This Just In... (Harlequin Superromance) (14 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“W
HEN
YOU
ASKED
if we could do something tonight, this was not what I had in mind,” Sabrina said as Noah piloted the car toward Kyle and Marissa’s house. She’d been thinking more along the lines of dinner out or having a relaxing evening at home. The thought of heading over to her former best friend and ex’s house for a family dinner had never crossed her mind. But here she was, showered, scrubbed and lotioned to within an inch of her life.

Her stomach gurgled, but it was from nerves rather than hunger although the pie on her lap did smell delicious. She was grateful that her mother had happened to have all the ingredients to make her town-famous blueberry-and-lime pie. One that Marissa had always loved.

Sabrina didn’t know why that had been the first call she’d made after she’d agreed to Noah’s outrageous suggestion. Why hadn’t she called him back to explain that this idea was a bad one? She and Noah had only slept together once. Well, okay, more than once, but one night. It was too soon to start introducing each other to the family. The fact that they already knew each other’s families was moot. The step of joining a family dinner was a big one, a sign that this was the start of something permanent.

She clutched the pie plate tighter. And yet, she hadn’t said any of that, hadn’t made a peep about it. No, she’d taken her time getting ready, treating this as if it was her first time meeting the family and wanting to make a good impression. Then she and Noah had driven to her parents’ together to pick up the pie, which meant being invited inside and staying for a drink since, according to her mom, the pie wasn’t finished baking.

Sabrina wasn’t naive enough to think that had been an accident. She could practically see the hope circling her parents’ heads, cartoony white doves and stars, filled with the optimism that perhaps Sabrina might stay in town. Forever. And she’d done nothing to quell the idea.

“Would you rather not go?”

Sabrina realized she was frowning and schooled her features into a more neutral expression. Wrinkles were no one’s friend. Plus, she’d been invited. It wasn’t as if she was crashing a party, as likely to get an escort out the door as a welcoming smile. But the lump in her throat didn’t appear to get the message. And as they pulled up outside a pretty blue-and-white house, she suddenly had a wild desire to ask Noah to turn the car around. She could feed him the pie in bed, so it wasn’t as if it would go to waste.

He turned the car off and faced her, placed a warm hand on her knee. Sabrina felt some of her anxiety ease or at least loosen the chokehold it had on her. “If you really don’t want to do this, we won’t.”

But she could see the look in his eye. The one that told her this was important to him, that he wanted to go to dinner with her by his side. And she couldn’t deny him that.

She exhaled. So what if she was nervous? She’d been nervous before and survived. She had no reason to think the dinner would be anything but lovely. Ellen would be kind and gracious as always, Kyle had given no indication that he had any problems with her and even Marissa had been courteous when turning down her request to use Daisy’s picture.

She put her hand on Noah’s, drew strength from his stability, his solidness. “I want to.” And when his face lit up, she realized she meant it.

Daisy came down the porch steps before Sabrina even managed to get out of the car. “Hi, Uncle Noah!” She waved madly like there was a chance they might miss her when she was wearing a pair of black-and-white striped tights, her blue cowboy boots, a gauzy purple skirt and a lime-green T-shirt. She turned her cheerful smile on Sabrina. “Hi.” But when she looked at Sabrina’s feet a frown swept over her tiny features. “Where are your boots?”

Sabrina looked down at her feet, too. She’d selected a pair of gold wedges that added a little city fabulousness to her baby-blue vintage dress. “I didn’t wear them today.”

“I like your boots.”

“I do, too. But these shoes are pretty.”

Daisy put her hands on her hips and studied them, giving them a good once-over before nodding. “They are pretty. Can I try them on?”

“No, Daisy.” Noah came around the car and took the pie from Sabrina’s hands. “You have your own shoes.”

She looked down at her blue cowboy boots. “But they aren’t red.” Her mournful tone spoke of the trials and labors she suffered on a daily basis.

“You’ll live,” Noah told her and placed a light hand on Sabrina’s back as the rest of the family poured out the front door.

Both Ellen and Kyle greeted her warmly with acknowledgments of how good it was to see her again and how happy they were she’d decided to join them. She was introduced to Paul, the recipient of that long-ago-sent stuffed dog, who watched her quietly and looked away when she smiled at him. Scotty, the toddler, was more effusive in his greeting and ran to her legs, lifting his arms in the universal toddler language for “pick me up.” So she did, surprised at how comforting she found his easy acceptance and warm hug.

Marissa remained at the top of the steps holding the baby. Timmy, Sabrina recalled from stories Noah had told. But she wasn’t frowning or giving any other sign that she was unhappy and she welcomed Sabrina graciously enough as she herded the family back into the house.

Sabrina navigated the steps carefully, still carrying Scotty and making sure she listened as Daisy chattered on about her day. “And then we went on the smashing cars.”

“Bumper cars,” Paul clarified and then ducked his head when Sabrina looked at him.

“Bumper cars,” Daisy repeated and then continued her story of the best day ever. Apparently, Marissa had taken all the kids back to the festival this morning to go on more rides.

By the time Sabrina got through the front door, she felt like she’d been part of the crowd her whole life instead of less than five minutes and her cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling. It was a good hurt.

Conversation was easy, moving from the upcoming election to the festival’s closing ceremonies—which Noah had seen to just before he picked Sabrina up—from the local junior hockey team’s chances to Daisy’s excitement about starting first grade in the fall. And Sabrina fell into the amiable nature of her once-closest friends as though she’d never left.

But there was a cool side to Marissa’s words and behavior. Nothing that could be deemed rude or even unfriendly—more cautious. Sabrina couldn’t blame her; she’d do the same in Marissa’s position.

She followed her into the kitchen after dinner, the first time Marissa had been alone since she’d arrived. “Marissa?”

Her former best friend glanced over her shoulder and nodded politely at the plates and cutlery Sabrina had carried from the table. “You can put the dishes by the sink. I’ll do them.”

“I’ll help.” Sabrina put everything down on the counter and returned to the dining room to get the rest.

Marissa had already filled the sink when Sabrina came back and was up to her elbows in sudsy water. “You’re a guest,” she told Sabrina. “You don’t clean. Go enjoy yourself.”

“I am enjoying myself.” Sabrina didn’t want to be a guest. She took the dish towel from the oven-door handle and began drying the plates Marissa had set in the rack. She held her breath, but Marissa didn’t say anything else, simply returned to washing and Sabrina let the breath ease from her lungs.

She wanted her friendship with Marissa back. She hadn’t known how much she’d missed it until now.

“I’m sorry.” She blurted out the words before Marissa had a chance to stop her. “Really sorry.”

But Marissa merely turned to look at her with no change of expression. “I appreciate your apology.”

Wait. That’s it?
Sabrina hadn’t expected the cool and dismissive acceptance. Not that she’d dreamed Marissa would jump up and down or throw her arms around her, either, but something more than a civil tone and courteous smile. Her chest tightened and some of the good cheer from the evening skittered away. “I should have said that a long time ago, should have come back a long time ago.”

Marissa nodded and continued cleaning.

Sabrina barreled on. “So, I just wanted to tell you. That I’m sorry. And I hope we can be friends again.”

Marissa sighed. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Sabrina. The friends part.” She stopped washing and turned so there was nothing between them but the dish towel Sabrina still held. “You’ve been back for a while.”

“I have.” Sabrina folded and then unfolded the cloth.

“So why did it take you this long to say anything to me? If you really want to be friends?”

Sabrina exhaled. It was a fair question and one she wasn’t sure how to answer. She hadn’t purposely set out to avoid Marissa, though that’s how it looked from the outside. There had been myriad reasons for not getting in touch with Marissa earlier, but only one truth.

“I was afraid. I didn’t know how you’d react.” And Sabrina hadn’t been sure she could stand the thought of being snubbed by someone she’d once been so close to. Not when everything else in her life had been lying in shambles around her.

The hard line bracketing Marissa’s mouth softened for a moment. “So what’s changed?”

She had. But Sabrina didn’t say that. She put the dish towel on the counter. Her tongue felt dry, as if she’d downed a jar of peanut butter instead of a delicious roast with all the fixings.

Marissa’s face got tight again. “Because to me, it feels like you’re only being nice to get in good with Noah.”

“No.” Sabrina’s tongue came unstuck from the roof of her mouth, shocked that Marissa had so badly misinterpreted her olive branch. “That’s not it.”

Marissa raised an eyebrow and a wave of guilt swept through Sabrina. Of course Marissa would think that. Had she been given any reason not to? Sabrina cursed her earlier fears. If she’d tried with Marissa when she’d first come back, they wouldn’t be having this conversation now.

“I thought it would be easier if I stayed away,” she said. “Let you set the tone since I didn’t think I’d be here long.” It still surprised her to look at the date and realize she’d been in town since April and it was now the beginning of July. Almost two months. It surprised her more to realize that she wasn’t desperate to leave. “But obviously, that didn’t happen.”

“Why are you still here then?”

Sabrina ignored the question. An old reporter’s trick. Don’t answer the question asked, answer the one you want to. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but I’d like it if we could spend some time together while I am. And not because of Noah. Because I miss you.”

Marissa blinked and her fingers flexed. “Do you really? You haven’t contacted me in nine years.”

“You haven’t contacted me, either,” Sabrina pointed out. “But maybe we could start fresh.”

“I’m still not sure I can trust you.” Marissa spoke slowly as though she was weighing each word carefully before saying it aloud. “You hurt me before. How do I know this isn’t some trick to get me to open up to you so you can use it in another article?”

“I won’t.” Sabrina didn’t know how she could prove her sincerity, so she just tried to put as much sincerity into her tone as possible. “I have no reason to do that, but I wouldn’t anyway. I just want some of what I lost back.”

There was soreness in the back of her throat. She didn’t deserve absolution from Marissa and her family, but she wanted it anyway.

“I won’t push you,” she told Marissa. “But I really would like to be friends again. Maybe a coffee one day?”

“Maybe.” But Marissa’s lack of enthusiasm made her think it was unlikely to happen.

Sabrina had known it was a long shot, didn’t even know what had made her follow Marissa into the kitchen and start the conversation, but she still felt disappointed. She offered Marissa a weak smile, the best she could do under the circumstances, and returned to drying the dishes.

* * *

S
ABRINA
DIDN
’
T
SAY
MUCH
on the drive home, Marissa’s words still swimming through her head. Was any chance at a friendship truly over between them? And what did that mean for her relationship with Noah? She’d seen how important his family was to him. Would he want to continue seeing her, knowing that his sister-in-law didn’t like her?

Good thing she had no plans for permanent relocation or she would have found herself in a real conundrum. As it was she just felt resigned. She exhaled long and low.

“You’re quiet.” Noah reached over and put his warm hand on her leg again. She really shouldn’t get so much comfort from it. “Everything okay?”

“Fine,” she said. Sabrina wouldn’t tell Noah what she and Marissa had discussed in the kitchen. She didn’t know how he’d react, but it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t force him to choose between her and his family, not even accidentally. “Just tired, I guess.”

Mr. Lawrence was out watering his grass, his belly hanging over his plaid shorts. He waved as they drove by. Sabrina waved back, trying to remember the last time anyone in Vancouver had contacted her of their own accord. The day had cooled and Sabrina shivered, wrapping her arms around her torso. Maybe they were all busy, living their fabulous city lives, but that shouldn’t mean they forgot about her entirely.

She let her head fall back against the headrest. Clearly, she hadn’t gotten enough sleep last night. It was the only explanation for why she had a sudden acidic taste in her mouth when she thought about returning to her life in the city.

Sabrina reminded herself that everything would look better and brighter in the morning. Maybe her editor would have some good news or Big Daddy would come around. Maybe, not likely, since as of today the last missive she’d received from her editor had been terse, informing her that he was well aware of her situation and would let her know if anything changed. And Big Daddy hadn’t bothered to contact her at all. But it was all still possible.

She chewed her lip. Things were good here for now. She had a job with the local paper, a beautiful apartment and an extremely handsome man in her life. She should really focus on everything that was right with her life, not everything that was wrong.