Page 112 of The Best of Friends

“No, it doesn’t.” She patted his arm. “Have you considered it’s not your family that’s the problem, but her proximity to them? Part of loving someone is wanting what is best for that other person. I would never have asked Blaine to leave Elizabeth. It wasn’t my place. I suspect Jayne would never ask you to change anything about your life for her. But that doesn’t mean you can’t come up with the idea on your own.”

She was right, he thought, the pain easing enough for him to think. The problem was Elizabeth and, in part, Rebecca. Jayne was willing to move halfway across the country to escape his mother. Why couldn’t he do the same?

“You’re brilliant,” he told Marjorie, then kissed her on the cheek again. “I need to talk to my dad.”

“Of course you do. I’ll go downstairs and amuse myself looking at jewelry. Blaine wants me to pick out something for myself, and I’ve never found the time. Will an hour do?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Just invite me to the wedding.”

“Promise.”

Jayne emptied the last of her towels into the large box, then went hunting for more items to fill it. Packing was a whole lot more work than she’d realized. When she’d moved into her condo, she’d had almost nothing. A dozen boxes and an end table. Her possessions had grown since then.

The movers were coming on Monday. She would get the last of her packing finished, then watch her stuff be loaded Monday morning, including her car. She would fly out first thing Tuesday morning and start her new life in Dallas. Honestly, the move couldn’t come soon enough.

Her weekend of packing had started with a call from one of Elizabeth’s so-called friends wanting to know if the rumors were true. Had Blaine left Elizabeth for dowdy Marjorie Danes? Jayne had no way of knowing, not that she would have said anything if she had. Still, she couldn’t forget the question, and she wondered if it was possible. Marjorie had always been someone Jayne liked, and she had a feeling the other woman could make Blaine happy, but to leave Elizabeth after all these years? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

After lunch, she tackled the rest of the kitchen. She would live on takeout and use paper plates for the last twenty-four hours. About two o’clock her doorbell rang.

For a second she thought about not answering it. She didn’t want to speak to Rebecca again or see Elizabeth. But when the bell rang again, she found herself dutifully walking toward the door and pulling it open.

Her visitor was both better and worse than she’d imagined. Better, because it was impossible to look at David and not feel immediately better about everything, and worse, because there was no way she could be with him.

He looked happy enough as he walked into her condo, leaned in, and kissed her. Then he glanced around.

“You’re nearly packed,” he said. “I was hoping I could help. I wanted to get here sooner, but there was a lot to do. I should have sent someone over. Talk about being a clod. I’m sorry.”

She cleared her throat. “That’s okay,” she said cautiously. “I didn’t expect you to help me leave town.”

He looked happy, which was weird. And confident, which was expected. Her lips were still tingling from his kiss. She briefly wondered if he would be open to a farewell night of hot sex. Something for the road, so to speak. Dangerous, yes, but definitely worth it.

“Can we sit down?” he asked.

She motioned to the living room. “Help yourself.”

He walked into the small space, but instead of sitting, he walked to the dining area, then back.

“I’ve been to Dallas. That’s where I was most of the week. Blaine went with me. We looked at retail space and office buildings. It’s nice. I like it. Marjorie has a lot of family in Texas. Mostly in Houston, but she’s been to Dallas a lot. She showed us around. Have you had Tex-Mex? It’s great.”

He wasn’t making any sense, she thought. “Why would you go to Dallas? And with Marjorie?” Oh. The rumors must be true. “Blaine left Elizabeth?”

“Yes, and I think she’s the only one who’s surprised. It’s kind of strange being around my dad right now. He’s crazy about Marjorie. But it’s good, too. You know? For both of them.” He moved toward her. “I thought about what you said. About my family. I get it. You can’t stay here and be yourself, and I can’t convince you to try. But I still love you and want to be with you.”

Talk about perfect and heartbreaking at the same time. “David, I—”

“No. Let me finish. Blaine and I have found space for the offices. And the perfect retail spot opens at the end of the month. We’ll need about six months for renovation. And it will take a while for the company to move out, so I’ll have to go back and forth at first.”

He stepped in front of her and took her hand in his. “Jayne, I love you. I’m not giving you up because of my mother. If you need to live in Dallas, then I’ll move there. Worden’s can be run from anywhere in the world. Blaine and Marjorie are coming as well, but I didn’t think either of them was the problem.”

She stared into his eyes, not sure what to think. What to believe. The words made sense individually, but when strung together as a sentence or a thought, they were unintelligible.

“You’re moving the company?” she asked.

He nodded.

“For me?”

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