Free Aged to Perfection by Lauren Fraser Page B

Pain ripped through Rachel’s chest.
    She managed to move a few steps before she dropped down onto the front steps, rubbing her chest to ease the pain. It didn’t work. The tears she had been fighting fell from her eyes, splashing on the cement. What had she done? Was Mark right? Was she just a coward?

Chapter Nine

    “What do you mean you’ve been dating him?” Jan’s mouth dropped open. “How the hell could you have been dating Mark and not tell me? I thought we were friends. You can’t date a younger guy and not tell me. Especially not one as hot as Mark.” Jan smacked Rachel on the shoulder.
    “Well, after that day at Lila’s, when you were on my case about not becoming a cougar, it’s not like I could tell you.”
    Jan’s jaw dropped open. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. I would never have said anything like that if I knew you were honestly interested in him.”
    Rachel shrugged. “You would have still thought it even if you hadn’t said it.”
    “I don’t know. Maybe I would have just lived vicariously through you.” Jan grabbed her arm. “How was the sex?”
    “Un-freakin-beliveable.”
    “Dish,” Jan demanded.
    All of the precious moments with Mark rushed through Rachel’s mind. It had just been too amazing, too personal to talk about as if it had been casual. She shook her head. Tears welled up behind her eyes. Her chest tightened, forcing her to blow out a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. God, she was pathetic.
    Jan wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, sweetie,” she cooed, rubbing Rachel’s back in sympathy. “You completely fell for him.”
    Rachel sniffled. “Yeah, stupid, hey? I’m forty freakin’ years old. I should be able to have casual sex with a hot guy. Ugh, I’m such an idiot.” She pulled back and linked her arm with Jan’s. “Let’s go inside. I need a drink.”
    In a sign of true friendship, Jan led the way into the house singing Tequila , her favourite song to sing when she made margaritas.
    When Rachel and Jan walked into her kitchen, Rachel’s eyes were drawn to the backyard. She had been working late all week so she didn’t have the pain of seeing Mark. His crew was already gone when she got home for the day. It was funny how much she missed seeing Mark out there. As she looked out the French doors, she gasped.
    “He finished.”
    She tore open the doors and raced down the steps with Jan on her heels. She stopped in front of her freshly built gazebo and sighed. Of their own volition, her hands moved over the surface, tracing the pattern of the carved wood, caressing the Celtic etchings.
    “Wow,” Jan murmured. “This is gorgeous. The gazebo. This whole backyard is so you, Rach. You did a great job outlining to Mark what you wanted. The Celtic stuff is so perfectly you.”
    Tears streamed down Rachel’s cheeks. “It is,” she whispered. Rachel wiped the tears from her face and looked at Jan. “But I didn’t tell him to do the Celtic design. He did that on his own.”
    “Why? How did he know to do that?” Jan asked her. The quietly spoken words begged Rachel to examine her relationship.
    “Because he gets me,” she sobbed, aching for what she’d lost.
    Jan walked over to her and turned Rachel’s body so she faced the gazebo. “Rach, are you sure the sex was casual for him? It sure wasn’t for you. This doesn’t look like casual,” Jan said, indicating the gazebo. Rachel rested her head against Jan’s shoulder as she stared in awe at her yard.
    “Rachel, a guy who gets you like Mark does is a guy worth fighting for. Look at what he built for you. For you , Rach.”
    She turned to face Jan. “I’m scared. He’s so young, Jan. How can I trust it will last?”
    “Oh, sweetie. Any man who goes to this kind of effort for a woman is not going anywhere. Rachel, I have never known you to be afraid of anything. Don’t let fear stop you from going after what you want. And honey, we both know you want Mark.” Jan raised an eyebrow.
    “You’re