"I don't really care." Jay looked intently at Drew. "Do you?"

"No. So how about we start outside then?" She looked around the large living area. "No offense, but it seems kinda sterile."

Jay stifled her laugh. "Really? You'd dare say that about the mansion}" At Drew's confused look, Jay took her arm and led her out to the patio. "Audrey refers to it as the mansion. She hates it here."

"Well, I'm just surprised by it. It doesn't have your personality at all."

"Me?" Jay shook her head. "Oh, no. I didn't design or decorate anything here."

Drew frowned. "You didn't? Why?"

Jay bit her lower lip, surprised that it still stung. She was a designer, after all. But she tried to be diplomatic about it. "Katherine and I have different tastes."

Drew raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

"Very different tastes," Jay added. At Drew's amused look, she laughed. "Oh, hell, you know what I mean." She looked back toward the double doors leading inside. "It's all so over the top for me. Even though I'm far removed from it, I'm still just a girl from a middle-class family in a small, conservative city. And this, well, this reeks of money. Wasted money, I might add." She turned back to the patio. "I enjoy the pool, of course. But still, it's not something I would have designed. You're right. It's sterile. It lacks feeling."

"That's a good way to put it. But I'm still surprised you weren't a part of the planning. That is your profession. I mean, it'd be like me buying one of these new houses and getting Apollo to do the yard."

"Okay, I'll admit I was totally pissed off at the time. This monster was everything she wanted and nothing for me. So our arrangement was she would pay the mortgage. And if she paid the mortgage, then she got to decorate. So she hired Wilkes and Bonner, but I wasn't allowed to participate."

"That's just wrong."

"Yes. My coworkers at Wilkes and Bonner were quite amused by it all." Jay stared again at the house. "And not that I'm dying for their company, but isn't it a bit odd that they only said a handful of words and then disappeared into her study?" She glanced at her watch. "Do you think I—"

But the doors opened, interrupting her. Katherine stood in the doorway, Jenna beside her.

"There you two are. I was wondering where you'd gone off to." She motioned back inside. "I was about to give Jenna a tour. Drew, are you interested?"

Jay saw Drew's hesitation, then watched as she nodded.

"Sure." She glanced at Jay. "Are you going to tag along?"

"Actually, I think I'll check on dinner. You all go ahead."

And as the doors closed, leaving Jay alone, she turned toward the pool, absently watching the water shimmer in the early evening light. Damn, how weird is this? Drew is dating Katherine's old flame. Dating, but not sleeping with. She didn't know why, but that news was pleasing to her. Not that it mattered who Drew slept with. Not that it's any of your concern, she told herself. But really, they didn't go together at all. Jenna was short... and not heavy, but certainly not thin. She seemed far too serious for Drew. Not that you could get a good read on a person after only exchanging greetings. But still, not her type.

And good Lord, Jenna and Katherine} Of course, who knew how they were all those years ago in law school. But now, no. No way.

Drew pushed her plate away, her eyes finding Jay's across the table. "That was absolutely delicious. I'm stuffed."

"Thanks. But I hope you saved room for dessert."

"I have to agree, Jay," Jenna said. "I can't remember when I've had better pot roast."

"It's my favorite meal," Katherine chimed in. "But I did save room for dessert. Apple pie with ice cream?" she asked, looking at Jay.

Jay nodded. "I'll bring it right out."

Drew was about to offer to help, but Jay had already hurried from the table. She glanced to her right, surprised to find Jenna blatantly staring at Katherine. She frowned, wondering at the extent of their relationship. Jenna had simply said old friends, but there was something intimate in their looks.

"After dessert, Jenna, you'll have to come into my study. I forgot to show you my collection of law books. Some date back two hundred years."

"Oh, I'd love to see them."

Katherine turned to Drew. "You'd be bored silly, dear, but you're welcome to view them too."

Drew smiled, but took the hint. "Maybe I'll get Jay to show me her portfolio. We're sort of in the same business."

"Oh, really? Jenna said you did yards. I assumed mowing and the like."

Drew laughed. "We do that too. But we're a landscaping service. I work with builders designing new homes."

"Well, I'm surprised you and Jay haven't run into each other before."

'Yeah, that is kinda weird." Drew looked up as Jay carried a tray laden with four plates and a large bowl of ice cream.

"What's weird?" Jay asked, setting the tray on the table. She handed the first piece of pie to Katherine.

"That you and I haven't run into each other before." Drew took the plate Jay handed her. "Thank you."

"Well, I've seen your trucks around. Does that count?"

Drew noticed the slight smile around Jay's mouth. "I'm not really on site all that much anyway."

"Don't do a lot of grunt work anymore?"

"As little as possible."

"Who else wants ice cream?" Katherine asked as she held up the bowl.

"None for me, thanks," Jenna said. "Goes right to my hips."

"Then I'll have your share," Drew said, reaching for the bowl. "This pie looks great."

"I can't take credit," Jay said. "It's from Dora's Bakery."

"Then I know it'll be good. I usually get my breakfast there." She passed the bowl of ice cream to Jay. "Have you had her breakfast pastries stuffed with scrambled eggs and sausage?"

"The ones with all that cheese melted on top?" Jay laughed. "I'm surprised I haven't run into you there as well."

Katherine slid her plate away from her, her pie only half eaten. "While the two of you chat about pastries and such, I'm going to show Jenna my law book collection." She stood, motioning for Jenna to join her.

Drew watched them go, then looked back to Jay. Jay met her eyes with a shrug.

"I'd rather chat about pastries and such," she said, mimicking Katherine.

Drew took a bite of pie, the melted ice cream oozing off the top. "Mmm, I'd rather eat pie."

"It's sinfully good, isn't it?"

Drew nodded. "And not that I'm prying or anything, but you and Katherine, you don't talk much, do you." It was intended to be a question, but she knew her tone indicated it was simply an observation.

"We don't talk much, we hardly see each other, and... and as a treat, she wants to take a two-week trip to Hawaii." Jay rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "Sometimes I feel like we're strangers, not two people in a multi-year relationship."

"People change. I'm sure you both have."

"Yes, we both have, I suppose. There's added stress in my life, trying to get my business going. There's pressure in her job, and goals she's set for herself that require an insane amount of her time. Time that we used to have together."

Drew looked at the two empty chairs at the table and the plates of half-eaten pie. "They seem to know each other well.

Jenna said they were old friends from college."

"Old friends, yes. Lovers too."

"You're kidding."

"They had an affair one semester, then Jenna decided she wasn't gay after all." Jay made a face. "Likely story."

Drew laughed. "Yeah. The Jenna I know is very comfortable with her sexuality." Drew looked around the formal dining room, shaking her head. "This is so not you." She smiled. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded," she clarified.

"I know what you mean." Jay stood. "Come on. I'll show you my little space here in the house. It's my office."

Drew followed her up the stairs, pausing to take a look back at the closed door of Katherine's study, wondering what could possibly be so interesting about old law books. She shrugged. What did she know? Maybe they were fascinating.

"It's small," Jay was saying as she stood by a door, her hand resting on the knob. "Just an extra bedroom I was able to claim." She pushed open the door, waiting.

Drew stuck her head inside and grinned. "Now this is the Jay I know." She went fully into the room, the desk and computer drawing her gaze as she pictured Jay sitting there working. The desktop was littered with swatches, the bookshelf lined with books. She looked around, seeing the recliner tucked into a corner, an old floor lamp beside it. A frayed rug—a Southwestern design—was thrown on the floor, and under the lone window was a small shelf holding four potted plants. Then she saw it and her eyebrows arched. She glanced quickly at Jay, saw the smile, the nod.

"Where did you get it?"

"You like?"

"Can I touch it?"

Jay laughed. "You can look. Keep your grubby hands off."

Drew bent lower, eyeing the helmet, seeing the scribbled signatures on the side. "Wow."

"I was teasing, you know." She lifted up the glass box and took out the mini helmet, holding it carefully by the tiny face-mask. She handed it to Drew. "Here."

"Wow," she said again. "Troy, Emmitt and Michael. The triplets."

"There are fans, and then there are fans," Jay said. "Which are you?"

Drew turned the helmet, taking in every detail. "I love the Cowboys," she said quietly. "Everything stops on game day." She looked at Jay. "This is awesome."