“WHAT?” LARISSA ASKED the next morning when she and Taryn met for breakfast. “Didn’t you sleep?”
So much for her new “look refreshed” concealer technique, Taryn thought. “No. I had things on my mind.”
“Work stuff?” Larissa’s voice was sympathetic.
Taryn hesitated. While she didn’t like talking about her personal life, she and Larissa were friends.
“It’s the guy,” she admitted.
Larissa scooted forward on her seat. “Seriously? Wow. You don’t usually let them get to you enough to keep you up at night. Start at the beginning. You said hi and he said hi.” She paused expectantly.
Taryn laughed. “Okay, then. How we met isn’t important.”
“It might be to me. I have no love life. I have to live vicariously through yours.”
“That is just plain sad.” Taryn picked up her coffee and took a sip.
“It’s the orchid guy,” Larissa said, perking up. “The bodyguard school person. You said he couldn’t own a grocery store, which I thought was unfair because he was just so nice that way.”
Taryn sighed. “You’re insane, you know that, right?”
“I refuse to accept that. So what happened?” Larissa paused. “Or didn’t happen?”
“I’m not sure. It’s both.” Taryn thought about their dinner. There’d been no shortage of conversation or sexual tension. “He confuses me.”
“I didn’t think that was possible.”
“Me, either. Just to make it all interesting, he needs my help with an unexpected project.”
She told Larissa about the FWM and Angel being a Grove Keeper. “With Kenny and Jack trying to land the LL@R account, I’m going to have to suck it up and go camping. We’re sharing knowledge.”
Taryn waited for Larissa to burst out laughing. It wasn’t as if Taryn knew much about little girls. Or children of either gender, for that matter.
Instead Larissa sighed. “Those girls are going to adore you.”
“Really? Because I’m kind of nervous about it. At the time I thought it would be fine, but then I started thinking that kids aren’t exactly my strong suit.”
“Don’t,” her friend told her. “No doubts allowed. You’ll be straightforward with them, and they’ll love that. Plus, if things get too quiet, show them your shoes and you’ll win them over.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Taryn had never thought much about children. Her unexpected and brief pregnancy had terrified her, but before she could figure out how she was going to be a decent parent when she’d never seen one in action, she’d lost the baby.
“Enough about me,” she said firmly. “How are you doing?”
“Great. I’m all moved in and getting to know the town. People are friendly here. I like that.”
“You would,” Taryn told her. “I have to say the boys are better now that you’re here.”
“I live to serve,” Larissa said with a grin. Then her smile faded. “Kenny is going to need surgery on his knee again. When it gets bad, I can barely touch it. I have to admit I don’t get the thrill of the game. Sure, it’s wonderful while it happens, but then the guys have to deal with the consequences.”
There was plenty of pain to go around, Taryn thought. “You know they wouldn’t give up what they had for anything.”
“Glory days,” Larissa said. She glanced around, then lowered her voice. “But don’t you think it’s strange none of them are married?”
“Sam was and that was a disaster.”
Larissa pressed her lips together as if trying not to laugh. “I know,” she managed. “It’s very sad.”
“Stop it,” Taryn told her. “Come on. The poor guy can’t cut a break when it comes to women. Oh. Speaking of Sam, have you heard anything about him and Dellina?”
Larissa shook her head. “I didn’t know they’d been together.”
“I don’t think they have been. Not romantically. But there’s something going on. You know the guys want to have that big weekend party for the clients, right?”
Larissa rolled her eyes. “Of course. Sam asked if I would help pull it together. There’s no way I could handle something like that. I’m great at what I do, but an expensive party at a five-star hotel isn’t really my thing.”
“Now, if it was a hamster rescue,” Taryn teased.
“Get off me about hamsters. But yes, that is sort of my point.” Larissa frowned. “Dellina’s an expert. Sam loves experts.”
“Right?” Taryn leaned toward her. “I’m telling you, there’s some secret there. Sam isn’t going to tell me, so I guess I’ll ask Dellina directly.”
“I want to know every word.”
“I will share because I sense it’s going to be delicious.”
Their server appeared with their breakfasts. Taryn had gone wild and ordered Applesauce Stuffed French Toast, what with not eating dinner the previous night. Having a man make her feel the way Angel had and then not do anything about it tended to spoil her appetite.