Sweet Caroline(59)

The shapely brunette juts her chin. “Yes.”

“Once, twice? A month ago, a few weeks?” As the tension builds, I’m reminded cornered kittens scratch.

“A few times, over the past few weeks.” Lucy’s shoulders droop slightly as her defiance wanes. “He’d stopped by our apartment.” She gestures to Trisha.

“Did he spend the night?” Don’t answer. Yes, answer. Wait . . .

Lucy’s bright cheeks speak louder than words. “I love him.”

“And he loves you?” Marley asks. By her expression, I think she wants to deck Lucy and be done with it.

“He cares about me.”

The words ring with haunting familiarity. Oh, I’m sick. Fifteen min-utes ago, I was a breath away from saying yes—to a man who . . .

“Lucy,” I eek out. “If he cheated on me, he’ll cheat on you. Don’t start out as the other woman.”

“What makes you think I’m the other woman?” She shivers though the hallway is hot and airless. “I told you, Caroline—” Her voice breaks. “I love him.”

Marley grabs my arm and drags me toward the door. “Good night, ladies.”

The patio doors swing wide and a laughing Bodean and J. D. step in with Mack Brunner.

Shielding me like a celeb bodyguard, Marley glares at J. D. “Excuse us.”

I can’t look at him. I might spit.

“Caroline, hey, what’s up? Where are you—” J. D. stops wondering. My guess is he’s spotted Lucy.

Marley steers me out the door, then pauses, leans back, and proceeds to cuss J. D.’s face blue.





26

Full astern,” I whisper to Elle, finding her near the dance floor, talking to John Exley, which is an enormous waste of time; he’s famously antimarriage. “Full astern.” Gently, I shove her from behind, steering her away from John toward the cars.

“Caroline, what are you doing?” Elle shuffles along in front of me. “‘Full astern’?”

“Take me home.” As I feared, tears surface. I don’t want to cry. Not over a cheater like J. D.

“What? Why? I was talking to John.”

“Elle, John? Please. He’ll ask you out, analyze the whole relationship before you even go on the date, conclude it’ll never work, and treat you like gum stuck to his shoes the entire evening. You’ll be forced to be nice to him so he won’t tell people he dumped you because you were a witch.”

She slaps her forehead with her palm. “Oh my gosh, Caroline, I wasn’t—”

“Right. You’re welcome.” Weaving among the trucks, antique and classic Mopars, I can’t spot her BMW. “Where did you park?”

She takes the lead. “Over there. Caroline, why are we full asterning? Did you hit an iceberg? See a ninety-foot tidal wave?”

Pulling her keys from her pocket, she aims her fob. The BMW blips and blinks. Quickly, I slip inside. Elle fires up the engine but doesn’t engage the gas. “Now, what is going on?”

“J. D. is also dating Lucy McAllister.”

“Caroline, no, he’s not.”

“Marley and I heard her through the bathroom door, lamenting about being the other woman tonight.” I collapse against the cool leather seat. “She confessed they’d been together . . . if you know what I mean. Just get me out of here.”

The blackness of the whole ordeal starts to settle over me.

“He what? In the midst of wanting to sleep over with you?”

“Worse, El—he wanted to move in.”

“Caroline.” My friend’s voice is wispy with sympathy. “You’re kidding.”

“Don’t I wish.” I recount the evening at the beach, J. D.’s proposition, my nervous hesitancy, but almost-decision to go for it tonight.

Enter Lucy.

When I conclude the tale, Elle flops back against her seat. “You are so blessed, Caroline. Look at me. I mean this: God is watching out for you.” Elle shifts into reverse. “Can you imagine finding out about Lucy afterwards?”

Bile rises in my throat. Then I think about the first night he asked, and how I slept alone . . . the peace I felt. Now I understand. The peace that comes from doing the right thing.

“Let’s just go, please.” I cover my eyes, fighting a headache.

But as we pull away, a hand slams against the window. “Caroline, she means nothing.” J. D.’s face looms in front of me.

Elle starts to gun away, but I hold out my hand. “Just a second,” I say, getting out when she stops the car. Let’s just end this here and now. I face J. D. square on. “Means nothing? Did you tell her that, J. D.? Because she thinks she’s in love with you.”

He reaches for me, but I snap away from him. “We went out a few times . . . I met her out one night—”

“Before or after the afternoon we talked, declared ourselves a couple? Before or after you asked to . . .” My teeth clinch. “Sleep over? Move in together?”

The darkness of the night irritates me. Where’s the moon? The starlight? The only light is the man-made glow of Bo’s party.

“Babe, I never told Lucy I loved her. I never asked her to move in.”

“Funny thing here, J. D.—you never told me you loved me either.”