Free Way to Her Heart by Melanie Schuster Page B

dazed expression. Alexis’s eyes brightened with merriment.
    “That’s really pretty. Is it from anyone we know?”
    “It’s from Lucas. And there’s a giant ficus in the living room, which was way too big for me to move. It’s beautiful,” she said with a little sigh.
    Alexis took note of Sherri’s bemused state and said gently, “I know it’s been way too long for you to remember clearly, but this is how couples behave. As a matter of fact, I remember getting a beauty of a plant from Jared the morning after. He brought me red roses on our first date, and he sent me a huge plant the next morning. And I remember that you were very impressed and you teased me about finding my soul mate. It looks like you’ve found yours, too.”
    Sherri’s eyes moved from her exotic floral tribute to her friend. “Alexis, I think you’re jumping the gun here. Jared and Lucas are brothers, sure, but that doesn’t mean that they act just alike. Just because Jared fell in love with you at first sight doesn’t mean anything as far as Lucas is concerned. He’s just being nice, and that’s all.”
    “Sherri, I love you like a sister but you’re acting dense. Someone who dishes out good advice on matters of the heart should be able to take it.”
    “What are you talking about?” Sherri’s confusion was plain in her facial expression and her voice.
    Alexis took pity on her friend, but only a little. “Sherri, my sistah, you do remember giving me and Emily a lot of advice when we were flailing around in the confusing throes of brand-new passion, don’t you? You were the voice of reason when we were going all kinds of crazy, remember?”
    “Of course I do,” Sherri said, smiling. “You were driving yourself crazy trying to pretend like Jared was the wrong man for you when it was perfectly plain that he was the other half of your heart. But you can’t say that I saved the day or anything like that. You took a chance on him and trusted your heart and now...” Her voice trailed off and Alexis jumped right in.
    “Listen to what you’re saying! You’re the one who showed me how to trust my heart, you stubborn woman! You’re the one who made me make a list of all the qualities I wanted in a mate, and you’re the one who made me realize that Jared had all of those qualities and more. True, he’s not dark chocolate, but, honey, I have a whole new appreciation for vanilla now,” she said as she laughed.
    “Alexis, focus, please. It’s your turn to be the voice of reason and you’re gloating about your sexy husband. You’re supposed to be helping me.” Her voice was dangerously close to a whine, something that Sherri never, ever did. Now Alexis went into true friend mode.
    “Okay, Sherri, let’s look at this, umm, objectively,” she said. “You’re a wonderful woman who has closed herself off from any kind of male companionship because of a disappointing relationship with a worthless man. It happens. It happened to me, too, although we don’t talk about it much. I found my fiancé in bed with his ex-girlfriend, remember. I didn’t want to be bothered with men either, until Emily and Todd got together and I realized that I really could be happy and in love again.”
    “Yes, but that was a totally different situation.” Sherri had on her stubborn expression, the one that Alexis and Emily knew too well and dreaded. She didn’t get that look often, but it always preceded a long and difficult discussion. When Sherri made up her mind about something it was hard to change her point of view. Alexis had to make some good points soon or Sherri would go into her donkey mode, which meant no progress would be made for some time.
    “It’s not really that different, Sher. Okay, so you weren’t looking for a man. You have no list of attributes to compare to Lucas, and you don’t think that your night of flaming hot love is the beginning of a serious relationship. I get that, I really do. But you’re the only one who thinks