This was so wrong. He had a thing for Jess Blackwood. Didn’t he? Otherwise he might have noticed her last July, when they’d played on the same softball team and she’d worn her tight-fitting yoga pants.
“So, uh, you doing anything? Maybe we could grab some chops over at Aunt Annie’s Kitchen or some shrimp at Rafferty’s or something,” he said.
She exhaled and met his gaze. She’d be a fool to let this happen. She knew better than to mess with some other woman’s man. Assuming, of course, that he was Jess’s man. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen any solid proof that Colton and Jess had a thing going. He popped into her office from time to time, but she’d never seen any public displays of affection.
Maybe it was just gossip. Maybe they were just friends.
Or not.
So instead of saying yes, she folded her arms across her chest and asked, “What’s the matter? Did Jess stand you up?”
“I didn’t have a date with her,” he said in a tight voice. “We’re just friends.”
Kerri heard the twist in his voice—as if he wanted out of the friend zone and into something more intimate. She should say no. She should turn and walk away from him.
But she didn’t. A chance like this came along once in a blue moon. If Jess was too blind to see what she was throwing away, then shame on her.
Kerri gave him her best seductive smile. “I’d love to have a chop over at Annie’s Kitchen,” she said. “Just give me a moment to close things up.”
* * *
Tuesday morning, Jessica sat at her office desk doodling on a legal pad, still too upset by Colton’s behavior the previous evening to focus on any work.
His words kept circling her mind: Let’s give them something to talk about.
She didn’t want to give anyone anything to talk about. She’d already been talked about way too much in this town. And ever since her disastrous run-in with rumor and gossip, she’d endeavored never to give anyone anything to hold over her.
She’d been the model of propriety. She’d been polite. She’d been careful with her friendships and relationships. She’d always tried to tell the truth when she could, and when people resisted the truth or the truth was too brutal, she would say nothing at all.
Except yesterday, when she’d spoken her mind to Colton. And look where that had landed her. She had no clue how she was going to salvage her friendship with him.
Just then Kerri peeked around the door to the stairs.
“Hey,” her landlady said. “I made a fresh pot of coffee, and things are slow downstairs. I thought you might like a cup.”
Kerri came striding into the office looking like a runway model. She stood almost six feet tall in ballet flats and was rocking one of her shop’s cute little sundresses. Accessorized to the max, Kerri was the epitome of classy Southern womanhood with a savvy attitude.
Kerri handed Jessica a cup festooned with daffodils and then sank down into the single side chair.
Jessica took a sip. The coffee was a bold, flavorful roast.
“So,” Kerri said, settling back in her chair, “you working on Topher Martin’s house?”
Jessica blinked a couple of times. Living in Magnolia Harbor meant everyone knew everyone’s business, but the speed with which news traveled still surprised her. “So you know about that?”
“You were apparently seen getting onto Topher Martin’s yacht yesterday. And since it’s become common knowledge that he wants to run away to Lookout Island and you’re an architect…” Her voice trailed off.
“Yeah, I guess it’s not hard for people to add up one plus one.” And frequently come up with three or four or more.
Kerri nodded and stared down at her cup for a long moment, clearly uncomfortable about something. Not wanting to hear any more troubling gossip, Jessica didn’t encourage her.
“Um…” Kerri finally said, looking up. “The thing is, I heard about Topher’s plans because I went to Annie’s place with Colton last night, and—”
“You did?” Jessica sat up straighter in her chair, a ray of sunshine leaking through the cloud that had been hanging over her all morning.
Why hadn’t she thought of that before? Maybe the answer to her problem was to find Colton a gorgeous and successful girlfriend. Someone exactly like Kerri Eaton.
“I feel so guilty about it,” Kerri continued. “I mean, I’m sure you’re going to hear gossip, and I just wanted you to know that it was completely innocent. And really, I felt like I needed to come up here and let you know because…” She didn’t finish the sentence.
“You think we’ve got a thing?” Jessica asked.
“Don’t you? I mean, didn’t you have some kind of lover’s quarrel last night?”
Oh, good grief. When would people stop?
“We did have an argument last night, but it wasn’t a lover’s quarrel. We don’t have a thing.” Jessica didn’t explain further because anything she said would be fed into the grapevine and come out garbled on the other end. Sometimes it felt as if she could stand on a mountaintop and shout the truth and not a soul would believe her.
“Really? Because, you know, he spent a lot of time telling me how worried he is about you.”
“Worried? D—” She swallowed back the cuss word and gripped the arms of her chair.
“Well, maybe not worried. Concerned about things.”
“What things?” Jessica leaned forward, irritation flaring into real anger at Colton for running his mouth about her. He knew better.
“I guess he’s concerned about this City Hall design competition. He told me that you’re going up against some really big firms.”
“So what? Everyone has to start somewhere.”
The corner of Kerri’s mouth twitched. “I guess that’s true.”
“I’m fine. I know it’s a long shot, but you have to take risks to gain rewards, right? And besides, he knows good and well that I just landed the Martin project.”
“Whoa, wait,” Kerri said, putting her hands out palms forward. “I think you misunderstood. Colton is rooting for you. He just—”
“Spent the whole night talking about me?” Jessica met Kerri’s stare.
“Well, not the entire time,” Kerri said. “We did talk a little about the chamber of commerce and the general business climate. But otherwise.” Kerri’s normally straight shoulders slumped. It was clear that her landlady had an unrequited crush on Colton.
Because Colton was an idiot.
“Good grief.” Jessica looked away, studying the morning sunshine pouring through her front windows. If she had any skills at matchmaking, this would be the time to whip them out. But alas, she was a dolt when it came to relationships.
“You know, Jess, I’d give my right arm to have a man like that worry about me,” Kerri said.
That was probably true. But Jessica liked her right arm a lot and didn’t want to give it away for anyone, not even Colton. She turned back toward Kerri. “You’re right,” she said. “Colton is a great guy. But he’s my friend, and that’s it. So if you want to make a play for him, go right ahead. You have my blessing.”