Three Reasons to Say Yes Read online

  “I think I’d be more interested in her if Mo dug up a few misdemeanors in her past,” Kate mused. “Who doesn’t like a bad girl with great legs?”

  “You have to stop talking about her legs,” Mo said. “No one’s going to believe you about the whole straight thing.”

  “I’ve already told you—I’m not that straight.” Kate continued, “Did you notice that she took off the ankle socks by the time we got on the shuttle?”

  Mo shook her head. “Let’s go. My piña colada is waiting.”

  Kate often mentioned her attraction to women, but she rarely pointed out anyone she liked and not once had her interests matched Julia’s. For the first time Julia felt a spark of jealousy at the thought that Kate was paying attention to Reed. Not that it mattered—Kate was about to get married and Julia wasn’t going for someone with kids. She wondered how many times she’d have to remind herself of that fact over the next week.

  Adjusting her sunhat, Julia followed Kate and Mo. She was planning on keeping her eyes on the path to avoid the temptation of looking at Reed’s lanai, but the path went right past it and when she dared a quick peek, Reed raised her hand and smiled. Julia’s pulse shot up, her cheeks likely matching the pink flowers on her hatband. She waved in return and then hurried to catch up with Mo and Kate. Reed seemed to have been waiting for her to walk by. She tried not to think about what that might mean.

  Reed and the twins appeared at the pool not long after Julia had made it through the mystery book’s first chapter. For the first ten minutes she pretended that she didn’t notice them, but Bryn’s squeals were hard to ignore and soon even the quiet twin was making noise. Finally Julia set down the paperback and leaned back in the chaise lounge to watch them. Since she had sunglasses on, she figured Reed wouldn’t know that she was staring.

  Reed’s swimming suit gave Julia plenty to appreciate and the kids were a noisy but hilarious distraction. They alternated between splashing Reed, screaming for her attention and then careening down the waterslide to bump into her. Julia had to stop herself from laughing more than once at their antics.

  “No way did twins come out of that belly,” Mo said, jutting her chin in Reed’s direction.

  “She could have used a surrogate,” Kate proposed, sipping her margarita. “Or maybe her ex had the kids?”

  Mo’s brow furrowed. “Maybe. Then why’d they break up?” If there was anything that bothered Mo, it was a woman whose history she didn’t know. Being nosy was good for her job, but she couldn’t take a vacation from the habit.

  “Could have been an affair,” Kate offered. “I bet she doesn’t have trouble finding women to sleep with her. Or maybe she’s a widow.”

  “Maybe her ex was terrible in bed,” Mo said. “I’ve known lots of couples who stopped having sex after a few months. Imagine adding kids to the mix…”

  Julia cringed. Mo had no clue about her failings in bed, of course, but this hit too close to home. “I don’t want to marry her, remember? Let me enjoy watching her in peace.”

  Still, she was curious about a backstory. Reed’s belly certainly didn’t look like it had carried twins. In fact nothing about her body was motherly. She was all lean muscle. But how she’d ended up with kids didn’t really matter.

  Reed pulled herself out of the deep end without using the ladder, and Kate made a little moan. Mo rolled her eyes in response.

  “She does have nice shoulders. You have to admit that at least,” Kate said.

  “I thought you were into her calves,” Mo said.

  “I’d take the whole package,” Julia said, ignoring Kate and Mo’s shared “I told you so’s.” They were right from the beginning. Reed was her type.

  Reed dove off the edge of the pool, startling Bryn and Carly into a fit of giggles. When she popped up for air between their inflated dolphins, her mop of brown hair was sleeked back. She playfully lunged at the kids and then as they scattered, she looked over her shoulder and met Julia’s gaze. Without the glasses, those blue eyes were even more amazing.

  As soon as Reed looked away, Julia murmured, “Nice dive.”

  “I’d give it an eight point five,” Kate said. “A little too much splash.”

  “I agree. She should hop out of the water and try again.”

  Kate pushed up her sunglasses. “That’s what I was thinking.”

  “I can’t take you two crushing on the same woman,” Mo grumbled.

  “I’m not crushing. I’m enjoying a good view—just like Julia.” Kate winked at Julia. “It’s like being at the gym. Eye candy is one of the reasons I stay in shape.”

  “Who’s your eye candy at the gym?” Mo asked.

  “Oh, I’ve got a few,” Kate said evasively. “Anyone attractive is worth checking out.”

  “And you regularly check out men and women?”

  Kate shrugged. “If they’re good looking, sure. Why not?”

  “Have you told Ethan that you’re attracted to women?”

  “I don’t need to tell him every time I appreciate a nice body,” Kate argued. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “I think it might matter to him. One of these days he’s gonna catch you staring,” Mo said. “You’re not that discreet.”

  “He’s oblivious. Anyway, what exactly would you want me to say? ‘Honey, I know we’re about to get married, but I keep checking out women—and other men—at the gym. Do you think that’s a problem?’”

  “I don’t think it’s a problem,” Julia said. “It’s natural to notice attractive people. And it’s not like you’re fixated on one in particular, right?”

  Kate hesitated before answering and Mo looked over at Julia with an arched eyebrow. Finally Kate said, “Well, there is one…She has really nice forearms and always saves me a spot in the spin class. But it’s nothing.” She reached for her sports bottle and took a sip. “Don’t look at me like that, you guys. I’m not telling Ethan. And with the woman in my spin class I’m convinced it’s only a forearm thing.”

  “I’m with you on nice forearms,” Julia said. “Sometimes that’s all you need. Did you notice the guy at the towel counter with those tats?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Kate murmured. “I’d pay good money for him to take off his shirt and show me the other end of that dragon that went up his arm.” She looked over at Mo. “Probably dumb as a box of rocks, but anyone can appreciate a good body. Although Mo would probably argue with that…”

  Mo mumbled something under her breath and then said, “I want to hear more about the woman from the gym. I know a lot of people who work out there. I might know her. What’s her name?”

  “Careful, Kate. When Mo says ‘know’ she means it in the biblical sense.” Julia dodged Mo’s hand as she tried to swat her arm.

  “This isn’t about me,” Mo said. She eyed Kate. “I’m only asking ’cause I could probably help you out. Introduce you.”

  “I’m marrying Ethan. I don’t need any help getting a date.”

  “Kate, some guys are interesting. Ethan isn’t one of them. I fall asleep when he talks about the Forty-Niners and you know how much I love football.” Mo paused. “Look, I don’t blame you one bit for marrying him. He’s stable and I know you feel like you can trust him. But maybe you should look around a little more before you settle—”

  “I’m not settling,” Kate argued.

  “Ethan’s a little boring, maybe, but he’s not a bad guy,” Julia said. “I don’t think you’re settling either.”

  “This has nothing to do with Ethan anyway,” Kate continued, her voice rising. “My point is, I’m not trying to notice women. It’s like I can’t help it.” She shook her head. “Lately everywhere I go, I’m running into lesbians. The dog park is worse than the gym. That place is lesbian central. And it’s not my fault that they’re all hot.”

  “I’m not saying it’s anyone’s fault,” Mo argued. “I’m only saying that I think you should consider your attraction before you marry a dude.”

  “Julia thinks the towel guy is c
ute,” Kate shot back. “If she wants to marry a woman are you going to ask her if she’s considered a dude just because she might be attracted to some men?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying at all,” Mo said. “Julia help me out here.”

  “Honestly, I think Kate has a point. Although I’ve tried guys and it wasn’t all that.” Admittedly, the women she’d been with weren’t any better. But she was convinced that she was either meant to be with a woman or meant to be single forever. “And I do think two women can have a deeper emotional connection.”

  “A deeper emotional connection? That’s all you’ve got?” Mo’s expression made Julia feel like she’d let down the entire gay rights movement.

  “Well, I’m still stuck on the image of Kate in a crowd of lesbians at the dog park trying to get Peeves to hurry up and do his business.” Julia said, hoping the change in subject would diffuse the tension between Kate and Mo. “I wish I could see that in person…”

  Kate finally cracked a smile. “It’s ridiculous. Peeves has to mark everything. Literally everything. You wouldn’t believe how many women have given me their phone number.”

  “Jules, maybe you and I should get dogs,” Mo mused.

  “Or move next to a dog park. A string of lesbians walking dogs outside my apartment would be enough…Kate, what is it about the woman from the gym—beyond the forearms?”

  “When you mentioned her you were blushing as bad as Julia does when she looks at that one,” Mo added, jabbing her thumb in Reed’s direction.

  Kate didn’t answer immediately. She looked over at Julia and seemed to be debating something. Finally she sighed and said, “Her name’s Chris. I think it’s short for Christine…And she looks a little bit like her.” She nodded in Reed’s direction. “Maybe even a little more masculine. Her head’s shaved and when I first saw her I actually thought she was a guy. She has a rainbow flag on her water bottle so I know she’s…well, you know.”

  “A big old homo?” Mo said.

  “Maybe she just likes rainbows.” Julia tried to hide her smile.

  Mo added, “And sexy straight women in her spin class.”

  “She’s not into me. We aren’t even friends really.” Kate shook her head. “Can we forget I brought this up?” She stood up suddenly, tossing her towel aside. “I wish you two wouldn’t make it a huge deal when I notice an attractive woman. I’m straight, but I’m not blind.”

  Julia waited until Kate slipped into the water to look over at Mo. “I guess there’s a chance she really is straight.”

  “Yeah right.” Mo lowered her voice as she continued, “She drives me crazy. One minute she’s arguing that she isn’t that straight and then the next minute…Why can’t she admit that she’s bi? Her two best friends are queer. After all these years she still thinks it’s a problem?”

  “She didn’t say that, Mo.”

  “She might as well have,” Mo argued.

  “You know how hard it is for her to open up. I think she was really trying that time.” Julia changed her position in the lounge chair so she was facing Mo. “She’s got baggage. You can’t expect her to be as open as you are.”

  “Lots of us have baggage. We unpack it. Has she ever told you what happened to her?” Mo waited for Julia to answer and then when she didn’t speak up, she continued, “I’m not saying she doesn’t have issues. But we’ve been friends for this long—you’d think she’d have told us by now whatever the hell her issue is instead of just always saying that something happened…”

  Mo followed Kate across the pool with her eyes. She was doing a graceful sidestroke with her face away from them. “And I’m not saying she needs to be with a woman. But I don’t think Ethan’s the right guy. She’s gonna marry him and then realize it was a mistake.”

  “You know her better than anyone,” Julia said. “But I think you might be biased against Ethan.”

  A brunette in light blue shorts and a dark blue polo shirt that had the resort’s name embroidered above her left breast stopped in front of Mo’s lounge chair. She held a notebook in her hand and her eyes went up and down the length of Mo’s body before she casually asked, “Can I get you ladies anything? Something cool from the bar?”

  Mo never seemed to mind a woman admiring her body but this time she hardly looked up as she handed the woman her room key. “I’ll take another piña colada.”

  “Perfect.” The server jotted down the room number and then handed Mo back the card. “Be right back.” Her eyes lingered on Mo before she turned to head to the bar.

  “I don’t get it,” Julia said. “You practically ignored her.” She wasn’t surprised when the server reached the bar and then glanced back at Mo.

  “We said hello earlier, but I didn’t want to give her the wrong idea.”

  “Why not?”

  Mo shrugged. “I’m not interested.”

  “Too easy?” Julia laughed. “God, if I had half your mojo…”

  “Tanya asked me to marry her on New Year’s.”

  “What?” Julia nearly choked on the sip she’d taken. She leveled her gaze on Mo. Mo, the one who’d sworn she’d go to her grave single and free, only nodded. “What’d you say to her?”

  “I said I wanted to think about it. We’ve only been dating for six months, but you know that’s a long time in my world. Still, I kept thinking that we shouldn’t rush things…Then I went and bought her a ring.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I know it’s crazy, but things have been going really well. It feels like the right decision.”

  Julia wasn’t sure what to say next. She thought maybe she should say congratulations, but Mo marrying Tanya was among the worst ideas she’d heard in a long time.

  She straightened up in the lounge chair. Regardless of how she felt about Tanya, she wanted Mo to be happy. The fact was, Mo wasn’t smiling. Was it because she wasn’t sold on the idea of marrying Tanya or was it because Mo had proclaimed more than once that she’d never marry?

  “Have you told Kate?”

  “No. I’m waiting for the right time.” Mo exhaled. “It still feels a little surreal, but I love Tanya. So I figure, why not?”

  Why not? Julia felt her stomach twist. She could give Mo about ten reasons why Tanya was not someone she should marry. Now both of her best friends were marrying people she didn’t even like. What was worse, she was supposed to feel happy for them. “Well, Mo, I never thought I’d be going to your wedding, but if you’re happy—that’s what matters. Congratulations.”

  Chapter Three

  Julia slipped off her sandals and picked her way over the hot slate rocks to the water. She didn’t go for the stairs. Instead, she went to the deep end and hopped straight in. The water skimmed over her skin, chilling her on contact. A squeal of delight slipped out. This, she realized, was exactly what she needed.

  After a few laps across the central, bean-shaped pool, she made her way to the other pools. There were a total of four attached pools, but in order to get to the others, she had to either hop out or dip under the narrow bridges connecting the footpaths between them. Each pool had its own waterfall and an assortment of chaise lounge chairs and umbrellas surrounding it.

  She swam until she found a quiet lagoon that she had all to herself. Lava rocks edged three sides of this small black-bottomed pool, helping to buffer the sound from the bar and making it feel like a hidden gem. Adding to the appeal was an underwater bench that made a perfect resting spot with a peek view of the sparkling blue ocean down the hill from the resort.

  Julia settled in on the bench. If she planned it right, she could be in the same spot enjoying a sunset over the ocean that evening. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the cool tiles. Already work meetings were a distant memory.

  Twenty-four hours in paradise had passed in a blink of an eye. But aside from spying on Reed, a long walk on the beach, and overindulging in the resort’s dinner buffet, she hadn’t accomplished much yesterday. Still when her head had hit the pillow
last night, she’d dropped into what felt like a drugged sleep. She rarely slept longer than six or seven hours but she’d awakened ten hours later to the sound of a rooster crowing his head off. Beauty sleep, Mo had insisted, was why everyone looked better after a vacation. And maybe there was some truth in that. She’d spotted Reed at breakfast that morning, herding her kids to a table while balancing three plates stacked with fruit and pastries, and couldn’t help but think she looked even better that morning than she had on the plane.

  Reed would make a nice fantasy later. And there’d be plenty of time to squeeze in a nap back in the condo for exactly that reason. Once she’d accomplished a proper swim, her only other goal for the day was to eat a path through the resort’s dinner buffet. She’d given up on her diet for the trip and only felt a pinch of guilt when she’d scanned the week’s menu. Tonight’s macadamia nut-encrusted fresh catch of the day was at the top of her list, followed shortly thereafter by pineapple shrimp kabobs and coconut sticky rice. Julia closed her eyes, letting the sun play on her skin.

  “How much do you love me?”

  “Hey, Mo.” Julia smiled, rousing from the drowsy state the sunshine had drawn her into. “Where have you been?”

  “Around.”

  Julia pulled herself out of the water and onto the smooth slate pavers edging the pool. “Why do I have the distinct feeling that you’ve been up to no good?” Mo’s smug grin confirmed Julia’s fears. “Do I want to ask?”

  “Can you resist?”

  “You’ve been spying on that mom from the plane, haven’t you?”

  Mo pulled a lounge chair over to the pool and sat down. “Better than spying. I’ve been researching.”

  “Coming from you that can only mean trouble.”

  “Did you know that they have a Kids Club here? Babysitter and everything. And get this. They’ll watch the little boogers until ten each night.”