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.Tess sipped the potent drink in silence, not trusting herself to say anything.Samantha and Jenna just chatted idly about their shopping trip, respecting her need to pull herself together.Tess hated how quivery her voice was when she finally spoke.“Thanks for the Scotch, guys, and the letter organizing and, well, everything.”“I’m so glad you finally told us,” Jenna said softly.“I wish you’d said something years ago.”“You’re our friend, Tess.We love you.Please don’t ever feel like you have to lie about who you are.”They sat in silence, and Tess pondered her friends’ words, feeling guilty that she’d so casually invented stories about her past for so long.“You know.” Jenna gave her a shy smile.“You are pretty damn good at the tall tales, Tess.I believed everything you told me about the childhood you never had.”“Me, too!” Samantha exclaimed.“You really are a talented.um.”“Liar?” Tess supplied.“I was going to say ‘actress.’” Samantha giggled.“But, okay, liar works.”“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Jenna said in a squeaky schoolyard voice, and that was it.All the massive heartache and guilt turned into hysterical giggles that erupted from Tess with a snort that had them all laughing.Tess felt a floating in her limbs and muscles, the deepest, most profound relief that her friends loved her, that they didn’t care who she’d been or that she’d lied.For the first time ever she could sit here with them, totally at ease, because now they knew who she really was.A faint hope glimmered that there might be a better way to be than the tense, manufactured shell she’d become.And that she might be on her way to finding it.* * *THEY’D BEEN DECORATING since 7:00 a.m.Tess had set the alarm for six, determined to make up for the time they’d lost during her enormous meltdown.She’d made cappuccinos, run to the bakery down the street for pastries and then tempted her sleepy friends out of bed with them.It hadn’t been easy, especially after the movie marathon they’d insisted on last night.A string of the most ridiculous comedies Jenna could find, which, despite the emotion of the day, had gotten Tess laughing.And now she was on a ladder borrowed from one of the building maintenance workers, attaching blue paper baby booties to her ceiling.“You know,” she said to Samantha, who’d insisted on helping with her own shower and was tying little blue ribbons on the party favors, “you need to get knocked up again right away.When I went shopping the other day I couldn’t believe how cute all those little girl clothes were.I mean, no offense to the young gentleman you’re carrying, but the boy clothes were so boring!”“Maybe you should have a baby,” Samantha said softly.“Uh.been there, done that, and it was a disaster.”“But that was years ago, and you were a kid yourself.”Tess thought about the little clothes she’d picked out for Samantha’s baby, how sweet they were, how tiny.How they’d inspired this strange maternal tug that was so unfamiliar she’d barely recognized it.“I’ll just be the honorary auntie who spoils your kids.I’m not exactly a good candidate for reproducing.I’m jobless, guyless and all I really know about parenting is what not to do!” The booties were up and she started back down the ladder.“That’s not true, Tess,” Samantha countered.“You can get any job you want, once word gets out that you’re free.And you’d be an amazing mom.You’ve taken care of Jenna and me for years.”“Yeah, remember that night after Jeff and I broke up and you took me to Mack’s Place and made me try all of your favorite kinds of Scotch?” Jenna asked.Tess laughed.“Getting you drunk in a bar isn’t exactly a good indicator of parenting potential.”“But you talked to me the whole time, remember? About having confidence and not needing men to make me whole? In fact, I remember you saying something about them having one real use, which could, at times, be taken care of by a small mechanical device.”A shocked yelp of laughter from Samantha had them all laughing.“How did I miss this outing?” she asked.“You fell for a rancher and moved off to the middle of nowhere,” Tess said.“You’re in love with a rancher, too,” Samantha retorted.“We’re not talking about that.Unfortunately, I didn’t find one like Jenna’s, who prefers the city and cooks amazing food.Or one who actually likes me.”“Tess, it’s obvious you miss Slaid,” Jenna said gently.“I do,” she admitted.“But he fell in love with who he thought I was.Once he found out who I really am, he changed his mind.So I’ll just have to get over it.” She paused, taking a deep breath, looking for some humor to carry her through.“Plus, I barely survived a month in Benson, and I just saw the weather report—it’s snowing a ton there now [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]