All or Nothing (44 page)

Cin let out a long sigh of contentment. “Yes. I think he knew it before I did.”

Jen chuckled to herself at that. “I bet he did,” she said, feeling warm and happy for her sister.

“I think—” Cin's voice caught. “I think we're going to try to have a baby, Jen. Ian has always wanted kids but I just couldn't...”

“You wanted a commitment from him first,” Jen suggested quietly.

“I guess I did.”

“And now you've got it.”

“Well, there are no guarantees, Mom will tell us that, but I know he really cares. He worked hard to give me what he thought I really wanted and that really touched my heart.”

“You'd better not tell him you'd have gone with the Batman ring, if you'd known he meant it.”

Cin giggled. “No, not for a while anyway. But you know, I will tell him one of these days, so don't laugh if I end up wearing both rings, maybe together.”

“I promise.”

“I gotta go, sis. We've got a plane to catch but I wanted you to know. Maybe you can tell Mom.” Her tone turned wicked. “Or maybe you have news for her yourself. Should we plan a double wedding, on Valentine's Day?”

“I wouldn't want to steal your thunder.”

“I don't care, Jen. I'm just so happy. All the rest is just detail.” Cin blew a kiss into the phone. “Be happy, sis. I'll see you at the end of the week.”

“I won't wait up.”

Cin chortled. “It looks like no one should bother waiting up for either of us anytime soon.”

And then she was gone. The apartment sounded empty without Cin's euphoria. Jen looked down at the cameo ring and knew that, Cin's expectations to the contrary, there would be no double wedding.

The fake date was over.

Because the fact was that if she and Zach had been serious—or if he really did love her—they'd have plans beyond dinner with his family on Christmas Day. There were no future plans between them, because they had no future. They'd had sex, which was great in itself, but it wasn't a long term plan.

Jen got out of bed, dressed quickly, then put the cameo ring carefully on the teak headboard. It wasn't hers to wear, as lovely as it was, and the sooner she ended the charade, the easier it would be.

Although it wasn't very easy to leave even now. She reminded herself that fated relationships weren't always about happily ever after. Sometimes they were about lessons, or wisdom that needed sharing, or about recharting one's course. She and Zach had done all that, and Jen didn't want to wait around to find out that that was all he wanted. She wasn't going to stand and wait for the inevitable.

This would end on her terms.

It would end right now.

Jen told herself to appreciate what she'd been given, to concentrate on the good. She let herself out of the apartment and went down the stairs so she wouldn't meet Zach on the elevator. She went out a back door and walked briskly down a side street, hailing a cab as soon as she could.

Although Jen told herself that it was for the best, her sucker heart didn't believe her.

* * *

Zach came home with two take-out coffees, two whole grain bagels and an excited dog. He found the ring immediately and knew what it meant. He stood in the doorway of the bedroom with those two coffees, noted the open bathroom door, and took Jen's departure as the indictment it was.

His euphoria was gone, as surely as Jen was gone.

He hadn't measured up yet.

But he wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

There was one thing Jen didn't know yet, one thing he wasn't going to tell her until everything was in place.

In fact, he had a lot of work to finish today in order to make everything come together.

He was going to need both of those coffees himself.

I
t was the thirtieth before Teresa and Jen made the drive to Rosemount to check out the old bookstore. As they drove, Teresa told Jen about her visit home to Kansas City, a whirlwind holiday tour that seemed to involve lots of food, lots of drinking and lots of babies.

Jen knew she didn't imagine the wistfulness in Teresa's tone when she described her sister's newborn daughter.

“They're noisy and messy, you know,” she teased. “And exhausting to have around all the time.”

“Oh, I know,” Teresa admitted. “It's just about choice.”

Jen didn't say that there were lots of ways to lose that particular choice and that having a partner didn't necessarily mean having babies, but Teresa gave her no chance.

“Who knew that being empowered to have a career meant losing the power to make all the choices that were so easy for women before?” Teresa peered at the sign. “Is this the exit? Are we here yet?”

Jen gave directions, having scored a map from the internet to supplement her memory. After all, Zach had taken a back route and she'd been completely charmed by his stories and the appearance of the town in the snow.

It was real, though, more real than she remembered. There were cars parked downtown and a few people walking along the street. More than one took a good look at Teresa's navy Honda Accord, as if they thought they should know her.

As if there couldn't be any other reason to be here other than living here.

Teresa parked in front of the bookstore and exhaled. “Wow. It looks perfect.” She glanced up and down the street. “Nice old downtown too.”

“I know. It's so pretty decorated for Christmas.”

“But beyond that, Jen, there's still traffic. Look how few empty stores there are. In most old towns, the downtown core is gutted. These people still shop here, which is a good thing.”

“I didn't think of that.”

“And this shop is right in the middle of the main block, on the north side of the street.”

“It'll get sunshine.”

“That's always the best retail space. People walk on the sunny side of the street.”

“I didn't know that.”

“That's why rents are higher on the sunny side of the street.” Teresa gave Jen a sharp look. “But what about Fake Date Boy? Isn't he from here?”

“He said he couldn't wait to get away. I don't think he'd been back in a long time, and even then, I don't think he ever comes downtown.”

Teresa watched her closely. “You never told me about Christmas Day.”

“It was lovely.” Jen forced a smile, knowing she wouldn't fool her friend. “For a reciprocal fake date.”

Teresa winced. “So the inevitable happened?”

Jen nodded and Teresa gave her an impulsive hug. “Better for you, Jen. I could see you were already falling. It's better for you to get out while you still could.”

“That's why I ended it.”

“You ended it? Even better.” Teresa sat back and eyed the storefront. “So, onward with the plan.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we came all this way. Let's have a look.”

“But it's too soon. I won't be done school until the fall...”

“Be serious, Jen. Opportunity doesn't knock very often, and I've got to think that there was a greater purpose in your hooking up with the man.”

“Other than great sex and mutual satisfaction?”

Teresa laughed. “I know. It should be enough in itself, without the security of real estate. You really could be lucking out here.”

“We don't even know how much it is. It's probably expensive...”

“Oh, you're too skeptical! It's still for sale and who knows how long it's been for sale. They might be ready to make a deal.”

“You don't know that...”

“Look around, Jen. Its advantages might suit us, but Rosemount doesn't look like a hot and happening real estate market.” Before Jen could answer, Teresa had rummaged in her purse and quickly punched in the phone number from the sign. “Calling Dinah Dishman,” she said, smiling for Jen.

“But it's too soon...” Jen protested.

Teresa waved her off, then frowned as someone answered the phone. “Hi, yes, I'm looking for Dinah Dishman.” She paused, then smiled. “Yes, I wanted to know about the property you have listed for sale. Um, let's see, it's a shop. The address is 272, um—”

“Main Street,” Jen supplied.

“Main Street, in Rosemount.” Teresa paused to listen. “Oh, it's not a shop? It's the whole building? With an apartment over top and a small yard in the back, which includes parking?” She made a face and gave Jen a thumbs-up.

Jen was convinced that she couldn't afford it.

Teresa listened for a minute, then her eyes widened. “Yes, I am driving a navy Honda Accord.” She met Jen's gaze with confusion. “Why do you ask?” Teresa listened, then looked at the phone. She covered the mouthpiece. “She said to look back.”

Jen and Teresa turned as one to look through the back window of the Honda. A woman was waving from the window of the diner across the street.

“That would be Dinah,” Teresa said.

“Meet Dinah in the diner,” Jen said with a grin. “There's a joke in there somewhere.”

“Something about dishes,” Teresa agreed. “Let's meet her now and worry about the joke later.”

* * *

Dinah Dishman could well have been the girl that Zach's sister Phil had baby-sat. She looked to be in her mid-twenties. She had brown hair, tugged up into a ponytail, and still had freckles on her nose and across her cheeks. She wore glasses, had a quick smile and an easy manner that put Jen immediately at ease.

She looked to be working in the window booth of the diner. There was an empty coffee cup pushed to one side, an iPod and earphones cast to the other, paperwork all over the tabletop and her cell phone presiding in the center. She had the announcement page from the newspaper folded and highlighted, too.

The diner was otherwise empty, although there was a clatter coming from the kitchen, as well what sounded like muted music from a radio. Jen thought it might be an oldies station. The diner was very clean, and could have been transported through time from the fifties.

“Forgot my yellow Realtor blazer,” Dinah said with an apologetic smile. She was wearing jeans and a red blouse with the sleeves rolled up. That wasn't much different from Jen's jeans and blazer, but Teresa's designer casual wear stood out. “It's usually pretty slow for real estate in Rosemount between Christmas and New Year's, but I can still answer your questions.” Dinah swept up her paperwork and piled it onto the bench seat on one side.

At her gesture of invitation, Teresa slid into the bench on the opposite side of the booth and took the lead. Jen hadn't intended to take this any further than showing Rosemount to Teresa, so felt as if she was along for the ride in more ways than one.

“Actually, all of our questions have to do with that shop or building that's for sale,” Teresa said, gesturing across the street.

“Would you like a coffee? Or tea?”

Teresa looked impatient at this offer, but Jen smiled. “Thanks but we don't want to be too much trouble.”

Dinah laughed. “It's my brother's place. I've washed enough dishes that he can spot me the occasional cup of coffee or tea.”

“I'd love a cup of coffee,” Jen said.

“I guess I'll have one too, then,” Teresa agreed.

Dinah got up to pour it herself and brought the two cups back to the table. She refilled her own, as well, then brought cream in a pitcher and some spoons. “I wait tables here too,” she said, her smile turning rueful.

“As well as selling real estate?” Jen asked.

“A person needs a broad economic base to survive in a little place like Rosemount,” Dinah admitted. “I like it here enough, and I like multitasking enough, to make it work.”

“Does your brother do other things as well as run the diner?” Jen asked. “Because that seems like a lot of work.”

“He does a lot of catering, in partnership with my other brother who owns the bistro across the way. Between the two of them, they joke that they feed a third of Rosemount every day and all of it when there's a wedding or a funeral.”

The women smiled at that. Jen thought it sounded great to be in a smaller place, although she could tell that Teresa was less enamored of the idea of a small pond. Her fingers were already tapping in impatience. “So, what can you tell us about the place across the street?” Teresa asked.

Dinah winced. “It's sold.”

Jen was unable to fully hide her disappointment.

Dinah smiled. “There's a conditional offer, which is why the sign hasn't been changed, but I'm pretty sure it will go through...”

“Conditional upon what?” Teresa asked.

Dinah straightened. “I don't think I'd be breaking any confidences to tell you that it's a financing condition. Obviously, the issue is that a lot of bank personnel are away for the holidays...”

“If the buyer was certain the financing would go through, there would be no financing clause in the offer,” Teresa noted.

Dinah studied her warily. “No, I suppose not. But I do think that it will go through.”

“But you don't know.”

“No, I don't,” Dinah said carefully. Jen could see her back rising.

“And financing clauses do fall through,” Teresa insisted.

Dinah flicked a glance at Jen. “That's true. If you're interested in the building, I can call you if that happens.”

Jen wouldn't have bet a nickel that that would happen.

Teresa leaned forward. “We've just driven from Boston to see it. Don't you think it would save all of us a lot of time if we saw the building now? That way we'd all know if we were interested, if the financing clause fell through.”

Dinah sat back. Jen could tell that she wasn't used to people playing as assertively as Teresa did. But she reached into her folder and pulled out a listing, sliding on to the table between them. “Here's the listing price,” she said, tapping a number on the page. Jen's eyes widened but Teresa made no outward sign of surprise. “I'll tell that it's higher than is typical for Rosemount, because the building is on the historic register and it's structurally in excellent repair.” She glanced up. “It's a premium property, and although it's an estate sale, the family want their price.”