A Guide to Being Just Friends(50)

“That loosens your seat belt. You shouldn’t sit like that.”

“Noted. Okay, you see something your friend would love. Do you buy it, text them a picture of it, or do nothing.”

“Buy it.”

“That was quick.”

He shrugged. “You?”

“Text a picture. Not all of us have vaults of money.”

With the traffic at a standstill, he had time to look over. He looked a bit tired, making Hailey’s heart pinch. She knew he was stressed about his father and his brothers. “How do you know about my vault?”

With a smile, she scrolled to the next question. “It’s your friend’s birthday. They don’t want fanfare. Do you ignore them and plan a big party, celebrate quietly with the two of you, or do you drop off a gift?”

He started to answer but Hailey sat up straight. “When’s your birthday?”

His cheeks flushed. Even in the moonlit cab, she could see hints of pink on his skin. Adorable. “This feels like the speed dating thing all over again. January twenty-eighth. Yours?”

“May sixteenth. Phew. We haven’t missed each other’s.”

“We’ve missed a few.”

She laughed again. “You’re funny tonight.”

He bobbed his brows in a very uncharacteristically Wes gesture. “Just tonight?”

Hailey couldn’t help look at him an extra moment before she responded. He’d deny it but she could tell by the way his dimple flashed, the creases in the corners of his eyes, that he was having fun. She loved seeing him happy. “More so than usual. Okay. Answer the question.”

“I’d respect their wishes but hope to at least celebrate with the two of us.”

“Okay. I just have to tally.” The traffic started moving again.

“Which would you choose?”

“Same as you.”

“Which would you want?”

She looked up from her phone. “I don’t know. I’ve never had the whole fanfare thing. My last birthday I spent at a party I didn’t want to be at, poured into a tummy tightener that was so tight it left bruises around my ribs.”

The truck jolted. Hailey realized Wes had slammed his brakes. Horns honked behind him. “Sorry. Sorry. What the hell are you talking about? Why would you be in a tummy tightener? Why would you go to a party you didn’t want to attend for your own birthday?”

Fortunately, he moved with the traffic again but his fingers were clenched white around the wheel.

There goes happy Wes. He was so protective of people he cared about. She wondered if he realized it. She reached over, ran her hand over his arm. “It’s okay. Relax.”

“No. That’s bullshit. First, you don’t need to tighten anything. Second, you should do what you want on your birthday.”

“Sometimes I forget that you’re the oldest in your family. You have this protective streak.”

“That’s not because I’m the oldest, it’s because I care about the people around me. I hope I never meet that asshole you were with.”

“Now you sound like Fiona and Piper.”

“Excellent. Just what I hoped for.”

She laughed, read through their descriptions. Her heart hummed with happiness that she was on his list of people he cared about. It gave her hope that her next birthday would be far better than her last. She’d found her own people. Maybe it was time to give herself permission to get attached.

“Come on,” he said, his tone more relaxed. “The suspense is killing me.”

With a smile, she read the results. “You are a highball. You’re honest, loyal, and straight to the point. You have your friends’ back even if you don’t agree with them.”

Something twisted in Hailey’s ribs. For a fun quiz, it certainly had Wes pegged.

“Interesting. What are you?”

“I’m craft beer. Laid back, a little too much sometimes but loyal and true. No matter how much time passes, I’m the kind of friend you can always come back to.”

He was quiet as he pulled out of the traffic, took their exit off the freeway.

“All these years, I’ve been trying to figure myself out. Turns out I should have just taken a Cosmo quiz.”

Hailey laughed. “I’ll add it to my grocery list.”

“You don’t make a list.”

“Then I’ll add it to yours.” He was definitely honest and loyal but in her mind, Wes was more complicated than a simple highball. She never would have guessed, months ago, he’d be such a huge, important part of her life. That he’d make her think, push her to be better, support her, or make her laugh as often as he did.

He’d given her all the things she’d craved growing up. He made her feel like she belonged. As she continued to watch him as he drove, she realized it was too late for permission. She was already attached. The best she could do was hang on and hope the feelings were mutual.





21


December

In the kitchen, Hailey went through the calendar, transferring the events from her phone to the physical page and vice versa. She would not screw up because of lack of triple-checking.

Leo and Bryce—Esther’s grandson—were both on the schedule today. Leo was currently serving a small group of teen girls and Bryce was out handling the lunchtime deliveries. Hailey thought about pinching herself just to be sure it was real. She had employees. After finishing inventory, making a list of needed items, she went to help Leo out front.