* * *
Gabe kissed Jenny on the cheek and watched her burrow deeper under the flowered covers until all that showed were a few wispy clumps of hair. How could she breathe, let alone sleep, like that? Strange woman.
Gabe put Ritz’s electronic collar on her, grabbed his black helmet from the hook, and tapped the garage door opener. Rolling his bike into the drive, the early morning mugginess sent him back inside to add ice cubes to his water bottle. Damn, it had to be the hottest August on record. He went back outside.
“Ready?” Steve stood in the drive petting Ritz.
Gabe nodded and mounted his bike. Tail wagging, Ritz trotted behind them down the drive as far as her electronic collar would let her go. They turned onto the near deserted street.
“Gonna be hot today,” Steve said.
“And humid.”
“There’s a cold front moving in.”
“Can’t wait.”
Gabe loved these morning workouts. Steve was a good companion, and he knew how far to push them to keep testing their tired muscles. In the beginning, he suspected Steve held back a bit until he’d gotten in shape, but now Gabe held his own.
Steve was a smart, interesting guy even if he did disagree with Gabe, sometimes just for the hell of it. Typical lawyer. An hour ride to warm his muscles and wake him up, followed by a hot shower, was a great way to start the day. Making love with his wife was the only thing to top it.
They peddled south on Lakeshore Drive in silence, passing the Pier, St. Paul’s church, and before long they approached the War Memorial. Suddenly Gabe downshifted and sprinted past Fisher, pumping furiously until his thighs burned. He coasted a bit, but before long Steve zipped by, and he was hustling to catch up.
They rode side by side awhile before Steve glanced sideways at him. “So what’s with Jenny?”
“What do you mean?” He dropped back behind Steve as they entered a busier area, then moved back up beside him when traffic allowed.
“Short hair. Heels. Makeup.”
Gabe shrugged. “She wanted a change.”
“That’s not a change, it’s a transformation. Like a fat person losing a hundred pounds.”
“Don’t let Jen catch you callin’ her fat.” Gabe looked over his shoulder before crossing the street and heading for Three Mile Drive Park.
Steve followed. “What’s wrong with the way she looked?”
“Nothin’. She wanted to try out a new look.” What else could it be? Why would someone change her looks so drastically? “Well...the kids and their friends have been around a lot this summer. Jen probably wanted to look her age.”
“She’ll never look her age.”
Sweat trickled down Gabe’s temple and onto his shoulder. “Alex got a little ticked at her graduation party when the guy she’s had a crush on thought Jenny was her sister.”
Steve flashed him a quick glance before adjusting his gears. “Jenny’s a beautiful lady.”
“Yeah, well, Alex didn’t like her heartthrob eyeing her stepmom.”
“Understandable.”
“Jen laughed it off, but I think she was embarrassed.” Longing for the cool shade up ahead, Gabe dropped back and took his bottle out. He squirted water in his mouth and held it there for a minute before swallowing. He replaced the water and hurried to catch up with Steve.
“Bingo. That’s why she butchered her hair.”
“She didn’t ‘butcher’ it. It’s way shorter. Took me awhile to get used to it, but it looks nice. She looks older.”
“She looks older. That’s it.”
“Said it was cooler. And she wanted a more stylish look for work,” he huffed.
“Did it work?”
Gabe sighed as they rolled into the shade by the park, savoring the break before they turned around and really worked on the six-mile race home. “Hell, I don’t know. She’d be gorgeous in a brown paper bag.”
Hands on his hips, Steve coasted, resting for their return sprint. “Did you tell her that?”
“What?”
“That she’s beautiful. That it’s not her age that attracts men.” Steve raised a shoulder to wipe his dripping face. “It’s her. A sophisticated haircut and preppy clothes isn’t going to make men stop admiring her.”
“It’s stupid.”
“Not to her.” Steve sloshed water around his mouth before spitting it out. He raised an eyebrow as if considering something before looking away. “Comments about her being so much younger than you upset her.”
Steve studied their surroundings with extra attention, as if the conversation made him uncomfortable. Why now? He’d never hesitated to voice his opinion before.
“How do you know?”
Steve swallowed and capped the water. Still not looking at him, he pushed away from the curb, saying over his shoulder, “She told me.”
How come she never told me? Was she embarrassed, or maybe she feared he thought she encouraged men? Naw, that was stupid. If it were important, his Jenny would have confided in him. They shared everything important. Steve must be reading too much into some off-handed remark she’d made.
“She’ll get over it.”
Steve abruptly swerved to the side. Gabe flew on by him, then circled back wondering if he’d gotten a flat, but Steve stood straddling his bike. When Gabe approached, Steve clenched his jaw and looked away a minute before pinning him with an angry scowl. “She’s not going to just ‘get over it’. She needs your reassurance.”
Wow. Steve’s anger, an almost palpable thing, hung between them in the humid morning air. How come? A slice of jealousy cut through Gabe. “Why don’t you reassure her, since you seem to know so much about my wife?”
Steve gave him a look of pure disgust. His lips tightened then released, repeatedly, as if trying to decide to say something, or not. Eyebrows pinched together so they nearly met, Steve glared at him.
“She doesn’t want my reassurance, you idiot. It’s your opinion that matters to her. For some reason she’s convinced the sun rises and sets by your sorry ass. It’s you she’s desperate to please, not me.” Steve hopped on his bike and rode away, leaving Gabe to trail behind.
Were things really that difficult for Jenny? She had lopped off a good foot of hair. And her new clothes were stodgy. He frowned. Maybe she was going through some crisis, and he’d missed the signs.
Steve was right; something weird was going on with her—not that he’d ever admit it to the other man. He pulled up next to Steve. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Soon.” Steve smirked, all traces of his former anger gone. “Before she gets a buzz cut, starts wearing horn-rimmed glasses and granny smocks.” Checking traffic, he turned in a big arc. Steve arched a brow. “Ready?”
Gabe raced after Steve, finally catching him. “How come you know so much about women?”
“Sisters,” he huffed. “Three. Seattle. Cincinnati. And Raleigh. Thank God. Couldn’t handle it if they lived in state.”
They picked up the pace until neither had breath to talk, and the rush hour traffic wouldn’t allow them to ride side by side. Zooming into their respective driveways, they exchanged waves before heading to shower.
“Hey, Gabe,” Steve called out from his garage. “Tell Jen I’ll do the interview. Have her text me.”
“Will do.” Gabe shut the garage door and headed inside.
Jenny almost ran into Gabe as she left their bedroom. He put a hand on her shoulders to avoid the collision
“Hey, babe,” she said. Eyes widening, she backed away. “Boy are you sweaty.” She wrinkled her nose and waved a hand in front of her face. “And stinky.”
“Before I forget, Steve said to text him. He’ll give you the interview.”
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Really? Why? What changed?”
“No idea. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Gabe looked at Jenny. “Have an interview today?”
“Nope. Working at home.”
“So why’re you dressed like that?” He wav
ed a hand at her khaki slacks, white oxford shirt, and brown loafers. And she had makeup on—not just lipstick but stuff on her eyes, too.
That wasn’t Jenny. When working at home, his Jenny wore soft, faded jeans and a T-shirt. Or shorts and a tank top if it was hot like today. And more often than not she was barefoot. She was a free, unpretentious woman, not this neat, preppy mannequin.
“Like what?” She frowned and looked down at her outfit.
“Why don’t you have shorts on? It’s already hot.”
“Alex and some friends are dropping by to take the boat out one last time.”
Steve was right. This whole new look was meant to impress his kids. Gabe frowned and yanked his T-shirt up to wipe his dripping face. “She’s seen your legs before.”
Jenny avoided his eye and tucked her hair behind one ear. “You’d better get going. You’re gonna be late.”
He gripped her shoulder and drew her into the bedroom. Nudging her down onto the neatly made bed, he sat next to her. “Jen, you’ve got to stop this.”
“What?”
“Trying to look older. It’s not you.”
She frowned and studied the floor. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do.” Gabe took her chin in his hand and turned her toward him. “I love you. I love the way you dress—used to dress. I like looking at your legs. You’ve got great legs. Don’t hide them—especially in ninety-degree weather. If you’re doing all this ’cause you want a change, fine. But I want you to be happy. I want you to be you, not somebody older or more sophisticated to impress other people.”
Her pale eyes clouded with worry and she fingered the ends of her hair. “You don’t like my hair?”
He smiled warmly and gently tugged a few strands, then settled his hand comfortably around her neck. “I love your hair. But I’d love you bald, too. The important thing is do you like it?”
She nodded.
“Good. But you can’t like these pants, especially on a hot day like today. Change into something comfortable. I miss the old Jenny Harrison.”
Slight lines flickered between her eyebrows when she cleared her throat and gulped. She turned moist eyes to him. “Even if she looks young enough to be your daughter?”
God damn those gossiping idiots.
Gabe slowly shook his head. Cupping her face, he looked deeply into her expressive eyes. “I love you.
Chapter 16