Just Good Friends

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Nathan turned as he passed him. “I already told you the report can wait.”

  “I can’t take business hours for my personal life. Work hours are for work.” He sat in his chair and opened his drawer so he could pull out the rough draft of his report. “Now, if you’ll leave, I can focus.”

  “It’s okay to take a little time off to focus on your love life. You think every time Amy comes to see me or I go to see her, we’re talking about work?”

  Tyler grimaced. “I don’t want to know what you two do during work hours.” It was bad enough he’d caught the two of them giggling like two teenagers in love the other day when she left his office.

  “I had no idea you were so stubborn. Alright, it’s your life.” He headed for the door. “But,” he faced him, “if you ever need to make a quick trip to Vegas so you and Tiffany aren’t lying about being married anymore, let me know, and I’ll arrange for you two to get the time off.”

  “We’re not going to run off to Vegas.”

  “Why not? It’s what you claimed to do when you told her parents you got married. I, for one, think it’s a good idea. There’s none of the hassle with planning a wedding, trying to make sure the catering and flowers are perfect, and hoping none of the guests get into any fights.”

  “How long are you going to stay here?” Tyler pointedly asked, tapping his pen on the desk and glaring at him.

  “You really need to relax,” Nathan said. “By the way, it’s not a question of if you’ll marry Tiffany; it’s a question of when.”

  “Nathan,” Tyler warned.

  “I’m never wrong about these things.” With a smug smile, he finally left.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sunday at noon, Tyler, Tiffany, and her parents arrived at Nathan’s mansion. Tiffany had never been there before, but all she’d heard about it didn’t do it justice. The man lived like a king. But today the king wasn’t wearing a suit and tie. Today, he was wearing a plain cotton shirt and jeans. Never in a million years did Tiffany think Nathan ever wore such common clothes.

  “Can I take a picture of this place?” her mother asked Tiffany as she scanned the large foyer.

  “Yeah, go for it,” Tiffany replied. No one would believe it unless they saw it posted on Facebook anyway. Even she might need the reminder. This house was more like a dream.

  Her mom let out a cry of delight and dug through her swimsuits and towels until she found her phone. Tiffany was surprised it wasn’t right on top of everything.

  While her mom started taking pictures and posting them to Facebook, Tiffany caught sight of Beth’s twin fifteen-month-olds who were wearing life jackets. Beth was following behind them as they giggled and circled the foyer.

  “I thought you two wanted to go to the pool,” Nathan told the children who stopped and looked over at him.

  “We do,” the girl called out.

  “Then what are you running in here for?” he asked.

  “Oh,” she said in surprise then turned and headed out of the foyer.

  “I’ll see you in the pool,” Beth told the group then hurried after them.

  “Seriously?” Tyler muttered under his breath. “Kids do whatever he wants, too?”

  Tiffany chuckled and nudged him in the side. “Maybe he paid them.”

  “No way. Even he wouldn’t do that.”

  Nathan glanced at Tyler then turned his attention to Tiffany and her parents. “Welcome to my home. Everyone else is already here. You can change in any of the guest bedrooms upstairs.” He gestured to the staircase. “Feel free to make yourselves at home. I have some refreshments in the pool area, but if you want something else to eat or drink, the kitchen is down that hall.” He pointed to it. “And the pool is down that hall,” he motioned to another hallway, “and to the first right. You can’t miss it. That’s where all the music is coming from. Of course, Tyler’s been here before, so if you get lost, ask him. I’ll see you when you come back down.”

  Tiffany thought he gave Tyler a look that had a hidden meaning to it, but her mom was already on her way to the stairs, phone still in hand, ready to take more pictures.

  Tiffany adjusted her beach bag on her shoulder and followed the others up the stairs. She hadn’t thought about where they’d be changing into their swimsuits and wondered if she should have put her swimsuit under her clothes.

  Would her parents expect her and Tyler to change in the same bedroom? Fortunately, this became a moot point since her parents entered a bedroom and shut the door without bothering to see where she and Tyler went.

  “Do you want me to wait for you?” Tyler asked.

  She stuck her head in the bedroom closest to them and noticed its immaculate condition. It looked more like a hotel than a bedroom in someone’s home. Turning her attention back to him, she shook her head. “No, there’s no need to wait for me. I know I take longer than everyone else to get dressed.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  Recalling the times she’d made him wait in the past, she said, “I’m not going to make you wait for me this time. I’m sure I won’t have any problem finding the pool.” Even now, she could hear the echoes of Beth’s kids laughing.

  “Okay. Then I’ll meet you there.”

  He went to the bedroom next to hers, so she went to hers and shut the door. Releasing her breath, she checked her watch and wondered how long it was going to take before she could leave. It was a lot easier to watch what she was saying and doing when it was just her, Tyler and her parents.

  But maybe it was better if they were all here. Maybe everyone would be so distracted talking to each other, she could blend into the background. That would be nice. Unlike her sister, she didn’t crave the spotlight.

  She took her time changing because, as long as she was in this bedroom, no one was going to bother her. She put on her one-piece green swimsuit and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. When she couldn’t delay the inevitable anymore, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her waist. Then she put her sandals on and opened the door, scanning the hallway. The bedrooms her parents and Tyler had been in were vacant. So she was the last one to join the party. Well, that suited her just fine.

  She took her time in going to the pool so she could get a good view of everything. She hoped her mom was taking pictures of all this. She had no idea Amy lived in such a great place. No wonder Nathan was expanding his business and setting up a branch in Florida. What else was he supposed to do with all his money?

  She made it to the indoor pool and took a deep breath. As Nathan said, everyone was here. Tyler’s parents were lounging with her parents and laughing as if they’d always known each other. That was good, she supposed. She would want her husband’s parents to get along with hers…except Tyler wasn’t really her husband.

  Her gaze went to Ryan and Beth who were in the pool with their children. The girl giggled and splashed water at her brother, which made him retaliate. Ryan groaned and led the girl further down the pool so there could be some distance between them.

  Danielle’s two boys were playing in the pool as well, but they were more cooperative than Beth’s children. Meanwhile, Nathan and Danielle’s husband were grilling hamburgers and steaks on the propane grill further away from everyone. Tiffany shook her head in wonder. Only in a very large room was that even possible.

  “It’s a lot to take in when you first see it,” came Amy’s voice from behind her.

  Tiffany jumped. “I didn’t hear you,” she said as Amy, who was carrying her daughter, approached with Danielle beside her.

  “I had to change her diaper,” Amy explained. “Are you going in the pool? Nathan and Randy won’t have the food ready for a half hour.”

  “Yes.” After a moment, she said, “It’s weird to see your husband cooking, Amy.”

  “Once in a while he does stuff on his own. My dad introduced him to grilling the last time he came here, and Nathan’s brought it out every time we have a party.”

  Tiffany nodded. At least with him co
oking, he shouldn’t have a reason to talk to her and Tyler’s parents. Speaking of Tyler, she scanned the room again and caught sight of someone swimming a short distance from the kids. So that’s where Tyler was. With all the commotion the kids were causing, no wonder she missed him.

  She turned back to them. “I’m sorry I dragged you two into this mess. I never expected the lie to get this out of control.” She gestured to all of the people in the room.

  “It’s not that bad,” Amy assured her. “At least not for us.”

  “Yeah, we get to enjoy a day at the pool, and,” Danielle added, “better yet, I don’t have to make lunch or dinner for my kids. I hate to cook.”

  Amy grinned. “That’s true. She’ll do whatever it takes to get out of it.”

  Though their comments made her feel a little better, Tiffany still didn’t feel right about it. “The only reason Nathan’s having this party is because Tyler and I told my parents we were married.”

  “I thought he was the only one who told them that,” Danielle said.

  “He was,” Tiffany replied. “But I went along with it. I could have stopped the whole thing as soon as it happened, but I didn’t.”

  “Well, you could always marry him. Then it wouldn’t be a lie anymore.”

  “Oh, be serious,” Amy said, rubbing her daughter’s back. “She can’t marry him just because they were trying to get her parents to back off. They need to get married because they love each other.”

  Danielle shot Amy a pointed look. “Some marriages do very well when they’re arranged because of a lie.”

  “This isn’t about Nathan and me.” Amy shook her head then looked at Tiffany. “You need to do what’s right for you and Tyler. Don’t listen to this person.” She nodded toward Danielle.

  “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with the advice I’m giving,” Danielle argued.

  Amber squirmed in Amy’s arms. “I’m going to go into the pool with her,” Amy said, smiling at her daughter. “She loves the water.”

  “Go on and enjoy,” Danielle told her. While Amy headed for the pool, Danielle turned her attention back to Tiffany. “Another plus to being here today is that my kids are burning off all their energy. Just look at how hard they’re playing. And you know what it’ll be like when Randy and I get home? They’ll actually sit down and be quiet. They’ll be too tired to fight. You and Tyler telling that lie is working out great for me.”

  Tiffany scanned the room again and saw that her parents and Tyler’s parents were laughing. Her parents were so different from his. Hers were outgoing and loved social activities. His parents were happier in a small group with trusted friends, and they never once bothered Tyler about settling down and getting married. It was amazing they got along so well.

  “Are you going to go swimming?” Danielle asked. “The pool is heated. You don’t even have to go through that horrible few minutes of ‘waiting until you’re not too cold to enjoy the water’ period.”

  “Yeah, I’ll go in. Let me put my towel down.” Tiffany picked a lounging chair that didn’t have a towel already on it and draped hers on it.

  “Did you pick a green swimsuit because it’s the Christmas season?”

  “No. I bought it last summer.” She shrugged. “Green’s my favorite color.”

  “Well, it does a good job of bringing out your best assets.” Danielle winked. “Tyler will like what he sees.”

  “Please don’t wink. My dad does that a lot.” And Tiffany had forgotten how annoying his habit got during her long absence from seeing her parents.

  “Okay, fine. I won’t wink. I’ll just nudge you like this.” Danielle tapped her arm. “Does that work?”

  “It’s better.”

  “You want to get in the side with the kids or further down in the deep area?”

  Seeing as how Tyler was all by himself, Tiffany said, “Let’s go over in the deep area. Tyler has no one to talk to.”

  “It doesn’t seem like he minds. You know, he’s a good swimmer.”

  “We met at the pool where I was a lifeguard, and he ended up giving swimming lessons to some kids.”

  “I didn’t know that’s how you met. I thought you met in college.”

  “No. He met Nathan in college, not me.”

  “Well, I’m glad he met both of you.” As they approached the edge of the pool, Danielle asked, “Do you think Tyler could talk Nathan into letting us have a spa in the back room at work?”

  Tiffany laughed and stepped down the ladder. “There is no way that’s happening, and you know it.”

  “I guess not. But you can’t blame me for trying.”

  Tiffany chuckled and dipped her head under the water. She had to admit that the pool felt great. The temperature was just right. When she brought her head back up to the surface, she wiped her eyes and saw that Tyler was swimming over to them.

  “I think I’ll leave you two alone,” Danielle said.

  Before Tiffany could say anything, Danielle swam off to the other side of the pool.

  When Tyler reached Tiffany, he glanced over at Danielle. “She didn’t leave because I was coming over, did she?”

  “You want the truth?”

  He hesitated then asked, “She doesn’t like me?”

  “No. She wants me to talk you into asking Nathan to put in a spa for her at work.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I don’t know if she’s serious about it or not. She’d probably like one but realizes it’ll never happen.”

  “I thought Nathan went overboard with sending a frappuccino maker to their kitchen. Don’t tell anyone this, but he didn’t give any other department something like that.”

  “He did it because of Amy?”

  “Yep.”

  “I guess it’s sweet that he goes out of his way for those he cares about.” And apparently, he thought a lot of Tyler since he set her parents up so well for this trip. “Deep down, Nathan means well.”

  “He does what he thinks is in a person’s best interest. Sometimes it’s not what the person actually wants. But yeah, I guess that’s why I stick around. His heart is in the right place.”

  “Does that mean you’re no longer upset with him?”

  He shrugged. “It’s not so bad. At least, I don’t think so. Do you?”

  She glanced over at their parents. “No. I have to admit I’m surprised our parents get along so well.”

  “Me too. Hey, you want to swim a few laps?”

  “As in a race?” she asked, intrigued.

  “We can if you want. If memory serves, you beat me last time we did this.”

  “That was five years ago.”

  “I know. I have a good chance of winning this time since I’ve been working out.”

  She grinned. “Amy said Nathan gives you a lot of grief about exercising when you should be dating.”

  “You and Amy talk about me?”

  “We only say good things,” she replied.

  “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. So, you ready to race? We have to go five laps.”

  “Okay, you’re on.”

  On the count of three, they raced five laps in the pool, and sure enough, Tyler won, though it was a close win.

  “Your exercising paid off,” Tiffany said after she reached him.

  “Nice moves,” Danielle called out as she swam over to them. “When did you both learn to swim?”

  “I was in high school,” Tyler replied, “and I think Tiffany was in kindergarten.”

  “Preschool. My mom had this fear I’d fall into a lake and drown, so she was adamant I learn early in life.”

  “Are there are lot of lakes in Montana?”

  “Not in the eastern part where my parents live.”

  “Did you take vacations to lakes?” Danielle asked.

  “Nope.”

  “I don’t understand. Were you supposed to fall in a puddle and drown that way?”

  Tiffany laughed at her joke. “When it comes to my mom, anything’s possible.
But, I’m glad she made me learn to swim. I enjoy being a lifeguard in the summers.”

  When Nathan and Randy called out that it was time to eat, Tyler said, “You two go on ahead. I want to do one more lap then I’ll be out.”

  “Alright,” Tiffany said. “I’ll save you a seat.”

  He smiled at her, and she thought there was something different about it, something more…endearing, and her heart skipped a beat.

  He turned to do the breaststroke, breaking her out of her thoughts. That was weird. She hadn’t experienced anything like that except for Friday when he took her to lunch. Pushing the sensation aside, she hurried to follow Danielle out of the pool.

  Chapter Twenty

  As Tiffany went to her towel, Danielle nudged her in the arm.

  Tiffany wrapped the towel around her shoulders. “I told him about the spa, but he said there’s no way it’s going to happen.”

  “It’s not that,” Danielle replied. “Wait. You mean, he said no?”

  Tiffany shot her a pointed look. “Are you surprised?”

  “I guess not, though it would have been totally awesome if he said yes.”

  Tiffany couldn’t help but chuckle. If anything, life was never boring with Danielle around.

  “Did you get a good look at Tyler?” Danielle asked.

  Curious, Tiffany turned around and saw Tyler drying himself off. Her eyes grew wide. Since when did he have all those muscles?

  Stepping in front of her, Danielle said, “Look, I wasn’t totally serious before about you marrying him, but,” she clasped Tiffany’s arms and lowered her voice, “I am now. He’s one hundred percent gorgeous.” She glanced back at him then looked at Tiffany again. “Everywhere. I didn’t think men like that existed anywhere but in the movies. I can’t let you miss this opportunity. If you let another woman have him, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

  “Don’t you mean, ‘you’ll regret it for the rest of your life’?”

  “No. I will regret it because I’ll know that you didn’t end up with him. I read romance books, Tiffany, and I have to have a happy ending to be content, whether we’re talking about fiction or real life.”