As Jennifer climbed the stairs again, she said, “This is sure an interesting situation. Do you like living together?”
“Oh, yes. Well, I mean, I do. But it’s new. I’m pretty sure you know about our situation, right?”
“Your situation?”
“About how I only just found out about Kimber and Traci a couple of months ago? I grew up as an only child, you see.”
“Wow. That’s, um, really something.”
“I know! And please, you don’t need to try to act like you’re not shocked. My sisters and I haven’t mastered that, have we, Kimber?” she asked as they walked into a really cute kitchen decorated all in white.
Traci wasn’t around, but Kimber was sitting at a small bistro table eating two oranges and sipping black coffee. “Good morning,” she said. “How are you doing, Jennifer?”
“I’m okay.” Not eager to start talking about last night’s events, she said, “Uh, Shannon was just telling me about how you guys just discovered each other.”
Kimber nodded. “Amazing how life happens when you least expect it.”
“You’re right. I guess change can be good, though.”
“This change has been very good, though every once in a while I wake up feeling confused. Bridgeport, Ohio, is a big change from New York City.”
“I bet.”
Shannon pulled out a pair of mugs. “We came for coffee.”
“You’re in luck. I just made a fresh pot.”
“How do you take your coffee?” Shannon asked, still playing hostess.
“Cream and sugar, please,” Jennifer said.
Shannon winked. “A girl after my own heart.” After she added a generous amount of both, she placed the cup in front of Jennifer.
Jennifer took an experimental sip, sighed in appreciation, and then took another drink. Shannon hadn’t lied. They might not be able to cook worth a darn, but they could sure make a mean cup of coffee.
Shannon, who was holding her own mug with two hands, smiled over the brim. “I told you. We’ve got a way with caffeine.”
“This is great.”
“We use really good beans and spoonfuls of cinnamon and cocoa,” Kimber said. “They add just enough extra flavor to make things better.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
Kimber stretched out her long legs. “Just come over more often, girl. Anytime you want, I’ll be glad to share my coffee with you.”
Jennifer smiled and leaned back in her chair. It was amazing how much she was starting to relax. Here, in less than twenty minutes, she’d gone from embarrassed and scared to actually imagining sitting with these women again one day soon.
As if she sensed what Jennifer was thinking, Shannon said, “So, are you doing better now?”
“Honestly? Yes. And what’s sad is that I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”
“I don’t think that’s sad at all. What’s happened to you would freak anyone out, honey,” Kimber said.
Hesitantly, she said, “I don’t know what Dylan shared, but I was pretty freaked out for years after my attack. Last night, when I saw that note? Well, it sent me back to that place. I really didn’t want to return there, either.”
“I don’t blame you,” Shannon said. “Not for going through such a dark time or being afraid to go back to that place.”
“I don’t know if this will help, but I have realized that going through bad stuff doesn’t necessarily make things better . . . but it is inevitable,” Kimber added. “All you can do is get through it.”
“I’m trying.” Jennifer took another fortifying sip, then added, “Actually, that’s what I decided when I got up. I am going to try to do my best to not think the worst. My brother is a great cop, and the men and women on his team are, too. They’ll figure this out.”
“Good for you,” Shannon said. “I know Traci was eager to help him when she left on her shift this morning.”
“I wish I could do more to help.”
“I think the best thing you can do is continue to get better,” Shannon said.
“That’s what I am going to do.” Making up her mind, Jennifer said, “This probably sounds like nothing to you both, but I’m going to do my best to summon my nerve and go back to Backdoor Books.”
“What’s that?” Kimber asked.
“An amazing bookstore. It has everything you can imagine inside.” Hearing her words, she smiled. “I mean, as far as books go.”
Shannon raised her eyebrows. “You must really like books.”
“I do. Well, I really like cookbooks. But it’s more than that. There was the nicest lady there who owns the place. She serves coffee and tea in china teacups and never acts like you’re imposing if you take your time looking around. And then there’s her son.”
“She’s got a little boy?” Shannon smiled.
“Oh, no. He’s our age. And he’s so . . .” Jennifer caught herself just in time. Boy, she couldn’t believe she almost started fangirling on that guy.
Kimber’s light brown eyes sparkled as she leaned forward. “Come on. Don’t stop now. Her son is so . . . what? Cute? Hot?” She smiled. “Amazing?”
Maybe embarrassment was overrated. “He’s so . . . dreamy,” she corrected. “His name is Jack.”
“Jack’s a good name,” Shannon said.
“I thought so, too.”
“When are you going to go back to this place?” Kimber asked. “I want to see him.”
Shannon chuckled. “You can’t go over there to ogle the owner’s son.”
“Sure I can.”
“I’m not even sure he’s going to be there. He doesn’t work for his mom. He’s a contractor.”
“Oh, a manly man.” Kimber playfully waved a hand in front of her face. “He’s sounding better and better.”
“Kimber, you are too much,” Shannon said.
“Honey, if you’ve seen all the pretty boys that I have on these modeling shoots, you’d be excited to be around men who don’t mind working for a living. Don’t underestimate a handy man.”
“Noted.”
Jennifer was enjoying the sisters’ teasing and their silly conversation. She really was. But as she looked at the two women—petite Shannon, with her dancer’s figure and sweet personality, and Kimber, so glamorous and so gorgeous—her insecurities caught hold of her tight again.