Chapter Fourteen

“So, I ran into Jordan in the park. We’re going out to dinner,” Karli told her over the phone the following week.

“That’s good. You need to get out of the house once in a while,” Sarah chided. “Get some air.”

“Yeah,” Karli agreed, then said, “Oh, that’s the doorbell. He’s here. Call you when I get back?”

“Sure,” Sarah replied, and hung up.

I need to organize another girl trip, even if it’s just a weekend away, Sarah realized. She could use the break.

She opened her laptop and began a G****e search using the term ‘weekend getaways within three hours of DFW,’ then began scrolling through the results and fine-tuning her planning.

Before Sarah even realized it, two and a half hours had passed. She’d settled on three possible destinations; now, she needed to run them by Karli.

She dialed her best friend’s number and waited.

“Sarah,” Karli said with a tremble.

“Oh, honey. You don’t sound okay. Need me to come over?”

Within five minutes, Sarah was in her car, armed with the one thing that always seemed to make them both feel better – sea salt caramel ice cream.

She grabbed her best friend in a one-armed hug as soon as she walked through Karli’s front door.

“Brought reinforcements,” she announced, directing Karli’s attention to the ice cream. “Come on, let’s talk it out.”

Sarah listened to Karli relate the details of what had happened between her and Jordan. When Karli asked her opinion, Sarah gave it honestly.

There’s nothing to feel guilty about here, she thought to herself, and told her friend as much.

Next, Karli confided in her about the pregnancy she’d just had confirmed, and Sarah’s eyes widened.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, then reminded Karli she had a support system in place to help her.

“And you’re going to be a fantastic mom, okay?” Sarah assured her. “You can do this. Now, in the meantime, I have an idea. How about another girl trip?”

Sarah presented the choices and Karli’s face lit up.

“I’ve never been to Lake Murray! That sounds like fun.”

“Done! I’ll book it for this weekend.”

They talked a bit more, and Sarah waited until she was absolutely sure that Karli was okay, then suggested, “Hey. Go run a bath and soak. You know that always makes you feel better.”

Karli chuckled.

“It really does.”

“Okay, so, shoo,” Sarah gestured. “I’ll wash the bowls and let myself out. You need a soak and some sleep.”

Karli stood and grabbed Sarah in a fierce hug.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“For what?”

“Being the best friend I’ve ever had.”

***

Two weeks later, Sarah was dumbfounded as she sat at Karli’s kitchen table again and listened.

“Holy crap! What was he thinking?” she exclaimed.

“I have no idea. He just quit paying stuff, Sarah. Almost every bill we have is behind,” Karli ranted as she paced. “I’m gonna lose this place.”

She paused and ran her hand over her face.

“And then Jordan surprised the hell out of me and offered to move in here and help me out or let me move in with him.”

Sarah’s eyebrows knitted.

“He was here when I opened the letter from the mortgage company,” Karli explained when she saw the look of confusion on Sarah’s face. “He’s been helping me figure out what to do with Evan’s things.”

“Ah,” Sarah replied, even as she thought sounds to me like someone just might have a thing for Karli.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t feel comfortable living with Jordan. It wouldn’t be… proper. And I love my parents, but I really, really don’t want to move back home.”

“Okay, then, so, come live with me,” Sarah announced. “I have that second bedroom that already has a bed in it, and I’ve been meaning to put a dresser in there anyway, I just haven’t gotten to it yet.”

“I’d pay you.”

Sarah waved a hand.

“I get such a good rate on my place it’s not even funny. Pitch in for food, we’ll call it good. All right? At least think about it.”

***

By the time Sarah got home from work on Friday, Karli was moved into Sarah’s second bedroom and was trying to decide what to wear for a dinner out with Jordan.

I think it’s time I give her a nudge, Sarah decided, and started asking about Jordan. But their conversation was interrupted by the doorbell.

When Sarah opened the door and saw Jordan, all doubt was removed from her mind as to his intentions toward her best friend, particularly when she mentioned Karli and saw Jordan’s face light up with a brilliant smile.

Oh yeah, he’s definitely interested in her. Time to make sure Karli sees him as more than a friend.

Sarah politely pointed Jordan toward the couch then rushed back to Karli’s room to sprinkle some seeds of realization in her best friend’s mind. When she asked Karli to find out if Jordan was single, Sarah saw a flash of jealousy spark in Karli’s eyes.

There we go. Now let’s go see what happens, she thought, and followed Karli down the hall to the living room where Jordan waited.

Her heart swelled with hope for the two people standing in her living room staring at each other, each one obviously crushing on the other.

Mission accomplished, she thought with satisfaction as they left smiling at one another.

She closed the door behind them.

Jordan looks at Karli the way Tim used to look at me, she realized, and closed her eyes from the sudden stab of heartache.

***

A crying Karli was the last thing Sarah expected to walk through her door just over an hour later. When Karli managed to tell her what had happened, Sarah realized not only did Jordan care about Karli, but that he was putting her well-being above his own.

He’s not just interested in her, he loves her, Sarah mused to herself as she and Karli talked it out. By the end of the conversation, she had Karli calmed down.

***

When Tim realized the mood Jordan was in, he attempted conversation, but Jordan snapped at him.

“Hey, don’t be an ass,” he growled back. “I’m trying to be a friend here.”

Jordan’s shoulders sagged as he heaved a sigh and then filled Tim in.

Girl trouble, Tim acknowledged silently. Boy, do I know about that.

He listened, assured Jordan that under the circumstances giving Karli some space was best, then moved his partner’s focus to work.

But as the shift progressed, he found himself wanting to share his personal experience with matters of the heart.

“I know how you feel more than you think I do,” he said abruptly, startling Jordan.

And he told him all about Sarah, from their first date through the present day.

“And you’ve never seen or talked to her again?” Jordan was incredulous. “Why? Why didn’t you try to find her?”

“At the time, I loved her enough to respect her space,” Tim shrugged. “I don’t know if that makes me the biggest fool on the planet, or what. But now so much time has gone by. She’s probably moved on.”

“But you don’t know that for sure,” Jordan protested. “Not unless you try to find her. Can you honestly live the rest of your life with not knowing?”

“She walked away from me with only a two-sentence letter, and I never heard from her again, Jordan. I’d say that’s pretty damn clear.”

“That why you don’t date?”

“Yep,” Tim admitted. “No point. No one will ever measure up to Sarah.”