Page 56 of By The Book

He kissed her quick and hard, and they headed up the stone steps and knocked on thedoor.

“Hi, Helen,” Shari said when their hostess greeted them. Helen Boneville was the history teacher at the school. “This is my friendLuke.”

“Come on in.” Helen hugged Shari and shook Luke’s hand, eyeing him the way a mother hen would eye a fox checking out her chickens. Luke must have passed the inspection for she let them both in and told them to go have a goodtime.

“Wow,” said Luke. “I almost didn’t survive the first two of your friends. I’m scared to meet anymore.”

Since most everyone knew each other, the party was pretty relaxed. With the odd exception, Shari liked all the otherteachers.

She introduced Luke around, and was amused to see him being ruthlessly sized up by a couple of the older teachers who’d taken her under their wings when she’d first started at the high school. They were as bad asHelen.

She said her hellos as she moved through the kitchen to the living room, always keeping an eye out for the man who’d broken her best friend’sheart.

Since he was the only man in the house she didn’t know, and he fit Therese’s description, she knew she’d found Brad Koslowski when she peeked into the study where a group of men had gathered. He sat in a leather recliner, but he wasn’t reclining. He also wasn’t taking part in the general conversation about the Mariners chances thisyear.

On studying him,Shari decided that Therese hadn’t lied about his looks. You’d pass over him in a crowd. His hair was trimmed close to his balding head. His features were unremarkable and, while he was clearly athletic, he wasn’t a largeman.

He wore an abstracted expression and he tapped the beer bottle he was holding distractedly against hisknee.

She wanted to hate him on sight for what he’d done to Therese, except that he looked sort of…lonely. Hmm. She wondered where Miss Swedish Pancakes wastonight.

Luke came up behind her, passed her a glass of wine and, seeing where her gaze was directed, sent her a quick smile. He then joined the group of baseball enthusiasts, bonding instantly as men seemed to do oversports.

Well, she couldn’t stand here all night staring at the guy who’d broken her friend’s heart. She hadn’t decided whether to introduce herself or to simply back out of the room when the man in the chair glanced up at her. He had remarkable eyes, she thought, wondering if that’s what had first attracted her friend. They were pale blue-gray with a dark ring around the iris. And they were staring right ather.

Seemed the decision was made. She couldn’t beat a retreat now, so she decided to move forward and introduceherself.

“You must be the new phys ed teacher,” she said with cool politeness. “I’m Shari Wilson. I teachEnglish.”

They shookhands.

“I’m guessingyou’re also good friends withTherese.”

Her eyes widened. “How do youknow?”

“Because, apart from Therese, no one else looks as if they want to hurtme.”

Well, since he’d waded right into the subject, she wasn’t going to back down from it. “You’re right. We’re very close friends.”As in, I know what a sleaze you are,buddy.

He nodded. Glancing at her as though considering what to say next, he dropped his gaze to his beer and said in a low, intense tone, “I want herback.”

Oh, good. Nice start to a polite conversation between strangers. She almost laughed. If that wasn’t exactly like a man. Stomp on a woman’s heart and then expect her to bounce back into his arms with a snap of hisfingers.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” shesaid.

His head flopped back and he stared at the ceiling. “I applied for this job the second I heard about the opening. I figured it wasfate.”

Fate or a pathetic excuse to win back a woman who no longer wanted him. “I don’t think Therese gives secondchances.”

“Look, I don’t know how much she’s told you, but I screwed up. I didn’t realize I loved her until it was too late.” His forehead wrinkled in concentration. “No. I don’t think that’s true. I think it was when I realized I loved her that I panicked and ran out on ourrelationship.”

Oh, hand out the hankies. “You could have tried contactingher.”

He glanced at her in surprise, those marvelous silver eyes burning with intensity. “I did. I called, emailed, showed up at her door. She accused me of stalking her and threatened to get a restrainingorder.”

She almost smiled. When Therese was mad, watchout!

He shrugged. “I gave up. Until I saw this job posting. She’s going to have to get used to me being around again. I only hope it’s not toolate.”

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