If I Didn't Know Better (The Callaways #9)(35)

"You have Ashlyn and a career to figure out," she reminded him. "And I have my own employment issues to consider. Plus, neither of us is planning to be here long-term. We're like two ships passing in the night. We should just be neighbors, friends, don't you think?"

She was right, so why did he absolutely hate the suggestion? "That would probably be wise."

She gazed back at him for a long minute, conflict in her eyes. "Why does doing the wise thing always feel so bad?"

"It's more fun to give in to temptation than to resist it."

"It certainly is," she said with a wistful sigh. "I didn't expect to come here and meet someone like you."

He smiled. "I didn't, either."

"So…friends."

"Sure." He cleared his throat, thinking if he was going to fulfill the friend promise, he should probably leave before he did something wonderful and stupid like kissing her again. "I should get Ashlyn and leave you to your cleanup."

"You can let her stay if you want, unless you have something specific planned for her and you to do together…"

"No, she'd probably prefer to stay with you." He hesitated. "If you really don't mind, I could grab an extra therapy session."

"I don't mind at all. I do need to go into town to make some copies of some of the sketches I found for the coloring book party tonight. Do you mind if Ashlyn goes with me?"

"No, that's fine."

"I'll make sure she wants to go. Otherwise, I can do it when you get back. It won't take that long."

"She'll want to go. What did you say you were doing—a coloring book party? Isn't that for kids?"

"These sketches are for adults. My aunt was putting together a coloring book of her sketches. They're quite good. I guess it's the hot new craze to relieve stress through coloring. Kara suggested a group party with wine and coloring. She wants me to meet some of my aunt's friends."

"The wine sounds like fun. I'm not sure about the coloring."

"I'm not, either, but we'll see how it goes tonight. Now, go and do whatever you need to do."

"Thanks. And Mia—when you told me before that I had to know what I wanted so I could go after it..."

"Yes," she said warily.

"You know the first answer that came to my mind?"

"Was it the Army?"

He shook his head. "It was you."

Her eyes widened as she licked her lips again. "Maybe in that minute you wanted me, but…"

"But what? Maybe that minute or this minute is all that matters. Sometimes tomorrow doesn't come."

"But when it does come, it helps if you haven't made a mess of the day before. I'll see you later, Jeremy." She walked into the studio and shut the door.

He turned back to the table, grabbed the pancake platter and syrup and headed home, thinking that breakfast with Mia had been both an excellent and a terrible idea.





Nine

Mia's nerves tingled long after she heard Jeremy leave the yard. She couldn't believe the way he'd kissed her or the way she'd kissed him back. It hadn't been the usual tentative awkward first kiss between two people who didn't know each other very well; it had been a fiery explosion, which did not bode well for a friendship.

But as she'd reminded him, they wouldn't be living next door to each other forever. She'd leave as soon as the house was pulled together. She'd go back to San Francisco, start sending out resumes, and get back to her life.

Jeremy would do…something. He'd either go back to the Army or go somewhere else, but she doubted he'd stay in Angel's Bay. Or maybe he would. But even if he did, she wouldn't be here.

There was absolutely no good reason for them to get together now. Any relationship between them had heartbreak written all over it, and she didn't feel like putting herself through that kind of pain again.

Forcing Jeremy out of her head, she walked into the studio and climbed up the stairs to the loft bedroom. She found Ashlyn sitting on the bed with a bunch of vintage jewelry spread out around her.

Ashlyn gave Mia a guilty look as she put another necklace around her neck. It joined the other three necklaces and the dozen bangles she'd put on each arm.

"Well, don't you look pretty," she said with a smile, as she sat down on the bed with Ashlyn and picked up three more gold bangles from the bed. "I think my aunt brought these back from India. She sent some to me and my sisters when we were little girls."

"Sisters?" Ashlyn muttered.

Mia tried not to let on that she was excited Ashlyn had verbalized a question. "Yes, I have a twin sister named Kate and an older sister named Annie. I also have three older brothers. They're good guys for the most part, but they like to boss me around." She paused. "When I was a little girl, my sisters and I used to play dress-up. I always wanted to be a princess. Kate wanted to be a pirate."

Her words brought tears to Ashlyn's eyes. "What is it, honey? What's wrong?"

"My mommy played dress-up with me."

Her heart twisted at the pain in Ashlyn's voice. She was also a little shocked by the complete sentence. "I'll bet that was fun."