Teresa Watson Read Online Free

over for a minute.”
    “Oh, stop it. Jake is my past, T.J. is my present.”
    “Yes, but is he your future?”
    “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”
    “You should,” Trixie said, taking a drink. “You aren’t getting any younger.”
    “Gee, thanks.”
    “So what did you say to Jake when he showed up?”
    “The usual. He’s still a bit too dominating, acts like a jerk, blah blah blah. Not those exact words, but the meaning was clear.”
    “Ah,” she nodded. “So he made some comments about how you couldn’t be counted on, and how you bolted at the first sign of trouble, yada yada yada.”
    I shrugged. “It’s possible.”
    “So you ran away…again…and came here.”
    “No, I went to the café first.”
    “Ah, to drown your sorrows in pecan pie. So how did you end up here?”
    “Gladys Norwell made some snarky comments about T.J. acting strange ever since Oliver Coogan’s death. She says he’s acting that way because I’m spending too much time at work, and how he should dump me.”
    “T.J. dumped you?”
    “No, he didn’t. Just wishful thinking on Gladys’ part. She’s only happy when everyone around her is miserable. Needless to say, I told her off and left. Jake was standing in the door as I tried to leave, and made some comment about me being passionate about something. I told him to shut up and left.”
    “Which is how you got here.”
    I nodded. “I definitely couldn’t go to Mother’s house. By now, she knows what happened, knows Jake is in town, and that we are meeting at my house later tonight.”
    “You aren’t!” I nodded again. “Are you crazy? What about T.J.?”
    “What about him? Jake is here to help me with the newspaper. We are going to have to talk at some point.”
    “You know that you two are going to end up talking about what happened all those years ago.”
    “I know.”
    “T.J. is going to find out about your connection to Jake. This is a small town. Word travels fast. I suggest you get together with him before you meet with Jake tonight.”
    “I can’t, he’s working. Oh my gosh…”
    “What?”
    “He’s supposed to come over tonight for supper.”
    “Who?”
    “T.J.”
    “And Jake is coming to the house, too?” She started laughing. “Girl, you are in one big mess.”
    I put my head in my hands. “What am I going to do? I can’t have both of them over there at the same time!”
    “Why not?” Trixie said. “They are going to find out about each other soon enough. You might as well get it over with tonight.”
    “This has disaster written all over it,” I groaned.
    “Look, sweetie, you aren’t the same person you were nine years ago, and neither is Jake, I’m sure. You need to prove to him that you can handle this situation. It is going to be uncomfortable at first, but it will work out, as long as you confront the problem head on and don’t run away from it. This is your turf; stand your ground!”
    “You make it sound like I’m going out to do battle or something.”
    “A current boyfriend meeting a previous boyfriend is never pleasant. They are going to be sizing each other up, thumping their chests, and trying to prove they are the better man. The only thing that would keep that from happening is if there is a Mrs. Mathias in the picture. Do you happen to know if he is married?”
    “No clue. I didn’t exactly want to spend time catching up. I was too busy…”
    “…running out the door as fast as your legs could carry you,” Trixie finished. “I suggest you do some research on him before he shows up tonight.”
    “I guess,” I said. “Wouldn’t it be better if he told me himself? I mean, if I go in spouting off all the things he’s been doing the last nine years, it will sound like I’ve been keeping up with him. He’ll think I’ve been regretting my decision to leave.”
    “Good point. It would make you sound desperate, which you aren’t. Are you?”
    “Of course not!”
    “Then I only have