Melissa Mcclone - Wedding Date with the Best Man

Jayne looked at the table. Only crumbs remained on the cookie plate. Her glass was empty. Tristan’s was only a quarter full. By now he should see she was fine and be able to reassure Grace. Nothing left to do but say goodbye. Except…

He didn’t seem in any hurry to finish his iced tea and leave.

“Anything else you want to know so you can tell Grace?” Jayne asked, trying to move him along. “I hate keeping you here.”

“You’re not keeping me.” His gaze took in the knickknacks on the bookcase and the framed photographs on the fireplace mantel. “It’s nice be in a house. I just got back from two months in Malaysia and Bali.”

Two months? That would have included last month…December. “You were overseas for Christmas?”

He nodded. “You can celebrate Christmas anywhere.”

But it wasn’t the same as being home. Not that Christmas alone here had been all that great. Still, she’d had a small tree and presents sent by her friends—including a filled stocking.

“I can’t imagine being on the go so much.” Just the thought gave Jayne the heebie-jeebies. She rubbed her arms. “Away for weeks or months at a time. I get tired thinking about it.”

“I get more tired when I’m not traveling,” he admitted. “If I’m in one place too long I get antsy.”

She’d heard that so many times. “My father was like that.”

“What about you?”

“I take after my mother,” Jayne said with pride. “I traveled so much when I was younger there’s no place I want to go now. I’m pretty much a homebody.”

Tristan’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t seem like a homebody.”

“You just don’t know me that well. Growing up, I was always bugging my parents for a house with a yard and a puppy.”

“You want a dog?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “My former roommate had a dog. I walk my neighbor’s dog most evenings. But I’m still debating whether this place needs a pet or not.”

“It’s a nice place.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I lucked out getting to live here.”

“How’s that?” Tristan asked.

“Well, I’d given notice on my studio apartment to move in with Rich after the wedding, so I found myself homeless after he—I mean we—broke up. My friend Molly had a spare bedroom and told me to move in with her. It was only supposed to be a temporary arrangement, but she fell in love with a man she met during a girls’ weekend in Las Vegas, married him a few months later, and relocated to Sin City. And that’s how I ended up with this charming bungalow to call home.”

“You did luck out.”

Jayne nodded. “Though I liked having Molly for a roommie. I miss talking to her late at night over a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.”

“So find a new roommate. Preferably one who likes ice cream.”

A new roommate. Jayne thought about his suggestion. Someone to talk to. Someone to split the rent and utilities with. “You know, Tristan, getting a roommate is a really good idea.”

“Unless you prefer living alone.”

“I don’t like being alone,” she answered quickly. “I mean, Molly and my other two best friends have moved away. With the three of them gone it’s been a little…”

Loser, Jayne thought. When would she learn to keep her mouth shut and not say so much?

“Lonely?” he finished for her.

“Yes,” she admitted, wishing she’d put more cookies out.

“You lost your fiancé and your three best friends.”

She nodded. “The only two things that haven’t changed in the last seven months are my job and my car.”

“That’s tough.”

“It’s been…challenging.”

He scooted closer. “I guess it has.”

Oh, no, she thought. He was Rich’s friend. And here she was babbling about her life and sounding really pathetic. What if Tristan told Rich?

Her insides clenched. She couldn’t bear the thought of that happening.

“Not that I’m unhappy with the way things turned out,” she added hastily.

“Glad to hear it.”

Tristan shifted position. His leg touched hers. No skin-on-skin contact was made, but warmth emanated from the spot. Worse, his jean-clad leg remained pressed against hers.

Maybe he didn’t notice, but she sure did.

Unfortunately she couldn’t move. The sofa-arm blocked her in one direction, Tristan in the other. She was…trapped.

The only thing she could do was ignore it. Him. “I wonder how hard finding a roommate would be.”

“You can’t beat this location.” As he looked around the living room, she prayed he would notice his leg was still touching her. “And you keep the place nice. Neat. It’ll all depend on the room.”

Companionship and only paying half her current living expenses sounded like an ideal combination. Why hadn’t she thought of getting a roommate herself?

“Oh, the room is lovely. It’s not that large, but has lots of windows.”

“Show me,” Tristan said.

“Sure.” Jayne jumped up, eager to get away from the intimacy of the couch. She led him past her room into the other bedroom. “This used to be Molly’s room.”

“Great room.” He checked the closet. “Why didn’t you take this one for yourself?”

“The two bedrooms are almost the same size, and I didn’t want to move.”

“Across the hall?”

“My room is decorated the way I like it.”

He looked out one of the large windows facing the backyard garden. “Nice view.”

His position gave her a view of his backside. His faded jeans fit well. “Very nice.”

What was she doing? With cheeks burning, she looked away.

“You’ll have no trouble renting this room out,” he said.

The thought of not being alone all the time made Jayne wiggle her toes. Maybe something good would come from Tristan’s impromptu visit. “I better put together an ad.”

Tristan turned toward her with his brows drawn together. “You’re serious about this?”

She heard the surprise in his voice. She was a little surprised herself, but loneliness could drive a person to do some crazy things. “Yes, and it’ll give me something to do this afternoon.” Jayne winced when she realized how her words must have sounded. “I mean—”

“Forget the ad,” Tristan interrupted. “Spending the rest of this beautiful afternoon inside would be a crime.”

Yes, but she didn’t have anything else to do, and the last thing she wanted was his pity. She didn’t want anything to do with him.

She raised her chin. “I happen to like staying home.”

“That’s okay, but you should get out more.”

Going out alone had gotten old fast. She shrugged.

“Let’s go on a hike,” he said.

Her heart picked up speed. “A hike?”

“Yes.” Mischief gleamed in his eyes. “The fresh air will be good for a homebody.”

“Why would you want to go on a hike with me?” She felt as if she’d entered an alternative universe. One where everything had flipped upside down and inside out. “You don’t like me.”

Tristan jerked as if she’d slapped him. “I like you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“The only reason you’re here is for Grace.”

“Grace asked me to stop by, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here.”

Jayne didn’t—couldn’t—believe him. Her assessing gaze raked over him.

No way was he telling her the truth.

“Have you forgotten the way you acted toward me before the breakup?” His unfriendly behavior had gotten worse each time she saw him. “It was pretty obvious to everyone—including Rich,” she added, as if that was the clincher. As if Rich’s judgment could be trusted. As if Rich could be trusted, the lying rat.