40-Love - Olivia Dade Page 0,26

met anyone, absolutely anyone, more loyal to her friends.

She had written Belle a glowing reference letter, celebrated when her friend landed a new teaching position in Massachusetts, and helped with the packing. But not seeing that huge smile, that bright crown of blond hair, in the halls of Marysburg High every school day had hurt. Badly.

So Tess could forgive Belle a little meddling. Hell, she’d forgive much, much worse.

Belle had just wanted Tess to have a little adventure on their vacation. A few hours of relaxation. Memories of a hot night or two she could use as a man-shaped reminder of her birthday trip. Worst-case scenario, in Belle’s estimation, the appointments would roust Tess from her notebook and let her stretch her legs in the fresh air, even if she decided not to pursue her handsome tennis instructor.

No harm, no foul. Just fun and exercise and eye candy.

But Belle had underestimated Tess’s foolishness. They both had.

And neither of them could have known how a simple picnic would echo the single worst, most painful moment of Tess’s adult life. The moment that had ended her long engagement and demonstrated the wisdom of a wholehearted commitment to work and friends and nothing more. Especially not romance.

Even sex, she could take or leave. Unless said sex involved only her and her trusty vibrator. Or maybe two trusty vibrators, if she was feeling frisky.

“Let me say this one more time, and then I’ll let it drop.” Belle pressed her lips together, brown eyes soft with regret. “I should have listened to you. Your feelings and your knee both got hurt, and I’m sorry.”

Since the prospect of seeing Lucas again had her tasting bile at the back of her throat, Tess couldn’t dispute those hurt feelings, much as she wanted to and as unjustified as they were. But she could get over her humiliation like a grown adult and move on.

She figured the pain in her knee, courtesy of bounding down countless steps earlier that afternoon, would last much longer.

“I’m sorry I’m spending so much time on work, instead of hanging out with you.” Tess pushed to her feet, her knee protesting the sudden motion, and adjusted her ponytail. “You deserved to take a vacation with better company.”

Belle flicked a dismissive hand. “You’re still hanging out with me. We’re taking plenty of tours and snorkeling trips and wolfing down plenty of really expensive tasting menus. And when you need to work, I’m more than capable of entertaining myself. Speaking of which…” She pointed to the phone. “From what I can tell, you still have lots of planning to do tonight. Why don’t you call the concierge and cancel the lesson?”

Tess shook her head. “I hate to waste money, and you spent a crapload of cash on those appointments, so someone is having a damn lesson tonight. Are you sure you don’t want to go instead of me?”

“I would.” Belle sounded sincere. “I know you need the time, and your lunch date today ended kind of…”

When her friend paused to find the right word, Tess filled it in for her. “Unfortunately.”

Or maybe that was the wrong word, since the arrival of Lucas’s playmate had stopped Tess from making a critical mistake: taking him more seriously than she should.

She should be thanking the young woman. Possibly by offering her informational brochures about her upcoming SATs and college choices.

Okay, that wasn’t fair. Tess knew how to judge kids’ ages, and that girl was definitely legal. Maybe even out of college. But also definitely young. So damn young.

Just like the sweet, clueless grad student she’d discovered her ex-fiancé, an ancient history professor, fucking.

She’d come home to grab her forgotten lunch and found the two of them in the master bedroom. On the king-sized bed, which she and Jeremy had bought together. On her favorite blue sheets, the ones with the high thread count.

She’d let Jeremy keep those sheets, but she hadn’t let him keep her, despite all his pleas.

“Unfortunately about covers it. So I would do the lesson for you, but when we thought you were busy tonight, I accepted a dinner invitation from Brian. I have plans involving room service and a complete lack of resort wear.” Belle tilted her head toward her cell. “Unless you want me to cancel on him? I can, no problem.”

No way Tess was vagblocking her BFF, much as she might want to.

“Nope. I’ll be fine.” Tess lifted her sundress over her head and began to change into an entirely inadequate sports bra.