Janet (10 page)

“I agree.” Wholeheartedly. She was one of
those women who couldn’t. She suppressed her smile and egged him
on. “I spent all afternoon baking.”

He held up one perfect cookie. “Doc, these
are worth an afternoon’s work. Don’t you agree?”

“Absolutely.”

He took another bite. “Hmm. Pure gold. I’d
give these cookies a blue ribbon.”

She couldn’t hold back her laughter any
longer. It spilled out in a merry peal.

“I knew you’d be pleased with the compliment,
but I didn’t know you’d be that tickled.”

She wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.
“You should see your face.”

“My face? What about my face?” Suspicious
now, he set his glass of milk aside and stood up.

“You look so smug, and I-told-you-so.”

“About what?”

“The cookies.”

“Well, Doc. I think you did a great job
baking them.”

“I didn’t bake them.”

“You said you did.”

“No. I said they were baked this afternoon
and that I baked all afternoon.”

The light was beginning to dawn. He sank back
into his chair and looked at the cookie in his hand. “You didn’t
bake these?”

“No. These were made by the experts at
Kroger’s who make their living baking cookies for people like me
who are both too busy and too inept to provide goodies for
themselves.”

“I see.”

“Not yet, you don’t.” She got up off the sofa
and took his hand. “Come with me.”

In the kitchen she opened the pantry door and
pulled out her garbage can. Then she whisked off the lid and
pointed dramatically. “There. The results of my first and only
attempt at home-baked cookies.”

Dan eyed the pile of burned crusts and broken
crumbs and soggy dough. As he gazed into the garbage can he had a
sudden vision of Doc in the kitchen with flour on her nose, trying
to make sense out of recipes and mixing bowls and baking pans. All
that must have been as foreign to her as performing surgery would
be to him. And yet she had tried. For him.

His heart jumped into his throat and his eyes
misted over. “Doc, I am truly humbled.”

She had meant to give him a pert reply until
she saw his face. “Oh, Dan.” She reached out and softly caressed
his cheek. “I’m sure some dream women can bake cookies, but I
can’t.”

He covered her hand with his. “Home-baked
cookies don’t seem to matter anymore.”

They stood that way for a while. Finally Dan
backed off. Tonight Janet was too much temptation for him. Maybe
she couldn’t bake cookies, and maybe that was all right with him.
But still she was a doctor and he was a coach. It was not a match
made in heaven, and he’d do well to remember that. The knowledge
made him extraordinarily blue.

He gave her a reckless grin, hoping it
covered his true feelings. “Well, thanks for the cookies, Doc. And
for the lesson.”

“Any time, Coach.”

She watched him leave the kitchen. His
footsteps were loud on the tile floor, then muffled as he walked
over her rug. Finally she heard the front door close behind
him.

Oh help.

Janet grabbed her laptop and fired off an
email.

From: Janet

To: Joanna, Molly, Bea, Belinda, Clemmie,
Catherine

Re: Me and my mouth

If I ever tell any of you what to do again,
just shoot me. Good lord, Dan Albany has turned me upside down.
First, I’m determined to outwit and outdo him at every turn, and
then he shows up on my doorstep and I melt like some wimpy heroine
in a Lifetime TV movie. I even tried to make
cookies!
They
were
awful.
Why can’t men be as uncomplicated as a frog
under a microscope?

Janet

From: Joanna

To: Janet, Bea, Molly, Clementine, Catherine,
Belinda

Re: Fairy Tales

You ought to read fewer medical books and
watch more fairy tales. Don’t you know that a frog can turn into a
prince!!! This is SO EXCITING!!!!

Joanna

From: Catherine

To: Janet, Bea, Molly, Joanna, Clementine,
Belinda

Re: TV movies

OMG, if he came to your apartment and turned
you upside down, he kissed you! On a scale of one to ten, how good
is he? Don’t settle for anything less than an 8! By the way, I like
those Lifetime TV movies!

Cat

From: Molly

To: Janet, Joanna, Bea, Catherine,
Clementine, Belinda

Re: Daddy

Janet, you have got to find out about Daddy’s
woman on Match.com! I know you’ve got Dan Albany on the brain, but
I know you can handle him. Good grief, you can handle anything! But
I think Daddy may be getting serious over some perfect stranger. I
mean, at first, I thought it was cute. And harmless! But he keeps
dropping hints. It’s not like Daddy not to come right out and say
what he means. I wonder if this mystery woman has a criminal
record. She could be one of those women in prison who takes
advantage of a lonely man. I’m about to DIE!

Molly

From: Clemmie

To: Janet, Molly, Joanna, Bea, Belinda,
Catherine

Re: Cookies

Janet, don’t give up on making cookies. Once
you get the hang of it, it can be very soothing. I think you need
to jump into your car and come to Peppertown so we can sit in the
gazebo and just breathe! And Molly, don’t worry. Your daddy is too
smart to take up with a bank robber or something, even if she is
reformed.

Clemmie

From: Belinda

To: Janet, Molly, Joanna, Bea, Clementine,
Catherine

Re: Airport

At the airport. Got to catch the plane. Talk
soon.

Belinda

From: Bea

To: Janet, Molly, Joanna, Belinda, Clementin,
Catherine

Re: Good God!

Just chill, Molly! With Mr. Jed’s looks, he’s
going to attract
class!
And Janet, I’ve never seen you get
your panties in such a wad. This Dan Albany must be
hot!!!
You need to just stop listening to your brain and start listening
to your Virgina!
Good God,
if mine ever starts talking to
me, I’m heading to the nearest Victoria’s Secret store for black
lace! Now, go get ‘em, cowgirl! Yee Haw!!!

Bea

On Monday, Janet blamed her bad day at the
hospital on Bea. Every time Janet read somebody’s temperature, she
thought about a certain sexy coach and got so hot she figured her
own temp shot up twenty degrees. That’s what she got for letting
Virgina take over!

She was glad when her shift was finally
finished. Sighing, she headed home. It was far too late to visit
Harvey, but maybe she’d visit Mr. Jed. Molly needed help, and that
ought to take her mind off Dan Albany.

Molly’s dad usually watched out the window
for her, and then cracked his door open to ask about her day.
Tonight, though, she had to punch his buzzer three times before he
answered. She was already having visions of getting the landlady
and finding him inside with a heart attack.

When he finally came to the door, he was
wearing rumpled striped pajamas and a big, self-satisfied grin.
“Land sakes, Janet. What brings you over so late?”

“I got worried when I didn’t see your smiling
face. Are you all right?”

“I’m better than all right, my dear.” He
moved a copy of the Daily Journal off his sofa. “Sit down and have
a cup of hot chocolate with me. I was just getting ready to make
some.”

“Can I help you?”

“Don’t mind if you do. I always enjoy the
company of a woman in the kitchen.”

She followed him into a kitchen as familiar
with as her own and got cups from the cupboard while he got the mix
they both loved, Hershey’s with miniature marshmallows.

“Mr. Jed, you should find a good woman. What
about that nice widow who sings in choir?”

“The one who can’t keep her eyes off of
me?”

“Yes. That’s the one.”

“Shoot, Janet. I’ve found somebody better
than that on Match.com.”

He winked, then went to a little desk in the
corner of his kitchen and picked up a handful of letters. “Look at
this. She even writes letters. That’s a dying art, Janet, and a
true measure of class.”

If she were reckless like Molly or Joanna, or
even bossy like Bea, Janet would have leaned close enough to read
the return address. Being merely opinionated, Janet refrained from
spying.

“I agree, Mr. Jed. I’d love to meet her.”

“So would Molly.” He returned the letters to
a desk drawer, then handed her a steaming mug of chocolate and a
linen napkin. “Both of you are going to be very surprised.”

“Surprises are not always good.”

“This one is. And I can guarantee you and
Molly will approve. In fact, I can guarantee that all you girls
will love her.”

“Then why wait? We’d all love to help you
celebrate, especially Molly.”

“I’m selfish enough to want to keep the lady
all to myself for a while.” He took her elbow and led her back to
the den. “Did I see that big handsome fellow on your doorstep last
night?”

“Yes. Dan Albany.”

“Is that the one you were baking cookies
for?”

“Yes.”

He chuckled and plucked a piece of paper off
his desk. “I don’t think we’ll be needing this, after all.”

“What is that?”

Grinning, he held it out to her. It was a
typewritten ad, addressed to Match.com: “Young, beautiful female
doctor looking for handsome companion. Must be intelligent,
educated, industrious, but above all warm, fun-loving, tender and
passionate. Please hurry.”

Janet slowly lowered the paper. “You wouldn’t
have.”

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t have put in online,
but I was going to suggest that you use it. What are friends for if
not to help each other?”

Laughing, she hugged him. “Mr. Jed, what am I
going to do with you?”

“Dance at my wedding!”

“Are you kidding?”

He leaned over and patted her hand. “It was
just a figure of speech, my dear.”

o0o

By the time she got to her own apartment it
was nine o’clock. Janet hung her coat in the hall closet, and her
hand brushed against something soft. Dan’s sweatshirt. A faint
masculine scent clung to the fabric.

Janet raced to her laptop and powered up her
email.

From: Janet

To: Molly, Joanna, Belinda, Clemmie, Bea,
Catherine

Re: Dilemma

I’m going crazy. I need to study, but I can’t
think of a thing except Dan Albany’s sweatshirt hanging in my
closet.

By the way, Molly, your dad’s ok. He’s too
smart to do anything foolish, and you shouldn’t worry.

Janet

From: Joanna

To: Janet, Molly, Belinda, Clemmie, Bea,
Catherine

Re: Sweatshirt

His sweatshirt’s in YOUR closet!!! I hope
it’s because you and the coach were engaged in some contact
sports!!!

Joanna

From: Molly

To: Janet, Bea, Joanna, Clementine,
Catherine, Belinda

Re: Daddy

OMG, Daddy let slip on the telephone
something about all of us dancing at his wedding! And then he
wouldn’t tell me anything else. How can I not worry!!! I don’t even
know this woman!

Molly

From: Catherine

To: Janet, Bea, Joanna, Molly, Clementine,
Belinda

Re: sweatshirts and weddings

Hugs, Molly. Everything will be all
right.

Janet, you have the
perfect
excuse
to see the coach. Return the sweatshirt! Wear something sexy. Get
him so hot he forgets to take his shirt back. Then leave him
wanting more. OMG, I LOVE this! If I didn’t adore you, I’d be
jealous. You’ve got a FAB man and all I have is a test on parvo
virus.

Cat

From: Belinda

To: Janet, Bea, Joanna, Molly, Clementine,
Catherine

Re: Cat’s advice

Don’t worry, Molly. There’s nothing wrong the
Dixie Virgins can’t fix. And Janet, Cat’s plan will work. I should
know!

Belinda, feeling AMAZING

From: Bea

To: Catherine, Janet, Molly, Joanna,
Clementine, Belinda

Re: Everything

Molly, I feel your pain. I worry about
Mother, but
thank God,
she’s not on Match.com! Still,
Janet’s right there with Mr. Jed. She’d know if there was anything
fishy about his little online fling.

Janet, take that sweatshirt back to the
hottie, but
keep your Virginia
to yourself! Save the
contact sports for the wedding night! Nothing brings a man to his
knees like Virgin Power!

Bea

Janet shot off another email thanking her
friends, then shut off her computer and grabbed Dan’s sweatshirt.
She thought about calling him first, but he’d said he was always
prepared for surprises.

She stripped off her work clothes, and then
struggled into a pair of jeans so tight they looked like they’d
been painted on. Next, she grabbed a sweater Joanna would describe
as
come hither
then sprayed enough jasmine fragrance to
knock over an elephant.

Let the coach get a gander at
that
surprise.

o0o

Ten minutes later she was standing in front
of Dan’s double front doors, knocking. She could hear loud music
coming from inside the house.

When there was still no response, she pressed
closer to the beveled-glass ovals in his front door and peeked
inside. The long expanse of hallway looked exactly as she
remembered it—wooden floors gleaming softly with wax and old age;
the hall tree, enduring nobly under its weight of letter jackets
and baseball caps and umbrellas; Victorian sconces on the walls
casting a soft glow on the elegant fading wallpaper.

She decided that Dan must have gone out and
forgotten to turn off his stereo. She was just turning to leave
when she caught a glimpse of someone coming slowly into the
hallway. Not just someone. Dan. She leaned closer to get a better
look. What she saw made her smile.

Big Coach Dan Albany, completely unaware that
he had company, was waltzing stiffly into his hallway, hanging onto
a mop. His lips were moving as if he were desperately counting the
rhythm of each clumsy footstep.