1022 Evergreen Place - Debbie Macomber [57]
To her, the dragon symbolized the fiery grief the death of her husband had brought into her life. Shirley had made the fabric collage shortly after her husband, Jim, was killed in a motorcycle accident. Will had taken one look at it and practically begged her to let him display it. After weeks of turning him down she’d finally acquiesced, with the proviso that specific measures be taken to protect it. Will had accepted her conditions.
“Have you talked to Will since last Sunday?” Miranda asked.
Shirley shook her head. His reticence was mildly surprising. He’d been finding one reason or another to contact her every other day and then…silence. Not that Shirley was complaining.
“Does the fact he hasn’t called concern you?” Miranda asked.
Sipping her tea, Shirley watched her friend over the rim of her mug. “Why all these questions about me and Will Jefferson?”
Miranda shifted uncomfortably. “No reason. I was just wondering.”
“I enjoyed talking to Larry Knight for five minutes far more than I enjoyed that expensive dinner with Will.”
“But you would never have met Larry if it hadn’t been for Will.”
That was true enough. “I know.”
“And you feel guilty about that, right?”
Shirley sighed. “Right.”
“I did,” Miranda mumbled, looking decidedly un comfortable.
“You did what?” Shirley asked in confusion.
“I heard from Will.”
“Will Jefferson? He called you about work, you mean?”
Miranda shrugged. “At first I thought he wanted me for the gallery. I’ve already worked a couple of afternoons. However, this time he called and…asked me out to dinner.”
That was encouraging news. “And?” Shirley asked, excited for her friend.
“Absolutely not.” Her reply was forceful. “I wouldn’t go out with the man my best friend’s dating if you paid me a million bucks.” She grinned. “Well, maybe I would for that kind of money.”
Shirley smiled, too. “I get your drift, but you don’t have to turn him down.”
Miranda looked in every direction except Shirley’s.
“In other words, it wouldn’t bother me in the least if you wanted to go out with Will,” Shirley said, hoping to reassure her.
“But it would bother me.” Miranda spoke just as adamantly as she had earlier. “He’s interested in you. The only reason Will asked me is to get a reaction out of you.”
“Why would you think that?”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.”
“Okay, you could be right.” Shirley laughed. “So call him back and tell him you’ve had a change of heart.”
“Why?”
“Why?” Shirley repeated. “Because I have a feeling you might actually be interested.”
“You’ve got to be kidding! That man’s used to women falling all over themselves to make him happy. He’s had his way for far too long.” Amusement glimmered in her eyes. “You were the exception, the woman he couldn’t get.”
“Well, rumor has it there were others,” Shirley said, thinking of Grace.
“He needs a woman who’ll tell him what’s what.”
“The woman he needs, Miranda, is you,” Shirley said.
“Sorry, not interested.”
Shirley wasn’t convinced that was even close to the truth. “Whatever you decide is fine with me. I don’t want him, so he’s all yours.”
“I don’t want him, either,” Miranda said stubbornly. “It would take far too much time and effort to whip him into shape. I don’t have the inclination or the patience to take on that project.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m serious,” Miranda insisted.
“If you say so.” Shirley had seen the spark in Miranda’s eyes whenever Will’s name was mentioned.
“Don’t you start with me, Shirley Bliss.”
“Fine. I won’t,” she returned, smiling. Oh, her friend was interested, but at the same time she was afraid. Miranda’s marriage hadn’t been nearly as happy as Shirley’s. For all his talent, Hugh Sullivan had been a difficult and demanding personality.
A half hour later, Shirley was in the kitchen preparing a chicken-and-rice casserole dish when Tanni came home.
Her relationship with her teenage daughter was rocky and hadn’t improved much. Shirley tended to tread lightly, always unsure of Tanni’s mood. It was usually best to wait for her to speak first.
“What’s that?