Best Friends are Forever.

Chapter 6

When the doorbell rang late Saturday morning Hanna and Jake raced to answer it. The dark haired little girl on the other side said.  “Hi my name is April. I am 7 years old and I just moved in next door. Can you come out and play with me?”

AJ came out of the kitchen just in time to catch the last sentence.  “Hi there sweetie, you must be April.” She chuckled at the look of surprise on the child’s face. “I talked to your dad the other day and he told me all about you.” Turning to her children she suggested “why don’t you guys go out and welcome April to our neighborhood and introduce her to the other kids as well.”

Without further prompting all three children raced out the door and where down the porch steps before she could shut the door.  Ten minutes later there was another knock on her door. She found a very worried Jason standing on the other side

“By any chance have you seen April? I sent her over to introduce herself to you and your kids and now I can’t find her.”

“Oops, I should have made sure you knew where she was. Don’t worry hun she is with my kids and they are out welcoming her to the neighborhood they’ve only been gone for the past five maybe ten minutes now.”

They stood there a moment longer before AJ gave in and invited him in for a cup of coffee and offered to call and see how far the kids have made it down the block.

“How far can they get in this short amount of time?” Jason asked as they entered the kitchen.  He noted that the kitchen was just as neat and tidy as the living room. Tasteful splashes of light blue and pale yellow that didn’t over whelm or hide.

Before she could answer him the phone rang. Checking the caller ID she answered “Yes dear what can I do for you dear?”

On the other end of the line she heard children squealing seconds before Sally said “Is the little girl Jason’s daughter?”

AJ had to fight to contain her laughter before she answered “Yes, I can’t talk right now. Please, stay and keep!” Then she hung up the before Sally could ask more.  When she turned she found Jason watching her with what appear to be a very amused expression. “Your daughter is at the moment three doors down and don’t worry she is in good hands”

“So, how far can I look into those all too obviously cryptic answers you just gave whoever that was on the phone” He asked as she handed him a cup of coffee and sat down across from him at the table. 

Chuckling she said “I wasn’t trying to be cryptic just smart.  Sally and I have been friends for a while now and if I hadn’t answered the way I did she would have grilled me about you. And no, I didn’t want to do that especially with you standing right here. That would be too rude!”

His brow arched up and he got a look she remembered so well from years ago. That said “oh really, should I be flattered, worried or both?”

She took a sip of her coffee to hide the smile then said “Don’t worry she doesn’t have designs on you for more than a night. Sense her divorce a few years ago she amended that men were only good for one thing and has every intention of keeping it to that one thing. But don’t think I don’t try to change her mind every now and then.”

From that statement she got another memorable look that said “I just got worried” For which he followed with “I don’t do one night stands.”

“Don’t worry I will make sure she knows.  She has enough respect for herself not to throw herself at a man when she knows he’s not receptive.” 

“I think I feel a little safer.” He paused for about two seconds then amended “I think”

They sat for a few moments in awkward silence before AJ got up and got a couple of forks and what was left of the cheese cake out of the fridge from the other day.  Setting it on the table between them as she took her seat and she said, “So sense we are here and apparently have nothing better to do, do you want to talk or just sit here and stare at our coffee”