The Best Friend Bargain (Kisses in the Sand)

by Robin Bielman

  They’d kissed hundreds of times in thanks, congratulations, greetings, and good-byes, but never once had their lips touched.

  Danny had kissed at least a dozen girls, all more intimately than what had just happened with Liv, but none vibrated through his system like this one did.

  “Thank you,” she said, pulling back quickly. She looked as dazed as he felt. The urge to palm the back of her head and bring her back overwhelmed him. He lifted his arm.

  Before he could act on his idiotic desire, she grabbed a cookie and put the whole thing in her mouth, followed by a second one before she’d finished chewing the first.

  He offered her the milk. She gave a small smile and washed down the cookies.

  “My pee smells weird,” she said matter-of-factly as she put the glass down. “Not weird like after you eat asparagus, but really odd.”

  “Totally normal,” he assured her.

  She jerked her head to look at him. “How do you know?”

  “This may be my first baby, but I’ve heard that before.”

  “From who?”

  Danny ran a hand over the stubble on his jaw and grinned. “A few months back Bryce and I took Zane out for a couple of drinks and he took the opportunity to fill us in on Sophie. He’d needed to talk through some stuff. I’d actually forgotten about it until now.”

  “My boobs are super sen—”

  “Also normal,” Danny interrupted. Zane wasn’t one to kiss and tell, but after a few beers he’d shared a few details about sex with his pregnant wife.

  “I knew they were going to get bigger but I—”

  “Warm bath. That should help.” He didn’t know that for fact, but it seemed logical and he needed to steer the conversation away from her body. “You can use the tub in my bathroom.”

  “Thanks. Again. I have a feeling I’m going to be saying that a lot.” She brought her hand to her mouth and chewed on the nail of her index finger. “You said my.”

  “Sorry?”

  “You said my first baby.”

  He stared at Liv, cataloguing every feature of her pretty face. When he couldn’t see her anymore he wanted to pull up this image to remember her by. The one where she looked at him like he was the air that she needed to keep breathing.

  After this morning’s visit with the doctor, it was pretty hard not to get caught up in her pregnancy, and he could only imagine how much his feelings would intensify in the coming months. Despite his doubts, he couldn’t deny the tug on his heartstrings.

  “I did?”

  She gave a small, slow nod of her head.

  “No matter what, Maybug, I’m going to care for this baby because it’s yours. And I guess I’m already feeling territorial. This morning made it real. I never thought I’d get to be part of something like this.”

  She wiped at the corner of her eye. Shit. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. He reached for her hand, but she waved him away. “I’m okay. Just emotional. And I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse.”

  “Sucks for me.”

  Her laughter was the exact reaction he’d hoped for. She turned in the stool. Their knees touched and a jolt of familiarity banded with unexplored lust surged through his blood. She drew in a breath.

  “Danny?” she murmured. “Are…are we okay?”

  “More than okay,” he lied. He’d fight the unwelcome current between them no matter what. Preparing for the emotional impact of fatherhood and marriage was all he could handle—and he was barely able to manage that. To add intimacy would be asking for trouble he couldn’t risk. Not with her.

  …

  “Everything you ever want or need to know is in that book,” Sophie said, sitting next to Liv on the couch. Sunlight slanted through the living room shutters and illuminated her and baby Hannah asleep in her arms. Liv could barely take her eyes off them to appreciate the thoughtful gift.

  “Thank you.” The title of the book was What To Expect When You’re Expecting. Liv planned to read it tonight until her eyes grew so heavy she fell asleep with it in her hands. Then maybe she wouldn’t think about a certain best friend who had her stomach tied up in knots.

  The only lump in her belly was supposed to belong to Baby Lincoln.

  “And if there’s anything you’re not sure of, please don’t think twice about calling me or stopping by.”

  Liv silently debated on whether or not to ask about the avalanche of emotions troubling her. Sophie had a background in brain research and knew a thing or two about thought processes. She also knew the truth about her situation with Danny. “Actually,” Liv half whispered, “can I ask you something that doesn’t have to do with my pregnancy?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m having some new and confusing thoughts about Danny that I’m afraid are going to impact our friendship in a bad way, and I don’t ever want that to happen.”

  The other night in the kitchen when he’d come in from surfing and for the millionth time said the right words, her heart had barely been able to contain itself, knocking against her ribs so hard she worried she’d wake up with a sore chest. And when she’d leaned in to kiss his cheek and somehow gotten the corner of his mouth, too, her entire body had responded with unimaginable tingles. She’d wanted to kiss him again, only full on, with her lips and tongue and teeth. The idea scared her as much as it turned her on.

  “I’m not sure what your question is,” Sophie said.

  “Is that normal?” She couldn’t let herself think she really had romantic feelings for her best friend. “It’s just because of the situation I’ve put us in, right?” She bit her fingernail.

  “You’re thinking about him…”

  “Naked,” Liv admitted.

  “And if you had to pick one word to describe how that makes you feel, what would it be?”

  Liv didn’t answer right away. Sophie must have a good reason for asking so she wanted to respond with as close to the truth as she could figure out. “Guilty.”

  Sophie’s brow knit together. “Because of Will?”

  It hadn’t been crystal clear why until right then, but Sophie was absolutely right. Liv had thought it was because she and Danny were best friends and it would kill her to ruin their friendship, but it went deeper than that.

  She’d gotten another text from Will, this time with a picture of Kensington Gardens, with the words, Thought of you today. The message had hurt as much as it made her happy. He was thinking of her while at one of their favorite spots. She didn’t know what that meant exactly.

  “Yes. I haven’t completely gotten over my feelings for him and it feels wrong to feel affection for someone else.”

  “That makes you a good person, Olivia. And normal. And I think what’s happening is you’re projecting your feelings for Will onto Danny because he’s the one here with you.”

  “So, I’m not lusting after my best friend?”

  Sophie got a distant look in her eyes. “I know how much your friendship means to both of you, but I also know that intimacy is a big part of marriage. And being pregnant, those feelings can be intensified.” Hannah stirred in Sophie’s arms, her teensy tiny lashes fluttered and her eyes blinked open. “I better get going. It’s almost her feeding time and I know you’ve got more company coming.”

  Liv let Sophie’s words sink in before she dragged her gaze away from Hannah’s beautiful face. “Right. I hope Mrs. L. doesn’t take my refusal too badly.”

  “Don’t worry, Honor’s got your back.” Sophie stood. “And I do, too.”

  As if on cue, the doorbell rang. “Hello!” Honor called out a second later, the doorbell nothing more than a heads-up, Liv guessed.

  Honor’s eyes smiled right along with her mouth when she saw Hannah. She bent to give the baby a kiss on the cheek. “How is my sweet, beautiful, perfect goddaughter doing today? I swear she gets cuter every time I see her.”

  Sophie beamed. “I know. She looks just like her daddy and it kills me.”

  “You’re not staying?” Honor asked.


  “No, but”—Sophie winced—“let me know what happens.”

  Liv cast a confused look at her two new friends. Honor also knew the truth about her situation and gratitude didn’t begin to cover Liv’s feelings at the moment.

  “Unfortunately, no one can talk Mrs. L. out of something once she sets her mind to it. But don’t worry yet. Between the two of us, we should be able to convince her you don’t want a formal wedding, right?”

  Wrong, Liv discovered twenty minutes later as she, Honor, and Mrs. L. sat around the kitchen table. A mild autumn breeze came in through the open sliding glass door and Liv didn’t want to admit that a garden wedding—at home—had been what she’d always dreamed of.

  “December thirty-first it is,” Mrs. L. said. Once again, the woman was so kindhearted and convincing, Liv had been completely hopeless to say no. Mrs. L. covered Liv’s hand with hers. “Thank you for indulging me my last wish before I move.”

  Liv stared out into the backyard where she and Danny would exchange vows. She pictured him, wearing dark slacks and a white button down, his caramel-colored hair a little tousled from a gentle ocean breeze, standing under a canopy of flowers, and an uninvited sensation squeezed her heart: want. The kind of want wrapped up in a wish that stayed with you.

  She’d thought one day she’d marry the man of her dreams, not her best friend.

  Honor’s knee bumped Liv’s, bringing her attention back to the table. She cast Liv an apologetic glance. “How about we do it at eleven with lunch afterward? I’ll see if Elena is available to cater. She’s the chef who did Zane and Sophie’s wedding, and a good friend. The rest we’ll keep simple with flowers and a rustic garden motif.”

  “Okay,” Liv said. “Danny’s favorite color is blue so can we work with that?”

  “Definitely.” Honor jotted down some notes on a piece of paper. Liv couldn’t help but study her handwriting, caught in the flowery strokes Honor used.

  “You have an openness to new experiences,” Liv said, the words tumbling out of her mouth with little thought. “An intellect that makes you curious, though often independent.”

  Honor looked up, her eyes questioning. “What makes you say that?” she asked.

  Liv pointed to Honor’s notes. “Your handwriting. I’m a graphologist.” Why her expertise decided to reveal itself now, Liv didn’t know. Since being fired, she hadn’t the slightest desire to read anyone’s writing, but it suddenly felt good to have voiced her impressions.

  “What a unique job,” Mrs. L. said. “Is it something you do independently?”

  “I…” Liv had told enough lies to last a lifetime and while she still hadn’t gotten over the shame involved with being fired, she owed Mrs. L. the truth. “I use to work for a large recruitment company and did employment profiling for them. They placed top-level executives with multi-million-dollar firms. My reports were used with other tools, but when a new hire turned out to be a computer hacker and he stole millions of dollars, I got the blame and was fired. I should have seen that the applicant was dishonest and I hadn’t. It was my first and last mistake.”

  “I don’t think so.” Mrs. L. put her hand on Liv’s arm.

  “You don’t think it was my last mistake?” True that. She’d been naive enough to get involved with Will.

  “No, dear. I don’t think it was your mistake. Honesty can’t be measured by penmanship. It’s in the body language and actions.”

  Emotion—again—overcame Liv. What a nice thing for Mrs. L. to say.

  “Whoever conducted the in-person interview and checked his references should have been the one to catch on and been fired. Not you.”

  “Thank you for saying that.” The last couple of weeks at work had been horrible with blame thrown around in the most hurtful manner. Her immediate boss had fought for her, but ultimately it had come down to the higher-ups losing their belief in her abilities. She’d lost faith in them, too. It didn’t matter that for four years she’d maintained a flawless reputation.

  Honor bounced up and down in her chair. “I have a job for you if you want it. And it would be a huge favor to me.”

  “What do you mean?” Liv said.

  “The Halloween carnival is coming up and one of my vendors just backed out. I could set you up in his place to read people’s handwriting. People love stuff like that. It’s not at all on the same par as what you’re used to, but it could be fun. What do you say?”

  She didn’t know what to say. She’d never read people’s writing like a fortuneteller might read someone’s palm.

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” Mrs. L. said. “Sign me up right now.”

  “Come by city hall on Monday and I’ll go over all the details. Oh, and I’ll introduce you to the mayor. Who knows? He might be interested in your services for hiring personnel.”

  Liv continued to sit there quietly, unsure of how she felt.

  “I’m sorry,” Honor said, relaxing back in her chair and returning to her notes. “If you’d rather not, that’s okay. I just thought it might be a way for you to feel like you’ve got your mojo back. Because I definitely agree with Mrs. L. and, heck, you just pegged me.”

  Confidence and courage. Liv needed those things back. “No apology necessary. I’ll do it. Thank you for asking.”

  “Do what?” Danny asked, his deep voice sounding from over Liv’s shoulder. All her nerve endings stood at attention.

  “Liv’s going to have a booth at the upcoming carnival and do handwriting analysis,” Honor said.

  Warm, slightly calloused hands squeezed Liv’s upper arms. She tilted her head back and looked up at Danny. Happy, supportive eyes met hers. If they were a normal couple, he’d probably bend down and kiss her. “That’s great,” he said instead, squashing her misguided thought.

  Liv smiled at him before she lowered her chin. His hands stayed right where they were. Reassuring, caring. They felt so good. She wanted that care on other parts of her body. Caressing, rubbing, touching her between her thighs until she came all over his fingers, and then she wanted to spread her legs and feel him buried deep inside her.

  Holy shit on a swizzle stick that was specific and very inappropriate. No I don’t. No I don’t.

  “If you guys are done here, I’ve got a promise to Liv I need to keep.” Danny dropped his arms.

  “She’s all yours,” Honor said, a playful cadence to her voice, like she’d read Liv’s thoughts. She stood at the same time Mrs. L. did, saying good-bye with a twinkle in her eyes.

  “They are the cutest couple,” Liv overheard Mrs. L. say as she and Honor walked themselves out.

  “They are,” Honor agreed.

  Liv’s forehead hit the table in embarrassment. “Sorry,” she murmured. “But we’re having a wedding.”

  Danny took her hand and gave a gentle tug so she had to follow him. “Instead of a swear jar, I’m going to start a sorry jar and charge you a dollar for every time you say it.” He led her to the couch. “Knock it off, okay?” He propped an extra pillow behind her back and sat far enough away for her to straighten her legs and put her feet in his lap.

  She’d baked him chocolate chip cookies this morning. It was payback time.

  “When?” he asked, taking her heel and massaging the bottom of her foot.

  It took her a minute to realize he meant the wedding. “New Year’s Eve.”

  “Where?”

  “Backyard.”

  He let out a breath. “Okay. Sounds good.”

  “No it doesn’t.” She knew he was just appeasing her.

  “It does actually. My original concern had to do with family and friends making a big production of it, but I can deal with something small. We’re friends doing this for a good reason, Liv, and a ceremony means something to you.”

  Friends. She was starting to hate that word. She understood his explanation, but because he obviously wasn’t feeling any of the new sensations between them that she was, he didn’t see the harm in his casual attitude.

 
He rubbed the ball of her foot, making her sink a little further into the couch.

  Silence rained between them like a hailstorm. She had to tell him about the unwelcome but stubborn desires making her hot and needy before she acted on impulse and did something stupid like jump him.

  “Things are different,” she whispered to her lap, unable to meet his eyes when she admitted that.

  When he didn’t answer right away, she looked up.

  Pain filled the line between his furrowed brows, but agreement and…she couldn’t take a breath for a moment…heat shimmered in his direct gaze. “Yeah.”

  Her toes started to tingle, the buzz continuing up her legs and spreading over every inch of her skin. He shared her crazy attraction. Comfort mixed with desire. “I should leave.”

  “No. I want you to stay.”

  A thrill moved up her spine. So did fear and uncertainty. “I’d die if anything happened to our friendship, Danny.”

  “Nothing—”

  “They say relationships ruin the best friendships, you know.”

  He gave her the look that said, “Are you finished?” She pressed her lips together.

  “Nothing is going to happen between us, Liv. Not like that. It will pass, whatever this is. I think we’re just straddling a line we never imagined we’d find ourselves standing on. It’s not your fault,” he was quick to add, taking in her upset expression. “Emotions are running kind of high at the moment, but we’ve got our rules. We’ve got fifteen years of friendship. The fact that we’re both feeling something new and feeling worried about it, means we can handle it and move forward without screwing anything up.”

  Liv nodded in agreement.

  “We good, then?”

  “Yes.” She wiggled her feet to remind him of his forgotten task. “We should have just eloped.” She had no idea where the suggestion came from, but it had a good effect. Danny visibly relaxed, his body molding into the couch cushions.

  “Where to?”

  She shrugged like it would have been no big deal. “The Poppycock House?”