by SJ McCoy
Roxy’s eyes pricked with tears. “I do, and I love you guys.”
“Aww. I love you, too.”
“I mean it, Maria. You don’t know what it was like when they were my friends. They’re … mean, is probably the best word. I always felt second best, second class around them. They were all so much perkier, and prettier and richer—and they didn’t mind reminding me about that any chance they got.”
“They sound horrible. And no way are they prettier than you. You’re beautiful.”
Roxy laughed. “You’re too sweet. I’m okay. But they do all the clothes and nails and makeup and hair and all that stuff that I never really cared about. I always felt inferior, you know?”
“I hate that! You should never feel that way. I’ll tell you what, why don’t you come over and get ready with me at our place. I’ll do your hair and makeup—I’ll lend you something to wear, too, if you want. You show them, and more importantly, show yourself. You’d beat them at their game if you chose to play it. You just have different priorities; you care about more important things.”
Roxy thought about it for a moment and smiled. “Would you mind? That’d be kind of awesome. I know it’s silly, but I would like them to see me all dolled up and not just the frumpy clueless me they remember.”
“Of course. Just come over whenever you want. We’ll get ready together.”
“Won’t Zack mind?”
“No! He was only saying the other day that we hadn’t seen much of you lately. He won’t hang out for the hair and makeup part, but he’ll pick us out a great bottle of wine to enjoy while we’re doing it.”
“Okay, thanks, Maria. I’ll text you before I come to make sure it’s okay.”
Maria laughed. “It is okay, just come whenever you want. I’ll be home in twenty minutes.”
Chapter Two
Logan looked up at the sound of a knock on his office door.
"Hey, Nate, what's up?"
"Nothing's up with me," said Nate. "I thought everyone had left. I'm surprised to see you still here at this time on a Friday. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. Everything's fine. I was just working through the list of issues brought up at today's meeting."
Nate smiled. "I love that you call it a meeting, and the guys just think that you treat them to lunch."
Logan grinned back at him. "It comes from having worked my way up through the ranks. I know how much the guys hate having to stop work to attend meetings. Meetings are nonproductive. Lunch is a good chance to hang out with all the guys, and when the guys hang out, they tend to bitch about what's not working."
Nate nodded. "Anything I need to know about?"
"No. It's all good. Everything's on track. We had a couple of issues with delays on supplies. But I spent this afternoon working out the kinks."
"I'm glad to hear it. I don't want to fall behind on this one."
"Nor do I."
"Well, if you're all sorted, are you going to get out of here?"
Logan looked up at the clock on the wall. "Damn! I didn't realize it was that time already."
Nate gave him a knowing smile. "Let me guess; you have a hot date waiting for you?"
Logan shrugged. "I'm heading over to the Boathouse to meet up with everyone."
"Good. I'll see you there then. Lily and I are meeting up with the gang tonight, too. But you didn't answer the question. I can't believe that there isn't a hot chick involved."
Logan smirked. “There isn't always a hot chick."
Nate laughed. “Maybe not always, but at least ninety-nine percent of the time. Josh mentioned that there were some girls in the café at lunchtime. It sounded like he was interested. I can’t believe he spotted them, and you didn't."
Logan pursed his lips. He wished those girls hadn't shown up at all. He was still angry about the way they'd talked about Roxy.
Nate raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't tell me you're losing your touch? Did Josh really spot some girls that you didn't?"
Logan laughed. "You're not even seriously asking me that, are you?"
"I wouldn't be. Normally," said Nate. "But the look on your face says something’s off."
"Honestly, I had my eye on one of them until I realized that they’re old friends of Roxy’s. It seems that they’re out here for a bachelorette party. But it's just coincidence that they chose Summer Lake for it. They hadn't invited her; they didn't know she lives here."
Nate gave him a puzzled look. “And?"
"And I overheard the way they were talking about her … let's just say they didn't sound like they'd be very good friends to have."
"A lot of us had lives we left behind when we moved here. It sounds like that might be the case for Roxy. She doesn't strike me as someone to be upset by a bunch of mean girls."
Logan laughed. "It's funny you should call them that. That's exactly how they struck me. And no, I don't think Roxy was fazed by it at all. It just rubbed me wrong. They were talking as though they were so superior to her. And Roxy's awesome."
Nate gave him a knowing look. "I've wondered sometimes if you had a thing for her."
"No. It's not that. She's a friend. She's a good girl. I don't like anyone messing with my friends."
Nate nodded. "None of us do. I'm sure Roxy will be fine. And if those girls do give her any kind of a hard time, everyone here will rally around to support her."
Logan nodded. He hated the thought of them giving her a hard time. But it wasn't even that that was bothering him. For some reason, it had irritated him to no end that they saw themselves as so superior to Roxy, when in his eyes, not one of them could hold a candle to her.
~ ~ ~
Roxy pulled up in front of the big wrought iron gates that stood at the entrance to Maria and Zack’s place. She put her window down and reached out to press the buzzer.
“Hey, Roxy. Come on through." Zack’s voice sounded tinny through the little speaker.
"Thanks. I'll see you in a minute." Roxy watched as the gates magically slid open and then pulled her car through. She looked around as she drove toward the house. This place was fabulous. Trees lined the driveway, and between them, she could glimpse views of the lake. She was so happy for her friends that they'd managed to overcome Zack’s troubles and now got to live happily together in such a wonderful place.
She pulled up in front of the house and smiled when the door opened. Maria always liked to come out to greet her friends when they arrived. This time, though, it wasn't Maria who greeted her with a smile. It was Zack.
"Hey, come on in. Maria just got out of the shower. So, I'm the official greeting party. I picked us out a big, bold Cab since I know you like those."
"Thanks, Zack. You're the best. Are you sure that you don't have a brother just like you?"
Zack laughed. "There was talk at one point that I might have a half-brother somewhere, but I don't think that would be a road you'd want to go down. Anyway, I'm sure you could find yourself a great guy much closer to home."
Roxy laughed. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? Everyone else seems to manage it around here. But not me.” She shrugged and rolled her eyes at that. "Anyway, let's not stand here on the steps lamenting my lack of a love life. Not when you have a perfectly good bottle of wine going to waste in there."
She followed Zack through to the kitchen. While he poured her a glass of wine, she took a seat at the huge island and looked out at the beautiful view of the lake. "This is such a lovely house. I'm so happy for you two."
"Thanks. I spent so many years on the move, I never dared think I'd end up settling down in a place like this." He turned his head to look toward the stairs at the sound of Maria coming down. "And I sure as hell didn't think I'd ever be so lucky as to find someone like Maria."
Maria gave him a puzzled look as she came toward them and gave Roxy a hug. "What's he saying about me? Is he telling you what pain in the butt I am?"
"No way," said Roxy with a laugh. "He's telling me what a lucky guy he is. And I happen to agree wi
th him."
"Well, I disagree," said Maria with a smile. She went and planted a kiss on Zack's cheek. "I say I'm the lucky one."
Roxy laughed. "Give it up, would you? I'm very happy for you both, but remember who you’re talking to here. I'm the one who hasn't even had a date in forever. I might be happy for you, but I won't deny that I get a teensy bit jealous every now and then."
"Aww." Zach came to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "It's only a matter of timing. Your guy is out there. He just hasn't shown up yet."
"Well, I wish he'd hurry up about it," said Roxy with a laugh.
"Maybe he’s shown up already," said Maria. "But you just haven't realized it yet."
Roxy shook her head. "I don't think any of the guys we know are my Mr. Right. You're not seriously saying that you do, are you?"
Maria shrugged. "Maybe. You never know. Zack and I knew each other for a couple of years before we ever got together. So did Angel and Luke."
"Yeah, but we all knew from the beginning that you were supposed to be together. It was obvious that you two liked each other, and Angel and Luke, too. I don't have anyone like that. I mean, come on, in our group of friends, who is there? There’s Austin. He's with Nadia, though why none of us knows. Then there's Colt. He's a sweetie pie, but he's not my type, and it's fairly evident that I'm not his."
Maria gave her an odd look. "And you're forgetting the obvious."
"The obvious?"
"Yeah, I don't see anyone obvious," said Zack. "Who do you mean?"
"Are you both playing dumb?" asked Maria. "What about Logan?"
Roxy laughed out loud at that. "What about Logan? Okay, so it's no secret that I think he's good-looking. But come on, Logan isn't anybody's Mr. Right. Although he is a lot of girls’ Mr. Right Now."
Zack nodded. "Sorry, but I have to agree with Roxy on that one. Logan’s a good guy, a good friend. But I see him as being one of those guys who’ll never settle down.”
Maria shook her head. “Well, I think you’re both wrong. I think he’s enjoying sewing his wild oats, but that won’t last forever. It’s just a phase, and when he’s had enough of it, I think we’ll get to see a different side of him. I mean, he’s a stand-up guy. He’s solid and reliable in every other aspect. I think he’d be perfect for you, Rox.”
Roxy shook her head adamantly. “And I think you’re nuts. If I could transfer his looks onto someone solid and reliable, then yes, I’d be interested. But you’re just getting carried away. That’s not who he is. Don’t get me wrong, I do think he’s good guy, but I don’t think he’ll ever be boyfriend material. He enjoys what he does too much—and he’s too good at it to give it up.”
“What do you mean?” asked Maria.
Zack laughed. “I think she means he’s too good at sleeping around and sorry, but I have to agree with her.”
Roxy gave him a rueful smile. Zack was right. He was a realist. Maria tended to look on the bright side of everything—and sometimes she ignored reality in order to do so.
Maria shrugged. “Maybe you’re both right, but I have a sneaky feeling that Logan might prove you wrong one of these days. He has a good heart. But tonight isn’t about him; it’s about getting you all done up so you can show those girls you used to know just how beautiful you are.”
Roxy made a face at Zack. “She’s going to have her work cut out for her.”
“Give yourself some credit, Rox. I’m going to leave you both to it, but I know full well that you’ll both look stunning when you’re done.”
“Aww.” Roxy punched his arm. “You’re a good ‘un. Thanks. I’m sorry I’m crashing your evening, but I appreciate you letting me.”
“You’re not crashing anything. I’m going to call my dad, which is exactly what I planned to do while Maria was getting ready.”
Maria picked up the glass of wine he’d poured for her. “Give him my love, won’t you? And ask when he’s coming to visit again.”
Roxy followed her upstairs and looked around in wonder as Maria led her into her dressing room. “I love this place!”
Maria laughed. “I do, too. I still can’t quite believe it’s real. That I live here. That Zack and I are together.”
“That you’re getting married. It’s awesome.”
Maria nodded happily. “It is. And sorry I went on about Logan before. It’s just that I’m so happy. I want the same for you.”
“Hey. Don’t be sorry. I want it, too. But, unfortunately, even when I do find my person, it won’t be Logan.”
“If you say so. But don’t rule out the idea completely. I know he’s not boyfriend material right now, but I seriously believe that he’ll be ready to straighten up his act at some point, and when he does, he’ll be a real catch.”
Roxy gave her a sad smile. “I won’t rule the idea out—in fact, since it’s you, I’ll admit that I daydream about it sometimes. But I’m more of a realist than you are. Just because he’s gorgeous to look at, it’s not enough. He’s a player. We all know that. And even when a guy grows out of that kind of thing, you have to ask yourself what it is about his personality that makes him think that it’s okay to live that way. It brings up the question of values, and it’s evident that his and mine don’t match.”
Maria blew out a sigh. “I’m not going to argue with you. I still think you could be wrong. But it’s time to change the subject.” She grinned and opened the door to her closet. “It’s time to find you something to wear.”
Roxy grinned back at her. Maria wore such lovely clothes. She was one of those girls who was always so well put together. In fact, when Roxy had first met her, she’d been a little intimidated. Maria had struck her as being like the girls she’d gone to college with. But, although Maria was like them in that she took great care of the way she looked and cared about her hair and makeup, she couldn’t be more different from them in all the ways that mattered. She was kind and caring. She looked out for her friends, and she certainly didn’t judge people by where they came from or what they had.
~ ~ ~
Logan ran down the stairs to get the door and smiled when he opened it and saw Austin standing there.
“Hey, come on in. What are you doing here? I thought you were going with Nadia tonight.”
Austin rolled his eyes and stepped inside. “She’s pissed at me again. I don’t even know what I did wrong this time. She says she doesn’t want to go anywhere with me tonight. And I’m tired of it. She does this way too often, and she expects me to go home and sit there feeling sorry for myself. Well, I’m not doing it again. I’ve been looking forward to seeing everyone and to hearing the band. I’m going anyway.”
Logan raised his eyebrows. “And you’re prepared to deal with her wrath when she hears that you dared go without her permission?”
“I’m done with getting her permission and dealing with her sulking. I told her. I’m done.”
“Wow. Are you serious?”
“Never been more serious in my life. I should’ve listened to you guys a long time ago. I can’t take it anymore.”
Logan grasped his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing. I know I give you a hard time about her. It’s no secret that I can’t stand her, but what I dislike most about her is that she makes you miserable. You only get one life, bud. You can’t waste it spending time with someone who makes you unhappy.”
Austin gave him a rueful smile. “I know. I’ve known it for a long time. I just didn’t have the balls to do anything about it. I felt guilty wanting to do stuff for myself; she made me feel guilty—like anything I did to make myself happy made her miserable.”
“Some people are like that. They think you exist for their convenience. I’m glad you’ve escaped her clutches before it’s too late. For a while there, I thought you were going to end up marrying her and wasting your whole life.”
Austin shuddered. “For a while there so did I, but something just snapped in my head tonight. It’s not my responsibility to mak
e her happy. It’s hers. And if she can’t manage to do that, it’s not my fault—and not something I want to stick around to witness.”
Logan went to the fridge and took out two bottles of beer. “I’d say that you coming to your senses calls for a celebration. Here you go.”
Austin took one from him with a smile. “Thanks.”
Logan raised his beer with a grin. “Here’s to your freedom.”
Austin laughed. “Yep, long may it last. I’m thinking I should follow your example in the future and stay single. Caring about people just makes you miserable.”
Logan frowned. “No. That’s not the way I see it. Caring about people is what makes life worth living.”
Austin laughed. “You’re not telling me that you care about all the women you sleep with?”
“No. I mean that I care about the people in my life. You don’t sleep with people that you care about.”
“What?”
Logan grinned. “It’s true. I divide people into friends and fucks. And ne’er the twain shall meet. Sex is for fun—but you don’t confuse it with friendship. Friends are worth so much more than a quick roll in the sack.”
Austin stared at him for a long moment. “Is that seriously how you see it?”
Logan nodded solemnly.
“But sex is supposed to be something that you share with someone who you care about.”
“Not in my world. The way I see it, if you care about them, you stay the hell away from anything physical. And if you’re getting into something physical, then the last thing you want to do is start caring about them. It complicates everything, and I like life simple.”
Austin was staring at him as if he were crazy.
Logan shrugged. “You don’t have to agree with me. It’s just my way. But tell me this; which one of us is happy and enjoying life and which one’s been miserable for the last couple of years?”
Austin blew out a sigh.
“I rest my case. Now come on, down your beer and let’s get going. I hope you walked over here. Neither of us is driving tonight.”
Chapter Three
