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The car in front of them stopped abruptly, and Jack slammed on the brakes. More mumbled curses.
“I used to think so,” he said at last. “But ever since Myrtle, I’ve been avoiding romantic entanglements. Maybe Doug is right. I should sell.”
“That Jezebel.” The harshness of her voice surprised her. Taking a more measured tone, she continued, “I’ll never forgive her for what she did to you.”
They wended their way onto the streets of Manhattan in silence.
“Maybe Myrtle was right about me. I’m not much of a catch. New York City is filled with richer men with safer jobs. Men who wouldn’t need to leave their wives behind for days at a time while they risked their necks to deliver a few letters. Men who could afford fancy cars and fancier houses. Why would anyone choose me over an accountant?”
“I thought she left you for a banker.” Did his grudge extend to accountants too?
He cleared his throat and glanced at her. “Of course. Slip of the tongue.”
Traffic snarled in front of them, and Jack applied himself to the horn.
“Anyhow, I’ve been thinking I might not ever get married. Life as a bachelor suits me. My career is not conducive to a wife and family.”
Poor Jack. Even before everything that happened, Constance thought Myrtle wasn’t good enough for her dear friend. But the thought of him giving up entirely made her so sad.
“You’ll find the right woman someday,” she said, patting his arm.
He flinched.
“Sorry.” She retracted her hand.
He shook his head and sighed. “Don’t worry about it. You just surprised me is all.”
They arrived at the ferry landing and joined the line of cars to cross the river.
“Look, I’ve been thinking,” he said, turning to her. “Maybe you should learn to drive so that you don’t have to ride with me all the time. I don’t imagine Doug will be very happy about our spending so much time together once you’re his fiancée.”
What? Why would they stop driving together? It was so convenient. Though she had to admit the idea of learning to drive was tempting.
“Trying to get rid of me?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“Not at all,” he said, shifting in his seat and avoiding her eyes.
So he was trying to get rid of her. That stung. Did things really go so badly with Doug that they couldn’t even do something as innocent as driving together anymore? Would she be able to stay friends with Jack after she was married? Surely Doug would realize there was nothing to worry about once they had settled down together.
Still, the thought of being able to drive herself filled her with excitement. “I’d love to learn to drive, if you’re offering to teach me.”
“Can’t Ernie teach you?”
“He’s too busy these days, now that he’s married. If you’re so anxious to be rid of me, you’re going to have to teach me yourself.”
They drove onto the ferry and parked, then headed up to the cabin to sit.
“All right. I’ll teach you,” he said once they were seated. The begrudging tone of voice didn’t escape her.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem very enthusiastic about this, even though it was your idea.”
“I said I’d teach you, and I will.”
They rode the rest of the way across the Hudson in stony silence. And they were silent through the rest of their drive to Newark as well.
Something had shifted between them, and Constance wasn’t sure why. What happened to her sweet, oblivious Jack? This brooding, prickly Jack was not an improvement. It pained her that Doug was coming between them this way. She didn’t want to have to choose between her beau and her best friend. It wasn’t fair.
She supposed this was the inevitable consequence of her scheme, though. It was her own fault Doug thought of Jack as a rival. The consequences of that hadn’t occurred to her until this morning’s drive. She could only hope it would all smooth itself out with time.
