LITMIR.BIZ

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especially not one with a man she’d ended things with four years ago.

      What a mess.

      Caren touched her arm. “Everything okay?”

      “Yes. Of course it is.” She searched her mind for a believable reason for being so distant. “I’m just thinking about the festival. There are only two more weeks to get ready for it.”

      “I know. You must be nervous. And it’s weird about those jars, but I’m sure it’s just some dummy playing around.” She winked.

      Holly nodded, lowering her voice so that Sam, who was busy pouring their drinks, wouldn’t hear. “You know how things get blown out of proportion.”

      “What things?” She had no idea what either of them were talking about.

      The two women looked at each other. “The jars. The ones of you and Dr. Matthews,” Holly whispered. “Someone added something to them.”

      “Added what?” Tessa had been far too distracted, her head racing with other, more pressing, worries.

      Caren’s brows went up. “You haven’t seen them yet?”

      She’d been too confused today to even look at them. Actually, she’d been avoiding looking at them like the plague. Because she somehow had to get up the nerve to keep on practicing with him or she’d have a lot of explaining to do to Peter Lloyd. And to Marcos. No way did she want to tell anyone what had happened between them last night.

      Clay’s mom had shown up at eight o’clock this morning with Molly in tow. Tessa had been in the shower, still in a blissful haze after waking up to Clay’s lips on her neck. Only the Clay who’d poked his head into the bathroom had been a different man from the one who’d sunk into her two hours earlier. “My mom is here with Molly.”

      Her heart had shuddered to a stop. “Meu Deus. What do you want me to do?”

      She’d expected him to tell her to hide under the bed until he could sneak her out of the house. Instead, he’d shaken his head. “Nothing. I told them we had an emergency at the hospital and were exhausted. That you slept over.” He gave her a smile. “You were expecting to hide in a closet?”

      Yes.

      She brought herself back to the conversation at hand. Which she couldn’t seem to remember for the life of her. Oh, yeah. The collection jars. “We found out that the hospital administrator set them up. Are they overflowing or something?”

      Holly glanced again at Sam, who was now headed toward them, juggling four glasses. “Just look at them when you get to the hospital in the morning, okay? You’d think that you and Dr. Matthews were dating.”

      She sucked down a shocked breath, but before she could say anything else Sam was handing her a cranberry juice—she’d refused the wine, saying she wasn’t feeling all that well. Poor Caren. This wasn’t exactly the send-off she’d been looking to give her. And she would genuinely miss her.

      “So when does Kimberlyn arrive again?”

      “She’s supposed to start moving in the day of the festival, so I figure it’ll be a good way for her to see some of the hospital staff in a more laid-back setting.” Caren looked around at the group. “Make her feel welcome, okay? She’s been putting a lot of pressure on herself lately. If she doesn’t get that fellowship…”

      Tessa laid a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure she feels at home. We’ll put up a sign and everything.”

      Holly smiled, dropping onto one of the plush striped sofas that flanked the fireplace and taking a sip of her wine.

      “I can tell her where all the cool shops are, or go with her if she needs anything. You just make sure you don’t catch any tropical diseases, or we’ll have to come down and rescue you.”

      “I’ll be careful. Don’t get rid of my room or anything. I plan on taking up where I left off when I get back next year.”

      This time Sam spoke up, his eyes glinting. “I’ll try to keep Holly from redecorating it while you’re gone.” Their male housemate might be quiet but his dry humor sometimes came out of nowhere, surprising them all.

      They all laughed right on cue, and Sam emptied his glass of the last of his wine. “I can’t stay but, seriously, take care, kiddo. And keep in touch.”

      “I will.” She gave him a hug. “I need to go, too. Would you mind lugging those two bags to the bottom of the stairs while I call a cab?”

      “Will do.” Sam took his wineglass and set it on the counter by the sink. To Holly and Tessa he said, “See you sometime tonight.”

      With that, he picked up their friend’s luggage as if it weighed nothing and headed out the door.

      Tessa’s eyes moistened. “I’m going to miss you. More than you know.”

      “I know. Me, too. But I’ll be back before you know it. Give Kimber any help she needs, okay?”

      Holly gave Caren a quick hug as well, turning away quickly, probably on the verge of blubbering, just as Tessa was. “I’ll call the taxi service for you.”

      Moving forward, Tessa gave her friend a long hug, feeling sadder than she should under the circumstances. This was a fabulous opportunity for Caren, and she should be glad for her.

      She was. She was just feeling weepy and out of sorts for some reason today.

      “Email me as soon as you can. And call if you need anything.”

      “You can count on it, honey. Don’t go and get married or anything before I get back.”

      That was one thing she could reassure Caren about. “I’m not planning on marrying anyone for a long, long time. Maybe even never. I have too much to prove to myself first.”

      If things hadn’t gone south between her and Clay, she might already be married. But their relationship might have wound up on the rocks, like his other marriage. Part of Tessa wondered if she was even marriage material. She squirmed at the thought of a man wanting to protect her. Or pay her way.

      She felt for any guy who ended up getting involved with her.

      Caren glanced at her face and then smiled. “Be careful about saying never. And definitely look at those jars when you go to work tomorrow. And I hereby deny all knowledge.”

      Something about the way she’d said that…

      “Knowledge of what? Caren, what did you do?”

      Holly came back over. “Taxi is en route.”

      “Saved by the cab. Okay, I’ll go stand with my luggage so Sam doesn’t have to wait around. Love you guys.”

      “Love you, too,” Tessa and Holly said.

      Holly turned to her. “I need to run by the hospital and check on my schedule for next week.”

      “I’ll straighten up.” Tessa was actually glad to be by herself for a few minutes. She’d been running on nerves since she left Clay’s this morning. Maybe she could take a bath in peace for once. It had been a long time, in fact, since she’d had a day off. It was sorely needed today of all days.

      And it might give her a chance to figure out what to do, or at least work up the courage to do something that would make sure she wasn’t pregnant.

      She waved the girls off and slumped into one of the chairs, where she sat for several minutes, just staring at the empty fireplace in front of her.

      Her eyes closed and her hand slid across her tummy. “Please, God, don’t let me have to make that choice. Anything but that.”

      A gust of wind blew against one of the windows, making it rattle in its frame. Somehow she couldn’t get it out of her mind that the Big Guy might just be looking down at her and laughing.

      Clay

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