“I’ll be sure to hop on over the next few days,” Josie promised.
She finally ended the call and sat back in her chair.
Pushing aside all the wedding talk and engagement whirlwind was going to be best for this trip. None of this was real, so letting it occupy space in her mind would only drive her crazy.
Josie came to her feet and shifted her focus to the trip. She needed to be Reese’s support system for this. When he’d told his parents, Josie had been surprised at how well they took the news that Reese had discovered the truth. She’d been overcome with emotion at their precious bond, at the hurdles they faced as a team and conquered together.
She shouldn’t feel sorry for herself. Maybe her entire life would’ve been different had her mother lived, but that was not the way things were meant to be. Josie knew her father loved her. He just had closed in on himself and become even more regimented since he’d retired from the mi
litary, and that was okay. She could look back now and see that he had struggled. Everyone dealt with loss differently.
Josie headed to the bedroom she had been sharing with Reese. The work on her house was almost done, but she wouldn’t be staying there until she and Reese returned from New York. When they returned, the farce would be over, the engagement would end and they’d go back to being just friends.
The looming deadline weighed heavy on her. She didn’t know why. They’d been friends before; they’d be friends again.
But now that she’d been intimate with him, how could she give that up? They’d grown closer than she’d ever thought possible. But there was no future for them as an actual couple. There was no reason to be delusional about the truth.
Nope. Reese would go right back into that best-friend box and one day they would look back at this engagement and just laugh.
Right?
Thirteen
Reese slid his hand into Josie’s as they made their way toward the entrance of Hawkins Distillery. This time walking in was no easier than the first, but at least now he had her by his side.
True, he’d already met the guys, but now there were more details to discuss and their lives would continue to intertwine.
Sam had arranged for a private dinner after closing hours so they would all have privacy and could freely talk. Apparently, Sam’s and Nick’s significant others were going to be here as well, so Reese was doubly glad he wouldn’t be the fifth wheel.
“I’ve never heard you this quiet,” she murmured as they neared the main entrance.
“How can you hear me being quiet?”
She laughed and slapped his arm. “You know what I mean.”
He did and he appreciated her concern. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he stepped to the entrance and gripped the wrought iron door handle as he turned to face her.
“I know what you mean, but I’m fine. Nervous, but it helps that you’re here.” He tipped his head, his eyes darting to her lips. “You still haven’t worn that red lipstick. Saving it for a special occasion?”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t just wear red lipstick, Reese.”
“You can,” he countered. “We all have to face our fears, Jo. Step out of our comfort zone sometimes to see what or who we can become.”
Josie stared at him, then leaned in and gently kissed him before easing back. It took quite a bit to surprise Reese, but her spontaneous show of affection, when they didn’t need to put on a show or weren’t heading into the bedroom, surprised him.
“Since you’re facing your fear, you looked like you needed it,” she told him with a smile before he could question her.
Releasing the door, he framed her face and gave her a proper kiss. There was no gentleness, no lead-in. This woman was an addiction he couldn’t let go of anytime soon.
When he eased back, still holding on to her, her eyes remained closed and her mouth open. He stroked his thumb across her lower lip.
“I always need that,” he murmured.
Her lids slowly lifted as she refocused on him. “What’s happening between us?”
A knot in his stomach tightened. He had no clue how to answer that because he wasn’t quite sure himself. He knew she was his best friend, knew that they were more than compatible in the bedroom and knew she’d always stood by his side. But he wasn’t sure beyond that. In his world right now, he had a mess that needed to be cleaned up before he could think too much about anything else.
“Let’s curb this topic for later,” he suggested.