All Because I Met You (Morgan's Bay, #2)

by Theresa Paolo

  “Sex changes things,” Isla said.

  Olivia tossed chestnut strands over her shoulder and angled her head toward the sun. “You’re thinking about it then?”

  Was she? Was she really thinking about stripping naked in front of Milo and letting him touch her? “I don’t know. Maybe?”

  “Don’t do it,” Isla interjected. “You’ll ruin your friendship.”

  “Would it, though? Would one night of sex really ruin twenty years of friendship?”

  “Yes!”

  “No,” Olivia said.

  “It’s a recipe for disaster.” Isla held her finger up at Olivia. “Don’t even try to argue. Think about it. They go through with this, the sex is bad, or it’s good, and they start some no strings attached relationship, and Milo falls in love with her or vice versa and the other person doesn’t feel the same way. It ends, leaving one person pining for the other, and then it’s weird. And not just between you two but between all of us. Trust me on this one. I kind of have firsthand experience.”

  “Lucky for you, Nolan moved to Seattle,” Olivia said.

  “Yes, but imagine if he didn’t. He’s still friends with Milo, and if he were here, we’d wind up at the same get-togethers, and it would be awkward for everyone involved.”

  Olivia pushed her sunglasses up and squinted in Harper’s direction. “She has a good point. It could get weird, especially now that Shane and Milo are friends. I don’t want to get pulled between the two of you.”

  Harper shot Olivia a look.

  “Of course, I’d always choose you, sisters before misters and all that, but it would still be complicated. Then again, aren’t you curious?”

  “That’s the thing,” Harper said. “I never thought I was, but now that the possibility is there, it’s all I can think about.”

  “He broke down the barrier, and there’s no going back. You might as well go for it.”

  “What about what you just said?” Isla asked. “About it making things complicated.”

  “My life has been one big ball of complicated. If it means Harper can get some, then I’m willing to take one for the team.”

  Isla sighed. “I’m all about being a team player, but this is an entirely different game that we don’t fully understand.”

  “It’s not for us to understand,” Olivia said. “It’s between Harper and Milo, and if you want my blessing…” Olivia turned to Harper. “Then consider this it. You’ll always wonder if you don’t go for it.”

  “Why do I bother?” Isla asked.

  Harper laughed. “I appreciate your insight, and it’s given me a lot to think about.”

  “That’s all I’m asking,” Isla said. “Think about it. Weigh your options. And not for nothing, you two would totally make a cute couple; I’ve been saying it for years.”

  “If we go through with it, it’ll just be sex,” Harper said.

  Isla smiled. “That’s what you think.”

  Chapter 6

  Milo picked up Mr. Shultz for his doctor appointment. His family had taken his car keys away recently and paid Milo to bring him to all his appointments. Milo liked the old man and enjoyed their time together on the days when Mr. Shultz wasn’t cranky about the neighborhood kids playing on his lawn.

  Mr. Shultz shuffled out with his walker. His tan pants were hitched up over his belly button and secured in place by a black leather belt. His light blue short-sleeve shirt was tucked in, and he had three pens in his pocket.

  Milo got out of the car to help him down the front steps. He made it about halfway up the lawn when Mr. Shultz stopped him with a glare.

  “If I needed your help, I’d ask for it,” he grumbled.

  “Good thing I wasn’t offering my help.”

  Milo stayed in place but was on alert in case Mr. Shultz toppled down the steps. He was a speed demon on solid ground, it was the stairs that worried Milo. His balance wasn’t as good as it once was.

  Mr. Shultz managed the stairs with no problem and Milo hurried to the car, opening the passenger door for him. “I don’t need you opening doors for me. I’m not your girlfriend.”

  “And thank God for that,” Milo said.

  “How is that girlfriend of yours?”

  “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “The tall one with the brown hair. Does the painting.”

  “Harper? She isn’t my girlfriend.”

  “You live together.”

  “We’re roommates.”

  ‘You’re always out together, and you help her with her art classes.”

  “She’s my best friend.”

  Mr. Shultz glanced at him. “Sounds like a girlfriend to me.”

  “It’s not that complicated.”

  “You live with a girl who’s not your girlfriend and she’s just your friend, but you go out together. I don’t know. That sounds pretty darn complicated to me.”

  When he put it that way, it did, but he and Harper weren’t complicated at all. His relationship with Harper was the least complicated thing in his life.

  “Why don’t we get in the car,” Milo said.

  “In other words, you want me to shut up.”

  “You said it, not me.”

  “Back in my day we didn’t live with girls we didn’t intend to marry.” Mr. Shultz eased into the passenger seat, and Milo folded up his walker.

  “Luckily, this is the twenty-first century, and nobody follows those rules anymore.” Milo shut the door as Mr. Shultz sighed and plopped his wrinkled hands into his lap.

  Milo got in the driver’s seat and headed out. Mr. Shultz’s appointment took longer than expected, and Milo passed the time by texting Harper memes about roommate expectations vs reality. She was home, working on the glasses for Sofia’s graduation. He should’ve commissioned her to make commemorative shot glasses for his party. Not that he needed them or had ever given out favors at the end, but it would’ve given Harper more business. More business meant more money and one step closer to her opening a brick and mortar.

  Next year, if she was still saving, he’d ask her. Though, he hoped she wouldn’t see right through him and refuse, knowing he was only doing it so he could give her money. He’d have to be sneakier just like with the business cards. He hoped they’d generate enough business for her that by the time she discovered what he did, she wouldn’t be mad. He crossed imaginary fingers and sent up a silent prayer.

  Mr. Schultz finally came out of his appointment, shuffling and mumbling as he went.

  “Everything okay?” Milo asked as he followed.

  “The doctor wants me to cut my sugar intake.”

  “What’s the problem with that?”

  Mr. Schultz stopped and stared daggers. “He can pry my Twinkies from my cold dead hands.”

  “I did not realize your affinity for Twinkies.”

  “They’re little cakes of goodness that have a shelf life of forty-five days. What is there not to like?”

  Milo bit back a laugh as he stood by idly while Mr. Schultz lowered himself into the car. Once he was situated, Milo folded up his walker, tossed it in the trunk, and got back on the road. He had a few more runs to make today, including taking Ms. Wheeler to the grocery store, and he did not want to be late.

  He dropped Mr. Shultz off, who was still grumbling about his Twinkies. He had about twenty minutes before he had to be at Ms. Wheeler’s, so he took the scenic route. On his way, he passed Harper’s mom’s house. Mrs. Flynn was outside in her garden, yanking weeds.

  Milo pulled over to the curb and hopped out. “Hi Judy,” he said as he made his way up the lawn. She hated being called Mrs. Flynn and made him promise to always call her Judy. He never broke that promise.

  She turned, smile on her face. “Milo!” Her eyes were clear, which meant she hadn’t started drinking yet. She had makeup on, and her brown hair was combed into a low sitting ponytail. The crow’s feet around her eyes, the fine lines around her mouth, and the dark bags beneath her hazel eyes told the truth about her addicti
on.

  “I’d hug you, but I’m covered in dirt.”

  “I don’t mind,” he said and embraced her. Despite her issues and the hell Harper had to deal with in cleaning up her messes, Milo genuinely liked the woman. He wanted better for her, but he knew that ultimately lay in her own hands.

  “Garden is looking beautiful, as always,” he said.

  “I try my best.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. It was almost as if her words were a blanket statement for her entire life.

  “A little tender love and care go a long way,” he said in hopes she’d understand the double meaning.

  She nodded and bent over to rip out a weed. “What have you been up to?” she asked as if she didn’t see him the other night. She was so drunk, though; she probably didn’t even remember the car ride.

  “Expanding my business. I hired Hal to help with the summer influx.”

  “Look at you, creating a business from the bottom up. I always knew you’d be okay. You’re smart.”

  “Harper’s business is growing, too,” he said. He hated to talk about himself, but he’d be more than happy to boast about Harper.

  “What, her painting?”

  “She’s commissioning a lot more work, and her classes have been a hit in the community. I think she has a real chance of opening a brick and mortar in town.”

  “Like you, my daughter has always been smart. The problem is, she can’t get out of her own way.”

  “I’m not sure I get what you mean.”

  “She’s so busy taking on everyone else’s problems that she doesn’t stop to figure out her own. She’ll never grow her company, because she’ll blame everyone else as to why she can’t do it. And she’ll find a way to make it all my fault just like it’s my fault she couldn’t go to college, or it’s my fault that she has to stay in this town. Never blames her father who is the one who up and left us. Left me as a single mom struggling to raise two kids. No, she doesn’t see that. All she sees is a drunk who is out to ruin her life.”

  Milo hated getting in the middle of Harper and her mom, and while he understood what Judy was saying, Harper had sacrificed a lot for her mom. It was possible they both were wrong in certain things, but Milo wasn’t in a position to judge. The only thing he could do was what he always did. He listened.

  “I get up and go to work, too. What’s the big deal if I like to unwind a bit and have a few drinks?”

  “As long as you don’t drink and drive,” he said. He wouldn’t lecture her on the way she chose to live her life, but he drew the line at someone being irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel and endanger the lives of others.

  “After what happened to you, I would never.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “It still makes me mad. You had such a big world ahead of you.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t look at it that way. If I did, I’d never be happy. I look at it as a blessing. I might not have been able to play for the major league and travel the country, but I got to stay in a place where I’m surrounded by people who I love. It’s a trade I’d take any day.”

  Her green eyes filled with curiosity and sadness. “How do you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “See the light when everything seems so dark.”

  “Practice.” He glanced at his phone and noted the time. “I have to go do a pickup, but if you ever need anything, you know you can call me, right?”

  “Thank you, Milo. I hope my daughter knows how lucky she is to have you in her life.”

  “I’m lucky to have her, too. We balance each other out.”

  “When are you two going to realize you’re perfect for each other and become my son-in-law?”

  Milo laughed, loud and hearty. “Now that’s funny. I didn’t know you were a standup comedian these days.”

  “You laugh now, but one day, you’ll see.”

  “I’ll see you later, Judy.”

  Judy had been the biggest fan of Milo and Harper dating, but Milo had never put any weight into it. He’d never ruin what he and Harper had, but for some reason, the thought of being with Harper stayed with him the entire drive to Ms. Wheeler’s house.

  Chapter 7

  Harper cracked her neck and put aside the four glasses she’d finished painting. She’d spent the last few hours focused on getting them done, and she managed. She silently celebrated and picked up the mug of tea Milo had made her and took a sip.

  It was an herbal blend of cinnamon and apple, and she closed her eyes, savoring the sweet and spicy mixture.

  “Isn’t that cold by now?” he asked.

  She took another sip. “Nope, just right.”

  “Are you finished for the night?”

  She kicked her feet underneath her and smiled. “I am!”

  “Want to watch a movie then?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  He picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “There’s a new Adam Sandler one streaming.”

  Something light and funny was exactly what she needed. “As long as it’s not another documentary about the planet or animals, I’m in.”

  Milo laughed and rubbed at the five o’clock shadow on his chin. “Lucky for us, Jasper isn’t here.” Jasper was in Atlantic City with a couple of his college friends. He’d be back in time for the party, though.

  “Want me to make popcorn?” Milo asked, and she shook her head.

  “I’m good with tea.”

  “Do you have to pee?”

  “Nope.”

  “Are you sure? Because I don’t want to be twenty minutes into this and have to pause.”

  “Can you just start the damn movie already?”

  He scrolled through the screen and hit play. Harper settled into the couch, and she focused on the opening credits. Milo lounged back on the couch, and she glanced over at him. Her conversation with the girls floated into her head.

  If any time was perfect to take him up on his offer, it would be tonight. Jasper was out of town, and they had the entire house to themselves. They wouldn’t have to worry about being quiet… Would Milo be loud? Would she be loud?

  No. She couldn’t have sex with Milo. It went against everything their friendship stood for. He was too important to her. She brought her gaze back to the movie. Not even a minute later, her eyes betrayed her and drifted to Milo.

  She looked at him, really looked at him. His hair was sticking up from running his hands through it. He did that when he was restless, which was quite often. His features were strong, jaw chiseled to perfection, and the dimple at the edge of his mouth was pretty damn adorable. How did she never notice it before?

  He wasn’t just cute. No. Milo was smoking hot. The realization slammed into her, making heat crawl up her neck and into her cheeks. Her eyes lingered on his lips, wondering what they were capable of. Moisture pooled between her legs at the thought.

  She shifted, trying to act cool and not make this any more awkward than it had to be.

  Milo’s eyebrow lifted, and he shot her a look out of the corner of his eye. She was failing at being smooth. She hoped he would take the lead and put his suggestion into motion, but it seemed he was leaving the ball in her court. She shifted closer to him.

  “You have to pee, don’t you?”

  “No.” The word came out as a squeak.

  “Then why are you acting weird?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not.”

  He made a face. “If you say so.”

  She tried to relax, but for the first time since she’d known Milo, she was uncomfortable and didn’t know how to act around him.

  She shifted from one cheek to the other. He’d offered to help her take the edge off. If he didn’t want to, he never would have said anything. All she had to do was kiss him and get things started. A kiss. That wasn’t hard. She’d kissed plenty of guys before… Unfortunately, none of them turned out to be her prince. Not that she expected Milo to be her prince either, but his lips we
re nice, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he knew how to use them.

  God, was she really thinking about doing this? This was Milo, her best friend. Could she go through with it and kiss him? Then go a step farther and go to bed with him?

  She needed to stop thinking and just do it. They were two grown adults, and if they didn’t want it to be weird between them, then it wouldn’t be.

  He shot her a sideways glance, and she went for it, taking his cheeks in her hands and planting her lips on his. Like a statue, he didn’t move, so she took control, parting her lips and swiping her tongue across the edge of his mouth. When he didn’t meet her eagerly—or at all—disappointment and embarrassment flared inside her.

  She eased back, and Milo’s eyes widened. “What the hell was that?” he asked, shock splattering across his face like a Jackson Pollock painting.

  “Uh.” She cleared her throat, searching for her words. “I’m taking you up on your offer.”

  His eyebrows knitted together, and his head tilted to the left. “What offer?”

  She rolled her eyes and slumped back on the couch. “You know what offer.” He was being difficult, and right now was not the time. She just threw herself at him.

  He looked at her like she’d lost her damn mind, and she was starting to think she had. Did she dream this conversation? Surely, he remembered offering to help her out. It was only the other night. “The offer to help me out. You know. Sexually.”

  As if a rocket was under his ass, Milo jumped up from the couch, arms out like he was warding off evil spirits. His mouth opened and closed at least half a dozen times. By the seventh time, he managed a noise.

  “If I’d have known you’d act like this...” God, she never would have even thought about it for a single second. It would have been completely out of her mind, never to be thought about again.

  “I was kidding,” he blurted.

  She stood and moved toward him. His hands shot up and held her at bay. “I mean the offer. I was joking. I wasn’t. I mean. I wouldn’t. I…”

  “You looked me in the eyes though.”

  His nose crinkled and confusion skittered across his face. “I can’t look you in the eyes when I’m lying, not when I’m joking.”