mother had stuck close to home after her father had left. She’d gone to work, the store, and occasionally to church. She hadn’t even wanted to go to the doctor’s office when she’d started feeling poorly, and because of that she’d ended up dying way too soon.
Jayne didn’t want that to happen to her.
Something had to change. She had to change. Now.
Maybe one small step—one short hike—would start her on a new road…a path toward the life she wanted to live, not the one she was living. Even if the hike was with the last person, next to Rich, she wanted to spend time with.
“You’re right,” she said finally. “A hike will do me good.”
Chapter Three
“HIKING has been good for me—” Jayne puffed behind Tristan “—but I don’t know how much further I can go.”
He turned on the trail, happy to be finally spending time with her. She might not be exactly the woman he remembered, but the woman he was getting to know intrigued him.
She closed the distance between them. Her feet dragged—something they hadn’t done at the start of the hike. But even tired, flushed and sweaty, with her hair sticking out of that old San Diego Padres baseball cap she wore, she was still the best thing he’d seen in weeks…maybe months.
“We’re almost to the beach,” he said.
She adjusted the brim of her hat. “Okay, then. I guess I can make it.”
“Sure you can.” But Tristan didn’t want to wear her out before they reached their destination. He opened his water bottle. “I need a drink first.”
Relief filled her pretty eyes. “That sounds good to me, too.”
Talk about a good sport. Tristan took a swig of water. He liked that about her.
Despite an extended and thoughtful moment of hesitation back at her apartment, she’d gamely accepted his invitation to go hiking at Torrey Pines State Park. She hadn’t once complained about the hot afternoon sun blazing down on them even though it was only January.
Jayne drank from her water bottle. Her pink tongue darted out to lick the liquid off her lips.
He took another gulp from his bottle.
She sure was a nice addition to the already beautiful scenery surrounding them. Her legs, exposed between the hem of her khaki shorts and hiking books, looked long and slim and smooth. The sky intensified the blue of her eyes. A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her glossed lips.
Tristan put away his water bottle and focused his camera on her.
Jayne pretended to scowl. “Again?”
He preferred her mock exasperation to the loneliness he’d glimpsed earlier at her apartment. “Just capturing memories.”
Lines creased her forehead. “Memories of a day spent with a stranger?”
Her suspicious tone bothered him. “We’re not strangers.”
“We aren’t friends.”
“We could be friends,” he countered.
She pursed her lips. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
Because he liked her. He wanted her to like him. But she wasn’t ready to hear that.
In her wary eyes he was still only Rich’s best man. Rich’s best friend. And Rich had let her down big time.
“You’re a nice person,” Tristan answered.
“Nice, huh?”
He nodded.
“The last time we were together you didn’t even look me in the eye.”
Tristan remembered. He wasn’t as nice as Jayne was. But even a jerk would have had trouble looking a bride straight in the eye when he knew her fiancé was two-timing her with another woman.
Tristan aimed at the basket. Swoosh. Two points.
“Lucky shot,” Rich said, taking away the ball.
The two had been co-captains of their high school basketball team and won two district titles. Whenever Tristan was in town they would shoot hoops at the gym.
“Next time it’ll be for three,” he said.
Rich dribbled the ball and scored with a lay-up. “You’d better hope so.”
A cellphone rang. Rich’s. For the third time in the past hour. For the third time he ignored it.
“You want to get that?” Tristan asked.
“Nah. Probably just Jayne.”
Tristan held the ball. “I’ll wait.”
“No. She keeps bugging me about the wedding.” Rich rolled his eyes. “Everything’s about the wedding with her.”
“Your wedding, too, buddy.”
“You’re sticking up for her?” Rich asked.
“No, but remember how Grace and Becca turned into Bridezillas before they got married?”
No answer. Something was up.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Tristan said.
Rich started, then stopped himself.
“Come on.” Tristan passed the ball hard at Rich’s chest. “It’s me.”
Rich looked around, as if to make sure no one else was there. “I met someone.”
Tristan got a sinking feeling in his gut. “A female someone?”
Rich nodded and tossed the ball back. “She’s a dental hygienist and totally hot. Smokin’.”
“So is Jayne.” Okay, maybe Tristan shouldn’t have said that about his best friend’s bride to be, but Rich didn’t appear to notice. He was still going on about this other girl. Deidre Something.
Annoyance flared.
Cold feet or not, Rich was being an idiot. Time to call him on it.
“You can’t drill your dentist, bud.” Tristan dribbled the basketball. The sound echoed through empty gymnasium. “What did she do? Put the moves on you in the chair?”
“She was in a car accident we responded to.” Rich glanced around the empty court again like a man being watched. Or one who didn’t want to get caught. “A few days later she brought brownies to the station and invited me to dinner. I couldn’t say no.”
Rich could have said no, but he hadn’t wanted to. Not good.
Tristan
