“You guys pick names for the baby?” he asked.
Claire put a hand on his arm. “I only want to help, Josh. I love you.”
His throat thick, he could only jerk his chin at her. Hearing I love you did something to him. He didn’t feel very lovable most of the time. Damn, he was turning into a crusty old bachelor at thirty-five.
“I have some sparkling cider to celebrate this occasion,” Jake said. “Let’s have a toast.”
“Aww, Jake,” Claire said, going up on tiptoe to kiss him.
Glad for the distraction, Josh took a seat at the bar. A moment later, Claire took the seat next to him. Jake went behind the bar, opened the cider, and poured them all a glass.
Jake lifted his glass. “To a healthy baby!”
“Hear, hear,” Josh chimed in.
“Cheers!” Claire said. They all clinked glasses. Claire took a sip, and they followed suit.
Josh hid a wince at the too sweet drink.
“So what’s the latest with Hailey’s prince?” Claire asked brightly, rubbing it in. Hailey’s prince. That right there said it all. Everyone saw the writing on the wall. Hailey was a princess who belonged with a prince. “I heard they had coffee,” Claire added. “Nice, but I thought a prince might offer something a little more exciting.”
Josh slapped his hand on the bar top. “He offered to buy Ludbury House for her! A fucking mansion! Exciting enough for you?”
“Josh,” Jake said sharply.
“Sorry, Claire,” Josh mumbled. “Didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Claire nudged him with her shoulder. “I’d much rather hear you say what’s on your mind than have you hold it all inside looking so miserable. So the prince offered her a mansion. What have you offered her?”
Josh glared at the bar top. He had one embarrassing gift and a date idea he’d thrown out the window. He couldn’t offer her the glitzy fairy-tale life she deserved. The prince was probably like a dream come true for her.
“Offer her what she’ll get with you,” Jake said. “Don’t even try to compete with buying her a mansion.”
Josh’s lip curled. “Thank you, Mr. Relationship Expert.”
Jake kept on doling out advice. “Offer to cook for her—you’re like a gourmet chef—invite her to basketball with the guys—”
“She’s terrible at basketball,” Josh said. They’d all witnessed her unathletic skills on the court back when she’d first become friends with Mad. And he’d abandoned the cooking plan. The prince probably had a chef on staff trained at some fancy French culinary school.
Jake went on like Josh hadn’t spoken. “Take her on a picnic at a park. Remember you were going to do that with Claire on the date we switched up? They’ve got paddleboarding too at the place we went. That’s fun and the weather’s warming up.”
Josh sent him a shut the fuck up look. He was this close to smacking him.
Claire put in her two cents. “Hailey wants an old-fashioned romance. She wants to be courted, wooed, won over.”
He stilled. Now that he thought about it, Claire might be right about the romance thing. Hailey’s apartment was filled with romance novels and bridal magazines. Maybe he had to prove he was relationship material by doing something romantic. He’d thought the dinner-date idea should qualify, but maybe Claire knew something he didn’t. Maybe what Hailey wanted was something even more old-fashioned. He wasn’t sure what.
He gave Claire a sideways look, heat creeping up his neck as he mumbled, “You mean like flowers?”
“That could be part of it,” Claire conceded.
Jake butted in again. “Old-fashioned? Maybe you should get advice from the old guy. Dad got Brandy to shack up with him within five weeks, and now they’re getting married.”
Josh met Jake’s eyes, and they cracked up.
“Can you imagine taking woman advice from Dad?” Jake asked.
“He’s been single for years!” Josh said, still laughing. His dad was much worse than he was in the crusty bachelor department.
“Not anymore,” Claire said firmly. “Jake, you told me how your dad appreciated his stepdad treating his mom like a queen. That’s how he treated your mom—”
“Fat lot of good it did him,” Jake said. This was true. Their mom had walked out on them the day after Christmas when Mad was only one, and never looked back.
Claire went on. “And that’s why he took the time to teach you guys gentleman manners. Didn’t he say how important it was to treat women like your little sister with care and respect?”
They got quiet.
“Josh? Jake?”
Josh mumbled, “Yeah,” in unison with Jake. Twin thing.
Claire turned to him. “Josh, is that how you treat Hailey? With care and respect?”
Err…He’d offered his arm to her for an escort more than once. Usually she ignored it though, so he wasn’t sure if that counted. Somehow opening a car door didn’t sound like enough.
Claire spoke in a gentle voice. “Teasing and razzing each other only goes so far.”
He said nothing. It was too damn late to fix this, and it was fast becoming apparent the blame lay at his feet.
“Does she know you care?” Claire asked gently. “Does she know you respect her?” When he remained silent, she added, “Do you care for and respect her?”
Josh pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped it a few times before showing Claire the screen. “Look at the nice things I said about her and her business in the Bride Special interview.”
Claire’s hazel eyes were sympathetic, her voice so soothing he was beginning to think he’d missed something important with Hailey. “That’s really nice, but have you ever said anything like what you said in this article directly to her?”
“I said it in front of her during the interview.” He turned to Jake, desperate for backup. He couldn’t have completely screwed up everything. “Is that the kind of thing you did with Claire?”
“No.”
Claire sighed loudly. “I didn’t need that. I’m not Hailey. Josh, I know this woman. She wants old-fashioned romance, a courtship.”
Josh shoved his phone back in his pocket and then pulled his T-shirt collar away from his overheated neck. “What is this, the eighteenth century?”
Jake laughed.
Claire shot Jake a quelling look and his twin shut up. She turned back to Josh. “I mean like thoughtfulness. Show up at the Happy Endings Book Club meeting here tomorrow night. Read the book and participate meaningfully. Meet her where she’s at. If you can’t hack the estrogen, you can take breaks to hang with Jake. She needs to know you respect and care about her enough to take an interest in what she loves.”
Jake snorted.
“Honey,” Claire said sweetly, her smile lethal, “could you bring the fruit salad down here for me? And slice some of the Monterey jack cheese too. I need more protein now that I’m eating for two.”
“On it.” Jake bolted from the room.
Josh thought about Claire’s suggestion. Unfortunately for his manly self, everything she’d just said about taking an interest in the girly stuff Hailey loved made a lot of sense, and it was something he hadn’t tried. He’d run out of good ideas, and Claire was presenting a golden one with the insider woman-friend track. Also, it tied in with the embarrassing gift he’d gotten her. Maybe he could slip it into her purse when she wasn’t looking. Shit. This was going to be much harder than his dinner plan, but he was just that desperate.
“How long is the book?” he asked, hoping it wouldn’t take too much time. He had to work tonight and didn’t want to spend an entire Sunday reading a sappy romance.
“Read the fucking book and find out,” Claire snapped. “You have to show effort with her. You want easy, keep flirting with random women who walk into your bar. How’s that working for you?”
He blinked, taken aback by her tone. Tough love from Claire.
She sipped her sparkling cider. “Sorry, I’m hepped up on hormones and just a smidge mor
e aggressive than usual.” Her lips formed a flat line, her hazel eyes sharp. “Of course, I meant every word of what I just said.”
“No problem.” Damn, Jake had his hands full over here. He pushed his wineglass away. “So, uh, what’s the book about?”
“Love.”
He’d skim it if he had to. “The whole thing’s about love?”
“Yes, it’s a journey, much like the one you’re on.”
His gaze snapped to her knowing look. He was on a love journey, and he hadn’t even known it. Maybe things weren’t as bleak as they seemed.
Chapter Eleven
Things were looking damn bleak.
Josh knew it the moment he showed up for book club right on time at Jake and Claire’s house, accidentally intruding on estrogen central. The women were already there, seated in a circle of white sofas and floral-patterned chairs in the formal living room, chattering away. Had Claire told him the wrong time, or had everyone showed up early? One by one they spotted him.
Conversation ground to a dead halt.
His gift for Hailey was in the inside pocket of his black fleece jacket, which he desperately wanted to take off because he was on fire with embarrassment, but he didn’t dare risk the additional embarrassment of the gift tipping out onto the floor where everyone could see it. He hadn’t wrapped it.
All eyes went from him to Hailey. It seemed like everyone knew he had a purpose here tonight with her. The fire ignited to an inferno of embarrassment as Hailey’s brows drew together in confusion. “Josh, what’re you doing here?”
He cleared his throat. “You invited me.”
“No, I didn’t.”
He waved a hand lazily in the air, wishing he could rewind back to NEVER TAKING CLAIRE’S ADVICE. “Yeah, you did. Back when you first started book club, you invited me, so I figured the offer still stands.”
Hailey’s pink lips formed an O of surprise. “That was two and a half years ago.”
“You’re most welcome, Josh,” Claire declared. “Please, take a seat.” She stood and dragged a floral-patterned chair over to the circle of women for him.
Man up. You read the book. You’re on a mission.
He took the offered seat. The women stared at him. He was dying in this fleece. Why had he worn a flannel shirt over his T-shirt today? A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. He wiped it away and worked on blending in.
Claire took the lead. “I loved this story with the sweet baby niece, didn’t you guys?”
Dead silence. The women shot curious looks at him.
Josh spoke up, desperate to get the conversation going. “It was touch and go, but everything turned out great.” The ending had been unexpectedly touching despite being a historical story set in long-ago England.
“It wasn’t that easy,” Mad said. “Remember when—dammit.” She gestured across the circle toward him. “I can’t talk about hot scenes with my brother listening.”
He turned to Claire. Fix this.
“I’m pregnant!” Claire announced.
The women exploded in excited congratulations, everyone leaving their seats to hug Claire and exclaim over her. He took the opportunity to remove his fleece jacket and flannel shirt, draping them over his lap.
“Josh!” Mad exclaimed. “Get over here! This is big news.”
“I congratulated her yesterday.”
“You knew before we did?” Mad asked.
The women turned to Claire in question. Claire smiled. “Jake told him. Twin thing. You know you’re all like sisters to me. I had to wait to tell you in person. Please keep it to yourselves though. We’re not going public with this at all.”
The women quickly settled down, murmuring their understanding of Claire’s need for privacy. Soon everyone was seated back in the circle.
Hailey sat next to Mad, across the circle from him. She pulled an e-reader from her purse, glancing over at him. “I usually read aloud a favorite passage for discussion, but before I do, I’m just wondering, Josh, if you’re here as a fan of the book or to make fun of it.”
He could feel Claire’s eyes burning into him, urging him to say the right thing. Claire’s words echoed in his head: She needs to know you respect and care about her enough to take an interest in what she loves.
He cleared his throat. “I respect the author’s work and respect you, I mean, everyone here who enjoyed it.”
Hailey’s lips curved slowly into a gentle smile, her lashes fluttering down. “That’s nice, thank you. So you really read the book?”
“Yup.”
Mad pointed at his jacket, which he now saw had a bulky outline from the gift. “Looks like he brought it with him. So old school, Josh, getting the paperback.”
“Is it signed?” Hailey asked. “I missed the limited stock of signed copies at Book It.”
“It’s signed,” he replied and then clamped his mouth shut. Signed by the author, yes, but it wasn’t the book club’s selection. It was her gift book.
“Can I see what she wrote?” Hailey asked. “I heard she writes something different in each one.”
“Yeah, pass it around,” Mad urged, standing and crossing over to him. She held out her hand. “Lemme see.”
He gave his sister his best intimidating stare. “No.”
“Why not?” Mad demanded.
“It’s private.” He glared at his little sister. “Take a seat,” he growled.
Mad’s brown eyes danced with amusement. “Whatcha hiding, Joshie?”
“Nothing,” he snapped.
She lifted a hand to muss his hair. He pulled out of her reach, and she snagged his jacket, racing back to her seat. Damn, he’d fallen for the head fake out.
He could forcibly take it back, but no doubt Mad would give him a fight. She was a blackbelt, well used to battling her big brothers. He didn’t want a brawl with his sister. On the other hand, he didn’t want to be publicly humiliated.
Mad fished out the gift.
“Put it back,” he growled. “It’s not for you.”
She stared at it. “Oh, wow.” She snort-laughed. “You actually got it?” She flipped open the front cover. “Signed and everything. That’s special.” She handed it to Hailey, saying solemnly, “It’s for you.”
The women all spoke at the same time:
“What book is it?”
“Who’s the author?”
“Why did Josh get it for you?”
He slouched in his seat, his eyes going to half-mast. Bleakness warred with embarrassment. He’d wanted to give it to her in private while he made the case for why he was relationship material. Now everyone would chime in on it. Hell.
Hailey sounded surprised, her voice high. “I, uh, don’t know why, but it’s Accidentally Pregnant by the Cowboy, signed to me by T.L. Frieze. It says, Hailey, Ride On! Enjoy your very own cowboy. She put a little cowboy hat and then her name.”
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and he straightened in his seat. Why did Hailey sound so surprised? Mad had told him this was Hailey’s favorite book of all time and she’d always wanted a signed copy. He’d special ordered it from the author’s website and paid extra for express shipping.
He sent Mad a death glare.
She stuck out her tongue.
He jabbed a finger at her that promised retribution. One of Mad’s pranks. Now that he’d finished paying her tuition, she was up to her old tricks. For a while there she was kissing his ass. He should’ve known.
The women passed around the book. A low buzz of whispering ensued, probably speculating what the hidden meaning was. Like maybe he wanted to knock Hailey up, or maybe she was already accidentally pregnant. Fuck me. This was not the old-fashioned kind of romance he was supposed to be presenting to Hailey. Now he looked like a lech.
Hailey stood in her red short-sleeved designer dress that displayed every last curve, looking glossy and perfectly made-up as usual, but it didn’t bug him like it used to. She wasn’t snooty and above it all. She was passionate, fiery, a
nd he’d seen what lay underneath her designer clothes. He shoved that memory down as she approached him. He glanced toward her side, suddenly realizing she wasn’t carrying her dog purse.
“Where’s Rose?” He’d even come prepared with a little butter on his wrists and a slice of pepperoni in a small Ziploc bag in his flannel shirt pocket.
She closed the distance between them, her flowery sexy scent washing over him. “Jake took her out to meet the horses in the stable. It’s good for her to have a variety of experiences.”
He couldn’t think of a single thing more to say, despite the emotion bubbling up in him, his heart thudding hard. Suddenly it felt like so much was at stake. His gift had turned out to be a joke, but his intention was very, very real.
Hailey’s pale blue eyes studied him for a moment, looking slightly puzzled. He tried not to squirm. “Thank you for the gift, Josh.”
He grunted. “Mad said it was your favorite.”
Hailey’s head whipped toward Mad, who burst out laughing. Hailey huffed and turned back to him. “I appreciate the gesture. Thank you.”
“Mad was fucking with me, obviously. Have you, uh, read that one?”
She leaned down to whisper in his ear, and he went stock-still. “Actually, I avoid accidental pregnancy stories because I was one. Mad doesn’t know that about me, no one does. I just can’t romanticize the single-mom situation, having lived through it.”
His gaze met hers as she straightened. She trusted him with something she hadn’t even told Mad. “I know what it’s like when a parent bails.”
She swallowed visibly. “Yes, well, my dad died when I was little, but…he wasn’t much of a dad before that.”
“Sorry to hear it. And real sorry the book reminded you of it. Just toss it.”
She lifted her chin. “I will not. It’s the first gift you ever gave me.”
“Not like a mansion.” Where had that come from? Here they were practically getting along and he had to bring up what’s-his-name.
She stared at him, and he saw the moment she understood that he knew what the prince had offered her. She’d probably share with Mad a lot less now that she knew she’d confided in a snitch.
An Inconvenient Plan (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 10) Page 11
