancing with someone and you look up at him...and the world stands still.” She shivered, as remembering, the feeling washed over her again.