Silk scarves around my wrists? No, thank you. Claustrophobia much?
I grinned and shook my head, heading to work, trying to think about everything I had to do today.
Since it was the slow season, I was working alone most days, even though I had summer staff when needed. My brothers and Tobey helped out when they could. And that made me think of my former best friend again, and it hurt.
The fact that I had used the word former in my head?
Well, that was new.
I was so done worrying about my inept feelings. I wanted to focus on the good. My family was great, I had some amazing friends, and I’d had an incredible dream.
Okay, I was so not going to focus on that.
I went straight to work, finishing up two early meetings with people that I would eventually add as clients thanks to some wonderful referrals.
I couldn’t wait for spring. That way, I could really get dirty and get things done. But the planning stages needed to be done, too, just like when it was hot as hell during the summer and things didn’t want to grow because they were too shocked. I also had to deal with that.
By the time lunch rolled around, I was hungry and in desperate need of coffee.
I also had to get my things ready for a meeting with Erin and Zoey, since we were all working together on an upcoming wedding.
Erin was an amazing cake decorator, and Zoey was a florist.
I didn’t always work with them when it came to weddings, but sometimes, we offered package deals because while Zoey worked with the flowers, outdoor weddings needed my special touch.
The fact that I could work with my two best friends made my job a little bit better.
And as if I had conjured them out of thin air, they walked in, both grinning from ear to ear.
“Hey there,” I said, opening my arms as I gave them each a hug. I tried not to think about the last time I had seen them or what we had talked about: them setting me up on a date. It wasn’t their fault that they wanted to help me get over Tobey. I wasn’t sure if I could.
I hated that murky area between things that didn’t make sense. But I was going to figure it all out.
I just had to remember to be happy.
“I thought I was meeting you guys at the coffee shop. Or was it at your cake shop?” I shook my head and looked down at my phone. “Okay, it was apparently at the bakery, and I was only thinking of coffee.”
“Well, it seems we’re all doing that because I really want a cup of coffee, too,” Zoey said, looking around at the flowers I had put in the room.
Though they were my babies, she loved taking care of them, as well. Zoey was a fantastic florist who not only worked with cut flowers but also worked with potted plants.
She made sure that all plants lived their best lives or were showcased in the most amazing ways. Even if they had to be cut to do so.
I figured we were a match made in heaven.
“So, we came here to see if we could get you to come and get coffee rather than coming to my place,” Erin said, looking down at her phone. “Devin says hi, by the way.”
“Tell him hi,” I said, looking at Zoey and rolling my eyes.
Zoey met my gaze, and we grinned, both of us shaking our heads.
The two lovebirds were a little ridiculous with each other, but if it put that look on Erin’s face as well as a similar one on my brother’s mug, I was happy.
Both of them deserved what they had, especially since my big brother had done so much for all of us without asking for anything for himself. And Erin had been through a really shitty marriage and a really crappy divorce. Finding a second chance with my brother meant everything in the world.
Now, if only we could get Zoey to be happy.
I was not going to include myself in that, thank you very much. Tried that, done that. I was done.
“So, you came here instead of texting me so we could get coffee?” I asked while pulling on my coat.
“You were on the way.”
I nodded, smiling. “Are we taking two cars? Once we find parking and get out, it’s going to be freezing as fuck.”
“It’s not that bad, and they actually have the heaters on along Main Street.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing.”
“How early did you get here if you didn’t know they did that?” Zoey asked as we walked outside. I waved at one of my neighbors.
“Super early, apparently.” I didn’t add the bit about me waking up early because of my erotic dream. They really didn’t need to know that.
“I’ve been craving coffee all day, and I only had a small cup for breakfast,” I said, pushing thoughts of Tucker…and Tobey out of my mind.
“Good. Because I think I could probably drink an entire latte all by myself. I mean like the entire vat of it. Like every espresso bean in the place.” I laughed at Zoey’s words and made my way to my car, following them to our favorite café in Denver. It wasn’t the closest place, but it was totally the best place.
We ordered our coffees, grinning at the woman with the cute blond bob behind the counter.
There was a tattoo shop next door, one that was owned by my sister-in-law’s family. I’d always wanted to go in to get a tattoo. Maybe one day I would, but I was a little afraid.
I wasn’t covered like Devin was, so maybe I should just get over my fears and get it done.
We took a corner seat and grinned at each other as we people-watched and talked about our upcoming business plans.
I loved this area. The fact that every type of person imaginable could walk in and get exactly what was perfect for them.
“I cannot wait to actually start working full-time on this wedding,” Zoey said, taking out her tablet so we could look through her files. “You should really be a wedding planner in addition to being a florist,” I said, looking at her notes.
“I love flowers too much for that. I love that idea, in that Nora Roberts’ series, where all the women each had their own section of a whole wedding planning business. But I don’t think that would work for us.”
“You never know. We just need to meet someone who likes to organize everyone to insane degrees and then maybe find a photographer,” Erin said.
“Tucker’s good with a camera,” I said, and then wanted to bite my tongue.
The girls met gazes, but I ignored it.
“And you know,” I added, looking down at my phone so I wasn’t actually looking at them, “Caleb is great at organizing everybody. Maybe he could be the wedding planner.” I looked up as Erin laughed, and Zoey shrugged.
“What? It could happen.”
“I really want to see your big brother talking about taffeta and lace.”
I laughed at Zoey’s words. “He’d be good at it.”
“A former boilermaker who now works in construction? Sure, honey.”
I shook my head at Zoey and took a sip of my coffee.
I looked over at Erin, who stiffened. I frowned.
“What is it?
“Shit,” she whispered under her breath.
“Is it your ex?”
“No,” Erin said, looking at Zoey. “But just know we didn’t plan this. I’m sorry.”
I frowned at both of them and then looked up as a very attractive blond man came walking up to us. He had tattoos down his forearms from what I could see peeking out of his Henley sleeves, and he was built like a quarterback. Broad shoulders, slender hips, and thick thighs.
He was sexy as hell and had a wicked grin.
But from the way Erin had whispered those words to me, I was a little afraid.
“Hey there. I was just thinking about you guys,” the man said as he walked up to us.
“Jace. I didn’t know you would be here,” Erin said, and I could hear the honesty in her words, but I was still worried. I didn’t know why, but if she seemed upset, I was afraid.
“I was over at Montgomery Ink getting my consult done. Walked over here for coffee, and saw you guys. Good to see you, too, Zoey.�
�� He turned to me and grinned. “And you must be Amelia.” He smiled, and my stomach dropped.
Oh. So, he knew who I was. And from the way the girls kept looking at each other guiltily, I had a feeling I knew exactly what this was.
I wasn’t going to get angry. My friends were just trying to be helpful, but I didn’t want to be helped. All I wanted was to be okay and not pitied. I didn’t want to be in a position where people tried to make me feel better. While it might make me a horrible person, I didn’t want any of this. Why couldn’t I be normal?
“Yes, I’m Amelia. I take it your name is Jace?”
“So, they’ve told you about me, too, have they?”
“No, can’t say they have.”
Why was this so awkward? Why did I hate it?
“Sorry, Jace,” Erin said quickly, wringing her hands in front of her.
“We didn’t actually mention to Amelia yet that we wanted to set her up on a blind date like this.”
Like. This.
What the hell?
“Oh,” Jace said quickly, his cheeks turning red.
“Sorry about that. They didn’t actually say you would be here or anything. This is a total coincidence. But it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too. But I’m afraid they’re mistaken.”
I had no idea why the words were coming out of my mouth, but they seemed to be doing their own thing. “I’m already taken.”
Zoey and Erin flipped their gazes to me, their eyes wide.
“Taken?” Zoey asked.
“By who?” Erin asked quickly.
Jace’s brows rose, and he stuck his hands into his pockets. “Well, seems like I’m too late. Or not early enough, considering this wasn’t supposed to actually be where I met you. Sorry for making things uncomfortable. I can head out.”
Jace gestured over his shoulder, and I quickly slid out of the booth and shook my head. “You know what, I’m sorry. It’s just been a weird couple of days. Or weeks. Anyway, it was so nice to meet you, Jace. But I am taken. He’s a great guy. I like him.”
Oh my God, why was I still talking? Why couldn’t I shut up?
“Tucker’s amazing,” I continued, digging myself a deeper hole. “And it’s all new, so my friends don’t even know yet. But now they do. I hope you find someone great.” I did not want to be pitied. They weren’t pushing. They loved me. They didn’t want me to be unhappy.
And I had been because of Tobey. They hadn’t set this up.
And while this wasn’t horrible, I hated this feeling. The oppressive weight that felt as if everything were pressing down on me, and even though they were trying to be kind, it was all too much.
So, I said Tucker’s name. I shouldn’t have. Why was his name the first one on my mind?
Why couldn’t I have made up some random name?
Why did I have to create a fictional relationship with someone who was actually real?
There were places in hell for me. Dark ones.
And I deserved any punishment I got there.
“Well, it was nice to meet you. I hope we meet again though someday, just in case.” He winked and then headed over to the door that connected the café to the tattoo shop. I turned to my friends, my eyes wide, “I need to go.”
The girls opened their mouths, probably to ask questions, but I ignored them. I picked up my bag, turned on my heel, and ran.
Not because I didn’t want to talk to them, though I really didn’t. No, I took off because I had to head off Tucker before he heard.
Because, apparently, he was in a relationship with me. A new one, a secret one.
And he had no idea.
Chapter 8
Tucker
Once again, I got out of the shower, exhausted. I’d worked the night shift, slept for a little bit of the morning, but then had to go back in for an emergency.
While I loved my job, I missed sleep at times.
When I got home, I’d wanted to go right back to sleep, but I knew I needed to stay up until at least eight since I had to work again today. I didn’t usually work shifts like these, but I had been filling in for a friend who was getting married as well as having a baby, and that meant a little less sleep for me. As long as I did my best to regulate it a bit, I would be safe. And, honestly, that was really all that mattered.
I slid myself into my jeans, pulled a long sleeve t-shirt over my head, and went into the kitchen to figure out what to eat.
The doorbell rang, and I frowned, wondering who it could be. Devin had said he had plans today with Erin, but I was pretty sure he was probably still working. He was still behind the desk following his accident, but he was doing better. It was strange to see him injured, the big man who never let anything knock him down. Except for a car. Apparently, a vehicle could take him out for a bit.
I opened the door, my eyes going wide.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” I asked Amelia, taking a step back. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I wasn’t expecting you. Weren’t you at work?”
“Yeah, well I had to take part of the day off. Long story. One that you’re a part of.”
My brows rose, but before I could ask anything about it, my phone buzzed from where it sat on the kitchen counter. “I need to look at that. Could be work.”
“That’s okay. Your work’s important. I should go.”
“You better not. You need to explain exactly why you’re here because you’re starting to freak me out. In a good way. You know I’m always here for you. I told you that. But you do need to explain. One sec.” I picked up my phone and looked at the display, saw it was once again Melinda, and frowned. She had called before, but I hadn’t called her back. Honestly, I’d forgotten, but I would do better this time. I’d call her back as soon as I could. But first, I had to figure out exactly why Amelia was here.
She was fidgeting, shifting her weight from side to side and biting her lip. Something was wrong. If it had anything to do with that fucker, Tobey, I was going to be pissed.
“I’d ask if you want a drink, but the last time I saw you do that, I had to hold your hair back as you threw up.”
“I thought we weren’t going to talk about that again.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and started pacing in my foyer.
“Okay. How about some coffee?”
“I can’t have coffee. I just had coffee. Coffee is the reason for all of this. I can probably never drink it again. Like I can never drink tequila again.”
“Okay, hold up.” I moved towards her, putting my hands on her shoulders to stop her.
She froze and looked up at me, her eyes wide. “I can’t have coffee anymore.”
“You said that already. And it’s worrying.” I put the back of my hand against her forehead, and she stuck her tongue out at me.
“I’m not sick. At least, I don’t think so.”
“Well, your face is warm, but mostly you look a bit frazzled.”
“Just what everyone wants to hear. That they look frazzled.”
“Frazzled isn’t so bad. But you look like something’s on your mind. And between the pacing and the fact that you said you never want coffee again, I’m a little worried about you.”
“You should be worried. I think I messed things up.”
My brows rose again, and then I gently nudged her towards my couch.
She took a seat before standing up again, pacing around a bit, then sitting right back down.
I figured she’d probably do this for a bit because whenever Amelia was nervous or needed to formulate her thoughts, she paced.
I had forgotten that for a moment, but now it all came back to me. I’d known Amelia for years. Things were a little different now, but they weren’t too different. I needed to remind myself of that every once in a while.
I took a seat in the corner of my sectional and sat back, watching her move.
She was really beautiful, even when she was tugging at her hair, causing it to fall out of its braid and tumble ov
er her shoulders.
Her face was a little red from the outdoors, and probably from her nerves regarding whatever else was going through her mind.
She was in her work clothes, so that meant jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, but the outfit worked for her. She pulled off dresses and other outfits fine, too—something I’d told myself I wasn’t going to think about.
Because that would be wrong. So wrong.
“I have a proposition for you,” she blurted out, and I froze, looking up at her.
I swallowed hard, trying not to think about what she could mean. Because she couldn’t possibly mean any of the things that were going through my mind right now. Mostly because my thoughts had nothing to do with clothes, and everything to do with her being on her knees. Or me being on mine. Or either of us doing things to the other that would probably be illegal in some states.
Okay, enough of that.
“A proposition.”
“Yeah. That’s not a great word. I have an offer. No, that’s not a great word either. An idea. Yes, an idea. And I need your help.”
Intrigue piqued, I leaned forward, my forearms on my knees. “Okay, an offer. An idea. You need my help. Well, I said I would be here for anything you need. But if you’re going to start with the word proposition, I’m going to need some details.”
“I need you to be my beard.”
I blinked, tilting my head to look at her. “I have a beard. A small one, but I don’t shave every day. Though I don’t actually know what you mean by that. Do you need me to grow a beard? I can do that, but I don’t like it to get too shaggy.”
She threw her hands up and growled.
Why was that so sexy?
“No, I need you to be my beard.”
“You’re growing a beard?”
“Oh my God. I need you to be my fake boyfriend. Like a beard?”
I shook my head, wondering why that made no sense. Because, what the fuck?
Reckless With You Page 8
