By the fourth or fifth time, she almost believed it.
* * *
She got to the dance studio five minutes before six. In a large canvas bag she’d found in a back closet she had loaded a hot casserole, a side dish of green beans with almonds, a loaf of bread, and a plastic cake holder with a really beautiful pie inside.
So far, the visit could be deemed a success, at least from her point of view. She got out of the car without having to convince herself that she was going to be fine.
She also hadn’t even looked around the area much, just to be sure no one was watching her. That was something to be proud of.
Now all she had to do was ring the doorbell, deliver the food, and hope that Traci hadn’t been lying when she’d said that she’d pay Jennifer right away.
But still she hesitated, wondering who was going to answer the door. What if it wasn’t one of the girls? What if it was a strange man? What if . . .
A dog barked behind her. She turned, saw a man jogging toward her on the sidewalk, a yellow Labrador on a leash. When she met his eyes, she turned abruptly and pushed the button next to the door.
In this case, it seemed the devil she didn’t know was better than the devil she did.
When the door opened, she was greeted by three women instead of just one.
Traci rushed forward and picked up the bag. “Jennifer! You’re our hero! Come on in.”
Smiling at the women, she followed Traci and then laughed as they all looked like she’d brought them a special gift.
“Hi again,” said Shannon. “This is our sister Kimber.”
Jennifer smiled at Kimber before turning her attention back to Shannon. The last time she’d seen Shannon, the woman had been wearing jeans and had her hair in a ponytail.
Tonight, she looked far more glamorous. She had on a dark-gray wrap dress that was slightly clingy and black heels. Her hair was longer than Jennifer had imagined and it fell to the almost the middle of her back in soft curls. No wonder she’d sensed something was going on between Dylan and Shannon!
Feeling all their eyes studying her and the tote bag, Jennifer focused back on her purpose for being there. “So, I have dinner for you.”
“I can’t wait to see it. It smells so good,” Traci said.
Picking up the tote bag, Jennifer followed the other three up two flights of stairs to the living area. It was a combination of industrial and modern style, with a good dose of girliness mixed in. Purses, clothes, and shoes were scattered all over the floor.
Looking around, she said, “How is it living above a dance studio?”
“Really loud when all the squealing high school girls are here, but otherwise, we’re getting used to it,” Kimber said. “And used to living with each other.”
Dylan had told her a little bit about how the sisters had recently discovered each other. And, how they’d all decided to relocate to a new place for one year in order to get to know each other.
“I moved in with my brother about two years ago. It’s an adjustment, isn’t it?”
“It is, but so far, so good,” Shannon said. She handed Jennifer a glass of iced tea. “Especially tonight. We’re going to eat like kings.”
“Or queens,” Kimber corrected.
Jennifer grinned. “You three are making me feel pretty good—and a little worried,” she admitted as she pulled out the Rubbermaid container. “It’s just a casserole, beans, and a pie.”
Traci opened up the plastic lid. “Look at that pie. It’s too bad you won’t be able to eat any of this, Kimber.”
“I decided I’d rather run on the treadmill for an extra hour instead of denying myself everything. I’m going to have a couple of bites.” Looking at the dish of beans, she plucked one off the top. “I’ll eat these, too.”
“I hate to be rude, but I need to eat right away. I’ve got a class to teach in thirty,” Shannon said as she pulled out plates. “Jennifer, would you like to join us? You’re welcome to, or even hang out here for a while.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think Dylan is ready for me to watch him dance. I’m planning to be gone before he arrives.” She wanted to show him—and herself—that she could do this errand just fine, too.
“So you know it’s your brother’s private lesson tonight?”
“I do.” Though it was tempting to say something about how her brother had gone from complaining about his fantasy football bet to planning his Friday nights around his class, she didn’t say any more.
“Does he talk about it much?” Kimber asked as she spooned a small portion of the casserole on her plate.
“Not a lot.” Jennifer didn’t want to embarrass Shannon or her brother. But she did smile at Traci, who looked like she was struggling to keep a straight face. “But some.”
Shannon’s eyes got big. “He does? What does—” She stopped herself abruptly. “Never mind. Forget I asked that.”
“My lips are sealed.” Knowing that Shannon needed to eat and wanting to be gone before her brother arrived, she took a step toward the door. “You know what? I think I’m going to head out.”
“You don’t have to,” Shannon said. “I won’t even talk about Dylan if you don’t want.”
“No, um, it’s just that I wanted to do this right, you know? Be professional and deliver the food.”
Kimber put down her fork. “Jennifer, I get that making us a meal was a job and all. But, as far as I’m concerned, you could move in here. This dinner is so good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” She picked up her tote bag. “Thanks for this. It, well, it helped me a lot. More than you can imagine.”
Shannon walked to her side. “You’re welcome. Here, I’ll walk you out.” She handed her an envelope. “Oh, and here’s the money for tonight’s meal. I almost forgot!”
Jennifer took the envelope gratefully and followed her down the narrow stairs, feeling like she was floating. She’d done it.
“I’m sure we’ll be calling you again,” Shannon said. “Actually, I’ll get this ball rolling. How about you make us a meal one night a week?”
“I could do that.”
“Great. I’ll email you and we can devise some type of schedule and payment plan.”
“I’ll look forward to that,” she said as they stopped at the door. “Night.”
“Night,” Shannon called out behind her.
Jennifer quickened her steps, got in her car, and then turned it on.