Breathless

by Cheryl Douglas

  ***

  Jasmine woke up with a heavy head, cursing the person pounding on her door. Whoever it was knew the building’s entrance code, so the options were limited to family and a few close friends. She immediately thought of Eli. Pausing to run her hands through her tangled hair, she pulled open the door, wishing she’d taken the time to brush her teeth. When she saw her twin brother, she groaned. “Go away.”

  She loved Den, but he should know better than to show up at nine on her day off. Since he’d bought a unit in the building next door, he made a habit of dropping by at the most inopportune times to check on her. She suspected her parents put him up to it, but he refused to give them away.

  “I brought coffee,” he said, raising the take-out tray. “I thought you might bite my head off if I didn’t.”

  “You thought right.” She took the tray from him and backtracked to the coffee table. She settled into her deep, microfiber sectional. “Mmm, do I smell blueberry scones?”

  “Yeah, I thought you might wanna join me for a run to work them off?” he said, chuckling as he closed the door.

  Jasmine wrinkled her nose. He’d hauled her butt out of bed on her day off and he expected her to go for a run? Not gonna happen. “You know I work out every day before work. I’m not going for a run on my day off. I’m not in training for the Olympics, ya know.”

  Den was a firefighter and since physical fitness was a job requirement, he often spent his days off in the gym. That was a luxury Jasmine couldn’t afford working sixty hours every week.

  Den said, “It wouldn’t kill you to get a few extra miles in.” He laughed when she glared at him. “Not that I’m implying you need to lose weight. The exact opposite, in fact. Mama thinks you’re not eating enough. She said I should invite you over and feed you.”

  Jasmine rolled her eyes and bit into her favorite indulgence, warm with butter, just the way she liked it. Her parents meant well, but they were too overprotective. When she’d announced she was moving to Los Angeles to pursue a modeling career, they’d nearly had a collective coronary. They called her every night to make sure she hadn’t “fallen victim to one of those crazies.” “I hope you told them I’m fine.”

  “Are you?” Den sat at the other end of the sectional. “I heard about Brent getting engaged.”

  “So that’s why you’re here?” Den was usually too busy juggling his own active social life to give much thought to hers, but he knew how she’d felt about Brent. She smiled as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “I went out and got drunk last night. Tequila shots at Jimmy’s with Nellie.”

  “Oh God,” Den groaned. “That must have been a disaster.”

  She laughed, wincing when it hurt her head. Jasmine didn’t have much experience with hangovers. If her brother really wanted to help her, he could give her a few pointers on how to feel human again. “Eli came to my rescue.”

  “Doesn’t he always?” Den said and gave Jasmine a pointed look. Eli and Den had been friends since high school. It was no secret Den wanted his sister to stop dragging her feet and make Eli an official part of their family. The new woman in Eli’s life meant both Den and her parents would have to let go of that fantasy.

  “He’s seeing someone.” She ignored the little pang in her chest. “A divorced lawyer he met through Brent’s fiancée’s dating service.” They exchanged a look and Jasmine knew they were thinking the same thing: Eli didn’t need help finding dates. There was no shortage of puck bunnies willing to keep him company. If he was tiring of them, it could only mean one thing: He was ready to settle down.

  “Is that so? Is it serious?” Den snagged the last scone before taking the second cup of coffee from the tray.

  “It must be. He’s taking her to meet his family today.”

  “Wow.” Den whistled under his breath. “He hasn’t taken a girl home in… Hell, I can’t even remember the last time he took a girl home.”

  “Yeah, me neither.” Jasmine wiped butter from her fingers with a paper napkin and tossed it on the end table. She was usually meticulous about keeping her condo spotless, but she would clean up later. The news that Brent was marrying Ava had hit her hard, but not as hard as the news that Eli was moving on… and leaving her behind.

  “How do you feel about that, sis?”

  “I don’t know.” She pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. She’d barely had the energy last night to pull on an old T-shirt and pair of sweat pants before she fell into bed, but she was grateful she’d gone to the effort. She felt a chill move through her body, all the way through to the tips of her toes.

  “He’s been a part of your life for a long time. It’s only natural you’d feel a little weird about him moving on.”

  Moments like that, Jasmine was grateful she had a twin. Den just understood her in a way no one else did, not even Eli or Nellie. She used to think Eli knew her even better than Den, but if that was true, he would have known she was treading into dangerous territory with him last night as she questioned everything she’d once believed about their friendship.

  If he was just a friend, the thought of him with someone else wouldn’t reduce her to tears. Drunk or not, those tears had been real, and the morning after, she still felt like crying. In a few short months, she could be grieving his engagement to a woman smart enough to appreciate a great guy when she had him. Unlike Jasmine.

  “What’s wrong with me?” she asked, hiding her face in her arms. “Why do I feel this way? I love Eli. He’s one of my best friends. I should want him to be happy; he deserves to be happy.”

  “The way you’re feeling is perfectly normal,” Den said, sliding over to put his arm around her. “You’ll get used to the idea of Eli having a girlfriend. Just give it a little time.” He rested his cheek against her head when she leaned on his shoulder. “Sure, your relationship may change a little, but just ‘cause he has a girlfriend doesn’t mean y’all can’t be friends.”

  “What if I don’t want our relationship to change?” That wasn’t true, she did want their relationship to change, but it didn’t seem fair to tell Eli that when he was on the verge of finding his happy ending with someone else. She’d had her chance and she blew it.

  “It will, honey. That’s inevitable. Everything changes eventually.”

  Jasmine closed her eyes, wishing she could go back to bed and pull the covers over her head.

  “The folks expect you out at the house tonight for dinner. Don’t even think about making an excuse. You missed last week.” He glanced at his watch. “Mama said she’d be expecting you at church this morning too.”

  Jasmine groaned and leaned forward, covering her face with her hands. She’d been avoiding her parents for weeks. They were always trying to fix her up with one of the nice boys from church or the son of one of their friends. She was convinced they were doing their level best to fix her up with every dull guy they knew so she’d finally see Eli for the catch he was. They’d gotten their wish… a day too late. “Do I have to?”

  Den laughed and patted her back. “I went last week. It’s your turn.”

  “You suck!” Jasmine punched him in the thigh with as much strength as she could muster.

  “Grab a bottle of water, a pain reliever, and hit the shower, girl,” he said, getting to his feet with a wide grin. “Don’t forget your big girl panties.”

  Jasmine tossed a pillow at him as he headed for the door. “Get out of here before I can lay my hands on something heavier.”

  He winked at her. “You be nice now. Mama’s never gonna be able to find you a husband if you keep up that attitude.”

  She reached for a vase and he leapt for the door. Jasmine couldn’t hide her smile when she heard him laughing on the other side. Her brother was always good for a laugh, even when it was at her expense.

  Chapter Three

  Eli was nervous about introducing Belinda to his family. They would make her feel welcome, that’s just the kind of people they were, but the only other girl he’d ever brough
t home was Jamie. He’d naively believed there’d never be another. Even while she lived in Los Angeles and he played hockey in New Jersey, he’d believed they would eventually find their way back to each other. When they returned home no closer to crossing the friend line, he started to give up on that dream.

  Belinda smelled the bouquet she’d brought. “I hope your mom will like these.”

  Eli turned the music down when he realized he’d been lost in his thoughts. “I’m sure she’ll love them. My mama loves all kinds of flowers.” Belinda had pushed for the meeting, but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Maybe it was too soon. He still didn’t know where their relationship was going. They hadn’t talked about being exclusive. Perhaps they should have had that conversation before he dragged his family into it.

  “I almost forgot them. My ex called as I was on my way out the door, and we kind of got into it.”

  “I didn’t know you still talked to him.” All Eli knew about Belinda’s marriage was she had met him in college, he was a firefighter, and apparently their marriage fell apart when she decided to quit her job as a legal assistant so she could go to law school.

  “He still calls sometimes.”

  “Y’all still friends, or is it more than that?”

  He drove up the winding drive to his parents’ ranch house. The house had been his paternal grandparents’ house, and they had been so grateful when his parents promised to keep it in the family for as long as they could. Eli couldn’t imagine still living on a ranch with his parents, but his older sister and brother-in-law seemed content there, which took the pressure off him.

  “We’re just friends,” she said, reaching for the door handle as soon as the vehicle stopped.

  Eli couldn’t help but notice she seemed anxious to get away. Perhaps she didn’t want to answer any more questions about her ex-husband. He pointed to an old tire swing he and his sister used to play on as kids. “There’s my niece and nephew.”

  “Aww, they’re so cute,” Belinda said, tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. “I wish I’d thought to bring them something. But to tell you the truth, I don’t even know what kids their age like.” A blush crept up her neck.

  Caroline was seven and her brother, Jackson, was nine. As soon as they spotted Eli, they barreled toward him with Caroline in the lead. Jackson liked to pretend he was too cool to get excited, but Eli noticed his eyes light up when Eli asked for a fist bump.

  According to Jackson’s mom, Uncle Eli was his hero. Jackson’s friends thought it was so cool his uncle played professional hockey, and since they were gearing up for another season of their favorite winter sport, Jackson had serious bragging rights on the playground.

  “Hey,” Caroline said, wrapping her arm around her uncle’s waist, “where’s Jamie? You always bring Jamie to Sunday dinner!”

  Her brother elbowed her in the ribs and said out the side of his mouth, “Sssh, you’re gonna get in trouble for bein’ rude, dummy.”

  Eli tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t. Their interactions always reminded Eli of him and his sister at their age. Eli stroked Caroline’s hair when she turned into his side. “It’s okay. This is my friend Belinda.”

  “Hi,” Jackson said, accepting Belinda’s outstretched hand.

  He didn’t make eye contact with Belinda for long, but Eli appreciated his effort. Eli set his hand in the middle of Caroline’s back. “Aren’t you gonna shake Belinda’s hand, honey?” Eli asked.

  “I don’t want to. I want Jamie!”

  Caroline usually shuffled Jamie up to her playroom as soon as they arrived. Caroline loved to show off the new additions to her ever-growing toy collection. Jamie had a way with kids that Eli envied. He was close with his niece and nephew, but he didn’t have Jamie’s touch with little people. Apparently Belinda didn’t either. According to Ava, Belinda wanted to have a family, but he couldn’t imagine her as a mother. She was all business. He hated to characterize her as cold, but her awkward interactions with the kids made it feel that way.

  “Why don’t we head inside so you can meet the rest of the family?” Eli said.

  Belinda glanced back at his SUV. She was probably plotting her escape already. “Sure, sounds good.” Belinda followed the kids into the house.

  Eli set his hand on the small of her back. “The adults are much easier to get along with.” Just because her first meeting with the kids hadn’t gone well didn’t mean the rest of the day would be a disaster.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Belinda said, offering him a tight smile.

  Eli knew she was questioning why she’d pushed so hard to meet his family. He couldn’t blame her. He would feel the same way in her position. Everyone loved Jamie, and although none of the adults would dare mention her name, she would be in every awkward silence as his family looked for ways to relate to the new lady in his life.

  His people were blue jeans and cowboy boots, cold beers and Sunday football. Belinda was high heels and fancy cars, designer suits and manicured fingernails. Why hadn’t he noticed the differences sooner? Had he been blind or was he hoping she’d be able to slip seamlessly from evening wear to worn jeans and cowboy boots and throw her hair up in a ponytail… the way Jamie did. He knew comparing them was wrong, but he couldn’t help himself. Jamie would always be the standard by which he judged all other women.

  When they got inside, Eli shook hands with his brother-in-law, Adam. ““Hey, y’all, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Belinda Masters. Belinda, this is my brother-in-law, Adam, and my sister, Casey.” He waited for them to greet her before he moved on to his parents. “And this is my mama, Jill, and my dad, Glenn.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” Belinda said, smiling as she passed his mother the flowers. “You have a lovely home, Mrs. Rea.”

  “Thank you.” Jill admired the flowers. “They’re lovely. But we don’t stand on ceremony around here. It’s Jill and Glenn.”

  “Okay.” Belinda twisted the diamond ring on her right hand. “Can I help with anything?”

  “Everything’s almost ready.” Jill lifted her head when Eli leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Eli, I think your daddy wanted you to have a look at something outside. Why don’t you guys head on out there? You have time before dinner.”

  “Is that your not-so-subtle way of trying to get rid of me, Mama?” Eli asked.

  “Casey and I want to get to know your friend better without you hovering,” she said, patting Belinda’s forearm. “Y’all go on ahead. We’ll call you when we’re ready to eat.”

  Eli felt guilty leaving Belinda alone, but if their relationship was going to work, she had to get along with his family. “We’ll be back in a bit, okay?”

  Belinda smiled. “Sure, take your time.”

  ***

  As soon as Eli returned to wash up for dinner, he felt the tension. “Um, is there a problem?”

  “Belinda’s not feeling all that well,” Jill said, sliding on an oven mitt. “You could have told me she doesn’t eat meat, son.”

  Casey rolled her eyes. “Apparently even the sight of it makes her nauseous.” She rubbed her mid-section. “She has a sensitive stomach.”

  Eli pulled on his sister’s ponytail hard enough to earn an elbow in his ribs. “Is that any way to treat a friend of mine?”

  “I hope that’s all she is,” Casey muttered.

  “That’ll be enough, young lady,” Jill said, giving her the look.

  Casey reached for a piece of the prime rib. “I’m just sayin’ she rubbed me the wrong way.”

  “Why’s that?” The tightening in his stomach told Eli he really didn’t want to know.

  “She had the nerve to tell us she’d been trying to talk you into buying a new Maserati. ‘Only a couple hundred grand,’ she said. If she likes it so much, why the hell doesn’t she buy it?”

  That was the worst thing she could have said to Eli’s family. Material things didn’t impress them. His parents constantly reminded him he wouldn�
��t make millions of dollars a year playing hockey forever. They thought he should invest wisely so he would have money when he needed it, and he’d listened to their advice. He didn’t live a lavish lifestyle, and he sure as hell didn’t feel the need to impress a woman with an expensive car.

  “Where is she?” he asked.

  “She’s out on the porch,” Casey said, popping a piece of fresh bread into her mouth. “She said she needed some air.”

  Eli nodded and headed to the front door. He saw Belinda leaning against the railing and let the screen door bang shut behind him.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi. You okay?”

  She gripped the wood banister and stared out over the freshly cut grass. “Fine.”

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve told my mama you don’t eat meat.”

  “It’s okay.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “They hate me, don’t they?”

  “No!” Eli hated that she’d sensed that. His family was warm and loving to everyone. He couldn’t imagine why they treated Belinda any differently. His mama routinely brought home strangers from church or invited temporary ranch hands to break bread with them. She always said everyone was welcome at their table, so why didn’t that apply to Belinda?

  “You don’t have to sugar-coat it for me, Eli. I read people for a living, remember?”

  “Just give it time. You’ll find common ground.” Eli couldn’t imagine what that might be though. If he were being honest, he’d admit he didn’t have all that much in common with Belinda. She didn’t like sports any more than she liked to sweat. She didn’t like convertibles because they messed up her hair, and according to her, pets were a noisy, messy inconvenience.

  “You really think so?”

  “That depends. Do you want to?” He didn’t know how she felt about him. They hadn’t been intimate, which was unusual for him. He told himself he was taking it slow because he could imagine a future with Belinda, but after seeing her interact with his family, he wasn’t so sure.