NICE GIRL TO LOVE (THE COMPLETE THREE-BOOK COLLECTION)(55)

Illogically, the theme song from an old game show began humming in her head as she watched him walk away. Well, this was awkward. Precisely what she’d been worried about to begin with. That kiss last night was already messing with their friendship.

“Stop thinking all this to death, Abby.” Brian grabbed a t-shirt from his pile of spare clothes in the linen closet. “That kiss didn’t change anything between us. At least not in a bad way.”

He always seemed to know just what she was thinking.

“Want to go out and grab breakfast?”

Case in point. “How do you do that?” She hadn’t even finished thinking about how badly she wanted to get out of the house.

“It’s a gift. I know you as well as I know myself. Reason number eighty-seven why we should work on becoming more than friends.”

That provoked her first smile of the day. Knowing Brian, he probably could recite a top 100 list if she asked him. He was just that adorable. “You’re not going to stop anytime soon are you?”

“Nope.” He gave her an extra crooked grin.

She sighed. “I’ll go get ready.” Both for breakfast and the battle of wills to come.

“Let the battle begin,” sang out Brian as she walked away.

Mind reading menace.




HE FELT FIFTEEN AGAIN.

And not just because that was the last time he’d been out on a date with anyone other than Beth. But because being with Abby made him feel primitively adolescent. For lack of a better term. In the last three minutes alone, Brian had gone from wanting to hold Abby’s hand for no discernible reason to practically snarling at the dick outside the diner who’d been checking out her ass on their way out after breakfast.

Primitively. Adolescent.

With a side of hopelessly romantic.

Honest to God, he was doing his damndest not to rush this, really he was. But then he’d take one look at her laughing at one of his jokes—the kind only she seemed to get—or he’d find himself smiling like a buffoon when they did their familiar dance of her reaching over for the pepper shaker knowing he’d already be meeting her halfway…

His jaw clenched tight. He couldn’t lose her, he just couldn’t. Not to Connor, not to anyone.

Brian loved his brother, owed him so much. But he simply couldn’t step aside without knowing he’d done everything in his power to see this through.

Maybe not even then.

All these thoughts continued to percolate in his brain as they walked in comfortable silence down a few quiet blocks, neither of them needing to direct the other to where they were headed. It was a favorite for them both, the tiny little park just past the diner at the edge of Cactus Creek. Once there, she found a big flat boulder to perch on top of and look out at the desert horizon.

“You ready for that big talk now?” he asked, quietly from below.

“Stop that. Get out of my head,” she grumbled.

He grinned. “Is that a yes?”

She gazed down at him and shook her head slowly. “Brian...”

Criminy. Already, he knew he wasn’t going to like what she was about to say.

“We should probably just forget last night ever happened.”

He hated being right sometimes.

With supreme effort, he remained silent and let her finish.

“I love you Brian, you know that. You’re right, in a way, we are kindred spirits.” She smiled softly, almost sadly. “But just as friends. Whether you want to admit it or not, your heart is always going to belong to Beth. And my heart…”

“Belongs to Connor?” he asked, floored a little at how much the simple statement hurt.

Eyes wide, voice shaking, she whispered, “Honestly, I don’t know…maybe.” She gave a little self-deprecating laugh. “I know you probably think I’m crazy for getting hung up on him.”

The pain in her voice was tearing up his insides. “I don’t think that at all. In fact, if I’d known you were even remotely each other’s type, I’d probably have set you two up the first time I realized you had a thing for him back when he first moved back here after law school.”

She groaned. “Was it that obvious?”

“Only because I had two functioning eyes.”

Her hands flew up to cover her now bright red cheeks.

“Hey, I was kidding.” He pulled her down off the boulder and brought her hands down away from her face. “I only caught it by accident once. I was actually a little hurt you didn’t tell me you had a crush on him. You usually confide in me about everything.”

“I didn’t tell you because Connor was way out of my league. I mean, c’mon, the man must have re-introduced himself to me at least six times over the course of nine years.”

“No man is out of your league,” he growled, upset his brother had inadvertently made her feel that way.

Her gaze shot back up to his, startled.

“My brother’s an ass for not remembering you all those other times. Back then, he was way worse when it came to women.”

Surprised filtered into her tone. “And still you would’ve tried to set us up if I’d asked?”

“Of course. You know I’d do anything to make you happy, sweetheart.” Except tell you the truth about why Connor is staying away. “Back then, I would’ve done even that for you if it was what you really wanted.”