A Guide to Being Just Friends(53)

“We live in California, Hailey. There are many Grace Kelly look-alikes.”

She swallowed. Right. Might as well ask. “So, what did she want?”

A little V appeared between his brows. “She asked if I’d accompany her to an event. A party.”

“Oh.” She blew out a breath. Wes hated parties. He hated big crowds of people and pretending he was having a good time.

“It’s on Saturday so I’ll … I guess I’ll grab groceries earlier in the day but you probably have to be here.”

Her gaze widened. “You’re going?” She hadn’t meant it to sound so accusatory.

Wes ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up. “She put me on the spot. Some of the clients she’d like me to meet will be there.”

She could feel Leo’s gaze as he helped the woman so she forced herself to loosen her shoulders.

“That’s great. Saturdays were meant for dates, not groceries. That’s awesome.” Dial it back a bit, Hailey.

“It’s not a date.” Wes’s voice was tight. Quiet.

A sardonic laugh left her lips without warning. “That woman looks at you the way I stare at a chocolate brownie. It’s a date. Which is fantastic. You could use one you didn’t find on an app.”

Wes’s frown deepened, his gaze darkening. She’d hurt his feelings. Shit. What was wrong with her? She came around the counter, pulled his arm so they were away from anyone else.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to have blinders on. She likes you.”

Again, he tunneled his fingers through his hair. “I’m not looking to date Ana. For a number of reasons, the biggest of which is I work with her.”

Had the biggest been because he wasn’t attracted to Ana, maybe she would have done something different. But that wasn’t what held him back. Hailey needed to push this because if she didn’t, it said something about her own feelings.

It said that she’d been reading them all wrong again. She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t have another one-sided relationship where she fell hard, then fell away. Wes had made it clear he didn’t see her like that. There was one night a few weeks ago that he said she reminded him of his sister.

“You look good together. Even if it’s not an actual date, going out with her, socializing and meeting people will be good for you.”

He was watching her far too closely, his jaw tight. “I think I socialize more than enough.” His voice lacked emotion. It was the tone he used when he was uncertain about something. A default tone.

“Your brothers don’t count.” She tried so hard to drown out the little voice in her head but it snuck through: neither do I. The thought physically hurt, like a needle poking into her skin.

“I’m going because it’ll be a networking opportunity. Can we shop on Sunday?”

Hailey’s throat went tight. He wasn’t blowing her off. She did matter. She was just making too much of things.

A small “Wes” smile appeared. The one he used to convince her to play one more game. “Of course. I need to start Christmas shopping.” With the excitement of being busy, Ana popping in, her out-of-the-blue whisper of jealousy, Hailey felt like she’d powered through a snowstorm without proper equipment. Tears threatened but she wasn’t entirely sure why. Just a tad overwhelmed. Everything is good.

He nodded, looking at her like he wanted to say something. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, the weight of his hand steadying her from the inside out. “That’s perfect. You can help me pick something out for Ari and my mom. I need to get them in the mail.”

Yup. She could do that. That’s what good buddies who reminded a guy of his sister did. What is up with you today?

She pulled in a painful breath. “Good luck with your meeting.”

“Thanks. I’ll text you later.”

She nodded, watching him leave.

“Made you something,” Leo said, handing her a fruit cup with copious amounts of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

She laughed. “If I could afford it, I’d give you a raise.”

He smiled, soft and sweet. “Remember that when you can. It’ll happen.”

It would. She couldn’t be sure about a lot of things because they changed in an instant. People fell in and out of love every minute. Tastes changed, friendships shifted. But Hailey could count on her shop, on things continuing to go well because that’s where her focus—her heart—belonged.





22


“I think you need to go on your own date. Stop worrying about him being on one.” Piper pulled a tray of cookies from the oven.

Hailey snuck a cooled one from the rack, breaking it in half and shoving the other half in her mouth just as her cousin turned around.

“Hey! Now you have one less to decorate.”

She shrugged, popped the rest in her mouth. When she finished, she took a drink of the soda Piper passed from the fridge. “I’m not worrying about him being on a date. I just thought it was weird that she showed up at the store.” She could have called in her order.

“Who showed up at the store?” Nick, Piper’s husband, came into the kitchen wearing a Lakers hoodie and a pair of checkered pajama bottom pants. He gave Hailey a kiss on the cheek. “How’s it going? Who came into the store? Someone famous?”