One Moment Please (Wait With Me #3)(75)

“Me either,” I mope, crossing my arms over my chest as Miles’s lips move while Kate laughs and tears stream down her face.

Dean sighs. “I’m sure he’s saying something like…Rubber, blah, blah, blah. Tires, blah, blah, blah. Suspension and free coffee, blah, blah, blah. Danishes and cookies are complimentary for life, blah, blah, blah. Marry me.”

“This is romantic to exactly no one but these two freaks,” I croak, my eyes filling with tears at the sight of my best friend getting engaged.

The power tool stops just in time for all of us to hear Kate cry, “Yes, I’ll marry you!” She falls into his arms, her lips locking with his as he holds her face, the ring still in his hand.

I turn wide, watery eyes to Dean who deadpans, “Twenty bucks says they name their first kid Michelin.”

I burst out laughing and holler out some cheers for the newly engaged couple all the while marveling at the comedy and the beauty of this whole scene. It’s so perfect for Kate that I could die of happiness. How she found the man who embraces her brand of crazy so completely and gives himself so freely in return is a beautiful, wonderful, magical thing. We could all be so lucky.

“That could be you next, Lyns.” Dean half smiles and hugs me to his side. “You and Josh seem to be good together. Falling in love with your baby daddy wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, you know.”

My body stiffens at Dean’s remark.

It scares me to hope.

Hope can be painful when it’s crushed. And the truth is, despite how far Josh and I have come in the past few weeks, he’s still holding something back. Something that makes him guard his heart from me. And the longer we go on like this, the more painful that barrier becomes.

Where is Josh anyway?

When I turn, he’s standing by the bus watching the scene with a peculiar expression on his face. He offers me a small smile that I reciprocate.

It’s always half with this man.

Am I crazy to wish for whole soon?





Well, tonight is nothing like I expected.

The group finish toasting Miles and Kate with champagne and cookies in the parking lot of Tire Depot in front of the marquee that exclaims SHE SAID YES.

Apparently, the party bus birthday plans for Dean were all a ruse for this elaborate proposal by Miles. I’m not going to lie, though, proposing in a parking lot of a tire shop doesn’t seem all that romantic to me. But hell, Kate and Lynsey have been crying happy tears the entire fucking night, so what do I know about romance?

We climb onto the bus and continue the bar-hopping tour. As the night progresses, an uneasiness creeps up in my shoulders. Marriage isn’t something Lynsey and I have discussed. It’s certainly nothing I ever wanted for myself, considering my past, but I also never wanted a baby, and now I’m having that.

Life sometimes has other plans for you.

Lynsey’s happiness for her friend clearly shows that she holds marriage in high regard. Is this something I could give her? Perhaps marriage is what’s best for everyone—the baby, Lynsey, and me.

If we’re married, there’s no chance of confusion for where we stand in our relationship. And if we’re married, I can take care of them forever.

By the time we pull up to Pearl Street Pub, I’m so deep in my own thoughts that I excuse myself from the group to head downstairs to the bathroom to try to snap myself out of this mindfuck I’ve gotten myself in.

When I’m on my way back up, I run into Dean on the steps.

“Having a good time?” Dean eyes me up and down.

I purse my lips and nod. “Yeah sure, and Happy Birthday, by the way.”

Dean laughs and shakes his head. “Not really the point of tonight, but I get why you, of all people, would choose not to notice that.”

My brows furrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Something tells me you’re not the marrying type, Doc,” Dean says as he walks down the three steps separating us so we’re on the same level.

I narrow my eyes. “I really don’t know why you think you know me so fucking well, but it’s starting to get on my nerves.”

Dean shrugs. “I know that you’ve had Lynsey under your roof for months now, and you guys are still just what…fucking?”

I bristle at the fact he knows about our situation. It exposes and irritates me because I’d rather Lynsey not confide in Dean about anything pertaining to us. Dean isn’t in my corner, so I’m sure he’s doing everything he can to get her away from me.

I exhale and level him with a glower. “My situation with Lynsey is of no concern to you.”

Dean shakes his head. “Everything pertaining to one of my best friends concerns me.”

“What the fuck do you want from me, Dean?” My temper boils over. This douchebag has been eyeballing me all night. At this point, I should just knock him out so we can stop this stupid dance. “I really don’t enjoy these little face-offs you seem hell-bent on every time we see each other.”

Dean props himself against the wall and slides his hands into his pockets. “I just want to give you some friendly advice, Doc.”

“Friendly advice.” I give a dry laugh. “I can’t wait to hear this.”

“Maybe advice is the wrong word.” Dean rubs his bearded chin and looks up before saying, “Perhaps I should say a word of warning.”