Chapter 4: Ladies' night

Jenny

"Margaritas!!"

The five women sitting in lounge chairs around my pool raise their glasses, giggling as everyone tries to clink with everyone else. I tap my glass against Stephanie's and then lean back, stretching my legs.

"Did you have time to read the book?" she inquires, sipping her drink. "I know we've been keeping you pretty busy at St. Agnes. I hope hosting tonight didn't put too much pressure on you."

"Nah." I shake my head and sway my bent legs side to side. "The work is challenging, but I'm glad I can be part of the ramping up to the opening process. That should make the transition on our first few days easier."

"Oh, it's going to bedlam," she replies, casually waving her free hand. "These things always are. No matter how much training we do, no matter how much prep . . . it takes a while for things to start running like a well-oiled machine. But it'll come together eventually."

"Thanks for the reassurance." I take a healthy gulp of my drink.

"Hey, don't sweat it. It's the nature of the beast. We have patients lined up to come in, and some of them are desperate. They can't afford to go anywhere else for treatment, and they've been waiting for us to open." Stephanie shakes her head. "A lot of the local folks look at Deacon as some kind of hometown hero-as if he's going to cure cancer single-handedly. The pressure on him is pretty intense."

I had the opportunity to interact with Dr. Girard a few times over the past week. I was impressed with his commitment to the job and his passion for medicine. More than once as we talked, I had the sense that if he ever applied that same passion to something else-say, to a woman in bed-she wouldn't stand a chance. Unfortunately, Dr. Girard treated me with courtesy deference, the kind that makes it clear he's not going to mess around with another man's woman. More than once, I cursed my stupid subconscious mind and big mouth that blurted out the lie about my serious boyfriend, Nico.

Not that I seriously think Deacon Girard would ever look at me as anything other than an efficient coworker. He's way out of my league, and honestly, he intimidates me a little. Not because he's an arrogant doctor with a god complex-he isn't-but because he's a rare combination of incredible intelligence, sweet kindness, and panty-melting hotness. I can't imagine spending time with him outside the hospital; I'd be too awed to speak.

"All right, ladies!" Cindy taps a spoon against her glass to get our attention. "We're a book club, so we need to at least look like we're talking about this week's read." She reaches down to take a hardback book out of her bright pink beach bag. "Elin Hilderbrand's The Rumor-so much to unpack here. Who wants to start?"

When none of us say a word, Cindy heaves a loud sigh. "Okay, children. I see you're going to make me work for this one. The book is told from four different points of view. Which did you relate to the most?"

"I felt like the center of the story was the relationship between Madeline and Grace." Aline, a midwife at the hospital, speaks up first. "Sure, the other characters are important, but the real conflict and deep emotion are between those two."

"Yeah, I guess." Sara rattles the ice in her glass. "I think I related most to the twins, though. Allegra was such a spoiled little bitch. You know? I've met those types before. I felt sorry for her sister Hope. And Brick, too. Allegra screwed them both over."

"That's true." Debby, who works in the ICU, eases herself from the lounge chair to sit on the side of the pool, gingerly easing her legs into the water. "Ooooh, this water is nice and warm. I could just slip right in."

"That's all we need. You chugged that margarita. If you, uh, 'slip right in' and then pass out, we're the ones who will have to drag your sopping wet ass to the emergency room. No one has time for that shit." Stephanie snorts.

Cindy ignores them both. "There were several instances of betrayal in this book. Which was the most hurtful, harmful of them all?"

"What Madeline does to Grace." Sara answers without hesitation. "Writing about her life, her marriage problems, using her to get over writer's block-that's pretty despicable."

There are several murmurs of agreement around the circle of women.

"It's the dishonesty that got to me," adds Stephanie, sounding thoughtful. "How could any of them ever trust each other again?"

I squirm a little in my chair. I'm not the kind of person who can handle lies easily. I never got away with anything when I was a kid because I always tattled on myself. I've just survived a week of pretending that I'm in a happy, committed relationship with a guy who, in real life, still sees me as his surrogate little sister. Any hopes I had that people would forget I'd mentioned a boyfriend were dashed when they all persisted in asking me questions about Nico.

To help keep my lies straight, I stuck as close as possible to reality. I told them that Nico was my brother Kyle's best friend and that I'd been in love with him for years before he noticed me. All of that was right. It was the romantic and super sizzling story of how we'd ended up finally together that was pure fiction.

That's why all this talk about deception and betrayal is making me uncomfortable. I want to change the subject. I wrack my brain to think of something else to say about the book.

"What about the landscaping guy?" I blurt out. "Benton Coe. He felt a little slimy to me."

"Oh, yeah. I mean, I didn't like Eddie, either. He was a real hustler." Cindy nods. "To be honest, the only decent male character was Trevor, Madeline's husband, and he's not even really in it that much. But Benton preyed on Grace. I couldn't stand him."

"Good men are hard to find," Sara remarks. "Most of them are either liars, cheats, or both."

"Or they're lazy," Debby puts in. "Like my brother-in-law. My sister kills herself working two jobs, and he can't even manage to hold onto one."

Next to me, Stephanie elbows my ribs and leans to whisper into my ear. "Here we go. If we don't redirect Debby, she'll end up going on and on about her deadbeat brother-in-law."

I'm too new to the group to get involved in this kind of squabble. I don't want to take sides. So I offer Stephanie a vague smile and stand up.

"Who needs another drink?"

A few people lift their glasses, and I pick up the pitcher from the table, smiling as I move around the pool deck, refilling drinks. It's fun to be the hostess, and I'm enjoying it more than I'd thought I would. Even earlier today, when I was getting the house ready for the book club gathering, I'd had a good time fussing with the food and drink, putting out cute little beach-themed cocktail napkins and filling baskets with chips and pretzels.

Cindy grins up at me as I top off her margarita. "Better watch out, Jenny. If you treat us too well, we'll make you the permanent host of our get-togethers."

"This place is incredible," puts in Aline. "How in the hell did you get lucky enough to find it? Are you, like, independently wealthy or something? And if you are, why are you working in Harper Springs?"

"Hey, I think Harper Springs is a wonderful place to live and work," retorts Sara.

"It is, and I'm enjoying it so far," I interject. Glancing at Aline as I sit down again, I add, "I'm far from being independently wealthy. I have a friend who was renting this, and he took another job. He needed someone to sublet the house, and here I am." I shrug. "It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time, I guess."

"Definitely," Stephanie agrees. "And just think of the fun you'll have when Nico finally moves down with you." She waggles her eyebrows. "With the pool and the hot tub . . . and the houses here are set so far apart, you could sunbathe out here in the nude, and no one would be any the wiser."

The idea of naked anything with Nico definitely makes certain parts of my anatomy buzz. I haven't heard much of anything from him this week beyond a few brief texts, checking on me. His responses to my questions about the new job have been pretty clipped, too. I assume that he's crazy busy getting used to living in a city that's strange to him and setting up the restaurant. Still, a quick text or two wouldn't have killed him. I'm a little sad that he hasn't carried on the flirtatious banter we had right before he left, but by now, I'm also resigned. No matter how much I adore Nico, he's never going to see me as anyone but Kyle's baby sister. This pretend version of the man is the closest I'll ever get to a relationship with the man of my dreams.

"Speaking of Nico," Cindy interrupts my musings. "Has he had any luck finding a job down here? I bet you can't wait until the two of you are together again."

I force a smile. "No luck yet. I miss him-" That was the truth. "-but honestly, it's probably better that he's not here yet. I can devote all of my attention to work."

"You know what they say about all work and no play, though." Stephanie winks at me. "It makes Jenny a horny girl."

They all burst out laughing, and I chuckle, too, pretending to fan myself. I drain the rest of my margarita-after all, I'm not driving anywhere-and seeing that only makes the women around me laugh harder.

They're all so loud, in fact, that at first, I don't hear the voice behind me. But then I notice Stephanie's eyes go wide as she stares over my shoulder. Her mouth drops open, and in a moment, so does Sara's.

I whirl around, and suddenly, I can't breathe.

"Jenny? What's going on?"

I try to stand up, but my legs get tangled in the cushion of the lounge chair, and I nearly faceplant onto the cement pool surround. At the last minute, though, I manage to stand up. I'm shaking all over as I face him.

"Nico."